From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jan 1 00:44:29 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Ominous year's end / Action requested re imprisoned COs Message-ID: <3E1239ED.26516.24F3493@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Dec. 31, 2002 - five minutes to twelve International release [] Ominous year's end Banning of Arab Knesset Members / Random brutality in Hebron [] Immediate action requested re imprisoned COs [] Ominous year's end Banning of Arab Knesset Members / Random brutality in Hebron - Tonight, the Central Elections Committee is on its way to ban Knesset Member Azmi Bishara and his Balad Party - one of the three main parties active among Israel's Arab citizens - from running in the current elections. The decision is based on "evidence" provided by spies and agent provocateurs of the Israeli Security Services - evidence whose veracity was in no way checked in these proceedings. - This followed upon the same comittee banning Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi and the conspicious non-banning of the notorious racist Baruch Marzel, an outspoken advocate of the wholesale expulsion of Palestinians. Unless these scandalous decisions are overturned by the Supreme Court, it would mean that Israel's Araab citizens would lose much of the (always limited) political rights they had, while anti-Arab racists are given a free run of the Israeli political system. It could also mean a large-scale abstention by Arab voters in the the January 28 elections, which would of course leave no further doubt of Sharon's re-election. - On the same day, we got from Palestinian friends in Hebron a gruesome tale of a 18-yeaar old youth being taken for "a ride" on an Israeli police jeep, from which his horribly battered dead body was thrown two hours later. The B'tselem human rights organization, which started investigating the case, got the clear idea that it was a case of random brutalit. - Also today: the decision to deport from Israel the internationally-known British activist Angie Zelser, declared by Judge Ruth Eliaz to be "a danger to the state" - as it seems for no other reason then her humanitarian work among Palestinians, especially helping in the olive harvest in groves threatened by settlers. [] Immediate action requested re imprisoned COs The two longest-serving imprisoned CO's, Yonathan Ben-Artzi and Uri Ya'akoby, were informed a week ago that they would be interviewed by a military commission - which had been the way out of the army for many previous CO's. This morning - a day before the appointed time - they were informed that the interview had been cancelled, with no reason given. The two therefore, now face a seventh term, which may be followed by an eighth and a ninth, in effect an indefinite imprisonment, stretched out in installments of 28 to 35 days each. The present 18-year olds have the bad lack to come of age in a period of increased oppressiveness and intolerance. The refusniks are actually the "frontline soldiers" of the struggle for peace and deserve our support. This Saturday, there will be a Yesh Gvul demonstration in Athlit*, but there is something important which you can do now, straight from your computer. The fact that Ben Artzi and Ya'akobi were first promised access to the comission and then denied it may indicate divisions and hesitations within the military and politicasl establishment. Therefore, it may be effective to let the army get AS MANY PROTESTS AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT SUNDAY (Jan. 5), when Ya'akobi is likely to face a new order to enlist and a new trial for his refusal. We ask you to send protests to Colonel Deborah Chassid, commander of the army's Induction Center at Tel Hashomer - who on previous occasions was directly responsible for the CO's "instant trials" (held in camera without lawyers or witnesses). You can you use the sample letter or compose your own. Deborah Chassid Commander of Induction Base, Tel-Hashomer Military Postal Code 02718, IDF Israel. Fax: +972-3-7376052 Copies of appeals in can also be sent to: Head of Incompatibles Unit Induction Base (Baqum) Tel-Hashomer Fax: ++972-3-737-67-05. You can use the following sample or make your own text: To: Deborah Chassid Commander of Induction Base, Tel-Hashomer Dear Madam We got the worrying news that the invitiation to Yoni Be-Artzi and Uri Ya'acobi - to appear before the Incompatibility Commission - was withdrawn. Over the past months, you and your subordinate officers have condemned young conscientious objectors to repeated terms of imprisonment. I urge you to allow them, after 100 days or more, to see at last the commission, which in the past provided discharge for conscientious objectors. There is no justice to keeping serious youngsters behind bars indefinitely. No amount of imprisonment will convince them to change their deeply held convictions, for which several of them were already recognized as Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International. The four longest serving COs: Yonathan Ben Artzi, 6th sentence, total of 161 days’ imprisonment; Uri Yaakobi - 6th sentence, total: 133 days’ imprisonment; Dror Boimel - 5th sentence, total: 119 days’ imprisonment; Yoni Yehezkiel – 4th sentence, total: 98 days’ imprisonment. [your name / profession / address] *Meeting: Bet Oren junction, old Haifa-Hedera highway - 12:30 Transportation: Jerusalem (Binyanei Haumma) 10:00 Tel Aviv (Arlozoroff/Namir) 11:15 Contact: Peretz Kidron" --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 andalus@andalus.co.il --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jan 1 20:06:31 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Rave Against The Occupation, Friday at the PM's farm Message-ID: <3E134A47.14149.1AB184C@localhost> ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: שחף To: RAVE AGAINST THE OCCUPATION (03-01-03) Friday Jan. 3 Cars will depart from the Reading parking lot, Tel-Aviv: 11.30 The RAVE - 14.30-17.30 THANKS FOR THE PEACE AND THANKS A LOT FOR THE SECURITY CAVALCADE OF GRATITUDE SALUTE PARTY IN FRONT OF THE PM'S FARM [Cosponsored by Gush Shalom] www.therave.co.il --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 andalus@andalus.co.il --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From otherisr at actcom.co.il Tue Jan 7 02:53:46 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: Jewish-Arab Demo to defend democracy - tomorrow in Jerusalem Message-ID: <3E1A413A.30748.2DDE35C@localhost> Note: due to paart of our team being abroad until next week, if you unsubscribed from our list, it may take a few days for the removal to be implemented. We ask for your foreberance aand apologise for the inconvenience. Gush Shalom infoteam ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Jan 6, 2003 - a grim beginning of the new year International release 1) Jewish-Arab Demo: Defend democracy, stop rampaging Apartheid! 2) Another painful and terrible proof that there is no milliary solution 1) Jewish-Arab Demo: Defend democracy, stop rampaging Apartheid! No to the expulsion of arab citizens from the Knesset! Gush Shalom calls upon the public to join a big Jewish-Arab rally taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 12.00 noon outside the Supreme Court Building, Jerusalem during the appeals against the expulsion from the Knesset of Knesset Members Tibi and Bishara, and the Balad Party No to racism, yes to democracy! Is Israel the state of all its racists? Expelling the Arabs is expelling democracy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ All the peace and human rights movements - among them Gush Shalom, Peace Now, Ta'ayush, Bat Shalom, Women's Peace Coalition and many others - share in this initiative, together with the Arab Monitoring Committee and all the Arab parties. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- No to an Apartheid regime in Israel! A joint Jewish-arab demonstration will take place tomorrow, Tuesday Jan. 7, at 12.oo noon, outside the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem, during the appeal proceedings against the disqualification of KM's Tibi and Bishara and of the Balad (National Democratic Assembly) Party. No to an Apartheid regime in Israel! No to the disqualification of Tibi, Bishara and Balad! No to the disqualification of democracy! The representatives of the right wing are pushing the Palestinian citizens of Israel outside the boundaries of Israeli democracy. Denial of the right to be elected and to choose between legitimate alternatives to vote for is undermining the very foundations of the democratic system. By pushing the Arabs out of the parliament, the right-wingers try to entrench their own position. They have exposed their own racism by their open support of the Kahanist Baruch Marzel, are not worried about particular utterances of the Arab representatives. What does worry them is the political power of the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and their political convictions which ar e contrary to those of the Right, and which support the achievement of a political compromise between the two peoples. We, Jews and Arabs, call upon everyone who cares about democracy to lay aside all divisions. In face of the attempt to set up a de-facto apartheid regime in Israel, we must struggle together in defence of the human, democratic and political rights of all citizens of Israel. No to the disqualification of Tibi, Bashara and Balad! No to the disaqualification of democracy! Signatory organizations: The Galilee Association Ata'ja Bat Shalom Giv'at Habiba Gush Shalom Courage to Refuse The Fifth Mother Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions The Anti-Racist Campaign Arab Center for Planning Negev Forum for Coexistance HaKav HaYarok Hkkeshet Hademocratit Hamizrahit Arab Education Monitoring Committee Yesh Gvul Khian Mehuyavut (Commitment to Peace and Social Justice) Machsom Watch Alam Center Musawa Center Women Against Violence Sikkuy - Association to Promote Civil Equality Adallah Social Workers for Peace Alaktza Association Almizan New Profile The Two's Coalition for Peace Another Voice in Galile The Campus is Not Silent Peace Now Ta'ayush Transportation: 8.00 AM Karmiel (new central bush station) 050-737683 8.40 Acre (Near the Central Bus Station) 9.30 Haifa (Solel Boneh Sq.) 052-887185 9.30 Nazareth (At the spring) 06-4557767 10.00 Tel-Aviv (Arlozorov St. Railway Station, near the El Al Terminal) 03-5221732 10.00 Be'er Sheba (Main entrance to Ben Gurion University) 058-655737 10.15 Afula (Heichal Ha'tarbut) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Another painful and terrible proof that there is no milliary solution Gush Shalom statement, 6.1.2003 The terrible assault on random civilians in south Tel-Aviv, which deserves full and unqualified condemnation, once again gices a painful proof theater there is no military solution to the conflict between the state of Israel and the Palestinians rebelling against its miltary rule. In April 2002, during the so-called "Operation Defensive Shield", then Army Chief-of-Staff Mofaz who is now Minister of Defence claimed confidently that two months of unrestricted Israeli control over the Palestinian cities would suffice to "root out terrorism". Since then the armed forces of Israel have had more than half a year of complete control over the Palestinian cities, and an unhindered freedom to "take preventive action". The generals were able to maintain prolonged closures, sieges and curfews, driving hundreds of thousands to the edge of starvation; they conducted raids night by night, dragging off thousands to detention in crowded camps, more than a thousand of them held under "administrative detention" without trial; they demolished hundreds of homes, throwing thousands of people off into the street; they killed hundreds of Palestinians - "suspected terrorists" who were the target of repeated "targeted killings" or were killed "while trying to escape" as well as completely innocent civilians - babies and children, pregnant women and octogenarians, all killed in the course of an endless series of "regrettable accidents" and "collateral damages". All of these measures - which Sharon, Mofaz and Netanyahu now vow to further extend - did not break the Palestinian resistance. On the contrary: they sowed greater and greater hatred, facilitating the mobilization of yet more suicide bombers, motivated by anger and despair to sow further random death and destruction. Only the resumption of a genuine negotiating process, giving Palestinians an tangible hope for an end to the occupation, could dry up the the well-springs from which the dark stream of suicide bombers issues. Many of the victims of yesterday's despicable attack are migrant workers living in the slums of South Tel-Aviv. Rumanians, Bulgaians and Ghanaians were killed, and citizen of many other impoverished countries were wounded. Many of them feared to approach the hospitals and get treatment, for fear of being picked up by the notorious Immigration Police and being deported. It is a tragedy and irony that these people, themselves the victims of daily racism in the Israeli society and of daily exploitation by ruthless employers, have also become the target of Palestinian suicide bombers. --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 andalus@andalus.co.il --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jan 17 00:38:06 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Army imprisons CO Ben Artzi AGAIN - please protest AGAIN Message-ID: <3E27506E.26089.1B3032E@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Jan. 16, 2003 [1] Army imprisons CO Ben Artzi AGAIN - please protest AGAIN [2] Gush election forum on Monday [1] Army imprisons CO Ben Artzi AGAIN - please protest AGAIN = == = == = == = == = == = Yoni Ben Artzi sent to prison for the seventh (7th) time, bringing his total to 196 days; others following closely. Gush Shalom: the army's hardening position shows that the present wave of conscript refusal starts to pose a problem for those who want to perpetuate the occupation. = == = == = == = == = == = This morning, CO Yoni Ben Artzi entered the military prison for the seventh consecutive time for a term of 35-days. Ben-Artzi's renewed imprisonment was the culmination of more than a week of what seemed a hestitation and equivocation on the army's part. This time, he and other CO's were not immediately imprisoned upon the end of their previous terms - but were invited to speak with numerous officers and officials. Various possibilities, such as a psychiatric discharge from the army, had been held out to them - only to be withdrawn again. Mention was made of a high-level miltary commission to be appointed of which apparently nothing came. At the end of his new prison term Yoni Ben Artzi (who happens to be the nephew of Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu) will have spent 196 days in jail with no end in sight - for him or for Uri Ya'akobi, Dror Beumel and an increasing number of Israeli youths who refuse service in the Israeli army and are one by one passing the 90 day mark, which was until recently the maximum. Of the growing number of draft resisters part objects to military service in general, others oppose to being part of an army of occupation. So, Ben Artzi was once again faced with the choice: "Enlist or go to prison!". With a difference, however - Col. Deborah Chassid, who had previously sentenced the CO's, this time told Ben Artzi she was washing her hands of him and his friends and passing the matter off to her superiors. (This may not be unconnected with the thousands of protest letters and faxes which poured into her office from all over the world in the past month). In the end, Ben Artzi was sentenced by General Gil Regev in person - member of the General Staff in charge of manpower, just one rank below the top of the pyramid. Ben Artzi had told the general (as he reported a few minutes later, just before his mobile phone was taken away): "Unless you find a way through your own bureaucratic procedures and release me from the army, you will have to see me here again and again - for there is no way I am going to enlist". Ben Artzi also reminded General Regev that he had been recognized as a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International. He remarked that if it is possible for thousands of ultra-Orthodox to be granted an exemption from military service, it is not more than fair aalso to exempt the Conscientious Objectors. (Many of the religious are not at all opposed to violence or occupation - on the contrary.) The general had only one answer: "You have appealed to the Consicence Committee and it rejected your offer." (The committee rejects virtually everybody regardless of his arguments.) Gush Shalom: the army leadership's hardening position proves that the refuser movement among conscripts starts to pose a serious problem. The present government policy of more and more oppression, and ongoing occupation is dependent upon a reliable army with obedient soldiers. But among today's eighteen year olds there is an unprecedented wave of protesters. These young people deserve all the support they can get. Please continue to send protest letters - your own or following sample. By fax and/or by regular mail to: Induction Base, Tel-Hashomer Military Postal Code 02718, IDF Israel. Fax: +972-3-7376052 attn General Gil Regev With an email copy to: The Minister of Defense Spokesperson Defense Ministry and/or Israeli embassy in your country (Israeli embassy addresses are listed on http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0czk0 ) and, please make of it ALSO a letter to the editor of your paper, wherever you live. [following is the sample letter] I hereby protest your sending Yoni Ben Artzi for the seventh consecutive time to prison, and again for the same fact. It is very discriminatory to exempt every year thousands of ultra-Orthodox while subjecting Conscientious Objectors to repeated imprisonment without limit. It is immoral to try to break these young people for no other reason than that they are a moral minority. In a democratic country minorities are to be treated with respect. [Your name and address] NB: If you don't have a fax you may also send your letter to: ofra_benartzi@hotmail.com from where it will be passed on. Preferably NOT as attachment but as simple text in the email message body. [2] Gush election forum on Monday Who to vote for? Many in the peace camp are hesitating. Everyone knows that we must vote because abstention will help the right-wing to keep power in the country. But which of the lists that are identified with "the left" deserves our precious vote? Gush Shalom, as an independent and non-partisan organization has taken up providing a forum where representatives of different parties present their position towards a peace-oriented audience. The forum discussion will take place on Monday, Jan. 20 at 8 pm, at the Kibbutz Ha'artzi building, 13 Leonardo da Vinci Street, Tel-Aviv (between Kaplan and Sha'ul Hamelech). Participants: Professor Yuli Tamir (Labor Party) KM Mossi Raz (Meretz) KM Tamar Gozaansky (Hadash) Dr Jamal Zachalka (Balad) Moderator: Uri Avnery Admission to cover expenses: 20 NIS. Furthermore, you can protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jan 19 20:08:22 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery on Mitzna's chances / imprisoned COs start hunger strike Message-ID: <3E2B05B6.18276.A0504A@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Jan. 19, 2003 [] Avnery on Mitzna's chances [] Two objectors go on hunger strike in prison [] Avnery on Mitzna's chances The Fat Lady Has Not Yet Sung Uri Avnery 18.1.03 What is the difference between soap and a political leader? Ask any of the “experts”, copywriters and “strategists”, and he will tell you: None. Selling soap and selling a leader is one and the same. One does marketing research, finds out what the consumers (= the voters) want and gives it to them. All one needs is some good copywriters. My own answer is: There is a hell of a difference. Who am I to talk? Well, I am not quite an outsider. I have fought four hard election campaigns, three on behalf of the Haolam Hazeh – New Force Movement (1965, 1969, 1973) and one on behalf of the Sheli party (1977). I won three and lost one. I have tasted both victory and defeat and know the pressures, provocations and temptations lying in wait. In this respect there is really not much of a difference between the campaigns of a small and a big party. From my first experience, I drew a set of conclusions which I tried to apply later on: First, Define your message and stick to it, without deviating left or right, whatever the temptations may be (and there are a lot). Second, The message must express your inner truth. Otherwise it will convince nobody. Third, The message must suit the image you have acquired before. It is very difficult to change that image during the campaign. One can only reinforce and sharpen the image that is already there. Forth, The message must be simple, clear and easy to absorb. Five, Don’t stutter! Don’t defend yourself! Don’t apologize! For a candidate for Prime Minister, this is not enough. He must arouse the public – if not by his personality, then by his message. He must dictate the battlefield, so that his opponent will be compelled to fight where he is weak. He must attack, so that his opponent will be on the defensive. He must not follow the public opinion polls, but rather create a new political reality that will produce different opinion polls. When Amram Mitzna appeared on the scene, I hoped that he would do all this. Indeed, I expressed this hope in this column. From the start he had a new and invigorating message: To place peace at the head of the agenda. To reopen the negotiations that were killed by Ehud Barak. To negotiate under fire, because that is the only way to stop the fire. To talk with Yasser Arafat, because he is the only person able to sign a peace agreement, if convinced, and convince his people to accept it. To achieve peace between the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine. And even before that, to order the unilateral withdrawal from all the Gaza Strip, the dismantling of all the settlements there and the isolated settlements on the West Bank. This message has a great potential: The Israeli public is fed up with the situation, it knows already that there is no military solution, and it is being told that there is no political solution, either. There is no security, the economy is in tatters, there is no solution in sight. Therefore, the voters are escaping from the serious problems to trivial ones, such as those personified by Tommy Lapid of the Shinui party. There was a need for a person like Mitzna, in order to rekindle hope and, perhaps, to win. That was the way to invigorate his party, win more seats in the next Knesset and prepare it for victory at the next round. I knew that this would be difficult. The Labor party was not ready for a glorious enterprise. After two years as a national whore in Sharon’s government, it is old and tired, a pitiful sight indeed. The party hacks did not believe in victory and conspired to bring the new man down. Worse, the “advisers” chained Mitzna as the lilliputians did to Gulliver. Don’t talk about peace, they warned him. Don’t even mention this terrible word. Peace is poison. The public does not believe in peace. It wants a wall of separation. The wall is popular. So talk only wall, wall, wall. Everybody hates Arafat, join them. The advisors have succeeded in dimming Mitzna’s vision. The rousing clarion call sounded sometimes like disjointed sounds. They made peace disappear without a trace, they turned the wall into an overriding aim. They talked about what to do “if there is nobody to speak with” - killing the very hope that was supposed to carry their man to victory. They worshipped the polls. The polls can indeed lead a politician to his downfall. They are part of a vicious circle: when one tells the public what it wants to hear, one necessarily voices worn-out and banal ideas. If one voices worn-out and banal ideas, one cannot excite the public. One is boring. Mitzna has not strayed from his original message. In spite of all the temptations, he has not uttered a word that contradicts it. In an election campaign, a candidate may be excused for emphasizing one part of his message more than another, in order to gain votes, but the question is: is it wise? That is the real debate: should Mitzna dim his message in order to attract the voters who waver between Labor, the Likud and Shinui – or should he do just the opposite. Should he sharpen his message and tell the public that there is hope, that peace is possible, that there is somebody to talk with, that a government headed by him will effect the historical breakthrough started by Rabin and bungled by Barak? It seems that Mitzna himself is hesitating between the two conflicting options. Therefore, he was unable to dictate the battlefield. Tommy Lapid, a man with an irrelevant but popular message, succeeded in doing this with his talk about a “secular unity government”, a pipe- dream, but a dream that arouses hope in a public intent on escaping from reality. In the end, the battle will be decided as a confrontation between the two leaders. Sharon is a dangerous, unscrupulous and disastrous person, but he radiates leadership in a way that goes straight to the collective unconscious of the masses. Mitzna is a sane, sober, honest and reasonable person, and perhaps because of this he lacks this radiation. He can excite only through his vision. This is not yet the end. As the Americans say, “The opera is not finished till the fat lady sings.” There are 10 days left. Mitzna must use them in order to sharpen the message and call the whole camp to the decisive struggle. Already he has taken a courageous step by declaring unequivocally that he will under no circumstances join a new Sharon-led government of national disaster. As I have said from the beginning, it needs a miracle for Mitzna to win this time. Such a miracle can still happen. But even if it does not, he can stiffen the back of his party and instill it with a new spirit, so as to enable it to bring down the next rightist government, if there will be one. As Menachem Begin said in his time: We shall serve our people in opposition. Whatever the outcome of this round, the real struggle has only started. [] Two objectors go on hunger strike in prison ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 19:02:50 +0200 From: Sergeiy Sandler Objectors to Military Service in Israel Go on Hunger Strike in Prison On Thursday, 16 January 2003, two imprisoned conscientious objectors to military service, Noam Bahat and Hillel Goral, went on hunger strike. Both are among the signatories of a letter signed last year by over 300 high school students, declaring their refusal to serve in the Israeli army (see their website at www.shministim.org). Both objectors are serving a second consecutive prison term in defence of their convictions and are held in the isolation ward of Military Prison No. 4, south of Tel-Aviv. Hillel Goral was sentenced to 42 days in prison No 4. He originally got 28 days, but 14 more days were added to his term because he refused to wear a uniform and cut his hair. For the same reason he was sent to the isolation ward. Noam Bahat was sentenced to 28 days in prison no. 4. Noam Bahat writes in his declaration: "I declare a hunger strike as a protest on my confinement in a military jail because of my views against the occupation fop the Palestinian people. I am also protesting against the occupation itself." We demand that the democratic right of conscientious objectors not to perform military service be recognized and call upon the Ministry of Defence and the Israeli military to release them at once. Draft resisters are being sentenced to several consecutive terms of imprisonment for the same ‘offence’. On Thursday, 16 January, conscientious objector Jonathan Ben-Artzi was sentenced by Gen. Gil Regev, head of the military manpower division, to 35 days in military prison. This is the seventh consecutive prison term for Ben-Artzi, raising the total length of his imprisonment so far to 196 days. A recently opened online petition against the practice of repeated imprisonment of objectors has already gathered over 1000 signatures worldwide (see http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/). The imprisonment of these objectors is in clear violation of their fundamental human rights as recognized in international treaties signed and ratified by Israel. All in all, we are presently aware of 10 young men held in prison due to their refusal to perform regular military service on conscientious grounds. They are joined by conscripts and reserves soldiers imprisoned due to their refusal to fight in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. The Israeli movement of objectors, including organizations, such as New Profile, the Seniors’ Letter, Yesh-Gvul and Courage to Refuse, calls for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of all objectors, without fear of further imprisonment of young people obeying their conscience. New Profile – Movement for the Civil-ization of Israeli Society (www.newprofile.org) The Seniors’ Letter (www.shministim.org) Yesh-Gvul (www.yesh-gvul.org) Courage to Refuse (www.seruv.org.il) The Objectors’ Parents Group N.B. You can protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jan 24 22:32:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] No to desertion - vote for peace! Message-ID: <3E31BF09.6940.227CB3@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// NO TO DESERTION! [Gush ad in Ha'aretz, Friday Jan. 24] In an atmosphere of despair and depression, fatalism and apathy, escapism and hopelessness, we call: The Israeli-Arab conflict is the root of all evil. It is by far more disastrous than any other. VOTE FOR PEACE! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org --- Index of the most recent billboard [x] With drowsy elections ahead bad news streaming in [1] B'Tselem Newspaper - January 23, 2002 [2] "Goal of the settlements-to undermine compromise" Peace Now announcement re weekly vigil [3] Demo against the budget cuts of "the day after" [4] Daniel Barenboim on UK and Israeli TV The famous Israeli pianist/conductor/peace activist [5] Vanunu's parole hearing - decision on Feb. 16, 2003 [6] 'They kick the workers in the head until they bleed' Ruth Sinai in Ha'aretz [7] Update on imprisoned objectors - 21 Jan. 2003 To get such forwarded reports and announcements on a regular base, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com -- Furthermore, you can protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: There are now on the site links for: French and German translations (selected documents in Spanish at request, but not yet in a linkable format) In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jan 28 00:40:24 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Young dissidents at the forefront Message-ID: <3E35D178.31985.1CE6A7C@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Jan. 27, 2003 This weekend a "retaliatory invasion" left Gaza with a dozen dead - among them very young children - and a lot of devastation in the already desolate area. In such an atmosphere Israel prepares for general elections in which polls predict a renewed mandate for Sharon. The struggle of the refusers which we have been supporting during the last year, is more important than ever. It is especially the very young dissidents who now are at the forefront of the struggle for peace and morality. - The hunger strike of two imprisoned Conscientious Objectors is entering its thirteenth day. [Renewed protest letters requested.] - An intelligence officer - in his early twenties - holds up an airforce strike - The Chief of Staff gets difficult questions in a "model school." - Prisoners, guards and elections \\// //\\ -The hunger strike of two imprisoned Conscientious Objectors is entering its thirteenth day. [Renewed protest letters requested.] [Translation of today's press release] Hillel Goral and Noam Bahat started their hunger strike on January 16, in protest of "the State of Israel's imprisonment and mistreatment of Conscientious Objectors as well as the crimes of the Occupation" as Goral put it in a statement from his prison cell. At the start of their hunger strike, both of the 18-year old CO's were held at Military Prison 4 in Tzrifin (southeast of Tel-Aviv). After three days, however, the military authorities decided to separate them and transferred Goral to Military Prison 6 at Atlit (south of Haifa). But the two keep contact via their parents and via lawyers of human rights organizations who regularly visit them, and they decided to continue their hunger strike. Adv. Orna Cohen who visited Goral in prison noticed that his fingers were getting bluish and that his body temperature was dropping, and at her insistence he was examined at the prison clinic. He consented to get an infusion, but otherwise refused several pleas to stop his hunger strike, and declared he would continue it as long as he is held in prison. And the recent killing of thirteen Palestinians -including an eight- year old child - during the invasion of Gaza, only increased his determination. Goral and Bahat are among the 300 signatories of the "Highschool Seniors' Letter" (Shministim in Hebrew), published several months ago. Some of them declared their refusal to serve in the Occupied Territories while others expresse complete objection to any service in the Israeli armed forces (more on the seniors' website: www.shministim.org). At present, some ten of the signatories are held in military prisons for their refusal to enlist, in addition to several reservists refusing to take part in the occupation. The military authorities have recently hardened their position towards the young CO's, sending them to repeated terms of imprisonment witthout limitation. Various means by which CO's had previously been discharged from service, such as the army's "incompatibility committee" or "psychological discharge" are now closed off, apparently at orders from high up in the military hierarchy. The longest-serving prisoner, so far, is Yoni Ben Artzi, who happens to be the nephew of Foreign Minister Netanyahu, and who was sentenced to seven consecutive prison terms, a total of 196 days with still no end in sight. On the most recent occasion, Ben Artzi was personally judged by General Gil Horev, Head of Manpower in the IDF General Staff - who got the task of judging Ben Artzi after lower echelons declined to deal with "the hot potato". The refusers' struggle got considerable international support, including from South African Bishop Desmond Tutu, renowned for his part in the struggle against the Apartheid regime. The imprisoned refusers were recognized as Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International. About 2000 signatures were so far collected on an international support petition (www.petitiononline.com/091202/"). A coalition of refusers' support organizations, including New Profile, The Seniors' Letter, Yesh Gvul, Courage to Refuse and the Refusers' Parents Group, and supported by Gush Shalom, are calling upon the government and the military authorities to recognize the refusers' democratic right to their conscience, i.e. their principled objection to military service; to release forthwith all imprisoned COs and to stop the repeated imprisonements. Protest letter (sample follows) to: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Biyamin Netanyahu Copy to: eilatmaoz@hotmail.com (Eilat Maoz, Shministim, in charge of contact with prisoners) and (PLEASE) send it also by fax or regular mail to: Menachem Finkelstein Military Attorney General Military postal code 9605, IDF Israel. Fax: 03-7376052 Deborah Chassid Commander of Induction Base in Tel-Hashomer Military postal code 02718, IDF Israel. Fax 03-7376052 Gil Regev Head of Manpower Division. Fax: 03-5699400. Head of the Incompatibility Unit Induction base. Fax: 03-7376705. [sample text] To the government and military authorities of Israel Dear Sir / Madam, I was informed that Hillel Goral (Military ID: 7269230) and Noam Bahat (7165951) - both imprisoned conscientious objectors - are on hunger strike since Jan. 16. Furthermore, that Jonathan Ben- Artzi (Military ID 7169436) and Dror Beuml (7282965), have been sent to prison for the 7th and 6th time in a row on 16 and 19 Jan. 2003 respectively. Also serving repeated prison terms, or awaiting repeated imprisonment, are conscientious objectors Uri Yaacoby (7342725), Yoni Yekhezkel (7246523), Haggai Mattar (7281989), , Matan Kaminer (7176324), Adam Maor (7246176) and Shimri Tzameret (7305627). The imprisonment of conscientious objectors is in clear violation the human right to freedom of conscience, as recognized in article 18 of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights - signed and ratified by the State of Israel. Moreover, the repeated imprisonment of conscientious objectors has been recognized by the United Nations as a form of arbitrary detention. Such repeated imprisonment is an attempt to change a person's conviction using brute force. It is a practice that is intolerable where the rule of law prevails. Thus, the practices of the Israeli army with respect to declared conscientious objectors are patently illegal and should be halted at once. I therefore call upon you to immediately and unconditionally release all conscientious objectors mentioned above. Sincerely, --- *** - An intelligence officer - in his early twenties - holds up an airforce strike [Ha'aretz Internet Editon - Monday, January 27, 2003] IDF officer removed from post for disrupting planned air strike An Israel Defense Forces intelligence officer was recently removed from his post after he disrupted a planned air strike that was to take place following the double suicide bombing near the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, according to a report Monday in the Ma'ariv daily. Twenty-three people were killed in the January 5 attack. The officer claimed that he disrupted the operation in order "to prevent harm to innocent Palestinians," the report said. In response, the IDF Spokesperson said, "The officer was removed after he refused a direct order and harmed the operation." According to Ma'ariv, after the Tel Aviv bombing, the IDF planned to attack a Palestinian Authority target. The officer, a first lieutenant in intelligence who received training in the army's prestigious Talpiot program, was in possession of information critical to carrying out the air strike, but he did not provide it. Only after the high alert was lowered, which had been declared after the terror attack, did the officer supply some of the information. A few days ago, the officer was tried by his unit commander, and was removed from his post and transferred to an administrative position in central Israel. Military sources estimated that the punishment should have been more severe, but there was concern that the sensitive intelligence information in the officer's possession could cause damage to the country. *** - The Chief of Staff gets difficult questions in a "model school." [From: Asher Shechter ] The Hebrew Reali Highschool in Haifa, which counts among its graduates several prominent generals, and which includes inside its premises the Military Boarding School, has long prided itself on preparing its pupils for "model military service". Every year, the Reali holds a full-dress military parade at which pupils are required to don uniforms and march in step. To make sure of faultless performance, they have to go through countless rehearsals in the preceding month, under the scorching sun. The principal is Brigadier (ret.) Ron Kitri, former IDF Spokesman, and his predecessor also had a distinguished military career. It was the Reali which was chosen by Army Chief-of-Staff Moshe Ya'alon when he decided to speak to soldiers-to-be so as to increase their morale and enthusiasm. Still, the Reali, does have dissident voices. Asher Shechter [who reports this] at an eaarlier occasion refused to take part in Commemorating the Fallen in the full-dress military parade. The dissidents who regularly raise their hands to ask disturbing questions in class or distribute leaflets sometimes encounter sharp hostility - though sometimes gaining the respect of fellow pupils. The unsuspecting General Ya'alon arrived quite early on Wednesday morning. Already prior to his arrival leaflets were distributed, pointing out a certain incompatibility between Ya'alon's definition of the Palestinian Problem as "a cancer which must be treated" and the same general's definition of himself as "a humanitarian upholder of human rights". About ten minutes after Ya'alon started speaking, two pupils spread out a sign reading "You are a war criminal". However, a teacher immediately pounced and within a few seconds grabbed the sign out of our hands, even before two others had the time to spread their complementary sign with "But I am not!". The dissidents still had, however, the chance of addressing questions to the general, and two of the group made use of the opportunity. One asked Ya'alon how he can refer to the IDF as "a humanitarian army" when the same army has been imposing a military regime over millions of people for the past 35 years, resorting to collective punishment and violations of international law. The other asked whether Ya'alon considers himself a war criminal, having violated the Geneva Convention. The two questioners spoke in calm voices, which did not prevent the majority of pupils from loud booing, and from clapping when other questions - far more laudatory - were addressed to the army chief. For his part, Ya'alon avoided a direct answer, and concentrated his response upon the issue of the refusers and "shirkers". He had some surprise in store. While strongly objecting to selective refusal of service in the Territories, which he characterised as "politically-motivated", Ya'alon claimed that there does exist a "release track" for "genuine Conscientious Objectors", and that any such person should just "present himself at the Induction Center" and "declare that military service is contrary to his principles and his way". Strange. The Army-Chief-of-Staff declared this explicitly, in front of more than 500 witnesses. Are we to believe that CO's have a hitherto unsuspected friend at the very top of the military hierarchy? At the end, principal Kitri thanked the visiting general and apologized for "the behaviour of those who abused their right of asking questions". This precipitated a prolonged shouting match between a large army-friendly mass of pupils and teachers and the small group of dissidents. But the dissidents stood their ground. When a teacher accused them of "inciting to murder", one of the group presented him with a copy of the leaflet distributed and the text of the questions addressed to Ya'alon, and asked him to point out the incitement - which the teacher declined to do. - Prisoners, guards and elections [The following account was given by A., an inhabitant of Dura in the southern part of the West Bank.] (...) Two of my friends had been imprisoned for several months at the Offer Camp near Ramallah. One day when they were there, the guards were replaced by new reservists. One of the new guards showed himself conspicuously hostile to the Palestinian prisoners, all the time pointing his gun as if looking for a pretext to shoot. Unlike other guards, he was completely unwilling to engage in talk with the prisoners. Any approach from their side, even on everyday matters of the prison routine, was answered with "You are all murderers, we should throw you out of the country". Still, my friends persisted in trying to talk to him and tell him that his vision of the Palestinians was wrong. Gradually, he started to listen to them and speak with less hostility. Still, they were surprised when on the last day of his reserve service tour he came to say goodbye. He said that they were his friends and that the government had lied to him, and promised that he would vote for the left in the upcoming Israeli elections. You can aalso protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jan 29 23:46:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] A Pyrrhic victory - says Yoel Marcus in Ha'aretz In-Reply-To: <3E37F962.21256.ADD3FC@localhost> Message-ID: <3E3867CF.12346.25D3F20@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Jan. 29, 2003 It was hardly a surprise. Over the past month, opinion polls had persistently predicted that Sharon will get a renewed mandate despite the mess into which the country got under his leadership in the past two years. Still, counting the votes at a polling station in a Tel-Aviv suburb it was disheartening to see the pile of Likud voting slips becoming so much bigger than anything else. Later, sitting deep into the night in front of the TV screens, and seeing the results unfold, this picture was confrimed. Labor's going back from 25 to 19 was foreseen but Meretz' fall from 10 to 6 was worse than expected. Hadash and Balad each conquered an extra seat, going up from 3 to 4, and from 2 to 3 respectively - against two less for the United Arab List which now will have two seats. As a total, a heavy blow for the peace camp. And it is hardly a consolation that the votes did not so much go to Likud as to Shinuy (which climbed from 6 to 15 seats). Shinuy succeeded to draw votes away from Labor and Meretz with its attack on the ultra-Orthodox as parasites. In these circles there is quite some frustration about the exemption from army service which Yeshiva students enjoy. But Shinuy has no political program and brings a lot of unexperienced people into the Knesset. Furthermore, it's leader, the populist Tommy Lapid, is not so far away from Sharon when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As an extraparliamentary peace group we have already wheathered storms and will continue to say loud what we have to say - whether it makes us popular or not. Right now there is one new task for people like us: use all possible channels to strengthen the Labor Party's determination NOT to go into the government. A decimated but determined Labor Party in opposition may at least put the myth to an end that "the concensus is behind Sharon". This may invite - if not the United States - at least Europe to use its leverage in order to end the strangulation of the Palestinians. Yoel Marcus - a generally liberal columnist whose fluctating posiitions can be read as a kind of barometer - shows in the following article that with this opinion we are right now not alone. Ha'aretz, Jan. 29, 2003 A Pyrrhic victory By Yoel Marcus A little bit of advice to Sharon's most loyal friends, advisers and supporters: Don't brag, don't dance on the rooftops, don't drink too much champagne. The election exercise could yet turn out to be Sharon's Pyrrhic victory. For those who don't know, the Greek King Epirus, beat the Romans but lost his army, and in the third century BCE, coined the phrase "another victory like this and we're lost." Sharon beat Labor, which anyway was on the ropes, significantly increased the Likud's representation in the Knesset, but first and foremost, screwed himself. With the public turning right and the collapse of the peace process, he now faces the nightmare of a narrow, extremist government. He lost the respectability Labor gave him as a fig leaf for his policies of force. Peres defended him on his travels around the universe, while Fuad talked peace but did what Sharon wanted. It is difficult to understand how Sharon allowed Fuad to go for a handful of dollars that Ben-Eliezer needed to improve his standing in the Labor primaries. Sharon can ask himself what the early elections gave him, other than the fact instead of Peres, he might end up with Lieberman.Sharon will be prisoner of the extremist right. A ruling by Rabbi Ovadia, that settlements can't be forsaken, guarantees Sharon a narrow extremist-Haredi government. America won't like that. With the friendship that has emerged between Sharon and Bush, America after Iraq will want a government that will negotiate over a Palestinian state and dismantling settlements. And while there's understanding for "Israel's right to defend itself," the elimination of Arafat, the wet dream of a right-wing government, will be a casus belli for America. Sharon speaks passionately about a unity government but he doesn't know how he'll form it. Either he's counting on a split in Labor, or that it comes back without Mitzna. Or he's counting on Shinui, which is still a UFO, and it's still not clear if it's a bird or a plane. Or maybe he's counting on what looks like a dream - a government without Haredim. But in every constellation, no matter how fantastic, Sharon is the victim of his recent past: his political failure on the diplomatic front, the security and economic crisis, which sowed despair in the public, is the gruel he'll have to eat in the first year of his second term. The salvation of Sharon Chapter 2, as a severely constrained prime minister despite his victory, could come from the war in Iraq, which might serve as an excuse for a broad emergency government. Right now, the wise would advise Labor to hold on outside the government, and build itself up as an alternative. In any case, an extremist government won't last long. With the same passion the people wanted Sharon, they could want to get rid of him. Sharon's seen that before. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=257 181&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&lis tSrc=Y --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mailto:gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom (Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.) --- Support the draft resisters! You can protest against their repeated imprisonment - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " " From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jan 31 17:44:29 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Rave Against the Occupation - in order to continue help needed Message-ID: <3E3AB5FD.2851.1010732@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ Dear friends A month ago (03-01-03), we sponsored an interesting group of young activists who seem to hold the key of getting cosmopolitan youths into the beginnings of political commitment ("Rave Against The Occupation"). (See report on the event : http://www.angelfire.com/co3/alaqsaintifada/TOIarchive/01-09-03.html - it is item 9,- not appearing on top but included in the end - and the dateshould be Jan. 3) Their events are prepared in a very professional style but there was some financial miscalculation. Please read their aappeal and if possible send some cash wrapped well in an extra piece of paper - or a check in your own currency - to KOL EZRAKHEYA PO Box 23479 Tel Aviv 61233 ISRAEL ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 23:34:46 +0200 From: roy arad This is an urgent call to supporters of peace everywhere. We are a group of young Israelis, aspiring to promote peace and equality in Israel, and to put an end to the disastrous occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. To this end we have initiated Rave Against the Occupation, an organization that has already produced two events which we can modestly describe as very successful. The first was a non-violent party against the occupation, opposite the IDF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, where thousands of demonstrators danced to the music of Jewish and Arab musicians; the second party, about a month before the elections, took place in front of Ariel Sharon’s house, where hundreds of people expressed their ‘gratitude’ for the wonderful two years of peace and security we had under his leadership. This event enjoyed strong and emphatic support from our sister- movement, Gush Shalom. Both activities attracted unprecedented media coverage: activities of the peace camp in Israel are usually ignored by the media, but we enjoyed extensive coverage in all three big daily newspapers, all major radio stations, and both national TV channels in Israel, as well as most of the news websites, and much foreign media. We are now in a paradoxical situation - on one hand we are described as “the most authentic protest movement of Israeli youth today”, but on the other hand our last activity has resulted in a debt of about $2000, a debt which endangers our future action, since we are all young people in our twenties, having difficulties making a living as it is. We are sending out a desperate call for help. Please help us in helping our country to emerge from this dark age. Please help a generation that wants to stop living by the sword. We will gladly accept cheques directed to KOL EZRAKHEYA movement. Please send them to PO Box 23479, Tel Aviv, Zip 61233. For further details contact us: Email: chicky99@netvision.net.il or Phone: ++972-52-840919 Many thanks Shahaf, Na’ama, Roy, Shay, Dan, Lilach, Liat, Dafna & Asaf Rave Against The Occupation WWW.THERAVE.CO.IL From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Feb 1 21:27:14 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Solidarity vigil during Neta Golan's interrogation, Monday Message-ID: <3E3C3BB2.21028.195D534@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Action alert, Feb.1, 2003 = == = == == == == = == = NETA - WE ARE PROUD OF YOU! Monday, Neta Golan summoned to police investigation For human shield work in Arafat's Moqata'a Gush Shalom calls upon activists to be there, 10.30 = == = == == == == = == = Israeli peace activist Neta Golan is to be interrogated by police on suspicion of having participated in a human shield group that stayed in the Moqata'a (Arafat's Presidential Compound in Ramallah) during the month-long siege imposed by the Israeli army in April 2002. The interrogation is due to take place on Monday, Feb. 3, at 11.00 AM in the Merhav Hayarkon police station on Harakevet St., Tel- Aviv. Neta Golan - now in an advanced stage of pregnancy - intends to use her legal right to remain silent, "as some of our prominent politicians did when investigated on suspicion of corruption". She added: "If and when charges are brought against me, I will speak fully in court. I will speak about where I was and what I did in April 2002, and also about what the army did at that time and later. I will make the occupation regime into the accused rather than the accuser." Gush Shalom calls for a solidarity presence of peace activists from 10.30 AM on in front of the police station - with the slogan: Neta Golan, We are proud of your human shield work For more info call 03-5565804 --- Furthermore, you can protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Feb 2 21:14:12 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Mass demolition in Hebron / Shooting at prisoners in K'tziot Message-ID: <3E3D8A24.7692.F98922@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Feb. 2, 2003 (including request of immediate protest letters) == = == = == Mass demolition in Hebron Shooting at prisoners in K'tziot == = == = == The military authorities seem to have made cynical use of an "opportunity" to escalate the attack upon the Palestinians - while the media are concentrating, to the virtual exclusion of anything else, upon the space shuttle disaster, among whose victims is Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut. Israeli radio did mention that 22 houses were being demolished in Hebron; due to the total curfew it is difficult to find out exactly but our contacts in Hebron itself have strong indications that the large-scale demolition is actually ruining more homes. The destruction seems to be especially in areas close to settler enclaves, which the settlers have long coveted for further expansion. Also about K'tziot, veteran human rights lawyer Tamar Peleg tells us that the scale seems far larger than the "20 Palestinians hurt in prison clashes" reported on the Ha'aretz website. A detainee managed to phone friends outside and tell of at least seventy of detainees wounded by heavy doses of tear gas and the shooting of "rubber bullets" (i.e. rubber- covered metal bullets, which already proved to be lethal at close range). Before being cut off, the detainee gave the names of fellow detainees which he knew to be among the wounded and which he asked to pass on: Muhammad Udeh, Sam Abu Tull, Amer Abu Halil, Islam Ja'idi, Abed Faridy. At the time of writing, the confrontation at Ktziot camp seems to be still going on. It is not clear how it started. The K'tziot Prison Camp deep in the Negev Desert (known by Palestinians as Ansar-2 or the Naqueb Prison) was originally opened during the first intifada. It was closed down by Rabin in the heyday of the Oslo peace process, and reopened by Sharon April 2002, during "Operation Defensive Shield" (the invasion and reoccuption of the West Bank cities - accompanied by mass detentions). Since then the camp had been constantly expanding, to accomodate the increasing numbers of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces - altogether about ten thousand of whom more than a thousand as "Administrative Detainee" - without trial. The use made of the shuttle disaster bodes ill for what may happen in the Palestinian territories when all the world's attention is drawn by Bush's attack upon Iraq. Protest letters to Defence Minister Mofaz Fax: +972-3-6962757 / +972-3-6916940 / +972-3-6917915 email + copy to the Israeli embassy or consulate in your own environment ( see: http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0czk0 ) You can use the following text or make your own. Sir, I strongly protest the cynical use made by the armed forces under your control of the worldwide mourning for the victims of the space shuttle disaster, as a smokescreen for the brutal mass demolition of Palestinian homes in Hebron - and for shooting and wounding dozens of Palestinian detainees - many of them held without trial and with no charges of any kind being brought against them. This is to let you know that such acts will never pass unnoticed. Sincerely... --- Amos Harel, Ha'aretz Internet Sunday, February 02, 2003 -- 20 Palestinians hurt in prison clashes -- IDF demolishes 22 homes in Hebron http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/258733.html _ Tens of Palestinian detainees in the Negev's Ketziot Prison clashed Sunday afternoon with IDF troops guarding the prison. According to initial reports, about 20 Palestinians suffered from smoke inhalation, and an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded. Also Sunday, the IDF demolished 22 homes in the West Bank city of Hebron, because all had been built without permits, said Talia Somech, a spokeswoman for the army's Civil Administration. Some had already been completed and others were still under construction, Palestinians in the area said. The Palestinian Authority slammed the demolitions Sunday, calling them "another war crime perpetrated by Sharon's government" which violated agreements signed by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestinian families hurriedly dragged refrigerators and sofas out of the houses before Israeli bulldozers, guarded by soldiers, began knocking down the walls. The families said they had received notices months ago that the houses would be demolished, but had not known when the work would begin. Israel has been tearing down dozens of Palestinian homes in recent months. They include homes built without permits as well as houses belonging to militants involved in violence against Israel. Hebron resident Yakub Sultan was building one of the houses for his son, who is to be married soon. "The Israeli government and Ariel Sharon are destroying all our dreams by demolishing houses," Sultan said as the bulldozers knocked down concrete walls. Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said the demolitions were part of Sharon's "policy of expanding settlements and putting obstacles in the way of future peace." Palestinians say Israel's stringent permit policy can make it virtually impossible to build new houses. --- Furthermore, you can protest against repeated imprisonment of draft resisters - with no end in sight - at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - Hebrew, Arab, English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Feb 4 18:31:25 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Officer caught red-handed / Report Neta vigil / Court session Message-ID: <3E4006FD.32275.10668D8@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// [] Officer reports on TV on what amounts to human rights violation Gush Shalom lodges complaint with Brig. Gen. Menachem Finkelstein [] Neta Golan vigil made it into Israel Plus news [] Help the Egyptian Fareg Ibrahim stay with wife an child - Wednesday, 11.30, at the Supreme Court \\// //\\ [] Officer reports on TV on what amounts to human rights violation Gush Shalom sends letter to Brig. Gen. Menachem Finkelstein Tel-Aviv, Feb. 4, 2003 To Brigadier-General Menachem Finkelstein Judge-Advocate General IDF, Israel Fax 972-3-5694370 Dear Sir On Thursday, January 30, 2003, the media reported an IDF invasion of the city of Hebron, with infantry and armoured forces on a scale not previously seen in that city during the present confrontation, while imposing and enforcing a total curfew on the city. On the evening news of both Channel 1 and Channel 2 of the Israeli television, there were repeated interviews with one of the officers leading this invasion, at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel - an officer who was identified only by his first name, Eran, and by his function as commander of the Shaham Battalion. In the various TV interviews, Lieutenant-Colonel Eran repeatedly stated: "It is our intention to apply strong pressure on the population in order to make it expel the terrorists from its midst". Indeed, on that and following days reports in the Israeli and international media, the findings of human rights organizations and what we heard directly in phone calls with Hebron inhabitants, all give a grave picture of acts whose greater part seems designed solely to harm the civilian population and severely hamper its daily life. Among other things, we hear of blocking the streets of Hebron to traffic by piling mounds of earth or huge concrete cubes at distances of about a hundred metres from each other, effectively cutting the city into a series of isolated enclaves; the wholesale closing of local radio and TV stations, exactly at the time when the curfew-imprisoned population needs them most; the invasion by soldiers of civilian offices of the Palestinian Authority, which fulfil purely civilian functions vital for the population, the destruction of computers and furniture, expulsion of the staff and welding shut the doors; the bulldozing of Hebron's vegetable market, destruction of at least a hundred stalls, and spoiling of much food-stuff in an already very impoverished city; and the latest - the demolition of twenty-two homes on one day, mostly on land which Israeli settlers have long coveted for extension of their armed enclaves, with the excuse that they have been "illegally built". The combination of the explicit words of the above-mentioned officer - interviewed, presumably, under authorization of the army spokesperson - with the testimonies from the ground clearly and unequivocaly indicates a policy of collective punishment against the 200,000 strong population of Hebron. This constitutes a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory. We ask you to make clear to the above-mentioned officer the gravity of his acts and the possible severe consequences to himself, to the IDF and to the state of Israel, consequent upon his taking personal responsibility on the airwaves for the violating of International Law, with his picture and his voice even if his family name was kept secret. Furthermore, I would like you to make clear their responsibility to that officer's superiors. Either the policy announced by him is implemented with their knowledge and at their command, or he is implementing it at his own initiative and without his superiors stopping him. In either case, the superiors fully share in responsibility for these severe violations of International Law. We hope that you will fulfil your duty in this matter, as the officer charged with law-abiding by members of the Israeli armed forces. [] Neta Golan vigil made it into Israel Plus news Yesterday, Feb. 3, Neta Golan was interrogated by the police for her human shield work in Arafat's Moqata'a. Some twenty activists were there at the call of Gush Shalom demonstrating in front of the police station in Tel-Aviv. Signs: Neta - we are proud of you! / Neta Golan - a great peace activist / Warmongers go free - peace activists interrogated. Ma'ariv published it, as well as the Russian-language TV Israel Plus, who interviewed Neta Golan before she entered the police station, and invited Gush Shalom spokesperson Adam Keller to a simultaneously- translated discussion on their evening [] Help the Egyptian Fareg Ibrahim stay with wife an child - Wednesday, 11.30, at the Supreme Court --------------------forwarded message follows------------------- From: " lawyers Shamai" To: On Wednesday, February 5, at 11:30, The Supreme Court in Jerusalem will hold a hearing concerning the deportation of Fareg Ibrahim, an Arab-Egyptian resident of Israel, married to an Israeli woman, father of one-month old baby, who has been detained for the past seven months awaiting his deportation. He did not commit any crime, and was not arrested for any crime. The Ministry of Interior issued a deportation order for no palpable reason other than their policy of getting rid of as many Arabs as possible. Only after his lawyer, Shamai Leibowitz, filed a petition to the Supreme Court, they suddenly came up with a new reason - "secret evidence that he is a security threat". This is just a fig leaf intended to impress the judges in the Supreme Court, and convince the judges to hold secret KGB-style hearings where false, incorrect information will be presented to the Judges in order to deceive them. Participation of a large audience can help prevent this miscarriage of justice. Shamai Leibowitz, Attorney-At-Law Arlozorov St. 21 Ramat Gan 52481 Tel: 972-3-6704170 --- Protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Re d Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his adminis tration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " --- Protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Re d Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his adminis tration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Feb 9 22:48:49 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Against the Iraq War / Against maltreatment of refusers / + more Message-ID: <200302092259.23w9r9A@actcom.co.il> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Feb 9, 2003 1) Sat Feb.15, 6.00 pm Tel-Aviv demonstration against the Iraq War 2) 'Once there were targeted killings' - Gush ad 3) 'War with a smell' - Uri Avnery 4) Wedn. Supreme Court answers joint appeal against Settler Promenade 5) Petition 'Free the Prisoners of Conscience' 6) New Friday vigil in front of the house of Finkelstein \\// //\\ 1) Sat Feb.15, 6.00 pm Tel-Aviv demonstration against the Iraq War Gush Shalom together with other organizations calls for (day of the worldwide campaign against the war) ***No to the War Against Iraq! Yes to Living in Peace and Justice in the Middle East!*** The American attack against Iraq is getting closer, and all the peoples of the Middle East, including us - Israelis and Palestinians - are going to pay its price: death, destruction and more wars. And still, the Israeli public is indifferent towards it, and perceives it as a natural disaster which cannot be prevented. It is time to raise our voice against it, for the sake of all of us, for our future in the Middle East. On Saturday, 15 February, dozens of demonstrations will be held in cities throughout the world, against a futile military attack for the sake of control over oil and other dubious aims. Ta'ayush has invited all the movements, political parties and organizations to join a mass Arab-Jewish demonstration on that same day. Let's express our opposition to the world's sheriff, who seeks to inflame the middle east. Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis, let's express our demand to live here together, in peace and justice. On February 15th we will hold a demonstration in Tel Aviv, from 18:00. More details will follow soon - please reserve the day! 2) 'Once there were targeted killings' - Gush ad Gush statement of the week published on the website and in Ha'aretz Hebrew, Friday edition (Feb. 07, 2003) עברית באתר / For Hebrew www.gush-shalom.org Once there were Targeted killings. Now there are Killings everywhere. Once they demolished A house here, a house there. Now they demolish Houses everywhere. Sharon & Co. Do not serve Israel. They serve The settlers. They babble about peace, They prattle about security, They want transfer. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, 3) War with a smell - Uri Avnery Uri Avnery's latest column עברית באתר / Hebrew http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article231_heb.html Uri Avnery 8.2.03 The Smell of War This is not a war about terrorism. This is not a war about weapons of mass destruction. This is not a war about democracy in Iraq. This is a war about something else. As for terrorism: Saddam Hussein is a cruel dictator, but the idea that he might be connected with Osama bin Laden is ridiculous. Sadam heads the Iraqi section of al-Baath, a very secular party. Bin Laden is an Islamic Fundamentalist, and al-Kaida aims at the destruction of all secular regimes in our region. The official who invented this particular lie is either an ignoramus or a cynic who believes that one can fool all the people at least some of the time. As for weapons of mass destruction: the USA supported Saddam when he used deadly poison gas against the Iranians (and their Kurdish allies in Iraq). At the time, America was interested in stopping the Iranians. Today there are chemical and biological weapons in most of the countries of this region, including Egypt, Syria and Israel, and one of them has nuclear arms. As for democracy: Americans don't give a damn. Some of their best friends in the Islamic world are dictators, some more, some less cruel then Saddam. As the old American adage goes: "He is a son-of-a-bitch, but he is our son-of-a-bitch." If so, what is the war about? In one word: oil. There is a strong smell of oil in the air. Without smelling it, one cannot understand what is going on. But once one grasps what it is all about, the actions of Bush & Co., while cynical and hypocritical, are utterly logical. These, then, are the American war aims: # To take over the immense oil reserves of Iraq, among the world's biggest. #To ensure American control of the nearby huge Caspian Sea oil reserves # To reinforce indirect American control of the oil in all the Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. Control of most of the worlds oil reserves will free the Americans, at long last, from the whims of the oil market. Their hand, and theirs alone, will be on the tab. They, and they alone, will fix the prices of oil all over the world. If they will want prices to rise, they will rise. If they will want them to go down, they will go down. With one single movement of the hand, they will be able to deal a crushing blow to the economies of Germany, France and Japan. No country in the world will be able to stand up to them in any matter. No wonder that Germany and France oppose the war. It is directed against them. It follows that the Americans do not intend to enter Iraq, establish democracy and leave. The very idea is ridiculous. The US enters Iraq in order to stay there, for years and decades. Its physical presence in the Arab and Muslim world will create a new geo-political reality. Of course, this is not the first time that a great empire uses its military power to promote its economic dominance. History is full of examples. Indeed, one could say that all of history is an example. But there has never been a super-power like the US, with no rival left, using its immense military might in order to ensure its domination of the world economy for generations to come. From this point of view, the coming war on Iraq – a "small" war, militarily – will have historic significance. For sure, Bush will try to set up some native Iraqi government, in order to disguise and lend some legitimacy to the American occupation. There are any number of volunteers, ready to serve as Quislings. Then again, Bush may prefer some new Saddam Hussein, a dictator appointed by them. But war is war. War usually starts with a well-prepared plan, but even the "best" plan, backed by the mightiest military power, can go awry. The Arab masses may rise against their American-supported, corrupt, lackadaisical governments. The Turks may perpetrate a massacre in the north of Iraq in order to break the Kurds once and for all, and no one can know how this will end. The holy places of the Shiites in the south of Iraq, next to Iran, may cause trouble. How will this affect Israel? Or, to use the old phrase: "Is it good for the Jews?" The relations between Bush and Sharon are almost symbiotic. In Sharon's view, the massive presence of the US in our region strengthens Israel and will enable him to implement his hidden agenda. But, as one says in Hebrew, "the fat tail of the sheep has a thorn in it". The permanent occupation of Iraq turns the US into a kind of "Arab" power, with a vital interest in the stability and tranquility of the region. It will want to prevent by all means chaos in the Arab countries – before, during and after the war. Sharon and his generals are, on the contrary, interested in as much chaos as possible, in order to use it to "transfer" millions of Palestinians to the other side of the Jordan. There is a definite conflict of interest between Bush as Sharon. Sharon, an extremist but prudent person, knows that he must not under any circumstances infuriate Bush. He will act cautiously. He has lots and lots of patience and lots and lots of stubbornness. He will try to obtain from Bush permission to transfer (at least some) Palestinians, to murder of Arafat ("If Sadam, why not Arafat?) and to break the Palestinian people. Bush, on the other hand, will want Israel to stay quiet, very quiet. At thee time, he may use the Israel threat in order to ensure that the Arabs, too, will stay quiet, very quiet. He will threaten the Arab rulers, who are mortally afraid of an uprising of their peoples, that if they do not behave, he will let Sharon off the leash. Is all this good for Israel? From the economic, social and security points of view, the answer is negative. We are entering an era of adventurism, with the adventurer No. 1 at the helm of our state. The earth will shake in our region, and nobody can foresee the dangers approaching us. Only one thing is certain: this will not bring peace. I do not belong to those who can speak about war with equanimity. I have seen war, I know its face. I see the thousands who will be killed, the tens of thousands that will be wounded and maimed, the hundreds of thousands that will become refugees, the ruined families, the sea of tears and human suffering. I join the millions all over the world the say NO. 4) Wedn. Supreme Court answers joint appeal against Settler Promenade Yesh Gvul took the initiative, and Gush Shalom is among the sponsors, to appeal to the Supreme Court over the government plan to create an Arab-free 'Settler promenade' connecting the Kiryat Arba settlement with the settler enclaves inside Hebron. Now you are asked to attend the High Court hearing which will be this Wednesday (Feb. 12), at 8:00 AM. 5) Petition 'Free the Prisoners of Conscience' ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: ybronner@post.tau.ac.il (Yigal Bronner) Subject: Free the Prisoners of Conscience! Dear friends and supporters of the conscientious objectors, The abuse of the conscientious objectors continues. The Israeli military is sentencing them to repetitive prison terms, with no end in sight. We must step up the campaign to release these courageous prisoners of conscience. Below is a short petition we plan to publish in Israeli press soon. Please read and sign by sending a message to conscienceobjector@yahoo.com Mention your name, first and then last in the subject of the message. In the message ad title and institutional affiliation, if applicable. Please spread the petition widely. We need as many signatories as possible. Please note: The success of this campaign depends to a large extent on the funds we gather to support it. Placing an ad in a leading daily is very expensive. PLEASE, in addition to signing, contribute towards covering the cost ($10, $25, $50, $100, $200... $1,000). [Information how to contribute follows the petition.] Free the Prisoners of Conscience! The State of Israel has been consistently abusing a group of young men who have refused to be conscripted on grounds of conscience. While religion continues to be a reason for exempting young men from army or national service, conscientious objection is considered a serious crime. Despite the fact that these objectors have announced their willingness to serve the state through some kind of civil service, the military, led by Menachem Finkelshtein the head military prosecutor, is punishing these young men again and again for the same "offence." It seems that there is no limit to the abuse: eleven young men have been sitting in jail for terms that just keep getting longer, and there is no end in sight. Finkelshtein wants to try them over and over again, until they break or give in. As far as he is concerned, these men can rot in jail forever. Finkelshtein has also created a committee of "experts" whose job it is to determine that not one of the young men is a "true" conscientious objector; every single one, the committee proclaimed, is lying and thus deserves to sit in jail. These prisoners of conscience refuse to serve in an army that systematically violates the human rights of the Palestinian people. Yoni Ben-Artzi, the most veteran prisoner, has sat in jail for almost 200 days. By contrast, the soldier who killed a 95-year-old Palestinian woman was sentenced to 35 days in prison. Names of the prisoners days in jail Yoni Ben-Artzi 196 days Dror Boymel 166 days Uri Ya'acobi 134 days Haggai Matar 112 days Yoni Yekhezkel 111 days Matan Kaminer 84 days Hillel Goral 70 days Noam Bahat 70 days Adam Maor 70 days Shimri Tzameret 38 days Avshalom Ben-Zvi 21 days We, the undersigned, demand an end to this abuse and the immediate release of these prisoners of conscience. [To sign email to:conscienceobjector@yahoo.com] To contribute, please pay online or send a check. Contribute Online: To make a credit card contribution to support the prisoners of conscience, go to www.refusersolidarity.net and click on the DonateNow button on the left hand side of the screen. Under Allocation, select "Shministim Petition". Fill out the form and the donation will be used to pay for the ad and petition in support of the objectors. Contribute by Check outside Israel: You can also write a check made out to "Refuser Solidarity Network", write "Shministim" in the memo line, and mail it to: RSN PMB 206 2859 Central St Evanston, IL 60201 Contribute by Check in Israel: You can also write a check made out to "Yesh Gvul" and mail to: Bronner POBox 8384 Jerusalem 91083 6) New Friday vigil in front of the house of Finkelstein At the initiative of The Refusers' Parents Forum; all supporters of the refusniks invited. Contact: Anat , Smadar In support of the occupation resisters! In protest against the repeated imprisonment of draft resisters! We will hold a weekly vigil near the military attorney general's home. We'll make it clear to Menachem Finkelstein that these repeated sentences are unacceptable!   We'll tell him that conscientious objectors are not devoid of human rights!   Every Firday, starting next Friday, 14 February, at 2:30 pm, we will remind the military attorney general the number of days these refuseniks have spent in military prisons. Address:  12 Halevi St., Petach Tikva. Meeting point for car-owners, and those who need a ride: Arlozorov Railway Station (terminal El-Al)  at 2.00 pm --- Protest repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From otherisr at actcom.co.il Sun Feb 9 23:51:50 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (Gush Shalom ) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Against the Iraq War / Against maltreatment of refusers / + more Message-ID: <3E46E996.29249.202FD20@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Feb 9, 2003 [NB: We had a problem - sorry if this is the 2nd time you get it] 1) Sat Feb.15, 6.00 pm Tel-Aviv demonstration against the Iraq War 2) 'Once there were targeted killings' - Gush ad 3) 'War with a smell' - Uri Avnery 4) Wedn. Supreme Court answers joint appeal against Settler Promenade 5) Petition 'Free the Prisoners of Conscience' 6) New Friday vigil in front of the house of Finkelstein \\// //\\ 1) Sat Feb.15, 6.00 pm Tel-Aviv demonstration against the Iraq War Gush Shalom together with other organizations calls for (day of the worldwide campaign against the war) ***No to the War Against Iraq! Yes to Living in Peace and Justice in the Middle East!*** The American attack against Iraq is getting closer, and all the peoples of the Middle East, including us - Israelis and Palestinians - are going to pay its price: death, destruction and more wars. And still, the Israeli public is indifferent towards it, and perceives it as a natural disast er which cannot be prevented. It is time to raise our voice against it, for the sake of all of us, for our future in the Middle East. On Saturday, 15 February, dozens of demonstrations will be held in cities throughout the world, against a futile military attack for the sake of control over oil and other dubious aims. Ta'ayush has invited all the movements, political parties and organizations to join a mass Arab- Jewish demonstration on that same day. Let's express our opposition to the world's sheriff, who seeks to inflame the middle east. Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis, let's express our demand to live here together, in peace and justice. On February 15th we will hold a demonstration in Tel Aviv, from 18:00. More details will follow soon - please reserve the day! 2) 'Once there were targeted killings' - Gush ad Gush statement of the week published on the website and in Ha'aretz Hebrew, Friday edition (Feb. 07, 2003) עברית באתר / For Hebrew www.gush-shalom.org Once there were Targeted killings. Now there are Killings everywhere. Once they demolished A house here, a house there. Now they demolish Houses everywhere. Sharon & Co. Do not serve Israel. They serve The settlers. They babble about peace, They prattle about security, They want transfer. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, 3) War with a smell - Uri Avnery Uri Avnery's latest column עברית באתר / Hebrew http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article231_heb.html Uri Avnery 8.2.03 The Smell of War This is not a war about terrorism. This is not a war about weapons of mass destruction. This is not a war about democracy in Iraq. This is a war about something else. As for terrorism: Saddam Hussein is a cruel dictator, but the idea that he might be connected with Osama bin Laden is ridiculous. Sadam heads the Iraqi section of al-Baath, a very secular party. Bin Laden is an Islamic Fundamentalist, and al-Kaida aims at the destruction of all secular regimes in our region. The official who invented this particular lie is either an ignoramus or a cynic who believes that one can fool all the people at least some of the time. As for weapons of mass destruction: the USA supported Saddam when he used deadly poison gas against the Iranians (and their Kurdish allies in Iraq). At the time, America was interested in stopping the Iranians. Today there are chemical and biological weapons in most of the countries of this region, including Egypt, Syria and Israel, and one of them has nuclear arms. As for democracy: Americans don't give a damn. Some of their best friends in the Islamic world are dictators, some more, some less cruel then Saddam. As the old American adage goes: "He is a son-of-a-bitch, but he is our son-of-a-bitch." If so, what is the war about? In one word: oil. There is a strong smell of oil in the air. Without smelling it, one cannot understand what is going on. But once one grasps what it is all about, the actions of Bush & Co., while cynical and hypocritical, are utterly logical. These, then, are the American war aims: # To take over the immense oil reserves of Iraq, among the world's biggest. #To ensure American control of the nearby huge Caspian Sea oil reserves # To reinforce indirect American control of the oil in all the Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. Control of most of the worlds oil reserves will free the Americans, at long last, from the whims of the oil market. Their hand, and theirs alone, will be on the tab. They, and they alone, will fix the prices of oil all over the world. If they will want prices to rise, they will rise. If they will want them to go down, they will go down. With one single movement of the hand, they will be able to deal a crushing blow to the economies of Germany, France and Japan. No country in the world will be able to stand up to them in any matter. No wonder that Germany and France oppose the war. It is directed against them. It follows that the Americans do not intend to enter Iraq, establish democracy and leave. The very idea is ridiculous. The US enters Iraq in order to stay there, for years and decades. Its physical presence in the Arab and Muslim world will create a new geo-political reality. Of course, this is not the first time that a great empire uses its military power to promote i ts economic dominance. History is full of examples. Indeed, one could say that all of history is an example. But there has never been a super-power like the US, with no rival left, using its immense military might in order to ensure its domination of the world economy for generations to come. From this point of view, the coming war on Iraq – a "small" war, militarily – will have histor ic significance. For sure, Bush will try to set up some native Iraqi government, in order to disguise and lend some legitimacy to the American occupation. There are any number of volunteers, ready to serve as Quislings. Then again, Bush may prefer some new Saddam Hussein, a dictator appointed by them. But war is war. War usually starts with a well-prepared plan, but even the "best" plan, backed by the mightiest military power, can go awry. The Arab masses may rise against their American-supported, corrupt, lackadaisical governments. The Turks may perpetrate a massacre in the north of Iraq in order to break the Kurds once and for all, and no one can know how this will end. The holy places of the Shiites in the south of Iraq, next to Iran, may cause trouble. How will this affect Israel? Or, to use the old phrase: "Is it good for the Jews?" The relations between Bush and Sharon are almost symbiotic. In Sharon's view, the massive presence of the US in our region strengthens Israel and will enable him to implement his hidden agenda. But, as one says in Hebrew, "the fat tail of the sheep has a thorn in it". The permanent occupation of Iraq turns the US into a kind of "Arab" power, with a vital interest in the stability and tranquility of the region. It will want to prevent by all means chaos in the Arab countries – before, during and after the war. Sharon and his generals are, on the contrary, interested in as much chaos as possible, in order to use it to "transfer" millions of Palestinians to the other side of the Jordan. There is a definite conflict of interest between Bush as Sharon. Sharon, an extremist but prudent person, knows that he must not under any circumstances infuriate Bush. He will act cautiously. He has lots and lots of patience and lots and lots of stubbornness. He will try to obtain from Bush permission to transfer (at least some) Palestinians, to murder of Arafat ("If Sadam, why not Arafat?) and to break the Palestinian people. Bush, on the other hand, will want Israel to stay quiet, very quiet. At thee time, he may use the Israel threat in order to ensure that the Arabs, too, will stay quiet, very quiet. He will threaten the Arab rulers, who are mortally afraid of an uprising of their peoples, that if they do not behave, he will let Sharon off the leash. Is all this good for Israel? From the economic, social and security points of view, the answer is negative. We are entering an era of adventurism, with the adventurer No. 1 at the helm of our state. The earth will shake in our region, and nobody can foresee the dangers approaching us. Only one thing is certain: this will not bring peace. I do not belong to those who can speak about war with equanimity. I have seen war, I know its face. I see the thousands who will be killed, the tens of thousands that will be wounded and maimed, the hundreds of thousands that will become refugees, the ruined families, the sea of tears and human suffering. I join the millions all over the world the say NO. 4) Wedn. Supreme Court answers joint appeal against Settler Promenade Yesh Gvul took the initiative, and Gush Shalom is among the sponsors, to appeal to the Supreme Court over the government plan to create an Arab-free 'Settler promenade' connecting the Kiryat Arba settlement with the settler enclaves inside Hebron. Now you are asked to attend the High Court hearing which will be this Wednesday (Feb. 12), at 8:00 AM. 5) Petition 'Free the Prisoners of Conscience' ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: ybronner@post.tau.ac.il (Yigal Bronner) Subject: Free the Prisoners of Conscience! Dear friends and supporters of the conscientious objectors, The abuse of the conscientious objectors continues. The Israeli military is sentencing them to repetitive prison terms, with no end in sight. We must step up the campaign to release these courageous prisoners of conscience. Below is a short petition we plan to publish in Israeli press soon. Please read and sign by sending a message to conscienceobjector@yahoo.com Mention your name, first and then last in the subject of the message. In the message ad title and institutional affiliation, if applicable. Please spread the petition widely. We need as many signatories as possible. Please note: The success of this campaign depends to a large extent on the funds we gather to support it. Placing an ad in a leading daily is very expensive. PLEASE, in addition to signing, contribute towards covering the cost ($10, $25, $50, $100, $200... $1,000). [Information how to contribute follows the petition.] Free the Prisoners of Conscience! The State of Israel has been consistently abusing a group of young men who have refused to be conscripted on grounds of conscience. While religion continues to be a reason for exempting young men from army or national service, conscientious objection is considered a serious crime. Despite the fact that these objectors have announced their willingness to serve the state through some kind of civil service, the military, led by Menachem Finkelshtein the head military prosecutor, is punishing these young men again and again for the same "offence." It seems that there is no limit to the abuse: eleven young men have been sitting in jail for terms that just keep getting longer, and there is no end in sight. Finkelshtein wants to try them over and over again, until they break or give in. As far as he is concerned, these men can rot in jail forever. Finkelshtein has also created a committee of "experts" whose job it is to determine that not one of the young men is a "true" conscientious objector; every single one, the committee proclaimed, is lying and thus deserves to sit in jail. These prisoners of conscience refuse to serve in an army that systematically violates the human rights of the Palestinian people. Yoni Ben-Artzi, the most veteran prisoner, has sat in jail for almost 200 days. By contrast, the soldier who killed a 95-year-old Palestinian woman was sentenced to 35 days in prison. Names of the prisoners days in jail Yoni Ben-Artzi 196 days Dror Boymel 166 days Uri Ya'acobi 134 days Haggai Matar 112 days Yoni Yekhezkel 111 days Matan Kaminer 84 days Hillel Goral 70 days Noam Bahat 70 days Adam Maor 70 days Shimri Tzameret 38 days Avshalom Ben-Zvi 21 days We, the undersigned, demand an end to this abuse and the immediate release of these prisoners of conscience. [To sign email to:conscienceobjector@yahoo.com] To contribute, please pay online or send a check. Contribute Online: To make a credit card contribution to support the prisoners of conscience, go to www.refusersolidarity.net and click on the DonateNow button on the left hand side of the screen. Under Allocation, select "Shministim Petition". Fill out the form and the donation will be used to pay for the ad and petition in support of the objectors. Contribute by Check outside Israel: You can also write a check made out to "Refuser Solidarity Network", write "Shministim" in the memo line, and mail it to: RSN PMB 206 2859 Central St Evanston, IL 60201 Contribute by Check in Israel: You can also write a check made out to "Yesh Gvul" and mail to: Bronner POBox 8384 Jerusalem 91083 6) New Friday vigil in front of the house of Finkelstein At the initiative of The Refusers' Parents Forum; all supporters of the refusniks invited. Contact: Anat , Smadar In support of the occupation resisters! In protestagainst the repeated imprisonmentof draft resisters! We willhold a weekly vigil nearthe military attorney general's home. We'll make it clear toMenachem Finkelstein thattheserepeated sentences areunacceptable!  We'll tell him thatconscientious objectorsare not devoid of human rights!  Every Firday, starting next Friday, 14 February, at 2:30 pm, we willremindthe military attorney generalthe number of daystheserefuseniks have spent in military prisons. Address: 12 Halevi St., Petach Tikva. Meeting point for car-owners, and those who need a ride: Arlozorov Railway Station (terminal El-Al) at 2.00 pm --- Protest repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- The film 'Jenin Jenin' with Hebrew subtitles can be purchased from Yael Lerer. To get a copy, send a check for NIS 100. and mail it to: Andalus P.O. Box 53036 Tel Aviv 61530 For English undertitling contact: info@arabfilm.com / www.arabfilm.com --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English- language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Feb 13 01:05:45 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Israelis & Palestinians Join Worldwide Anti-War Protests Message-ID: <3E4AEF69.2576.194DE78@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Feb.13, 2003 Israelis & Palestinians Join Worldwide Anti-War Protests Gush Shalom, which is actively taking part can be reached at: +972-3-5565804 / +972-56-709603 / +972-54-412369 [here follows the organizers' joint statement] Israelis & Palestinians Protest War Against Iraq Simultaneously with Over 350 Demonstrations Worldwide Saturday, 15.2.03 - 18:00 March from Cinematheque to Museum Plaza Tel-Aviv On Saturday, February 15th, Palestinians and Israelis will demonstrate, simultaneously with over 350 worldwide demonstrations and rallies protesting the superfluous military attack of Iraq for the sake of control over oil and American hegemony in the world. Israeli participating organizations include: Balad, Gush Shalom, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Hadash, Yesh Gvul, Black Laundry, Mada, Taayush-Arab Jewish Partnership, The Alternative Information Center, Coalition of Women for Peace: Bat Shalom, Machsom Watch, Noga-Feminist Journal, Nalad, Women in Black, New Profile, Tandi, WILP and Fifth Mother. Buses of demonstrators will be coming from throughout Israel. Statement of the participating organisations: "With an American attack against Iraq, all the peoples of the Middle East, including us -- Israelis and Palestinians -- will pay the price: Death, destruction and more wars. And still, the Israeli public is indifferent, perceiving this war to be a natural disaster that cannot be prevented. The time has come to raise our voices against this war, for the sake of all of us and on behalf of a peaceful future in the Middle East. For further information and interviews with participants and organisers, please contact: Trees: 04-6745821 / Ronni: 054- 700640, 02-6241159, 02-6241424 --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Feb 14 19:51:42 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (info@gush-shalom.org) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: Fw: Please Help Save Hussein Khalili BY JUST ONE PHONECALL In-Reply-To: <003c01c2d449$efc34c50$1400a8c0@ismdesktop> Message-ID: <3E4D48CE.9775.18FB239@localhost> Just one phonecall by you may be the difference - from Israel, but also from abroad. On 14 Feb 2003, at 18:55, International Solidarity Movement wrote: From: "International Solidarity Movement" To: , Subject: Fw: Please Help Save Hussein Khalili Date sent: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:55:09 +0200 Organization: Media Office  ----- Original Message ----- From: International Solidarity Movement To: Palsolidarity Yahoo Group ; ismlongtermerscore@lists.riseup.net Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 06:49 PM Subject: Please Help Save Hussein Khalili  Please Help Save Hussein Khalili  Today at 3.50 pm 12 ISM activists from South Africa, Sweden, the US, Ireland, Nigeria, Italy, Israel,Denmark and the UK went to deliver chocolates to the children of the Abu Sanfar house in East Nablus where 21 people from three families have been held captive in two rooms since Israeli soldiers occupied their house as a firing position for the past 40 days.  The welfare of the house's residents was of particular concern to the ISM because Ariel Ze'ev,the officer in command of the firing position, is known to be an insane sadist whom activists have seen terrorising Palestinian people traveling between Nablus and its surrounding villages for the past two weeks.  When the activists approached the house they were challenged by an Israeli soldier standing guard who refused to permit them to enter. Another soldier then came out and told them to leave the area. The activists refused to leave, insisting that they had only come to deliver chocolates to t he children in keeping with Muslim custom during the holiday of Eid. (The three day holiday ended yesterday when the activists first tried to deliver sweets to the children but were turned back. It is customary during this holiday period for people to visit frie nds and family to give sweets to the children but families of this house are not permitted visitors .)  The activists continued to negotiate with the soldiers until Ariel Ze'ev emerged from the building, followed by five other soldiers, and began shoving the activists (particularly the women), pointing his rifle at themand ordering them to leave. When they refused and stood their ground he threw a sound grenade at them and threatened them with tear gas.  The activists began to fall back as a group as it became clear to them that Ariel's mental state had recently deteriorated. He pushed two of the activists (from the US and Israel) into the mud and then kicked the American. Then he went up to the activists carrying the chocolates and knocked them into the mud.  The activists kept falling back, trying to stay together as Ariel and the other soldiers threatened and shoved them but Ariel continued to get angrier. Suddenly, he rushed for Hussein Khalili, a Palestinian member of the ISM who worked for several years on the non-violent struggle against the occupation. The other activists rushed to block his path but then the five other soldiers rushed towards Hussein who only had time to take off his jacket (containing his camera and mobile phone) and toss it to another activist before he was seized and dragged towards the house.  The soldiers then fired warning shots into the ground before the activists retreated to a neighbouring building and sent two negotiators (Swedish and Israeli) to demand Hussein's release. When Ariel realised that one of the activists was an Israeli Jew he became furious and said that just because of her they would hold him for longer and treat him with extra harshness, "for revenge". Ariel went on to say that every time he saw her he would arrest one Palestinian.  Hussein was taken at about 4.10 (Palestinian time). It is now 6.45. Three members of the ISM (from Sweden, the US and the UK)are keeping watch on the Abu Sanfar house from a neighbouring building but have no idea of what is happening within the building. 30 minutes ago a border police jeep and ahummer (special forces vehicle) carrying an Israeli lieutenant colonel arrived. The officer told the activists that he had decided that Hussein would be held until 10 pm and then released and told them to leave the area (which they have refused to do).  Hussein is a devoted activist in the non-violentPalestinian struggle against the occupation. He respected and lovedfor his dedication and gentle nature by everyone who has ever worked with him.  A Palestinian man who lives in the neighbourhood of the Abu Sanfar house has told us that the soldiers occupying the house are known to seize children and take them to the house for beatings.  We have done all we can to inform Israeli human rights groups of his case. Denis Brenstein of Flashpoints Radio in the USA is preparing to raise support among his listening audience for Hussein's immediate release.  Please help us in our campaign to secure his immediate release by phoning the Nablus DCO on: +9722 5486 218 / 217 or +9722 5486 301 / 302 For further information contact: Susanon  055 829 680 / 059 877 091 Mariaon  059 381 803 ======================================= Michael  ISM Media Coordinator Phone: +972-2-2774602 Cell: +972-67-628439 web: http://www.palsolidarity.org From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Feb 16 02:09:37 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Thousands in Tel-Aviv rally anti War march & raally Message-ID: <3E4EF2E1.4422.BBAE1B@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release Feb. 15, 2003 - Tel-Aviv Rally against the War on Iraq [1] Adam Keller's report on the Tel-Aviv demonstration [2] Concluding communique of the organizers [3] Jerusalem Post internet edition reporting the event \\// //\\ [1] Adam Keller's report on the Tel-Aviv demonstration The setting was familiar. We have done this many times before, in moments of crisis when the need for a mass protest was evident: gathering in front of the Tel-Aviv Cinematheque, with contingents arriving by bus from all over the country; marching in our thousands down the wide Ibn Gvirol Street; a living forest of colorful banners and placards and hand-painted signs, Jews and Arabs together with slogans chanted alternately in both languages and occasionally in English; reaching the Museum Plaza for a prolonged rally, with speakers addressing the crowd from the steps of the Public Library (as always, the allocation of speaking slots had been accompanied by some undignified infighting between the various participating groups...) Still, tonight was also different and new: never before had Israeli peace activists found themselves so much an integrated part of a world-wide movement of protest; never before did our particular concerns, in this miserable torn country, mesh so closely with the anxiety and alarm and anger of so many people in so many countries around the world. Somebody had taken the initiative of producing an Israeli version of the "No War" sticker, familiar from CNN reports of the protests in Europe and the US; it was avidly taken up and placed on clothes together with Gush Shalom's Two Flags or the competing emblems of the Hadash and Balad parties. The veteran slogan "Shalom Ken - Kibush Lo" (Peace Yes - Occupation No") needed only a slight change in order to be transformed into an anti-Bush chant. And demonstrators accustomed to sending Sharon to the Hague War Crimes Tribunal tonight consigned Bush to the same destination with the same cadence. "Bush, Blair and Sharon are the true axis of evil" was an improvised new slogan, chanted as the banner "Israelis and Palestinians oppose the war" was unfurled. It was not just a slogan. Underlying the cheerfulness and some ribaldry was a deep anxiety about what this country may face in the coming months if Bush does launch his attack. Daily the papers fill with dire predictions of deadly Iraqi missiles landing in spite of all the official reassurances of "a low probability", or of a new upsurge of suicide bombings, more terrible than ever, starting concurrently with the attack upon Bagdad. And a worry widespread in this evening's crowd, is that in such circumstances Sharon would find a pretext and opportunity to carry out his barely-secret true agenda: mass expulsion of Palestinians and destruction of their leadership. "What plans are already prepared in meticulous detail at some headquarters, just waiting for Bush to provide the smoke screen for their implementation? How many trees are already slated for uprooting? How many houses are to be demolished? How many people have already been placed under a secret sentence of expulsion or death?" cried Haim Hanegbi of Gush Shalom. "The darkness is fast approaching, threatening to engulf us all" said the feminist writer Rela Mazali, on behalf of the Women's Peace Coalition - part of "An open letter to a friend who did not come to this event", addressing the very many Israelis who share our abhorrence of the coming war and whom we nevertheless failed to bring to our "too radical" or "too Arab" event. Indeed, some of the Tel-Avivians seemed a bit alienated when long speeches in Arabic followed each other from the podium - the kind of feelings usually preserved for the Arab participants in Israeli events... Haneen Zuabi and Aida Toma, two young and fiery women spoke Arabic while representing respectively Balad and Hadash, giving only a summary in Hebrew. Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi, old and respected Palestinian statesman, addressed the rally in surprisingly strong and confident words of solidarity, in Arabic and English, by phone from beleaguered Gaza. There was much cheering when Yesh Gvul speaker Dan Tamir, a reserve captain and refuser of service in the occupied territories, read a letter written this morning by the young refusniks incarcerated at Military Prison 4 and calling upon American and British soldiers to follow on the path of refusing service in oppressive and aggressive warfare. Azmi Bdeir of Ta'ayush, who moderated the event concluded: "This coming war which looms over us is not a natural disaster. It is man-made. Human beings planned it, human beings intend to carry it out. Human beings can also stop it. We, among very many people all over the world". [2] Concluding communique of the organizers Over 3,000 Israelis Demonstrated Today Against the War on Iraq in Partnership with a Palestinian Demonstration in Ramallah and Over 600 Demonstrations Worldwide Today, Saturday February 15th, over 3,000 Jews and Arabs demonstrated against the war on Iraq in Tel Aviv Museum’s square. The demonstration was held in partnership with a Palestinian demonstration held in the center of Ramallah and simultaneously with over 600 demonstrations worldwide. A joint Palestinian Israeli petition was read at the demonstration calling: “No to the war against Iraq! End the Israeli occupation! For a life of just peace in the Middle East! We, Israelis and Palestinians, are opposed to this war. This is not a war for the sake of security or justice, but rather a war for power, hegemony, control and greed. We are determined that security and freedom for the sake of all the people of the Middle East will not be achieved by war, violence and death.” Speeches were held during the vigil by representatives of the Israeli organizations who coordinated and participated in the demonstration as well as by Heider Abdel Shafi, a Palestinian peace activist from Gaza, who spoke by way of telephone from his home in Gaza. Participating organizations include: Balad, Gush Shalom, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Hadash, Yesh Gvul, Black Laundry, Mada, Taayush-Arab Jewish Partnership, The Alternative Information Center, Coalition of Women for Peace: Bat Shalom, Machsom Watch, Noga-Feminist Journal, Nalad, Women in Black, New Profile, Tandi, WILP and Fifth Mother. For further information, please contact: Ronni: 054-700640, 02-6241424, 02-6241159 [3] Jerusalem Post internet edition reporting the event Protestors in Tel-Aviv join millions worldwide in anti-war demonstration Matthew Gutman Feb. 15, 2003 As many 1500 people calling for the US to abort its planned attack on Iraq marched in Tel Aviv Saturday night joining for a rally at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that was as much a protest against the Israeli government as it was against the putative American targeting of Iraq. The demonstrators joined millions of anti-war protestors around the world in their efforts to pressure the American and British governments to halt plans for a war to unseat Saddam Hussein. "It isn't good for anyone that the US control the entire region. America's attempt at a new regional order,' will only cause instability and violence," MK Muhammed Barake chairman of the Hadash Party, explained to the Jerusalem Post during the rally. The march was conducted peacefully, but under heavy police guard. The marchers gathered outside Tel Aviv's Cinematheque where they waved the orange banners of Balad and the red flags of the communist Hadash party. They chanted anti-American and anti-Israeli [sic!] slogans to the well known rhythm of Israeli-Palestinian peace demonstrations. But the tone of some of the chants were hardly pacifistic: "Nassar taught us well, America is the head of the snake," chanted Balad activists in Arabic while waving a Palestinian flag. Some of the protest leaders tried in vain to convince the activists to lower the Palestinian flag. "Bush, Powell and Sharon, terrorists in power," went another one catchy slogan which rhymes in Hebrew. Other banners called for UN inspectors to investigate Israel's weapons of mass destruction, while others still focused on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. "Sharon is more dangerous than Saddam," read another popular banner. Gush Shalom icon Uri Avnery told the Jerusalem Post that it is vital that Israel be part of the world-wide protests against the war. He warned that Israel would be blamed and held responsible if America gets bogged down in Iraq or too many civilians die. The rally was coordinated with a similar rally in Ramallah. "Your brothers in Ramallah, who were also protesting tonight, could not be here tonight because of the closure," said Azmi Bdeir of the Israeli and Arab run Ta'ayush Palestinian human rights group. The crowd which was comprised of about half Israeli Jews and half Israeli Arabs. "This is a war for oil and for the American exploitation of the entire world," stated one of the speakers, Haneen Zoabi, a Nazareth based communications teacher who came with hundreds of other Arab-Israelis from across the country to protest the war and the Israeli government. "[Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon will use this war to eliminate the Palestinian issue by installing a puppet Palestinian leader and even by transferring some Palestinians." The connection between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war on Iraq was not clear to all the demonstrators. Helle Meister, 22, and Adrian Faftek, visiting Israel from Hamburg Germany joined the protest to identify with their friends who joined the hundreds of thousands of other Germans marching in Berlin Saturday. "But this is not a war against the Arabs," said Meister not identifying with some of the protester's message, "but a capitalist war, a war for oil, power and regional hegemony. There should be no connection to the elimination of the Palestinians." Many Israeli bystanders looked at the protestors incredulously not exactly understanding what the protest's message. Others, like Shlomo Yosef, who watched the procession from a nearby kiosk agreed with the basic message of the protests. "I don't really understand why we are fighting this war. What I do know is that when the scuds start landing here in Tel Aviv, no one is going to be happy." Just outside the museum a half dozen Likud activists staged a ragtag counter-protest. "The extreme left has gone crazy and is supporting a murderer," their signs read. This article can also be read at: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPA rticle/ShowFull &cid=10452 98486857 --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " ~ " President Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words, by signing: http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/ " ~ " ~ " ~ " " ~ " ~ " From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Feb 20 18:56:49 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Mitzna, Don't Join! // Refusnik awaits court martial Message-ID: <3E5524F1.23157.127B580@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom International release, Feb. 20, 2003 ///////////////////////// [] CO Ben Artzi's court martial due within two weeks [] Reminder, support vigil draft resisters at the home of General Finkelstein [] "Don't give in" - Gush statement of the week [] Photos of the antiwar demonstrations worldwide - including Tel-Aviv [For regular updates in Hebrew send a message with subscribe in the subject line to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org] \\// //\\ [Dozens of Palestinians killed by IDF aggression, in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank and also redeployment towards the relatively quiet northern border - these are the IDFs rehearsals for the Iraq War, and these are the deeds of Sharon which more than his words reveal his intentions. Therefore, we concentrate on two things: urging the Labor Party to stay out of the government, and supporting the refusniks' hard struggle.] [] CO Ben Artzi's court martial due within two weeks Yesterday afternoon, the parents and supporters of the imprisoned refusniks, as well as Israeli and foreign journalists and press photographers, crowded the small hall of the Military Court in Jaffa (the former home of a wealthy Arab family, taken over by the army in 1948), to witness the latest developments in the case of CO Yoni Ben Artzi. Originally, Ben Artzi gained media interest especially due to the piquant fact of being the nephew of Foreign Minister Netanyahu. But by now, he had gained a considerable reputation in his own right - a principled pacifist CO, who had already served without flinching a total of 200 days' imprisonment, in seven 28-day or 35-day installments. The latest development, leading Ben Artzi to the Court Martial which is empowered to hand down a maximum of three years for his refusal to enlist, started exactly a week ago, when he was taken from his prison cell to a meeting with a Brigadier General at General Staff Headquarters in Tel-Aviv. This personage went out of his way to appear friendly ("I am not talking to you as a general to a draftee, but as Avi to Yoni, okay?") and made what was supposed to be "a generous offer": Ben Artzi would consent to be enlisted and have the legal status of a soldier, and in return the army would grant him "an easy service, without a gun, uniform or military training". Ben Artzi was given a few days to consider this offer, but in fact his response had never been in doubt: he is willing and ready to give three years for doing useful service to the benefit of Israeli society - but only in a civilian framework having nothing to do with the army; he is absolutely unwilling to be part, in any capacity whatsoever, of an army, an organization whose main aim is killing and violence; not of any army, in general, and certainly not of an army of occupation engaged in large-scale brutal oppression of another people. Upon informing the authorities of his decision, Ben Artzi was informed in turn that he would face a court martial, empowered to sentence him to up to three years. Also, from that moment on he was subjected to a series of petty humiliations, never before experienced during his previous imprisonments: being handcuffed whenever taken from one place to another (though he has never shown any inclination to run away); being held in a cell without any furniture, so that he had to sit on the floor; being given food without utensils... Three days of that were the prelude to yesterday's hearing, on the issue of whether or not Ben Artzi should be remanded in custody until the end of the court martial. The prosecutor went out of his way to be nasty, describing Ben Artzi as "no better than any deserter or drug addict". He was no pacifist, since "the competent military committee has already reviewed his case" and decided he was not. He must be kept continually in prison, for the sake of "deterrence", since letting him go free until the court martial renders its verdict would "undermine discipline in the army". Ben Artzi's lawyer, Adv. Michael Sfard from the office of the renowned human rights lawyer Avigdor Feldman, rebutted these arguments, stating that the "competent committee" was composed of military officers with no knowledge of or interest in pacifist principles, that they were rejecting virtually any claimant who appeared before them, and that Yoni Ben Artzi was "the classical, clear-cut case of a principled pacifist: a person who already chose pacifism and non-violence as the subject of his elementary school essays, who in school refused to attend a judo class since that involved using force, and who in the years before his conscription date had boned up on the history and philosophy of pacifism - for which he had two testimonies of university professors. Further, Adv. Sfard dismissed the prosecution's claim of "undermined discipline" as frivolous and vindictive. After several hours of often acrimonious debate, a compromise was hammered out: pending the end of the court martial Ben Artzi would stay neither at home nor in prison, but in "open detention" at the army's Induction Center. There was still a further debate on whether or not the prisoner would be allowed to spend the night in his parents' home, for what may be the last occasion in a very long while. The prosecutor, in another display of conspicuous narrow-mindedness, fiercely opposed it. In the ned, the judge, who seemed more fair-minded, granted that small boon. This morning, Ben Artzi presented himself at the induction center for the beginning of "the open detention". There had been a new confrontation with a lieutenant-colonel who once again demanded that he enlist and threatened "the stockade"; upon Ben Artzi's continuing firm refusal, the colonel talked with his superiors and backed off - at least for the moment. So, Yoni Ben Artzi's court martial is due to start sometime in the coming two weeks. It is vitally important to make it a major media and political event, to have many international delegations present, etc. And meanwhile, it is unclear what the army intends for the other ten refusniks who have been going in and out of prison over the past half a year. This morning ACRI (Civil Rights Association) appealed to the Supreme Court on behalf of Dror Beumel, today ending his sixth consecutive term, asking it to forbid the practice of repeated CO imprisonments. The court refused to grant an immediate injunction, which means that Beumel might be sent to a seventh term immediately upon his release today - but a hearing on merits of the case is due to take place, also within the next two weeks. [] Reminder, support vigil draft resisters at the home of General Finkelstein [Gush Shalom supports the struggle of the refusers, and several of its members are actully among the Refusnik Parents.] At the initiative of The Refusers' Parents Forum; all supporters of the refusniks invited. Contact: Anat , Smadar In support of the occupation resisters! In protest against the repeated imprisonment of draft resisters! We'll make it clear toMenachem Finkelstein thathis treatment of conscientious objectors isunacceptable!  Tomorrow,21 February, at 14:30, we willremindthe military attorney generalthe number of daystheserefuseniks have spent in military prisons and demand their immediate release.  Meeting point for car-owners & those who need a ride : Arlozorov Railway Station (terminal El-Al)  at 2.00 pm How to get there directly: Address: 12 Halevi St., Petach Tikva. Driving through Jabotinsky St. and passing the Rabin (Beilinson) Hospital, turn right into Yitzhak Sade St. (second light after the hospital). The street changes names to Trumpeldor and then Ha'nessiim. At the roundabout turn right into Halevi St. [] "Don't give in" - Gush statement of the week [To be published in Ha'aretz, Friday, Feb. 21, 2003] MITZNA, DON'T GIVE IN! Sharon's promise "to set up a Palestinian state" is intended to entice you to serve in his government as a political fig-leaf and a military alibi. For changing his spots, Sharon does not need the Labor party. He can ask it to help from the outside. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, www.gush-shalom.org [] Photos of the antiwar demonstrations worldwide - including Tel-Aviv http://www.hyperreal.org/~dana/ --- Protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Feb 24 14:22:55 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:52:59 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] From the Israeli madhouse: re Belgians & court-martialed COs Message-ID: <3E5A2ABF.29886.714257@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom International release, Feb.24 ///////////////////////// [] When A kidnaps in B the citizen of C... Uri Avnery in this weeks article [] Army panicking? COs court-martialed one after the other --Uri Ya'acobi, third CO to be court-martialed --Dror Boymel back to Conscience Committee --Adam Maor - 28 days --WRI calls for delegation to Israel \\// //\\ [Yesterday, five Palestinians killed during the reoccupation of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. One Israeli soldier killed while guarding a settlement a bit further south. This morning the announcement of 25 Palestinians arrested during the night and taken off to interrogation by the security services (and all what it means). Meanwhile, Sharon puts the finishing touch on his new government coalition (thank God not including the Labor Party). In Uri Avnery's defence of the decision of the Belgian court you also get a sense of the Israeli establishment's outrage. And how much they feel threatened by a dozen young boys with the courage to follow their conscience comes after it.] [] When A kidnaps in B the citizen of C... Uri Avnery in this weeks article Uri Avnery 22.3.03 It's OK to Eat Belgian Chocolate "Don't eat Belgian chocolate," the Israel consul in Florida ordered the large Jewish community there. In Israel, anti-Belgian curses reached an ear-splitting new crescendo. Miserable Belgium! Mad Belgium! Megalomaniac Belgium! And again and again, Anti-Semitic Belgium! Neo-Nazi Belgium! The Israeli ambassador was, of course, recalled from Brussels. No wonder, how can Israel keep an ambassador in the world capital of anti- Semitism? The storm broke when a Belgian court decided that Ariel Sharon can be sued for alleged war crimes, but only after finishing his term as Prime Minister of Israel. Israel army officers connected with the 1982 massacre in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps can be sued even now. On an Israeli TV program, the anchorman, a lawyer, put it this way: "Anti-Semitic Belgium wants to judge the officers of a second country for crimes committed in a third country, while the accused have no connection at all with Belgium, are not on Belgium territory and the whole affair does not concern Belgium. That is megalomania, really a matter for psychiatrists!" "Strange," I replied on the program, "I seem to remember a case where country A kidnapped in country B the citizen of country C for committing in country D crimes against the citizens of countries E, F and G, all this in spite of the fact the crimes were committed before country A even existed." I meant, of course, the trial of Adolf Eichmann, to which we all agreed. "How can you compare the two!" the other participants on the program cried out in outraged unison. And indeed, how can one compare the actions of Jews with actions of goyim committed against Jews? Well, it were the Jews who demanded, after World War II, that all countries put Nazi war criminals and their allies on trial. Eichmann was judged in Israel according to the Israeli "Law for bringing the Nazis and their Helpers to Justice", which does not recognize any borders. More recently the Knesset enacted another law, enabling Israeli courts to judge perpetrators of any crime committed against Jews anywhere in the world. If so, what's wrong with the Belgian law of "universal jurisdiction", that allows Belgian courts to judge was criminals from all over the world? Immanuel Kant promulgated the Categorical Imperative: "Act as if the principle by which you act were about to be turned into a universal law of nature". But then, Kant was probably an anti-Semite. Hundreds of years ago, the world adopted a legal doctrine that allowed every country to judge and hang pirates, irrespective of their ethnic identity, origin and area of activity. The assumption was that the pirate is an enemy of humanity at large, and that therefore every country has the right – indeed, the duty – to judge him. The Belgian law against war crimes is a step in this direction, and I hope that many other countries will follow suit. Of course, it would be better if the International Criminal Court in The Hague would fulfil this duty, but much time will pass before it will be able to. Immense political pressures are being exerted, many limitations have been imposed, its hands and feet have been shackled. Worse, the only super-power, the United States, is openly trying to destroy it (as it destroyed the League of Nations after World War I.) My dream is that before the end of the 21st century a new, binding world order, headed by a world parliament, will come into being. This order must include a world court and a world police force, that will judge conflicts between nations the way today's national courts judge conflicts between people. The road there is long and full of obstacles, decades will pass before humanity will reach this stage. But we must strive towards this end. In the meantime, other countries must follow the Belgian example, in order to progress along this way. Especially concerning war crimes. Some will say that we should not extradite our fellow-citizens, that it is the duty of every state to judge its war-criminals itself. But this is utopian: no country in the world has really done so. That is quite natural: not only are states disinclined to admit to such shameful crimes and try to hide them, but generally such crimes are committed by agents of the state itself. The affair of Sabra and Shatila is a good example. Here, briefly, are the facts: In the summer of 1982, the Israeli army invaded West Beirut, violating an explicit commitment given to the American mediator, Phillip Habib, not to do so. By that time, the PLO forces had already left the city. From that moment on, West Beirut, including the Palestinian refugee camps Sabra and Shatila, became an Israeli occupied territory, making the Israeli army responsible for everything happening there. After the occupation, the IDF let the "Phalangists", members of an extreme Maronite Christian group, enter the two camps. These people has already committed heinous massacres in other Palestinian refugee camps. They were headed by a notorious mass-murderer, Eli Hweika. All senior Israeli officials involved with Lebanon knew that the Phalangists were committing atrocities in order to panic the Palestinians into fleeing from Lebanon. When the Israeli cabinet was informed of the army's intention of letting the Phalangists in, Minister David Levy, who was born in Morocco, warned that this would cause a disaster. His colleagues ignored his warning. Immediately upon entering the camps, the Phalangists started to butcher men, women and children indiscriminately. The commander of the action, Eli Hweika, oversaw the action from the roof of the Israeli divisional command post, which was located right next to the camps. The officers of the Israeli division commander, General Amos Yaron, overheard Hweika instructing his men by walkie-talkie to kill women and children, too. They hastened to inform Yaron, but he ignored the message. (Later he admitted: "Our senses had become blunted.") During the night, while the massacre was going on (it lasted altogether three days), the Israeli Chief-of-Staff, General Raphael Eytan, ordered the army to accede to the Phalangists' request and light the area with flares. He also provided the Phalangists with a tractor (which served, it is assumed, to bury the bodies). A young Israeli officer who heard the horrible stories of the shocked women who had succeeded in fleeing from the camps, ran from one officer to another, begging them to interfere. All of them refused. After the massacre, the Begin government refused to order an independent investigation. In a huge demonstration in Tel-Aviv (the mythological 400-thousand-demo), we compelled the government to appoint a high-level state investigation committee, headed by Supreme Court judge Yitzhaq Kahan. It did a good job and its report included all the facts mentioned above. In its conclusions, it found that the Minister of Defense (Sharon), the Chief-of-Staff and a number of other senior officers bear "indirect responsibility" for the outrage. Some of us argued even then that the committee had bent backwards in order to protect the reputation of the state, and that from the same facts much more far-reaching conclusions could have been drawn. The committee recommended, inter alia, to dismiss the Minister of Defense from his office and to remove Yaron from the active command of troops in the field. But the committee did not recommend to dismiss Sharon altogether from the government and from public life, neither did it dismiss Yaron from the army. It did not take any step against the Chief-of-Staff, because he was about to finish his term anyhow. Other officers suffered minor penalties. Today, Sharon is Prime Minister, practically commanding the army and Amos Yaron is Director General of the Ministry of Defense. As a matter of fact, all those accused by the Kahan report have been promoted. Most importantly, not one of those suspected of responsibility for the massacre was ever put on trial (as distinguished from a commission of inquiry). After the enactment of the Belgian law of universal jurisdiction, the survivors of the massacre sued Sharon and the officers in Brussels. It's this case that has caused the present uproar. Nobody questions the integrity of the Belgian judicial system. If Sharon and his men are confident of their innocence, why shouldn't they stand trial and prove it? After all, the Israeli government has put at their disposal its senior attorneys, paid by the state. (One could ask, of course, why I should pay for the legal defense of people put on trial for alleged war crimes. But never mind.) All this has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. The use of this defamation against everybody who dares to criticize Sharon and his colleagues reminds one of Dr. Samuel Johnson's sayings: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." So you may eat Belgian chocolate. Even if it is of the bitter kind. [] Army panicking? COs court-martialed one after the other --Uri Ya'acobi, third CO to be court-martialed --Dror Boymel back to Conscience Committee --Adam Maor - 28 days --WRI calls for delegation to Israel --Uri Ya'acobi, third CO to be court-martialed. Immediately upon being released yesterday from a previous prison term, Uri Ya'acobi was taken by military police to the Induction Center and was told that it was "in order to be discharged from the army." Upon arrival there it turned out that instead he will face a court martial, and thereupon was taken immediately to Prison-4. Uri is due to have his preliminary hearing today or tomorrow. The army doesn't give us much time to organize a presence, but we will let you know as soon as we know when and where. STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER MESSAGE LATER TODAY. --Dror Boymel back to Conscience Committee Yesterday, the ACRI legal team defending Dror Boymel who was last Friday imprisoned pending a court martial, succeeded to get for him a new heaaring by the (purely military) Conscience Committee which laast year rejected his claim to be a pacifist. Moreover, he was sent home pending that hearing. Adv. Michaael Sfard will now try to apply this precedent both to Uri Ya'acobi and to Yoni Ben Artzi, the first of the series. --Adam Maor - 28 days Also yesterday Adam Maor - who it seems did not yet accumulate enough repeated refusals for the honour to be court-martialed - waas sentenced to another 28 days, and was reported to be spending them at Prison-4 in the Isolation Ward. (Which heinous violation of prison regulations caused him to be consigned there, we don't know.) Another draft resister, Yoni Yechezkel was invited "to see a psychiatrist", but when he arrived at the Induction Center was told instead to (re)present himself to be drafted. Thereupon, he succeeded in leaving the center... --WRI calls for delegation to Israel War Resisters' International wrote: Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 11:40:35 +0000 WRI calls for delegation to Israel to observe court-martial of COs Dear all, In an obvious change of policy, the Israeli military is now starting to court- martial conscientious objectors, after they already spent more than 150 days in prison. Jonathan Ben-Artzi had his first hearing on Wednesday, and is now in "open detention" at the induction base awaiting court-martial. He already served 200 days in military prison - seven prison terms of 28-35 days. Dror Boimel is presently serving his seventh prison term, after having served 168 days in prison. He too is now awaiting a court-martial. Unlike the usual disciplinary sentences of 28 or 35 days, a court-martial can sentence Jonathan Ben-Artzi and Dror Boimel to up to three years imprisonment for refusing to enlist. Other conscientious objectors are presently serving repeated prison terms of 28 to 25 days, and they might face court-martials too. More information on Jonathan Ben-Artzi and Dror Boimel can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/htdocs/21022003a.html. It is therefore important that international delegations observe some of the hearing of the court-martials - preferably at least on of the early hearing, and the one which is expected to be the last. Hearing will happen on relatively short notice (about 1 week), and we therefore need a pool of potential delegates to draw from. Everybody who is willing to join a delegation should contact the WRI Office immediately. (mailto:concodoc@wri-irg.org, tel +44-20-72784040). We will also need money to pay for travel and accomodation. Donations are therefore urgently needed. [For information how to do it from your country please, contact info@wri-irg.org.] Please contact the WRI Office as soon as possible. Israeli conscientious objectors now urgently need our support! Andreas Speck War Resisters' International 5 Caledonian Road * London N1 9DX * BRITAIN tel.: +44-20-7278 4040 * fax: +44-20-7278 0444 email: info@wri-irg.org * http://www.wri-irg.org In-depth about Israeli war resisters http://wri-irg.org/co/co-isr-03.htm --- Photos of the Feb. 15 antiwar demonstrations worldwide http://www.hyperreal.org/~dana/ --- Protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- On our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Feb 26 12:17:51 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: fw: Another court martial TODAY: Haggai Matar / Uri Ya'acobi suddenly discharged Message-ID: <3E5CB06F.5540.2C63B6@localhost> ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Parents Forum" Date sent: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 10:46:22 +0200 The army seems to be in disarray over the question of court-martialing draft resisters and is seen to be changing tactics overnight: Today (Wed., 26/2/03) at 2.30, refusnik Haggai Matar will be brought for a preliminary hearing to the Jaffa Military Court (91-93 Yefet St., Corner of Shivtey Yisrael), at the start of a court-martial where he faces up to three years in prison. This, after he has spent a total of 133 days behind bars already, in six installments of 28 or 35 days each. He is defended by Adv. Dov Hinin. Today's court session comes upon the heels of yesterday's good news: CO Uri Ya'akobi, who also faced a court martial, was suddenly brought before the army's "Incompatiblity Committee" at the Induction Center in Tel Hashomer and immediately discharged from the army, after spending 160 days behind bars. According to an article published yesterday on Y-net (Yediot Aharonot's rather independent website), the simultaneous release of Uri and court- martialling of Haggai are part of deliberate new policy of "divide and rule" in which the most severe treatment is reserved for the so-called "political refusers", i.e. those who are not opposed to all military service but "only" to serving in an army of occupation. (Haggai Matar is prime example of these.) There exists the twisted concept that refusing to serve the occupation is not a matter of conscience whereas pacifism (though hitherto never recognized!) would be. Meanwhile, Dror Boymel - whose court martial was suspended - is at home awaiting to appear again for the "Conscience Committee" On the other hand, Yoni Ben-Artzi, also an outspoken pacifist, is awaiting his court martial in an army base, where he is held in "open imprisonment". For letters of protest: Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry For letters of support: To Haggai Mataar "Anat Matar" To Yoni Ben Artzi Matania Ben-Artzi From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Feb 27 20:46:18 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: (Fwd) URGENT: Susan Barclay to be Forcibly Deported NOW Message-ID: <3E5E791A.20230.1D07D90@localhost> Please, phone NOW to the PM's office: 972-(0)2 670 5555 / 10 and demand to stop immediately any attempt to deport Susan Barclay in contravention with the decision of Israel's own legal system, i.c. the Hadera District Court. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "International Solidarity Movement" Date sent: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 20:02:36 +0200 Subject: [palsolidarity] URGENT: Susan Barclay to be Forcibly Deported in Two Hours [ Double-click this line for list subscription options ] I have just received a call from Susan Barclay who is in Mikhal Prison and spoke to me on a phone that had been smuggled into her.   She told me that the guards have told her that she is going to be deported at 10 pm tonight but she is determined to resist to stay in the country and continue the struggle for a free Palestine.   We have contacted her lawyer and he has told her that the deportation is a pre-emption of the legal process and is totally illegal and that if she is in the country tomorrow morning she he can defend her.    Susan has been working with the ISM in the city of Nablus for the past six months documenting Israeli war crimes against the people of Nablus and the surrounding villages and confronting the occupation of the West Bank through non-violent direct action.  Because of this she was detained and arrested at an Israeli military checkpoint last Thursday and has been served with a deportation order on the bassis that she is a security threat to the state of Israeli.   It is up to Susan now to see if she can successfully resist her deportation from the country but you can help her in this by contacting the Israeli embassy/ consulate in your part of the world and demanding that the Israeli authorities observe due process and that this extraordinary young woman be granted her day in court where she can defend herself against the charges that her presence in Israel and Palestine constitutes a threat to Israel's security.    Please contact your local Israeli mission and inform them that the world is watching and demand that the Ministry of the Interior abort this illegal deportation of a non-violent humanitarian activist.   The contact details for Israeli Missions around the world are as follows:   Australia: 02 6273 1309 / 1300 Canada: 613 567 6450 France: 01 40 76 55 00 Germany: 0228 934 6500 Ireland: 01 668 0303 Netherlands: 070 376 0500 New Zealand:  04  472 2362 / 8 UK:  020 7957 9500 USA: 202 364 5500 If you are an Israeli supporter of the ISM you can phone the Prime Minister' Office on:02 670 5555 / 10   The time now is 8 pm.  You have 2 hours to help save Susan from deportation.   ======================================================= ======================= Michael      ISM Media Coordinator Beit Sahour Occupied Palestine Phone: +972-2-2774602 Cell: +972-67-862 439 web: http://www.palsolidarity.org  ------- End of forwarded message ------- From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Feb 28 22:33:45 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] New-old government and different struggles Message-ID: <3E5FE3C9.6095.124FAD8@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Feb. 28, 2003 [] Assessment of the situation // Susan Barclay not deported but released [] Let Ali Go! -- campaign for the release of a 15-year old stone-thrower [] Ha'ir: Lone artist against the Iraq war (where is the real madhouse) [] The Great Wall of Denial -- by Gila Svirsky [] Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, Friday, Feb. 28 \\// //\\ [] Assessment of the situation // Susan Barclay not deported but released Today, two girls in the Gaza Strip were severely wounded from tankfire. Today is also the first day of Israel's new government. The only good thing to be said about this government: that the Labor Party doesn't take part in it. But it has to be seen whether Labor will be able under the lead of Mitznah to become strong in opposition, or rather the question is: will Labor's old guard grow into that role after having been Sharon's partners during the last two years. Meanwhile, our way of opposition as "unambiguous peace movement" must be joining forces and supporting the struggle of those who happen to be at the forefront of the opposition to the occupation. In the past weeks we have informed supporters and media about the struggle of the young Israeli draft resisters. Several of our members happen to be natural members of the "Refusnik Parents Forum". We will continue to inform you, whenever there is significant news on that front. Yesterday we forwarded an emergency call of the internationals group ISM. We suggested you to phone to the Prime Minister's Office about the attempted deportation of humanitarian worker Susan Barclay, active in Nablus. Her deportation would have been in contravention of the Hadera Magistrate's Court decision. Today we were informed by Adv. Shammai Leibovitz - with whom we were constantly in contact - that in the night Barclay had been carried, passively resisting, onto a plane before he could even take legal action. However, after she made clear to the crew that she was in the plane against her wish, that she would not obey instructions about getting seated, and even threatened to open the luggage bins, the KLM pilot decided that he couldn't take responsibility and she was returned to the Ben Gurion Airport police office. Barclay's firm stance won her enough time to let others work on her behalf: The switschboard at the PM's Office was flooded, and at a certain point became inaccessible. And in the early morning Adv. Shammai Leibowitz got an order from Judge Michaela Shidlovsky-Or of the Jerusalem District Court for the immediate release of Susan Barclay. Now, Leibowitz is considering proceedings for financial damages due to the illegal deportation attempt.. Maybe, concerted efforts could also be effective in the case of the 15 year- old prisoner Ali Tawfiq. See next message which we got from the IWPS, another group of internationals working from within the occupied West Bank. [] Let Ali Go! -- campaign for the release of a 15-year old stone-thrower ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "IWPS" Date sent: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 13:18:00 +0200 We write you on behalf of the case of Ali Tawfiq, a 15 year old boy imprisoned since the 28th of November. On November 27, Ali was a normal teenager living in a small Palestinian village under Israeli occupation. He went to school, whenever it was open. He helped his parents harvest their olives and his sisters care for their chickens. He hung out with his friends and his older brother, Jihad, who was studying for his Taojihi, the final examination that high school students must pass to go on to university. In short, he never got into trouble. On November 28, the Israeli army knocked at his door and took Ali Tawfiq into custody. He was charged with throwing stones and being a lookout for someone who threw a Molotov cocktail. His brother, Jihad was also arrested on the same night. Ali has been held since then in two different detention camps and has ended up now in Telmond Prison, inside Israel. During all this time his parents have been able to see their child only once during the first weeks of his arrest.  The boy is not only deprived of the warmth and affection of his family but has repeatedly reported that he has been subject to violence and torture. He has admitted in one of the talks he has had with his lawyer, that the Shabak (security service) had forced him to sign a confession. Children are often forced to sign confessions in Hebrew when they can’t even understand the contents.  A recent report by the Palestinian organization LAW concludes that children held at Telmond are subjected to “brute physical violence from Israeli guards, denial of family visits and communication with the outside world, a shortage of clothing, appropriate medical attention, hazardous living conditions, and extremely long prison sentences.”  Ali’s trial will be held on Tuesday, 4/3/2003 in the Military Court of Salem.  We invite you to forward the following petition for Ali’s immediate release to the Ministry of Defense asking for the application of international Human Rights standards, supporting the family and expressing your opposition to the cruel symptoms of occupation.  The e-mail addresses of the Ministry of Defence are: sar@mod.gov.il andinfo@mail.idf.il (the spokesmen of the Ministry of Defence).  Please send a copy to iwps@palnet.com as well, so will be able to hand out a list of the signatories to the lawyers and the family.   PETITION FOR THE RELEASE OF 15 YEAR OLD ALI TAWFIQ HELD IN PRISON SINCE THE 28th OF NOVEMBER 2003  TO: The Israeli Minister of Defence, Mr. Shaul Mofaz,  WHEREAS the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Israel is a Party, outlines in Article 37 that "… detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time."; WHEREAS Article 37 of the CRC states that, "Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age."; WHEREAS the CRC, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and other international treaties explicitly forbid the use of torture during interrogation and incarceration; WHEREAS the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners adopted by UN Economic and Social Council Resolution 663C (XXIV), on July, 31, 1957, outlaws the placement of political prisoners among people imprisoned for a criminal offence; And WHEREAS Ali Tawfiq, arrested on the 28th of November in Deir Istia (West Bank) is being held in prison together with Israeli criminals;  And WHEREAS there is a reasonable suspicion that during his imprisonment Ali has suffered from torture or degrading punishment; And WHEREAS Ali Tawfiq has been deprived of contact with his family for the time of his imprisonment, as the family is not allowed to enter Israel; I ask you to uphold International standards of Justice, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and to release Ali Tawfiq immediately. Ali Tawfiq’s trial will be held at the Salem Military Court on Tuesday, 4th of March.  Yours sincerely [] Ha'ir: Lone artist against the Iraq war (where is the real madhouse) A Tel-Avivian artist, referred to as "Aminof" in Ha'ir of Feb. 27, went walking along Tel-Aviv's Hashalom Road while wearing a gas mask and knocking on the doors of passing cars. "Wake up, wake up! The war is coming!" he shouted. When already in the process of ending his "protest performance" a police patrol car arrived and he was detained. After half an hour at the Yiftah Police Station, the officer in charge decided to transfer Aminof to the Abarbanel Mental Hospital - without bothering to ask for the authorization of the District Psychiatrist, required by law in all cases of forced mental hospitalization. A police spokesperson told Ha'ir newspaper: "The investigators charged the man with disturbing public order, and he responded by urging them to open immediate peace negotiations with Saddam Hussein. This made them doubt his sanity". At Abarbanel, where he was taken bound hand and foot, Aminof was placed in the Closed Ward and repeatedly given heavy doses of tranquillizer for the entire two weeks of his stay there - leaving him still groggy several days after being finally sent home. His release came about after his friends alerted the Association Against Psychiatric Assault. The same association presently provides Aminof with legal help in starting compensation proceedings at the Tel-Aviv District Court. What is in most cases a dry judicial document became in Aminof's hands a fiery manifesto: "The police and the psychiatrists tried to suppress my art. It is a multifaceted art, involving elements of painting, photographing, spraying graffiti and theatrical performance. It is a protest art, intended to get the audience involved, an art of liberty and independence which strains against all boundaries and seeks physical and spiritual ecstasy." [] The Great Wall of Denial -- by Gila Svirsky ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 07:59:42 +0200 From: Gila Svirsky February 28, 2003 The Great Wall of Denial A few nights ago, I was awakened at 11 pm by the sound of a loudspeaker blaring from a police car in the street near my home in Jerusalem. I thought I heard a demand for someone to come out of the house and into the street. I wondered if a terrorist was loose in the neighborhood, as had happened more than once in various parts of Israel. I kept the light off, and ran to confirm that the front door was locked. Then I turned on the radio to hear if anything newsworthy was happening in my neighborhood. When I heard nothing, I crept back into bed, and lay there waiting for the next thing to happen. After a while, I thought of how many perfectly normal and law-abiding Palestinians are awakened in the middle of the night by loudspeakers from army vehicles, lie in bed waiting for events to unfold, and end up hearing the sounds of a neighbor being arrested and taken away...or being taken away themselves. A few weeks ago, a loudspeaker in the village of Beit Lahiya called residents out of their homes in the middle of the night, and 200 neighbors - including small children and two women who had given birth 2 days earlier - were forced to huddle together for hours in the cold winter night until the army let them return to their homes. This is not uncommon in Palestinian neighborhoods, though the information rarely reaches the newspapers of Israel. In my neighborhood, it turned out to be the police searching for a missing child. In the Palestinian neighborhood, it can be a search for someone on the 'wanted list'... or just plain harassment. The lives of Palestinians in the occupied territories have been thoroughly disrupted since Sharon came to power, far more than under any preceding Israeli prime minister. The mystery, however, is not the reign of terror - this is no mystery under Sharon - but the indifference of Israeli citizens to that behavior. How is it possible that through two and a half years of increasingly cruel conduct of our army, the Israeli public has had almost nothing to say about soldiers... *** urinating on school computers and defecating on the rugs of homes they have garrisoned for use; *** accidentally demolishing the homes of innocent people that happen to be near the homes deliberately destroyed *** preventing the residents of entire cities from leaving their houses for weeks on end (no exceptions - not for chemo, dialysis, childbirth, buying food, attending school, or visiting your sick mother); *** damaging 27 Palestinian ambulances beyond repair and wounding 187 medical personnel [www.palestinercs.org] ; *** and assassinating people without the niceties of trial and due process, not to mention reckless shootings in which 126 innocent children aged 13 or younger (including 19 toddlers and infants aged 5 or younger!) have lost their lives [www.btselem.org]. Why, I am trying to understand, are we Israelis so blind to this brutality? Where are the expressions of revulsion by decent Israelis? Why don't the major newspapers report these heart-wrenching stories (not just the liberal and much smaller-circulation Ha'aretz)? Why didn't a single Jewish political party in the recent election criticize the government for its policy of collective punishment? Why are the brave young men and women who refuse to carry out these crimes disparaged in the media, while even Peace Now and the Meretz party don't come to their support? Why are only a handful of people willing to apply the label 'war crime' to the deeds of the army - deeds that merit this designation under any objective reading of the international instruments of law? The lack of outrage and compassion in Israel is difficult to understand. Is it a reflection of the fact that Israelis are uninformed? Or are they aware and indifferent? I believe that Israelis do know the truth. They know because some stories - the most poignant - do reach the media. A month ago, they saw a scene on Israeli TV of a young boy on crutches forced everyday to scale a muddy checkpoint wall to get to school. They know because they do reserve duty in the territories - or their family and friends do - and some even brag about the dirty tricks they saw or did. They know because some watch CNN, the BBC, or other foreign media, even when they dismiss these reports as anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic. But enough stories do get through for Israelis to know what is happening, to understand the brutal reality. So the question is, why is there indifference? Here are three reasons, though I'm sure there are more: First, the media gets some of the blame. Although facts and figures are reported, the media fail to convey the human suffering behind the iron fist policies. Journalist Gideon Levy points out [Ha'aretz, 2 Feb 03] that when 15 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in one blood-drenched day last week (February 19th), the Israeli newspapers were wrapped up in the story of the Qassam shells that landed in Sderot, wounding one. Journalist Amira Hass speaks of the 'routine of calamity' [Ha'aretz, 26 Feb 03] in Palestine as disasters spiral, which I believe has also routinized the reporting of them and our response. When 25 homes were destroyed in Gaza last month, making 200 Palestinians homeless, not a single TV or radio clip conveyed the story of these people with anything approaching compassion. Second, Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians provides the cover for Israelis to focus on our own pain and fear, and to frame the pain of the Palestinians as 'just desserts' or an inevitable byproduct of our 'war on terrorism'. Furthermore, innocent bystanders have been killed on our side, too, making it harder for Israelis to feel compassion for those they regard as supportive of the attacks. Nevertheless, the completely lopsided balance of power and suffering has not penetrated the consciousness of the Israeli public as a whole. The violence on both sides is reprehensible, but most Israelis behave as if only our people are its victims, while the other side, all of them, are the perpetrators of the crimes. Third, much blame goes to our political and rabbinical leaders who engage in fear mongering and dehumanization of the other. Racism is rampant in Israel, from popular Rabbi Ovadia Yosef who called all Arabs 'snakes', to President Katsav who told a group of bar-mitzvah boys, "The Palestinians don't behave as if they come from the same planet as we do." The National Union Party, a member of Sharon's new government, openly advocates ethnic cleansing - the 'transfer', as they call it, of all Arabs from Israel and the territories. Is it any wonder that so few pay attention to the suffering of those who have been devalued and dehumanized? Meanwhile, our military leaders repeat the mantra that "The IDF is the most moral army in the world." There may be many more reasons for Israeli indifference. Eitan Felner, former Director of the B'Tselem human rights organization, referred to Israel's behavior as typical of an adult who has been abused as a child and consequently becomes an abusive adult, just as Jews were abused in Europe and now take it out on others [NY Times, date?]. Many Israelis believe they hold exclusive rights to the category 'Suffering Victims', and are unable to view themselves as having inflicted suffering and victimhood on others. But the important question is, how do we penetrate the numbness of Israelis, soldiers and civilians alike, about the wrongness of our actions - wrong morally and stupid strategically. As virtually everyone has recognized by now, the brutal policies only create more bitterness and desire for revenge. How do we get the message across to Israelis that the government is undermining our security in the territories with each act of humiliation and cruelty? How do we convey to Israelis that we are behaving in some ways like the persecutors of Jews have behaved from time immemorial? Israeli peace and human rights activists have been wracking our brains over how to accomplish this. The young men and women who refuse to serve in the army have done more than their share to raise awareness about the army's cruel deeds, though they face court martial and prison as a result. Led by the New Profile organization, many peace activists will be holding a rally in April to express our pride in these young people. Ta'ayush and Rabbis for Human Rights lead groups of Israelis into the territories to see the appalling conditions. Machsom Watch takes visitors to the checkpoints to observe the military vise-grip on Palestinians who try to use the roads. Gush Shalom has led the drive to place the "war crime" label on unlawful army behavior, to the wrath of the generals and the Attorney General. The Coalition of Women for Peace placed an ad in the Arabic-language newspapers, letting Palestinians know that some Israelis are aware of their suffering, do care, and are trying to stop it. And a new campaign is shaping up among a coalition of groups under the slogan, "Don't say you didn't know..." in reference to the claims of ignorance by Germans during the Nazi regime. And yet with all this effort, will we be able to break through the Great Wall of Denial? Something different works for each person. What caught at my own heart was a scene captured on video by B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization in the territories. It showed a simple conversation between the B'Tselem fieldworker and a well-dressed Palestinian man, standing forlornly beside his car parked at a checkpoint: "Why aren't you driving through?" asks the B'Tselem worker. "I don't really know," answers the man. "What do you mean, you don't know? Aren't you waiting to get through the checkpoint?" "Yes, I'm trying to get to Hebron. But the soldiers told me to wait here." "How long have you been waiting?" "Since 7 o'clock this morning." "Since 7 o'clock? But it's 5 pm! Why are they keeping you?" "I really don't know. I was just driving through and they told me to stop and get out of my car and wait on the side. I really don't know. I'm just waiting for them to let me through." After a pause. "Did you eat anything yet today?" "No, I left home early and planned to eat in Hebron..." His voice starts to break and he turns away as he struggles to keep himself from crying. After a pause. "Did you call your family? Do they know where you are?" "Yes, I called several times, the last time around 3 o'clock, but now my battery is dead." "Would you like to use my cell phone?" "No, no thank you, I told them at 3 I'd be home in a couple hours. It's 5 now. I don't want to worry them." He turns his head and tries to fight the tears. There is random violence, there are arrests in the middle of the night, and there are the countless ways to make a person feel powerless, fearful, not knowing if he'll get home today or still be standing by his car tomorrow, waiting for the young soldier to let him through. Indifference is not felt by everyone. For those who do care, the only answer is to stand witness to this reality. To share the information with others. To speak truth to power. And, thereby, to break the cycle of helplessness and despair, and create a better place for us all. Gila Svirsky Jerusalem ******************************* Coalition of Women for Peace: [] Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, Friday, Feb. 28 עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org {PRIVATE}A WAR GOVERNMENT  Sharon, Liberman, Eytam, Mofaz, Netanyahu and Lapid - this is the most dangerous government Israel ever had.  This government expresses Sharon's real intentions. If the Labor Party had joined the Sharon Government, it would have served as fig-leaf.  This is a war government. A government of the settlers and their helpers. A government that does not even pretend to seek peace - And, therefore, A government that will aggravate the security situation,  Deepen the economic crisis and widen the social rift. Gush Shalom ad in "Haaretz" 28/02/03 Please, help us finance the regular publication of statements. Checks to: P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Israel. -- Protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters at: http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Mar 2 17:51:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Somber picture + a bit of hope from... opinion polls Message-ID: <3E6244A4.16345.1069B35@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release, March 2, 2003 [] Sharon's government-making portrayed by Uri Avnery [] Hans Lebrecht on the new government, and how further [] Who shall we blame it on, Yitzhak Laor [] Israeli poll on Iraq War \\// //\\ [] Pick a Card - Uri Avnery depicts Sharon Uri Avnery 1.3.03 Pick a card Ariel Sharon is like one of those sleight-of-hand tricksters you see on the pavements of European cities. They mix three cards before your eyes, ask you to pick on of them, turn them upside down and ask you to guess which one is the card you have chosen. You are absolutely sure that you know where the card is – and you are wrong. Always. How does the man do it? Elementary, dear Watson: he keeps up an incessant prattle and diverts your attention for the fraction of a second – and at this moment he changes the layout of the cards. Therefore, never (but never!) pay attention to what Sharon says. The sole object of all his utterances is to divert your attention. One has to watch his hands and not avert one's eyes from them for a second. If Sharon had been a contemporary of Voltaire, one could have thought that the great French philosopher meant him when he said: "Men use thought only to justify their wrong- doings, and words only to conceal their thoughts." This has not changed since Ben-Gurion, the first patron of Sharon's career, wrote in his diary that Sharon is a habitual liar. But the word "liar" is out of place. The sleight-of-hand artist on the pavement is not a liar. He uses words as an instrument of his craft, the way a soldier uses smoke bombs. For three months Sharon prattled about his strong desire to set up a National Unity Government, in which the Labor Party would serve as a cornerstone. This is necessary, he repeated again and again, in order to allow him to set out on the road to peace. This slogan was the centerpiece of his election campaign. Many voted for him in order to have him as the head of a government in which Labor would be a major component. (Many others voted for the Shinui party, which also promised a "secular" government headed by Sharon and Labor.) Now everybody can see that Sharon's promises were nothing but a smoke-screen. At the end, Sharon has created exactly the government he intended to set up right from the beginning: a government of the radical right that will do the things the words were designed to hide. At most he was ready to imprison the Labor party in this government, shackled hand and foot, to act as a fig-leaf. Amram Mitzna has to be commended for refusing to fall into this trap. When Sharon tried to divert his attention by his prattle about peace, Mitzna demanded that he put his words in writing and sign them. Sharon threw him out. If there had been a competition for the nomination of the four most extreme anti-Palestinian chauvinists in Israel, the winners would surely have been Ariel Sharon, Effy Eytam, Avigdor Liberman and Tommy Lapid. And here they are, wonder of wonders, by sheer accident, the four senior partners in the new government. (Other candidates for the title would have been Benny Eilon, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ehud Olmert, Tsachi Hanegbi and Uzi Landau, all of them ministers in the new government.) The story does not end with the launching of the government. It is only starting. Witness his speech in the Knesset, introducing his new government to the Knesset. He concluded with a touching personal confession: entering the 76th year of his life (it was the day after his birthday), he has no greater desire than to bring tranquility and peace to our people. When Sharon speaks about peace, it is time to run for cover. Now, when the cards lie again on the pavement with their faces up, all the commentators in Israel and the world realize that their guesses were wrong again. Because this is the most rightwing, the most nationalistic, the most extreme, the most war-like government Israel has ever had. If someone would set up a government consisting of the French Jean- Marie Le Pen, the Austrian Joerg Haider, the Russian Jirinowsky and the Dutch Fortuyn in Europe, it would have looked like a bunch of bleeding-heart liberals compared to this one. The Europeans can only incite, but Sharon and his partners can act. This is a government of the settlers. The most prominent representative of the settlers, General Effy Eytam, a man so extreme that even the army could not stand him, got the ministry that is the most important for the settlers: housing. He will build thousands of new homes in the settlements. Sharon will neither "freeze" the settlements nor dismantle them. Quite to the contrary, the settlement campaign will get new impetus. Some people compare the settlers to the "tail wagging the dog", they believe that this small minority imposes its will on the government. That is an utterly false way of judging reality. In the Sharon era, the government views the settlers as its shock troops. The settlements are the most important weapon in the war against the Palestinian people. Also wrong are those who believe that Sharon has no vision. He certainly has one. And what a vision it is! He does indeed want to enter history as the man who realized the dream of generations. But this is not the dream of peace, about which he prattles day and night. Peace interests him as last year's snow. He strives for an aim that seems to him vastly more important: to fulfil the aim of Zionism as he understands it: to create a Jewish state that will comprise (at least) all the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan river, and if possible without Arabs. When one understands the aim, the composition of the new government is eminently reasonable. It is custom-made. Sharon at the helm. The army in the hands of Shaul Mofaz, the most brutal Arab-fighter of them all. The police in charge of Tsachi Hanegby, a rowdy whose career began with pogroms against Arab students at the university. Eytam building housing units in the settlements. Liberman, himself a settler, responsible for the roads. The treasury, that must finance all this, in the hands of Netanyahu. In his maiden speech, Mitzna asked of Sharon to stop comparing himself to de Gaulle. For decades, Sharon has encouraged commentators at home and abroad to spread the legend that at any moment this tough, battle-scared general will turn out to be the Israeli edition of the great Frenchman who ceded all of Algeria to the "terrorists", while evacuating a million French settlers. Sharon – a de Gaulle? Stop listening to the prattle. Just look at his hands! [] Hans Lebrecht on the new government, and how further THE NEW SHARON GOVERNMENT: COMBINATION OF FUNDAMENTALIST CHAUVINISM, WAR MONGERY AND ANTI-SOCIAL CAPITALISM by Hans Lebrecht hlebr@trendline.co.il "The new Sharon government is the most right-radical and dangerous one for Israel and the whole Middle East government Israel has had yet since the inauguration of the State of Israel 55 years ago. Its coalition is a combination of fundamentalist chauvinism, war mongery and brutal 'neoliberal' anti-social capitalism, which will add to the 3 ½ Million oppressed and starving Palestinians at least 1 ½ starving Israeli children and more poverty stricken families". This, the Knesset Member Issam Mahoul of the Hadash Front and General Secretary of the CP Israel stated during the plenary Knesset debate before the second Sharon Government was sworn in on late Thursday (February 27) night. The Knesset voted confidence in the new Sharon government of 24 Ministers by a majority of 66 against 48. Opposition came from the ultra-orthodox Haredi Sephardi Shas and Ashkenazi Thora Jew parties, and from Labor, Meretz, Hadasch and Arab Union benches. The coalition is composed of Likud, Shinui (Change) NRP and National Union parties. Mahoul pointed further out that Sharon in his presentation of his new government and its guidelines is blabbering about a way to peace under certain circumstances, in fact meaning the fullest capitulation of the Palestinian people and its elected leadership under the dictates of Sharon & Co. "This reminds me of the American hero of freedom and democracy Dr. Martin Luther King, who minted the word: There is no way to peace, Peace itself is the way to be treaded on". The way Sharon and his new coalition companions, among them pronounced racist-fascist elements seated on ministerial armchairs, the declared aim of whom is to escalate the land- robbing settlement policy for the entire Palestinian land by Jewish Nationalists and transferring the Palestinians from their homeland, will remove Israel farther away from peace in general, and in particular from economic recovery for the working and petty middle class masses. This is a government of regional war-mongers and collaborators with the Bush war lords, a government which seeks to peruse the coming war crime against Iraq in order to lead its own criminal war of annihilation against the Palestinian people, Mahoul stated. Sharon's presented guidelines falsely promise to extract Israel from its present deep economic and social crisis. The means of it, as these guidelines predict, are ever more drastic cuts of expenditures on social welfare, inhuman cuts of old-age pensions, restrictions on unemployment payments, children allowances, general health funds, education etc. etc.. The new Finance Minister Netanyahu has already promised to enhance the privatization of most still existing national enterprises and civil services, which will deepen mass unemployment and poverty, while enhance profits for capitalist investors and restrict services for the rich only. The new leader of the parliamentary opposition, Labor chair Amram Mitzna, promised in his first appearance on the Knesset rostrum to lead a fighting opposition with a clear political alternative to the Sharon anti-peace and anti-social policy. "We promise, while voting for any government step which would forward peace initiatives, we shall fight any anti- peace step, and to do all in our might to shorten as fast as possible the term of office of this catastrophic Sharon government, to replace it for a government of peace and prosperity for Israel", he said. Among other proposals, Mitzna demanded to take steps to a clear separation between Israel and the Palestinian territories by speeding up the security fence, and withdrawing altogether from the Gaza Strip. "The inner-Likud exchange and allocations for ministerial posts points to Sharon's applied 'divert-and-rule' principle", the most-read Yedioth Aharonot daily remarks. As the most remarkable example for this the paper points to, is the switch of offices between the Sharon-camp faithful hitherto treasurer Shalom for the Foreign Office and the Sharon rival Netanyahu from Foreign Office to the treasury. Many other political observers point also to the fact that the incorporation of the "Greater Land-of-Israel" National-Religious NRP and the radical right National Union Party into the government coalition would make any attempt towards real peace steps impossible. This might well bring the Sharon government into conflict with the Bush administration's own interests in the region, as well as with the interests of the European Union, the largest trade partner of Israel. Both these coalition parties have inscribed in their platforms enhancement of Jewish settlement in the Palestinian areas, as well as increased state coffers' financial assistance to settlement development. This contradicts any promise for furthering peace and, with growing expenditures for the military cover defending those settlements, also turn any promise for economic recovery into a farce. On top of all this, media commentators point out, that Sharon has appointed a police Minister who has a criminal record, sentenced for organizing racist hoodlum attacks upon Arab students, and himself having been investigated by his now subordinate police officers for suspicion of corruption and bribery. Moreover, Sharon and his sons' investigations for many billion-dollar corruption, money laundering and foul financing of election funds, are still on the table. In a public opinion poll, taken after the inauguration of the new Sharon government, 52 percent of the polled persons expressed their dissatisfaction with it and its composition. 53 percent doubted, that this government would be able to solve Israel's security and economic problems. 72 percent told the pollers that this government would not last longer than two years, or even less. True, the fact that this is the 30th government of Israel during the 55 years of the State's existence, shows that on the average no government lasted longer than one year and eight months. More than ever, the new situation demands a united struggle of all forces of peace and democracy, for human and civil and equal rights for all citizens, in order to topple as soon as possible this anti-peace and anti-social government and its policy. This Unity of peace forces demands also from the now opposition Labor and Meretz parties, the leading forces in the large Shalom-Akhshav (Peace-Now) movement, to stop their rejection to join the Coalition of (29) consequent peace movements and organization, only because some of the latter's components are not to their liking, such as the conscientious objectors who refuse military service in the occupied territories, or pacifists who object to military service, all of whom prefer jail to partaking in oppressing another people. [] Who shall we blame it on, Yitzhak Laor http://www.lrb.co.uk/v25/n04/print/laor01_.html [] Israeli poll on Iraq War Ma'ariv opinion poll - Feb. 28. Question: In the past few days, two draft resolutions were presented to to UN Security Council. One implies the opening of war against Iraq, the other - continuation of the weapons inspectors' work and a peaceable solution. To which of these two resolutions are you more inclined? Among all Israelis (Jewish & Arab) Opening war - 45% Continuation of the inspectors' work - 49% Don't know - 6% Among the Jewish Israelis sampled : war - 51% inspectors - 44% Among the Arab Israelis sampled: war - 8% inspectors - 75% Veteran commentator Chemi Shalev remarked: "It seems that with the prolongation of the waiting period for the American assault on Iraq, and increasing part of the Israeli public gets cold feet and tend to prefer (Good Heavens!) the peaceable solutions and weapons inspectors advocated by the much- defamed France. As with their attitude towards the Palestinians, the people seem torn between the wish for a peace process and the desire to 'teach the Arabs a lesson'." Needless to say, the anti-war portion of the Israeli public opinion is very much underrepresented in the formal political and parliamentary system, though its voice is increasingly heard on the mainstream media. (On March 1, the weekly International News Magazine of Channel-1 Israeli TV devoted a considerable part of its coverage to the US anti-war movement, which would not have happened a few weeks ago.) --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 3 17:43:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: On a day of blood, who counts Kafr Qasem's 20 demoshed houses? Message-ID: <3E639444.27652.155C31E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ On this day where the international networks [right now!] inform you about the bloody ongoings in Gaza, leaving at this hour already 11 Palestinians dead, including two children and a pregant woman, we must inform you what more is meanwhile happening . Already yesterday night we heard about the Kafr Qasem demolition spree. We are in contact with Qafr Qasem activists who are considering what is the best protest action. We hereby forward you the message about it of Dorothy Naor who located it on the Ha'aretz website. She calls it "Eli Ishay’s parting gift as Minister of the Interior". But maybe, it's the new government's "message to Arab Israelis". ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Dorothy Naor Subject: [New Profile] Demolitions in Kafr Qasem Date sent: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 16:25:08 +0200 (...) From the number of demolitions and demolition orders for Arab villages, it would almost seem that the message the government is trying to send is that the government is no more concerned for the welfare of its Arab citizens than for the welfare of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Surely Arab and Jewish citizens are not equal before the law as concerns the management of the land laws in Israel. And how is it that one court issues an order for demolitions while another court has issued a stay of execution till September. This seems to have been Eli Ishay’s parting gift as Minister of the Interior. Let us see how Poraz, the new minister from the Shinui party, will treat Arab citizens. Dorothy Ha’aretz Monday, March 03, 2003 ILA demolishes 16 illegal houses in Kafr Qasem Hebrew http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=268540&contrassID=2& subContrassID=21&sbSubContrassID=0 English http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=268363&contrassID=2 &subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y By Yair Ettinger The Israel Lands Administration yesterday demolished 16 illegal houses in Kafr Qasem as part of the government's crackdown on illegal building in Arab communities. Kafr Qasem local council head Sami Isa complained of an acute housing shortage due to a government refusal to approve any new building plans. "People are suffocating here, what can you expect them to do? They have no alternative but to build illegally," he said. Some 250 police, border police and mounted police backed by a large amount of riot control equipment entered the town before dawn to safeguard the demolition work. A number of residents who confronted the police and ILA inspectors were detained for questioning. The demolished structures were under construction and two of them were inhabited already. Although the residents have been negotiating with the authorities for several months in an attempt to reach an agreement, the police and ILA gave them no advance warning of the demolition. Eyewitnesses said one of the houses was knocked down with all its contents inside it, after its owner was arrested. The Kafr Qasem operation follows a series of demolitions of Arab houses in the past months in the Negev, Lod, Ramle and Jaffa, on the basis of administrative or court orders. The implementation of other demolition orders, in Wadi Ara, is being held up by a court injunction. Arab community leaders sharply denounced the demolitions and expressed concern over the government's harsh measures after a long time during which the police avoided demolitions for fear of violent clashes with the residents. Mossawa, the Advocacy Center for Arab Palestinian Citizens of Israel, says the number of illegal structures in the Arab community reached 36,000 by the end of 2002, with an additional 30,000 in the Bedouin sector. The land upon which the demolished houses stood in Kafr Qasem was expropriated by the state in the 1970s. An ILA spokeswoman said the demolitions were carried out in accordance with a court order. She said since the orders were issued in June 2002, ILA representatives and senior police officers have pleaded in vain with the residents to demolish the houses themselves, and vacate the inhabited ones. The houses' owners, most of whom belong to the large Taha clan, said they have a different court ruling, issued last December by the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court after they were sued for invading lands. This decision orders them to pay fines to the local planning commission, but also rules that the houses are not to be torn down before September 2003, until which time the sides will try to reach an agreement. They said their homes were torn down while their attorneys are in the midst of negotiations with the planning authorities to reach a compromise. Attorney Yusuf Isa, who represents the residents, said he presented the ILA and police with a copy of the verdict. "But the ILA official said `I don't want to even look at it,'" he said. After the bulldozers left the village many residents gathered outside the local council building and shouted denunciations at council head Sami Isa, whom they accused of cooperating with the authorities. In Kafr Qasem, there are more than 1,000 illegal houses, most of them on private land. Isa said a master plan that could alleviate the housing plight has been held up for the past two and a half years by the central region's planning commission. "In the meantime, people are stuck. What can they do? On the one hand, I disagree with the state authorities and on the other, the residents accuse me of acting against them. In this situation, it's easier for me to side with the residents and oppose any demolition. Why should I not stand by my people if I have no legal alternative?" he asked. New Profile – Movement for the Civil-ization of Israeli Society POB 48005, Tel-Aviv 61480, Israel E-mail: mailto:newprofile@speedy.co.il Voice box: ++972-(0)3-516-01-19 Website: http://www.newprofile.org/ --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Mar 5 22:50:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: fwd: 3rd CO to be court martialed: preliminary hearing tomorrow 12 ,Yaffo Message-ID: <3E667F2F.28465.536522@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ For who can get there: Being at the Yaffo military court, tomorrow at 12, is a constructive way of expressing despair. Those young "trouble makers" deserve it. [] Matan Kaminer 3rd CO to be court martialed preliminary hearing tomorrow 12 Yaffo ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Noam Kaminer Date sent: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 19:50:59 +0200 Hello All, Matan will be brought to court martial tomorrow Thursday March 7th at 12:00 (noon). If you can come to support and show solidarity please do so. The court is in Jaffa: Yefet St. no. 91-93 (on the corner with Shivty Israel). BR, Noam [The following is from the message of "Reuven Kaminer" ] Israeli Draft Resisters Fight Draconian Apparatus. Matan Kaminer Refuses further Disciplinary Proceedings Matan Kaminer returned to the IDF conscription center yesterday, March 4, 2003, after a two-day furlough. Upon his return, he exercised his right to refuse to be tried in yet another, fourth disciplinary proceeding. He understood full well that this would result in his being arraigned for court- martial along with Yoni Ben Artzi and Hagai Matar. Kaminer explained his refusal for the following reasons. First, his ‘offences’ are not of a disciplinary nature. Second, the officers called on to try him in disciplinary proceedings have absolutely no knowledge of the case or its background. Third, he is in the same circumstances as that of his friends, Yoni Ben Artzi and Hagai Matar, who are waiting for the date of the beginning of their court-martial proceedings. Officers in disciplinary proceedings can only impose limited sentences of up to 35 days, while the military court can impose a three-year sentence for refusing an order. It is reasonable to assume that Kaminer would have been sent to a full court proceeding after the fourth or the fifth disciplinary sentence. Kaminer’s move is designed to emphasize the common roots and goals of all the resisters as against what has appeared, formally and on the surface, to be separate proceedings for unconnected individuals. It is also intended to show the common goals and interests of all the refusenicks, despite the various shades of opinion among them. Kaminer has been remanded for 48 hours, pending his arrangement for court martial. Ben Artzi and Matar, have already been charged and are in camp detention until the opening of their trial. Another six conscriptions refusenicks are currently serving monthly sentences. It is to be expected, according to the reading of current IDF policy that all or most of them will eventually be put on military trial. Tens of thousands of young Israeli men and women, some belonging to particularly categories – such as orthodox seminary students - and others on an ‘individual basis’, are exempted from military service through formal arrangements or as a result of the army draft classification policy. It appears that the IDF has decided to single out and persecute the prisoners of conscience. It is obvious that the IDF prefers that a hundred youngsters opt for a psychological ‘discharge’, instead of recognizing the conscientious motivations of these speaking in loud and clear voice against the occupation and the militarization of Israeli society. Incidentally, all the prisoners of conscience have announced that they are willing to do humanitarian community service instead of killing and dying for the perpetuation of the occupation. Sign the biggest petition against Iraq War at http://www.moveon.org/emergency/ ...as to make it big enough --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Mar 8 03:00:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: Gush Shalom monitors army // Shulamit Aloni speaks out + more Message-ID: <3E695CB0.27042.3D8D65@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release March 8, 2003 [] "Negligence at the very least" Gush Shalom wrote to General Finkelstein [] 'Two Crimes' ad in Ha'aretz weekend March 7 [] Shulamit Aloni: Murder of a population under cover of righteousness [] Sunday, WOFPP protests conditions of women political prisoners [] Court martial of a civilian: CO Yoni Ben Artzi Tuesday at Yaffo Court [] Public invited for the Defense of Teddy Katz, Thursday [] Petition against Iraq War \//\\//\\/ [] "Negligence at the very least" Gush Shalom wrote to General Finkelstein Once again this week soldiers and officers involved in the occupied territories were a bit incautious during TV interviews. Gush Shalom put the implications of such utterances on record in open letters to the IDF Judge Advocate General, Dr Menachem Finkelstein. "(...) On the night between March 2 and 3, the army held a massive invasion of the el-Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip in the course of which five houses were blown up and eight, leaving 8 inhabitants dead, mong them 2 boys aged 13 and 16, and the pregnant Noha el-Makadme (33) buried under the ruins of her home. On the following day Brigadier Gadi Shamni, commander of army forces in the Gaza Strip gave a long series of interviews to the printed and electronic media in which he took fool personal responsibility for the el-Bureij raid, even boasting of it as an "important and successful operation." When asked about the destruction of the el-Makadme family home and the death of the family mother, he said: "I know nothing about that." If that was true then the very ignorance of a commander about such a grave aspect of the operation carried out under his responsibility is a sign, at the very least, of severe negligence. In any event, under the basic principles of both Israeli and international law such ignorance does not remove Brigadier Shamni's responsibility, at most it would constitute an extenuating circumstance. (...) On the evening news of Channel-10 television of Tuesday, March 4, there was an extensive report about the army operation in the Old City of Nablus, a soldier was seen - speaking directly to the camera, but not identified by name, rank or function: "Our task here is to find the wanted terrorists and kill them." Standing near that soldier was visible an officer who later was identified as "Lieutenant Colonel Amir, Commander of the Reconnaissance Battalion of the Nachal Brigade". His family name ws not given. That officer heard the soldier's words and in his own lenghty interview made no comment or reference to them, as far as could be seen from the TV item. The above-mentioned facts give a clear impression that the soldiers operating in the Old City of Nablus perceived their mission as the carrying out of extra-judicial executions - which is not only contravenes the basic norms of a civilized society but constitutes a grave violation of both Israeli and international law. Whether Lieutenant Colonel Amir gave explicit orders which caused the soldiers to perceive their mission that way, or that he knows of the soldiers having such a perception and doing nothing to change it - in either case he bears a personal responsibility for any illegal act committed by the soldiers under his command. Moreover, the gravity of this case is increased by the fact that it was broadcast on the TV news to which soldiers of other units may have been exposed. The circumstances of a news item clearly proved by the military censorship, with the reporter invited to join the soldiers on their mission in Nablus and photographing them at night with special equipment, a reasonable soldier of another unit is likely to come to the conclusion that extra-judicial executions are an official IDF policy, and act upon that conclusion on his own unit's missions. [] 'Two Crimes' ad in Ha'aretz weekend March 7 THIS PROVES AGAIN: THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION The massacre in Haifa, The Massacre in Jebalia – Two Crimes. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: info@gush-shalom.org [] Shulamit Aloni: Murder of a population under cover of righteousness ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Yehudith Harel Please find enclosed a translation of Shulamit Aloni's article in Ha'Aretz of 6 March 2003. It seems to have been omitted from the English electronic edition of the paper. The translation is by Zvi Havkin. ========================= 6 March 2003 Murder of a population under cover of righteousness By Shulamit Aloni We do not have gas chambers and crematoria, but there is no one fixed method for genocide. Dr. Ya'akov Lazovik writes ("Academic Genocide", "Ha'Aretz", 4 March) that in the State of Israel it is impossible that the regime and the nation will plan and commit a genocide. It is difficult to determine if this is naivety or self-righteousness. As we know, there is no single fixed method for murder and not even for genocide. The author Y. L. Peretz wrote about "the righteous cat" who does not spill blood, but only suffocates. The government of Israel, using the military and its instruments of destruction, is not only spilling blood, but it is also suffocating. What other name can be given to the dropping of a one-ton bomb over a dense urban area, when the justification uttered is that we wanted to murder a dangerous terrorist and his wife? The rest of the citizens who were killed and injured, among whom are children and women, do not count, of course. How is it possible to explain the expulsion of citizens from their homes at three o'clock in the morning on a rainy night, then depositing bombs in the house and then departing without warning? When those expelled returned to their home, the bombs were exploded and a brutal murder and destruction of property was thus committed. And what is the justification for what happened in Jenin? We did not destroy the whole neighbourhood, just 85 houses; it was not slaughter, we killed only 50-some citizens. How many does one need to murder and destroy for it to be a crime? - A crime against humanity, as determined by the Laws of the State of Israel, not only the laws of Belgium. And more: A curfew and closure of an entire city so that a few celebrants from the racist bunch in Hebron could walk to the Cave of the Fathers, and tanks destroying fruit and vegetable stands, and bulldozers that destroy houses, and Generals who, in their arrogant hubris, are willing to destroy a whole neighbourhood for the convenience of a group of settler hooligans. Curfew, closure, brutality, murder, destruction of homes of suspects, while we keep parroting the incantation that a person is innocent until proven otherwise (as in the case of our Prime Minister and his sons). The order that Ariel Sharon gave to the soldiers who went to wreak revenge in Qibiah: "Maximize losses in life and property", has not been forgotten. Today Sharon, Mofaz and Yaalon, the three Generals who manage the policy of this government, behave like that self-righteous cat - suffocating all the time. Curfew and another curfew, arrests and more arrests, destruction of roads, brutality to the residents at road stops. Benny Alon, (a minister in the present government), already said: "make their life so bitter that they will transfer themselves willingly". This is done on a daily basis, in addition to the destruction. The Chief of Staff, Yaalon, already announced that he is "destroying for re-building". One can understand from his moves that the "building" is building of more and more settlements. So that they will not be obliged, as military rulers, to take care of the residents' well-being, the army uses sorties, followed by retreats. They enter a village, they kill, they destroy and they arrest, and then they retreat. Those who remain on the ashes and the ruins will take care of themselves. Many of our children are being indoctrinated, in religious schools, that the Arabs are Amalek, and the bible teaches us that Amalek must be destroyed. There was already a rabbi (Israel Hess) who wrote in the newspaper of Bar Ilan University that we all must commit genocide, and that is because his research showed that the Palestinians are Amalek. The nation is not planning to commit genocide; the nation really does not want to know what's happening in the territories. The nation is following orders given by the legitimate representatives of the regime. After the legitimate Prime Minister who wanted to bring peace was murdered, the hand is loose on the trigger, greed is paramount, and there is always some reason to brutalise all of the residents of a city that number tens, if not hundreds of thousands, because there are always people there who are on the "wanted" list. It is sufficient that one person is wanted to bomb and kill, by mistake, of course, also women, children, workers and other humans - if indeed we still count them as humans. Of course with our self-righteousness, with our self-adoration in our "Jewish ethics" we make sure to advertise how beautifully the doctors take care of Palestinian victims in the hospitals. We do not advertise how many of those are executed in cold blood in their own homes. So it's not yet genocide of the terrible and unique style of which we were past victims. And as one of the smart Generals told me, we do not have crematoria and gas chambers. Is anything less than that consistent with Jewish ethics? Did he ever hear how an entire people said that it did not know what was done in its name? (The author was an MK and a minister, member of Meretz) [] Sunday, WOFPP protests conditions of women political prisoners ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Susanne Moses" Subject: demonstration Sunday Date sent: Fri, 7 Mar 2003 19:50:25 +0200 The WOFPP (Women's Organisation for Female Political Prisoners) invites you to a demonstration on Sunday, 9 March 03 at 10.30 am in front of Neve Tirza Prison, Ramle. The demonstration takes place to celebrate Woman's Day ( 8 March) and in order to protest the horrible conditions and especially the lack of medical care in Neve Tirza Prison. We shall meet at the new Central Bus Station at 09.45 h near Sherut Ramle-Lod (near Sherut Nr. 4 and 5). [] Court martial of a civilian: CO Yoni Ben Artzi Tuesday at Yaffo Court ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 02:38:05 -0800 (PST) From: Matania Ben-Artzi Dear Friends, The Court Martial hearing of Yoni Ben-Artzi is set for TUESDAY, March 11, 2003 at the Jaffa MILITARY COURT (HABAIT HAYAROK) at 9 a.m. Please note: It is THE FIRST COURT MARTIAL EVER OF A CIVILIAN in the 55-year history of the Israeli legal system. It is to be followed soon by other young members of the group of draft resisters (Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer). The military's accusation: Refusal to enlist. Yoni will reply that the Military Court has no moral (and legal) right to judge him. THE STRONG PRESENCE OF ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE. Ofra and Matania Ben-Artzi. [] Public invited for the Defense of Teddy Katz, Thursday The Campus Lo Shotek and the Committee for the Defense of Teddy Katz Invite the public to a meeting on Tantura: Its Implications. Thursday, March 13, 2003, at 18.00 Tel Aviv University, Gilman, Rm. 281 Participating Speakers: Dr. Ilan Pappe, who will also moderate the discussion Professor Shlomo Sand Dr. Moshe Zukermann Dr. Dan Yahav A Request from the Committee for the Defense of Teddy Katz Teddy Katz, a historian whose MA thesis includes findings on Tantura, which were challenged by the military unit that operated in Tantura in the 1940s, the Alexandroni Unit, which subsequently started a libel suit. Teddy, under duress, in a moment of weakness, agreed to sign a letter acknowledging that he had not been accurate in detailing his findings. Within a few hours, he regretted his decision, and endeavored to convince the court to ignore the letter he had signed. But the court refused, and Teddy was ordered to publish a Notice in the newspapers disclaiming his findings. He did not immediately do so. The Alexandroni Unit then, without his knowledge, published the notice in his name, and demanded that he pay the cost of publishing the notice. Teddy refused, and the case went to court. The court decided against Teddy regarding payment of this notice, and ordered him to pay 78,000.00 shekels to cover trial expenses and the cost of publishing the Alexandroni Notice. The Committee for the Defense of Teddy Katz is endeavoring to raise funds to help him. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please send contributions to the Committee for the Defense of Teddy Katz, Bank Hapoalim, Czernichovsky Branch, Kfar Sabba, branch no. 769, account 107525. Thank you. Sincerely, Amos Gvirtz [] Petition against Iraq War Sign the biggest petition against Iraq War at http://www.moveon.org/emergency/ ...as to make it big enough --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Mar 9 02:49:02 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] WE The Israelis Must Stop Sharon - Avnery on Emergency Situation Message-ID: <3E6AAB9E.755.6B3059@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Uri Avnery 8.3.03 Black Flags When I visited Ramallah last, it wore a shining white frock. Even after days of sunshine, many areas where still covered with snow that hid the ravages of the occupation, destruction and neglect. I was driving slowly and enjoying the landscape, when I tensed instinctively. Through the corner of my eye I saw a group of children. Something was hurled forcefully against my windshield and landed with a bang. In the split of a second I relaxed: it wasn't a rock but a snowball. I waved and they waved cheerfully back, in spite of my yellow Israeli license plates. But that was the only light moment during this visit. I had come to ask Palestinian civic leaders about the dangers threatening the Palestinian population in case of an American attack on Iraq. They had no illusions. The present Israeli political-military leadership includes groups that have been planning for a long time to exploit a war situation in order to do things which cannot be done in ordinary times. The moral brakes that still exist in parts of the Israeli public, as well as the expected international reaction, prevent the implementation of these plans for the time being. All this can change in a war situation. The attention of the world will be riveted to the battle in Iraq. In the Arab countries, chaos may prevail, diverting attention from the Palestinian territories. The Israeli public, fearful of Saddam's capabilities, will be (even) less sensitive to the plight of the Palestinians. What can happen? The list is long, and every item is worse than the preceding one. The first – and almost certain – act will be a prolonged closure and curfew in all the occupied territories. The Palestinians have a long and painful experience with these. It means that for days and weeks on end it will be impossible to get food and medicines into towns and villages, especially to remote and isolated ones. This time, electricity may be completely cut off, cutting all connections with the outside world. Patients will not reach hospitals for ordinary treatment (dialysis and chemotherapy, for example) or emergency procedures (wounds, operations, births etc.). In many cases, this can literally be a matter of life and death. Only some of these eventualities can be forestalled. For example, Villages can be helped to stock essential supplies in advance. It is clear to the Palestinians that the war will give the occupation forces the opportunity to intensify even more the things which happen now every day: the execution of militants and others, wholesale demolition of homes, uprooting of plantations. It is difficult to know what new dimensions these can attain. But there is one word that hovers over all the discussions: "transfer". In simple terms, "transfer" means the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Palestine, as happened in 1948 and 1967. In the situation of 2003, that will be difficult. The question will be: where to? Jordan will close its border and the mass expulsion of Palestinians there would constitute an act of war against the Hashemite kingdom. It is hard to imagine the Americans allowing Sharon to do this while Jordan is serving as one of their bases in the war against neighboring Iraq. Expulsion to Lebanon is almost impossible without creating a war-like situation on the northern border. But there is another form of transfer: deportation from one part of the occupied territories to another. For example: deportation of the population from towns and villages adjacent to the planned "separation wall" (Kalkilya, Tulkarm) to the central areas (Nablus). That has already happened before. During the June 1967 war, Moshe Dayan emptied whole neighborhoods of Kalkilya and drove their inhabitants on foot to Nablus. The demolition of the neighborhoods had already begun, when we succeeded in stopping it. (I exploited the fact that I was a member of the Knesset at the time and alerted several senior personalities.) The refugees were allowed back and the neighborhoods rebuilt. (At the same time, many inhabitants of Tulkarm were put on buses and brought to the Jordan bridges.) Another example: many settlements on the West Bank are planning to grab adjacent areas. If the armed settlers' militias will terrorize near-by villages under the cover of the closure, they may cause a Deir Yassin-style mass flight. It is common knowledge that many people in the military leadership are waiting impatiently for the opportunity to remove Yasser Arafar. Removing means killing, as nobody believes that Arafat will surrender without resistance. If the Americans want "regime change" in Iraq and are not hiding their intention of killing Saddam, why should Sharon be prevented from doing the same? The question is: will the Americans allow Sharon and his accomplices to do all this, or part of it? There can be no clear answer to that. Logic says no. The Americans will not want Israel to disturb their war. Even after the war, Washington will not want the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to flare up. The American military occupation of Iraq might last for many years, and any inflammation of the Arab world will be detrimental. But America and logic are two different things. The group that is now in control in Washington – a mixed bag of Evangelical fundamentalists and Jews connected with the extreme right in Israel – has a logic of its own. They may direct and even push Sharon to extremes. It is, of course, clear that all the acts mentioned constitute war crimes under the Geneva Convention and other international laws. Some of them are crimes under Israeli law, too, being "manifestly illegal orders, over which a black flag is waving", to quote an Israeli legal precedent. Participants in such actions may find themselves, some day in the future, before an international or national court. There is no statute of limitations. But that is not the only reason for sounding a warning. Every one of these actions will be a disaster for Israel. If one believes that the long-term security and well-being of Israel depend on Israeli-Palestinian peace and reconciliation between the two peoples of this country, one has to do everything to prevent acts that will deepen the abyss of hatred between us. Things may happen that will destroy for generations any possibility of building a bridge over the abyss, and turn the whole Arab and Muslim worlds against us forever. Therefore, we should not rely on the Americans to stop Sharon. We, the Israelis, must do everything – but everything! – to prevent such acts from taking place. I believe that this is a patriotic duty of the highest order. Sign the biggest petition against Iraq War at http://www.moveon.org/emergency/ ...as to make it big enough --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 10 17:23:26 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: fwd: Appeal to World Public Opinion From Palestinians Under Siege Message-ID: <3E6CCA0E.3582.EE1F7@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release March 10, 2003 The following appeal is the result of many frantic meetings and consultations among Palestinian activists, NGO's and political organizations - covering the entire spectrum of Palestinian opinion and including people and groups who traditionally oppose each other, but all united in forming The Palestinian Emergency Committees (PEC), in the face of what may happen during Bush's soon-to-launched war on Iraq. Several of these groups have approached Gush Shalom and other Israeli peace groups. Efforts are underway to coordinate with as wide as possible a range of Israelis, but because of the urgency of the matter Ui Avnery who drafted an Israeli Statement of Support, asked not to wait any longer with disseminating the following. Consultations with fellow peace activists and groups will focus on action on the ground. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Uri Avnery" Date sent: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 14:09:53 +0200 Subject: War Emergency Palestine-Israel Hi, I am sending you two documents: the Palestinian Emergency Appeal and the Israeli Support Statement. In view of the coming war, they are urgent. Salamaat, Shalom, uri Appeal to World Public Opinion From Palestinians under siege World attention is focused nowadays on Iraq and the effect of the US-led attack on regional stability.Millions of peopleall over the world demonstrate their opposition to the war and attempt to avert it. However, the message we, the Palestinian civilian population, are receiving from Israeli officials is threatening us with dangerous consequences.  Statements made over the last two months by both Israeli officials and media indicate what they are proposing, planning and preparing to execute in the Palestinian occupied territories in caseof waragainst Iraq. Such statements could be meant as intimidation, deterrent or real threat. In view of our past and present experience, we, the Palestinians, tend to see them as a threat endangering our very existence in this land of ours.  The threats published just recently by the Israeli media include, among many others: -- Imposing atotal curfew on the Palestinian people and land. -- Declaring the Palestinian territories closed military areas, thus preventing foreign and local journalists from operating in the territories.Such measures are clearlyintended to prevent the public exposureof the possible Israeli actions against the Palestinians. -- Continuing the Israeli practice of mass detention of Palestinian activists without charges, and the destruction of Palestinian homesand infrastructure. -- Possible mass transfer of Palestinian civilian population from certain locations adjacent to the proposed Israeli security wall. These areas belong to the occupied West Bank. --Possible efforts to transfer Palestinians from the occupied territories to neighboring countries. --Possible elimination of the elected president of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Yasser Arafat, or his deportation to a remote area. The Palestinian Emergency Committees (PEC) were established in the Palestinian territories to undertake the specific tasks of organizing the community during the possible war on Iraq, and to highlight the need for Palestinian readiness for possible drastic Israelimeasures. PEC is a coalition of NGOs, national organizations, charitable societies, professional unions, political parties, ministries and public figures, operating through a coordinating office in Ramallah with national outreach and representation. We ask you to form an International Committee for the Protection of the Palestinian People, and to take immediate steps to prevent the Israeli government from taking advantage of the situation created by the war on Iraq. Your support is very much needed and could help in preventing further suffering and pain and the death of innocent Palestinians. For further information and contact, please write to: protectpalestinians@yahoo.com Ramallah, Occupied Palestine, March 3rd, 2003 *** Israeli Statement of Support for the Palestinian Emergency Appeal Israeli Statement of Support For the Palestinian Emergency Appeal As Israelis, we strongly support the “Appeal to World Opinion” published by the Palestinian Emergency Committee. We call on all people of goodwill to set up urgently an International Committee for the Protection of the Palestinian People. The dangers posed to the Palestinian population in case of an American attack on Iraq are real and severe. Extreme right-wing elements in our political and military leadership may try to exploit the war situation in order to commit acts of “transfer”. Such acts violate Israeli and international law and endanger the future of Israel. Peace between the peoples of Israel and Palestine is the only solid basis for the security and well-being of our state. ISRAELI EMERGENCY COMMITTEE info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Mar 11 17:40:28 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Trying to shout before it happens - Warning to Soldiers ad in Ha'aretz Message-ID: <001001c2e7e4$8b10f7e0$a7cdfea9@f1d4b6> ////////////////////////// Gush Shalom ??? ???? ///////////////////////////// We try to shout before it happens - here is the text of our emergency ad in Ha'aretz -- Soldier / Civilian / IDF Civil Employee ? WARNING Powerful factors in Israel may intend to take advantage of the American attack on Iraq in order to transfer parts of the Palestinian population. According to article 4 of the Geneva Convention, the following acts constitute war crimes: 0 Expelling the population from occupied territories to other countries. (For example: deportation to Jordan or Lebanon.) 0 Transferring the population from one part of the occupied territories to another. (For example: Deportation from Kalkilya and Tulkarm to Nablus.) 0 Demolition of homes without an immediate military necessity. If you have received, in the course of your duties or any other way, information that may be connected to such acts, including: 0 An exceptionally large order for means of mass transportation. 0 An order for or preparation of tents, blankets, food packages etc.. 0 Infrastructure works for large camps in unexpected localities. 0 Preparations for calling up large numbers of reserve logistic units. 0 Plans or preparations for cutting off communications or electricity in the occupied territories. 0 Other plans or preparations that might suggest a connection with possible plans of expulsion. You are requested to report this information to the Army Chief Advocate, military post 9605, fax 03-5694370, or the Legal Advisor to the Government, fax 02-6274481. Any person who participates in the planning or execution of war crimes is in peril of being indicted sooner or later, in Israel or abroad. The statute of limitations does not apply to war crimes, nor is it a valid defense that one "only followed orders". GUSH SHALOM Help us with donations to: P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Ad in Ha'aretz, March 11, 2003 --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. NB: Via http://www.HelpPalestine.Org you can donate from remote locations used but valuable goods. "Help Palestine" offers to take care of selling & transporting - profits to be sent to Palestine Red Crescent Society. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20030311/7271b0e5/attachment.htm From otherisr at actcom.co.il Fri Mar 14 21:31:28 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (The Other Israel) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: 'Present refusers not political but moral', says Adv. Avigdor Feldman Message-ID: <3E724A30.32167.1EF1D9E@localhost> [The following is one of the articles included in this weeks' TOI- Billboard'. (Full index in the end of the article.) If you would like to be on the mailing list, you can subscribe by sending one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The army, the refusers and the legal community 'Present refusers not political but moral', says Feldman xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tuesday morning, March 11 at the Jaffa Military Court - first session of the Yoni Ben-Artzi court martial. Two TV camers are there as the small room gets filled up by parents and supporters of refusniks. Among sits Uri Ya'akobi, who after half a year behind bars was suddenly released from prison and discharged from military service. Also Constantin, a young Russian immigrant who is due to be inducted next week and who intends to refuse. In dress uniform the three judges file in, and the two legal teams engage on their first skirmish. For the defence appears Adv. Michael Safard, human rights lawyer and an outspoken supporter of the refusniks movement. Facing him is Captain Yaron Kostelitz, the military prosecutor, with his manifest zeal and fervour even when disussing obstruse points of legal nuance. The presiding judge, Colonel Elisha Kaspi, makes a conspicious effort to appear fair and open-minded, subjecting both sides to queries and slightly ironic remarks. Today, the charge of "disobeying an order" was supposed to be formally read out to Ben Artzi, but Adv. Sfard makes an objection: Ben Artzi had already been charged with the same charge at disciplinary proceedings. The Israeli Miltary Code does permit this kind of double jeopardy (eight-fold jeopardy in Ben Artzi's case, as the lawyer points out). However, in order to charge a soldier in a full court-martial for an offence he already faced in disciplinary proceedings, a higher authourity must review the case and render an opinion in writing. The prosecution did not go through that procedure, and therefore the entire charge sheet was invalid. The prosecutor was quick to riposte: there was no double jeopardy. Each and every occasion on which Ben Artzi had been ordered to accept enlistment and refused had been a seperate, fresh offence. In answer, Sfard is ready with precedents: in 1997 the Supreme Court recognized (in a criminal case with no political overtones) that many acts, carried out over an extended period and in different locations, all constituted a single ongoing offence. And in the Chech Republic, the Constitutional Court recognized that two seperate refusals of a person to enlist constituted a single offence, not two. "The Court would consider the issue and inform the sides of its verdict" announces Col. Kaspi, and the judges file out. The Ben Artzi defence won some time which will be used to further a parralel track: an appeal to the Supreme Court to have the Ben Artzi case moved to a civilian court: "This is not the case of a soldier, who is part of a miltary unit, who has a commanding officer and who refuses to obey the orders of that commander. It is the case of a civilian, a civilian with strong and firm pacifist convictions, who refuses to enlist in the army. If it is an offence at all, it is an offence against the civil law which tells civilians that they have to become soldiers. Moreover, the sincerity of Ben Artzi's pacifist convictions is a central issue here. To ask a miltary court to rule on that is like asking a Rabbinical court to rule on the sincerity of a Muslim's belief and his conformity with Muslim religious doctrine." Wednesday evening, March 12 - the Throne of Justice Hall at the Tel-Aviv University Faculty of Law. The Association of Public Law and the Minerva Human Rights Center co-host a panel discussion on "Conscientious Objection: Legal Right or Civil Disobedience". The large hall quickly fils up, as does the anteroom where extra chairs had been placed. General Menachem Finkelstein, head of the army's legal department and personally masterminding the anti-refuser campaign, has arrived at the lion's den of the refusnik movement surrounded by a phalanx of officers and military lawyers. Facing him is Avigdor Feldman, prominent both as practicing lawyer and frequent appelant to the Supreme Court and as a formidable juridical theorist, the originator of innovative concepts and categories. "The sparks will start flying soon. I would not have missed this for the world" says one of the crowded spectators. The discussion starts with the moderator, Adv. Tzvi Inbar, and Philosophy Professor David Hed of Jerusalem both setting out neat categories and distinctions such as Consientious Objection as essentially the private act of an individual as opposed to Civil Disobedience which is a public defiant act by a group. Then Finkelstein's turn - far more directly concrete. "These people who demonstate every Friday outside my home and who place these big ads in the paper accuse us of the military prosecution, accuse me personally, of being harsh and vindictive. The contray is true: we have been lenient with these so-called refusniks, we until now hesitated to use against them the full power of the law, these repeated offences left us no choice [heavy shouting in the hall]. The army respects true pacifists, when they show up. It is willing to accomodate their conscience [shouting]. Yes, I knew you would ask about Ben Artzi. The committee competent to deal with such things examined his case and found he is not a pacifist [loud boohs]. Still, we were ready to be lenient with him, to let him serve without weapons. Yes, that is true, he will have to be legally a soldier, with a serial number. That is the law, I can't change the law. And the other refusniks, the ones who give political reasons, who say they are "against the occupation" - that is totally unacceptable, an ideologically- motivated law-breaking. They are basically positive characters, idealists who can inmfluence others. Precisely because of that we must punish them severely". Feldman gets up to respond, tearing Finkelstein's arguments to shreds. "This Conscience Committee which rejected Ben Artzi again and again, who are they? A colonel, a major,, lieutenant - military offciers all, to rule on who is a pacifist. Oh yes, they did add one civilian. A respectable civilian, a lecturer in philosophy. He also happens to be the one who provided the military prosecution with an affidavit to be presented in response to Ben Artzi's Supreme Court appeal. Yes, a truly objective, unbiased philosopher.(...) But Ben Artzi and pacifism are not at the crux. They are just the military prosecution's alibi. I want to turn to the selective refusers, the ideological refusers which my colleague so roundly condemened. What do they refuse to do, to take part in? Twenty years ago, there was a movement of refusniks who refused to go to Lebanon. Some of them went to prison, I reperesented some of them. They opposed a war which they felt was unjust. You could call them political refusers, and you would not be very wide off the mark. The refusers of today are different, they oppose something different which was not there before, at least not in the form it is now. Let me say the word, a harsh and unpleasant word: War Crimes [shouting, applause in the hall]. There is such a thing as International Law. There are rules and obligations which it imposes on an occupying power. Certain minimal obligations towards letting an occupied population enjoy a certain minimal standard of living, to maintain basic services, health, education... There was a time when Israeli rule was more or less within this framework. Always with violations, some of them serious, but the framework was discernable. Now it is totally broken, smashed, trampled upon. Not the most basic rights for the popuation. The only consideration, overriding everything else, is maintenance of the settlements, which are inherently a violation of International Law. This is what the selective refusers, the ideological law-breakers, are refusing to take part in. And here is what they uphold: the norms of International Law, which are becoming more and more entrenched, which are this week codified in the War Crimes Tribunal which started work at the Hague. This the refusers uphold: not some strange bizarre ideology, but the norms of the International Community". ----- Index of TOI-Billboard March 14, 2003 ...and the outbreak of war will make it worse [headline] must read reports, ads, appeals, letters [] "Save the children, Shukri!' / Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz weekend [] Evidence Hereby Submitted B. Michael, Yediot Ahronot, March 7, 2003 [] Gush Shalom Warning to Soldiers ad in the papers (trying to shout before it happens) [] "I will not participate in my upcoming reserve duty" [] The army, the refusers and the legal community 'Present refusers not political but moral', says Feldman [] Palestinians Under Siege Appeal to World Public Opinion you are invited to: [] Please Help Save Zabuba Village, international campaign [] House demolitions - call for action [] Peace Now to counter settler Purim festival [] Experiences in the West Bank, Paul Larudee, invitation [] March 21, Silent Walk for Peace ----- TOI-Billboard replaces the Gush Shalom Billboard - forwarding alerts & articles of a variety of sources. In order to receive full coverage of Gush Shalom's actions and statements subscribe to the Gush Shalom list by sending a request to info@gush-shalom.org Subscribe to TOI-Billboard by sending one blank mail to TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com [next three lines explain how Hebrew readers can obtain items in Hebrew from original senders] אנחנו שולחים ה"בילבורד" רק באנגלית לרשימה בינלאומית. אבל יש לך האופציה לבקש - מהשולח האוריגינלי - אייתם מסוים בעברית Recently an archive of TOI-billboard messages was started at: http://www.angelfire.com/co3/alaqsaintifada/TOIarchive/index.ht ml * * * * * * * * * * -- You can protest against repeated and unlimited imprisonment of draft resisters by signing at http://www.petitiononline.com/091202/ * * * * * * * * * * The Other Israel peace movement magazine pob 2542, Holon 58125, Israel; ph/fx: +972-3-5565804; for free sample hardcopy mailto: otherisr@actcom.co.il http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Mar 16 19:57:48 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Rachel Corey (ISM) killed in Gaza Strip by bulldozer VIGIL NOW Message-ID: <3E74D73C.8304.1BCB038@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// Rachel Corey (ISM) killed in Gaza Strip by bulldozer VIGIL NOW = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = We got a phonecall from Yonathan Pollack who saw the following in Ha'aretz. He is one of those who often joined ISM actions; he asked to call everybody who can to come to the Defence Ministry for a vigil at 9.00 THIS EVENING. Ha'aretz, Sunday, March 16, 2003 Adar2 12, 5763 Israel Time: 18:58 (GMT+2) _ _ _ American woman peace activist killed by IDF bulldozer in Gaza _ By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies An American woman peace protester was killed Sunday by an IDF bulldozer, which ran her over during the demolition of a house at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Another activist was wounded in the incident. Rachel Corey, 23, from Olympia, Washington, was killed when she ran in front of the bulldozer to try to prevent it from destroying a house, doctors in Gaza said. "Corey was killed in the al-Salam neighbourhood when an Israeli bulldozer covered her with sand as she stood in front of a bulldozer," said Dr Ali Musa, a doctor from the al-Najar hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. He said she died from skull and chest fractures. The IDF said it was checking the report. The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment. Greg Schnabel, 28, from Chicago, said the protesters were in the house of Dr. Samir Masri. "Rachel was alone in front of the house as we were trying to get them to stop," he said. "She waved for bulldozer to stop and waved. She fell down and the bulldozer kept going. We yelled 'stop, stop,' and the bulldozer didn't stop at all. It had completely run over her and then it reversed and ran back over her." Since the start of the Intifada, groups of international protesters have gathered in several locations in territories, setting themselves up as "human shields" to try to stop IDF operations. Corey was the first member of the groups, called "International Solidarity Movement," to be killed in the conflict. Schnabel said Corey was a student at Evergreen College and was to graduate this year. He said there were eight protesters at the site, four from the United States and four from Great Britain. "We stay with families whose house is to be demolished," he told the Associated Press by telephone from Rafah after the incident. _ _ From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 17 00:38:11 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] NO TO TRANSFER! Message-ID: <3E7518F3.25453.2BD6D93@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ////////////// March 16, 2003 x Shock and instant protest at the killing of Rachel Corey [] Join the emergency network for the Protection of the Palestinian People - by creation of local subcommittees & mobilizing international public figures [] Uri Avnery explains why he doesn't wait any longer 'crying wolf' [] 'Stop the Transfer' joint protest in front of the Supreme Court this Thursday [] fwd: Wednesday, demonstration against 'Purim Spiel' of settlers in Jerusalem //\\//\\//\\ x Shock and instant protest at the killing of Rachel Corey You got the earlier message which we sent out as a reflex when we heard the shocking news of the killing of Rachel Corey. Right now we are back from the parking lot in front of the Defense Ministry where a 60-strong vigil was mobilized within an hour after the news broke through. A whole group of young people, the Tel-Avivian part of the "refuser comunity" - chanting 'it is my friends who was murdered' - as well as such senior activists as Uri and Rachel Avnery. "Corrie was wearing a brightly colored jacket when the bulldozer hit her" told witnesses to the New York Times reporter. What was on everybody' s mind: if this was not an accident but intended as it seems from the descriptions, what will be next? "She waved for the bulldozer to stop. She fell down and the bulldozer kept going. We yelled, 'Stop, stop,' and the bulldozer didn't stop at all. It had completely run over her and then it reversed and ran back over her." "A regrettable accident", says the army spokesman to Ha'aretz. If it was NOT an accident but a way of intimidating and getting rid of international observers, then it is another indication of the army preparing for dark designs. [] Join the emergency network for the Protection of the Palestinian People - by creation of local subcommittees & mobilizing international public figures With the War Against Iraq imminent, and the anti-war movement and media absorbed by that war, we feel the need to do something tangible for the protection of the Palestinian people - whose situation may become dire as a result of this war. As a result of consultations between Palestinians and an Israeli delegation including the whole range of peace and human rights groups an effort is underway to create an emergency network. For this purpose, office has been set up in Paris of the "International Committee for the Protection of the Palestinian People" (ICPPP). there is an address ICPPP c/o CEDETIM 21 ter rue Voltaire 75011 Paris Tel: +33 1 43 71 62 12 – (Lorent or Marine) Fax:: +33 143 67 16 42 Currently the team is headed by: Stephane Hessel Gus Massiah you can reach the team by email at: cedetim@globenet.org The idea is that ICPPP-sub-committees be set up all over the world who can immediately disseminate urgent information to the media and authorities in their own countries in case of an emergency in occupied Palestine. The first thing is to find at short notice public figures in the different countries willing to give their name as members of the ICIPPP's advisory board. What we are afraid of are declarations made repeatedly by Israeli authorities and media, indicating a number of planned measures that might endanger the very existence of the Palestinian people on their land: Plans such as: Mass destruction of homes and infrastructures. Efforts to transfer Palestinians from their homes to other districts or into neighboring countries. Elimination of the elected Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian and Israeli organizations below shall inform ICPPP instantly if such threats materialize. ICPPP, through its network of subcommittees takes it upon itself, in such a case to alert world public opinion by all possible means - in order to prevent Israel, under cover of the situation in Iraq, to exempt itself from the norms of international law. Palestinian Emergency Committee (PEC) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Palestinian Emergency Committee includes the whole Palestinian political spectrum and the NGOs dealing with the principal services. It has subcommittees in all Palestinian towns and villages. Israeli Emergency Committee = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Israeli Emergency Committee includes the whole spectrum of peace and human rights organizations. If you can set up a sub-committee and/or convince public figures to join, please contact directly the Paris office - and let us know that you did so. Thank you [] Uri Avnery explains why he doesn't wait any longer 'crying wolf' Crying Wolf? Uri Avnery 5.3.03 Hebrew at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article236_heb.html "Why do you think that Sharon may exploit the American attack on Iraq in order to carry out transfer in the occupied territories?" a journalist asked me, after we published a warning to this effect in his paper. "Aren't you crying wolf?" I could have given him the list of quotations from members of the present government, who openly advocate the mass expulsion of Palestinians. I could have cited rumors. I could have told him that a creeping transfer is going on all the time, by making the life of the inhabitants intolerable through wholesale destruction of homes, closure, curfew and starvation. But I preferred to tell him about some occurrences to which I was an eye-witness in the past. It happened in 1967, after the Israeli army had conquered the West Bank. Immediately afterwards the writer Amos Kenan, who was a soldier serving in the Latrun area, came to me. He put on my desk a report about what he had seen with his own eyes. (I was at the time a Member of the Knesset and the editor of Haolam Hazeh newsmagazine.) In the shocking report Kenan described how the inhabitants of four villages in the Latrun area had been evicted from their homes. Men and women, children and old people, had been forced to walk, in the stifling heat of over 30 degrees Centigrade, towards Ramallah, a distance of 30 km. Immediately afterwards, the army had begun to destroy the houses. I hastened there. The four villages - Imwas, Yalu, Bet-Nuba and Dir-Ayub - were already almost obliterated. I saw the bulldozers flattening the last houses. When I tried to take photos, the soldiers drove me away. >From there I went to the Knesset and begged senior officials to intervene. After they contacted whoever they contacted, they told me that it was too late. The demolition was finished. Why these villages? Why in such a hurry? This area of the West Bank forms a bulge that dominates the old road from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, which had been cut off in 1948. The government was convinced that the world would force Israel to give back all the territories it had occupied, as happened in the previous war, 1957. They thought that if the four villages were erased without leaving a trace, Israel would be able to keep this area, at least. No pressure on Israel materialized, of course, and Israel was left in possession of all the occupied territories until now. The refugees still linger in the camps of Ramallah. On their land the "Canada Park" was created, to the greater glory of that humanist and liberal country, which accepted the honor gratefully. While the tractors worked in the Latrun area, something similar happened in Kalkilya. After the town was conquered, the army started to systematically dynamite a central neighborhood. The inhabitants were expelled and forced to walk to Nablus, some 25 km away. There they were lying around in public parks. I received the information at an early stage. I drove there in order to make sure that it was true, and proceeded to the Knesset. I buttonholed several ministers, including Menahem Begin, who had just been appointed minister without portfolio, and Israel Barzilai, the Mapam minister of health. I found some officials who could transmit the information directly to the Prime Minister, Levy Eshkol. I don't know whether this helped. But the demolition stopped suddenly. The inhabitants were allowed to go home and the neighborhood rebuilt. Why Kalkilya? Because of all the West Bank towns, it was the closest to Tel-Aviv. >From a hill near the town, Jordanian field artillery had shelled the Tel-Aviv metropolitan area. Moshe Dayan, then Minister of Defense, wanted to "straighten" the border. Years later I heard that at the same time, in neighboring Tulkarm transfer had begun, too. Ra'anan Lurie, the renowned cartoonists, who at the time was an army officer, was present when the order was received to expel the inhabitants to Jordan. Far from being a leftist, he refused the order, which he considered manifestly illegal. In spite of that, buses were brought in and inhabitants were forced to mount. They were brought straight to the Jordan bridge and driven across. Lurie testified to this later on. But by far the biggest expulsion in that war took place in Aqabat-Jabr and the other giant camps of the 1948 refugees near Jericho, the largest in the Middle East. They were completely emptied, to the last man and woman, and all the inhabitants expelled to nearby Jordan. In those camps were at least a hundred thousand refugees. When I visited them immediately after the war, they were ghost towns. After the war, some of these refugees tried to sneak back by crossing the Jordan river by night. One day a soldier came to my office in an obvious state of shock and told me that all these refugees, when caught, were shot on the spot. I asked him to sign an affidavit and sent it to the Chief-of-Staff, Yitzhaq Rabin. His aid answered in writing that the C-of-S has read the document. A day or two later, the slaughter stopped. I had another devastating experience. After the visit of the refugee camps, I drove back on the steep road leading from Jericho to Jerusalem. In the sizzling heat of the Jordan Valley, approaching 40 degrees Centigrade, hundreds of dusty people dragged themselves along the road towards to Jerusalem. They had been induced to flee from Jerusalem and Bethlehem to Jordan by threats and rumors about atrocities, but before crossing into Jordan had been allowed to go back. Among them were women carrying on their heads heavy loads of clothes, blankets and utensils and dragging little children and old people walking with the help of sticks. Most of them were faint with fatigue and thirst. We did the little we could to bring them water. It was terrible. According to various estimates, between 100 and 260 thousand Palestinians were expelled in this "little Nakba". In Oslo it was agreed that a joint Israel-Palestinian- Egyptian-Jordanian committee would find ways to bring them back. It was never convened. General Matti Peled once told me that before that war, when he was commander of the Jerusalem area, he one day encountered on his staff two officers who were unfamiliar to him. When he interrogated them, they disclosed that they belonged to a secret unit that was preparing mass expulsion for some future opportunity. Peled, of course, sent them packing. In the 1957 war, no transfer was carried out, because the war was against Egypt only. During the 1973 war, no one had time to think about it. In Lebanon, Israel had no plans for annexation. In no previous war did Israel have a government, whose ministers openly debated mass transfer. When a "separation fence" is being built that leaves several Palestinian villages isolated between it and Israel proper, Palestinians, of course, fear that they will be evicted. They also fear that adjacent towns and villages to the east of the wall will be emptied. Can I tell them that their fears are unfounded? [] 'Stop the Transfer' joint protest in front of the Supreme Court this Thursday עברית אחרי אנגלית Join Us this Thursday 20/3/03 at 08:30 in the morning in front of the Supreme Court in order to protest the government’s and the settlers’ attempt to pressure the Court to authorize transfer, and in this way legitimize it. Bring your gas masks in order to warn the public and Court of the poisonous gases of racism and transfer which currently constitute the real existential threat Israel is facing. Background: This Thursday the 20/3/03 the Supreme Court will convene to discuss the transfer of the Palestinian inhabitants of the South Hebron hills. The government and the settlers are pressuring the court to authorize the transfer, thus legitimizing it. The aim: To create territorial contiguity between the Jewish settlements located in South Hebron hills, which are near the green line, and the big Jewish settlement Kiryat Arba which is adjacent to Hebron. The government wants to annex the territory "clean of Arabs". The means: Deliberate policy which includes attempts to transfer a whole population, terrorizing the inhabitants by employing violence, destroying their homes and wells and exerting political pressure on the legal system to legitimize the transfer. The result: Uprooting hundreds of families from the land they have been living on since the 19th century,which is also the source of their livelihood. The significance: Creating facts on the ground that will torpedo all chance to establish a Palestinian state side-by-side Israel, and the eventual annexation the entire West Bank. The danger: The real danger facing Israel are not the Scud missiles but the insolent and shameless entrance of racism and the ideas of transfer as a political solution into the political and legal arenas. This Thursday 20/3/03 at 08:30 we will hold a protest in front of the entrance to the Supreme court. We will come with our gas masks in order to shun the poisonous gases of racism and transfer which are the real existential threat. For details contact: 02- 6241424 For More Background Information: www.southebron.tk Sponsors of the event include Ta'ayush--Arab Jewish Partnership, Gush Shalom, The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, Black Laundry, The Committee Against House Demolitions, Peace Now, Bat-Shalom, The Alternative Information Center [] fwd: Wednesday, demonstration against 'Purim Spiel' of settlers in Jerusalem ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Noa Milman" Date sent: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 16:25:57 +0200 Jerusalem is in danger On Purim, Sharon's friend, millionaire Irving Moskovitz intends to bring hundreds of settlers to Ras al Amud and turn Jerusalem into a second Hebron - with the consent of the government! The creation of settlements in the heart of an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem and populating them with fanatical settlers will incite and inflame Jerusalem, damage the chance for a peaceful future and destroy any chance for future normalcy in the area! A Peace Now protest will take place at the site of the intended settlement on Wednesday, 19/03/03. Meet at 9:00 am at the Bell Garden (Gan HaPa'amon) To join us call: 03-5663291 or 02-5660648 --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard- subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 17 14:27:44 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: (Fwd) "I am allowed to go see the ocean" Rachel Corrie to her family Message-ID: <3E75DB60.3619.590065@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release, March 17, 2003 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "I am allowed to go see the ocean" Rachel Corrie wrote to her family xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [We forward the sad but courageous statement of the parents of Rachel Corrie, followed by a moving "letter from Palestine" which she sent them on Feb. 7, 2003, two weeks after her arrival in the Gaza Strip.] ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 01:27:48 +0000 (GMT) From: ism rafah Subject: Statement from Rachel Corrie's parents March 16, 2003 "We are now in a period of grieving and still finding out the details behind the death of Rachel in the Gaza Strip. We have raised all our children to appreciate the beauty of the global community and family and are proud that Rachel was able to live her convictions. Rachel was filled with love and a sense of duty to her fellow man, wherever they lived. And, she gave her life trying to protect those that are unable to protect themselves. Rachel wrote to us from the Gaza Strip and we would like to release to the media her experience in her own words at this time. Thank you. Craig and Cindy Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie -- Excerpts from an e-mail from Rachel on February 7, 2003. I have been in Palestine for two weeks and one hour now, and I still have very few words to describe what I see. It is most difficult for me to think about what's going on here when I sit down to write back to the United States--something about the virtual portal into luxury. I don't know if many of the children here have ever existed without tank-shell holes in their walls and the towers of an occupying army surveying them constantly from the near horizons. I think, although I'm not entirely sure, that even the smallest of these children understand that life is not like this everywhere. An eight-year-old was shot and killed by an Israeli tank two days before I got here, and many of the children murmur his name to me, “Ali”--or point at the posters of him on the walls. The children also love to get me to practice my limited Arabic by asking me "Kaif Sharon?" "Kaif Bush?" and they laugh when I say "Bush Majnoon" "Sharon Majnoon" back in my limited Arabic. (How is Sharon? How is Bush? Bush is crazy. Sharon is crazy.) Of course this isn't quite what I believe, and some of the adults who have the English correct me: Bush mish Majnoon... Bush is a businessman. Today I tried to learn to say "Bush is a tool", but I don't think it translated quite right. But anyway, there are eight-year-olds here much more aware of the workings of the global power structure than I was just a few years ago--at least regarding Israel. Nevertheless, I think about the fact that no amount of reading, attendance at conferences, documentary viewing and word of mouth could have prepared me for the reality of the situation here. You just can't imagine it unless you see it, and even then you are always well aware that your experience is not at all the reality: what with the difficulties the Israeli Army would face if they shot an unarmed US citizen, and with the fact that I have money to buy water when the army destroys wells, and, of course, the fact that I have the option of leaving. Nobody in my family has been shot, driving in their car, by a rocket launcher from a tower at the end of a major street in my hometown. I have a home. I am allowed to go see the ocean. Ostensibly it is still quite difficult for me to be held for months or years on end without a trial (this because I am a white US citizen, as opposed to so many others). When I leave for school or work I can be relatively certain that there will not be a heavily armed soldier waiting half way between Mud Bay and downtown Olympia at a checkpoint—a soldier with the power to decide whether I can go about my business, and whether I can get home again when I'm done. So, if I feel outrage at arriving and entering briefly and incompletely into the world in which these children exist, I wonder conversely about how it would be for them to arrive in my world. They know that children in the United States don't usually have their parents shot and they know they sometimes get to see the ocean. But once you have seen the ocean and lived in a silent place, where water is taken for granted and not stolen in the night by bulldozers, and once you have spent an evening when you haven’t wondered if the walls of your home might suddenly fall inward waking you from your sleep, and once you’ve met people who have never lost anyone-- once you have experienced the reality of a world that isn't surrounded by murderous towers, tanks, armed "settlements" and now a giant metal wall, I wonder if you can forgive the world for all the years of your childhood spent existing--just existing--in resistance to the constant stranglehold of the world’s fourth largest military--backed by the world’s only superpower--in it’s attempt to erase you from your home. That is something I wonder about these children. I wonder what would happen if they really knew. As an afterthought to all this rambling, I am in Rafah, a city of about 140,000 people, approximately 60 percent of whom are refugees--many of whom are twice or three times refugees. Rafah existed prior to 1948, but most of the people here are themselves or are descendants of people who were relocated here from their homes in historic Palestine--now Israel. Rafah was split in half when the Sinai returned to Egypt. Currently, the Israeli army is building a fourteen-meter-high wall between Rafah in Palestine and the border, carving a no-mans land from the houses along the border. Six hundred and two homes have been completely bulldozed according to the Rafah Popular Refugee Committee. The number of homes that have been partially destroyed is greater. Today as I walked on top of the rubble where homes once stood, Egyptian soldiers called to me from the other side of the border, "Go! Go!" because a tank was coming. Followed by waving and "what's your name?". There is something disturbing about this friendly curiosity. It reminded me of how much, to some degree, we are all kids curious about other kids: Egyptian kids shouting at strange women wandering into the path of tanks. Palestinian kids shot from the tanks when they peak out from behind walls to see what's going on. International kids standing in front of tanks with banners. Israeli kids in the tanks anonymously, occasionally shouting-- and also occasionally waving-- many forced to be here, many just aggressive, shooting into the houses as we wander away. In addition to the constant presence of tanks along the border and in the western region between Rafah and settlements along the coast, there are more IDF towers here than I can count--along the horizon,at the end of streets. Some just army green metal. Others these strange spiral staircases draped in some kind of netting to make the activity within anonymous. Some hidden,just beneath the horizon of buildings. A new one went up the other day in the time it took us to do laundry and to cross town twice to hang banners. Despite the fact that some of the areas nearest the border are the original Rafah with families who have lived on this land for at least a century, only the 1948 camps in the center of the city are Palestinian controlled areas under Oslo. But as far as I can tell, there are few if any places that are not within the sights of some tower or another. Certainly there is no place invulnerable to apache helicopters or to the cameras of invisible drones we hear buzzing over the city for hours at a time. I've been having trouble accessing news about the outside world here, but I hear an escalation of war on Iraq is inevitable. There is a great deal of concern here about the "reoccupation of Gaza." Gaza is reoccupied every day to various extents, but I think the fear is that the tanks will enter all the streets and remain here, instead of entering some of the streets and then withdrawing after some hours or days to observe and shoot from the edges of the communities. If people aren't already thinking about the consequences of this war for the people of the entire region then I hope they will start. I also hope you'll come here. We've been wavering between five and six internationals. The neighborhoods that have asked us for some form of presence are Yibna, Tel El Sultan, Hi Salam, Brazil, Block J, Zorob, and Block O. There is also need for constant night-time presence at a well on the outskirts of Rafah since the Israeli army destroyed the two largest wells. According to the municipal water office the wells destroyed last week provided half of Rafah’s water supply. Many of the communities have requested internationals to be present at night to attempt to shield houses from further demolition. After about ten p.m. it is very difficult to move at night because the Israeli army treats anyone in the streets as resistance and shoots at them. So clearly we are too few. I continue to believe that my home, Olympia, could gain a lot and offer a lot by deciding to make a commitment to Rafah in the form of a sister- community relationship. Some teachers and children's groups have expressed interest in e-mail exchanges, but this is only the tip of the iceberg of solidarity work that might be done. Many people want their voices to be heard, and I think we need to use some of our privilege as internationals to get those voices heard directly in the US, rather than through the filter of well-meaning internationals such as myself. I am just beginning to learn, from what I expect to be a very intense tutelage, about the ability of people to organize against all odds, and to resist against all odds. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Mar 20 00:53:09 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (info@gush-shalom.org) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Amidst all this more refusers get court-martialed Message-ID: <3E7910F5.9762.193EC8F@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ Amidst the final count-up for the invasion of Iraq, four young Israelis are now facing court martial proceedings for their refusal to serve the occupation. If convicted, they face up to three years' imprisonment. [] Shimri Tzameret joins the court martialers - an update [] Please help finance the CO's legal struggle a request of the Objectors' Parents Forum in cooperation with the support organizations \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Shimri Tzameret joins the court martialers - an update On Sunday morning, the 'occupation refusers' Matan Kaminer, Haggai Matar, and Shimri Tzameret will be brought to the Jaffa Military Court, where the charges of "refusing an order" (i.e., the order to join the Israeli army) will be formally read out to them. Also next week to be expected the answer of the army's "Conscience Commission" in the case of 'pacifist refuser' Dror Boymel who after a preliminary session of the military court was singled out for being sent back to the "Conscience Commission" - a privilege not given to that other pacifist refuser Yoni Ben Artzi, whose court martial will resume on Tuesday. Eight other refusniks are undergoing shorter, repeated terms of imprisonment, usually 28 days at a time; after undergoing these five time, these can also expect to face a court martial: Yoni Yechezkel (140 days), Hile Goral (70 days), Noam Bahat (98 days), Adam Maa'or (98 days), Shachar Ben Har (42 days), and Konstantin Soskin, who is the newest and entered the prison this week. "I see the destructiveness of wars, the cruelty, the lack of humanity that mankind is able to demonstrate. The army is an instrument for creating wars and killing, and each and every war is a preparation for the next one" is how Soskin explains his reasons for refusal - formulating the protest of getting of age in such a cynical era. [] Please help finance the CO's legal struggle a request of the Objectors' Parents Forum in cooperation with the support organizations ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Bahat" Support Freedom of Conscience for Israeli Conscientious Objectors on Trial Conscientious Objection as a visible and powerfully symbolic form of resistance to Israeli belligerence has reached a critical stage. Never before in Israel have there been so many young objectors, men and women openly declaring their refusal to enlist on grounds of conscience. Never before have so many citizens committed to a campaign to publicly and actively support them. Never before have so many of the young men among the CO's been sentenced to indefinitely repeated prison terms. Never before has there been such a concentrated legal struggle for freedom of conscience in Israel, in effect placing the state and the military on trial. In recent months, some 320 high school seniors, girls and boys, signed a public letter declaring their refusal to serve in the Israeli army. In response, the military is raising the stakes. While young women can obtain exemptions on grounds of conscience, young men such as pacifist Jonathan Ben-Artzi, one of the signatories of the High School Seniors' Letter ("Shministim"), is currently being court martialed after seven consecutive prison terms imposed in disciplinary procedures. Yoni now faces the daunting possibility of a three-year sentence. The struggle against this blatant breach of freedom of conscience has led to an appeal to Israel's High Court of Justice, challenging repeated disciplinary sentences for the single 'offense' of refusing to serve in the army on conscientious grounds. The Association for Civil-Rights in Israel (ACRI) represented by Adv. Avner Pinchuk, appealed on behalf of Dror Beuml, another "Shministim" letter signatory, after he served an accumulated term of 168 days. Concurrently, the military summoned Dror to a court martial, also summoning two more"Shministim" letter signatories, Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer, after each had served several consecutive prison terms. Haggai and Matan, who refuse to serve in an occupying force, first appeared before the court martial on February 26, 2003. Jonathan, Haggai, and Matan are now being in held in so-called open detention at 3 different military bases, pending decisions on their cases. The fact that they are no longer in military prisons reflects a first significant achievement of their respective lawyers, Adv. Michael Sphard and Adv. Dov Khenin. Dror was submitted to re-screening by a military committee appointed to recommend conscientious exemptions and awaits their verdict at home. The latest update is that Shimri Tzameret joined Jonathan, Haggai, and Matan. He have been arrested until his trial. Dov Khenin will represent him. Additional objectors will require legal support very soon, among them Rabia Saad, a Palestinian Druze Conscientious Objector, possibly facing an exceptionally long prison term of the kind often imposed on Druze CO's. More objectors have already been sentenced to repeated terms, among them, Noam Bahat, Hillel Goral, Adam Maor, Shachar Ben-Har, Kon. Tos., Sh, Br. and others. According to Military Attorney General, Menachem Finkelstein, all will soon face full court martials. Among the imprisoned objectors, some are being held in difficult conditions. Visits by lawyers are vital to monitor their treatment. The conscription dates of yet more objectors are coming up, promising to further extend this vicious cycle. While some of the initial legal work has been provided pro bono (thanks to the wonderful support of several lawyers, and of ACRI), the legal struggle will be prolonged and difficult, including many court martials, possible appeals to the High Court, and involving considerable expense. New Profile is cooperating with the Objectors' Parents' Forum, and the High School Seniors' Letter in an effort to raise the funds necessary to ensure excellent legal representation for every CO. Please help us support this crucial effort. Make any donation you are able to support objectors in prison and on trial. (Mark your contribution to ensure it is earmarked for legal aid to objectors.) Contributions can be made by : 1. Direct bank transfers to New Profile's account: HaPoalim Bank, account no. 421121 Branch 769, Trumpeldor Street Ramat HaSharon, Israel (Please email our treasurer kisch-e@zahav.net.il, or write us at the POBox below, to let us know that the contribution is for legal aid.) 2. Posting checks directly to New Profile, at: New Profile POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271 Israel 3. Making U.S. tax exempt contributions to New Profile via: Via Us/Israel Women to Women - Please make out checks to US/Israel Women to Women, and add a cover letter directing the donation to New Profile; post to: US/Israel Women to Women 45 W. 36th St. New York, NY 10018 USA Further information is available at: · The New Profile website: http://www.newprofile.org/english/. · The High School Seniors' Letter website: http://www.shministim.org/. · The Yesh-Gvul website: http://www.yesh-gvul.org/. · The Refuser Solidarity Network website: http://www.refusersolidarity.org/. · Information on the objectors mentioned above and other imprisoned objectors: http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/50858.html. · War Resisters' International is organizing an international delegation to monitor the trials of the objectors. If you wish to join that delegation, please contact the WRI office at concodoc@wri-irg.org. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Mar 20 04:25:27 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] As the war approaches, Palestinian fears rise - Amira Hass Message-ID: <3E7942B7.13076.2564FAB@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// International release March 20, 2003 [In the following article Ha'aretz - which we couldn't find on the Hebrew pages - correspondent Amira Hass lays out the dangers which as the war approache Palestinian fear most. The collective Palestinian memory makes them not so much afraid of Iraqi missiles as of what the Israeli army may have in store for them. Hass also reports on the Emergency Press Conference (March 18) held by Palestinian and Israeli NGO's - among them Gush Shalom - in which a stern warning was made with regard to the seriousness of the situation, and plans were displayed of an effective international emergency network.] Ha'aretz Internet Edition - Thursday, March 20, 2003 Adar2 16, 5763 Israel Time: 03:27 (GMT+2) As the war approaches, Palestinian fears rise In recent weeks, residents in the West Bank and Gaza have been spinning horror scenarios that could happen under cover of the war in Iraq. By Amira Hass IDF soldiers imposing a curfew in Ramallah in October. An extended curfew in the territories is one of the scenarios feared by Palestinians. (Photo: Lior Mizrahi / BauBa) Nearly every night these past three weeks, F. has been dreaming that she, her family, her neighbors and the rest of the inhabitants of Ramallah are expelled from their homes. As the attack on Iraq becomes more certain, the scenes have become sharper and more persistent. In her recurring nightmares, the army orders everyone out of their houses. People are taken to a piece of land devoid of buildings and trees. She loses her husband and two of her four children. Children are crying and the elderly are muttering: "Here they are going to build us a new refugee camp." F., a Ramallah resident, laughs in consternation as she relates her nightmare. It is not complicated to identify its sources: as the war approaches, the street is full of fears, rumors and terrifying assessments. Mass deportation is one scenario that comes up in conversations on the street, in the grocery stores, and in living rooms in front of the television set, and it arouses real fear. How will this happen? While the whole world is concentrating on what is happening in Iraq, people think, there will be a heavier media blackout than usual on what the Israel Defense Forces does in the Palestinian territories, and who can guarantee that there will be no deportation under cover of the blackout? In recent weeks, people have been preparing themselves for five horror scenarios. These are not based on intelligence information or open warnings that have been passed along by Israeli sources, but rather on the experience of the Palestinians' recent and less recent past. One scenario, based on the experience of the past two years, is that Israel will impose an internal closure that is more stringent than usual. That is, the movement of people, vehicles, medications, raw materials, food, and other goods will be more limited than it has been during the past two years. Another scenario is based on the previous Gulf War, in 1991, when the IDF imposed a full curfew on the territories that lasted six weeks. A third scenario is based on the experience of the past two months and Operation Defensive Wall in April. According to this scenario, Israel will increase military attacks on cities, refugee camps and villages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and will interfere with the electricity and water supplies, and the number of casualties will increase. The fourth scenario, of internal deportation within the territories, is based on memories of the 1967 Six-Day War. At that time, Israel expelled the inhabitants of three villages in the area of Latrun (Amawa, Beit Nuba and Yalo), immediately demolished their houses, and years later established Canada Park in their place. At the same time, the IDF began to expel people from Qalqilyah and demolished houses close to the Green Line of the 1967 border. Internal Israeli opposition eventually stopped the process. People were also expelled from Tul Karm and its refugee camp - some to Jordan and some to Nablus. More than 100,000 people who lived in refugee camps in the Jordan Valley were also made to flee into Jordan. The geography of the expulsion policy - to empty everything that is close to the border and the Green Line - is clear. Now, they fear, Israel will continue to "thicken" the Green Line - i.e. to annex de facto more Palestinian lands. Even now tens of thousands of Palestinians have had their lands confiscated due to the building of the separation fence in the western part of the West Bank. Now they are afraid that under the cover of the war in Iraq, Israel will initiate expulsions. The first in line believe Palestinian activists in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), could be about 14,000 people in 15 villages that, according to the route of the separation fences, will find themselves trapped between the Green Line and the fence and will be cut off from the rest of the West Bank. F.'s family lives in one of these trapped villages, which appears in her nightmares. The fifth scenario is based on an even more distant memory, from 1948, and this is mass expulsion. The entry of Moledet, the party that openly preaches transfer, in the government only increased these fears. The appointment of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) as the Palestinian Authority's prime minister, a process that to a large extent has been a production of the United States and Britain, has slightly dulled the sharpness of a sixth scenario: the expulsion of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat or even an Israeli attempt on his life. Until about a month ago, this scenario was mentioned in the same breath as the other scenarios; now it is no longer the case. There is a large gap between the gravity of the scenarios and the ways of dealing with them. If the Palestinian Authority has drawn up plans to deal with these scenarios, the Palestinian public has not heard about it. Therefore, dealing with the first two scenarios is mainly personal and familial. Stocking up In recent weeks, people have been hoarding food and preparing for a long curfew. "I have never emptied my stock so quickly, emptied it and restocked," says the proprietor of a grocery store as he calculated the price of eight kilograms of flour, six kilograms of sugar and five kilograms of rice purchased by a young couple. The trucks that sell propane gas canisters pass through every neighborhood twice a day, and recently there always have been customers. There has been an increase in the sale of flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, blankets, diapers and powdered infants' milk. In a society in which 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, stocking up on food is no simple task. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) has already filled its storehouses with enough foodstuffs and medicines for three months. This is on the assumption that as in 1991, there will be a freeze on the movement of goods through the Ashdod port, the Allenby Bridge, and Ben-Gurion Airport. UNWRA recently reinforced its staff of non-Palestinian drivers in order to overcome the restrictions of an internal closure. If needed, some UNWRA staff will work as drivers. All the Palestinian aid organizations have hoarded foodstuffs, and all of them are accelerating their distribution. In some cities and villages, distribution is being coordinated by "popular committees that were established during the past two years to prevent duplications and cheating." The Israeli organization Ta'ayush Arab Jewish Partnership has emptied its coffers in order to send dozens of tons of flour to villages that are already cut off due to the internal closure, and with the outbreak of the war, it is not at all certain there will be access to them. This has been done in coordination with the popular committee activists. The Al Najah University in Nablus has already recommended that its students return home to their families in the villages and in other cities based on the assumption that in the event of an internal closure, it will be impossible to hold classes. The Palestinian Authority's Education Ministry has been prepared for some time for the possibility of a closure, and has posted many teachers in jobs close to their home so they will not be stuck at the roadblocks. Nevertheless, in case of a stringent internal closure, several hundred teachers will not be able to get to work, and tens of thousands of students will not be able to attend class. In such a case, the ministry's instructions are that every district will act according to the circumstances. The third scenario - curfew and closure accompanied by military Defensive Wall- type attacks - is more difficult to prepare for. Even without recommendations from medical organizations, people know they have to equip themselves with first aid kits in every home, or at least in every building, and at least a month's supply of medications for the chronically ill. F.'s children have already gone back to sleeping on mattresses, on the floor, along an internal wall. In this way, they are farther from the windows, and if shooting starts again, it will be safer. The talk of war is reviving the fear they felt during the days when bullets were whizzing above their heads and missiles, tank shells and bombs smashed windows, cracked walls, shook the lamps in the house, and knocked dolls and toy cars off their shelves. It was the children who persuaded F. to fill empty bottles with tap water. According to what they had heard in school, everyone is doing it, they said. Maybe Israel will cut off the water supply, like it once did in Beirut. "This can't happen, and anyway, we have a large water tank on the roof," says the children's mother, trying to reassure them. But the children persisted. What if the soldiers shoot at the water tanks on the roofs? This has happened to thousands of houses in the Al Aroub, Deheisheh, Balata and Jenin refugee camps, and in the cities. Now the porch is filled with bottles full of water. In worse shape than in 1991 The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry has prepared a stock of medications and oxygen canisters. By yesterday, it was supposed to have completed an emergency plan for dealing with extreme situations of closure and curfew, as well as with the renewal of military attacks. Medical Relief Committees, a large health NGO, has trained 2,000 volunteers over the past year who will be able to provide first aid to the wounded and the sick, an assumption that the conditions of a closure and curfew, especially if accompanied by a massive military presence in the cities, will make ambulance and medical team movements very difficult. Medical Relief Committees has also set up 100 emergency centers in several cities. The initiative to put together an emergency plan based on various scenarios came from Palestinian NGOs, but apparently their main concern is to keep the lines of communication open and ensure the uninterrupted transmission of information to international organizations in order to prevent the escalation that everyone fears. In the context of the media struggle, representatives of these NGOs have set up an emergency committee together with the Palestinian political organizations and the PA, and they have met with about 25 Israeli activists from 10 organizations. For hours they discussed the possibility of the horror scenarios, and Gush Shalom's Uri Avneri recommended that the expulsion scenario be taken seriously. He noted the acts of deportation in 1967. The Palestinians and the Israelis agreed that it is important to keep many lines of communication open with field activists. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, the director of Medical Relief Committees and a political activist, explained to representatives of the foreign consulates this week the various scenarios, concentrating on the first three: stringent closure and curfew accompanied by increased military attacks. Barghouti, who with Gaza's Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi last year created the Palestinian National Initiative - an organization trying to fill the vacuum between Fatah and Hamas - spoke about the figure published by the IDF last week saying that only 18 percent of the Palestinians killed during the past two years "were not involved in terror," while the rest, ostensibly, were involved. According to Palestinian human rights organization figures, 85 percent of those killed were civilians. Barghouti warned the consular representatives of an Israeli campaign of "statistical distortion" that, in his estimation, is intended to prepare the ground for a drastic increase in the number of Palestinian dead. All this under cover of the war with Iraq. The killing of peace activist Rachel Corrie, he said, was not coincidental. In his opinion, it was aimed at frightening the hundreds of young foreign citizens who are spread out throughout the Palestinian villages, refugee camps, and cities trying to serve as a buffer, or at least to report on what is going on. The worst of the scenarios is mass or internal expulsion, but the less extreme scenarios are also frightening. Barghouti said the ability to deal, on an individual and social level, with a prolonged curfew is far weaker than in 1991. After two-and- a-half years of economic decline as a result of the closure, people and communities do not have the financial resources and state of health they had in 1991. A seventh scenario - an Iraqi attack involving chemical or biological weapons - does not concern the Palestinian public. "Sealed room" is a term that brings a smile to those who remember with disgust the days of curfew in a crowded home. Ramallah inhabitants are not running out to buy gas masks that are being sold by two pharmacies, which received them from purveyors in Israel. First, they don't have the money, and second, because they don't believe that Saddam Hussein has biological or chemical weapons or that he plans to use them. "The danger that we might face from the Israeli army is far more palpable," says F. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Mar 22 23:19:49 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Please donate a sack of flour In-Reply-To: <3E79FA29.5942.F89495@localhost> Message-ID: <3E7CEF95.28497.1CD3FAA@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////////// נוסח בעברית יבוא במסר נפרד [] Hawara-Enabous neads pita's with the olives We want to send them a truck-load of flour [] Reminder: Court martial of three COs, Sunday 9 o'clock - Yaffo \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Hawara-Enabous neads pita's with the olives We want to send them a truck-load of flour In these days it's not enough to speak out and protest - and feel frustrated that the worldwide protests didn't succeed to prevent the war. Nor is it enough to create - as we are doing - a worldwide Emergency Network to Protect the Palestinian People - for the most efficient and speedy dissemination of any sign of ethnic cleansing - though that effort has the highest priority. There is also the ongoing problem of Palestinians to get to the next day. Inhabitants of Hawara-Enabous south of Nablus, in the West Bank, asked us to help them by sending them food. Because of closures and curfews these people already are barely subsisting. Now there is the panick that things can turn even worse. As villagers, they do have oil - we ourselves helped the in Enabous during the olive harvest. Most families also grow some herbs and vegetables around the house, but what they need to buy - and money there isn't - is flour. One 50 kilo sack costs 75 NIS (approximately US$17). It is the kind of help UNWRA is providing in Refugee Camps. Now the need is far more wide-spread. Israeli groups and individuals have been involved in bringing food, especially to cut-off villages, ever since the beginning of the Intifada. Gush Shalom has several times sponsored the initiatives of Ta'ayush. Now we decided to "adopt" ourselves this one village - to begin with. If you help us, we can do more. If you are willing to participate please inform us, so that we can help immediately, that you are sending a donation for: 1 sack - 75 NIS / US$20 (including $3 foreign currency fees) 2 sacks 150 NIS / US$37 3 sacks 225 NIS / US$51 etc. Please, send your check (earmarked for ..x sack of flour) to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel NB: if you want a confirmation of receipt include your email address with the check. For people abroad: You may ask us whether there is a charity in your country through which you can send us tax-deductible donations, but please announce us already which some to expect. [] Reminder: Court martial of three COs, Sunday 9 o'clock - Yaffo Tomorrow, Sunday the charges will be read against three occupation refusers, the COs Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer and Shimri Tzameret. Place: the military court in Yaffo, Bait Hayarok, Yefet 91-93, corner Shivtey Yisrael Time: 9 o'clock, March 23. --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Mar 23 00:45:08 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Avnery - Some thoughts about the war Message-ID: <3E7D0394.16476.21B6053@localhost> FYI ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Uri Avnery Uri Avnery 22.3.03 Bitter Rice Some thoughts about the war: # Beware of the Shiites. The troubles of the occupation will start after the fighting is over. Here is a personal story and its lessons: On the forth day of the 1982 Israeli attack on Lebanon, I crossed the border at a lone spot near Metulla and looked for the front, which had already reached the outskirts of Sidon. I was driving my private car, accompanied only by a woman photographer. We passed a dozen Shiite villages and were received everywhere with great joy. We extracted ourselves only with great difficulty from hundreds of villagers, each one insisting that we have coffee at their home. On the previous days, they had showered the soldiers with rice. A few months later I joined an army convoy going in the opposite direction, from Sidon to Metulla. The soldiers were now wearing bulletproof vests and helmets, many were on the verge of panic. What had happened? The Shiites received the Israeli soldiers as liberators. When they realized that they had come to stay as occupiers, they started to kill them. When the Israeli troops entered Lebanon, the Shiites were a down-trodden, powerless community, held in contempt by all the others. After a year of fighting the occupiers, they became a political and military power. The Shiite Hizbullah is the only military force in the Arab world that has beaten the mighty Israeli army. Sharon is the real father of the Shiite force in Lebanon. Bush may well become the father of Shiite power in Iraq. The Shiites, 60% of the Iraqi population, have been until now down-trodden and powerless. When they will realize that the Americans intend to stay, they will start a deadly guerilla. Bush does not intend to leave Iraq, as Sharon did not intend to leave Lebanon. Then what? America will argue that Iran, the great Shiite neighbor, is behind the Shiite guerilla. In Iran there is a lot of oil. That’s the next target. # Blood for Oil. George Bush is a primitive man, but the people behind him are far from being stupid. They are the oil barons and the arms industry giants. They want to do what great powers have always done: use their military might in order to acquire economic hegemony. In simple words: to rob the poor peoples in order to enrich themselves even more. The military occupation of Iraq will last many years and secure for America the control over the vast oil reserves of Iraq, as well as the Caspian Sea reserves and all the Arab oil. That will give it control over the world’s economy and prevent the emergence of a competing, independent European economic bloc. America is fighting against Europe as much as against Iraq. That is part of the reason for Europe’s angry response. # Germany. Germany is against the war. Against any war. In no other country was the anti-war outburst so authentic, emanating from the innermost feelings of the masses. And who is furious about this? Israel, the country of the Holocaust survivors. How do they dare, these damn Germans, to object to the war? A sad irony of history: all German TV stations show citizens, intellectuals and ordinary folk, who pray for peace, all Israeli TV screens show retired generals, obviously enjoying themselves, discussing with great relish how to employ giant bombs and other instruments of death. # Intoxication of power. This is the first war of the 21st century, and it bodes ill. This century has inherited from its predecessor a world containing one sole super-power. America has no competitors, no possible combination of other forces can measure up to it. It can literally do what it wants, and now it is doing just that openly and brutally. When America won its cheap and easy victory in Afghanistan, using smart bombs and suitcases filled with cash, it was clear it could not stop itself anymore. A huge machine like that wants to go on fighting and is searching for an enemy. Now it’s Iraq. Who next? Iran? North Korea? That is what happened to the Roman Empire. That is what happened to Napoleon and Hitler. The intoxication of power knows no boundaries. And no one of these was in the situation of the United States now: alone in the world, without enemies that can stand up to it. # A Jewish War? The anti-Semites proclaim that this is not a war for American interests, but for Israel. As proof, they point to the group of American Jews that took a leading part in initiating this war, people like Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Douglas Feith at the Defence Department, Elliott Abrams at the National Security Council (as well as Ari Fleisher at the White House and even Dan Kerzer, the US ambassador in Tel-Aviv). These people support haron and the extreme right in Israel, some of them speak Hebrew, a group of them has acted as advisors to Benyamin Netanyahu, when he became prime Minister. Together with the two non-Jews, Cheney and Rumsfield, they pushed Washington into the war. Thus say the anti-Semites. That is true by itself, but this is first and foremost a war for American interests. However, Bush and Sharon believe that American and Israeli interests are practically identical. The Jewish war group in Washington acts in close cooperation with the Christian fundamentalists, who now control the Republican party and who have a hidden anti- Semitic agenda. The anti-Semites will point to another obvious fact: Israel is the only country in the world where not one single politician nor any part of the media has raised their voices against the war. While millions march all over the world, only one single anti-war demonstration, organized by Gush Shalom and some other peace organizations, has taken place in Israel. It attracted 2500 people. In the struggle between Bush and world opinion, the government of Israel has chosen chose Bush. On the face of it, that seems sensible, since Bush has might on his side and sides with Sharon. But in the long run, it may turn out to be the wrong bet. # The pope’s divisions. “How many divisions does the pope have?” Stalin asked sarcastically when told that the Holy Father objects to his actions. Today, the question is: how many divisions does world public opinion command? All over the world, the public opposes the war. There is an immense majority against it even in countries whose leaders have joined Bush’s “coalition”. For the first time, there is something that can be called “world opinion”. Only the future will tell if this constitutes a real force. Thomas Jefferson, one of the fathers of American democracy, once said that no country could conduct its affairs without “a decent respect for world opinion.” Perhaps the 21st century will witness a struggle between the brute force of a mighty military-economic super-power and world public opinion, assisted now by modern technology. # Mercenaries. This is a war fought by mercenaries. The fighters are professional soldiers, the sons of the poor, many of them black. Therefore it is easy for middle class citizens, and especially the Republican voters, to approve of the war. It is not their sons who will be killed. In the past, the European left demanded the abolition of the professional army and the introduction of general conscription. At the time, that was a “progressive” idea. When the left put on weight, it forgot all about it. The Vietnam war was still fought by drafted soldiers. Resistance to the war grew when the body bags started to arrive. George W. Bush, who supported the war with all his heart, took no part in the fighting. Father arranged a job for him back home. He was just another shirker. # Jefferson again: “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 24 18:46:04 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Jenin: 1 child killed, 1 shot in leg, Soldiers to enter hospital Message-ID: <3E7F526C.739.117FB33@localhost> FYI News from the other front. A message from ISM, the volunteer international observers/human shield workers organization. (Rachel Corrie, who got killed last week when standing in the way of a bulldozer, was one of them.) Please write a short message to the Israeli authorities (just to let them know that you are still there, in spite of the Iraq War). STOP SHOOTING KIDS IN JENIN (with the message of ISM attached) To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom and to the nearest Israeli embassy, listed at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "International Solidarity Movement" Date sent: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 16:59:50 +0200 Jenin,Occupied West Bank, At 3:00PM on Monday March 24, A15 year old child was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces while imposing curfew in the city of Jenin. His name was "Ahmed Imad Abu Jelhad". Another child was shot in the leg and is recovering atMartyr Doctor Khalid Suliman hospital in Jenin. Israeli forces have threatened to search the hospital forother children they claim have entered the hospital and who were not hurt. There are 5internationals at the hospital from the International Solidarity Movement.  According to Lasse, a member of ISM from Denmark "Tanks, jeeps, and APc's have been patroling the area since yesterday. Today, there were many youngsters breaking curfew and throwing rocks at the tanks and APC's. At about 3:00 PM, one of the soldiers shot a child in the leg. At that time, members if the ISM accompanied him to the Martyr Doctor Khalid Suliman hospital. As soon as the members of ISM were gone from the area, the Israeli soldiers shot in the head and killed Ahmed".  Shortly thereafter, Soldiers came to the hospital and demanded to see the director. They informed the director at that time that they would return in 1 hour to search the hospitl. There are currentlythree members of ISM at the hospital with the injured child. At any time now they are expecting the soldiers to come back to search the hospital, in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions. There are currently 5 members of the ISM at the hospital trying to protect and observe it.Four are from Sweden, and one is from Denmark For more information contact: Tobias: 057 836 527  067 437 690 Carola: 054 389 466  ========================================================================== ==== Tom ISM Media Coordinator Beit Sahour Occupied Palestine Phone: +972-2-2774602 Cell: +972-67-862 439 web: href=="http://www.palsolidarity.org"http://www.palsolidarity.org ------- End of forwarded message ------- Gussh Shalom site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Mar 25 21:57:12 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] You can still join the flour campaign - untill Friday Message-ID: <3E80D0B8.32391.1F95F25@localhost> ////////////////////////// Gush Shalom ///////////////////// This is to thank those who already send money for flour and remind those who didn't yet. You can still do it. Just tell us how much you send us. On Friday, when we buy the flour, we will include the announced ones. Saturday morning we will bring the floor - and there is a possibility of joining the food transport for a limited number of people. For details and for reserving a place - phone to 03-5221732, and leave your name and number. [as background here follows earlier message] Hawara-Enabous neads pita's with the olives We want to send them a truck-load of flour In these days it's not enough to speak out and protest - and feel frustrated that the worldwide protests didn't succeed to prevent the war. Nor is it enough to create - as we are doing - a worldwide Emergency Network to Protect the Palestinian People - for the most efficient and speedy dissemination of any sign of ethnic cleansing - though that effort has the highest priority. There is also the ongoing problem of Palestinians to get to the next day. Inhabitants of Hawara-Enabous south of Nablus, in the West Bank, go through hard times. Because of closures and curfews these people already are barely subsisting. Now there is the panick that things can turn even worse. As villagers, they do have oil - we ourselves helped the in Enabous during the olive harvest. Most families also grow some herbs and vegetables around the house, but what they need to buy - and money there isn't - is flour. One 50 kilo sack costs 75 NIS (approximately US$17). It is the kind of help UNWRA is providing in Refugee Camps. Now the need is far more wide- spread. Israeli groups and individuals have been involved in bringing food, especially to cut-off villages, ever since the beginning of the Intifada. Gush Shalom has several times sponsored the initiatives of Ta'ayush. Now we decided to "adopt" ourselves this one village - to begin with. If you help us, we can do more. If you are willing to participate please inform us, so that we can help immediately, that you are sending a donation for: 1 sack - 75 NIS / US$20 (including $3 foreign currency fees) 2 sacks 150 NIS / US$37 3 sacks 225 NIS / US$54 etc. Please, send your check (earmarked for ..x sack of flour) to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel NB: if you want a confirmation of receipt include your email address with the check. For people abroad: You may ask us whether there is a charity in your country through which you can send us tax-deductible donations, but please announce us already which sum to expect. --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Mar 26 23:07:30 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:00 2004 Subject: (Fwd) How 10-year old Christine Saidi got killed in Bethlehem Message-ID: <3E8232B2.25630.1E8FD87@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ While the world is looking elsewhere, the IDF kills and provokes Read it from a Palestinian and an Israeli source (the major Hebrew-language papers Ma'ariv, and Yediot-Aharonot did not mention it at all.) [] Palestine Monitor: More Palestinian children killed [] Ha'aretz: 2 children, 3 others killed in W. Bank \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Palestine Monitor: More Palestinian children killed ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Palestine Monitor" To: Subject: More Palestinian children killed Date sent: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 14:14:30 +0200 The Palestine Monitor A PNGO Information Clearinghouse UPDATE More Palestinian children killed 26 March 2003 Israeli soldiers last night shot and killed a 10 year old girl during their assassination of another Palestinian in Bethlehem. According to witnesses, Israeli uniformed and plain clothed soldiers entered Bethlehem in the late afternoon, and opened fire on two cars that were driving on a main road in a residential area in the vicinity of the Shepherd ’s Hotel. Muwaiq Abdel Raziq Badawni, 40 years old from the Aida refugee camp, and two other men, as yet unidentified, were killed. According to a report from the Beit Jala governmental hospital, Badawni died as a result being shot in the head with live ammunition; the bodies of the two other men are still with the Israeli military. It is assumed that Badawni was the target of this latest Israeli extra judicial execution which are illegal under international law and the Geneva Convention. George Saidi’, a school teacher from Bethlehem, his wife Najwa and their two daughters, Marianne, 12, and Christine, 10, were driving on the same road when their car was also fired on by Israeli soldiers. All four members of the family were shot, and were taken to the Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem, however Christine died on the way. Later the body of the ten year old was transferred to the Beit Jala governmental hospital; according to the doctors at the hospital she died from a bullet to her head. The doctors also commented that her wounds were consistent with an “exploding” or high velocity bullet. Christine is the third child to be killed by Israeli troops in two days. 14 year old Hakim Bassam Nassas, aged 14 was also shot dead yesterday in Jenin. On March 24, Ahmed Imad A-Bahri, aged 10, also from Jenin was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. For more information contact: The Palestine Monitor +972 (0)2 298 5372 or +972 (0)59 387 087 http://www.palestinemonitor.org [] Ha'aretz: 2 children, 3 others killed in W. Bank Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Adar2 22, 5763 Israel Time: 22:35 (GMT+2) 2 children, 3 others killed in W. Bank By Arnon Regular and Agencies Palestinian medics evacuating the body of a man shot dead in an Israeli army operation in Bethlehem yesterday. (Photo: Reuters) Five Palestinians, including a 10-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, were killed by the IDF in the West Bank yesterday, Palestinian sources said. Also yesterday, the IDF apprehended a Fatah-Tanzim leader suspected of involvement in multiple terror attacks. Four Palestinians, including the 10-year-old girl, were killed by IDF fire in Bethlehem, Palestinian residents reported. Apparently, the incident occurred when a special IDF force was trying to assassinate two wanted terrorists. The force opened fire at the car with the terrorists, but also killed a passerby, Muwafat Badran, and a girl in the car in front, Christine Sa'ada. According to the Palestinians, the force snatched two of the bodies and disappeared. The child's father, George Sa'ada, and her mother and sister, have apparently sustained moderate to serious injuries and were taken to Hadassah Hospital. In Jenin, a 14-year-old boy was shot dead and a 12-year-old boy was seriously wounded by fire from an Israeli tank, doctors said. The Israeli military said they were shot while climbing on an armored vehicle. Yesterday was the fourth day of the army operation in Jenin, and the IDF yesterday captured Nidal Narnariya, who is suspected of being involved in several terror attacks, including last week's shooting on the road between Mevo Dotan and Shaked, and the deadly attack in Beit She'an at the Likud's internal elections a few months ago, in which four Israelis were killed. Narnariya is also said to have been involved in recruiting and distributing arms to Tanzim members. Sources in Israel's defense establishment said Narnariya was planning two suicide bombings inside Israel in the next two days. In the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, the IDF apprehended Fahed Abu Khamed, who was apparently planning to carry out a suicide bombing. In Ramallah, the IDF arrested two Fatah activists who were reportedly driving a car with fake EU plates. Curfew in Jenin continued, but no curfew was imposed anywhere else in the West Bank. The military court sentenced three Palestinians to consecutive life terms after convicting them of involvement in fatal attacks against Israelis, the military said. In a statement from the military court near the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beit El, the military said the three were members of an Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades cell in Jenin. The group is affiliated with Fatah, the movement headed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The military said the three carried out shooting attacks on West Bank roads and Jerusalem. The commander of the cell, Mohammed Mazlah, was sentenced to nine consecutive life terms. Among the incidents in which the military said he was involved was the attack on two unarmed Israeli reserve soldiers who lost their way and entered the West Bank Palestinian town of Ramallah in October, 2000. A mob stormed the police station where they were taken, beat them to death and threw their bodies out a second-story window. Another member of the cell received 16 consecutive life terms, and the third was sentenced to four consecutive life terms and an additional 15 years in prison. The defense establishment now has knowledge of 60 terror attacks planned for the near future. http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=276851&contrassID=2 &subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Mar 29 19:51:58 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: Fw: IDF violence continues while Palestinians implement 'Quartet' demands In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <3E85EB4E.27927.1337BD1@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ Press release, March 29, 2003 The Palestine Monitor (TPM) sent us today a report about what has happened already Thursday. The two Beit Hanoun policemen, shot in what seems to haave been a "preventive" IDF aggression, and their bleeding to death because ambulances were not allowed through - it is not "the latest news" and unfortunately it has become rather routine TPM however places it in the light of the new Palestinian government being formed by PM Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) just as the diplomatic Quartet demanded. And apparently all Palestinian factions give it a chance. Remember the upbeat comments - not only from European leaders, but also from Bush and even Sharon had to pay lip-service. However, the Israeli army - hardly-noticed because of the Iraq War - is daily sowing death and destruction. (Two days ago we already passed on the TPM report on the "liquidation operation" on a main road in a Bethlehem residential area, killing the ten-year old Christine Saidi'.) And when some militant Palestinians will lose patience and start again to do the violent acts which they know to do best - then that will be the reason given for not yet withdrawing the Israeli army from the Palestinian cities. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Palestine Monitor" To: Subject: Israeli violence continues, despite Palestinian implemen tation of the 'Quartets' demands Date sent: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 10:51:36 +0200 The Palestine Monitor A PNGO Information Clearinghouse UPDATE Israeli violence continues, despite Palestinian implementation of the ‘Quartets’ demands 27 March 2003 At around midnight last night, approximately 20 Israeli military vehicles, with two apache helicopters for air support, invaded Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. Clashes ensued when the invading forces attacked a Palestinian police post. Two members of the Palestinian national security forces were shot and killed -- Iyad Khalil Fayed, 31 and Ehab Sayyed Jarris, 21. According to Dr. Muawiya Hassenien, of the Shif’a Hospital emergency department, “the injuries were not serious, and these two policemen could probably have been saved had they received treatment in time. But the Israeli soldiers kept the injured men for some time, and prevented the ambulance from reaching them.” Six other Palestinians were injured in the attack, and Palestinians were taken from their homes and detained by the Israeli troops. One of the apache helicopter fired missiles at a well which provided much of the areas water, destroying it completely; the invading forces also attacked electricity poles and water and sewage pipes, causing sever damage to the areas infrastructure. In other Palestinian areas the situation remains the same – a draconian closure remains in place preventing the movement of people or goods, towns and cities come under random curfew, and soldiers arrest and detain people at checkpoints or during their ‘invasions’ into the cities. At the same time, the Israeli Defense Ministry wants to further increase the Israeli expropriation of Palestinian land by moving the “security fence”, which has already taken large swathes of Palestinian land, east of several illegal West Bank settlements, so that an estimated 40,000 settlers and 3,000 Palestinians are included in the western, Israeli side of the fence. This came in the wake of the Israel announcement that the wall would also be built down the length of the Jordan Valley. According to Mr. Andul Hadi Abu Khosa in Gaza, “what is particularly interesting about this latest attack, and the plan to further extend the Israeli’s Apartheid wall, is the timing. Currently the Palestinians are scrambling to implement the reforms demanded of them by the Americans. Mahmoud Abbas “Abu Mazen” was last week appointed Palestinian Prime Minister, and financial reforms are also underway. Meanwhile the Israelis continue to take more Palestinian land, and occupy and attack the civilian population, destroy the economy, keep us imprisoned in our towns and villages, and breach the Geneva Convention on a daily basis – all without murmur of protest. It is astonishing!” For more information contact: The Palestine Monitor +972 (0)2 298 5372 or +972 (0)59 387 087 http://www.palestinemonitor.org From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Mar 29 23:44:16 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] 300 sacks of flour delivered Message-ID: <3E8621C0.5410.208310B@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// Gush Shalom Activists Deliver Flour To West Bank Villages photos on the website: http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html A delegation of 21 Gush Shalom activists succeeded today (Saturday) to deliver 15 tons of flour to two Palestinian villages in the Nablus area. The flour was donated by private donors (at 75 NIS per sack) in Israel and abroad. The occupation army tried to prevent the delivery and stopped the activists at the Tapuakh checkpoint south of Nablus. For more than three hours the activists were held up, while frantic negotiations with various army authorities took place. In the end the army agreed to let the activists in to certain areas, but not to the two villages earmarked for the delivery. However, the 300 sacks of flour, as well as quantities of chocolate for children, were delivered to one of the villages. The second could not be reached because the army has demolished all roads leading there and completely cut the village off from the world. However, the flour was stored nearby and will be carried to the village tomorrow. Uri Avnery, who headed the delegation emphasized that the delivery is a political act. The Palestinians did not ask for it, but Gush Shalom requested to be able to send the flour as a gesture of solidarity and protest. The foodstuffs will be stored for an emergency, if the Sharon government decides to exploit the war in Iraq in order to cut off villages by enduring closure and curfew. Gush Shalom announced that it will continue this action. It called upon people of goodwill in Israel and abroad to provide the means for more deliveries and donate money for this purpose. --- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Mar 31 19:52:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [fwd] Joint Palestinian-Israeli Call for Peace + Refusernews etc. Message-ID: <3E888E70.11795.C64746@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// March 31, 2003 [] A Call for Peace - A joint Palestinian - Israeli appeal [] Tomorrow 10.30, Noam Bahat - 6th CO to be court-martialed. Please be there!!! [] Also if you can't come, you can support the COs legal struggle [] Friday, April 11 - big demo 'We Refuse To Serve The Occupation' [] Demo against war in Iraq, April 2, 3 PM US Embassy Tel Aviv \\//\\//\\//\\// [] A Call for Peace - A joint Palestinian - Israeli appeal ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 10:24:26 +0200 From: Yehudith Harel Dear Friends and Colleagues, A Call for Peace - and Joint Action - was recently drafted by a group of Israeli and Palestinian activists. We joined together as Individuals and not as representatives of any organizations. A partial list of the initial Palestinian and Israeli supporters follows the text of the appeal. If you are a Palestinian or an Israeli ONLY ( living in Palestine, Israel or the Diaspora), you are invited to join this Call for Peace. After the collection of a signifficant amount of signatures we will publish the text in Israeli and Palestinian papers*, and will try to initiate relevant activities to forward and realize our vision . Israelis and Palestinians ONLY who wish to join - please mail your full name and place of residence to: ye_harel@netvision.net.il Yehudith Harel (* we will ask you to cover the expenses of the publication...) A Call for Peace We, Israelis and Palestinians, wish to state at these critical moments, that while war is always a tragedy by itself, this illegal and frightful American war on Iraq could lead to a terrible setba ck to the hopes and expectations of a just Palestinian-Israeli peace. Especially so, if the extremist Sharon government, which strongly supports this war, will use this opportunity to undertake its dreadful design against the Palestinian people living under the Israeli occupation. The experience of more than 50 years of conflict between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people proves, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the problem cannot be solved by force. The continued occupation creates resistance to it in various forms. Therefore, the occupation is responsible for the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis, condemning them to a life of physical insecurity, economic crisis and social disintegration. At the same time, we wish to express our profound concern about the incidents of extreme violence, resulting from the intensification of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories and of the Palestinian attacks inside Israel. We condemn the brutal policy of the Israeli government aimed at destroying the Palestinian society, the Palestinian economy and the elected Palestinian leadership Headed By President Yasser Arafat. The erection of the ‘apartheid wall’ is a further device to help the ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. However, we believe that there is no way to put an end to the acts of all forms of violence, without a just peace based on the co-existence of two states for the two peoples. This solution should be based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with two capitals in Jerusalem, the evacuation of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and a just solution to the refugee problem by agreement between the two sides and cooperation between them and the international community, based on the relevant UN resolutions. We emphasize again our call for complete termination of all attacks on civilians, both on the Israeli and Palestinians sides. We believe that on both sides there are forces that are willing to reopen the way to peace. We call on the international community to urgently intervene in the interests of ending the violence on both sides and concluding a final peace agreement. We finally call on everybody who supports these ideas to speak out now in support of an Israeli- Palestinian peace front against the occupation, for mutual recognition and peace between the two nations. In order to facilitate cooperation between the forces of peace on both sides and their joint effort s on a day-to-day basis, we hereby establish the ‘Joint Action Group for Israeli-Palestinian Peace’. List of initial Israeli and Palestinian supporters in alphabetical order: 1) Dr. Samir Abdalla President of Arab Centre of Agricultural Development Professor in Economics A'Najah University. Nablus 2) Shulamit Aloni Former Minister in Rabin's Cabinet Jurist and Guest Lecturer Tel Aviv U. Law School 3. Prof. Colman Altman, Dept of Physics, Technion, Haifa 4. Dr. Janina Altman, Chemist (retired) Haifa 5. Prof. Daniel Amit, Dept of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 6. Prof. Zalman Amit Professor Emeritus Concordia University Montreal, Canada 7. Dr. Yossi Amitay, Dept. of Middle East Studies, Ben-Gurion University Beersheva 8. Dr. Meir Amor Department of Sociology and Anthropology Concordia University Montreal, Canada 9. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, PLC Member, Director general of"Miftah" - Centre for Global dialogue and Democracy Ramallah 10. Uri Avnery, Journalist Tel Aviv 11. Dr Ariella Azoulay, Camera Obscura School of Art and Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan 12. Dr. Gabi Baramki ex president of Bir-Zeit university Ramallah 13. Prof. Anat Biletzki, Chair of the Board of B'Tselem, Dept. of Philosophy Tel Aviv University 14. Prof. Victoria Buch, Dept. of Chemistry Hebrew University Jerusalem 15. Prof. Naomi Chazan, former MK African Studies Hebrew University Jerusalem 16. Dr. Raya Cohen, Dept. of Jewish History Tel Aviv University 17. Prof. Gideon Freudenthal History of Philosophy of Science Tel Aviv University 18. Prof. Rachel Giora Dept. of Linguistics Tel Aviv University 19. Yehudith Harel Organizational Psychologist and Peace Activist Ramat Ha Sharon 20 . Dr. Manuel Hassasian Vice President of BetLehem University Betlehem 21. Dr. Sara Helman Department of Behavioral Sciences Ben Gurion University Beersheva 22. Prof. Hannan Hever Dept. of Hebrew Literature The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 23. Dr. Ghassan Khatib Minister of Labour in Palestine Ramallah 24. Prof. Baruch Kimmerling Dept. of Sociology Hebrew University, Jerusalem 25. Dr. Orly Lubin, Department of Poetics and Comparative Literature, Tel Aviv University, 26. Dr. Ahmad Majdalani Editor of "People's Struggle Magazine" Professor at Bir Zeit University Ramallah 27. Dr. Ruchama Marton Psychiatrist Director of PHR Tel Aviv 28. Dr. Isaac (Yanni) Nevo, Ben Gurion University, Beersheva 29. Prof. Adi Ophir, History of Philosophy and ideas Tel-Aviv University 30. Prof. Avraham Oz Department of Theatre University of Haifa 31. Prof. Gabi Piterberg, Department of History, UCLA. 32. Prof. Tanya Reinhart Dept. of Poetics and Comparative Literature Dept. of Linguistics Tel Aviv University 33. Prof. Tova Rosen Dept. of Hebrew Literature Tel Aviv University 34. Dr. Samih Shbeeb Writer and Columnist in local Palestinian and Arab Magazines and Newspapers. 35. Mahmoud Shqir Novelist, Director General at the Palestinian Cultural Ministry. 36. Dr. Azmi Shuabi, PLC member Secretary general for" Aman" centre - Monitoring Transparency and Accountability in Palestine. 37. Prof. Oren Yiftachel Chair, Dept. of Geography, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Editor, 'Hagar: International Social Science Review' [] Tomorrow 10.30, Noam Bahat - 6th CO to be court-martialed. Please be there!!! ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Udib" Date sent: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 13:44:28 +0200 Noam Bahat will be brought to Court (Habait Hayarok) tomorrow Tuesday (1.4.03) to be tried at 10:30 The address: Yefet Street 91-93, Yaffo, corner Shivtey Yisrael NB: Presence in the courtroom is also important for this number six CO to be court-martialed!!! Buses 10, 46, 88 [] Also if you can't come, you can support the COs legal struggle Send a check, on behalf of "New Profile - Legal Aid" to: New Profile POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271 Israel (for charity information write to: kisch-e@zahav.net.il) [] Friday, April 11 - big demo 'We Refuse To Serve The Occupation' ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Lotahn [this is the announcement of a demo which is co-sponsored by Gush Shalom] We Refuse to Serve the Occupation! We Refuse to be Enemies! What will you tell your children when they ask you: Where were you when Israel became an apartheid state? What did you do when the Israeli government dragged the Israelis and the Palestinians into an unending cycle of death and mourning? Where were you when we lost our humanity? How did you respond when the occupation was killing us and them? Come and protest, come to change things. Now is the time to take a stand. We say no! We refuse! At this moment IDF reservists, enlisted soldiers and youngsters before induction refuse to participate in the destruction of the state of Israel, in the oppression of the Palestinian people and the extinction of all hope for a common joint future in this land. We support them because there is a different path, the path of peace, equality and cooperation!! Say No to the Occupation! Friday, April 11 at 12:30 Corner Namir and Arlozorov Streets, Tel Aviv New Profile, High School Seniors' Letter (Shministim), Courage to Refuse, Yesh Gvul, Druze Initiative Committee, Refusenik Parents Forum, Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership, The Campus Is not Silent Tel Aviv, Women's Coalition for Peace, Food and Not Bombs, TANDI, Bat Shalom,Young Communist League, National Association of Arab Students, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Black Laundry, N'veh Shalom. Please send contributions to cover the demonstration's expenses to 'Mateh Ha'coalitsia', POB 1335 Kfar Saba 44113 or to Account # 119442 Bank Hapoalim, Branch # 679, Tshernikhovsky 45, Kfar Saba. Please note on the contributions "for the refusenik demonstration." P.S. War Resisters' International wrote: Two British soldiers are facing court martial for refusing to fight in Iraq. See: http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/uk.cfm?id=377622003 [] Demo against war in Iraq, April 2, 3 PM US Embassy Tel Aviv ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Reuven Kaminer" Not in Our Name!!! What: Demonstration against the War in Iraq Where: U.S. Embassy, Yarkon St. Tel Aviv When: Wednesday, April 2, 3 PM Among the organizers: National Association of Arab Students in Israel, Arab Association for Human Rights Other peace groups invited to sponsor (There seems to be also an initiative of doing something in Haifa, Saturday night.) for Iraq War alternative news: http://electroniciraq.net/news/488.shtml --- You don't have to let the cables censor what's on your TV: BBC continues to be accessible for Israeli viewers via YES. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English- language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Apr 3 03:15:37 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] While the Iraq War intensifies: ordeal in Tulkarem, Rafah Message-ID: <3E8B9949.18064.985A61@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release & protest letter request Tel-Aviv, April 3, 2003 WHILE THE IRAQ WAR INTENSIFIES: ORDEAL IN TULKAREM, RAFAH --West Bank: After mass arrests in Tulkarem more than 1000 men released but forbidden to go home; --Gaza Strip: Israeli tanks and bulldozers invade Rafah; --"A good and successful action" the commander of the Ephraim Brigade, referring on Israeli radio to the Tulkarem action. An Israeli Army Colonel has taken public responsibility for the large-scale harassment of civilian population at Tulkarm Refugee Camp, in violation of International Law and of the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory. The officer - identified on the Kol Yisrael radio only by his first name, David, and by his function as commander of the Ephraim Brigade - is at the head of the Israeli forces which today staged a massive invasion of the Tulkarm Refugee Camp, an invasion which "Colonel David" declared to be "a good and successful action, with satisfactory results". According to an eye-witness, a Tulkarm resident - and corroborated by accounts in the Israeli and foreign press* - the Tulkarm Refugee camp was on early Wednesday morning invaded by large Israeli forces - infantry, APC's and tanks supported by helicopter gunships. The soldiers ordered all men and boys between 15 and 55 to leave their homes and concentrate at two locations in the camp - the UNRWA Girls' School and the courtyard of the Jipon Paint Factory. There they were kept for many hours and interrogated, one by one. The army detained eleven men which were said to be "wanted terrorists". The other men and boys were then loaded on buses and lorries which took them several kilometres outside Tulkarm, where they were told to get off and forbidden to go back to their homes for the coming three days. There, the army left them, with nothing but the clothes on their backs, making no provision of any kind for their thee days of enforced exile. Inhabitants of the nearby Danabe Village, as well as of the Nur Shams Refugee Camp which is so far untouched by the army raid, tried their best to help the displaced men and boys - but being in difficult economic circumstances themselves, found it difficult to take care of so many. Meanwhile, some women of the Tulkarm Refugee Camp came to bring food and basic provisions to their husbands, brothers and sons -but then found that the soldiers would not let them back into the camp, and became displaced, too. Gush Shalom sent tonight a letter to General Menchem Finkelstein, head of the Army's legal Department, setting out the above facts and pointing out that they constituted a violation not only of International Law but also of the IDF's own Military Code and of what the army claims are its policy guide- lines as regards treatment of civilian population. "Failure to point out to Colonel David - whose full name must be familiar to you - the grave legal and moral consequences of the acts to which he took responsibility would make yourself and the army's Legal Department share in that responsibility." PS: Just as were composing this message, an emergency call came from the opposite side of the Occupied Territories - Rafah in the Gaza Strip. A large Israeli Army force, accompanied by many tanks, has entered the town. Two houses are known to have been demolished already, and the army also blew up a mosque which had been severely damaged in a previous invasion. We got the news from a group of internationals of the ISM (International Solidarity Movement) who are there this night, and who are preparing to act as human shields to defend other threatened homes - undeterred by the death of Rachel Corrie, who tried to do the same in the same place two weeks ago. Over the past two years, the army has been steadily destroying houses along the border with Egypt, several each week - on the basis of the ruthless doctrine that some houses are being used by arms smugglers and that since it is not known which are the ones, it would be "better" to destroy all. * http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/279841.html http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFu ll&cid=1049249993927 http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFu ll&cid=1049249996247 Please send a protest letter (sample follows) to: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Siwan Shalom cc to: "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin Mr. Terje Rod Larsen European Union, Jerusalem, Email mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Email unsco@palnet.com Sיrgio Vieira de Mello UN High Commissioner for Human Rights European Parliament Belgian Office International Solidarity Movement Gish Shalom and/or send a (copy by) fax to some or all of the following: Israeli Foreign Minister: +972-(0)2-5303506 General Manager Israeli Foreign Ministry: +972-(0)2-5303704 Situation Room Israeli Foreign Ministry: +972-(0)2-5303896 Head of IDF Legal Department General Menachem Finkelstein Fax +972-(0)3-5693270 Secretary of State Colin Powell Fax: +1-202-261-8577 Prime Minister Tony Blair, Fax +44-207-925-0918 European Union, Jerusalem, Fax: + 972- (0)2-532 6249 UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Fax: +972-(0)8- 282-0966 Sample letter: I read the news about new grave irregularities from the side of the IDF, in Tulkarem and Rafah, and I wonder whether it is a coincidence that this is happening while the Iraq War. intensifies. Let me remind you that it is advisable for the Israeli authorities and their subordinates to strictly comply with international law and conventions. It could prove unwise, to say the least, for a small state as Israel is, and which needs the support of the international community, to take the superpower model as guideline for itself. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Apr 4 01:46:15 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] In the midst of increasing escalation Message-ID: <3E8CD5D7.7337.30E519B@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// April 3, 2003 [In the midst of increasing escalation, there in Iraq but also here in Israel/Palestine what can one do but continue to protest, rebuild, refuse and cry out.] [] Saturday-demonstration against The Wall - joint protest tent to be erected [] 16 houses demolished - rebuilding activity also Saturday [] Tomorrow Friday, CO-solidarity vigil harrassed last week: needs support Four more COs to go to prison [] "Dress rehearsal in Tulkarm" - Gush Shalom ad [] Avnery on retroactive terrorists and embedded journalists \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Saturday-demonstration against the wall - joint protest tent to be erected ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 13:16:02 +0200 From: Bat Shalom עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org Demonstration Against the Apartheid Wall  Join Us! The residents of Salfit area invite you to join themin their struggle against the expropriation of thousands of dunamsin favor of the construction of the apartheid wall and expansion of settlements in the area. The first action in their campaign against the wall will be a demonstration that will take place this Saturday the 5th of April at 10:00 AM.  Transportation: 8:00 Jerusalem - Binyanei Hauma 9:00 Tel Aviv - Habima 9:10 Tel Aviv - North Train Station (El Al Terminal)  Starting Saturday a protest tent will be set up by the villagers in cooperation with Israeli and international activists. Activists who are interested in joining the protest tent during day and/or sleeping there at night please contact Ronen: 03-5180658 or ronen@indymedia.org.il  For further information: Bat Shalom 02-5631477, 02-5632622 The Alternative Information Center 02-6241424, 02-6241159 Ronni 054-700640  Further information will be disseminated soon. [] 16 houses demolished - rebuilding activity also Saturday ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 17:56:41 +0300 From: Fred Schlomka  Today the Israeli authorities destroyed 16 homes in the Jerusalem area including houses in Sur Baha ir and the Shawamreh family home in Anata where ICAHD and the Rebuilding Campaign have been Building. This is the 4th demolition of the Shawamreh home.  We will rebuild the Shawamreh home again - immediately  If the families in Sur Bahair are willing - we will rebuild there also immediately  This Saturday we were planning to continue finishing the Shawamreh home and plant trees in their garden. Now we will plan to clear the site and prepare it for another (the fifth) house.  The Israeli Government and the IDF have been escalating house demolitions in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Show your opposition to these violations of human rights by helping to rebuild.  When: Saturday, April 5th  Where: Anata, East Jerusalem  TRANSPORTATION: * Transportation from JERUSALEM will leave from the parking lot of Gan HaPa'amon (Liberty Bell Park), next to the gas station, at 9:00 AM.  * Transportation from TEL AVIV will leave at 9:00 AM from the Northern Train Station.  Lunch will be provided. The action will be cancelled in the event of rain   Contact Fred Schlomka 056-875-893 for more details On Saturday morning contact Victoria 053 440 -517 (Jerusalem transport only)  Please respond by email to confirm your attendance so we know how many buses to arrange [] Tomorrow Friday, CO-solidarity vigil harrassed last week: needs support Four more COs to go to prison ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Anat Matar" / neta_rotem@yahoo.com [combined of two messages] Next weeknew draft resisters will join their friends in the military prisons: Yoel Perlman, Rotem Ronen, Mel Bergman and Tal Manor. Sunday morning at 7.15 the Shiministim group will meet in front of the Tel Hashomer Induction Base (Bakum) to accompany the first two to the gate. (Details Noa Kaufmann 055-841553)  Last week the "CO-Parents Vigil" in front of the house of Finkelstein was harrassed by violentLikkud supporters. Therefore: Join us tomorrow - we, too, are not going to give up!  Tomorrow,4 April, at 14:30. Address: 12 Halevi St., Petach Tikva.  How to get there: Driving through Jabotinsky St. and passing the Rabin (Beilinson) Hospital, turn right into Yitzhak Sade St. (second light after the hospital). The street changes names to Trumpeldor and then Ha'nessiim. At the roundabout turn right into Halevi St.  Tel Aviv meeting point: El Al Terminal, 14:00 (for car owners with empty seats and car-less supporters.) [] "Dress rehearsal in Tulkarm" - Gush Shalom ad [עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר] Gush Shalom ad in Ha'aretz, April 4, 2003. TULKARM: DRESS REHEARSAL In Tulkarm, IDF officers have deported about 2000 men from their homes and left them in the open air. Each one of them had to find shelter on his own. Colonel David, commander of the Ephraim brigade, took responsibility for the action, but there can be no doubt that he acted on orders from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff. It looks like a dress rehearsal for "transfer", an army training exercise for mass expulsion. The IDF generals exploit the opportunity, when the eyes of the world are turned towards Iraq, in order to intensify their war against the Palestinian people. On the Road Map of Sharon, Mofaz and Ya'alon, there is only one direction: Palestinians Out! Where is the voice of the Israeli conscience? Gush Shalom protests against the decision of Israeli Cable TV to drop BBC World. This is clearly a political act. Join the campaign to compel them to put it back. Sign the undertaking to leave Cable TV and use other TV outlets. Details: www.gush-shalom.org/bbc. Help us to publish ads checks to: P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033,  [] Avnery on retroactive terrorists and embedded journalists [עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר] A Crooked Mirror Uri Avnery, 2.4.03 [This is a continuation of Avnery's Iraq War series; for earlier parts go to http://www.gush- shalom.org ] # Read the Bible. George Bush, we are told, is a deeply religious person, and so is his yeoman, Tony Blair. It is a pity that they do not read the Bible more. One of the most beautiful Hebrew sentences can be found in I Kings XX. When he threatened Israel, the King of Syria boasted of his mighty army and demanded surrender. King Ahab replied with four immortal Hebrew words, rendered thus in English: "Let not him that girdeth on (his harness) boast himself as he that putteth it off." # Retroactive Terrorists. Schoolbooks in dozens of languages must now be rewritten. The old books said that the men and women of the French resistance in World War II were heroes. These civilians went out in the night to bomb German trains, kill German soldiers and execute collaborators. The instructions came from London. They knew that if they were caught, they would undergo gruesome tortures and be put to death. American and British movies sang their praise. The Russian partisans, whose slogan was "Death to the Invader!" made the life of the German soldiers hell. The partisans were hanged in droves. The original guerillas – for whom this Spanish word meaning "little war" was coined – attacked Napoleon's soldiers. Goya immortalized them in his magnificent painting. A whole generation of Israeli children was taught to admire the Irgun and Stern Group fighters, all civilians, of course, who blew up the installations of the British army and killed its soldiers. It appears now that they were all vile terrorists. # Presstitution. In the Middle Ages, armies were accompanied by large numbers of prostitutes. In the Iraq war, the American and British armies are accompanied by large numbers of journalists. I coined the Hebrew equivalent of "presstitution" when I was the editor of an Israeli newsmagazine, to denote the journalists who turn the media into whores. Physicians are bound by the Hippocratic oath to save life as far as possible. Journalists are bound by professional honor to tell the truth, as they see it. Never before have so many journalists betrayed their duty as in this war. Their original sin was their agreement to be "embedded" in army units. This American term sounds like being put to bed, and that is what it amounts to in practice. A journalist who lies down in the bed of an army unit becomes a voluntary slave. He is attached to the commander's staff, led to the places the commander is interested in, sees what the commander wants him or her to see, is turned away from the places the commanders does not want him to see, hears what the my wants him to hear and does not hear what the army does not want him to hear. He is worse than an official army spokesman, because he pretends to be an independent reporter. The problem is not that he only sees a small piece of the grand mosaic of the war, but that he transmits a mendacious view of that piece. In the Falklands and the first Gulf wars, journalists were simply not allowed to reach the campaign area. It seems that a bright fellow at the Pentagon had an idea: "Why keep them out? Let's allow them in, they'll be told what to write and broadcast and eat out of our hands like puppies." # Shame. Since the age of 19, I have been a journalist. I was always proud of it. On innumerable forms I wrote "Profession: Journalist." I am ashamed when I see a large group of journalists from all over the world sitting in front of a many-starred general, listening eagerly to what is called a "briefing" and not posing the simplest relevant question. And when a courageous reporter does stand up and ask a real question, no one protests when the general responds with banal propaganda slogans instead of giving a real answer. Remember the virtual surrender of the Iraqi 51st division? The "uprising" of the people of Basra that never was? The thousand and one other lies, that have gone with the wind? Where were the journalists when all this happened? Almost all the journalistic reports of this war are a crooked mirror. We see in it a manipulated, distorted and mendacious picture. Therefore, praise be to the few who, like Peter Arnett, are ready to sacrifice their career on the altar of truth. # The bottom of the barrel. I am ashamed of being a journalist. I am doubly ashamed of being an Israeli journalist. In this war, all sections of the Israeli media have sunk to a new low. No criticism at all get s published. The opponents of the war have effectively been silenced. Even in the American media, some voices of dissent are being heard. In Israel, this is not possible. It would be worse than treason. The only exception I know of is the TV reporter San Semama, who stole into Iraq, was caught by the Americans, imprisoned in a jeep and starved for 48 hours. He saw what was really happening. Parts of his reports were published here and there, and then the curtain of silence came down. All the rest – journalists, pundits, the bunch of ex-officers and so on – appear on our screens, hour after hour, and repeat like parrots the American propaganda-line, even when it is manifestly ridiculous. # Toy soldiers. I am especially allergic to "military correspondents". They are indeed a unique human species, the ultimate he-men, the ultimate soldiers. They are also ridiculous frauds. I saw them first in our 1948 war, when I was a combat soldier. When we were lying in the mud and crawling among the thorns, from time to time we saw such a "soldier", clean shaven, in a fresh uniform, wearing a helmet and radiating all the martial virtues. These were the military correspondents, attached to brigade headquarters, associating with senior officers, far from the front line. (I really shouldn't complain. When I published my combat-diary after the war it became a run-away bestseller overnight – simply because not one of these toy soldiers was able to write an authentic book about the war.) # The theater of operations. I read somewhere that the briefing room of General Tommy Franks was created by a professional designer for a quarter of a million dollars. The American army does invest a lot of money in designing this theater. I assume that much bigger sums are paid to the professional designers who shape the public appearances of President Bush. One should pay attention to the scenery – much more interesting than George W.'s words. For some months now, Bush is almost always seen against a background of soldiers. The stage designer sees to it that the soldiers are all around the President, so that from any photo angle the admiring faces shine behind him. A few days ago, the designers achieved a special effect: behind the President there stood a white Coast Guard ship, with red-uniformed sailor tastefully dispersed on it in photogenic groups. Other sailors were in front and on either side of the President. No scene from opera could have been better arranged. I would not have been surprised if the President had started to render an aria. But he only uttered his usual inanities. # The Great Patriotic War. When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin understood that the Russian people would not lay down their lives for Marxism-Leninism. Overnight he changed his message. Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Field Marshal Suvorov and Prince Kutuzov were resurrected in order to win the masses for what was officially named the Great Patriotic War. Saddam Hussein does it now. He calls upon his people to stand up and kill the invaders – not in the name of the Ba'ath party (whose founders were Christians) but in the name of Allah and the Muslim homeland. -- Join the fight to bring the BBC back to the Israeli screens. More details: http://www.gush-shalom.org/bbc -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English- language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Apr 6 02:52:40 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: (Fwd) American Peace Activist Shot by Israeli Tank Message-ID: <3E8F8868.17234.8CA6F5@localhost> The following was apparently not an "accident"; nor "collateral damage" and may just be the result of trigger happiness. Fortunately, Brian doesn't seem to be anymore in life danger. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Michael Shaik" Date sent: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 06:53:54 +1000 Subject: American Peace Activist Shot by Israeli Tank Today at about 6.30 pm Brian Avery, 24, of New Mexico was shot in the face by a burst of machine gun fire from an Israeli Armoured Personnel Carrier. The circumstances surrounding his injury are as follows: Today the Israeli army of occupation operating in the Jenin area imposed its second day of curfew on the people of the city. Groups of young men and boys continued their resistance to the curfew by venturing out onto the streets to throw stones at tanks and other military vehicles. At about 6.30 pm Brian and another ISM activist were at the ISM’s Jenin headquarters when they heard the sound of gunfire coming from the centre of the city, about two blocks away. They left the apartment to investigate and had traveled about a hundred metres when they arrived at a major crossroad and saw two armoured personnel carriers advancing towards them at low speed. There were no Palestinians on the streets in the area, armed or otherwise. At the sight of the armoured vehicles both activists stood still and raised their hands above their heads. When the first armoured personnel carrier was 50 metres from them it fired a burst of machine gun fire (an estimated 15 rounds) at the ground in front of them so that they were sprayed by a shower of broken bullets and stones. Tobias, Brian’s companion, leapt aside. He had fled about three steps when he looked back to see Brian lying face down on the road in a pool of blood. Tobias and Brian were then joined by four other ISM activists who had arrived at the scene of the shooting by a different route. All six of them rushed to help him as the two armoured vehicles rolled past without stopping. He was conscious but when he raised himself from the ground they saw that his left cheek has been almost totally shot off. The activists then performed first aid on him and phoned for an ambulance which took him to the Martyr Doctor Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin where he was treated for shrapnel wounds to his face including bone fractures below the eyes, lacerations of the tongue and lacerations of his left cheek. A specialist was called in to examine his injuries and recommended that he be transferred immediately to a hospital in Afula in Israel but his departure was delayed because the Israeli military refused to grant his ambulance safe passage for more than an hour. >From Afula Brian was transported to a hospital in Haifa by helicopter. Under the Israeli Army’s own rules of engagement soldiers are not permitted to fire warning shots with mounted weapons. They may fire warning shots with light hand held weapons and must aim away from the people they are warning When he was shot Brian was wearing a fluorescent red vest with a reflective white cross on its back and front. For further information contact: Tobiason: 057 836 527 or 067 437 690 or Lasseon: 059 386 896 From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Apr 6 03:27:44 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [fwd] Avnery on Road Map In-Reply-To: <3E8F0234.15673.B023C8@localhost> Message-ID: <3E8F90A0.6522.ACC358@localhost> ----------forwarded message follows----------- From: "Uri Avnery" Date sent: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 16:20:04 +0200 Hi, Hope you find it interesting. Salamaat, Shalom, uri Uri Avnery 5.4.03 A Road Map to Nowhere Or: Much Ado About Nothing This could have been an important document, I F – I F all the parties really wanted to achieve a fair compromise. I F Sharon and Co. were really prepared to give back the occupied territories and dismantle the settlements. I F the Americans were willing to exert serious pressure on Israel. I F there were a president in Washington like Dwight Eisenhower, who did not give a damn about Jewish votes and donations. I F George Bush were convinced that the Road Map serves his interests, instead of being a bone to throw to his British poodle. I F Tony Blair thought that it serves his interests, instead of being a crumb to throw to his domestic rivals. I F the United Nations had any real power. I F Europe had any real power. I F Russia had any real power. I F my grandmother had wheels. All these Ifs belong to an imaginary world. Therefore, nothing will come from all the talking about this document. The embryo is dead in the womb of its mother, the Quartet. In spite of this, let's try to treat the matter in all seriousness. Is this a good document? Could it be helpful, if all the Ifs were realistic? In order to answer this seriously, one has to distinguish between the declared objectives and the road that is supposed to lead to them. The objectives are very positive. They are identical with the aims of the Israeli peace movement: an end to the occupation, the establishment of the independent State of Palestine side-by-side with the State of Israel, Israeli- Palestinian and Israeli-Syrian peace, the integration of Israel in the region. In this respect, the Road Map goes further than the Oslo agreement. In the Oslo "Declaration of Principles" there was a giant hole: it did not spell out what was to come after the long interim stages. Without a clear final aim, the interim stages had no clear purpose. Therefore the Oslo process died with Yitzhaq Rabin. The Road Map confirms that there now exists a worldwide consensus about these objectives. This fact will remain even if nothing comes out of it. Those of us who remember that only 35 years ago there were hardly a handful of people in the world who believed in this vision can draw profound satisfaction from this Road Map. It shows that we have won the struggle for world public opinion. But let's not exaggerate: in this document, too, there is a gaping hole in the definition of the aims. It does not say what the borders of the future Palestinian State should be, neither explicitly nor implicitly. The Green Line is not even mentioned. That by itself is enough to invalidate the whole structure. Ariel Sharon talks about a Palestinian state in 40% of the "territories" – equivalent to less than 9% of Palestine under the British Mandate. Does anyone believe that this will bring peace? When we pass from poetry to prose, from the mountaintop of the aims to the road that is supposed to get us there, the warning signs become more and more frequent. This is a perilous road with many curves and obstacles. Even a very brave athlete would shudder at the thought of having to run this course. The road is divided into phases. In every phase the parties must fulfil certain obligations. At the end of each phase the Quartet must decide whether the obligations have been completely fulfilled, before entering the next one. At the end, the hoped-for peace will come, God willing. Even if all the parties were imbued with goodwill, it would be extremely difficult. When David Lloyd-George, as British Prime Minister, decided to end the British occupation of Ireland, he observed that one cannot cross an abyss in two jumps. The initiators of the Road Map propose, in effect, to cross the Israeli-Palestinian abyss in many small hops. First question: who is this "Quartet" that has to decide at every point whether the two parties have fulfilled their obligations, and a new phase can be entered? At first glance, there is a balance between the four players: the United Nations, the United States, Europe and Russia. It is rather like a commercial arbitration: each side appoints one arbitrator, and the two arbitrators together choose a third one. Judgement is reached by majority decision and is binding on both parties. This could work. The United States are close to Israel, Europe and Russia are acceptable to the Palestinians. The UN representative would have the casting vote. Not at all. According to the document, the Quartet must take all decisions unanimously. The Americans have a veto, which means that Sharon has a veto. Without his agreement, nothing can be decided. Need more be said? Second question: When will it end? Well, there is no clear-cut timetable for passing from one phase to the next. The document vaguely mentions several vague dates, but they are difficult to take seriously. The first phase should have started in October, 2002, and come to a close in May 2003. In the real world, the Map will be shown to the Israelis and the Palestinians for the first time in May, and only then will the serious haggling begin. Nobody can foresee when the implementation of the first phase will actually begin. And in the meantime… It should be remembered: in the Oslo agreements many dates were fixed, and almost all of them were missed (generally by the Israeli side). As the good Rabin declared: "There are no sacred dates." Third question: Is there any kind of balance between the obligations on the two parties? The answer must be "no". In the first phase, the Palestinians must stop the armed Intifada, establish close security cooperation with the Israelis and recognize Israel's right to exist in peace and security. They must also appoint an "empowered" Prime Minister (meaning, in effect, the neutralization of the elected president, Yasser Arafat) and start the drafting of a constitution that will meet with the approval of the Quartet. What must Israel do at the same time? It must enable Palestinian officials (note: officials. This does not apply to the rest of the population) to move from place to place, improve the humanitarian situation, stop attacks on civilians and the demolition of homes and pay the Palestinians the money due to them. Also, it will dismantle "settlement outposts" erected since Sharon came to power, in violation of the government's guidelines. Who will decide to whom this applies? There is also no mention of freezing settlement activity in this phase. Does anyone believe that Prime Minister Abu Mazen could put an end to Hamas and Jihad attacks without any political quid pro quo at all, and while the settlements keep expanding? After this phase, the Palestinians must reform their institutions, create a constitution "based on strong parliamentary democracy" (they will not be allowed to have an American presidential system, for fear of Arafat retaining some powers). Only then, "as comprehensive security performance moves forward", the Israeli army will "withdraw progressively from areas occupied since September 28, 2000". Not immediately, not in one withdrawal, but bit by bit, "progressively". Not from areas B and C, but only from area A. They will be where they were before the present Intifada. (There is an old Jewish joke about a family that complains about being crowded together in one room. The rabbi advises them to bring in a goat, too. Later, when the family complains that life has become intolerable, the rabbi tells them to take the goat out again. Suddenly they feel that they have a lot of space. This time the Israeli army is told to remove the goat, but the Palestinians are told to remove father and mother.) After all this, the next phase will start; the Palestinians will adopt their constitution and hold free elections, the Egyptians and Jordanians will send their ambassadors back to Israel and the Israeli government will, at last, freeze settlement activity. The next phase will focus on the "possible" creation of an independent Palestinian state with "provisional borders". So, long after all attacks have been stopped, there will be an "option" of creating a Palestinian state in Area A, a tiny part of what used to be Palestine. According to the Roadmap, this should happen by the end of 2003, but it is clear that, if at all, this will come about much later. It is also stated that "further action on settlements" will be a part of the process. What does this mean? Not the dismantling of a single settlement, not even the most remote and isolated one. After all this comes about, the Quartet will decide (again: unanimously - only with the agreement of the Americans) that the time has come for negotiations aimed at a "permanent status agreement", hopefully in 2005, including discussion of items such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements. If Sharon or his successor want it, there will be an agreement. In not, then not. The truth is, in this whole document there is not one word that Sharon could not accept. After all, with the help of Bush he can torpedo any step at any time. To sum up: Much Ado about Nothing. As evidenced by the fact that neither Sharon nor the settlers are upset. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Apr 6 23:18:27 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (info@gush-shalom.org) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: (fwd) "Not a pacifist - just a disobedient soldier?" Yoni Ben Artzi's Bagatz Message-ID: <3E90A7B3.14094.F4BA34@localhost> xxxxxxxxxxxx The army says: Yoni Ben Artzi is not a pacifist, but just a soldier refusing orders. Ben Artzi appeals to the Supreme Court: Not up to army to judge a civilian who refuses to be a soldier. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tuesday, April 8, at 8 a.m. high profile Supreme Court hearing in the Jonathan Ben-Artzi case; representatives of international human rights organizations to be present. Israelis VERY much invited to be there too. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Matania Ben-Artzi Dear Friends, The Israeli Supreme Court (3 Justices, presided by Aharon Barak, President of the Court) will hear Yoni's appeal on Tuesday, April 8, at 8 a.m. Yoni is represented by Adv. Avigdor Feldmann and Adv, Michael Sfard. Reminder: The appeal asked for the case to be commuted to a civilian court, since Yoni, as the other young conscientious objectors, has never enlisted as a soldier. Thus, the fundamental question is the PERSONAL STATUS (civilian? soldier?) of these objectors, a question too heavy and too basic to be considered by a military court (in a democratic country...). Furthermore, the refusal to enlist is based on moral and conscientios convictions. These are issues of faith, naturally outside the narrow mandate of a military court. The reply by the State (in the name of the Attorney General Rubinstein) was brief : Yoni is a "soldier" from the very minute (August 8, 2002) he showed up at the Induction Center. Since then he has constantly refused to "obey orders", hence only the Military Court is empowered to deal with him (it is added , in the reply by the AG, that "refusal to obey orders" doesn't exist as a crime in the civil code, hence is not prosecutable in a civilian court...). The Media (Israeli and foreign press, radio and TV ) will be heavily represented, due to the high interest in the fundamental issues involved in the case. In addition, many foreign observers, representing Human Rights organizations, have already confirmed their arrival. Among them we mention Mr. Andreas Speck of WRI (London) , Mr. Nicolas Brahy (FIDH, Paris) and representatives of Amnesty International. Let us hope that, this time, the Supreme Court will not succumb to the Military Administration, as it has unfortunately done so many times in recent years. With best regards Ofra and Matania Ben-Artzi. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Apr 9 00:17:35 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Gaza, scene of extremes Message-ID: <3E93588F.30033.2D20ACB@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release April 8, 2003 Another daylight missile liquidation on the busy streets of Gaza; another militant on the unending wanted list of the Sharon government who got a death penalty without trial, and aat least four others, who happened to be nearby, got killed as well. What Big Brother America does in the War Against Iraq, that the Sharon government does without it even being called the War Against Palestine. But that's what it is anyway: this is part of Sharon's series of provocations to premempt any initiative towards the two- state solution. That solution Sharon wants never to happen. Therefore - before Abu Mazen gets a chance to form a government, and before any 'Roadmap' is officially tabled - he needs the terrorist ping-pong to capture center stage again. We already intended to send you the incredible report about ISM's nonviolent action of yesterday -- in the Gaza Strip. And we add the translation of an article by Ma'ariv journalist Billie Moskona- Lerman who as a "French journalist" spent 24 hours with the ISM Gaza team - after one of them, the 23-year old American human shield activist Rachel Corrie, was flattened by a bulldozer. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "ghassan_andoni" Rafah: The Battle of Tel Zorab Yesterday in Rafah 11 ISM activists (from England, Scotland, the US and Italy) engaged in a major confrontation with the Occupying Israeli Army operating in the south of the Gaza Strip. At 5 pm the activists were having a meeting at the ISM Rafah headquarters when they received word that armoured bulldozers were demolishing Palestinian homes in the Tel Zorab area. Immediately, they broke up the meeting before scrambling to gather their equipment (fluorescent clothing, megaphones and banners) before piling into a large taxi. When they arrived at Tel Zorab they found a large group of Palestinians who were peering around the corners of buildings to watch the bulldozers at work and carefully avoiding exposing themselves to fire from the tank that accompanied the bulldozers or the military towers from which snipers dominate Rafah's border areas. Unfurling their banners the group approached the area of the where the bulldozers were operating to the cheers of the Palestinians. Leaving their Palestinian supporters behind, the activists found two bulldozers working together to tear down a Palestinian home. The bulldozers were accompanied by a tank, which, upon seeing the activists, immediately began firing its machine gun into the air and at the rubble of a building that had already been destroyed. Leaving a couple of activists behind to film and monitor the situation, the remainder advanced cautiously as the tank continued to fire into the air and at nearby buildings so that on a few occasions the activists were showered with shrapnel. Undaunted, the activists continued their advanced upon the war machines until they came close enough for the tank's crew to hurl sound grenades at them. At this point the activists called the ISM Media Office who began to alert their consulates of their situation. During the course of the confrontation the British Consulate was called twice and responded by alerting the Israelis of that there were British nationals in the area and later, when the situation escalated, by demanding that their status as unarmed peace activists be respected. The Italian Consulate was closed and the Media Office was unable to contact any duty officers. The Duty Officer at the US Consulate was hostile but told the Media Coordinator that he would phone the US activists at Tel Zorab. When the conflict escalated and the US activists told me that they had not been contacted I phoned the Consular Agent in Haifa who informed me that, if they were being shot at by Israelis, then it was the Israelis with whom they had an issue and that I should phone them. I told him that they had asked me to pass on a request that he phone them and it was his job to protect US nationals. The latter point did not seem to have occurred to him before but he still insisted that he was under no obligation to phone them but did agree to talk to them if they phone him. When I relayed this information to the American activists they contacted him only to be told that he would do nothing to help them and would not even inform the Israeli military of their presence in this area. The reason he gave for his refusal was that the activists had forfeited their rights as US citizens to consular protection by ignoring US State Department travel advice against going to the Occupied Territories. When the activists began to block one of the bulldozers in its demolition work, the driver got out the vehicle and told them to leave the area since this was his land, not theirs and they had no business being there. They replied that this was not his land and that they were civilians in a civilian area and it was he, as a soldier, who had no business being there. The driver then got back in his vehicle and attempted to resume his work but was blocked by four activists who stood in his path. A battle of nerves then took place as the bulldozer drove very close to the activists who stood their ground until he withdrew. This happened several times until the driver gave up and pulled back so that the tank could fire its machine gun over their heads before one of its crew opened a hatch and threw a tear gas canister. Unfortunately (for the tank crew) he had misjudged the wind direction so that the gas blew back into their tank. Meanwhile, the bulldozer had approached the house it was trying to destroy from another direction but was blocked by four other activists who stood in its path, with their backs towards the partially destroyed house. The British Consulate then informed the activists that they had received word from the Israelis that they intended to arrest the activists. Shortly thereafter an Armoured Personnel Carrier arrived on the scene and the activists positioned themselves so that they could easily withdraw towards the Palestinian areas. (Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip are generally terrified of the Palestinian resistance fighters and almost never venture out of there armoured vehicles. There are many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have lived all their lives under occupation and with tanks roaming their streets but have never seen an Israeli soldier.) After the tank had created a smokescreen several soldiers in full combat gear rushed out of the APC and towards the activists who quickly withdrew so that the soldiers ran back into the APC without capturing any of them. At this point an enormous explosion occurred as a rocket was fired from the Zorab tower into an abandoned Palestinian home. The APC then began firing its machine gun at the feet of the activists as another bulldozer tried to resume its work before being blocked by a group of activists. Once again the bulldozer driver approached within inches of the activists before stopping. The bulldozer driver then began blowing his horn in a musical manner and then wrote down his phone number and held it to the windscreen while pointing at one of the female activists. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers in the APC rushed out to arrest the activists but failed again as the activists withdrew towards the Palestinians. When the soldiers withdrew to the APC the activists resumed their positions. At one point one of the tank's crew climbed out of the top of the tank and tried to tackle one of the Italian activists but only succeeded in partially pulling off his trousers before he escaped. As the soldier fled back into tank, its machine gun fired into the windows of some Palestinian houses to cover him. (At no point were there any members of the Palestinian resistance in the area.) At about 7 pm it began to get dark and the armoured vehicles began to withdraw. They were "covered" in their retreat by another rocket fired from Zorab tower which hit a nearby house and showered the activists with rocks. The activists then left the area to by welcomed by the Palestinian spectators who cheered them and shook their hands. This was the first action the Rafah ISM team has undertaken to prevent home demolitions since the murder of their comrade Rachel Corrie in a similar incident three weeks before. For further information contact: Joe on +972 67 628 507 or Tom on +972 52 694 380 ============================================ Ma'ariv - weekend supplement 28/3/03. [Soon to appear in Hebrew and English on the Gush Shalom website] I was a human shield By Billie Moskona-Lerman The death of human rights activist Rachel Corrie, crushed to death while trying to stop an IDF bulldozer, was reason for Billie Moskona-Lerman to go to the Rafah Refugee Camp and to spend 24 hours at the most miserable place in the Gaza Strip. A place where shooting never stops, where shells whistle by the windows, the walls are covered with bloodstains on the walls, houses turn into ruins and people walk the streets barefooted and desperate. She came back a different person. In a rare human document she describes her encounter with death. With the above words, the weekend supplement of Ma'ariv newspaper (28/3/03) introduced to its readers a report, giving a glimpse of Palestinian daily life which is very rare in the mainstream Israeli press. I visited hell and I came back in one piece. It happened on the night between Thursday and Friday last week [March 20-21] when I accompanied Joe and Laura, two 20-year old human rights activists, in acting as a human shield facing the IDF. When they asked me do I join in and I answered "yes", I did not fully realize what I was getting myself into. It was my first experience under fire: so close to death, so anonymous, my life so easily abandoned in somebody else's hands. Never did I feel so weak, so defenceless. I did say "I am coming" and we set out. It was 7.30 PM. we walked through the main street of Rafah, a town which is in fact just a big refugee camp. We walked in darkness, through ruins, pot-holes and puddles, torn bits of nylon and plastic, barbed wire and piles of rubbish. Here and there some stores were open. Groups of young boys were walking around us, shouting "Sa'lam Aleikum, Sa'lam Aleikum". Suddenly, one of them picked up a stone and threw it at us. It flew through the air and fell near us. Joe and Laura were not very disturbed. "We represent for them the American culture which they hate" said Laura. I vaguely knew that we were walking towards Rafah's border with Egypt. We walked towards the last house in the last row of Rafah houses. The home of Muhammad Jamil Kushta. At a certain stage, after ten minutes of fast walking in empty alleys, we went aside into a long and narrow alley at whose end I could see a big pillar. When we came near I could see it was a tall guard tower. When we came near the tower, Joe and Laura raised their hands high and signalled to me to do the same. I did as they asked and walked towards the IDF guard tower with my hands high above my head, walking quickly - but not too quickly - through the empty alley. Our clothing was fluorescent orange, with silver strips to make it even more conspicuous in the night. Joe held a big megaphone in one hand and a big phosphorescent sheet in the other. 20 metres from the tower we could see, even in the utter darkness, that we were facing a major fortification - an Israeli strong point at the exact border between Rafah and Egypt. A few steps before the tower Laura abruptly pushed me into a small, dark entrance and whispered "Quick, it's here". I went over the doorstep, feeling the way with my foot, with the eyes gradually getting used to the sight of of high, dark corridor. Five steps, and my brow hit strongly against a concrete block. Passing under it, I went up ten wining stairs at whose end was a door. A short ring and the door opened to reveal the smiling face of Muhammad Kushta. Standing in the door, smiling back, I felt relieved that the damned walking was over and that we got to somewhere looking like a hospitable house. I did not realize what kind of night was waiting for me. I had not the slightest idea. Muhammad Jamil Kushta, whose house we have come to defend, opened the door to see two young human rights activists who had been spending the nights in his home for the past few weeks, plus a woman introducing herself as a french journalist. The French journalist was me, at that moment nobody knew I was actually an Israeli from Tel Aviv. "Tfatdal, Tfatdal" he said as he opened the door, the greeting joined by his young wife Nora holding little Nancy in her hands. It was already a quarter past eight when we all sat down on the floor by the little heater when suddenly it started. A noise which to my ear sounded very very close, a rolling noise, an ear-shattering noise, a noise which sounded like hell. It was the first time that night that the house came under fire, and the first time for me to be under fire. I started shaking. My entire body was shaking. The noise was rolling by my ears like a series of giant fireballs. Shooting, shooting, shooting. I understood this is how an encounter with death looks like. With the first burst Jamil moved his tea glass slightly. Up and down, up and down. Nora held Nancy tightly. Joe and Laura went to the baby Ibasan who slept in the corner and her brother the young Jamil and crouched over them. It lasted half an hour, and for an hour and half afterwards my body was till shaking. But I did not yet realize it was just the beginning. I watched Jamil without words and he said: "I goes on like this every night. For two and a half years". "What are they shooting at?" I asked. "In the air" he shrugged. "Why?" "Out of fear" he said simply. "They are also afraid, alone there in the dark. They are very young". "Why aren't you taking your children elsewhere, away from here?" I asked after getting my voice under control. "I have no money" he answered. "I have no money for another house, every penny I had was invested in these walls, and I got into debt even so". A Dangerous Game It is not by chance that over the past few weeks, Laura and Joe are spending their nights in Jamil's house. It is the last house in the row of houses fronting the Egyptian border. Some twenty metres from this house, perhaps less, the IDF built a high fortification, destroyed all houses to the right and left and stationed guns, tanks and mortars targetting the city. That is why Laura and Joe are sleeping over in Jamil's home. This is the next house in line to be demolished. There is no way for Jamil and the human rights activists to know in advance when the army would come at this house with tanks or D-9 bulldozers - and it will be the job of Laura and Joe to try preventing the IDF from approaching the house. Laura and Joe are members of ISM, International Solidarity Movement, a group of human rights activists who oppose the Israeli occupation through direct non-violent action. They are young, politically motivated university graduates - very extreme and determined pacifists. Their purpose is to prevent the army from harming civilians. Every night, with the beginning of the curfew, they are spreading in Palestinian homes on the first row, which are exposed to shooting from the military positions . They wear phosphorescent clothing and megaphones. In the midst of firing, or in the face of IDF bulldozers, they emerge to call out in English the text of international conventions and block the soldiers when they come in, shoot, bomb or demolish homes. Until a week ago it worked. They were calling out, warning, shouting, blocked the bulldozers with their bodies - and the army turned back. On Sunday, March 17, all bets were off. What happened found its way to the media of the entire world, caused a storm. A young woman, human rights activist, was killed by an IDF bulldozer which ran over her. Her name was Rachel Corrie, she was 23 years old, and Joe Smith recorded her last moments. He saw her facing the bulldozer, as was her habit, trying to establish contact with the soldier driving it. A second later she was not visible any more. A cat and mouse game is how members of the human rights group call the dangerous game they are playing with the IDF D-9 bulldozers. When a bulldozer approaches a house marked for destruction, they sit down in their phosphorescent clothing on the mound of earth carried on the giant bulldozer extended front, addressing by megaphone the soldier behind the windows of opaque, reinforced glass. Standing on the front of the bulldozer requires maintaining a very delicate balance, and there comes a moment when you can overturn and fall off. Until the day Rachel was killed, the soldiers did not push things to far. They would always stop and turn back one minute before this could happen. But on that Sunday, the soldier driving the bulldozer did not stop at the critical moment, and Rachel was killed. Joe Smith's photos document, stage by stage, Rachel's folding into death. Like a big strong bird which flies in the sky, gets a blow, squeezes itself and slowly falls down to become a small crumpled heap on the ground. Here is a photo of Rachel standing determined in front of the bulldozer, here she stands on the mound of earth. And here she disappears, she lies on the ground, her mouth open as if trying to say something, Alice crouches over her (later, Alice would quote what she said with her last strength: "My back is broken"), she draws in her two legs, the body lies like a lifeless sack. Rachel is dead. After her death Rachel became a Shaheed (martyr). From all over the world, media was called upon to interview the group of young people, which had numbered eight and is now reduced to seven. So it was that I also arrived there. A short phone call from my editor, a contact person at the Erez Checkpoint, a taxi, a Palestinian photographer from Gaza, and an emphatic instruction from the contact person: "Nobody must know that you are an Israeli. >From now on, you are a French journalist - period". A bad death I lived with the group for 24 hours. Crazy hours, very frightening, hours of fear and apprehension in which I felt at my nerve endings, a wildly beating heart and wet underwear. I understood what it means to live with death for 24 hours a day. A bad death. With guns, tanks and bulldozers targetting your home, your bedroom, your kitchen, your balcony, your living room. No way of defending yourself, nowhere to run to. At mdnight in Jamil's home, facing the shooting tanks and feeling that these may really be my last moments, I decided to open my cards. I threw aside the instructions not to expose myself because of Hamas and Tanzim and all the others who may murder me at a moment's notice. With a feeling of profound finality I suddenly said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I must tell you the truth. I am an Israeli journalist from Tel Aviv. There was a moment's silence, then Jamil smiled and started speaking in fluent Hebrew: "Welcome, Welcome, Ahalan Ve'sahalan [Arab greeting which became, part of colloquial Hebrew]. I lived for four years on Sokolov Street in Herzlia, I was the shawarma cutter in the Mifgash Ha'Sharon Restaurant. I have also worked on Abba Eban Street in Netanya and at the Hod Hotel in Herzlia Pituach. What I liked most was to eat cherry ice-cream at the Little Tel-Aviv Restaurant. Is it still open?" Rains of ammunition bullets came down on us on that one single night. A single night, for me. The shooting went on continuously from 1.30 to 4.15, near the first light. Only then it calmed down. My teeth did not stop chattering. "Its' verrry near" was the only thing I managed to say for four consecutive hours. Jamil and Nora, with their three babies, tried to calm me. "The soldiers know us, they know we're clear. You hear it so close, because they are shooting at the wall near us". "So they never hit your house itself?" I ask him with an enormous burst of hope. "Oh, sometimes they do. Look at the bullet holes". I raise my head and look to the sides. The ceiling is fool of holes, the side walls are cut up. So is the kitchen wall near the tap, near the table, in the toilet, one centimetre from the children's beds. Some of the holes have been filled up. Every night, once the shooting ends, Jamil closes the bullet holes with white cement. The walls are patchwork, and if you dare approach the window you can see that Jamil and Nora's home is surrounded by ruins on all sides. Everybody escaped, only he remained because of having no money to take his family away from here. The bullets are whistling and Jamil makes for his family salad and omelettes and bakes pita bread on a traditional tabun oven. The bullets whistle and we are eating. With a good appetite. We bend down whenever the shooting seems to come closer. It is incredible what human beings can get used to, I think. A week ago, Jamil took up a big black marking pen and wrote on a piece of cardboard: "Soldiers, don't shoot please. There are sleeping children here". He wrote in big Hebrew letters, and Rachel Corrie had climbed on the building's outer wall to hang it. Now Rachel's face appears on a Palestinian martyr's poster which hangs on the living room window. Jamil smiles sadly and tells me and my chattering teeth and my clenched hands and my widely beating heart: "What can we do? When Allah decides our time has come to die, we die. It is all in Allah's hands". It does not reassure me. A stranger among us 24 hours I had lived in the ruined and beleaguered city of Rafah. "Rafah Camp", as both inhabitants and internationals call it. Most of the time, the people which I met did not know I was Israeli. It is important to note this, because the words I heard and the conversations I conducted were not part of an Israeli- Palestinian pingpong. Nobody tried to accuse me, to convince me or to make me understand something which I did not understand before. As far as they were concerned, I was a European journalist. During these 24 hours I did things which could be described as taking a terrible, irresponsible risk, unfitting for a person my age. Still, I am glad I did it. I feel now that I am not the same person which I was before entering Rafah. A person can grow considerably older in just 24 hours. Now I also understand better the fascination war has for many men. No other human experience, however ecstatic, can make so much adrenalin flow through your veins. But I was mostly concerned trying to understand how it is to live there for more than one day. My trek had began in Tel-Aviv at 8.30 AM, with the nice friendly taxi driver Yehuda Gubali offering me water and a chewing gum as I got in. He was curious to know what I was looking for at the godforsaken Erez Checkpoint, on such a nice morning. I told him the truth: I was on my way to meet the ISM people. "Oh, I read in the paper about that girl who was killed, what's her name, and let me tell you the truth, I was glad she was killed. Who is that little busybody from America to come and interfere in our affairs? Standing on the bulldozer, really! no wonder she was run over. Let these people learn a lesson. Is this their country? " The sky was grey when I crossed alone the border crossing at Erez, after signing the Army Spokesman's document stating that I take full responsibility for my decision to cross and absolving the army from any responsibility for what may happen to me on the other side. I crossed past the last bunker, waved back to the soldiers, and stood near the rolls of barbed wire to wait for my Palestinian escort, Talal Abu Rahma. Abu Rahma has taken the photo which symbolizes the current intifada more than any other: the death of the child Muhammad Al-Dura in the arms of his father, during the exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and armed Palestinians. Nowadays, Abu Rahma is a very busy man who lives in Gaza and works for foreign networks. He is my official guide, and the first thing he says is: "From this moment, not a single Hebrew word. Even the photographer must not know that you are Israeli. From this moment you are a French journalist". With these words in mind I get into a car heading for Rafah Camp, an hour and half drive from Gaza. We race along the broken Gaza coastal road, in the direction of Khan Yuneis and Rafah. "You see these hotels and restaurants? Once they were all merry, full of life. Now everything is neglected, broken, abandoned". At the "Abu Huly" checkpoint, near the Gush Katif Israeli settlements, we stop. We wait for the soldiers' permission to proceed. Abu Rahame is an intensive person, i.e. nervous. He lights one cigarette with another. This IDF checkpoint must not be crossed by a car with less than three persons in. On both sides there are children waiting at the roadside. They take one shekel from drivers who take them in their car to fill up the required number, then on the other side they get another shekel from another driver to go the other way. This is their way of of surviving this collapsed economy. We wait. "Sometimes you have to wait here for three days. Depends on the situation". But this time, we get the permission after half an hour. We go through a beautiful, neglected road, lined by ancient eucalyptus trees. And then we are at Rafah Camp. A big, ruined place. You can hardly call this place, with 140,000 people, a city. Palestinians are unanimous that it is "the poorest, most miserable, most damaged place of all: 250 inhabitants killed in the Intifada, more than 400 houses destroyed. Half of those killed were children." When I enter the apartment used by "The Internationals" I start feeling that here, especially, I should not identify myself as Israeli. Israeliness, for these young people, represents the worst evil they know: demolition of homes, brutal killings, bulldozers, shooting, tanks, humiliations, hunger and poverty. The young people in the room are not quick to communicate with the French journalist which they think they are meeting. They are tired of the media, they have not yet completely come to terms with the death of their friend, they are not eager to answer questions and they don't particularly care that I have only two hours. I watch the nervously tapping foot of my escort. "Come back for me tomorrow" I suddenly ask him. After a short debate, in which I promise to take very much care of myself, he bids me goodbye with a disapproving look on his face. Joe Smith, the only member of the groups really willing to talk to me, offers to go together to the internet cafe a few steps away, and on the way he tells me how he had come to join the ISM. Seeping fear Smith is a 21-year old guy from Kansas City. While in high school he read a book about peace activists and became enthusiastic with the idea. In a political science course he met with Prof. Steve Naber, read Marx and realized his status as a white male, with privileges at the top of the pyramid. He went to Slovakia, joined anti-globalisation groups and decided that what he most wants to do with his life is to devote it to the weak, to those who don't have the privileges he has. Especially he wants to challenge the dictatorship of the strong which is enforced by his own government, which is how he got to the Rafah group. While talking we get to the internet cafe in the city center, where I meet Muhammad who does not want to tell the French journalist his full name "because there is very much trouble around here", but who insists that I sit by him and read from the screen his online diary and look at the photos he had placed at www.rafah.vze.com. Muhammad is 18, he has a delicate face and studies English in the university. I decide to gamble and suggest to him to be my interpreter and escort in Rafah.I leave Joe behind the computer and walk with Muhammad through Salah A-Dn Street, Rafah's main street. I notice a bit of discomfort in Muhammad's look and ask him what is the matter. "You better buy a keffiya and cover your hair. That way, you will be less conspicuous, and people will feel that you identify with their suffering. I immediately take his advice. We stop at the first stall, buy a keffiya, stop a taxi, haggle a bit and agree upon 50 shekels for half an hour an d start going around the city. Already on the first moment he asks if I am the foreign journalist who had come to visit the internationals. Rumors spread swiftly here. The driver tells me that it was him who had taken Rachel Corrie to her death on that fateful morning. The first site Muhammad chooses to show me is at Block G on the northern edge of the city, where 400 houses had been destroyed. As we come near, inhabitants living in tents warn us not to come close to the tanks with their guns directed at us. "When they see something moving they shoot", a woman on a donkey warns Muhammad. The rest of the way we do half crawling among the ruins, through the narrow alleys, careful not to raise our heads. The tanks are some 200 metres away, their guns at the ready. It is important to Muhammad to show me the site of the mass house demolition. He had photographed house after house and entered the houses into his internet site, which is daily visited by 900 people from all over the world. Row after row of destroyed houses, with personal belongings scattered and strewn around. Dolls, furniture, bicyles, books. We crawl through the alleys to avoid the threatening guns of tanks. "They can shoot at any moment, just at any suspicious movement" he says and leads further in. The fear comes crawling up my feet and legs. Finally, when we come closer and closer to the tanks and the ruins become deeper and deeper, I raise my voice: "Enough!". Muhammad yields to the French journalist, and we get into the taxi and move on. The next destination is the al-Ubur Airfield which had been destroyed by F-16 airplanes, then the ruined house beside which Rachel Corrie was killed, then a small hospital whose two ambulances are running around constantly. Most things we watch from a distance of no less than 100 metres "since shooting can start at any moment". After two hours I insist on calling a halt. We enter a small restaurant and order large pita bread with humous, tehina and coca cola, all for four and a half shekels [About one dollar, less than half the Tel-Aviv price]. "Where do you live?" I ask. "I moved with my parents to a different house. Two months ago they destroyed our home. I came from the university and found everything ruined. The computer, the books, the notebooks, my study materials. Nothing was left. They came and destroyed everything at a moment's notice, did not give any chance of taking things out. We were just thrown into the street. Me, my father, my mother, my three brothers, my grandfather. And believe me" he says to the French journalist "they had no reason. We are just an ordinary family, not involved in anything. They just destroyed our life in one hour". I look at Muhammad talking. Only now, after I saw the 400 destroyed houses, do I really understand his grief. Muhammad leads me back to the internationals' flat just as they are about to go pay a coalescence visit to the familes of people killed on the same day as Rachel. To my surprise, they don't object to my joining them. The seven of us squeeze ourselves into a single taxi, and we go the water tower at the edge of the city. One of the group's duties is to guard the water and electricity workers who repair the water pipes or electricity wires damaged in the shooting. While they do their work Joe, Laura, Alice and Gordon form a circle around them, to defend them from the soldiers' shots. A faceless enemy In the bereaved families' houses, where I sat with the others on the floor, drank bitter coffee and ate dates, I hardly ever heard the word "Israelis". Even the word "soldiers" was only rarely used. What the Palestinians usually say is simply "they". This is not by chance. During the 30 hours that I lived there I never saw a flesh-and-blood Israeli soldier. From the Palestinian point of view the enemy has no face, no body, no human form. The enemy is hidden behind giant D-9 bulldozers, monsters as big as a house themselves, at whose top there are squares of opaque reinforced glass. The enemy is hidden behind bunkers, guard towers, metal tanks. The enemy has no face, no expressions which could be interpreted. The enemy is hidden behind tons of khaki-coloured steel. Massive steel, frightening, belching fire without warning. For the man in the street the enemy is virtual, sophisticated, unhuman, inaccesible. And facing this enemy are the Palestinians I see waliking in the dirty streets. Many with torn cloths, some barefooted, neglected, manifestly poor. You can see the traces of sorrow, apprehension., suffering, inadequate food. At 45 they look old. They walk from one side of the city to the other, seeking some kind of a job. Man walk in groups, hither and fro. They have no jobs and nowhere to go. They live squeezed - men, women and children - in narrow houses and small pieces of land. On the way back from the condolences visit, we encounter a massive group of marching men. At the front a car with enormous louspeakers, blaring music and ten masked young men holding swords and calling out slogans against the Iraq War. "A demonstration, a demonstration" the internationals call out, stopping the taxi and joining right in among the fiery men. Willy-nilly, the French journalist also walks with the march, keeping constant eye-contact with the three women of the group - Laura, Alice and Carol. There are no Palestinian women to be seen. It is one of these demonstrations which look very frightening on TV. Guys with black rags covering their eyes, blaring loudspeakers, swords and knives between teeth. The direct human contact, at close range, diminishes the drama. I look at the fiery men and toy with imagining how they would have reacted if they knew that there is an Israeli identity card right there in my pocket. In their sweating faces I can see how young and desperate they are, looking for action. Alice, Laura and Carol join the heated chanting of slogans against the Americans and Israelis, taking out a large colour poster, with the face of Rachel in her role as a martyr. Alice, a 26-year old Londoner, takes up the megaphone and delivers a fiery speech on what Rachel had done for the Palestinians and how she was killed. Alice speaks in English and the Palestinian men listen in admiration. I feel that Alice is the stongest woman in the group. She is young, charismatic and determined. I had to watch my chance for ten hours before she consented to peel off her tough exterior, soften a bit her Jeanne d'Arc image and exchange some words with me. Alice, who prefers not to mention her family name, grew up in London. After highschool she studied computer programming, had a nice job and rented a good appartment."I lived a bourgois life and I found that it leads nowhere. Going to an expensive restaurant with a new boyfriend, and on the way passing homeless people sleeping on the pavement. I started to be interested in how the strong exploit the weak, and for a time I went to work in a factory. Afterwards I became more and more political. I started to give an account to myself for everything I did, what did I eat, what entertainment did I enjoy, what does it mean to live in a capitalist society. I went to demonstrate in Prague and got arrested. I put my courage to the test, until I finally trained myself to come here. Here it is the most difficult. What is most interesting to me is to analyse the tactics of force used by the strong against the weak. Only here, when I help the Palestinians to face the Israelis, do I feel that my life has a meaning. We walked for 20 minutes with the stormy march, then we moved aside and started shopping for the evening: preserved meat, noodles, rice, sugar, cookies and tea. The group is financed by contributions and lives as a commune. Every spent Shekel is carefully noted down Nowhere to escape At Six PM, a last team meeting ahead of the night. The small commune is conducted by strict rules. Every morning at 8.30 they meet at the appartment after having spent the night at threatened Palestinians homes. They discuss the experiences of the past night, hear from Palestinian friends on developments on the ground, and divide tasks for the coming day. They stand as human shields at electricity installations and water wells, collect testimonies, and take footage on small video cameras. They face the hostile lumps of steel with their megaphones and try to establish dialogue with the soldiers inside. These seven people are taking up an enormous load in this chaos. But who is to take care of these young people themselves, who sleep two hours per night and had not yet time to come to terms with having intimately witnessed Rachel's death? They spare themselves nothing. They had insisted on wiping the blood from Rachel's face, touching her broken back, taking the body to the morgue with their own hands, wrap it with shrouds, and accomapny it in the ambulance to Tel-Aiv, sharply debating with the soldiers who stopped them for hot hours at the checkpoint despite the fumes which started to arise from the body. The mother role is played by Carol Moskovitz, who joined the group with her husband Gordon a week ago. Carol is 61 and Gordon seems a bit younger. They are artists, they live in Canada, and have been travelling the world for the past three months. When they heard of what happened to Rachel they decided to cut their trip short and come to offer their help. Since Sunday, they act like parents to the younger members of the group: preparing tea, asking questions, trying to address the shock and disbelief which Rachel left behind. Carol and Gordon have three daughters in Canada. An hour ago Carol got a phone call from her eldest, 30 years old, with warm greetings for Mother's Day. Carol and Gordon conceal from their daughters the fact that they are in Rafah Camp. They don't want to make their children and grandchildren worry. It was at 7.30 that I went with Laura and Joe to stay the night in the house of Muhammad Jamil Kushta, the first house fronting the IDF position on the Egyptian border, an ill-fated house. There, in Jamil's house under the ceaseless shooting, guns, missilies, rockets and only the devil knows what else, for four consecutive hours, truly feeling that these might be my last moments, I gambled and revealed my identtity as an Israeli from Tel_Aviv. Then I said that my own sons might be among the soldiers shooting at us, not knowing that I was there in the house they were shooting at, or it might be one of my sons' friends who had visited my home. And that was the moment we started to look at each other and laugh. Three babies, two Americans, a Palestinian couple and an Israeli woman all sitting around a big bowl of salad, with bullets whistling through the air, we started to laugh. A laughter of despair, of apprehension, of relief at the human closeness which we suddenly found. I knew that with some luck I would get through the night and run for my life, but Jamil and Nora had no escape, that they were doomed to raise their three babies under live fire. And then Laura opened her mouth to reveal that she was Jewish too, and rather an observant Jewess too. And it turned out that the fiery Alice, the group's "Jeanne d'Arc", the Israel-hater, was Jewish too. "And the soldiers" said Jamil "they too are just 20-year old children who have to stand out there, alone in the dark, shaking, within the cold steel". We all agreed: life is short and human beings are silly creatures. -- Join the fight to bring the BBC back to the Israeli screens. More details: http://www.gush-shalom.org/bbc -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard- subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Apr 9 15:20:56 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [fwd] Now is the time for forwarding the "Save Palestine and Israel" call In-Reply-To: <20030409105728.27579.qmail@web13206.mail.yahoo.com> References: <200304091023.NAA26352@trp.fh.huji.ac.il> Message-ID: <3E942C48.31203.B27D18@localhost> Now is the time to make opinion makers and political leaders worldwide aware of the following call of renowned academics, put to our attention by one of the signatories, the Jerusalem- based peace activist Professor Victoria Buch. --------forwarded message follows--------------- From: Victoria Buch Save Palestine and Israel Urgent Appeal for International Involvement: http://www.ffipp.org/petition_save_p_i.htm Hello everybody, While the war in Iraq is taking its toll, and the world attention is focused there, the occupation machine keeps grinding Palestine relentlessly. Please join forces with the above appeal, which was published on the site of Faculty for Israel-Palestine Peace, and signed by 153 Israeli academics, including well-known intellectuals in many fields. We must stop the ongoing devastation of Palestine, which is carried out by Sharon's government under the guise of fight against terror. These policies are designed to oppress, humiliate, terrorize, and expropriate, and not to prevent terror attacks. A clear evidence to this effect has been the gruesome regularity of terror attacks on Israelis for the last two years. In the long run, Sharon's policies are very destructive for Israel as well. PLEASE COPY THE TEXT BELOW AND SEND IT TO POLITICIANS of your choice. Add a sentence such as "I should like to join this appeal by Israeli academics." US citizens: e-mails to US Congress and Senate are especially important (see address info in the end of this message). Best regards, Victoria Buch vvbb54@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- URGENT APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT: SAVE PALESTINE AND ISRAEL The elimination of the Palestinian national presence west of the Jordan River is implicit in the long-term aims of the Israeli right wing. A violent, apocalyptic driving-out of the entire Palestinian population is explicitly advocated by the rightmost political circles. What has actually been taking place since the beginning of the 35 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but at an unprecedented rate for the last two years, is a systematic process of demolition of Palestinian private and public property, and mass expropriation of Palestinian land on behalf of settlers. The guiding principle is the effort to minimize the size of the area actually inhabited by Palestinians. At the same time, huge-scale harassment has been taking place, by means of prolonged curfews, road-blocks, humiliations, beatings, military invasions of densely populated areas, detentions of thousands without trial under sub-humane conditions, obstruction of access to work, medical care, schools and universities, and a host of other means. The soldiers were given license to treat any Palestinian as a potential terrorist. Millions of Palestinians have been reduced by Israeli government policies to life in fearsome ghettos. Most are now subsisting under the poverty line, on savings or handouts from humanitarian organizations. The ever-intensifying oppressive measures are being inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli government, ostensibly to fight terror. We unequivocally condemn terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. There can be no justification for acts of violence against any unarmed people.However, the Israeli policies are not a way to reduce terror; rather, they promote it, as evidenced by the dramatic increase in terror acts during the last two years. The terror acts are then cynically used by Prime Minister Sharon as a pretext to inflict more damage and hardships on the Palestinians, and to further de-legitimize their existence in the occupied territories in the perception of the Israelis. THE PALESTINIAN PRESENCE STANDS IN THE WAY OF SHARON'S LIFE-LONG VISION OF GREATER ISRAEL, WITH SETTLERS SUPPLANTING PALESTINIANS. THIS OBJECTIVE IS TRANSPARENT TO ANYBODY WHO FOLLOWS WHAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ACTUALLY DOING, rather than listening to the frequently uttered but empty declarations about peace intentions, "once the security problems are solved". The Israeli society pays a high price for the attempts of its politicians to extend the Israeli domination, and for their addiction to territorial expansion. The drive to develop Israel as a modern, productive and tolerant society was cruelly truncated. This drive has been evident in periods of hopeful peace negotiations with neighboring Arab states, and with Palestnians. Fatalistic resignation to the vicious circle of fear, oppression, violence and counter-violence is depriving the whole society of positive energy, forward looking projects and hope. The drain on the state resources by the war effort and the expansion of the settlements and the concurrent loss of investment result in large scale unemployment and economic recession. Large sectors of the Israeli society are denied access to a decent standard of living, to decent education, and to productive integration into modern technological and cultural world. Instead, backward-looking ultra-nationalistic ideologies are taking firm hold on the social and political scene. Young Israeli soldiers sent to implement the brutal occupation measures are likely to be morally scarred for life. The ongoing devastation of Palestine must be stopped, for the sake of both Palestine and Israel. Prof. Zach Adam, Prof. Colman Altman, Dr. Janina Altman, Dr. Issam Aburiya, Dr. Amotz Agnon, Dr. Shmuel Amir, Prof Daniel Amit, Prof. Zalman Amit, Dr. Yossi Amitay, Prof. Michael Ardon, Dr. Judith Avrahami, Prof. (Emeritus) Shalom Baer, Dr. Outi Bat-El, Prof. Maya Bar-Hillel, Prof. Daniel Bar-Tal, Prof Ron Barkai, Dr. Anat Barnea , Prof. Matania Ben-Arzi, Ofra Ben-Arzi, M.A., Dr. Shmuel Ben-Dor, Prof. Ziva Ben-Porat, Dr. Louise Bethlehem, Prof. Anat Biletzki, Dr. Jose Brunner, Dr. Ido Bruno, Prof. Victoria Buch, Prof. Ruth Butler, Raz Chen-Morris, Dr. Eliot Cohen, Dr. Raya Cohen, Dr. Veronica Cohen, Dr. Leo Corry, Dr. Michael Dahan, Prof. David Degani, Prof. Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi, Dr. David De-Vries, Athena Elizabeth DeRasmo, Prof. Tommy Dreyfus, Dr. Otniel E. Dror, Dr. Freema Elbaz-Luwisch, Prof. Emmanuel Farjoun, Dr. Elizabeth Freund,Prof. Gideon Freudenthal, Dr. Iris Fry , Prof. Michael Fry , Michal Gal, Prof. Chaim Gans, Dr. Ido Geiger, Prof. Avner Giladi, Prof. Rachel Giora, Dr. Snait Gissis, Prof. Eli Glasner, Dr. Daphna Golan, Prof. Oded Goldreich, Dr. Ofra Goldstein-Gidoni, Dr. Neve Gordon, Prof. Lev Grinberg , Prof. Yossi Guttman, Dr. Ruth HaCohen, Prof. Uri Hadar, Dr. Jeff Halper, Yuval Halperin, Shoshana Halper, M.A., Prof Don Handelman, Prof. Galit Hasan-Rokem, Prof. Avram Heffner, Dr. Sara Helman, Dr. Yitzhak Hen, Prof. Hanna Herzog, Prof. Ze'ev Herzog , Prof. Hannan Hever, Prof. Peter Hillman, Uri Horesh, Prof. Ehud Hrushovski, Tal Itzhaki, Prof. Eva Jablonka, Dr. Devorah Kalekin-Fishman, Prof. Naftali Kaminski, MD, Prof. Jacob Katriel, Prof. Tamar Katriel, Dr. Shoshana Keiny, Prof. Baruch Kimmerling, Judy Kupferman, Dr. Orna Kupferman, Prof. Raz Kupferman, Dr. Ron Kuzar, Dr. Idan Landau, Prof. Hubert Law-Yone, Daphna Levit, Joyce Livingstone, MS, Prof. Ram Loevy , Dr. Orly Lubin, Haim Luski, Prof. Ruth Manor, Prof Uri Maor, Dr. Anat Matar, Dr. Nina Mayorek, Dr. Sara Meilijson , Prof. Isaac Meilijson, Prof. Amnon Meisels, Prof. Ben Tzion Munitz, Dr. Doron Narkiss, Prof. (Emeritus) Gad Nathan, Dr. Isaac (Yanni) Nevo, Prof. Ami Oren, Prof. Avraham Oz, Ronie Parciack, Dr. Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Prof. Yoav Peled, Dr. Kobi Peter, Dr. Yuri Pines, Dr. Uri Ram , Dr. Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin, Dr. Ofra Rechter, Prof. Ya'acov Ritov, Dr. Daniel Rohrlich, Prof Freddie Rokem, Dr. Dana Ron, Dr. Moshe Ron, Prof. Tova Rosen, Dr. Maya Rosenfeld, Dr. Zeev Rotem, Dr. Amalia Sa'ar, Dr. Ilan Saban, Prof. Benny Shanon, Dr. Nita Schehet, Dr. Christoph Schmidt, Prof. Avraham Schweiger, Dr. Gideon Shelach, Ricki Shiv, Prof. Moshe Shokeid, Prof. Idan Segev, Prof. Leon Sheleff, Rinah Sheleff, M.A., Prof. Nomi Shir, Prof. David Shulman, Prof. Anna Sfard, Marcos Wasem, Dr. Amiel Vardi, Dr. Vered Vinitzky, Renata Wolfson, M.A., Smadar Tabenkin-Ezer, M.A., Dr. Zvi Tauber, Dr. Dudy Tzfati, Rakefet Zalashik, Dr. Niza Yanay, Dr. Michael Yogev, Prof. Joseph Zeira, Dr. Moshe Zuckermann, Prof. Moshe Zimmermann ------------------------------------------------------------ To make this message effective, please send a copy of the appeal to politicians and media you feel close to. Also you could take inspiration from internet sites: Israeli embassies http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm US Congress: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq? command=congdir US Senate http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm Contact information for European Governments http://europa.eu.int/abc/governments/index_en.html Permanent Missions to the United Nations http://www.un.int/missions/webs.html Many of e-mail addresses of UN missions are formatted as follows: , , , , , etc From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Apr 9 19:19:45 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] 'Refusing The Occupation' -- Mass Vigil in Tel-Aviv, April 11 Message-ID: <3E946441.16437.18D27B6@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ *********Mass Vigil "REFUSING THE OCCUPATION" - Friday April 11 at 12:30 in Tel-Aviv ********** -- With the five-fold court-martial of the "Occupation Refusers" Haggai Matar. Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Shimri Tzameret and Noam Bahat next Tuesday, 15.4.03 -- While the Supreme Court is breaking its head over the case of pacifist Yoni Ben Artzi renewed Supreme Court discussion Tuesday, 15.4.03; report on yesterday's session http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1049775237789 -- With new youngsters and reservists daily joining those who already sit in jail We call on you to take part Friday, April 11 at 12:30 in Tel-Aviv and make it a MASS VIGIL It's initiated by the "We Refuse The Occupation Coalition" of which Gush Shalom is part. The idea is to start gathering at the corner of the Namir and Arlozorov Streets, and spreading from there all around the triangular park, including the Namir-Petach-Tikva crossroad ("Tnuva junction") - the traditional Tel-Aviv Women in Black corner. In the end there will be a rally inside the park including sympathizing singers. [Here follows the repeated add in Ha'aretz Hebrew, again today on p.6; Details how to contribute -- for legal aid and/or for the demo expenses - in the end] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx We Refuse to Serve the Occupation! We Refuse to be Enemies! What will you tell your children when they ask you where were you when Israel became an apartheid state? What did you do when the Israeli government dragged the Israelis and the Palestinians into an unending cycle of death and mourning? Where were you when we lost our humanity? How did you respond when the occupation was killing us and them? Come and protest, come to change things. Now is the time to take a stand. We say no! We refuse! At this moment IDF reservists, enlisted soldiers and youngsters before induction refuse to participate in the destruction of the state of Israel, in the oppression of the Palestinian people and the extinction of all hope for a common joint future in this land. We support them because there is a different path, the path of peace, equality and cooperation!! Say No to the Occupation! Friday, April 11 at 12:30 Corner Namir and Arlozorov Streets, Tel Aviv New Profile, High School Seniors' Letter (Shministim), Courage to Refuse, Yesh Gvul, Druze Initiati ve Committee, Refusenik Parents Forum, Tayush - Arab Jewish Partnership, The Campus Is not Silent Tel Aviv, Women's Coalition for Peace, "Gush Shalom" -- Israeli Peace Bloc, Food and Not Bombs, TANDI, Bat Shalom, Young Communist League, National Association of Arab Students, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Black Laundry, N'veh Shalom. Please send contributions to cover the demonstration's expenses to 'Mateh Ha'coalitsia', POB 1335 Kfar Saba 44113 or to Account # 119442 Bank Hapoalim, Branch # 679, Tshernikhovsky 45, Kfar Saba. Please add a note "for the refusenik demonstration." for more information contact Lotahn at 053-257242, email lotahnpeace@yahoo.com or write to COdemo@yahoogroups.com Contributions for legal aid, please forward the money to New Profile [NB] earmarking it "to the legal aid of the refusniks". 1) Direct bank transfers to New Profile’s account: HaPoalim Bank, account no. 421121 Branch 769, Trumpeldor Street Ramat HaSharon, Israel (NB: email to the New Profile treasurer kisch-e@zahav.net.il, or write to New Profile POBox below, to let New Profile know that the contribution is for legal aid.) 2) Posting checks earmarked "to the legal aid of the refusniks" directly to New Profile, at: New Profile POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271 Israel From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Apr 11 18:56:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] British peace activist shot by IDF - braindead Message-ID: <3E9701D9.12161.207966@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ After coming home from a good demonstration in support of the increasing number of refusers of military service in Israel, we found the terrible news on the Ha'aretz site. Another ISM activist shot at and in extreme condition. Tom Hurdell from the UK is in the Jarusi hospital in Khan Younes. As soon as we know more we will pass on to you the information. Ha'aretz: British peace activist shot by IDF troops in Gaza Strip Israel Defense Forces troops shot a British peace activist working with the International Solidarity Movement on Friday, witnesses said. Doctors said the Briton was brain dead. The activist was standing in between IDF troops and a group of Palestinian children when soldiers opened fire, said Khalil Abdullah who works with the Palestinian-backed peace group. "A group of ISM people were trying to set up a small protest tent alongside a road used by the army. The soldiers opened fire," said Abdullah, who witnessed the shooting. The 24-year-old Briton was shot in the head and declared brain dead shortly after arriving at the hospital in Rafah, where the shooting occurred, according to Dr. Ali Musa. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army. On March 16, American activist Rachel Corrie, 23, was killed while trying to stop an Israeli military bulldozer in the Gaza Strip. Corrie, a student in Olympia, Washington, was the first member of the group to be killed in 30 months of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians. The group claimed the bulldozer ran over her and then backed up. The army denied the claim and said the operator of the armored bulldozer did not see her. Last week, Israeli troops in an armored personnel carrier allegedly shot Bryan Avery, 24, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the face. He had been working in the West Bank city of Jenin. The army said it was firing at gunmen in the area and was not aware it hit Avery. Activists in the group work in the West Bank and Gaza as human shields, often placing themselves between the Palestinians and the Israelis. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Apr 12 21:55:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Some good news, and a lot of court struggles Message-ID: <3E987D4D.23180.1CDC561@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ a short uplifting news item [] Iraqi Muslims help defend Jewish cultural center in Baghdad from looters for those who can spend time in the courts during working hours (and for others who want to know about it anyway): [] Monday: Supreme Court deals with the Farag Ibrahim deportation case - 11.30 [] Monday & Tuesday military court and Supreme Court dealings with refusers -- Monday: CO (pacifist grounds) Yoni Ben Artzi's court martial, 9.00 Jaffa -- Tuesday - In Jaffa, the court martial of the 5 COs who are "occupation refusers", 9.00 - In J'lem, resumption of Yoni Ben Artzi's appeal about competence military courts, 9.00 \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Iraqi Muslims help defend Jewish cultural center in Baghdad from looters [In between the madness there was this one very short news item:] 19:05 Iraqi Muslims help defend Jewish cultural center in Baghdad from looters; about 50 Jews currently live in Iraq (Israel Radio) [from Haaretz.com News Flashes] [] Monday: Supreme Court deals with the Farag Ibrahim deportation case - 11.30 ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: " lawyers Shamai" Subject: please come to support Farag Ibrahim Date sent: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 17:21:40 +0200  If you live inor near Jerusalem, you can do a mitzvah for democracy nextMonday (april 14):  Show up at the Supreme Court (Bagatz) at 11:30. Bring your friends, and prove that someone in this country cares about elementary legal protections like getting your day in court, however humble your status -- and not getting carted off in secret to some dark dungeon or ejected from the country while waiting for your hearing to come around...  UPDATE:  Farag Ibrahim has been sitting in jail for 10 months, without being accused of any crime. He is married to an Israeli Arab woman, and is the father of a 3-month-old infant. The praklitut want to deport him, but a fair and honest judge in Jerusalem District Court (Mehozi) halted the deportation. The state's attorneys ("praklitut") have now appealed in this case, and the hearing previously scheduledfor 11:30 AM on Monday, April 14th in the J'lem district court will now take place (at the same date and time) in the SUPREME COURT instead. The state's attorneys evidently have too much energy invested in this one and are determined to win at all costs -- and to hell with this guy's future and that of his family.  BACKGROUND (if you missed it last time around):  Fareg Ibrahim is an Egyptian married to an Israeli, and they have a baby, but our praklitut is determined to deport the guy, period. Their story was written up by Joseph Algazy in Haaretz last week (Hebrew only). Here's the link, if you want to read it: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=280351&contrassID=2&subContrassID=4&sbSu bContrassID=0  Please note -- This is not only about the fate of one Egyptian guy married to an Israeli, although his fate should obviously concern us all; it's also about the alarming ease with which various government ministries and agencies in this country now routinely flout the instructions of the courts. If -- as happened to Fareg Ibrahim recently -- a detained person can be "disappeared" when a judge has already ruled that he's NOT to be deported pending his day in court,and everyone just yawns, then we have become Argentina -- pure and simple. (Totally aside from the murder and mayhem, and mass "disappearing" of people, in the West Bank and Gaza, I mean.) Do we really want to be living in a state wherethe police (or other uniformed agencies) are a law unto themselves?  Fareg Ibrahim's desperate situationmay not seem too relevant to us (yet), but it will when the powers-that-be start "disappearing" people we know personally. A few observers in the court can let the government know that cops, or whoever, can't just "disappear" a guy in this country without evoking some real protest. We could be next (and who will be left to protest then?).  *** NOTE -- PLEASE! At his last hearing, there were c. 5 people sitting in the court listening who weren't his family -- just interested citizens -- and I amcertain that their presence had an important influence on the outcome of that hearing (when the judge got angry at the state's attorney's for failing to provide the information the court had requested about the case).  Two of these five civic-minded folks were pensioners, a Jerusalem Anglo couple, both of them well over 70, happily doing their civic duty by sitting in court for an hour or so, to witness how Fareg's case would unfold. Their presence may have been more instrumental than they could have imagined.  So if you live anywhere in Jerusalem or environs -- try to take a couple of hours and go sit in court on Monday the 14th. Think of people you know who might like togo, and send them this email. And if you want to make sure you get in, maybe don't tell the guard out front that you're going to the Fareg Ibrahim hearing; there's some evidence that last time around, the guard was discouraging people from attending (under instructions from...?). It's almost enough to make a conspiracy theorist out of a goldfish!  Thanks, and please -- if you can be there. It would be so great if we could sit at the seder table and know that we helped one ordinary guy to get out of detention and rejoin his wife and baby. At least there would be one small thing to celebrate.  kol tuv shamai leibowitz, attorney-at-law  Phone: 972 3 6704170 Fax: 972 3 6704173  [] Monday & Tuesday military court and Supreme Court dealings with refusers -- Monday: CO (pacifist grounds) Yoni Ben Artzi's court martial, 9.00 Jaffa -- Tuesday - In Jaffa, the court martial of the 5 COs who are "occupation refusers", 9.00 - In J'lem, resumption of Yoni Ben Artzi's appeal about competence military courts, 9.00 ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Anat Matar" Date sent: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 09:11:10 +0300 Subject: [parents] trial update Hello dear parents and friends, A quick update, whose bottom-line is that nothing has changed... (but please read): On Tuesday, 9:00, the famous-five will be brought to trial at the Bayit Yarok, Jaffa Military Court (Yefet Street 91-93, corner Shivtey Yisrael - buses 10 46 88.) At the same time, Yoni's appeal will be heard again in the High Court of Justice - and the day before, Monday 14th, his own case will be heard at the same bayit yarok, also at 9.00. Lawyer Dov Chinin tried to postpone Tuesday's session, but failed - the army prosecutors insisted that the date will remain the same, and after trying to shift the timing (noon, afternoon) , got back to the starting point. This means we won't be able to attend each other's sessions, which is too bad. Also, we'll have to go through legal arguments which may turn out to be irrelevant or directed at the wrong address, at the end of the session. Worse: we also tried to change the location of the trial from the bayit yarok to the kirya, to a larger hall. Here, the prosecutor agreed with Dov and BOTH appealed to court TOGETHER asking to change the location - but the request was denied!! To the just claim that there are 5 defendants, and hence many supporters and close relatives, they answered by - "there are 25 seats, so each one will have 5 relatives and friends to bring with him"... So, we're back to square one. BUT - we decided to go on with our plan to bring many supporters to court that day, and thus to put pressure on court to change location in the next - very important - session. Dov's idea is that we'll make shifts of informants: every 30 mins someone will go out for a few minutes and update the audience outside. So do bring friends etc but explain to them that patience is required... We also decided that due to all this mess (all the trials together, small hall), we'll postpone the PR effort to the next session and will make only a minor effort at the moment. It's an important week for all of us. Let's hope for good news. See you very soon, Anat -- Join the fight to bring the BBC back to the Israeli screens. More details: http://www.gush-shalom.org/bbc -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English- language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Apr 13 03:14:29 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] 'Not Again' testimony of an ISMer + what you can do Message-ID: <3E98C805.466.2F1B14D@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [We decided not to wait with sending you the moving words of ISM activist Joe Smith who was with Tom Hurndall when it happened yesterday, and had been with Rachel Corrie a few weeks ago. His report is followed by an email from Huwaida Arraf with concrete suggestions what you can do, wherever you are. We should not allow the shooting of manifestly non-violent human shield activists also to become routine. Our not stopping to talk about them, not stopping to ask questions, demand an independent investigation, and a clarification about shooting regulations is part of the struggle against the occupation for which extraordinary youngsters take the ultimate risk. This is the place to add what we forgot to mention earlier: Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and Palestinian Center for Human Rights-Gaza are jointly petitioning the Supreme Court today, Sunday April 13, at 11:30 am about the use of the flachette weapon.] "Not again": Eyewitness Joe Smith writes about the killing of Tom Hurndall The Electronic Intifada, 12 April 2003 Please not again. We heard the shooting -- we always hear shooting -- but repeated sniper fire like that is especially disturbing. I heard the shot, I heard a scream, and turned to see the fluorescent orange lump lying on the ground, blood coming from his head. I moved back and forth a bit not knowing what to do, and within seconds my medical training clicked in. The Palestinians lifted him to move him from the area. "Set him down!" Alice, the other medic, and I screamed. Finally we got him down on the pavement, I had my safety pads out and was trying to stop the bleedi ng. One doesn't consider rubber gloves at times like these. Blood was poring out of the back of his head. I couldn't get it to stop. Seconds later he was lifted again and pulled into a taxi. "Wait for the ambulance!" We tried to convince them, but they were hysterical, and he was torn away from us and rushed to the hospital in a brown Mercedes. The ambulance arrived on the scene minutes later, but it was too late, he was gone. I looked down to find the bloody safety pad still in my hand. I had a brief instinct to throw it do wn, like one does any trash on these streets, but was unable to let go of it. I held onto it while in the taxi o n the way to the hospital, and still clutched it as I slouched on the ground against the stone walls surrounding his operation room. He was dead for me from the moment he was set on the ground for us to administer treatment. Alice t ried to do mouth to mouth, and I thought it pointless. He was dead for me when he was pulled from our hands an d put into the car. Even when he was wheeled out of Al-Najjar Hospital and taken to Europa Hospital in Kh an Younis, he was still not alive in my mind. Now he's on life support in Saroka Hospital in B'ersheva, brain dead but still breathing. No matter how constantly his heart still beats, I continue to speak of him in the past. It took me awhile to acce pt that Rachel was actually gone, and I think my mind is compensating for that loss by preparing itself for anothe r in advance. His name was Thomas Hurndall and he was from London. When he arrived, we already had an English guy named Tom so he chose the nickname "Tab", and that is how I knew him. Tab was incredibly passionate about protecting people when and where they needed it most. We were in Yibna, a Rafah refugee camp right on the Egyptian border, because he was aware of the constant Israeli gunfire to which this neighbourhood i s victim every day. He'd learned about the two brothers who'd been shot the previous morning, and was dedicated to main taining a presence there. He said that he'd gotten extremely angry and determined after listening to gunfire while lying in his bed at the doctor's house Rachel died protecting. He wanted to be in the most dangerous areas, not out of some martyr complex to die but simply because he knew that that is where internationals are most ne eded. He was prepared to stay in the house most targeted, and helped us hang large banners on it. He was all about placing a tent in an area in front of a mosque, used every night by an Israeli tank for terrorizing the neighborhood with gunfire. We were on our way to pitch the tent the day he was shot, but had abando ned the project due to the Palestinians' discomfort with the level of gunfire. The tank was already in its parking spot when we arrived, and was shooting into the area. A nearby security tower had also joined in, and was firing the scary sniper shots. We were positioned behind a large roadblock deciding what to do, and Laura had gone forward with some Palestinians to take a look. She was wear ing our trademarked florescent orange jacket with reflective stripes, and was clearly an international. Despite, or possibly because of this they shot around her. She said that shots were being fired on both sides of her, making it rather difficult for her to move. She had just rejoined us, when the sniper fire fro m the tower turned onto the roadblock behind which we were standing. There were children playing on the roadblo ck, as they often do, and many scattered due to the gunfire. There was one boy, however, that Tab noticed was too frightened to move. Instinctually, he quickly removed him from the area, as he observed shots land around the small and fragile innocent. After successfu lly evacuating him, he was about to leave when he noticed two small girls down in front of the roadbloc k, right in the line of fire. He was going to help them escape when the Israeli soldier in the tower took his aim, and fired a la rge calibre sniper bullet directly into Tab's head. He was in full view of the tower, and like Laura was wearin g the high visibility gear. Our embassies had been informed of our presence in the area, and they had informed the Israeli military. They knew who he was, they knew what he was, and they knew what he was doing. They knew that he was no threat to their physical safety, but they likely understood the international attention his pres ence was attracting, and knew how our human shield work had prevented them from adequately terrorizing the Palestinian civilians and demolishing their homes. In this way, he was a "threat" to them, a threat to the image of Israel it portrays to the world. H e was a threat to the validity of the occupation, and a threat to their unquestioned notion of these people as nothin g but inhuman terrorists. The sniper couldn't tolerate this kind of challenge, and took lethal measures to end it . We'll only have to see how such an act will backfire. I didn't know Tab all that well. He'd only been here a week, but planned to stay the full month of his visa. He'd just spent a week doing refugee work in Jordan, before which he'd spent two weeks in Iraq doing hum an shield and relief work. He was a brilliant photographer, and was passionate about documenting the immense human rights violations being perpetrated on the Arab people. It was his first trip to the Middle East, but his previous three weeks had made him rather well-ver sed in this type of work. He was mature and laid back about it all, but incredibly passionate and determined. I was quite surprised to learn that he was only 21 years old, born the same year as I. I had spent a few hours that day taking him around Rafah to take pictures. We were trying to compil e photo images of the city and our presence here for documentation and publicity purposes. The children her e love a camera, and would crowd us endlessly. This bothers and overwhelms most people, but Tab thought it a little funny, and would chuckle at the rambunctious children shouting "What's you're name" and "How are yo u". He mentioned that he'd learned some tricks already, like not pulling out his camera until the absolute last minute. We had even had a conversation that day about the dangers of this place, and how none of us really understood them or we wouldn't be here. I said that I still felt confident with my international st atus even after the recent violence against us. I believed that it was not a calculated targeting of internationals , just an increased amount of recklessness and hostility brought on by the increased effectiveness of our work. I said I wouldn't really be intimidated until they openly target an obvious international. Not until they very intent ionally kill one of us would I feel the terror experienced by Palestinians. Fate works in mysterious ways. I don't know if I can stay here now. I believe that internationals need to stay here, and that the Israeli military should not learn that they can intimidate ISM with such violence. I believe that it only shows how effective our work has become, and that now is the time to stay and establish an even stronger presence. But I only have so much energy left. Rachel's death took a lot out of me, but also inspired me to s tay longer and throw myself into the Olympia Sister City project and nonviolent direct action against the Israeli occupation of Rafah. I had planned to stay through the end of May to accomplish these goals, and knew that I had at least that left in me. But this incident has aged me quickly, and makes me question if I can now handle t his place and this type of work. Who knows what's going to happen to him now. It seems likely that his family will have to make that dreaded decision about whether or not to take him off life support. I have to leave here if he dies, I can' t do the whole shahid thing again. I also cannot participate in another military investigation. There were plenty of Palestinian and international witnesses willing to cooperate. I'll continue media and legal work regarding Rachel's death, but I can't handle two. I just can't. Learning my limits has been a crucial part of my personal development here. I have learned to say "no", and I'm saying it now. This statement may be used for any media or legal processes, but that's it, khallas! What a privilege it is for me to be able to say that. How lucky I am that I can just leave when I'v e had enough, and catalogue the event in my mental register of intense experiences. I can only leave on the condi tion that I return with a longer-term commitment, as my solidarity with these amazing people has only just begu n. [Joe Smith is an American activist from Kansas City, Missouri, based with the International Solidar ity Movement in Rafah, occupied Gaza. He was a friend of Rachel Corrie's and was with her when she was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer on 16 March 2003.] http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1360.shtml ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Huwaida Arraf" Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2003 10:32 PM Friends, Our friend and colleague Tom Hurndall lies comatose - "clinically dead" in Saroka Hospital; Brian Avery has just undergone reconstructive surgery in his face, and will have to undergo a series of reconstructive surgeries over the next few months to repair his face from the bullet that shattered it; Rachel Corrie died almost instantly after being crushed by a gigantic bulldozer, but her memory lives on in all those working for peace and human rights. Three serious injuries and deaths in less than four weeks to nonviolent peace activists. Three individuals, clearly visible and identifiable, posing no threat to the security of Israeli soldiers in their tanks, bulldozers and military guard towers The kind of violence that we have been working to prevent and end, is now being directed at us. This is the kind of violence that anyone living or residing even temporarily in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is daily witness to. We know that we are operating in a racist system, not only within the Israeli military but also in the international community. We know that Palestinians that are beaten, randomly arrested and shot down are not paid attention to. Israeli soldiers have no problem disregarding Palestinian human rights and the international community has shown zero willingness to hold Israel accountable for the well-being of the Palestinian people and for violations of their basic rights. (...) People from around the world have given of their hearts and minds to be with us, knowing the danger involved yet believing in the justness of the cause. The international volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement count on their governments and on you not to stay silent when unarmed civilians are shot down - we are counting on you now.. We have no plans to abandon our efforts and we renew our call for you to join us if you can. If you can't please consider one or more of the following actions to support our work: 1) In the United States the Corrie family is asking for an independent US investigation into the killing of their daughter Rachel. So far the United States Government has refused to conduct this investigation, stating that they are confident that Israel will conduct a thorough investigation. Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 111, which calls for a US investigation. However, unless this resolution gets more co-sponsors and widespread support, it will not go anywhere. Though the resolution does not condemn or otherwise address Israel's policy of home demolitions nor the Israeli occupation and US support for, the ISM hopes that a prompt and fair investigation into the circumstances of Rachel's killing will open the doors for these larger oppressive policies that Rachel was killed fighting, can be addressed. Please help us get H.Con.Res.111 passed by contacting your congressional representative and asking them to support this. For more informatio 2) Please contact your State Departments or Foreign Ministries and ask that action be taken to stop Israel's targeting of innocent, unarmed civilians, whether Palestinian or international peace activists. Call on your foreign ministries to raise this issue with the Israeli Ambassador in your country. Rachel or Tom could have also been French, Belgian, Italian, Canadian, Swedish, South African, Japanese, or one of dozens of other nationalities that have stood with and protected Palestinians. The contact information for the US Department of State and the British Foreign Office who have an extra responsibility since their citizens have been seriously injured or killed from these policies and their failure to hold Israel accountable, are listed below. If you are Israeli, contact members of Knesset and demand an end to the violence of occupation. http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/telephones_eng.asp United Kingdom Human Rights Department Foreign & Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH By telephone: +44(0)207 008 3000 or use the following link: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=10070293905 45 You can also access contact information for your Member of Parliament at: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/alms.htm#s United States US Department of State Bureau of Near East Affairs Office of Public Affairs Tel: 202-647-5150 Tel: 202-736-4995 ask for Kim Richter secretary@state.gov askpublicaffairs@state.gov or use the following link: http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_foreign.html 3) The Christian Peacemaker Teams, partners in the International Solidarity Movement, have called on their supporters to wear bright orange vest for this week. Please consider wearing bright orange, and reflective vests if you can, to your work, school, and places of worship and inform others of the deliberate targeting by the Israeli military of innocent civilians and unarmed peace activists. We thank you for being with us, for your words of condolence, your encouragement and your support. In solidarity & struggle, INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT info@palsolidarity.org www.palsolidarity.org ===================== 12 April, 2003 Statement on the Shooting of Tom Hurndall ISM team in Rafah photos available at www.palsolidarity.org for video footage, please contact the Reuters News Agency On 11 April 2003, 10 members of the International Solidarity Movement in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine, were planning to set up a tent in an area that an Israeli tank often uses to shoot into the houses and streets of a refugee camp called Yibna. Several Palestinian community members had initiated the project, gathered the supplies, and accompanied us to the area at around 4:30PM. When we arrived to the area, the tank was already there and had been shooting into the street. A nearby Israeli security tower had also joined in and was firing repeated, single, sniper shots. An American international was accompanied by two Palestinians to go closer and get a better look at the area, and was wearing our trademarked fluorescent orange jacket with reflective stripes. The tank and tower fired live rounds at the ground and buildings on both sides of her, making her movement difficult. She quickly returned to the rest of the group, that was positioned behind a large roadblock, but in view of the security tower. We made a consensus decision to call off the action, and return the next day as the Palestinians were uncomfortable with the gunfire. At about 4:45PM, Shots began to hit the buildings and street around us, and we became concerned for some children who were playing on the roadblock near us. Many had scattered, but a few were left. Thomas Hurndall, a 21 year old activist from London, UK noticed that one small boy was still on the mound and under fire. He quickly lifted the boy and moved him behind the roadblock. Tom was about to leave, when he noticed two small girls still in front of the roadblock and in the line of fire. He was moving to help them when an Israeli soldier in the tower, about 300 meters in front of him shot a high calibre sniper bullet directly into his head. He was wearing an orange fluorescent jacket with reflective stripes, and was in full body view of the tower. The British Embassy had been informed of his presence, who had in turn informed the Israeli Military. Palestinians lifted his body and moved him to the pavement about 5 meters behind the roadblock. Two trained medics administered first-responder medical treatment, and used safety pads to try and stop the bleeding. Palestinians then lifted him into a nearby taxi and rushed him to Al N'gar Hospital. On the way, they took care to try and stop the bleeding. At around 5:15PM, he was transferred in an ambulance to Europa Hospital in Khanunis. It takes about 30 minutes for an ambulance to get there as there is an Israeli road block on the main road. Without this obstruction it would only take 7 minutes. After much negotiation with the British Embassy and the Israeli military, Tom was taken to a nearby Israeli settlement from which he was taken by helicopter to Saroka Hospital in B'er Sheva, Israel. He is currently on full life support and in a head cast. Several of his friends have joined his bedside, and his parents are on the way. END INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT www.palsolidarity.org "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Robert F. Kennedy -- Join the fight to bring the BBC back to the Israeli screens. More details: http://www.gush-shalom.org/bbc -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English [NB: extra deliveries re the Iraq War] \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Apr 16 19:13:48 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Ze'ev Schiff sceptical about Sharon's intentions Message-ID: <3E9D9D5C.7727.1849881@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=284632&contrassID=2&subContrassID=4&sbSu bContrassID=0&listSrc=Y Between Zambish and Bush By Ze'ev Schiff Ha'aretz April 16 [Ha'aretz' long-time military commentator expresses scepticism regarding Sharon's supposedly "new- dovish" turn.] לעברית http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=284553&contrassID=2&subContrassID=3&s bSubContrassID=0 This past Sunday, the day on which Haaretz published an interview with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the premier met privately with one of the men mentioned in the article. The meeting was not held at the Prime Minister's Office, where everyone who enters and exits is registered, but rather at Sharon's Jerusalem home in the evening with no secretaries or aides present. The guest was Ze'ev Hever, also known as Zambish, one of the heads of the Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) Council, and the man in charge of the settlements, the outposts (legal and illegal), the appropriation of lands, the paving of roads, secret budgets, etc. In the Haaretz interview, Ari Shavit asked Sharon whom he would choose at the moment of truth, U.S. President George W. Bush or Zambish. Sharon's answer was, "Each of the two people you mentioned is a special and impressive person. Each of them is very impressive in his own field."  These are the two opposing fronts between which Sharon is maneuvering. While his bureau chief, Dov Weisglass, is making his way to a meeting with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and with U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Sharon is meeting quietly with Zambish. What was discussed at that late night meeting? No one knows, but it is easy to guess, since Zambish came to the meeting armed with a stack of maps of the territories. What is known is that Sharon evaded one of the questions during his interview with Shavit. He did not say one word about evacuating the settlements, not even settlements like Netzarim. The orders Sharon has given thus far to anyone meeting the Palestinians always included a ban on discussing the settlements. Sharon notes that he accepts the principles mentioned in Bush's vision of June 24, 2002, but, on the other hand, he does not accept everything mentioned in the road map. There really are differences between Bush's speech and the road map, but it would be a deception to claim that there is an essential difference regarding the future of the settlements.  Bush's speech mentions two clear principles in this matter: one that settlement activity must be halted, and second that there be an end to the occupation that began in 1967. Using Talmudic debating methods, one could try to claim that the first principle refers to the establishment of new settlements only, but Bush's words could also be interpreted to include, as did the Mitchell Commission, the natural growth of the settlements. In any event, anyone who holds to principles that include the end of the occupation that began in 1967, in Bush's words, does not intend for the hundreds of Israeli settlements to remain in Palestinian territory as if they are a part of the State of Israel. Sharon understands this just like he understands that Bush and Zambish represent totally opposing positions. It is impossible to realize both their expectations. That is why Sharon does not want to answer, even with a veiled hint, questions regarding the future of settlements like Netzarim. At this point, he does not want a confrontation with either Bush or Zambish. Sharon's approach to the opposing ideologies represented by Bush and Zambish must be placed at the center of Israel's interests, and not only those of Bush. Israel must not return to the previous ruses (and lies) it used when it built and expanded the settlements in the midst of peace negotiations. The expansion of settlements means only one thing: the continuation of the occupation and the rule over another people, if not over all of it then over most of it. All the word games will not whitewash this fact. The inevitable result of the continued occupation, even via settlements and outposts, will be an increase in terror and its reinforcement by external radical elements. And if the terror attacks resume after the Iraq War, how has it helped the struggle against terror? See also Q & A with Aluf Benn on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after Iraq http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/QA.jhtml?qaNo=1 From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Apr 20 16:42:35 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Surrealistic but all too real - Avnery on price of war Message-ID: <3EA2BFEB.21642.888C31@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [Uri Avnery analyses the eroded sensitivity of the Israeli state system noticeable even inside Israel proper. He could have added another surrealistic but all too real example. In Ha'aretz. April 18 appeared a short item: "'Firms win tender to fly out illegal aliens. Three tour companies won the tender issued by the Immigration Police for arranging flights to deport illegal aliens - Eshet Tours, Graber Tours and Ophir Tours. The main destinations will be Romania, Turkey, China, India, Ukraine, Thailand, and Nigeria. The number of aliens being expelled per year is estimated at 15,000-20,000. (Zohar Blumenkrantz). More information on this in itself hair-raising subject in today's Ha'aretz Hebrew: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=285418&contrassID=2&subContrassID=2&sbSubContrassI D=0 ] Uri Avnery 19.4.03 עברית באתר http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article245_heb.html At Midnight, a Knock on the Door It was an almost unbelievable news story: in order to trim the national budget, the Ministry of Education had decided to dismiss hundreds of teachers. A private company got the job of delivering the bitter news to the dismissed teachers. Two days before Passover – one of the highpoints of the Jewish calendar, both for religious and sec ular Jews, when families sit together around the table for the joyous Seder ceremony – the messengers of the compan y spread out to do their job. They knocked on the doors at midnight and delivered the notices. Even the Israeli public, which does not get excited any more about anything, was shocked for a moment. How could such a thing happen? Couldn't they have waited until after the feast? What brutality! For me, it was much more than a mistake of some government office. This is a symbolic act, whi ch reflects all that is wrong in today's Israel. First of all, the cruelty. It wasn't deliberate, of course. The Minister of Education did not tell the private contractor: hand them the notice in as painful a way as possible. The contractors, too, did not sit down and de cide: let's do it just before Passover and knock on their doors in the middle of the night, like Stalin's secret police or our undercover soldiers in Nablus. No, nobody decided. Nobody thought about it. And that is really the most shocking part: the to tal insensitivity. Even three or four years ago, this would not have been possible. Somebody would have intervene d in time and shouted: "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" The Jews always defined themselves as "the compassionate sons of the compassionate". They beli eved that compassion is a Jewish invention and quoted the old texts (such as the Sabbath injunction in the Te n Commandments, ordering Jews to relieve their slaves and draft animals every seventh day.) Nietzsche, who abhorred pity, accused Judaism of creating a morality of pity. The new Hebrew society that was created in this country was always proud of its "mutual respon sibility", the fact that nobody went hungry in our society, that the incapacitated, sick, old and unemployed were protected by the whole of society. Once, when I was asked what being a Jew meant to me in my childhood, I mentioned compassio n, together with seeking justice, hating violence, striving for peace and loving education. Not any more. After two years of the al-Aksa intifada, the senses of Israeli society have beco me almost completely blunted. The terrible things that happen daily in the occupied territories pass without mention. "C losures" and curfews that last for months, hunger and thirst, sick people dying for lack of treatment, the demolition of homes and the uprooting of groves – these are "small change", routine matters. Men, women and children shot by snipers in t heir homes and on the streets? Who cares. A young American woman crushed to death by a giant bulldozer while trying t o prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home? So what. She deserved it, anyway. A stone-throwing Palestinian bo y shot dead by a tank? Three lines in the paper. Maybe not even that. The callousness has spread from the occupied territories into Israel itself. Photos in the pap er show people rummaging in garbage bins? Well, that's how it is. Government offices send hungry poor people to ge t a free meal at private charities? Who cares. The new Minister of the Treasury, Binyamin Netanyahu, a man who receives 50 thousand dollars f or a single lecture in the United States, has submitted an economic plan that hurts the poorest of the poor. It reduces monthly old-age allowances (to less than $300), child allowances, unemployment payments, subsidies for homes for re tarded children and the elderly and the education and health budgets. Does the public revolt? Do masses of students take to the streets? Do the media explode in ang er? Does the opposition in the Knesset (if there is such an animal) shake heaven and earth? Not at all. The Trad e Union Federation (Histadrut), representing the strongest and richest workers' committees, threatens a general strike . What else? Here and there a politician issues a statement, hoping to get into the headlines. Here and there a handful o f people of conscience protest. Here and there a columnist writes an indignant article. And that's that. So the poor will be a little poorer and the rich a little richer. Big deal. When Netanyahu himself is asked about the plan, he takes to the well-established Israeli line: There is no alternative. The Israeli economy is sinking. It's all the fault of Arafat. The intifada has destroyed our econom y, And that is a new thing altogether with far-reaching implications. This needs an explanation: for more than five decades, Israeli society has enjoyed the sweet i llusion that there is no connection at all between our policy towards the Arabs and our economic situation. This is a corner stone of our national consciousness. During my ten years in the Knesset, I made at least a hundred speeches on this one point. In e conomic debates I pointed to the security policy and the occupation. In debates about security policy, I raised quest ions about the economic price. Each one of these speeches aroused a furious and impatient reaction from all parts of the Hous e. In security debates they shouted at me: "What has that to do with the economy? We are now speaking about terrorism!" In economic debates they shouted: "We are discussing the economy, so what are you dragging your Palestinians in to this for!" (Only once in all those years, a Deputy Minister of the Treasury took me aside in the corridor and said: "You are the only one who made sense." (Not being an economist, I was flattered.) This ignoring of the price of the war and the occupation has had curious results: the poorest people, the unemployed and the inhabitants of the run-down so-called "development towns" have always voted Likud. In the l ast elections, they voted solidly for Sharon. They had only two demands: to screw the Arabs and to put an end to the ec onomic crisis. They saw no contradiction between the two. But for some months now, there has been a change in public consciousness. In order to counter the accusation that the government's economic policy has caused the depression, the Sharon people have had to admit tha t the intifada is the main cause, even if the worldwide crisis added to it. The intifada dealt a terrible blow to tou rism, one of the most important sectors of our economy. Foreign investments, which are essential to economic growth, have all but stopped. The giant army necessary for the fight against the intifada, together with the settlers, devour a h uge proportion of our GNP (many times more, per capita, than in the USA). Some people believe that if the depression deepens, the "weak strata" (as the poor are called in Israel) will one day rise against the Sharon government, the masses will pour onto the streets and topple it. That may b e too optimistic. But at least one can dream about the night when, at midnight, the people knock on the door of the gover nment and hand it a notice of dismissal. -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Apr 21 19:31:36 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:01 2004 Subject: (fwd) A lot of initiatives towards end of Pesach week Message-ID: <3EA43908.23571.131B62C@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ Hereby we forward a whole series of initiatives for the coming days, with which Gush Shalom is somehow involved or at least sympathizing, and about whom you may not yet know/want to know. [] Visit Mas'ha - around the clock protest against the Separation Wall / Palestinian Ghetto or at least visit http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html [] Tomorrow noon, Defence Ministry TA. vigil of solidarity with the human shielders [] Netanya-Tulkarem Commemoration, Tuesday 22.4 [] In response to poisoning the fields - a visit to Al-Tori in the Negev Wed. 23/4 (second pessach) @ 11:00am [] Trip to See What is Really Happening in Jerusalem [] Bustan Builds a Clinic \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Visit Mas'ha - around the clock protest against the Separation Wall / Palestinian Ghetto or at least visit http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html עברית אחרי אנגלית Just now while you read this, the government is doing one of the most brutal and distructive actions maybe ever. It is shown like a possitive step that will protect us but the real purpose is to lock the Palestinians in a big jail and take their lands, under the cover of "security". The separation wall is a catastrophy and it's dangerous for all of us. We need you. Help us to raise a voice against Sharons' crazy dreams of taking over all the land between Jordan and the sea and building a big Palestinian Ghetto before it's too late! Please read the below and send to anybody you know. If you can spare one day or even few hours to go to Mas'ha, please call Keren 064-465650 Yonatan Polak 066-327736 [for maps: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html] גילוי-דעת. נכתב ע"י: "האנשים שנפגעו מבניית חומת האפרטהייד באזור קלקיליה" 29/12/2003 (תורגם מערבית) לתושביהם האיתנים של: קלקיליה, ג'יברה, א-ראס, כפר סור, כפר זיבד, כפר ג'מאל, פלמיה, ג'אוס, עזון, איסלה, א-תביב, נבי-אליאס, הבל, ראס-אתיה, ראס-טירה, ראסה-א-דעאבא, סאלאמן, גאלוד, בית אמין, עזון אתמה, כפר ת'לית', סנריה, מסחה וכל אלה בצפון הגדה המערבית אשר חומת האפרטהייד משפיעה עליהם. אנחנו, האנשים שנפגעו מחומת האפרטהייד באזור קלקיליה, כותבים הצהרה זו בשמכם ובשמם של כל המשפחות והחקלאים שנפגעו מחומת האפרטהייד, בשמם של כל אוהבי השלום, בשם הצדק וזכויות האדם ובשם המגינים על המדוכאים. בהצהרה זו, אנו מצהירים על התנגדותינו המוחלטת לבניית חומת האפרטהייד באדמות ג'נין, טול-כרם ואזור קלקיליה. חומת האפרטהייד מציגה את הכיבוש במלוא כיעורו. החומה הנבנית מעוררת שנאה ומפרידה בין אנשים ותרבויות. היא גוזלת אדמות ומים, היא משנה סטטוס קוו היסטורי ודמוגרפי של אזורים אלה. בבנייתה נעקרים עצים והטבע נפגע. היא הניגוד המוחלט לכל מה שהוא אנושי ומתורבת. סדר הגודל של ההרס כתוצאה מחומת האפרטהייד, הינו פשע כנגד כל בני האדם. החומה נבנית לאורך יותר מ 45 ק"מ של האדמות הטובות ביותר באזור קלקיליה, במטרה להרוס, להחרים ולבודד יותר משלושים וחמש אלף דונם של עצים, ירקות וחממות. אנחנו שואלים, לאיזה הרס וחורבן נוספים עלינו לצפות, ומה העתיד צופן עבור אנשים אלה? חקלאים אלה ירשו מאבות אבותיהם, את אהבת האדמה ואת המחויבות לעבד את האדמה ממנה הם חיו כל חייהם. התרבות, ההיסטוריה, החלומות והאהבה שלהם מחוברים כולם לאדמה זו. איך יוכלו לאבד את אדמתם? אין היא מהווה רק את מקור החיים עבור ילדיהם , היא מקור תרבותם וחייהם. זו היא טרגדיה לאנושות כולה, כאשר צורות אלה של דיכוי מופעלות כלפי העניים וחסרי האונים, בעוד המדכא משמיע את דבריו ולדבריו מאמינים, בעוד המדכא מצדיק את מעשיו ומרמה אומות ותרבויות. בחסות ה"ביטחון" והמלחמה "בטרור", פועל המדכא, ובחסותם מבוצעים הפשעים. כיצד יכולים אנשים לתת ברכתם למדכא, בזמן שהוא צובר הון כלכלי להקמת החומה ולביצוע פשעו. אנחנו קוראים לכל האנשים בעלי המצפון ולחברינו מכל האומות, כולל ישראל, לעמוד עמנו, לעזור למדוכאים ולעצור את הפשע,שאליו אתם עדים, פשע המתרחב מדי יום. אנחנו, בשם כל נפגעי החומה, אומרים לחברינו בארופה וברחבי העולם שמחר וביום שלאחר מכן, לאחר שהם ישנו את הצורה של האזור ויגזלו מאיתנו את אדמתינו, הם ייצאו אליכם בחג המולד ובמועדים אחרים, ורדים יפים שישאו מותג עליו יהיה כתוב מ"ארץ ישראל" . אבל עליכם לדעת, הו, חברי האנושיות, שהורדים לבטח נשתלו על הריסותיהם וקבריהם של העניים, של החקלאים הללו. הם יושקו מהמים של ילדיהם ואולי, מי יודע, מדמם. הגיע העת, שידע העולם את האמת על המתרחש כאן, ולא כפי שמציגה התקשורת בעלת האינטרסים. תנו לנו לומר בקול גדול: "שחררו את המדוכאים, העניים, הילדים, הזקנים והנשים! הצילו את החקלאים ואת אדמותיהם! עצרו את המדכא בכדי לאפשר לחקלאים להמשיך לחיות את חייהם בשלום על אדמותיהם!" אנו פונים לרשות הפלסטינית בדרישה לעמוד איתנה לצד הכפרים שנפגעו מהחומה ולהכריז על אזור זה כעל אזור מוכה אסון. אנו פונים למועצה המחוקקת הפלסטינית לכנס מושב שידון על המתרחש באזור זה, שיציע צעדים אופרטיביים לפתרון, ושקולינו וסבלנו ישמע באזנם של כל הצדדים שנושא זה נוגע להם- פלסטינים, ערבים ובינ"ל. אנו פונים לעמותות השייכות לחברה האזרחית, שאנו יודעים מניסיונינו האישי, עומדות לצדם של העניים והחקלאים, להגביר את מאמציהם בתקופה הקרובה ולפעול בצורה אינטנסיבית, לבנות תוכניות ופעילויות שנועדו לאפשר לחקלאים להישאר באדמותיהם. בשם כל נפגעי חומת האפרטהייד, אנו מודים לכל חברינו ממגוון הארגונים ומהארגונים לסולידריות בינ"ל, על תמיכתם הרבה ורדיפתם אחרי האמת אודות הכיבוש והשלכותיו על בני אדם ואדמות בפלסטין. אנו מבקשים מכולכם, להעצים את הקמפיינים לסולידריות ולשדר את מסר השלום מהעם הפלסטיני לרחבי העולם. האנשים שנפגעו מבניית חומת האפרטהייד באזור קלקיליה 29/12/2003 לאינפורמציה נוספת ניתן לפנות לרשת העמותות הסביבתיות הפלסטיניות PENGON, קמפיין חומת האפרטהייד outreach@pegnon.org www.pegnon.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------- שלום לכולם ביום שלישי נסענו קבוצה של חמישה ישראלים לכפר מסחה, ש- 97% מאדמותיו נגזלו לצרכי חומת ההפרדה. (משום מה בישראל קוראים לזה "גדר", למרות שמדובר בחומת בטון של 8 מטר, מחושמלת, עם זקיפים שיצלפו בכל מי שיתקרב, כולל חומת הגנה על החומה הזו, כ- 15 מ' ממנה). תושבי הכפר הקימו יחד עם חברות קבוצת הנשים לסולידריות בינ"ל מאהל מחאה. לאוהל מגיעים פלסטינים, ישראלים ופעילים בינ"ל ממקומות שונים לראות ולהביע סולידריות. מסחה היא מקרה קלאסי של בניית החומה. הכפר צמוד להתנחלויות אלקנה, עץ אפריים ושערי תקווה. ההתנחלויות האלה כבר הפקיעו אדמות של הכפר בעבר, בלי קשר לחומה. ההתנחלויות האלה הן חלק מגוש התנחלויות גדול שיסופח לישראל באמצעות החומה, בתוספת אדמות רבות של כפרי האיזור. פתאום נראה כאילו הממשלה תכננה את החומה כבר מזמן, כל התנחלות נמצאת במקום הנכון לשם כך. הכפרים האלו לא היו מעורבים באינתיפאדה ותושביהם עבדו בהתנחלויות עד תחילתה. הם תלויים באדמותיהם ובמטעי הזיתים שעליהן. המשמעות של הפקעת האדמה, היא הריסת הכפרים, שכן אין להם שום דרך לפרנס את עצמם ללא אדמותיהם והם יאלצו לעזוב. אפילו המאהל נמצא בשטח שאמור להיות מסופח. כשהיינו שם ראינו איך הבולדוזרים עוקרים את עצי הזית מעמיסים אותם על משאיות. התושבים סיפרו לנו שעד שהם קיימו הפגנה ביום ראשון, לא היתה כוונה לאפשר להם לקחת את עציהם כדי לנטוע אותם במקום אחר. מארגני המאהל החליטו לא לעשות שום פעולה אלימה נגד הבלדוזרים כדי שלא יסלקו אותם משם. הכוונה היא לעורר מודעות לנושא החומה, גם אצל ישראלים וגם אצל פלסטינים. ישבנו שם ליד המדורה ודיברנו כשמסביבנו הרעש הנוראי של הבולדוזרים חופרים, עוקרים והורסים את הנוף, בהרגשה של חוסר אונים וכעס. האיש שהאדמה שייכת לו ישב איתנו. הם יודעים שהם איבדו את האדמה שלהם ובכל זאת הם שם, לא מוותרים, כמו שהם אמרו- אם כבר לוקחים לנו, לפחות שזה לא יהיה בלי מאבק. ראיתי שם פלסטינים משכנעים ישראלים מיואשים שחשוב להמשיך, להביא אנשים, לעשות. זה היה מדהים בעיניי. החומה היא טעות טרגית שיהציבור הישראלי ששוטפים אותו ב"ביטחון" ו"עציאת פיגועים" לא מתחיל אפילו לקלוט את המשמעות שלה. ברגע שהחומה תהיה בנוייה זו כבר תהיה עובדה- היא תהפוך לגבול, הגדה תהיה מבודדת ותושביה כלואים. זו חשיבה שאין לה שום עתיד, לחשוב שלכלוא את הפלסטינים בשטח צר בלי אדמותיהם זו שיטה שתחזיק מעמד. זה מסוכן לכל הצדדים. חשוב שתבואו, תראו בעיניים שלכם, חשוב שיבואו עוד ישראלים לתמוך. צריך אנשים שיבואו לישון במקום בלילה. זו לא סביבה מסוכנת. (הגענו לשם באוטובוס ממוזג דרך התנחלויות פסטורליות ולא "קיצוניות"). מי שמתאם את הלינה שם הוא בחור בשם יונתן פולק 066-327736 . אני, ערן, דנה ועוד מתכננים לישון שם שוב השבוע. אז אתם יכולים גם להתקשר אלינו. ובבקשה בואו- החומה היא אולי הדבר הכי גרוע שקורה מאז תחילת האינתיפאדה! מפות http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html [] Tomorrow noon, Defence Ministry TA. vigil of solidarity with the human shielders ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 15:33:54 +0200 From: cat Hello, Members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) will be demonstrating in Rafah tomorrow to protest the army's policies in the occupied territories, both towards Palestinians and internationa l activists, of whom two have been seriously wounded and one - Rachel Corrie - was crushed to death. At this demonstration the activists will call for international pressure on the state of Israel and wi ll declare that they will not be scared away from the area. A solidarity vigil will take place tomorrow at the same time, at noon, in front of the ministry of defense (Ha'kirya), Kaplan St., Tel Aviv. Please come and bring your own sign and slogans if you can. For more details: Yonatan 066-327736 [] Netanya-Tulkarem Commemoration, Tuesday 22.4 ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 09:10:03 +0200 From: Rabbis for Human Rights / Bat Shalom English follows חברים יקרים, עם כובש לא יידע חרות - פגיעה בחפים מפשע לא תביא שחרור שנה לפיגוע בליל הסדר בנתניה והפלישה לשטחי הרשות הפלשתינאית עצרת בנתניה ובטול כארם ב- 22.4.03, בשעה 10:00 נקודות איסוף: יום שלישי, 22.4.03, בשעה 8:15 בחניון גן הפעמון בירושלים בשעה 9:15 במסוף אל-על ברכבת צפון בת"א ובכיכר העצמאות בנתניה בשעה 10:00 לעצרת זיכרון בנתניה. מנתניה נסע לטול-כארם (ניבצר מאיתנו להגיע לג'נין) שם יתקיים מפגש עם פעילים פלסטינים ומשפחות אשר נפגעו במבצעת "חומת מגן". לפני כשנה, ישראלים ופלשתינאים נפגעו בציון הדרך נוסף במעגל הדמים המתמשך בו כולנו כלואים. בחודש מרץ 2002 עשרות ישראלים איבדו את חייהם. מדינת ישראל הגבירה את הלוחמה הכלכלית וה צבאית שהופעלה כנגד האוכלוסייה הפלשתינאית בשטחים במבצע "חומת מגן"', אזרחים פלסטניאים רבים נהרגו.. ביום ג', 22/4/03 קואליציה של ארגוני שלום וזכויות אדם, פעילים ואנשי דת ישראלים ופלשתינאים, יציינו א ת יום השנה לפיגוע במלון פארק, מבצע "חומת מגן" וכיבוש מחדש של שטחי הרשות. העצרת תעמוד בסימן התנגדות לאלימות בכל צורותיה, הפרות זכויות אדם, ההפרדה והכיבוש, ובעד שלום צודק . מטרת הפעילות היא להכיר בסבל של שני העמים ולהעביר ולהדגיש את המסר שהישראלים והפלסטינאים כאחד מעוניני ם בעתיד אחר ומסרבים להיות אויבים, בתקווה שאחרינו יכלו גם מנהיגי שני הצדדים. תהייה קריאה לציבור הפלסטיני והישראלי כאחד, לנטוש את הדעות הקדומות והסטריאוטיפים ולחדול להאמין בכך ש "בצד השני" אין עם מי לדבר. נקודות איסוף: יום שלישי, 22.4.03, בשעה 8:15 בחניון גן הפעמון בירושלים, בשעה 9:15 במסוף אל-על ברכבת צפון בת"א ובכיכר העצמאות בנתניה בשעה 10:00 לעצרת זיכרון בנתניה. מנתניה נסע לטול-כארם (ניבצר מאיתנו להגיע לג'נין) שם יתקיים מפגש עם פעילים פלסטינים ומשפחות אשר נפגעו במבצעת "חומת מגן". > אנא צרו קשר עמנו על מנת לשריין מקום עבורכם. כאשר העם יוביל המנהנגים ילכו אחריו הארגונים בישראלים התומכים עד כה: בת שלום קואליציית נשים לשלום פורום המשפחות השכולות למען שלום, פיוס וסובלנות הועד הישראלי נגד הריסות בתים שומרי משפט-רבנים למען זכויות האדם אריק אשרמן 607034-050, 5637731-02, אהרון ברנע 759148-052 NETANYA - Tul Karem AN OCCUPIER CAN NOT KNOW FREEDOM - ATTACKS ON INNOCENT CIVILIANS WILL NOT BRING LIBERATION A COMMEMORATION OF THE PASSOVER ATTACK IN NETANYA AND THE INVASION OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY TUESDAY, APRIL 22ND AT 10 AM A year ago Israelis and Palestinians suffered two additional events in the long and bloody cycle of violence in which we are trapped. Scores of Israelis were killed in March 2002 culminating in the Seder Night attack in the Park Hotel. The Israeli government stepped up its already extensive military and economic warfare against the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories with Operation Defensive Shield. Scores of innocent Palestinians were killed. On Tuesday a coalition of Israeli peace and human rights organizations, Palestinian activists and Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders will mark the first anniversary of the attack in Netanya, Operation Defensive Shield, and the reoccupation of the Occupied Territories. Rejection of all forms of violence, human rights violations, separation and of continued occupation, as well as support for a just peace, will be the main themes of this commemoration. We will recognize the victims and pain of both peoples and try to break down some of the stereotypes that we hold of each other, beginning with the idea that there is nobody on the "other side" to talk to. Transportation: Gan HaPaamon in Jerusalem at 8:15; The El Al pickup at Tel Aviv's Northern Train Station at 9:15. The memorial ceremony in Netanya will begin at 10:00 in Kikar Atzmaut, close to the Park Hotel. From Netanya we will travel to Tul Karem (Jenin had to be cancelled, but we hope to go there in the near future.) We should be back in Jerusalem by 16:00-16:30. PLEASE CALL NUMBERS BELOW TO RESERVE SPACE. WHEN THE PEOPLE LEAD THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW Participating Israeli organizations include to date: Bereaved Families Supporting Peace, Reconciliation and Tolerance Bat Shalom Coalition of Women For Peace The Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions Rabbis For Human Rights For More information: Arik Ascherman 050-607034,02-5637731 Aharon Barnea- 052759148 Lili ____ 053966-281 [] In response to poisoning the fields - a visit to Al-Tori in the Negev Wed. 23/4 (second pessach) @ 11:00am ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "amos gvirtz" Subject: argent request Date sent: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 23:48:15 +0300 [English after Hebrew] שלום אבקשכם להפיץ את ההזמנה שלנו ברשתותיכם בתודה ושלום עמוס גבירץ Subject: In response to poisoning the fields - a visit to Al-Tori in the Negev, Wed. 23/4 (second pessach) @ 11:00am סיור ועצרת מחאה נגד המשך ריסוס שדות בנגב ביום רביעי, ה - 23.4 (חג שני של פסח), יהיה סיור וביקור הזדהות ומחאה עם שבט אל-טורי שעל יד רהט ולה בים. ב 2/4 הממשלה שוב ריססה והרסה שדות בנגב. הפעם בשדות של אל-טורי על יד רהט ולהבים, וגם בעוד מקומות. מטוסים נשלחו וריססו מהאויר בכדי להרוס את יבול החיטה שגדלה על אדמות שיש עליהן מחלוקת של חזקה ובעלות. אנו רואים פעולה זו באופן חמור ביותר. גם הפעם רוססו ילדים. השמדת יבולים ערב קציר של אוכלוסיה עניה המתפרנסת מחקלאות תוביל לרעב. פעולה זו מטעם המדינה מהווה הצהרה בוטה כלפי הבדואים, ומסר ברור כי אזרחותם במדי נה אינה שיוויונית ואינה רצויה. בסיור זה נמחה כנגד הרעבת האוכלוסיה הבדואית, וכנגד הנסיונות לערער ולהרוס את אורך חייהם ואת כפריהם. התוכנית: 9:30 - יציאה מאורגנת מתל אביב וירושליים. (לפרטים: יעקוב מנור 733276 050) 11:00 - התאספות רכבים בצומת רהט-להבים - מחכים בצומת לכיוון רהט. 11:15 - הגעה למאהלים של אל-טורי, (על יד צומת להבים) פגישה ראשונית. 11:45 - חלוקה לצוותים של פעילים ומקומיים. יהיו פעולות מחאה ודיונים לליבון אפשרויות להמשך פעילות ב כדי להביא לעצירת ריסוס השדות ובריונות ממשלתית. 13:00 - אפיית פיתות על ידי נשות המקום. כיבוד קל. 13:30 - התכ נסות מחדש לשמוע על ההצעות שעלו בדיונים בקבוצות הקטנות, קבלת החלטות להמשך פעולה. 14:30 - יציאה הביתה. לקשר - יעלה לבנת 005 487 067 A visit of solidarity and protest against the continued poisoning of the Arab fields in the Negev On Wednesday, April 23rd (the second holiday of Passover), 11:00am, we will visit the village of Al-Tori by Lehavim and Rahat. On April 2nd, the government once more poisoned and destroyed wheat fields in the Negev. This tim e the Al Tori fields were destroyed. Children were caught in the spraying this time too. The destruct ion of crops for a poor community that lives off the land will bring about hunger. This government-sponsor ed action is a harsh proclamation to the Bedouin population that their citizenship in the state is sec ond-rate and unwanted. This visit is to protest against the starvation of the Bedouin population and against the attempt s to destroy their lifestyle and villages. Schedule: 9:30 - organized bussing from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (for details phone Yaakov Manor: 050 73327 6) 11:00 - meeting at Lehavim-Rahat junction, in the direction of Rahat. 11:15 - arrival at the Al-Tori tents. 11:45 - division into small discussion and action groups activists and locals, to decide on possi ble actions to stop the government's brutal policy. 13:00 - the Al-Tori women will bake pitas, light lunch. 1 3:30 - getting together to hear the ideas for action plans, deciding on what to do next. 14:30 - leaving for home. more information: Yeela Livnat: 067 487 005 [] Trip to See What is Really Happening in Jerusalem ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Charles Manekin" Date sent: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 10:20:31 -0400 Invitation to see firsthand the illegal settlements around Jerusalem On Tuesday morning, April 22, a group of (mostly) religious Jews has organized a tour to experience the complex situation in Jerusalem and its outskirts. It will go to see some of the illegal settlements that are being built north of Jerusalem, and then continue on to East Jerusalem, to see the apartheid wall in Abu Dis, and if time allows, the illegal settlements in Ras el Amud and others. The tour will be guided by Dror Etkes, Peace Now's Settlement Watch coordinator, but is a private, unaffiliated venture. It will be leaving from Gan Hapaamon at 9:00 AM in a protected bus ("memugan"), and will return at around 13:00-13:30. If you are interested in joining, please contact Elon Langbeheim at 055-990331 or at matmid@pob.huji.ac.il. Reservations (30 shekalim per person) should be confirmed no later than Monday at 9 pm. Hope to see you there! Elon [] Bustan Builds a Clinic ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Devorah Brous" Date sent: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 10:39:09 +0200 The fierce stench of Ramat Hovav, and the strong winds are not halting the Bedouin from Wadi el Na' am and Bustan from building a medical clinic this week for 4000+ Israeli citizens without access to me dical care. They, like the entire Bedouin population are facing severe reprisals from the Sharon government, at the outset of the Negev Development Plan to confiscate Bedouin lands from the nhabitants of the Unrecognized Villages. We have had some 40-60 volunteers each day working on the straw-bale construction, and learning abo ut the plight of the Bedouin in the unrecognized villages during lectures/documentaries in the evening s on Ramat Hovav toxic waste incinerator, health issues--particularly of Bedouin women and children, pla nning and development policies, and structural discrimination. There is an unbelievably powerful exchange happening between the volunteers and the residents, creating a very strong feeling at the work camp . We are 1/3 complete with the structure, the walls and roof have been erected. Still seeking donations of medical equipment, and volunteer doctors to help us staff the clinic --please spread the word. For more info about how to join us during the rest of the week, please call: 053 711 800. Info on the lecture series, more details, and many pictures will be posted on our website... Shalom, Masalaam Devorah -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Apr 23 17:00:31 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Army against human shielders + joint anti-wall demo Message-ID: <3EA6B89F.7541.AE196E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [] Army decided to remove internationals 1) General Moshe Ya’alon's pronouncement on the radio 2) Implementation started 3) Who can help bail them out? 4) Where to protest [] 26/4 - Demo Against the Separation Wall - Tul Karm 1) Together Against the Walls of Annexation and Expropriation 2) A map of the separation wall at gush site + info about the protest tent at Mash'a \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Army decided to remove internationals 1) General Moshe Ya’alon's pronouncement on the radio [Lt.-General Moshe Ya’alon, in the program “Open Line with the Chief of Staff” during which he spoke with soldiers and commanders about current events. The program’s presenter, Dalik Vilenitz, had asked him about the activists from human rights organization in the territories. The program was broadcast on the Ga’al ey Tzahal , April 16, 2003 at 08:00] ”First of all [nternational human rights activists] create the negative image we have, because it c ertainly strengthens the Palestinian story, which according to my understanding is fabricated in this conte xt. And as a result of this, they also impede the operations of our forces. (...) “I have just given an order to remove the organization’s activists from the area, firstly for thei r own benefit - they are endangering their own lives in a superfluous way - but are also creating provocations that inj ure our freedom of action on the ground. And so it’s advisable that they get out of the area.” 2) Implementation started ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Huwaida Arraf Date sent: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 03:33:03 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [palsolidarity] ISM Action Alert - ISM Coordinator and Journalist Arrested ISM ACTION ALERT Arrest of another ISM coordinator and an Italian Journalist Nur Shams Refugee Camp Tulkarem ISM coordinator Osama Qashoo and an Italian journalist, Thomaso Besavi, were snatched yesterday, Tuesday April 22 at approximately 7:00pm, by Israeli soldiers while in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nur Shams, where the Israeli Army had surrounded the camp and were reportedly detaining a group of Palestinian women and beating a 15-year-old boy. Osama and Thomaso both had cameras and were attempting to document Israeli military abuse of Palestinian civilians when they were threatened with arrest and then thrown into a military jeep. C ameras are a danger to the Israeli military image and various efforts have been made to restrict journalis t access to Palestinian areas and to keep out international peace and human rights workers. Recently, physic al and psychological harassment of internationals and journalists by the Israeli military has been dramatically increased. In the last month, American ISM volunteer Rachel Corrie was killed when she was run over by an Israeli military bulldozer, American ISM volunteer Brian Avery was shot in the face and will need to undergo a series of facial reconstructive surgeries, British ISM volunteer Tom Hurndall was shot in the head and is currently on life support, and Palestinian journalist Nazih Darawzeh was shot in th e head and killed, all while clearly identified as non-threatening, nonviolent, unarmed civilians. Both Thomaso and Osama are currently being held at the police station of the illegal settlement of Ariel. Thomaso is threatened with deportation, while Osama, a Palestinian is in danger of abuse, long-term arrest and maybe even torture. Please help us put pressure on the Israeli authorities to release both Thomaso and Osama . Call the Ariel police station to protest this abuse of human rights observers and journalists and to demand their unconditional release. (Osama Qashoo - ID# 906848627) +972-3-906-5530 (Prisoner information) +972-3-903-5444 (General information) +972-50-374-237 (Ariel police spokesman) Please let us know that you called, by dropping as an email at info@palsolidarity.org and inform us of any information that you receive. For any additional information, please call Huwaida at +972-67-473-30 8. 3) Who can help bail them out? Dorothy Naor just spoke to George Rishmawi regarding the arrest of the two men described by Huwaida below. The release of the two men will probably require a bond. Anyone willing to sign one, pleas e inform (immediately, if possible) Huwaida (phone number below) or George: 052 299 310; 054 351 399 george@rapprochement.org 4) Where to protest Please convey your protest per phone, fax and/or email: The IDF's turning against the non-violent internationals shows its intentions: to be able to act un impeded and push Palestinians to ever more violence which will "justify" the aggression against the whole Palestinian population. by phone: IDF spokesperson Ruti Yaron 03-6080202/3/4 >From abroad +972-2-5694558/9, +972-2-6245789/5268 by fax: >From Israel anaf tikshoret 03-6080312 >From abroad: anaf tikshoret benleumit +972-2-5694256 Secretary of State Colin Powell Fax: +1-202-261-8577 Prime Minister Tony Blair, Fax +44-207-925-0918 European Union, Jerusalem, Fax: + 972- (0)2-532 6249 UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Fax: +972-(0)8- 282-0966 per email: Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry cc to: "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin "Mr. Terje Rod Larsen Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in Palestine" unsco@palnet.com, lemore@un.org European Union, Jerusalem, Email mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Email unsco@palnet.com Sיrgio Vieira de Mello UN High Commissioner for Human Rights European Parliament Belgian Office Huwaida Arraf info@gush-shalom.org For other e-mail addresses see internet sites: Israeli embassies http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm Contact information for European Governments http://europa.eu.int/abc/governments/index_en.htm [] 26/4 - Demo Against the Separation Wall - Tulkarem 1) Together Against the Walls of Annexation and Expropriation -----Original Message----- From: Ta'ayush Arab-Jewish [mailto:arab_jewish@hotmail.com] Quickly and invisibly, a system of fences is being erected: "The Wall of Separation", which has risen far and deep east of the Green Line. The outline of this wall/fence was decided according to the demands of the settlers. It constitutes an organized land robbery on a grand scale, effectively annexing thousands of dunams of land from the West Bank into Israel. Around and inside Jerusalem a system of walls and fences are rising, turning thousands of Palestinians to prisoners in their own homeland. The region of Kalkilya is already walled in from all sides, and has turned into an enclosed enclave. Around Tul-Karm an additional fence is rising, caging thousands of Palestinians into inhabitants of a giant enclosures, subject to the mercy of the occupation authirities. These days work has started to mark the outline of a new fence, which will annex to Israel the settlements of Ariel and Immanuel, and which will turn thousands of Palestinians in the region of Salfit into inhabitants of fenced enclaves. While exploiting the anxieties and promissing false promises of security, the program of annexation and expropriation is moving ahead. Should we accept it now, it will bring an end to the possibility of the foundation of an independant Palestinian State alongside the State of Israel. If we do not oppose it now, the West Bank will become a series of isolated Palestinian enclaves, ruled by settlers and under military control. This is the future that Sharon is preparing for us: Apartheid. True security should not be based upon expropriation and annexation, upon starvation and imprisonment; rather, it should be based on peace between equals. For there is no peace without justice. The barbed wires are a death trap to us all, to the Palestinians and the Israelis. Let's do something about it: Join us to a joint Palestinian-Israeli demonstration in Tul Karm area. Against the walls of annexation and expropriation For a life of peace and justice in this country! The demonstration will take place on Saturday, April 26. Further details (place, hour, trasportation) will follow. You can also check at www.taayush.org or our voice-mail 03-6914437. It is crucial that we bring this message to the public. We need volunteers for distribution of leaflets. Those willing to join, contact Tali 053-367102. Happy holidays to all those who celebrate 2) A map of the separation wall at gush site + info about the protest tent at Mash'a http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Apr 24 03:23:56 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Abu vs Abu - Avnery on uniqueness of Palestinian situation Message-ID: <3EA74ABC.24594.2E8F425@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [We just received this and thought you should see this aaat once, even though it is the second message today.] Abu against Abu Uri Avnery 23.4.03 The clash between Abu-1 and Abu-2 – Abu-Amar v. Abu-Mazen – is not a personal matter, as it is presented by journalists in Israel and all over the world. Of course, the egos of the two personalities do play a role, as in all political fights. But the controversy itself goes much deeper. It reflects the unique situation of the Palestinian people. An upper-class Palestinian defined it this week on Israeli television as “the move from the culture of revolution to the culture of a state.” Meaning: the Palestinian war of liberation has come to an end, and now the time has come to put the affairs of state in order. Therefore, Yasser Arafat (Abu-Amar), who represents the first, must go and Mahmud Abbas (Abu-Mazen), who represents the second, must take over. No description could be further from reality. The Palestinian war of liberation is now at its height. Perhaps it has never been at a more critical stage. The Palestinians are faced with existential threats: ethnic cleansing (called in Israel “transfer”) or imprisonment in powerless, Bantustan-style enclaves. How has this illusion - that the national struggle is over and that the time has come to turn to administrative matters - arisen? The situation of the Palestinian people is indeed unique. As far as I am aware, it has no parallel in history. Following the Oslo agreements, a kind of Palestinian mini-state came into being, consisting of several small enclaves on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. These enclaves have to be administered. But the national Palestinian aim – a viable, independent state in all the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem – is far from being attained. In order to achieve it, an arduous national struggle lies ahead. Thus, two different – and contradictory – structures exist side by side: a national liberation movement requiring strong and authoritative leadership, and a mini-state that needs a regular, democratic and transparent administration. Arafat represents the first. He is much more than a “symbol”, as he is often described. He is a leader possessing an unequalled moral authority among his own people and vast experience in international affairs. He has steered the Palestinian national movement away from subjugation to Arab and international interests and led it from near oblivion to the threshold of independence. Abu-Mazen and his colleagues represent the second reality. They have no solid base among their own people, but do have connections with powerful players, most importantly the United States and Israel, with all that entails. The debate between the two hinges on an assessment of the intifada. For two and a half years, the Palestinian people have been suffering immense losses: about 2500 people killed, ten thousand disabled and injured, a whole stratum of young leaders wiped out, the economy destroyed, immense damage to property. Was this worthwhile? Can it continue? Abu-Mazen and his supporters say No. They believe that the whole fight was a mistake. Even before the present debate, Abu-Mazen called for the cessation of the “armed intifada”. He believes that the Palestinians can achieve more in negotiations with the US and in a political process with Israel. He relies on the mainstream Israeli peace movement and personalities like ex-Labor minister Yossi Beilin. In his opinion, the violence undermines the political process and harms the Palestinian people. Abu-Mazen’s opponents deny all this. In their opinion, not only has the intifada not failed, but, quite the contrary, has had important results: the Israeli economy is in deep crisis, the tensions in Israeli society have reached a peak, Israel’s image in the world has sunk from a democracy defending itself to a ruthless occupier. Security has worsened to the point that there are armed security guards everywhere. The casualties seem to them a price worth paying. If the war of attrition continues, they believe, Israeli will in the end be compelled to accede to the minimum demands of the Palestinians (a state, the Green Line border, Jerusalem as a shared capital, dismantling the settlements and a negotiated solution of the refugee question.) Moreover, Abu-Mazen’s opponents believe that his basic assumptions are wrong. The US will never pressure Israel, whose agents control Washington. Israel will never concede anything without being forced to do so. Sharon will continue building settlements, creating facts on the ground and pulling the land out from under the feet of the Palestinian people even while pretending to conduct negotiations. Abu-Mazen's position may, perhaps, have been stronger if the US and Israel had not been so obviously trying to impose him on the Palestinian people. The examples of poor Karzai in Afghanistan and the miserable gang of emigres whom the Americans brought to Iraq are certainly not helping Abu- Mazen, despite his being one of the founders of the Fatah movement. A large group of mediators have tried to achieve a compromise. They say, in effect, that there is an ideal division of labor: Arafat will continue to lead the struggle for liberation, Abu-Mazen will administer the Palestinian enclaves. However, this raises many practical problems. For example: where will the money for the liberation struggle come from? What will happen to the armed organizations, and who will control the security forces? Who will possess the supreme authority – the Palestinian people as a whole, including the Diaspora (Arafat as Chairman of the PLO) or the administration of the enclaves (Abu-Mazen)? And, most important of all: would Abu-Mazen be prepared to risk a fratricidal war? The US and Israel demand that he liquidate the armed organizations and confiscate their weapons, even before the Palestinians move one step towards a state of their own. This will, of course, involve a bloody internecine struggle that will fill Sharon’s government with joy and consolidate its position still further. Or should national unity be maintained, at least until Israel stops all settlement activity and agrees to a Palestinian state in all the occupied territories? This debate is much wider than the personal struggle between Abu and Abu, ego against ego. For the Palestinian people, this is a debate about existential questions – just like similar debates in the Jewish community in Palestine, that ended only with the founding of the State of Israel. To sum up: Much Ado about Nothing. As evidenced by the fact that neither Sharon nor the settlers are upset. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Apr 28 14:58:01 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Avnery extra: "Don't Envy Abu-Mazen" Message-ID: <3EAD3369.9353.9628965@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [We thought you shouldn't miss this "extra edition" of the Avnery sequence] Uri Avnery 26.4.03 עברית לפי בקשה Don't Envy Abu-Mazen My first impression of Abu-Mazen was of a serious, methodical, somewhat aloof introvert. He reminded me of a high-school principal, very different from Arafat, the impulsive extrovert, prone to personal gestures, exuding warmth to all around him. I met Abu-Mazen for the first time some 28 years ago. We were secretly in Tunis to meet Yasser Arafat. There were three of us: Matti Peled, a general in the reserves, Ya'acov Arnon, a former Director General of the Treasury and I. We met Abu-Mazen first to prepare practical proposals for joint actions, to be put before the "Old Man", as Arafat - then 54 - was called. I had first heard mention of the name Abu-Mazen nine years earlier, with my first secret contacts with senior PLO officials. They told me that the Fatah leadership had appointed a committee of three for contacts with Israelis. They were the "three Abus" (as I called them): Abu-Amar (Yasser Arafat), Abu-Iyad (Salah Halaf) and Abu-Mazen (Mahmud Abbas). Abu-Mazen was directly responsible for the contacts that started in 1974. At the first stage, they were conducted with me personally, but, from the autumn of 1976 on, the Israeli partner was the "Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace". The Palestinians who met us were Sa'id Hamami and Issam Sartawi - who were both murdered by the Iraqi-supported Palestinian arch- terrorist, Abu-Nidal, a mortal enemy of Arafat. When Arafat and Abu-Mazen were both present at meetings with us, I got a clear picture of their mutual standing. The detailed discussions were conducted by Abu-Mazen, who had a good knowledge of things Israeli, but it was Arafat who, in the end, made the decisions. More than once I had the impression that the senior PLO leaders were quite content to leave to Arafat the responsibility for the courageous, dangerous and unpopular decisions that led up to the agreement with Israel. Now there is a new situation. Arafat has agreed to appoint Abu-Mazen Prime Minister. (The very fact that the whole world, and Israel too, have welcomed the Palestinian "government" and "Prime Minister" is a big step towards the establishment of the State of Palestine. In Oslo Israel still strenuously resisted terms like "President", "government" and "parliament" for the Palestinians.) Abu-Mazen has taken upon himself a great responsibility vis-a-vis his own people and the world. He has put himself in a well-nigh impossible position. Sharon & Co. demand that he first of all put an end to "terrorism" ("armed struggle" in Palestinian parlance), liquidate the "terrorist organizations" collect their arms and prevent "incitement". Only after the successful completion of all this can real negotiations begin. Freezing the construction of settlements, of course, should not even be mentioned at this stage. The Palestinian public, on the other hand, demands that first of all the Israeli army should leave the Palestinian towns, stopping "targeted assassinations", settlement activity, the demolition of homes and all other acts of oppression, and start real negotiations for the establishment of the State of Palestine. This threatens to become a deadlock. If the US and Europe exert massive pressure on Sharon, the way they have put massive pressure on Arafat, the deadlock might be broken. The Israeli army would withdraw, the situation in the Palestinian territories would change completely, the Palestinians would be able to breathe again and Abu-Mazen would appear as a leader who had already attained a great achievement. The popularity of the extreme organizations would decline. Even if this happened, Abu-Mazen could not dream of making mass arrests, destroying the organizations and confiscating their weapons. There is nothing the Palestinians fear more than fratricidal war. However, the pressure of Palestinian public opinion would lead, at least, to an effective armistice. Even the extreme organizations are sensitive to the attitudes of their public - if it wants quiet, there will be quiet. That has already happened in the first period after the Oslo agreement. Let's assume that this happens. The attacks stop almost completely (there will always be some individuals and local groups who feel they have to act on their own). The Abu-Mazen government functions well in the Palestinian towns and villages. Then what? After the publication of the Road Map, Sharon will propose dozens of "corrections". Even now the "map" is strongly tilted towards Sharon. While the Palestinians gave up 78% of the country in Oslo and accepted the remaining 22% for building their own state, and have declared that they want to live in peaceful co-existence with Israel, Sharon talks about "painful concessions" without spelling out what he really means. If Sharon's "corrections" are even partly accepted, the plan will lose most of what content it still has. Abu- Mazen will stand there with empty hands, the negotiations will stagnate as in previous rounds. Gradually, the Palestinians will be forced to the conclusion that they can achieve nothing without violence, the fighting organizations will regain the initiative and the armed struggle will resume. Sharon and Bush will blame the Palestinians, of course. They will say that Abu-Mazen "has not delivered the goods". The Palestinians, for their part, will say that Abu-Mazen is naive, that he has fallen into an American-Israeli trap. He will resign, Arafat's prestige will rise to new heights. The next chapter can be foreseen. The Christian fundamentalists and Zionist neo-cons, who control Washington at this time, will demand that Sharon be given a free hand. The Palestinians will embark on the third intifada, more extreme than the two before. Blood and fire and columns of smoke. It could be different. For example: the US stops treating the Quartet with contempt, pressure is put on Sharon, Bush is not reelected, the negotiations bear fruit, the peace camp wins in Israel, the Palestinian state is founded in peace. In the Holy Land, miracles have happened before. But in the meantime, don't envy Abu-Mazen. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Apr 29 18:19:24 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Israeli-Palestinian action against insatiable Wall, Saturday Message-ID: <3EAEB41C.21303.88C922@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ While Abu Mazen is meeting the Palestinian parliament, and while the IDF with the assassination of Gaza PFLP leader Nidal Salameh continues its torpedo campaign we also continue with our actions. FYI: the following invitation was sent to our activists. You are invited to participate on Saturday in an Israeli-Palestinian joint action against the insatiable Wall: We say No to the Wall of Transfer! Information and Protest action: Saturday, May the 3rd 2003 in Mas'ha With the pretext of the settlers' security concerns, the Wall of Apartheid is being erected deep in the heart of the Palestinian territories. The Wall is being built on agricultural land confiscated from Palestinian villages. The dispossessed Palestinian peasants, caught in between the Wall and the 'green line' without any sources of income and livelihood, are being forced to leave their land. The Wall is not built in order to secure the safety of Israeli citizens but in order to gain hegemony and control over the water resources; for the sake of the de-facto annexation of the settlements to Israel; to bisect the Palestinian territories into small isolated enclaves void of territorial contiguity and viability, and in order to create a border zone 'clean' of Palestinians. Thousands of Palestinians have already left their homes because of lack of means to survive. In April 23, 2003, the bulldozers have arrived to the village Mas'ha, adjacent to the Israeli settl ement Elkanah. Elkana is about 7 kilometers away from the green line, but the route of the fence, approved in the governm ent meeting of June 24, was changed so that it will include Elkana as well in the Israeli side. The bulldozers have sta rted to separate Mas'ha, in effect, from its only remaining source of livelihood after two and a half years of closu re. 98% of the lands of Mas'ha will be placed in the Israeli side of the fence - between the fence and the green line, toge ther with thousands of dunams of Bidia Sanniriya and other villages in the area. Along with the lands that will be cut off the villages, the fence disconnects the road from Jenin to Ramallah, a segment of which will now be in the Israeli side of the fence, thus establishing further the isolation of the Palestinian enclaves from each other. We say NO to the 'Silent Transfer' Join us in a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Mas'ha against the Wall of Transfer Transportation: 11:30 - Binyaney Ha Uma- Jerusalem 12:20 - Habima Parking, Tel Aviv 12:30 - Rakevet Tzafon, Tel Aviv More details: Jonathan 066 - 327736 Together against the Wall of Transfer Gush Shalom - Alternative Information Center - Israeli Committee against House Demolition - Alterna tive Action http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.btselem.org/ (look under publications 2003) -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language artic les, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu May 1 23:30:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Fifteen Palestinians killed - and not by an uncontrolled militia Message-ID: <3EB19FFF.3816.2487280@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 1, 2003 Fifteen Palestinians killed - and not by an uncontrolled militia When the most mainstream man of Israel, newsreader Chaim Yavin, asks whether our army is perhaps exaggerating its use of violence - then it means that probably more people are starting to see through Sharon's way of "fighting terrorism" - that he is not fighting it, but on the contrary making sure it won't stop. As long as there are terrorist attacks Sharon does not have to make the "painful concessions" to which he pretends to be willing. And as long as Sharon has a partner on the other side such as Hamas - a partner who may have similar motives - Israelis and Palestinians who want to move towards peace are held hostage. The Ha'aretz report now on the website (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/289158.html ) reports the sad harvest of this day - 20 houses destroyed and 15 (!) Palestinians dead, among them young children; also the Haaretz report shows some reservation ["The intensive IDF operations, including incursions into den sely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, are continuing despite the establishment of a new Palestinian go vernment and the long-awaited presentation of the "road map" this week."] . The military did probably not expect such criticism while on the pages of the same day's printed press there were still the pictures of the victims of the suicide attack in the Tel-Aviv cafe, of the day before. Could it be that this is the little bit (very little indeed) which has been won? Haaretz internet edition 15 Palestinians killed in Gaza, West Bank; 8 IDF troops hurt By Arnon Regular and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and Reuters Fifteen Palestinians were killed in Israel Defense Forces operations in the West Bank and Gaza Stri p on Thursday. Thirteen of the fatalities, including a two-year-old toddler, and eight soldiers were inj ured in a raid on the Sajayia neighborhood of Gaza City. Israeli tanks backed by helicopters raided the area after midnight and laid siege to the house of the family of a senior Hamas military leader, Yusuf Abu Hin. Three broth ers belonging to Hamas are currently holed up inside the house. Soldiers called on family members inside to leave the house, but they refused, witnesses said. The toddler was named as Amer Ayad. He was struck by a bullet to th e head. A 13-year-old boy was also killed in the raid. Fifteen Palestinians were wounded, witnesses and docto rs said. Three soldiers who sustained moderate wounds in the battle were evacuated to Soroka Hospital in Be' er Sheva, while five lightly wounded soldiers were treated at Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon. At the souther n end of the Gaza Strip, IDF troops searched for tunnels used for smuggling weapons in Rafah. Unlike previous operati ons in Rafah, the Palestinians mounted little resistance. The IDF said it demolished a number of abandoned home s adjacent to the Egyptian border. Palestinian sources said that 20 homes were destroyed. Soldiers shoot dead two armed Palestinians near Hebron In the West Bank, the IDF shot dead two armed Palestinians in Yata, south of Hebron. Two other gunm en with managed to flee. According to Palestinian sources, one of the men killed in Yata was Khaled Makha mra, a top leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, the military wing of the Fatah movement. The other man ki lled in the clash was a Palestinian policeman, the sources said. One of the two gunman who escaped was also a p oliceman and was injured in the exchange of gunfire, according to these sources. The IDF also arrested 12 wanted men in operations in Nablus, Qalqiliyah, Hebron and Bethlehem. In Beit Sira, just over the Green Line ne ar the city of Modi'in, the IDF demolished the home of a Tanzim militia leader responsible for killing three membe rs of a family driving on the Jerusalem-Modi'in road (443) in August 2001 and the murder of another Israeli near R amot a month later. The intensive IDF operations, including incursions into densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, are continuing despite the establishment of a new Palestinian government and the long-awaited presentation of the "road map" this week. IDF reservists arrest Palestinians carrying explosive device IDF reservists on Thursday foiled a terror attack when stopped a vehicle next to Palestinian villag e of Akrabe, which is next to Nablus, in which two Palestinians were traveling in possession with a 10-kilogram explosive device, Army Radio reported. The explosive device was safely detonated with no injuries. The two Palestinians were arrested and taken in for questioning. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun May 4 04:42:33 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "With the Wall, the settlers will have all the olives" Message-ID: <3EB48C29.10095.12107DA@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// May 3, 2003 "With the Wall, the settlers will have all the olives" [report of today's action] On Saturday May 3, at the approaches to the village of Mes'ha in the Qualqilia District of the West Bank. What had been two and a half years ago a bustling highway is now completely blocked off by two piles of earth, at a distance of some fifty metres from each other, making it impossible to get by car in or out of the town - as is the situation at the entrance of virtually every Palestinian community in the West Bank, from tiny hamlets to the big cities. The official reason is that if the movement of all Palestinians is hampered, the movement of suicide bombers will also be hampered. The unofficial reason is the assumption that disrupting the Palestinians' daily life would bring them to their knees. Neither reasoning seems to be working out - and still the siege continues, and the earthen barriers have already been there long enough to sprout a lot of vegetation. In today's Yediot Aharonot, Condolizza Rice is quoted as demanding that "Israel restore the Palestinians' freedom of movement"; Mes'ha inhabitants do not seem to wait with bated breath. The blockage of the entrance is anyway old news, a terribly heavy burden on daily life but with which they had to learn to live for more than two years already and to which they find some small practical ameliorations. Nowadays, Mes'ha is faced with a more immediate and existential threat - the wall which Sharon is in the process of building, and which turns out to cut very big slices out of the West Bank; Mes'ha will be separated from 98% of its agricultural lands. The Separation Barrier as it is officially called, the Apartheid Wall which is the common name hereabouts, or just The Wall - has become the most important fact of life for these thousands of villagers. It is the Wall which has brought us here, three busloads of activists from Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, as over the past three weeks it has brought an increasing number of Israelis, internationals and Palestinians from other places to an ongoing protest encampment in the place where this village's lands are being stolen. The earthen barriers make it impossible for our buses to get anywhere near the place. It would be a considerable walk. Making a virtue of necessity, it had been decided to make this walk into a demonstrative procession. Crossing the barriers (there was only a token force of five or six soldiers, rather surprisingly no serious attempt to bar our way) we find a crowd of villagers waiting already, with a sprinkling of the internationals who had been here for quite some time already. Together forming a heterogenous mixture: the emblems of half a dozen Israeli peace groups; the conspicuous two-flag signs of Gush Shalom; the shirts of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees recognizable by the green tree in a circle - and worn also by internationals and Israelis; the competing red flags of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian People's Party; Fatah supporters bringing the Palestinian red-green-white-black and among them youngsters in the shirts of European Anarchists. One woman had a rather worn shirt with Down with the Occupation in Hebrew, English and arabic ("I am wearing this in every demonstration since 1988 and will continue to do it until the end of the occupation"). To the front, big signs are unfurled: "Israelis and Palestinians Together against Occupation", Gush Shalom's "The apartheid Wall - Prison for Palestinians, Ghetto for Israelis", the black triangular "Oppression of Palestinians is Our Oppression" of Kvisa Schora. Slogans are constantly exchanged and translated back and forth between Hebrew and Arabic: Settlers Go Home / Two States for Two Peoples / Liberty for the Palestinian People / a Different Future Without Wars / No Killings of Civilians, Jewish or Arab. As we walk through the town's main street there are smiling and welcoming faces. Little boys dart into the crowd with bottles of cold water, very needed under the blazing sun. a participating Israeli farmer takes out a nylon bag full of fresh fruits and hands it to one of the boys, and soon the fruit is also distributed by many little hands to the marchers. Out of the last houses and into the fields and olive orchards. There is no shadow here at all, and the chanting is slackening. Going up and down several hills, and there it is: a white strip, some twenty meters in width, cutting through he whole landscape north to south. Three months ago there were there hundreds of olive trees which are now gone. Three months from now, approaching it might be a life danger from guard towers. At this moment, the Wall itself has not yet been erected in this sector and it is still possible to cross the strip of devastation. On the other side, the side which will become inaccessible once the Wall goes up, is the protest encampment: four large tents, one used as kitchen and the other giving shelter to some twenty activists who come forth to greet us. Many of them are wearing a specific T-shirt with the picture of an enormous bulldozer destroying olive trees. all around is an exhibition of many such photographs, documenting in minute detail the ongoing ravage. No less than three groups of international activists are present: the well- known ISM; the women of IWPS; and also the Ecumenical Accompaniers sponsored by the World Council of Churches. A young villager gives guidance to the top of a hill. "You see on this side the root of the Wall. and all the land which it will take away from us. and there,on the other side, you see the settlements Elkana and Etz Ephraim; they were also build on Mes'ha land. Now in fact we already lost many of the olive trees near the settlements. The army does not let us go there, and the settlers harvest our olives. The trees which are here in this hill, we did harvest this year, but when the Wall will be there, the settlers will have them all." The rally starts, with a big rock serving as improvised podium. After calling for a moment of silence to commemorate Rachel Corrie, Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom details what he calls The Big Con Game": "The Israeli public is told that here is being built a security fence to protect them against suicide bombers. If it had been built along the Green Line, the old border, that would have been somehow plausible. When we can see that it is snaking around deep inside the West Bank, curving here and there to contain all the settlements, it is clear that this is just one more device for stealing Palestinian land." "The Sharon who builds this Wall has nothing to offer the Palestinian people, except for killing and murder and robbing of land," Suhil Salman of The People's Party exclaims, and Razaq Abu Naser of the Democratic Front adds: "Twenty-three percent of the whole West Bank this Wall is going to consume, and this twenty-three percent includes 80 percent of the fertile land; 80 percent of the water sources." He was followed by two internationals: Karen of IWPS ("thirteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall; nine years after the fall of South-African Apartheid")and Allison of the Nablus ISM ("The Israeli government and army threaten to expel us, but we will persist in our mission of solidarity"). Prof. Tanya Reinhart spoke of "the junta of the army generals and the ex-general ministers, who treat us to the myth of 'liberating' the land, liberating it from its inhabitants." Aharon Shabtai read his poem "My heart" written during the big invasion a year ago: (...) the roadside corpse that help couldn't reach / the empty oxygen tanks at the clinic in Nablus. "Our land is our honor. We want to live in peace with Israel. Suicide bombings are not our way, but how can anybody expect us to live in peace when our land is stolen, our trees are uprooted, the last piece of bread is taken from the mouths of our children. Does the world accept this as justice?" - cried Nabih Shalabi, representative of the directly affected farmers, holding a sign in arabic and Hebrew: The Wall - over my dead body; not on my land. And last but not least: activist Efri Shirman read out... the phone numbers of Victor Bar-Gil, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Defence, who is in direct charge of the Wall: +972-(0)3-6965944 (home); +972-(0)3-6976161 (office); +972-(0)50-917107 (mobile); +972-(0)3-6977818 (fax). (NB: use these numbers before they will b changed!). for photos http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/gallery.html NB: activists are very much needed to help maaintain a daay aand night presence in the protest encampment. Contact: Yonatan, 066-327736 Naama, 052-235788 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Did you know (y)our protest was succesful? BBC was brought back to the Israeli screens. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get forwarded reports and announcements which we receive + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun May 4 20:16:59 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: (Fwd) The Other Israel, April 2003 is out Message-ID: <3EB5672B.8453.1AF191E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ FYI (in the end appears free sample information) ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: The Other Israel Tel-Aviv, May 2, 2003 "Road Map in the Air" - the new TOI is out. ============================== The Other Israel, April 2003, issue 107/108, is out As the title suggests, much of this issue is devoted to the "Road Map", and to the debate in the Israeli peace movement on how much - or little - can be expected of this long-expected diplomatic document, and to the related issue of Abu-Mazen's Prime Minister. "A road map to nowhere" is the title of Uri Avnery's article, a conclusion disputed in Jeff Halper's "the Road Map - potential & weaknesses". --The issue deals witth the conquest of Iraq - giving descriptions of the demonstrations in Tel-Avi v and Haifa - the modest Israeli contribution to the worldwide anti-war movement - and analyses how the war im pacts our situation. --There is a discussion of what was widely feared to happen under the smokescereen of th e war (large scale ehttnic cleansing - which the advance warnings may have helped prevent) and what did h appen (wide extension of the so-called "separation wall" effecively annexing large parts of the West Bank and disposses hundreds of thousands of Palestinians). The beginnings of organised protests by Israelis and Palest inans against what we call the Apartheid Wall are covered in this issue. The refusers of military service also have a big share of this issue, with an analysis of how the h igh command came to regard a group of youngsters as a threat big enough to occupy the time and energy o f two generals and to resort against them to mass court-martials unprecedented in Israel's history. In addition, there are covered many peace activities: innovative demonstrations, such as the Rave a gianst the Occupation near Sharon's farm in the Negev and the carnavalesque Drummers' march in the streets of Tel-Aviv; various protests with Palestinians & food convoys to beleaguered villages in the occupied territori es; the ongoing monitoring and reporting. Finally, some attention is paid to the interrelations between the ongoing conflict and the deterior ation of the Israeli economy, and the economic austerity plan of Finance Minster Netanyahu which provoked th e present general strike by the Israeli unions. (One of the side effects of the disruption of postal ervices is that TOI issues might be delayed on their way). The Other Israel is now in its 20th year. Right now, back issues are being made accessible in a computerized web archive (issues since 1994 already available): http://www.israelipalestinianpeace.org/issues/opening.htm This is a collection of on the one hand detailed analysis of the political developments - which, wh en put together are a quite complete historiography of two decades of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; an d on the other hand action reports giving a vivid picture of a broad variety of peace groups. If you didn't see TOI before, you can send us your postal address and we will send you a free sampl e. If you did see it, and forgot to subscribe you can send subscription fees now; when you announce it - including your address, we will post your copy already. The Other Israel P.O.Box 2542 Holon 58125 Israel otherisr@actcom.co.il From info at gush-shalom.org Tue May 6 21:53:13 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Join us bringing food to Tulkarm & read about The Evil Wall Message-ID: <3EB820B9.21172.1F5D610@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [For the 55th time we celebrate here Independence Day. More and more there are on this day also "alternative ceremonies" which all have in common the wish that Palestine would "next year" be independent as well. Meanwhile the authorities, while formally accepting the Road Map, today arrested in the Gaza Strip a colonel off the Palestinian Security Service, the same service which it says should "fight terrorism."] () Saturday, another Gush food shipment - to Tulkarm Refugee Camp () Uri Avnery's latest: The Evil Wall (())(())(())(()) () Saturday, another Gush food shipment - to Tulkarm Refugee Camp On Saturday, May 10, we will bring a truck full of different food items to the Tulkarem Refugee Camp. This is where a month ago the army arrested all men - and after singling out some who were on its "wanted lisst" forced the rest to board trucks which drove them off into the fields far from their homes, forbidding them to return home. (After a lot of pressure this exile which was originally meant for three days, had to be shortened.) We chose these people who were subjected to collective abuse and who suffer enormous economic hardships as recipients of our little gesture of solidarity in the struggle against the occupation. This food shipment includes sugar, beans, orange juice and rice. It is what the refugee camp's food committee asked for. We finance it mainly with the remainder of the "donate a sack of flour" campa ign to which so many of you, in Israel and abroad, reacted positively. If you are one of those who live here, and if you want to join the delegation bringing the food, pl ease phone to the Gush Shalom answering machine (03-5221732) and leave your phone number. There is only a limited number of places available. () Uri Avnery's latest: The Evil Wall Uri Avnery 3.5.04 The Evil Wall For a fraction of a second, I was panic-stricken. The terrible monster coming towards me was not more than five meters away and continued to move as if I weren’t there. The giant bulldozer pushed a great heap of dirt and boulders before it. The driver, two meters above me, seemed a part of the machine. It was clear that nothing would stop him. I jumped aside at the last moment. Some weeks ago, in a similar situation, the American peace activist Rachel Corrie expected the driver to stop. He did not, and she was crushed to death. I did not come on this occasion to demonstrate (we shall do this today) but to look around. In the olive grove, a few meters from the tents that were set up by the villagers of Mas’ha, together with Israeli and international peace activists, three monsters were preparing the ground for the “Separation Wall”. They raised clouds of dust and a deafening roar, so that we could hardly converse. They work every day, even on Passover, 12 hours a day, without a break. The whole Israeli public supports the Separation Wall. It has no idea what it is supporting. One has to come to the place in order to understand all the implications of the project. First of all, it has to be said unequivocally: this wall has nothing to do with security. It is being sold to the Israeli public as a “security fence”. The army calls it an “obstacle”. The public, which of course yearns for security, is buying the goods eagerly. At long last something is being done! And indeed, the idea looks quite simple. Even the most unsophisticated person can grasp it. It seems almost self-evident: a Palestinian who wants to blow himself up in Israel has first of all to cross the pre-1967 border, the so-called Green Line. If a wall or fence is built along the Green Line, the terrorists will not be able to come. No more attacks, no more suicide bombers. But logic says that if this had indeed been a security-wall, it would have been built directly along the Green Line. All Israelis (except the settlers) would be on one side of it (the western one) and all the Palestinians on the other. The line should be as straight and as short as possible, because it will need inspecting, patrolling and defending. The shorter it is, the easier and cheaper it will be to defend it. That is the logic of security. But in reality, except for short sections, the wall is not being built on the Green Line, nor in a straight line. On the contrary, it meanders like a river, twisting and turning, approaching the Green Line and receding from it. Not by accident. The bed of a river is dictated by nature. The water has to obey gravity. But the design of the wall has no connection with nature. The bulldozers are quite indifferent to nature, they cut through it remorselessly. What then determines this design? Standing near it, the answer is clearly visible. The sole consideration that dictates its path is the settlements. The wall twists like a snake according to a simple principle: most of the settlements must remain on the western side of the wall, i.e. eventually to be absorbed into Israel. Standing on a hill which will be crossed by the wall, I saw down below, on the western side, Elkana, a large settlement. On the eastern side, only a few dozen meters away, there is the Palestinian village of Mas’ha. The village itself stands on the eastern side, but almost all its lands lie on the western side. The wall will cut the village off from 98% of its lands – olive groves and fields that stretch up to the Green Line, some seven km away, near Kafr Kassem. Mas’ha is a big village – like its neighbor, Bidia, where thousands of Israelis used to come every Saturday for shopping. Mas’ha, too, was once a blooming village. It has a big industrial zone, now completely deserted. One can reach the village only on foot, climbing steep tracks. At the beginning of the intifada, the Israeli army blocked the main road with two piles of earth and rocks. No vehicle can pass. “First they came to destroy our livelihood,” the village chief, Anwar Amar, says bitterly. “Now they come again to take away our land.” Indeed, the foul smell of “transfer” hovers over the wall. Its location leaves whole Palestinian villages on the western side – trapped between the wall and the Green Line. The inhabitants will not be able to move, to find a livelihood, to breathe. Other villages, like Mas’ha, will remain on the eastern side of the wall, but their land, on which their livelihood depends, will be on the western side. There are places, like the town of Kalkiliya, which will be almost completely surrounded by a loop of the wall, leaving only a small opening to the West Bank. One of the purposes of the wall is, without a doubt, to make the lives of the inhabitants hell, in order to convince them by and by to go away. It is a kind of “creeping transfer”. Like the terrifying bulldozer pushing before it rocks and lumps of earth, so the occupation pushes before it the Palestinian population – always eastwards, always out. Historians can see this as a continuous process that started 120 years ago and has not stopped for a moment. It began with the eviction of the Felaheen from land that was purchased from absentee landowners and continued with the Nakba of 1948; the massive land expropriations from Arabs in Israel after that war; the expulsions during the 1967 war; the creeping eviction by means of settlements and bypass roads throughout the years of the occupation; and now the expulsion caused by the wall. The Hebrew bulldozer rolls in front. Not by chance, Arial Sharon’s nickname is “the bulldozer”. The wall of Mas’ha and Kalkiliya, which continues to the Gilboa mountains, is not the only one. To the east of it, a second wall is already being planned. It will embrace the Ariel and Kadumim settlements and penetrate 20 km into Palestinian territory, almost reaching the central axis of the West Bank, the Ramallah-Nablus road. However, even this is not the whole picture. Sharon is now planning the “Eastern Wall” that will cut off the West Bank from the Jordan valley. When it is finished, the whole West Bank will become an island surrounded by Israeli territory, cut off on all sides. Also, the southern West Bank (Hebron and Betlehem) will be cut off from the northern West Bank (Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin), which will also be divided into several enclaves. [1] This map is very reminiscent of the map of Apartheid South Africa. The racist government set up several black “homelands”, nicknamed Bantustans, ostensibly self-governing territories whose black leaders were appointed by the white government. Each Bantustan was completely surrounded by the territory of the racist state, cut off from the rest of the world. This is exactly what Sharon has in mind when he speaks about a “Palestinian state”. It will consist of several enclaves, each one surrounded by Israeli territory, without an external border with Jordan or Egypt. Sharon has been working on this plan for decades, setting up dozens of settlements according to its map. The wall will serve this purpose. It has nothing to do with security, it certainly will not bring peace. It will only bring more hatred and bloodshed. The very idea that an obstacle of cement or wire could stop the hatred is ludicrous. The work continues now from early morning to late evening. Sharon talks about the Road Map while creating “facts on the ground”. But this wall also has a deeper meaning. It is no accident that it is so hugely popular in Israel, from Sharon to Mitzna and Beilin. It satisfies an inner need. In his book “Der Judenstaat”, the founding document of Zionism, Theodor Herzl wrote the following sentences: “For Europe, we shall be there (in Palestine) a section of the wall against Asia. We shall do pioneer service for culture against barbarism.” This idea, that we are the outpost of Europe and need a high wall between us and Asiatic barbarism – i. e. the Arabs – is thus imbedded in the original vision. Perhaps it has even deeper roots. When the Jews began to congregate in Ghettos, before this was decreed from the outside, they surrounded themselves with a wall, in order to separate themselves from a hostile environment. Wall and separation, as guarantees of security, are deeply imprinted in the Jewish collective unconscious. But we, the new Hebrew society in this country, did not want to be a new Jewish ghetto. We did not seek separation, but the opposite – to be open to the region. Not “a villa in the jungle”, as Ehud Barak put it, not a European outpost against Asiatic barbarism, as seen by Herzl, but an open society that lives in peace and prospers in partnership with the nations of this region. This evil wall is not only an instrument for dispossessing the Palestinians, not only an instrument of terrorism masquerading as a defense against terrorism, not only an instrument of the settlers disguised as a security measure. It is, most of all, an obstacle facing Israel, a wall blocking our way to a future of peace, security and prosperity. [1] A map of the walls can be seen on -- NB: Our site was not hacked - though some try hard to make it look like But: www.gushshalom.org is not the gush shalom site; the right address is www.gush-shalom.org (The mock sites are a coming and going phenomenon. Some seem so intrigued as to invent ever new variations after earlier forms were banned.) -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri May 9 15:48:07 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] NB URGENT: ISM office raided; the people arrested; computers confiscated; Message-ID: <3EBBBFA7.19896.B8CF9B@localhost> FYI We just heard from Neta Golan (064-405783) that the ISM office has been raided; the computers confiscated and the people arrested. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri May 9 19:14:18 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] ISM Office Invaded, more info + what you can do Message-ID: <3EBBEFFA.11968.1759A9E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ International release [NB: sample protest letter in the end.} You may have seen the short, immediate message. We now can tell you that the ISM (International Solidarity Movement) and Raprochement offices in Beit Sahour were raided today. Three women were taken into custody. Two internationals were arrested, both apparently American (one is Flo, the communications coordinator). A Palestinian was questioned, and then released; The 2:00 and 3:00 PM radio news reported that the internationals were illegally here, but the ISM office confutes that. In addition to the arrests, 5 computers and 3 lap tops were confiscated. This is a step further in the government’s and military’s war on human rights groups, particularly those who aim to help the nonviolent struggle of Palestinians against the occupation. It follows the killing of Rachel Corrie, and the shooting and seriously wounding of Tom Hurndall - still in coma - and Brian Avery, shot in the face, and invalidated for life. International human shielders are apparently losing their special status and treated no better than Palestinians. At present, legal aid is being sought to try to release the women and to recoup the computers. ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 20:51:22 +0200 From: ISM Media Alerts Subject: [EMEM] New Israeli military declaration targets ISM [Singling out ISRAELI MILITARY INTENSIFIES ASSAULT ON INTERNATIONAL PEACE WORKERS SINGLING OUT INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT As of Thursday, May 8, 2003, humanitarian organizations working within the Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine began receiving a new declaration created by the Israeli military. This document (included below) demands signature of all international groups working within the Gaza Strip and any internationals attempting to enter the Gaza Strip. In addition to stipulations of not holding the Israeli Government responsible for the death of internationals, the declaration specifically states that the individual signing can have no connection to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). [ http://www.palsolidarity.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/palsolidarity ] The ISM, a Palestinian led non-violent group which attempts to provide protection to the Palestinian people and to enable them to non-violently resist the Israeli military occupation of Palestine, has recently come under attack from the Israeli Government and Army. This attack, including the targeting of ISM volunteers that left one dead, one comatose and one severely injured, and now this new declaration, are all aimed at discrediting and inhibiting the peace work of the ISM. ===================== COPY OF DECLARATION: Israeli Defense Forces Form to be filled out and submitted to IDF authorities prior to entry to the Gaza Strip First name Family name Nationality Passport number Home address Address in Gaza Purpose of visit in detail Duration of visit Organization arranging visit Conditions of Entry into the Gaza Strip Foreign nationals entering the Gaza Strip, please note that the IDF is committed to ensuring the safety of civilians not engaged in hostilities. However, in the current circumstances, the IDF cannot guarantee the personal safety of foreign nationals visiting the area. Although the IDF cannot accept responsibility for death, injury or damage/loss of property incurred as a result of military activity, foreign nationals visiting the area are subject to the following conditions whose purpose is to minimize the risks involved: 1. The Military Installation Area along the border with Egypt is IDF administered territory and is strictly out of bounds to foreign nationals. Please note that this area has been the site of intense hostilities and is extremely dangerous. 2. Interference or obstruction of Israeli security personnel in the performance of their duties is a criminal offence. 3. The areas adjacent to the Perimeter Fence, Israeli Settlements, Lateral Roads serving Israeli civilians and IDF positions are Closed Military Zones and are strictly out of bounds to all persons. 4. Foreign nationals are strongly advised to stay well clear of military activity. Declaration I declare that the details provided above are true and correct and that I have read the above conditions and agree to abide by the fully. I am aware that my failure to do so may lead to my arrest and/ or expulsion from the Gaza Strip and/or from the territory of the State of Israel. I am aware of the risks involved and accept that the Government of the State of Israel and its organs cannot be held responsible for death, injury and/or damage/loss of property which may be incurred as a result of military activity. I also undertake not to disrupt IDF operations in any way and declare that I have no association with the organization known as ISM (International Solidarity Movement) nor any other organization whose aim is to disrupt IDF operations. Signed Date ============ Flo ISM Media Coordinator Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine ism-alert@palsolidarity.org [ ism-alert AT palsolidarity.org ] 972 -2-277-4602 +972-67-361-708 +972-67-862-439 Send your protest To: Minister of Interior, Avraham Poraz CC to: Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ecu@un.org, "Secretary od State, Colin Powell" , "Mr. Romano Prodi" , "Mr. Terje Rod Larsen Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in Pal estine" Politician/press of your choice [sample text - in case you need it] Dear Mr Poraz In the short period since becoming Israel's Interior Minister you have aalready gained the name of being far more beral than your predecessors. We therefore dare to hope that you will not cooperate with the campaign against the i nternational peace and human rights activists, and specifically that you will not issue deportation orders against the two ISM a ctivists who were arrested while inside the Rapprochement Office in Beit Sahour. The ISM is an organization which is helping Palestinians in a creative, courageous and purely non-v iolent way. By doing so, they help prevent violence. Their removal can only make things worse. Yours sincerely ............... From info at gush-shalom.org Sat May 10 22:33:46 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Tulkarm - an Israeli-Palestinian meeting // more ISM arrests Message-ID: <3EBD703A.29022.C719A7@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 10, 2003 () From bringing food to Tulkarm to Israeli-Palestinian dialogue () Also Tulkarm: more ISM arrests (())(())(())(()) () From bringing food to Tulkarm to Israeli-Palestinian dialogue "What gives you the strength to continue and remain sane people?" asked one of the Gush Shalom activists, after hearing about the extreme harsh living conditions in the Tulkarm Refugee Camp. "It is the same strength which brings you to visit us, in spite of the fact that you can never feel secure in Tel-Aviv" answered Faiz Udeh, the local representative of the Palestinian Agricultural Regional Committees (PARC). In Tulkarm the curfew was not yet lifted, the curfew which had been imposed on the Palestinians all over the West Bank on Tuesday, the eve of the Israeli "Independence Day", as if to emphasize the differe nce which it makes: to enjoy independence, or be deprived of it. "The Tulkarm Camp, as any refugee camp, has always suffered from living with too many people on too narrow a space, and poverty on top of that. But in the past years it has become so much worse" said the camp's representative Khaled (family name not given). "Those who worked in Israel lost their jobs. The unemployment rate has risen to 70%. Meanwhile UNWRA has cut down its involvement since 'now there is the Palestinian Authority' , but the PA hasn't been able to fill the widening gap." The Gush Shalom delegation had come to bring food to the refugee camp. The money had been collected from Israelis and supporters abroad in the "donate a sack of flour" campaign. Some weeks ago a truckload of flour had been delivered in two cut-off villages; but since the donations had continue d to come, there was enough for a second delivery. This time, at the request of the Palestinians, it contained beans, macaroni, fruit juice, and baby food as well as some chocolate. At such occasions one can expect th at speeches are being made, in which the predictable politeness and polity statements are exchanged; n ot so this time. It was a vivid meeting. Many participated in the discussion. When Uri Avnery mentioned that "we did n't come to do charity, but to express solidarity in the struggle against occupation", it aroused a who le political discussion. "We really want peace," said Intissar Salman of the PARC women's department, "but only as long as peace does not imply we have to give up our rights." "Peace which doesn't solve th e refugee problem is not real peace." "Peace should include evacuation of the settlements, and let's give the houses to the refugees" was an Israeli answer which aroused enthusiasm and also a bit of confusion. It was all translated by Yafit Jamila, an Israeli of Syrian origin active in Gush Shalom. She somet imes became so involved in the discussion itself, that she forgot to translate ("What was said? We also want to know!"), but it actually added to the spontaneous atmosphere. Yakov Manor (who had helped Gush Shalom with the logistics - and had obtained some additional food stuffs from Kibbutz Ma'abarot's f ood factory) spoke about "the irreversible facts created by Sharon's Separation Wall'" - to be refuted by Teddy Katz who "does not want to hear of such things as irreversible facts." The meeting had not taken place in the refugee camp itself, as was our original plan. The soldiers at the checkpoint would not let us enter the curfew-bound city, and it took (as usual) an hour of waiting to get the higher echelons' permission to get the truck - without us - into Tulkarm. We had to content ourselv es with meeting the inhabitants' representatives at the town hall of nearby Bak'ah al Sharkiya. Only activi st Latif Dori had managed to remain with the food truck, seated next to the truck driver. He had rejoined th e group of activists shortly before the meeting with the Paalestinians ended. On the way back (it was an extremely hot May day, and the bus didn't have air conditioning) Latif D ori told to the other Gush Shalomers about his adventures in the time of separation. The food truck had ent red the grounds of Tulkarm's Kadouri Agricultural School, where delegations from the city government a nd trade unions welcomed it, and two TV crews (local and national Palestinian) filmed the ceremonial unloading. On his way out of Tulkarm Dori had to engage in heated debate with soldiers for "enterin g a curfew area." The soldiers had gotten especially excited when he answered to their question "where are you from" - "from Baghdad", which happens to be the city where he was born. () Also Tulkarm: more ISM arrests As soon as we got home, we got an urgent call from Tulkarm-based ISM activist Radica (US): Osama Qashoo (Palestinian ISM organizer) had been arrested, together with a Palestinian journalist. And a bit later Radica tried again to reach us, "soldiers are beating us and took away my money" - but could hardly explain what exactly happened. As we found out by bits and pieces: she and Charlotte Carson (UK) we re arrested as well, when protesting about the confiscation of a Palestinian car, whose owner with his three children was just abandoned in the middle of the road, when the soldiers drove away with his car. Gush Shalom is consulting other groups trying to organize a combined protest against the anti-ISM w itch- hunt. For more information: Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603 Rapprochement, Ghasan Andoni: 054-369975 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun May 11 00:53:17 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Demo Sunday (tomorrow) 6:30 pm re anti-ISM Message-ID: <3EBD90ED.1223.146D856@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ Emergency Demonstration: Sunday, 11 May 2003, 18.30 Opposite the Kirya on Kaplan St., Tel Aviv Why: To protest the silencing and expulsion of ISM human rights activists from the territories Together with Gush Shalom. this is sponsored by the Coalition of Women for Peace and Ta'ayush . For those who haven't heard: In addition to the 3 arrested Friday, 3 more were arrested Saturday, and 2 have been held in Gaza since Thursday. We must stop this attempt to silence and deport human rights activists in the territories. read it all in Ha'aretz http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/291714.html On 10 May 2003, at 20:41, Dorothy Naor wrote: WE JUST HAD WORD THAT THREE MORE ISM PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED: CHARLOTTE, OSAMA, RADIKA. OSAMA HAS EPILEPSY AND WAS HAVING AN EPILECTIC FIT DURING HIS ARREST THEY ARE BEING HELD AT ARIEL POLICE STATION. PHONE 03 906 5444 or 03 906 530 The phone calls helped last time. Phone again, from all over the world, and protest, protest, prot est. PROTEST BY MAIL, PROTEST LOUDLY TO THE POLICE STATION and to your congressmen and governments. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun May 11 03:04:47 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (info@gush-shalom.org) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: P.S. additional phone nrs re: ISM witchhunt, arrests and deportations In-Reply-To: <003a01c2ab5d$5e886320$a90208d5@e4n8q2> Message-ID: <3EBDAFBF.15637.1BF42EF@localhost> re: ISM witchhunt, arrests and deportations  It seems that deportation orders are prepared for all arrested ISMers Therefore - and also for the fact the Shinuy party like to think of itself as liberal - the important numbers to call are: Minister of Interior Abraham Poraz tel: 02 6701402 fax:02 5666376 closest aide to Mr. Poraz - Mr. Tibi - tel: 056 204 244  MK Chen Reshef (Shinui Party Leader) - 051 519937  Flood them with phonecalls.  From info at gush-shalom.org Mon May 12 02:03:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Instant protest caught TV camera / 2 of the ISMers free on bail In-Reply-To: <3EBEE406.18035.2B11C7D@localhost> Message-ID: <3EBEF2DB.1628.2EB0FD7@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// [] Instant protest caught TV camera / 2 of the ISMers free on bail [] Uri Avnery: Visit Arafat? For God's Sake, Why? \\//\\//\\//\\// [] Instant protest caught TV camera / 2 of the ISMers free on bail We have just gotten back from the protest outside the Defense Ministry in Tel-Aviv. The vigil was decided upon yesterday night, in phone consultations between activists of Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush and the Women's Peace Coalition and later joined by the young anarchists of "Maavak Ehad." Many activists found the message on their screens or their answering machines only after coming back from work - mostly Tel-Avivians, but there were also several who spontaneously came over for the occasion from Haifa and Jerusalem. The near two hundred who came were motivated by a strong need to express support for the International Solidarity Movement; for the activists who stand with nothing than their bodies and without using any violence between the IDF and the unprotected Palestinians. That this is a strong approach already Mahatma Gandhi knew, and for who needs new proof: it was given by the effort which the Israeli army takes to get rid of the ISM. One of the especially prepared signs read "ISM is saving lives". Other popular signs: Occupation Deports Eye Witnesses / What does the army have to hide? / Rachel Corrie Killed - Her Friends Deported?! / An unaffiliated activist improvised on the spot: "You can cheat most of the people, and deport the rest." Soon the chanting started: Peace Yes - Deportation No / The witnesses are silenced; the crimes cove red up! / We are all ISM! The coverage on the first Channel TV news was not unfriendly, explaining that "the Israeli peace or ganizations" protested the harsh measures against the internationals. Although difficult days lay ahead, the struggle to keep the ISMers here went not bad today also in the court. Adv. Shamai Leibowitz succeeded to obtain postponement of the hearing (to which many activists had come) and release on bail for the two women internationals arrested yesterday. (It took quite an effort, since there was demanded the deposit of 15000 NIS in cash - which is more than $3000. Leibowitz himself came up with 5000, and a check for the remainder was provided by the anti-militarist organization New Profile. But as the banks are closed on Sunday afternoons, the che ck could be cashed only thanks to a friendly money-changer found in the Arab town of Qafr Qasem. Leibowitz also achieved that the Ministry of Interior will hold the next hearing, of which the date is not yet defined. This he considers to be positive, as the new Shinuy Party Minister may be more sensiti ve to the argument of not being in accordance with his liberal image. And, Christine Razowsky ("Flo"), arrested on Friday and feared to be already deported, was found ou t by Adv. Leah Tzemel to be still here, and may also be released on bail. It's right now only a question of winning time and the deportation orders are still hovering over t he ISM arrestees. But it was reason for Ghassan Andoni of Rapprochement, the organization which hosted the ISM in its offices, t o send out a more upbeat message, which follows. Meanwhile the Palestinian ISM organizer Osama Qashoo , who suffered an epileptic fit upon arrest, was transfered to a hospital. ------- Forwarded message follows Sun, 11 May 2003 ------- From: "ghassan_andoni" Date sent: Sun, 11 May 2003 13:34:29 -0000 Subject: [rapprochement] we can not be deafeted Dear Members, after all, we are still here and will continue our work. this attack against ISM peace activists will fail. already all the work of the army, all the raids at our places, all the arrests, could not stand a court. Flo will be released. and hope the other arrested ISM people will be released soon. the army have no bases for all of its alligations. we can defeat the ones who want to continue the war. we need to have a louder voice, a more coordinated work. let us keep the pressure up on them. we will never lose because we stand for peace, for justice, and for life. to fight for the detained activists we need your help. I hereby appeal for an emergency legal fund. If you can help, this is the time when it is most needed. ISM dared to challenge the system, which was carefuly built to keep the occupation alive. highly dedicated activists from all over the globe, started the few steps in the way for peace in the middle east. let us not let them down. because they were doing a great job, they are being prosecuted. together we can force them to retreat. regards Ghassan Andoni [] Uri Avnery: Visit Arafat? For God's Sake, Why? Hebrew http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article249_heb.html English http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article249.html -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.co m If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an e xtra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon May 12 15:24:47 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] CORRECTION In-Reply-To: <000801c2ac4f$10c78420$330a08d5@e4n8q2> Message-ID: <3EBFAEAF.26664.3AC0E7@localhost> CORRECTION In our earlier message we wrote wrongly that Adv. Leibowitz provided money from his own pocket. It was a misunderstanding. The sum had been provided by one of the peace activists who had come to the court to be present at the hearing which was in the end not taking place. Adam Keller Gush Shalom From info at gush-shalom.org Tue May 13 01:18:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] ISM in Knesset + where to phone or email In-Reply-To: <3EBDAFBF.15637.1BF42EF@localhost> References: <003a01c2ab5d$5e886320$a90208d5@e4n8q2> Message-ID: <3EC039B8.2327.81CBB2@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 12, 2003 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Attack upon the ISM activists on the Knesset agenda ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At the joint initiative of Knesset Members Ahmed Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al), Ethan Kabel (Labor), Chen Reshef (Shinuy), Zehava Gal'on (Meretz) and Jamal Zahalka (Balad) the attack on the ISM will be the subject of a parliamentary discussion. This cooperation between the members of quite varied political formations is particularly important because of the participation of a member of Shinuy, the party which holds the Interior Ministry - which has to decide about the activists' expulsion. The debate in the Knesset is not yet finally scheduled, and may take place either Tuesday May 13 or the day after. To protest the intended deportation of ISM members, we should have given addresses already yesterday, but now you find below a list with the phone numbers (same as sent earlier) AND email addresses getting to the Shinuy held Interior Ministry. Your message - by phone or by email - could be built around: "The Road Map calls for confidence building measures, but by the deportation of international peace activists the Israeli side would be doing the opposite - as if it has something to hide." Minister of Interior Abraham Poraz tel: 02 6701402 fax:02 5666376 closest aide to Mr. Poraz - Mr. Tibi - tel: 056 204 244  MK Chen Reshef (Shinui Knesset Faction Head) - 051 519937 (NB!!!: He should get supportive calls - for his parliamentary initiative) email addresses for protest letters: Minister Mr. Avraham Poraz sar@moin.gov.il Director Mr. Mordechay Mordechay mankal@moin.gov.il Spokesman Ms. Tova Ellinson dover@moin.gov.il Public Relations Ms. Nechama Pluga-Zecharia pniot@moin.gov.il -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu May 15 17:37:47 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] New front against Israeli Muslims Message-ID: <3EC3C25B.7828.107517D@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// [Here follows the Gush ad in Ha'aretz May 16, tomorrow. The text refers to this week's arrest of 15 Islamic leaders in Israel on the as yet unproven charges of "financing the civilian infrastructure (sic!) of terrorism. The issue is humanitarian help given to Palestinian families under occupation. It was alleged that among the beneficiaries were also families of suicide bombers, who were left with nothing after the IDF destroyed their homes... To add insult to injury, yesterday Police Minister Hanegbi threatened from the Knesset floor to change the facts on the Temple Mount/Haram As-Sharif, and impose with a police force "Jewish individual prayers" on the highly-sensitive site.] A SECOND FRONT Sharon is extending his war against the Palestinian people. >From the streets of Nablus and the alleys of Khan Yunis to the heart of Um-al-Fahm. He wants to push the 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel into the bloody struggle. -- Selected articles The Other Israel April/May issue now on site: Adam Keller's "Road Map In The Air" (lead article) http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ed.html Saga Of The Court Martials: http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/courtmartials.html + a lot more One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri May 16 04:24:24 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] From "birth right participant" to ISM spokeswoman Message-ID: <3EC459E8.24462.2AD2EE@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org [We thought that this may interest you] Birthright participant turns pro-Palestinian activist By Annette Young `I'm helping the Jews by being here,' says Laura Gordon, who has joined the International Solidarity Movement It is probably not what the founders of Birthright Israel - the program that brings thousands of young diaspora Jews to Israel each year - would have ever imagined: That within months of arrival, a Birthright participant would become a spokeswoman for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro- Palestinian activist group operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.   Laura Gordon, 20, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, arrived in the country last December with thousands of Jewish students from some 30 countries on the Birthright program.   "I didn't have any money and I did want to come and see Israel," she told Anglo File this week.   Told originally about the program by one of her professors at Grinnell College in Iowa, Gordon signed up and was interviewed by telephone by a Birthright organizer in New York. "I was asked if I was Jewish and if my level of religiousness was appropriate for the program," said Gordon, whose family are Reconstructionist Jews. She saw the program as an opportunity "to learn about the conflict and talk to people on both sides. I hoped as an outsider that I could have a more objective understanding of the situation and help bring peace to the region."   Within three months, Gordon would become one of the nine foreign activists working with the ISM in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In recent months, the organization has attracted world attention after one member, Rachel Corrie, was killed and two other members were seriously injured while attempting to stop Israeli bulldozers from levelling Palestinian homes.   During the 10-day Birthright program, Gordon visited a young Israeli who was seriously wounded in a Palestinian suicide bombing. "At that point, I was learning about that side, and now I'm learning about this side," she said.   After Birthright, Gordon became even more curious to visit the Gaza Strip, having received e-mails from an American friend in Rafah.   "I was being told by really sweet 18- or 19-year-old boys in the army that it was a really honorable thing, what was going on in the territories," she explained, adding that contrasted greatly to her friend's e-mails about the "Palestinians' daily subjection to fire and violence."   Gordon made a quick trip to Rafah just days before Corrie's death in March but after hearing of the incident, decided to head back to the Gaza Strip for a longer visit. "Initially, like everybody who comes here, I thought it would be a month but it's turned out to be much longer," she said in a phone conversation this week. "Here in Rafah, I already have many, many families who I consider as my own family. They have been so welcoming, thanking us for bringing world attention to their plight."   While her own family back in the U.S. supported her work, she said, they "were scared to death" about her safety.   Asked how people reacted to a Birthright participant being involved in such activities, Gordon responded: "Some people, when they heard back in the States, said I had betrayed Birthright by doing this, but Birthright does not come with a stipulation that you must espouse certain values."   The revelation about Gordon comes in the wake of government cuts to the funding of the Birthright program which until this year, was split equally three ways between a group of North American philanthropists, diaspora Jewish communities and the Israeli government.   When informed of Gordon's role in the ISM, the international marketing director for Birthright Israel, Gidi Mark, told Anglo File that the criterion for accepting participants is that they have to be "Jews between the ages of 18 and 26 who will be coming to Israel on their first peer-group educational trip."   "In the event of irregular behavior, including incitement against the State of Israel, participants are sent back to their homes," he said. "Some of the participants choose to extend their stay in Israel on their own. We do not follow the whereabouts in Israel of participants after they have completed the 10-day program that Birthright Israel provides."   However, Mark stressed that "in the brief time that Birthright Israel exists, tens of thousands of Jewish young adults have become Israel's ambassadors on campuses throughout the world."   Meanwhile, life for Gordon and other ISM activists has become even harder in the last week with the Israel Defense Forces announcing tough new regulations for foreigners operating in the Gaza Strip. Foreign nationals entering the Strip are now asked to sign a form in which they pledge not to enter military areas along the Israel-Egypt border or other areas of conflict. They are also being asked to sign a waiver exempting Israel from any responsibility in the event of injury or death.   For its part, the IDF has charged that many of the self-proclaimed peace activists are "provacateurs" and "riot inciters" who deliberately interfere with the army's work in an effort to blacken Israel's image.   In addition, last Friday the IDF raided the ISM's offices in the West Bank village of Beit Sahour, arresting a Palestinian secretary, Fida Gharib, and an American, Christine Razowsky along with an Australian human rights worker, Miranda Sissons, who was visiting at the time.   The organization is now changing its direction, Gordon said, as "clearly, it has become dangerous to do direct actions, so we're refocusing our efforts on community development - such as writing papers on the water situation in the region."   She added that "the situation has become more and more difficult, but we don't feel that by any means that it is the end of ISM. More and more people are e- mailing us and offering their support."   In addition, the group launched an e-mail campaign this week calling on those activists who had been in the region to return.   "We are a nonviolent group and we maintain neutrality," Gordon stressed. "You try to distance yourself from the factions here while understanding that this is the result of the occupation. I would be thrilled to see the day when there are no more suicide bombers, but I don't see anything in place [that shows that] Israel is serious about reducing the violence here. Sincerely, I do believe that I am furthering the safety and long-term stability of the Jewish people by being here." Ha'aretz, Friday, May 16 - internet edition http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=293871&sw=ISM From info at gush-shalom.org Sun May 18 18:01:53 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Requiem for the roadmap? Message-ID: <3EC7BC81.26679.1044E89@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 18, 2003 REQUIEM FOR THE ROADMAP? [In the end of this, links are given to Avnery column (Hebrew + English) "The Children's Teeth" and see also: Correction from Huwaida.] The murderous suicide bombing in Jerusalem this morning, in which seven people were killed, sent a chilly personal reminder to us of the Gush Shalom Infoteam; on visits to Jerusalem, we often happen to take the no.6 bus, though at a later part of the route then where the explosion took place today. Personal considerations aside, the timing of the blast could hardly have been better from the point of view of Ariel Sharon: a few hours after a futile meeting between the Israeli PM and his recently-appointed Palestinian counterpart Abu Mazen, in which Sharon had nothing to offer but which provided a cheap and easy way to appear a peacemaker; a few hours before Sharon was due to embark on a flight to Washington and a meeting with George. W., at which some commentators hesitantly expected the US president to apply some pressure on the long-festering issue of the illegal settlement outposts. (Now, Sharon has gotten the perfect pretext to put off that meeting.) Indeed, so perfectly does today's blast fit in with Sharon's program that one is tempted to indulge in conspiracy theories. But a sober examination would get to the conclusion that Sharon has no need to do anything complicated and risky like infiltrating agents into the Hamas command. In the past month he had simply done again what he has done with extreme success again and again over the past two years: provoke and manipulate the radical Palestinian groups into doing his work for him, while sincerely believing themselves to be patriotic Palestinians and devout Muslims. In his time as Prime Minister, Sharon had already neatly disposed of numerous international diplomatic proposals: the Mitchell Report, the Tenet Paper and the Zinni Paper, the Saudi Initiative - to name only the best known. Still, "The Roadmap" initially seemed to tax his considerable talents: a paper bearing the combined imprimatur of the US, EU, Russia and the UN, which had been at the top of the diplomatic agenda for nearly a year, which was formally launched with the personal sponsorship of US President fresh from victory in Iraq and which was immediately accepted in its entirety and without reservations by the Palestinian side. Yet none of this seemed to deter Sharon from industriously - and, as seems at the moment, successfully - subverting and overturning that initiative, too. The Roadmap is a carefully crafted document, based on the assumption that Israelis and Palestinians would perform an intricate dance of calculated mutual gestures, Palestinian efforts to restrain terrorism and suicide bombings matched by tangible Israeli moves of easing the terrible burden of the occupation, particularly ending the construction and extension of settlements. Abu Mazen - the man chosen by the Americans and the Europeans more than by the Palestinians to lead this implementation - entered upon his job with low credibility and mounting suspicions among his own people. The only way he could have succeeded was through an abundance of goodwill from the Israeli side, a speedy and conspicuous implementation of the Israeli part of the equation. That, however, was the very last thing Sharon wanted. From the very moment of Abu- Mazen's appointment, the army embarked on a series of assassinations of prominent Palestinian activists and deep invasions into the few still-unconquered enclaves in the Gaza Strip, such as the attack on the Sajaiya Neighbourhood in which 13 Palestinians, most of them unarmed civilians, perished in a single night. Meanwhile, on the political and diplomatic front Sharon failed to take the basic step of adopting the roadmap, as the Palestinians had done. Rather, he insisted on the Palestinian Authority starting a full-scale civil war aimed at "total dismantling of the terrorist infrastucture" before the Israeli side would deign to consider any concessions of its own. The visiting Secretary of State Powell was treated with open contempt, with hardline ministers encouraged to make to him tough declarations against the roadmap, and Sharon himself declaring his support for maintenance of the settlements and continuation of their "natural growth". To cap it all, Sharon's Police Minister Tzahi Hanegbi declared on the Knesset floor that "soon the police will enforce Jewish presence and Jewish personal prayers on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem", knowing full well that no other issue could so strongly inflame both Palestinian national and Muslim religious feeling. And at the same time, the police launched a spectacular midnight raid, arresting the leadership of the Israeli Muslim Movement - the one group which in the past two years, with West Bank and Gazan Muslims completely excluded from Jerusalem, took up the task of mainataining a daily presence at that holy site... Altogether, today's lethal attack in Jerusalem could be considered a plant well watered and nurtured. And the retaliation which the cabinet will probably decide upon in its emergency meeting tonight might launch still another cycle of bloodshed, as happened so many times before. Is it then curtains for the roadmap, into which so much efforts went and to which quite a few hopes - however cautious - were attached? It certainly looks like that. The only person who can revive that initiative's declining fortunes sits in the White House. A vigorous action by the US President when he finally gets to meet Sharon - with, say, a tenth of the energy and persistence Bush had shown in forcing through his war in Iraq and riding roughshod over the worldwide opposition - might suffice to give the roadmap a new lease of life and effect a thorough change on the ground. Not that we are likely to see anything of the kind. Adam Keller Tel-Aviv, May 18, 2003 -- Avnery column (Hebrew + English) "The Children's Teeth" deals with the campaign against the Islamic Movement and can be read in Hebrew at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article250_heb.html and in English at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article250.html -- Correction from Huwaida On 16 May 2003, Huwaida Arraf wrote: Subject: Re: [GushShalom] From "birth right participant" to ISM spokeswoman To: info@gush-shalom.org Hi Adam, Beate, friends at Gush Shalom: Thank you for forwarding this very important article, but the journalist was wrong to identify Laura as an ISM spokeswoman and we find this potentially negative. Laura is one of the many wonderful volunteers that come to work with the ISM, but she does not speak on behalf of the movement as a whole. In the article Laura was quoted as saying that the ISM is changing its direction: From Haaretz: "clearly, it has become dangerous to do direct actions, so we're refocusing our efforts on community development - such as writing papers on the water situation in the region." This is an incorrect statement and not the stated position of the ISM. I would greatly appreciate if you could include a small correction in a future Gush Shalom update. Thank you so much, Huwaida INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT http://www.palsolidarity.org info@palsolidarity.org -- Selected articles The Other Israel April/May issue now on site: Adam Keller's "Road Map In The Air" (lead article) http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ed.html Saga Of The Court Martials: http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/courtmartials.html + a lot more One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu May 22 17:36:21 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:02 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Attack on eye-winesses continues, CPT targeted & dark designs in Gaza Message-ID: <3ECCFC85.27071.20D5E@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 22, 2003 [This message is devoted to the army's continuing efforts to get rid of inconvenient international or Israeli eye-witnesses to its activities, and to one exposed plan which may help explain this eagernes] [1] Crackdown on international activists in Hebron [2] Israeli activists debarred from Tuwana [3] Gush Shalom warns of dark designs in North Gaza [1] Crackdown on the Christian Peacemaking Team in Hebron A week after the raid on the ISM office in Beit Sahour, the army is targetting also the CPT (Christian Peacemakers Teams) - composed of North American and British religious pacifists, who have been based for much of the past decade at Hebron and hitherto left mostly unmolested by the army. At 8:20pm on Tuesday, May 20, a group of eight soldiers entered the CPT apartments in the Old City of Hebron, for the second consecutive search in as many days. Soldiers looked at the passports and visas of the CPTers present, took photographs of the apartment and the CPTers themselves and examined the maps and pictures on the wall along with the contents of the filing cabinet. Then, a soldier speaking English an unmistakable London accent - a man who seemed to have authority over the others but wore no insignia of rank - laid down the harsh new law for the activists. >From now on, they are debarred from entering H1 - the part of Hebron which had been under Palestinian control under the Oslo Agreements, but reoccupied by the army last year. Any activist found there would be liable to arrest and deportation, since "only foreign nationals working for NGO's recognized by the Israeli government are allowed in". (H2 is the part of Hebron where Israeli Border Guards rampaged last year, beating up randomly-chosen inhabitants and finally killing a 17- year old boy by throwing him off a speeding jeep; four of the guards involved are now being prosecuted at a Jerusalem court, after an intensive campaign by Be'tselem and other human rights groups.) Other limitations on the CPTers include a strict prohibition to come anywhere near the armed enclaves of Israeli nationalist-religious settlers scattered throughout central Hebron. Finally, and perhaps most grievous, the activists are from now on forbidden to engage in "School Patrol", one of their most important activities. Sue Rhodes, a British activist with long experience of the Hebron situation, explained over the phone the significance of "The School Patrol". Old Hebron, the area where the settlers have established their armed enclaves, has been under almost continuous curfew for the past two and a half years, and especially since the big Palestinian ambush on Israeli soldiers in November 2002. The daily life of Palestinian inhabitants is totally disrupted (the curfew does not apply to settlers). Among other things, Palestinian children find it difficult to attend school. While on some days soldiers tacitly tolerate the children, on other days they are days they are considered to be curfew-breakers, bombarded with tear gas or even shot at. At still other times, the schools are declared "closed military zones" and debarred to pupils and teachers. The soldiers' behavior, in this as in other respects, seems completely arbitrary and unpredictable. Also, Palestinian children on the way to school often suffer severe harassment from settlers. The presence of CPTers, accompanying the children on their way, is far from providing a complete defence. Still, it does make a difference. The fact that on some days as many as 1400 pupils actually make it to school, out of the 2000 enrolled in the area's seven schools, is partially due to the CPT "School Patrols". Now, this minimal measure of protection is to be denied to the Hebron children. Meanwhile, CPTer Greg Rollins (a Canadian of Surrey, BC) was arrested on Sunday when monitoring the detention of several Hebronites, taken to prison and threatened with immediate deportation. Rollins' attorney,Adv. Jonathan Kuttab, is seeking an injunction from the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. Kutab told Ha’aretz (May 21) that the CPT opposes all violence, including violence by Palestinians, and cited the remarkable case last August when Greg Rollins jumped in front of a Palestinian woman who had tried to stab two soldiers with a big kitchen knife, literally defending the soldiers with his body. (See http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/295621.html ) It is not sure that the authorities would be convinced. Rollins is presently held in the section of Ma'asiyahu Prison reserved for “unwanted aliens”, mostly housing hapless migrant workers from Third World countries caught in the late-night raids of the notorious Immigration Police. As things presently stand, Rollins seems doomed to share the eventual fate of his cellmates – being taken to the nearby Ben Gurion Airport and forcibly placed on an outward bound flight. The continued presence in Hebron of the remaining seven CPT activists seems now to hang by a precarious thread. Please send protests to Minister of Defence Saul Mofaz (sar@mod.gov.il) and his spokesperson (dover@mod.gov.il), to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom (sar@mofa.gov.il and/or ask@israel-info.gov.il), and to Interior Minister Avraham Poraz (sar@moin.gov.il) who is directly charged with the deportation of foreigners and who has recently built for himself a liberal reputation. Since this case concerns a Canadian citizen, it might be worthwhile also to send copies to Canada's Prime Minister (pm@pm.gc.ca) and to the Israeli embassy in that country (embisrott@cyberus.ca). And please send copies also to the CPT at cptheb@palnet.com. You can use the following text or compose your own. Dear Sir I strongly protest the Government of Israel's crackdown on international peace activists in the Occupied Territories, and specifically the severe restrictions placed this week upon the humanitarian activities of the Christian Peacemakers Team in Hebron and the threatened deportation of CPT member Greg Rollins, a Canadian citizen - following upon the earlier attack upon the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). The continued presence of international activists, committed to peace and non-violence, is beneficial to all including Israel. Their forcible removal, or severe restrictions placed upon their movements, may arouse the suspicion that your government and armed forces have something to hide from the world. To learn more about the CPT, look in at http://www.cpt.org and http://www.clubphoto.com [2] Israeli activists debarred from Tuwana Troublemaking peacemakers By Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz. 20/5/2003 Two years ago, the Jewish-Arab cooperative peace group Ta'ayush adopted the residents of Hirbat, south of Mt. Hebron. Every few weeks a group of peace activists goes to the fields of the little village of Tuwana, whose land is being greedily eyed by extremism settlers. Sometimes they act as human shields for the Palestinian farmers who try to work their land. Other times they accompany school children on their way to elementary school, to protect them from settlers on the dusty roads leading to the school. A small group sometimes spends weekends in the company of the villagers. Ta'ayush's intervention sometimes forces the army to send troops to protect the farmers from settler thugs who use their guns to expel the farmers from their lands. Lately, however, the activists are encountering soldiers blocking their way to the village and presenting "closed military zone" decrees. Sometimes, standing alongside the soldiers are armed settlers from the nearby outposts. For them, of course, the area is neither military nor closed. For weeks, the IDF Spokesman's Office has refrained from commenting on the strange phenomenon of discrimination between one type of Jew and another (discrimination between Jew and Arab is old hat, like dog bites man). And maybe the real piece of news is that the IDF has decided to put an end to the discrimination between foreign peace activists, who have been formally banned from the territories, and their Israeli counterparts. Last Friday, a group of soldiers stopped the Ta'ayush cars on Route 60, on their way to Tuwana. Brigadier General Amos Ben-Avraham, commander of the Judea Corps command, was present in person to flourish a military order preventing the peace activists from proceeding further. This time they had a video camera with them. A synopsis of the events, from the videotape, follows - instead of the still-awaited comment from the IDF Spokesman's bureau. Ben-Avraham: Would you stop filming, please? Activist A.: If the IDF prevents peace activists from reaching the area, I think the world should know about it. Ben-Avraham: The IDF does not prevent peace activists from reaching the area. Activist A.: But that's precisely what you're doing right now. Ben-Avraham: I don't know if you are a peace activist. I do more for peace than you do. Activist A.: What can an occupying army do for peace? Ben-Avraham: This is not an occupation army. This is the army ... the army of the State of Israel! Four people were murdered right here. We're here, next to each other. I have to keep things quiet. Activist A.: You don't even know what's going on in your own district. You didn't know the children are harassed on this road nearly every day. Ben-Avraham: I didn't know because I didn't see it ... Activist A.: Then maybe there are a lot of things that happen here and you don't see. When we aren't here, armed settlers come to the village and conduct mini-pogroms, like shooting a 73-year-old shepherdess who went out with her sheep. I don't see anything that should prevent us from visiting our friends. When the settlers' friends e come to visit them, at the Maon outpost, you don't stop them. Ben-Avraham: We're thinking about how to keep things quiet and prevent the noise that will break out tomorrow because of your arrival here. Activist A.: Why should there be any noise as a result of our visit? Ben-Avraham: That's our experience. Activist A.: When we come, the settlers come and they are the violent ones. Your job is to arrest those who are violent, and not those who come with pure motives. Ben-Avraham: I'm not here to conduct a dialogue with you ... that fellow [he looks at Activist B., who continued filming] is making me very nervous. He's disgusting and arrogant. Activist A.: I'm more bothered by your soldiers, who stopped us on false pretenses. Activist C.: Maybe we can reach an agreement? Ben-Avraham: No agreement. To keep things quiet, you can't be here. The officer gets into his vehicle and drives away. The Ta'ayush activists return to their cars and head home. The hilltop thugs grin from ear to ear. [3] Gush Shalom warns of dark designs in North Gaza On May 20, senior military commentator Ze'ev Shiff of Ha'aretz published an article bemoaning the army's lack of success in stopping the shooting of Palestinian "Kassam" rockets from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. While the rockets are primitive and so far caused little damage, the continued firing of such rockets - in spite of mass punitive invasions of the northern Gaza Strip and the large-scale destruction of foliage and Palestinian orange groves in order to "force the rocket shooters into the open" - has become a question of prestige and of "eroding deterrence". The Shiff article ends with the ominous words: "Israel has the option of conquering further territory, destroying all structures and expelling the population". The area in question contains two sizeable towns, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, as well as numerous agricultural communities. Ze'ev Shiff is known to be on very good terms with the high command of the Israeli armed forces, and his commentaries often reflect ideas and policies being currently discussed by the generals. Today the Gush Shalom movement sent a letter to General Menachem Finkelstein, head of the IDF Legal Section, warning that mass expulsion of population from the northern Gaza Strip would be a severe violation of International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention that anybody involved in the planning or such a expulsion may face trial for war crimes. Even the preparation of contingency plans for such a mass expulsion, Gush Shalom pointed out, might constitute conspiracy to commit war crimes. -- Selected articles The Other Israel April/May issue now on site: Adam Keller's "Road Map In The Air" (lead article) http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ed.html Saga Of The Court Martials: http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/courtmartials.html + a lot more One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From otherisr at actcom.co.il Sun May 25 11:11:11 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: Behind the diplomatic moves: intensified assault on peace activists Message-ID: <3ED096BF.25862.1CF27E4@localhost> Gush Shalom ad in "Haaretz" 23/05/03 ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release May 24, 2003 [The international media is buzzing with PM Sharon's declared acceptance of "The Roadmap for Peace", today's dramatic cabinet meeting in which his right-wing government is supposed to adopt it, and the reportedly imminent arrival of President Bush for a summit with Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Abu Mazen. But Sharon's acceptance of the roadmap is hedged about with "reservations", rendering it in practice void of real content. And on the ground, Sharon with his generals and security men are not only continuing the raids, curfews and killings but are actually intensifying the offensive against all peace and human rights activists - Israeli, Palestinian or international. The following messages which we received - originating from different groups and organizations, each reporting about its own particular situation - clearly indicate a many-pronged offensive going on, targetting anyone who tries to oppose the army's ongoing brutal oppression, or who would simply act as an eye-witness.] [1] "Dear Generals" - Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz 23/5/2003 [2] Rabbi Arik Asherman interrogated by the Security Service [3] ISM activists detained (again) at Tulkarm Refugee Camp [4] The interrupted judge (Greg Rollins narrowly avoids deportation) [5] Army ultimatum to activists of Mas'ha Camp [6] Huwarra: A woman at the checkpoint [7] Nablus clinic under attack [8] Convoy to Gaza - aid agencies protest blocked access ========================================== [1] "Dear Generals" - Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz 23/5/2003 DEAR GENERALS You have bombarded. Shelled. Liquidated. Tortured. Demolished homes. Uprooted plantations. Expropriated. Starved out. Arrested. Imprisoned. Exiled. Expelled. Conquered towns. Occupied neighborhoods. Taken over villages. Imposed curfews. Closures. Blockades. You have tried everything. You have nothing left. You are bankrupt. Go home. -------------- Checks to help fund this and future ads to: Gush Shalom pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 http://www.gush-shalom.org/ ============================================ [2] Rabbi Arik Asherman interrogated by the Security Service From: Fred Schlomka The following report was circulated today by Arik Asherman of Rabbis for Human Rights. Together with another ICAHD activist he was interrogated by the Shabak (Security Service). (...)I just returned from a Shabak interrogation. Shabak is currently calling in members of the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, to ask questions about the activities of ICAHD and warn us that the Attorney-General has determined that rebuilding demolished Palestinian homes in Jerusalem is illegal. (They refused to give us the decision in writing, but we will try to obtain it.) This, along with the systematic use of "Closed Military Zone" orders and the like, indicates that the Sharon Government is not content to shut down the activities of foreign activists, but intends to target the Israeli organizations as well. The intent is not only to stop activities which can be defined as "illegal," but to also prevent humanitarian activities such as the work of Ta'ayush to accompany children to school. Ultimately, the goal might be to prevent any "seeing eye." witnessing what is happening in the Occupied Territories. We need to collectivly decide on a strategy to stop this dangerous trend. I know that I personally left the interrogation with a strong urge to rebuild homes. =========================================== [3] ISM activists detained (again) at Tulkarm Refugee Camp From: [Refugee Camp, Tulkarm] Two American ISM volunteers and one Palestinian were taken by Israeli Forces at 9:45AM Saturday morning, after accompanying schoolgirls to their homes.Mike Johnson, age 52 from Washington, Matteo Bernal, age 22, from Kentucky and Osama Qashoo, 21, from Qalqilia are currently being held at the Tulkarem DCO (District Coordination Office). ISM volunteers arrived at the Tulkarem Refugee Camp at approximately 7AM, just as the army started a heavy invasion. Three tanks, multiple armored personnel carriers, a D-9 bulldozer, hummers and jeeps all rolled in, and a curfew was declared by loudspeakers. About fifteen girls between nine and eleven years old, who had been on their way to school, were left stranded - crying and paralyzed in fear of the Army’s sound grenades and random firing of "rubber bullets". The ISM volunteers informed the Israeli military of their decision to escort the girls out of harm's way. The officer with whom they talked agreed to let them take the children home and did not order them to leave the area. But upon their attempting to leave the camp at 9:45AM, after having led the schoolgirls to safety, the Israeli Forces stopped the volunteers and refused to let them leave the camp, claiming that the area was "a military zone" from which exit was forbidden. A large truck and a military jeep arrived, at which point the three volunteers were taken to the Tulkarem DCO where they are currently being held in a 15X30 cell. Johnson and Bernal are the sixth and seventh foreign peace activists to be detained by Israeli forces in the past two weeks. For more information call: Radhika Sainath 972 52 475 663; Mike Johnson 972 67 421 345; Flo Razowsky 972 67 361 708 [P.S. Later in the evening we heard from the ISM that the affair continued along the routine established in earlier cases: the two Americans were taken to Ariel Police Station and served with deportation orders. Adv. Yoni Lerman of Tel-Aviv, has taken up their case, and an "administrative hearing" is expected on the morning of Sunday (a working day in Israel). Meanwhile Osama Qashoo, their Palestinian companion, was let loose - apparently in this case the army was after internationals rather then Palestinians.] ================================================ [4] The interrupted judge (Greg Rollins narrowly avoids deportation) From: "Jennifer Kuiper" At noon on Thursday, May 22, an Israeli High Court Judge gave the government seven days to answer to a petition opposing the deportation of Greg Rollins, detained activist of CPT (Christian Peacemakers Team), a Canadian of Surrey, BC. However, shortly after 3:00pm, Rollins phoned attorney Jonathan Kuttab, saying he was told to get his things together for immediate departure to the airport. Kuttab contacted the Judge's office to seek an immediate injunction. According to Kuttab, the judge's assistant viewed the government move as showing contempt of court, and said she would immediately interrupt the judge in his meeting. At 7pm, CPT received word from Kuttab that the government had agreed to follow the judicial proceedings and honor the stipulated seven day period to review the case. Rollins was taken back from the airport to the prison. At the time of his detention, Rollins was observing soldiers at a Hebron checkpoint doing a routine inspection of the identification of several Palestinian civilians. The authorities gave variously versions as to why he was detained: "Observing military actions without permission"; "Interfering with a soldier in the performance of his duty"; "Staying in a place where he had no permit to be." However, no formal charges have yet been filed against Rollins. The last we heard, a commission may meet on Sunday to consider releasing him. The decision whether or not to continue holding Rollins, and in general all decisions about deportations, are the responsibility of the Israeli Ministry of the Interior. Avraham Poraz, Minister of the Interior, presents himself as the most liberal member of the government. He came into office saying he would NOT deport or block entry of peace activists and human rights defenders. He wants to be seen as modern, enlightened and democratic. Messages questioning repression of peace groups and attempts to remove the international nonviolent presence can influence Poraz to change these policies. We believe that your emails and faxes to Poraz now can help preserve for CPT and other groups room to operate, now and in the future. In emails or faxes to Interior Minister Avraham Poraz, we suggest asking questions: Why are Rollins and other activists being held? What do the harassments and restrictions imposed on humanitarian and human rights groups mean? Does he know how this looks to the world? Why does the Israeli military want no witnesses to what it is doing in the Occupied Territories? aporaz@knesset.gov.il or sar@moin.gov.il Fax +972-2-566-6376 ================================== [5] Army ultimatum to activists of Mas'ha Camp From: IWPS May 24th, 2003. Mas’ha Village, West Bank. An Israel officer from the DCO (District Coordination Office) phoned on Friday night to give what he called "his final warning", to a group of Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals who have cooperatively maintained a 24-hour presence at a peace camp for nearly seven weeks, opposing construction of the Apartheid Wall. The threat is to remove the camp and its inhabitants, in order to finally build a section of the Wall of the land on which the camp is located and leave it inaccessible to its owners. The group plans to resist the illegal eviction. Background Information: Construction of the Apartheid Wall has meant the effective annexation of 15 villages, home to over 13 000 inhabitants, which are now trapped between the Wall and the Green Line (pre-'67 border). A further 20,000 people, from another 16 villages, have lost virtually all their lands since the Apartheid Wall has been built directly between their homes and their agricultural lands. Homes have been demolished, olive oil production of the villages west of the wall amounting to 2200 tons per season will be destroyed along with the production of 50 000 tons of fruit and over 100 000 tons of vegetables. During the seven weeks of the peace camp’s existence, almost a thousand Palestinians, Israelis, internationals, and journalists have taken part in it, exhibiting peaceful resistance to the Wall. Despite dynamite being set off all around the peace camp by the building contractors and the concrete being poured this week to begin the actual construction of the Wall, the activists have maintained a 24 hour presence at the site and intend to stay permanently. For more info: Anna or Nadya on +972 (0)52 598264/+972(0)55 854988 [PS: As of when this message is being sent, about midnight on Saturday, the army had made no move to implement the threat. During the whole day, activists in the camp had discussed various scenarios and prepared contingency plans. Meanwhile, journalist Meron Rapopport of Yediot Aharonot, Israel's largest paper, published in the weekend edition an extensive and highly critical report on the Wall - echoing many of themes which had been presented at the Ma'sha Camp, though the camp itself was not mentioned explicitly in the paper. The article will be soon available on the Gush Shalom website]. Meanwhile, for photos, maps and further information on the Wall, see: www.gushshalom.org www.womenspeacepalestine.org www.pengon.org ============================= [6] Huwarra: A woman at the checkpoint From: "Susy Mordechay" Thursday, May 22, 2003. A woman pulling a small wheeled suitcase arrived at the Huwarra Checkpoint at the southern outskirts of Nablus. The checkpoint was officially "open", which meant that most people were let through, that the length of lines and waiting times were at the best the checkpoint could offer and that soldiers were more or less polite. The woman used the lane reserved for VIPs - people with special ID’s, ambulances, UN cars, etc… She handed her West European passport to one of the soldiers and told him she was on the way to Nablus to do some research. (Later, it turned out she was an academic from a major European university.) The soldier informed her that she was forbidden to enter Nablus. A minute later he said he could actually let her in, but only on the understanding that on her way out of Nablus she would be arrested right away. The woman tried to inquire as to the basis for that ban, but to no avail. When she insisted, she was told that she was now forbidden entry altogether until the arrival of "A police car, in which the officers will take care of you". In the meantime, a whole lot of military officers congregated at the checkpoint booth, seeming to be holding some kind of a conference. Then they left. The woman was determined on another attempt to get clear and unequivocal instructions from the army. A private, at the first checkpoint barrier waved her through and told her to “go look for an officer”. She went to the second checkpoint barrier, the booth, looking for an officer. There was none there, but another private waved her through again, uttering the same instructions, so she went on into Nablus, still "looking for an officer". ===================== [7] Nablus clinic under attack From: "Palestine Monitor" The pressure of international organizations helped make the Israeli authorities release the Nablus personnel of the Palestinian Medical Relief (UPMRC). The medical staff members - Nasaif Al Dik, Coordinator of Community Health Projects, as well as medical volunteers Shadi Abu Bakr and Ahmed Badwan - had been taken from their homes on May 5 and kept without charges in Israeli detention charges since then. But on the same day that the UPMRC staff were released, the army mounted a direct attack on the UPMRC Emergency Clinic in the Al Yasmina neighborhood of Nablus' old city. At 2.30am on Thursday, May 22, no less then 35 soldiers surrounded the clinic, shooting into its windows as well as those of the apartment above, home to the Al Dari family - the youngest is 10 years old, the eldest a 62-year-old woman. Maher Al Dari crawled from his bedroom to that of his three children, and managed to move them away from the area of direct shooting. The soldiers blew open the door of the clinic and entered, continuing their random shooting, breaking furniture and bottles of medicine. Some shots narrowly missed hitting the oxygen cylinder, which might have caused a huge explosion. >From there the soldiers went into the Al Dari apartment, still continuing their shooting - some shots being fired at a sofa used as a bed for the 10-year-old child (fortunately the child was not on the sofa at the moment). The family (including the children) were interrogated and forced them to evacuate the building. Tree family members - Maher (50), Ayman (42) and Nimr (40) - were taken handcuffed in a military van. Nimr’s car, which he uses as an improvised taxi in order to earn a living, was vandalised, and for good measure the three Palestinians' mobile phones were stolen by soldiers. This was not the army's first "visit" to this clinic. Since October 2002, it had been invaded no less than four times, despite the large sign identifying it as a clinic. This time, however, the soldiers demanded that the clinic be closed down - on their departure threatening that if continued to operate, they would return and completely demolish the building (sic!). No reason was given for this drastic demand. The clinic in question serves the Al Yasmina neighborhood, which has a population of approximately 7000 people, as well as nine other nearby neighborhoods - being the only Emergency Clinic in the old city of Nablus. During Israeli army invasions of the area, which occur regularly every month or two, it is virtually impossible for residents in the old city to reach a hospital, making them completely totally dependent on the clinic. Dr Ghassan Hamdan, Director of PMRS in Nablus, is currently in Geneva, meeting with the Director General of the World Health Organization to discuss the ongoing Israeli army attacks on Palestinian Health services. Please protest to the following: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Fax: +972 2 6705475 rohm@pmo.gov.il Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein Fax: +972 2 6285438 Defence Minster Shaul Mofaz Tel: 972-3-5692010 Fax: 972-3-6916940 sar@mod.gov.il Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom Fax: 972-2-5303506; 972-2-5303896 sar@mofa.gov.il With copies to Mr Sergio de Mello UN High Commissioner on Human Rights webadmin.hchr@unogQF.ch For further info: PMRS office +972-(0)2-298-8234/ +972-(0)2-298-0550/+972-(0)59-254-218 ========================================== [8] Convoy to Gaza - aid agencies protest blocked access From: "Nanna Ahlmark" On Monday, May 26, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), will organize a convoy to Gaza. The humanitarian aid and development agencies are strongly protesting Israel's closure of the Eretz Crossing and demanding free and unrestricted access to Gaza for all. Since May 10, the Israeli authorities are denying access through Gaza's Eretz Crossing to all individuals except holders of diplomatic passports.The aid agencies are deeply concerned about this development, which has barred humanitarian aid and development workers from carrying out projects in Gaza. Further info: Nanna Ahlmark, Caritas Jerusalem +972 (0) 67 336 51 ================================================== Selected articles The Other Israel April/May issue now on site: Adam Keller's "Road Map In The Air" (lead article) http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ed.html Saga Of The Court Martials: http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/courtmartials.html + a lot more One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. --------------------------------------------------------- If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Jun 12 20:13:43 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Invitation to Terror & Contemplation a week after Akaba Message-ID: <3EE8D0E7.33.13133BF@localhost> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org June 12, 2003 -- Invitation to Terror [text of tomorrow's Gush ad in Ha'aretz] -- Contemplation a week after Akaba / Adam Keller >>>>>>><<<<<< Invitation to Terror >>>>>>><<<<<< [Translation of ad to appear in Ha'aretz, tomorrow June 13] Five generals took the decision to assassinate Hamas leader Abd-al- Aziz al-Rantissi: the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Chief- of-Staff and the chiefs of the Mossad and the Security Service. This military Junta is running Israel in practice - instead of the bunch of dwarfs called Government and the group of clowns and delinquents who have taken over the Knesset. The aim was to bury the Road Map right at the beginning, destroy Abu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) and prevent the planned Hudna (truce), in order to save the settlements, continue the occupation and prevent the establishment of the State of Palestine. Sharon & Co. invited violence - and violence we got. Gush Shalom >>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<< Contemplation a week after Akaba >>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<< Suicide bombing in Jerusalem. Once again, one cannot escape the horrors flooding every TV screen, and every news broadcast carries the details of sixteen simultaneous funerals. And as many family lives for ever marked. But - - as always, it is a selective horror show. The Israeli media is far more sparing in showing the results of "our" retaliatory bombing on Gaza. The body count is already showing more than twenty Palestinians dead in the past forty-eight hours, at least half of them civilian bystanders; and the number seems set to increase. Precisely a week after the Akaba Summit, and before one could even decide between scepticism and hope, the cruel game of blow and counter-blow and counter-counter-blow is rolling again, full steam ahead. Once more, as on so many occasions in the past years, the assassination of a prominent Palestinian leader - offcially justified as a way of fighting terrorism - only stoked the fires of anger and hatred on the other side, escalating the horror all the more. After assasinations had this same result so many times before, one need not be a brilliant strategist, or have access to confidential files, in order to accurately predict the result of sending helicopter gunships to Gaza in order to assassinate the well-known Hamas spokesman, Abd-el-Aziz Rantisi. (In this case, Rantisi survived - but a mother and child who happened to walk in the street were killed and dozens more wounded.) Prime Minister Sharon certainly knew exactly what he was doing. Many potentially positive developments, in the past two years, were foiled by a judicious assassination on crucial moment. The cease-fire of December 2001, which had lasted for more than a month and aroused many real hopes, is a prominent case in point. But hardly ever before were the stakes quite so high - an ambitiously (re-)launched peace process under the personal patronage of the president of the world's sole remaining super-power. Two societies torn and weary by two and half terrible years and praying for a respite, opinion polls on both sides showing a high percenatge in favor of making concessions, a hope against hope that this time the light in the end of the tunnel would prove real. Is everything irretrievably lost? Hamas, which a week ago seriously contemplated the idea of a cease-fire, has been pushed into the most militant of moods, and Rantisi - always on the organization's most radical wing - has gotten an enormous boost in personal popularity courtesy of Sharon's gunships. And, the position of Prime Minster Abu Mazen - even at the best of time never very strong among the Palestinian masses - has been grieveously, perhaps fatally eroded. His speech in Akaba - by far the most conciliatory ever made by any Palestinian leader, and for which he had already to wheather considerable Palestinian criticism - was not answered by any real confidence-building measures but by lethal provocation. Certainly, if George W. Bush regards his jaunt to this region last week as something more than a convenient photo opportunity, it is time for him to take a strong hand in the situation. Past experience has shown that when Bush seriously makes his will known, Sharon hastens to take notice. (What a paradoxical situation for those who heartily detest the present incumbent at the White House, and who still find themselves hoping for his intervention!) And supposing Bush effectively washes his hands off the process he had just launched and lets "The Roadmap" go the way of countless earlier peace plans and diplomatic initiatives? In that case, the present cycle will run its bloody course, and things will calm down a bit, and then a new provocation will start a new cycle, and so on. But still, the game could not go on forever. The Israeli economy in in shambles, with virtually all economists and business leaders agreeing that advance towards peace is needed for its recovery. Not for nothing did the Tel- Aviv stock market jump sharply up when the Sharon Cabinet adopted the Roadmap, and take a plunge when news came of the botched Rantisi assassination. Israeli generals no longer make confident predictions of an imminent Palestinian surrender, and when pressed admit that there is no real military solution (indeed, virtually all militiary options short of large-scale outright war crimes have already been tried and failed to subdue the obdurate Palestinians.) Whatever the outcome of the Roadmap interlude, Sharon as Prime Minster of Israel already made unprecedented and irrevocable statements - however little he meant them - recognizing the two-state solution and declaring continued occupation to be unacceptable. Despite the sorry state of the Israeli Labour Party and its utter inability to present a real alternative, sooner or later some leader will be found to seriously lead Israel along that path. But meanwhile, be prepared for more funerals. Adam Keller ------- Note: we got some worried messages from people who wondered about our prolonged silence. It was not because we had nothing more to say, but rather because a nasty virus invaded our computer. By now it seems we overcame it but to be on the safe side: don't open attachments which seem to come from us. -------------------------------------------------------------- -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Jun 16 04:24:20 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "Children of Death " Uri Avnery on militarism Message-ID: <3EED3864.5326.AEA421@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// Children of Death Uri Avnery on militarism in Israel 14.6.03 A week after the ship of peace was solemnly launched on its perilous voyage from Aqaba harbor, it was hit by a torpedo. It is not yet clear whether it is wrecked or can continue on its way in spite of the damage. The story of its voyage so far: An Israeli helicopter gunship tried to kill Abd-al-Aziz al-Rantisi, one of the leaders of the political wing of Hamas. He miraculously survived. Immediately afterwards the gunships killed other Hamas leaders. Clearly, this was the beginning of a campaign to kill the leaders of all the wings of Hamas - military, political, social, educational and religious. Such a campaign is, of course, the outcome of long preparations, which take weeks and months. It was evidently planned even before the Aqaba summit conference convened, but postponed by Sharon in order to afford President Bush his moments of photographic glory on the shore of the Red Sea. Immediately after the President and his entourage went home, radiant with success, the machinery of death went into action. In establishing intent, all courts around the world act upon a simple principle: a person who carries out an action with predictable results is held to have intended that result. That is true for this campaign, too. The killing of the Hamas leaders (together with their wives, children and casual bystanders) is intended to attain the following results: (a) acts of revenge by Hamas, i.e. suicide bombings, (b) the failure of the Palestinian Authority's efforts to secure the agreement of Hamas to a cease-fire, (c) the destruction of Abu Mazen's political standing right from the start, (d) the demolition of the Road Map, (e) compensation for the settlers after the removal of some sham "outposts". All five objectives have been achieved. Blood and fire cover the country, the media on both sides are busy with funerals and mutual incitement, the efforts to establish a hudnah (truce) have stopped, Sharon called Abu Mazen a chicken without feathers, the Road Map is toterring , Bush has mildly reproached Sharon while directing his wrath at Hamas. The "dismantling" of the phony settlement-outposts, a joke to start with, has been stopped. Construction activity in the settlements is in full swing, and so is the building of the "fence" that is establishing a new border deep inside the West Bank. (Both Bush and Blair have demanded that it be stopped, a boost to the campaign we started months ago). The closures and blockades have been tightened. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is back to what it was before, as if the entire performance in Aqaba had never taken place. The decision to kill Rantisi was, therefore, a decisive point in the history of Israel. And the first question must be: who was it that took this decision? It is easy to say who did not take it. Not the government, which has become a choir of flatterers and yes- men. Sharon treats them with contempt. He would not dream of consulting them. Not the Knesset, which has reached an unprecedented low. It now openly includes representatives of the underworld, a murderer who has asked for (and received) a pardon, and some small politicians who look as if they had been picked at random from the street. The Speaker is known as an entertaining character. And not the public at large, of course. All public opinion polls show that the public wanted the road Map to succeed. All believed that Sharon was serious about seeking peace. On the left, too, there were many simpletons who lauded Sharon for changing his spots. Nobody asked the public if it wants to start a new round of violence. Indeed, the latest poll indicates that 67% of the public did not support the attempt on Rantisi's life after it happened. But Sharon knew that the public would accept his decisions and follow him like the sheep on his ranch. If so, who took the decision? That is no secret. The decision was taken by five generals: - The Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, a retired two-star general. - The Minister of Defense, Sha'ul Mofaz, a retired three-star general. - The Chief-of-Staff, Moshe Ya'alon, a serving three-star general. - The Mossad chief, Me'ir Dagan, a former one-star general. - The Security Service chief, Avi Dichter, with a rank equivalent to a three-star general. This military quintet is now making decisions about the fate of Israel, perhaps for generations, perhaps for ever. In Latin America they would be called a Junta (military committee). We have spoken more than once about the special status of generals - in and out of uniform - in our state. It has no equivalent in the Western world. In no democratic country does a general now serve as prime minister. In no democratic country does a professional soldier serve as minister of defense, certainly not one who was wearing a general's uniform right on the eve of his ministerial appointment. In no democratic country does the Chief-of-Staff attend all cabinet meetings, where he serves as the highest authority in all "security" matters - which, in Israel, include practically all matters of national policy. The rule of the generals is based on an extensive infrastructure. An Israeli general leaves the army, as a rule, in his early 40s. If he does not join the top leadership of a political party (Likud, Labor and the National Religious Party are at present led by generals, and Meretz is practically led by a colonel), or manage to get elected as a mayor, his comrades help him to settle down as the director of a large government corporation, university or public utility. The hundreds of ex-generals who man most of the key posts in government and society are not only a group of veterans sharing common memories. The partnership goes much deeper. Dozens of years of service in the regular army form a certain outlook on life, a political world-view, ways of thinking and even language. In all the years of Israel, there have been no more than three or four exceptions to this rule. On the face of it, there are right-wing and left-wing generals, but that is an optical illusion. This week it was particularly obvious: after the assassination attempt on Rantisi and the Hamas revenge-attack, dozens of generals appeared in the media. (An Israeli general, however stupid he may be, automatically becomes a sought-after commentator in the media.) For the sake of "balance", generals-of-the-right and generals-of-the-left were brought on screen, and lo and behold, they all said the same thing, more or less, even using the same terminology. More than in the "commentaries" themselves, this found expression in two Hebrew words: Ben Mavet ("Son of death", meaning a person who must be killed). As if by order, this week these two detestable words entered the public discourse. There was hardly a general, politician or correspondent who did not roll them on his tongue with obvious relish. They had never been heard before in the media. Now, suddenly, everybody has started to use them. Rantisi was a "son of death". Sheikh Yassin was a "son of death". The other Hamas leaders were "children of death". Perhaps even Yasser Arafat himself. The expression appears in the Bible, II Samuel, XII. King David has committed a heinous crime, deliberately arranging for his most loyal officer, Uriah the Hittite, to be killed in battle, so he can have his wife, Bath-sheba, for himself. The prophet Nathan denounces him for this deed, telling him the story of the rich man who slaughtered the only sheep of a poor man. David gets very angry and tells the prophet: "As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing is a son of death!" To which Nathan replies: "Thou art the man!" Ironically, the Bible applied the term to the greatest leader of the people of Israel, who has committed an abominable crime. Now it is used by the leaders of the state of Israel against Palestinians. But this is not the most important point. It is more significant that the Prime Minister and his small group of generals introduce these two words, and all the people repeat them like a giant flock of parrots, without thinking, without protesting. This is rather frightening in itself, but when these words reflect a disastrous national decision and the public accepts it without question, that is even more frightening. It is not yet clear whether Sharon has succeeded in scuttling the boat of the peace initiative. Perhaps President Bush will after all show some resolution and save the initiative, in which he has invested his personal prestige. But in the meantime the dance of death continues, and the blood flows - quite literally - in the streets of Israel and Palestine. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jun 17 18:15:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) REFUSENIKS TRIALS - PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT Message-ID: <3EEF4C99.25979.C6AFD7@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Here are two forwarded messages which may interest you: [] REFUSENIKS TRIALS - PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT next Monday/Tuesday appendix added by GS: Haaretz - IDF refuseniks tell Palestinians that suicide bombings must end [] An End to Occupation, A Just Peace in Israel-Palestine: The Role of Academia - tomorrow June 18th, and 19th \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] REFUSENIKS TRIALS - PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT next Monday/Tuesday appendix added by GS: Haaretz - IDF refuseniks tell Palestinians that suicide bombings must end From: "Anat Matar" Date sent: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 22:41:01 +0300 Renewal of conscientious objectors' trials - please come and show your support!! The court martial trials of pacifist Yoni Ben-Artzi and occupation resisters Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat will continue next Monday and Tuesday. All six refuse to enlist since they regard the service in the IDF as opposed to their conscience. We believe that a massive public support of the refuseniks is extremely important, and appeal to you to spare some time and attend the court sessions. Ben-Artzi's trial will be held on Monday, 23.6, starting at 13:00, The occupation resisters' trial will be held on Tuesday, 24.6, starting at 09:00, both at the military court in Jaffa, 91-3 Yefet St. ("The Green House"), near the junction known as Haj Khil. Please bring your IDs. In Yoni's trial, this session will be dedicated to two invited witnesses: General Avi Zamir, Deputy Head of Human Resources, and Colonel Shlomi Simchi, who was the head of Yoni's "conscience committee". The five's session will consist solely of the testimonies of the defendants themselves: each one of them will explain the grounds for his refusal to enlist to the occupation forces. Testimonies will be given in the order of the five's arrests, before being brought to court martial: Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat. Yoni is represented by adv. Michael Sfard; "the five" are represented by adv. Dov Khenin. Your presence is very important - please come!! Conscientious Objectors' Parents Forum. appendix: Haaretz - IDF refuseniks tell Palestinians that suicide bombings must end http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=304001&contrassID=2 &subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y IDF refuseniks tell Palestinians that suicide bombings must end By Arnon Regular and Lily Galili Some 100 IDF draft resisters who refuse to serve in the territories have published a call in the Palestinian press for an end to suicide bombings. The letter was carried by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, apparently after it was approved by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, and appeared in leading Palestinian newspapers, including Al-Quds, the most widely distributed newspaper in the West Bank, Al-Hayyat Al-Jedida - the official PA newspaper - and El-Ayyam, which is published in Ramallah. Initiated by five draft resistors now awaiting hearings on their appeals to be allowed to do civilian national service instead of service in "the occupation army," the letter says: "The suicide bombings by Palestinian organizations kill innocent people - children, the elderly, men and woman, Jews, Arabs and foreigners, supporters of the occupation and opponents of the occupation. "These actions are not moral ... this cold-blooded, indiscriminate and random killing horrifies most Israelis to the point that it makes the the work of justifying the occupation much easier for Sharon and his colleagues. "We, the refuseniks, take responsibility for what is happening in Israeli society through our declared acts of resistance, and we are ready to pay the price; the price that you, our comrades on the Palestinian side, might pay is much higher, but we believe that ... a Palestinian struggle without harm to civilians will be much more precise. Rallies, general strikes, and joint activities with the Israeli peace movement are all much more effective acts of resistance than any suicide." It was the first time the refusenik movement, which now has 524 registered conscripts and reservists, have undertaken an action other than individually refusing to serve and going to jail. There was much debate inside the group before the publication whether Palestinians would regard the letter as a form of patronization, but the group decided that since they are paying the price - in prison - for their refusal, it would offset that possible negative reception in the Palestinian public. (there was also a very short report in the Hebrew Ha'aretz but we don't find it on the internet site) [] An End to Occupation, A Just Peace in Israel-Palestine: The Role of Academia - tomorrow June 18th, and 19th From: Neve Gordon Date sent: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 22:14:16 +0200 An Urgent Conference Tel Aviv University Ramat Aviv June 18th and 19th, 2003 An End to Occupation, A Just Peace in Israel-Palestine: The Role of Academia I. Background Wars sometimes offer an opportunity for change, but often do so at the expense of the weak. This banal truth holds for Israeli-Palestinian affairs no less than for anything else. In the aftermath of the Iraq war, and faced with new and staggering forms of Israeli violence towards Palestinians in the occupied territories, we call on academics worldwide to join in an effort to make a difference. A number of times after WW-II, campuses have been pivotal in campaigning against violence, oppression and ethnic injustice. Can this be taken up again regarding Palestinians and Israelis? II. Objectives 1. To learn about the current situation in Israel-Palestine and think together about the role of universities in opposing the violation of human rights in the occupied territories and in bringing an end to occupation. 2. To establish a working network worldwide to promote the mobilization of faculty and students, acting towards an immediate end of Israeli occupation and in support of a just Palestinian -Israeli peace. III. Provisional Program Wednesday, June 18th Registration and coffee- 10.00-10.30 Organizers welcome and updates- 10.30 A. Opening Keynote Lectures: The current situation in the occupied territories- 10.30-12.00 a. The Gaza Strip: Eyad el Sarraj, Gaza b. The West Bank: Salim Tamari, Ramallah Chair: Itzhak Laor, Tel Aviv B. Reports from Israeli Groups Active in the Occupied Territories: 12.00-14:00 Physicians for Human Rights- Hadas Ziv Ta'ayush Esti Micenmacher Betselem Jessica Montell Machsom Watch- Maya Rosenfeld Committee Against House Demolitions Jeff Halper Mas'ha Camp - Liad Kantorowicz, Rezeq Abu Nasser Chair: Ruchama Marton, Tel Aviv Lunch break- 14:00-15:00 C. Mini symposium I: The problems involved in joint activities by Israeli and Palestinian academics. 15:00-16.30 Tamar Zelniker, Tel Aviv Issam Nassar, Ramallah Oren Yftach'el- Beer Sheva Dudy Zfati, Jerusalem Moshe Behar, West Jerusalem Chair: Ghassan Abdullah, Ramallah D. Keynote lecture: How we got here: From Barak's "generous offers" to the Road Map fraud. 16.30-17.30 Tanya Reinhart, Tel Aviv Chair- Rachel Giora, Tel Aviv Coffee- 17.30-18:00- Meet the Activists E. Conference dinner- 19:30 Thursday, June 19th Morning coffee- 9.00-9.30 F. Mini symposium II: Academic boycott, divestment and other economic sanctions- 9.30-11.30 Rema Hamami, East Jerusalem Ilan Pappe, Haifa Eva Jablonka, Tel Aviv Lawrence Davidson, West-Chester (Pennsylvania) Neve Gordon, Beer Sheva Chair- Moshe Zuckermann, Tel Aviv Coffee break 11.30-12.00 G. Action session: FFIPP and its scope: ideas, plans and the agenda for an Israeli branch- 12.00-13.30 Arnon Hadar, San Rafael Anat Biletzki, Tel Aviv Orly Lubin, Tel Aviv Oded Goldreich, Rehovot Chair: Daphna Golan, Jerusalem H. Closing keynote address: - The Middle East after the Iraq war. 13.30-14.30 Eric Rouleau, Paris Chair: Musa Budeiri, East Jerusalem End of Conference Technical Information Setup: The conference will host and be hosted by the 2nd FFIPP delegation to Israel and the Occupied Territories. People outside of the Middle East who are interested in participating may join the FFIPP delegation (for details, see http://www.ffipp.org or write to Arnon Hadar) Language: English Fee: There is no participation fee. Coffee breaks are also free of charge, but the conference dinner and the lunches will be individually charged at the restaurants. Location: The conference will be held at the Malka Brender Hall of Justice ('Kess Hamishpat'), The Trubowicz Building, The Buchman Faculty of Law, on the Tel Aviv University campus. The site is within easy reach from anywhere in the greater TA area. Invitations: We recommend that international participants arrange a personal invitation from Israeli colleagues in their field. Those who can not arrange this via their own contacts are welcome to write to one of the TAU Organizers. Permits Palestinians wishing to participate and requiring a permit, please write to Yasmeen Daher. The Organizing Committee International Coordinator- Arnon Hadar, FFIPP (hadar@dominican.edu) TAU organizers: Anat Biletzki- Philosophy- Rachel Giora- Linguistics- Uri Hadar- Psychology- Administrative Coordinator- Yasmeen Daher < jess_daher@hotmail.com -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jun 18 23:24:50 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Urgent phone action request - ISM founderHuwaida Arraf Arrested Message-ID: <3EF0E6B2.5841.1CA44B8@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org ------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: palmedialert@yahoogroups.com From: "snowcat_98052" Date sent: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 18:42:00 -0000 Subject: [palmedialert] ISM Press Release - Huwaida Arraf Arrested at Huwara Checkpoint Send reply to: palmedialert-owner@yahoogroups.com ISM PRESS RELEASE Wednesday, 18 Jun 2003 For immediate release ISM founder Huwaida Arraf was taken into custody at Huwara Checkpoint near Nablus today after she protested the abusive treatment Palestinians were receiving from Israeli forces. Huwaida began negotiating with soldiers to secure the release of 2 Palestinian men who had been detained in the sun with their hands tied behind their backs for over 3 hours. One of the men has a bad back and was detained while trying to cross the checkpoint on his way to an appointment with a physician. While Huwaida was negotiating with the soldiers a 3rd Palestinian man trying to cross the checkpoint was threatened by soldiers who held a gun to his head. Huwaida tried to negotiate with the soldiers over the treatment of the Palestinian man and was arrested. She was interrogated at Huwara Military Base and later taken to Ariel Police station where she was placed under arrest. Please call government officials to protest the illegal detentions of ISM volunteers. Ariel police station, call 03 906 5444 or 03 906 530. In the US: Contact your congressperson, the State Department and the White House using this link. http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm or http://www.congress.gov Also call the State Department and demand action. STATE DEPARTMENT 1- 202-647-5150 For Israel Contact Israeli Minister of Interior, Tel: +972-2-629- 4701; Fax: +972-2-629-4750 Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom Fax: +972-2-5303704 e-mail: sar@m... Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990 e-mail: sar@m... Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fax: (+972-2) 566-4838 or 651-3955 or 651-2631 Everyone, Contact the Israeli embassy in your country See our website: www.palsolidarity.org for more ways to help or get involved. For more information, please call: +972-2-277-4602 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: palmedialert-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ------- End of forwarded message ------- From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Jun 19 13:59:53 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Prison and the beast - Huwaida released but more action needed Message-ID: <3EF1B3C9.18148.42FA41@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Huwaida Arraf was released; here follows her rapport of the disgusting scene she witnessed at the checkpoint, before her arrest. In the end phone numbers and emails for further action. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: palsolidarity@yahoogroups.com From: Huwaida Arraf Date sent: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 18:19:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [palsolidarity] Prison and the beast Dear Friends, Thank you for the calls and the emails. I am embarassed to have taken up your time with my case when there are so many other Palestinians that need your help. The officer filling out my release papers commented that I "must have many friends all over the world." I was put under arrest today for "obstructing the work of soldiers" and though I didn't go to prison, I'd like to ask a few minutes of your time to tell you about what happened today, and the larger prison that all Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are in. I arrived at the Huwwara checkpoint at around 12:30pm with a newly arrived American volunteer, Rick; we were on our way to Nablus. The queue was long, at least 70 people, and it didn't look like the three Israeli soldiers that were manning the checkpoint were letting anybody through. A few of the Palestinian men, who had already been at the checkpoint for over an hour, seeing my companion was an international, advised us to walk around the checkpoint to avoid what would surely be another 3-hour wait, at least; "If you have an American passport, you'll pass, no problem." Though we were in a hurry to get Rick to the ISM training in Nablus, there was no question that we'd refuse to take advantage of the racist system that would allow an American into Nablus, but require a resident of Nablus or a surrounding village to wait for hours, to be checked by Israeli soldiers and then given a verdict of whether he/she could go home, to work, or to school. So we waited. Soldiers make Palestinians stand in a female line and a male line and so our Palestinian friends, who were trying to save us time, urged us to at least get into the shorter female line. We did. A half an hour later a soldier came over and let a handful of women pass. I was one of the ones singled out to pass. Rick came with me. When we approched the soldier that was to check our IDs, we noticed a family, a man, woman and two children who were standing aside. Apparently the soldiers did not want to let the man through (he had a British passport) and his wife, a Palestinian from Nablus, was refusing to leave without him. They were also refusing to turn back. The soldiers kept asking of the Brit, his "hawiyya" - ID, insinuating that he had a Palestinian ID (in addition to the passport) and was just refusing to show it. I then noticed two yound Palestinian men, in their early twenties, crouching up against the cinder blocks that form the checkpoint, their hands tied behind their backs. An old woman was pleading with the Israeli soldiers, her son (one of the young men), was sick and had back problems and was on his way to Rafeedia Hospital in Nablus. She was trying to show the soldier her son's papers and x-rays, but he wasn't interested. "His back! His back!" she cried, but the soldier only yelled at her to go away. I interfered to ask the soldier why he was yelling at the old woman and holding the young men. He said he wasn't interested. I learned from the two men, Rashed and Ramsy that they had been held for 3 hours by that point (since about 9:30am) and the soldiers had confiscated their ID cards. They weren't told why. I got on the phone with HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization in Jerusalem that often turns in complaints of abuses to the Military District Coordinating Office, and gave them the names of the young men. Rick and I decided that we would stay by Ramsy and Rashed until HaMoked was able to get back to us. Ramsy stood up to show us that his cuffs were on way too tight. It looked like he was losing circulation. I pleaded with one of the soldiers to loosen his cuffs, Rick pointing out that the boy could be seriously hurt. The soldier screamed at Ramsy to kneel "or else." Another soldier, calling himself a beast, said "I want to kill him today." The soldiers told me to leave the area, as I was in a closed military zone. A young man, named Nael, came through, asked the soldier if he could pass because he got word that his father passed away last night and he wanted to visit him before he was buried. The soldier told him to shut up and get back in line. When Nael persisted, the soldier called him a "son of a b*tch" and began pushing him. Nael stood his ground and the pushing got very rough. Another soldier ran over screaming and put his M16 to Nael's head. They grabbed Nael and pulled him away, one soldier still screaming and threatening to shoot. Rick and I followed and whipped out our cameras, "Hey, hey, calm down. Calm down!" Nael was also put in cuffs and told that he would be arrested and that he "would be seeing a jail cell and not [his] father." Another call to HaMoked. The soldiers kept telling me to leave the area, as I was in a closed military zone and preventing them from doing their job -- really annoying them. I refused, telling them that there was no way I was going to leave these guys when it was obvious the soldiers were being very abusive, and even if they considered serving the occupation as their "job" there was no reason not to treat the people as human beings. This whole time they did not let any one through the checkpoint, though every once in a while a soldier would get on the loud speaker and yell at the Palestinians to form straight lines and to stand behind the plastic barricades or else the checkpoint would be closed for the rest of the day. By 3:30pm, more pushing, yelling, loosing and tightening of cuffs, Ramsy (the sick one) was released. One of the soldiers kept saying to us in English, "I want to kill him today." I asked why he couldn't realize that we're all human beings like he was. He replied, "I'm not a human being, I'm a beast. I'm a beast, OK, and I want to kill him." He came up behind Rashed, grabbed arms and tightened his plastic cuffs until they couldn't be tightened any more. When I protested, he yanked Rashed away and threw him behind an area of cinder blocks telling him to kneel so that he was out of sight. Rashed tried to stand up a few times, "my hands, my hands!" Another call to HaMoked. Nael, still cuffed, ordered from a young boy vendor, three colas, for me, Rick and himself. He urged me to leave, assuring me that he would be OK. It didn't seem like any of what we were saying was getting through to any of the soldiers who kept treating the people like they were less than human, denying entry to into Nablus to a new bride and her husband going to visit family, a husband and father, trying to enter with his family (the soldiers only let the wife and kids go) and a half dozen others, as people were ordered to approach one by one, one every 10 minutes or so. The self-described "beast" confiscated two bikes and one trolley - things that Palestinians trying to make a living in an economy with a 70% unemployment rate, use to transport the bags and luggage of other travelers for a small charge (as Palestinians often have to walk distances, owners of trolleys, bikes, and donkeys offer rides or transport of heavy bags for a nominal fee.) A young boy came up to me to tell me that Rashed had been released. I guess I had had my back turned, and at first didn't believe it. But Rashed came up to the front of the line to wave and confirm that he was let go. I went up to him, "are you going to try the other way around? Take care." He smiled, "thanks." Only Nael was left until the "beast" ran after a Palestinian man who was given to pass, and for no reason, tied his hands up and pushed him down behind some cinder blocks, where Rashed was only minutes before. By now the soldiers were getting pretty annoyed with me (perhaps because the HaMoked calls were working) and a police jeep pulled up. By 4:30 I was taken away. Rick was given the option to leave and it seemed best, though I was worried about him traveling alone on his second day. I was released at about 11pm from Ariel (settlement) police station. An anonymous friend (a veteran from the first Intifada who had spent 11 years in jail for actively organizing the popular resistance) made the 40km drive in the dark on the windy settler road to pick me up. Rick made it back OK. HaMoked rang to check up on me. Nael was not released. If you can, please call or write to inquire about Nael Suwaydi from Abu Dis, arrested at Huwarra checkpoint on June 18, 2003 for daring to come from Abu Dis to Nablus, without permission, to pay respects to his father. I never did give Nael my condolences. Tel: + (972) 36 080 339 Fax: +(972) 36 080 343 Israeli Minister of Defence, Shaul Mofaz: sar@mod.gov.il Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom: sar@mofa.gov.il Contact the Israeli Embassy in your country: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm In solidarity & struggle, Huwaida I apologize if any of this in incoherent. I'm a little tired. INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT www.palsolidarity.org "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Robert F. Kennedy -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Jun 21 23:04:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Refuseniks' court martials continue this week Message-ID: <3EF4D655.5311.3D3F33@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org This forwarded message of the CO's Parents Forum has the concrete details about this week's resumption of the long-drawn court martial of 6 draft refusers. In the end is included some background information written by Adam Keller - who combines membership in Gush Shalom and in the CO's Parents Forum. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Anat Matar" Conscientious objectors' trials - Monday and Tuesday The court martial trials of pacifist Yoni Ben-Artzi and occupation resisters Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat will resume on Monday and Tuesday. All six refuse to enlist since they regard the service in the IDF as opposed to their conscience. Ben-Artzi's trial will be held on Monday, 23.6, starting at 9:00 (and not 13:00!); The occupation resisters' trial will be held on Tuesday, 24.6, starting at 09:00, both at the military court in Jaffa, 91-3 Yefet St. ("The Green House"), near the junction known as Haj Khil. A vigil in support of all refuseniks will be held on Tuesday morning. In Yoni's trial, this session will be dedicated to two invited witnesses: General Avi Zamir, Deputy Head of Human Resources, Colonel Shlomi Simchi, who was the head of Yoni's "conscience committee", and Yoni's sister. The five's session will consist solely of the testimonies of the defendants themselves: each one of them will explain the grounds for his refusal to enlist to the occupation forces. Testimonies will be given in the order of the five's arrests, before being brought to court martial: Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat. Yoni is represented by adv. Michael Sfard; "the five" are represented by adv. Dov Khenin. Conscientious Objectors' Parents Forum. -- Background: The Legal Scene up to now The decision to start court-martial proceedings against the new wave of high school graduates refuseniks, was taken at the beginning of 2003, in a reversal of a decades-long IDF policy. Apparently, the military authorities intended to start with two refuseniks, whom they considered ringleaders: pacifist Yoni Ben Artzi, and Haggai Matar, who objects to serving in an occupation army. In an unexpected act of solidarity and defiance, four other refuseniks - Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat - exercised, on their own initiative, the right to be court-martialed, joining Haggai Matar. Yoni Ben Artzi is defended by Adv. Michael Safard, and "the Five" by Adv. Dov Khenin, both of whom have considerable experience in cases involving civil rights and human rights aspects. The proceedings are only now (June 2003) approaching a decisive stage, after dragging on for almost six months. Meanwhile, the accused are held under detention at various military bases. In the earlier stages, preliminary legal arguments by the defense raised important issues - such as the appeal to the Supreme Court in the Ben-Artzi case, asking for the entire proceedings to be moved to a civil court. Justifying its rejection of the appeal, the Supreme Court did underline the fact that a final appeal could bring the entire proceedings under scrutiny by the Supreme Court. This may partly account for time and care which the military court devotes to studying the preliminary and procedural issues raised. The divergence of the two court-martial proceedings stems from the army's declared policy under which "true" pacifists could, in principle, be exempted, as opposed to "political refusers." Since Ben Artzi's personal history verifies his deep-felt pacifism, the prosecution was reduced to the unsuccessful, formal argument that Ben Artzi "is no pacifist" since the army's Conscience Committee ruled that he is not, and that after the Supreme Court refused Ben Artzi's appeal to intervene against that committee, the matter is closed. However, in coming sessions the prosecution may try to disqualify defense witnesses or severely restrict the scope of their testimony. The spotlight on the working of the Conscience Committee may well explain a very recent exemption to refusenik Yoni Yehezkel, after he had spent some five months behind bars. It appears, at this point, that the army continues to pursue the Ben Artzi case mainly for reasons of prestige, since the case, which has received so much media attention cannot be dropped inconspicuously. On the other hand, the army does not appear eager to start new court-martial proceedings against other pacifists presently in military prisons. In the court-martial of "the Five" - who insist as a matter of conscience - on their right to refuse to be part of an army of occupation, - the army argues that this kind of refusal has nothing to do with Conscientious Objection, but constitutes "the illegitimate introduction of political motives into the ranks of the army." Such refuseniks, the prosecution states, deserve no recognition, and are ineligible to have their cases considered by the Conscience Committee. Hence, they must be considered disruptive soldiers, defying military discipline, and be punished accordingly." To bolster its argument, the prosecution cites last year's Supreme Court verdict in the Zonshein case, which rejected "selective refusal" which “might create chaos in the army ranks". The defense has countered with the argument that conscience is a highly personal issue, and cannot be confined in one tight mould. What is acceptable to one person might be totally unacceptable to another. A democratic society should recognize that diversity and avoid forcing upon a citizen acts which are totally in contravention to the dictates of his or her conscience, especially when there is reason to believe that the occupation is illegal by any moral or legal international standard. With regard to the Zonshein precedent, the defense argues that the Supreme Court's unacceptable "selective refusal" refers only to those who join the army but refuse specific orders; those who refuse any military service for reasons of conscience are total refusers, whatever their exact considerations. The defense already embarrassed the prosecution with proof that a military conscience committee dealing with women refuseniks recently did exempt as a Conscientious Objector, a woman who explicitly wrote that it is against her conscience to serve in an occupation army. While some international precedents exist, the Israeli judicial system has little experience in this field. In many of the legal issues involved, the Jaffa Military Court is treading ground, never covered by any Israeli court, civil or military. The coming sessions (scheduled for June 24, 2003 and July 14, 2003) will be devoted to personal testimony by each of the five demonstrating that each of the five has traveled his own individual path leading up to the act of refusal. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Jun 23 03:38:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] The best show in town - Uri Avnery Message-ID: <3EF66808.8826.B0EF80@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// [] The best show in town - Uri Avnery [] Same provocation - same purpose. Press release - June 22, 2003 עברית באתר http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article255_heb.html Uri Avnery 21.6.03 The Best Show in Town The most talented director could not have done better. It was a perfect show. Television viewers all over the world saw heroic Israeli soldiers on their screens battling the fanatical settlers. Close-ups: faces twisted with passion, a soldier lying on a stretcher, a young woman crying in despair, children weeping, youngsters storming forward in fury, masses of people wrestling with each other. A battle of life and death. There is no room for doubt: Ariel Sharon is leading a heroic fight against the settlers in order to fulfil his promise to remove "unauthorized" outposts, even "inhabited" ones. The old warrior is again facing a determined enemy without flinching. The conclusion is self-evident, both in Israel and throughout the world: if such a tumultuous battle takes place for a tiny outpost inhabited by hardly a dozen people, how can one expect Sharon to remove 90 outposts, as promised in the Road Map? If things look like that when he has to remove a handful of tents and one small stone building - how can one even dream of evacuating real settlements, where dozens, hundreds or even thousands of families are living? This must have impressed George Bush and his people. Unfortunately, it has not impressed me. It makes me laugh. In the last few years I have witnessed dozens of confrontation with the army. I know what they really look like. The Israeli army has already demolished thousands of Palestinian homes in the occupied territories. This is how it goes: early in the morning, hundreds of soldiers surround the land. Behind them come the tanks and bulldozers, and the action starts. When despair drives the inhabitants to resist, the soldiers hit them with sticks, throw tear gas grenades, shoot rubber-coated metal bullets and, if the resistance is stronger, live ammunition, too. Old people are thrown on the ground, women dragged along, young people handcuffed and pushed against the wall. After a few minutes, it's all over. Well, they'll say, that's done to Arabs. They don't do this to Jews. Wrong. They certainly do this to Jews. Depends who the Jews are. I, for example, am a Jew. I have been attacked with tear gas five times so far. Once it was a special gas, and for a few moments I was afraid that I was going to choke to death. During one of the blockades on Ramallah we decided to bring food to the beleaguered town. We were some three thousand Israeli peace activists, both Jews and Arabs. At the A-Ram checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, a line of policemen and soldiers stopped us. There was an exchange of insults and a lot of shouting. Suddenly we were showered with tear gas canisters. The thousands dispersed in panic, coughing and choking, some were trampled; one of our group, an 82-year old Jew and kibbutznik, was injured. I have witnessed demonstrations in which rubber-coated bullets were shot at Israeli citizens (generally Arabs). Once I was in the gas- filled rooms of a school at Um-al-Fahem in Israel. If the army had really wanted to evacuate Mitpe-Yitzhar quickly and efficiently, it would have used tear gas. The whole business would have been over in a few minutes. But then there would not have been dramatic pictures on TV, and George W. would have asked his friend Arik: "Hey, why don't you finish with all the outposts in a week?" In other words, this was a well-produced show for TV. A few days before, the leaders of the settlers met with Ariel Sharon. As they left and faced the cameras they uttered dark threats, but anyone who knows these people and looked at their faces on TV could see that there were no strong emotions at work. Of course, the "Yesha rabbis" (Yesha is settlerese for the West Bank), a group of bearded political functionaries, called on the soldiers to disobey orders and requested the LORD and the messiah to come to their help, but even they lacked real passion. Why? Because all of them knew that everything has been agreed in advance. The army chiefs and the leaders of the settlers, comrades and partners for a long time, sat together and decided what would happen, and, more importantly, what would not happen: no sudden attack, no efforts to prevent thousands of young people from reaching the place well in advance, no use of sticks, water cannon, tear gas, rubber-coated bullets or any other means beyond the use of bare hands. The soldiers would not wear helmets nor be equipped with shields. The settlers would shout and push, but would not hit the soldiers in earnest. The whole show would be less violent then a normal scuffle with British soccer hooligans, but would look on TV like a desperate battle between titanic forces. Ariel Sharon has some experience with this kind of thing. A dozen years ago he directed a similar show when, following the peace treaty with Egypt, he was ordered by Prime Minister Menahem Begin to evacuate the town of Yamit in the northern Sinai peninsula. At the time, Sharon was Minister if Defense. And who was one of the leaders of the dramatic resistance? Tsachi Hanegbi, now the minister in charge of the police. All the arms of the establishment cooperated this week in the big show. The media devoted many hours to the "battle". Dozens of settlers were invited to the studios and talked endlessly - while, as far as I saw, not a single person belonging to the active peace camp was called to the microphone. The courts, too, did their duty: the handful of settlers that were arrested for resisting violently were sent home after spending a day or two in jail. The courts, who never show any mercy when Arabs appear before them, treated the fanatical settlers like erring sons. The whole comedy would have been funny, if it did not concern a very serious problem. Such an "outpost" looks like a harmless cluster of mobile homes on top of a god-forsaken hill, but it is far from being innocuous. It is a symptom of a cancerous growth. Not for nothing did Ariel Sharon - the very same Sharon - call upon the settlers a few years ago to take control of all the hills of "Judea and Samaria". The disease develops like this: a group of rowdies occupies a hilltop, some miles from an established settlement, and puts a mobile home there. After some time, the "outpost" already consists of a number of mobile homes. A generator and a water-tower are brought in. Women with babies appear on the scene. A fence is set up. The army sends some units to defend them. They declare that for security reasons, Palestinians are not allowed to come near, in order to prevent them from spying and preparing an attack. The security zone becomes bigger and bigger. The inhabitants of the neighboring Palestinian villages cannot reach some of their orchards and fields any more. It someone tries, he is liable to be shot. Every settler has a weapon, and he has nothing to fear from the law if he uses it against a suspicious Arab. All Arabs are suspicious, of course. As it so happens, I have some experience with Mitzpe Yitzhak, the particular outpost that figured in this week's show. Some months ago we were called by the inhabitants of the Palestinian village Habala to help them pick their olives in a grove near this "outpost". When the pickers came near to the outpost, the settlers opened fire. An Israeli in our group was wounded when a bullet struck a rock at his feet. The "unauthorized" outposts were in fact established systematically, with the help of the army and according to its planning. When several outposts take root in a region, the Palestinian villages are choked between them. Their life becomes hell. The settlers and officers clearly hope that in the end they will give up and clear out. Will Sharon really evacuate them by the dozens? That depends, of course, on his friend George W. If the "hudna" (truce) between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas is achieved, Bush may perhaps exert serious pressure on Sharon. When I visited Yasser Arafat yesterday, he seemed to be cautiously optimistic. But he, too, said that there are no more than four months left for getting things moving: starting from November, the American President will be busy getting himself reelected. This means that Sharon has only to produce a few more shows of this sort for television, and then he and the settlers will be able to breathe freely once again. [] Same provocation - same purpose. Press release - June 22, 2003 [The following is the translation of a press release sent out by Gush Shalom to the Hebrew media.] Hebron: same provocation - same purpose "The governmental and military decision makers do not even bother to conceal or at least vary their acts. Again and again they get back to the same provocation and with the same purpose. Each time that the negotiations between the Palestinian factions seem to get somewhere close to a positive conclusion - and the possibility of achieving a cease- fire which would end the suicide bombings becomes a concrete option - they are in a hurry to carry out another "liquidation". Thus, the government is offering to Hamas on a silver platter a pretext to refuse the requests of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). As the majority of the public already understands, such actions are not intended to prevent the terrorist attacks. This government is interested in them; they serve its policies. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jun 25 03:33:29 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Historic court martials Message-ID: <3EF909F9.25888.17108F4@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org June 24, 2003 Dramatic days at the Jaffa Military Court. Today: three young refusniks delivered stirring, hours-long anti-occupation addresses of a kind never before heard in an Israeli military court. It followed yesterday's session of the resumed Ben-Artzi Trial, in which the prosecution ties itself in knots trying to prove that a pacifist is not a pacifist. [] June 23, Ben Artzi's court martial the prosecutor's predicament [] June 24, court martial of "The Five" the occupation in the dock \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] June 23, Ben Artzi's court martial the prosecutor's predicament As the court martial of Yoni Ben-Artzi resumes, a disappointment: two intriguing witnesses who were expected, didn't show up. Colonel Shlomi Simchi - head of the army's Conscience Committee, which persistently refused to recognize Ben Artzi as a pacifist - was "too busy" and would come on a different occasion. The same with Brigadier Avi Zamir, Deputy Head of Manpower, who had tried to negotiate with Ben-Artzi on "easy terms of service" and when that failed ordered Ben-Artzi court-martialed. The first witness who appears: Ruti Ben-Artzi, sister of the accused, who came over from Columbia University in the US where she is completing a PhD. in Political Science. "I am twelve years the elder; I know Yoni since I helped change his diapers and have followed closely his development. Already in the highschool he objected to lectures by officers who came to the school to prepare children for military service. Nor did he want to take part in school outings to the Mount Herzl National Cemetery and the like.And I witnessed myself how deeply he was moved when the family visited Verdun, France and saw these terrible cemeteries with hundreds of thousands of mostly anonymous tombstones. 'How futile, the Germans and French killing each other, and now they use both the same currency.' I see it that he came back from France a determined pacifist" The prosecutor his cross-examination tries to trip her up on many minor details. "Is it not true that your father described this a bit different, three years ago in a newspaper interview? And how come your grandfather thinks maybe just afraid?" (The extremely heterogeneous Ben-Artzi family is much sought-after by the press.) Then, Yoni Yechezkel - a refuser who shared prison terms with his namesake and who last week got a sudden and unexpected discharge from the Conscience Committee (the first applicant to gain an exemption since the committee was formed in 1995). The questions of Adv. Michael Sfard reveal a refusnik of quite different style, a bit flippant one who frequently went AWOL, played a kind of cat and mouse game with the military authorities and had been quite frankly willing to make all kind of compromises ("I told the army I don't care what way they get me out, Conscience Committee, Incompatibility Committee, psychiatrist - whatever they choose, but they will never make a soldier out of me"). Also Yechezkel was cross-examined, and the prosecutor - who tries so assiduously to disprove Ben Artzi's pacifist credentials - was now in the opposite role of bolstering Yechezkel's. But he was unconvincing in trying to show that Yechezkel is more of a pacifist than the punctual and principled Ben Artzi. [] June 24, court martial of "The Five" the occupation in the dock For a whole hour, before the scheduled time of today's trial, dozens of youths lined the sidewalk in front of the building, holding up placards and chanting "Occupation is Terrorism! - The refuser is a hero!" Long before the judges came in, the small courtroom was filled far beyond capacity with many envious activists left outside. In the front row were sitting Knesset Members Roman Bronfman (Meretz) and Muhammad Barake (Hadash communists) as well as former KM Tamar Gozanski. When the five accused filed in, they were greeted with prolonged applause. Adv. Dov Henin started by outlining the main defence line. "This trial is not about technicalities and obscure points of the law. This trial is about a major constitutional issue which no Israeli court has dealt with before. The conscience is the most basic part of human dignity, the part of the personality which defines the essential values; the part which if broken, breaks the whole person. It is the contention of the defence in this trial that Freedom of Conscience is already enshrined in israeli law and has been for the last ten years, ever since the Knesset adopted the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty - even though the military authorities so far did not take proper cognizance of the fact. The defence asks the court's indulgence in listening to the five accused. Each one should have the full possibility of showing that his decision to refuse military service does indeed proceed from deeply held convictions - the dictates of his conscience." The first to take the stand is CO Haggai Matar. He speaks out of his already considerable personal experience with the occupation, to which he adds long quotes from the reports of human rights organizations as well as stories which he heard from military prison cell-mates who have been to the territories. "In 1999, I joined a special of joint summer studies by Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian pupils. Soon afterwards I started correspondence with a Palestinian Administrative Detainee who was held in an Israeli prison for six years without trial. When at last he was released I visited him in a house riddled by Israeli bullets and with broken furniture. I joined actions of the Gush Shalom and Ta'ayush movements. We went to the territories to rebuild houses demolished by the army, to provide humanitarian help in towns hit by closure or curfew, to support Palestinian villagers who have been violently assaulted by settlers. Always, soldiers tried to block us and in many cases used violence against us. In 2001, I met again with some of the Palestinian pupils of the summer camp and they told harrowing stories of being beaten up and arrested by soldiers. One told of witnessing his friends in Ramallah being shot to death. On August 20, 2002, three days before I was due to present myself for enlistment, i and several other activists got an emergency call to go to Yanoun Village, a tiny place where settlers have so terrorized the inhabitants that the Palestinians all left. We came there and the empty houses were terribly depressing and somber sights. We were very happy that due to our presence the people started coming back. With all my experiences, I had no doubt: I absolutely don't want to be and can't be part of the Israeli army which I don't think has any longer the right to call itself an army of defence." [The above is excerpted from a two-hour speech; full text in Hebrew and English available from Anat Matar ] * The philosophical analysis of CO Matan Kaminer, next in line, was no less impassioned. "In this testimony I would like to describe the guiding lines of my conscience and explain why it is incompatible with service in today's Israeli army. For some people the basic value from which their conscience is derived is God's word. For others it is loyalty to their country. For me the basic value is human liberty, human rights. I believe that all human beings have inalienable rights such as the right to life, the right to equality, to welfare, to education, to association, to democracy. All of these rights are violated in countless ways by the occupation - mainly violated as regards the Palestinians, but in many ways also regarding Israelis. The right of Palestinians to life is violated by the policy of liquidations (which indirectly causes also the loss of Israeli life, as we saw last week), and by the constant military activity in populated areas which causes the death and wounding of civilians. The right to equality, both of Palestinians and of Israelis living within the Green line is violated by the policy of settlement which takes land, resources and basic human dignity from Palestinians and which discriminates against most israelis in the division of national resources. The right of Palestinians to welfare and to education are violated by the ongoing closures and curfews which cause the sky-rocketing unemployment figures and the severe disruption of the educational system. The most fundamental, though not necessarily the most directly painful, is the violation of the right to live in democracy. The very very rule over another people which is denied the right to control it's own life and future is a flagrant violation of that right, and after 36 years the pretense that the occupation is temporary wears thin. The contempt for democracy is gradually crossing into Israel proper, with racist extreme right parties becoming an acceptable and common component of government coalitions. The deprivation to the right of democracy of the Palestinians is the root cause of all the crimes which accompany the occupation - both the crimes of the occupier of which I described part, and the crimes of the occupied, pushed to immoral and inhuman ways of struggle. Neither set of crimes is in any way justified. Both are direct derivatives of the occupation and can only be abolished by the occupation itself. >From all of this, it logically follows that service in the army, which is the main instrument for implementing the occupation is totally against my conscience. My decision to refuse enlistment does not mean that i am against the state of Israel, against the people in israel, or against the Israeli society of which I am part. On the contrary, I feel impelled to do all i can for the Israeli society. I did it in the past and intend to go on doing it. The occupation is a terrible crime; an immoral and malignant crime against another society which spreads also to our own society, strangling and poisoning it. Obviously, in such a situation i can't go into the army. I can only ask that my conscience be recognized and that i be provided an opportunity to do alternative civilian service for the benefit of the Israeli society. [Summary provided by Matan himself and translated by us. Full Hebrew text available from: Noam Kaminer ] * At three in the afternoon it was the turn of Shimri Tzameret, whose testimony was interrupted by the court adjourning at 5 pm. "Already for years I know that i am not going to join the army. I know it with as much certainty as I know that I will never kick a homeless person lying on the sidewalk, never rape a woman, and when I will have a child - never abandon it. We all of us have our own reasonings and my reasons are a bit different from those who spoke before me. I feel that there is no need to detail what the occupation is doing to the Palestinians. What it is doing to ourselves is reason enough. First I want to talk about the suicide bombings. It is a very central part of our life here in this country and many of us are touched personally in one way or another. It happened a bit more than a year ago, exactly on the day when i decided to tell my schoolmates that i am going to refuse to serve in the army, that a suicide bombing happened in which the mother of one of the girls in the school was killed. And later on the day it turned out that her sister was killed as well. It brought home to me what does it mean, that the life of this girl whom I knew will never be the same again; how terrible it is when something like this is suddenly breaking in to a life. Some of my schoolmates were angry with me; they said: how can you refuse to go to the army when such things happen. I told them: that is exactly the reason that i am refusing: the army being in the territories is not a way to stop terrorist attacks; it causes them. Exactly because I told Merav that i feel committed to do whatever I can to prevent such things from happening again to others, I feel that one of the most important things which I as an individual can do, is refusing to serve in the army. After all, everybody knows how the present situation will end: always in the last centuries the rebellion of an occupied people eventually ended in its freedom. The only question how much time it will take, and how many more casualties there will be. I try to make both a bit less. Another point: what the occupation is doing to our society. I want to tell about Rami, whom i met in the prison. I sat with him for hours, listening. It is incredible how many terrible things he had witnessed in just three months of service in the territories. He told me about the young boy who threw a stone at the lieutenant- colonel's jeep which did not hit but the colonel still chased the child, caught him and beat him brutally with the butt of a rifle. And another child which a Shabak agent tied up, and then urinated on him. When Rami tried to protest the man shouted: go away; i am conducting an interrogation. And he also told me soldiers looting a shop, and then destroying everything which they could not carry. And he told me about how he could not stand it anymore, and how he sat in the toilet for several hours in the night, the barrel in his mouth, the finger on the trigger. In the end he ran away, and that's how he got into prison. That's what happens to the sensitive people. The non-sensitive ones, those who get used to these Wild West norms, afterwards bring these norms into the Israeli society itself. We are corrupting ourselves. I am not willing to be part of the main instrument of corruption." [To be continued in the next session some time in July, when also Noam Bahat and Adam Maor will have "their day in court."] P.S.: On Wednesday, June 25, the court martial of CO Hillel Goral - separated from the others and charged with desertion rather than refusal. Meanwhile the Incompatibilty Committee, in a sudden outburst of activity, granted discharge to Shmuel Baron and Shachar Ben-Har. It seems that while the court martials are on, the army is trying to get rid of the wave. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jun 29 03:07:38 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Founding Conference of the Israeli-Palestinian Action Group for Peace Message-ID: <3EFE49EA.15607.1A60853@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press release June 28, 2003 = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == Founding Conference of the Israeli-Palestinian Action Group for Peace This morning in Ramallah, a hundred Israeli peace activists elude military roadblocks in order to meet like-minded Palestinians. == = == = == = == = == = == = == = == = "We welcome the increasing move towards Hudna (cease-fire) and the chance to break the cycle of violence, bloodshed and killing of innocent Israelis and Palestinians - but a cease-fire can be no more than one step in the right direction. A stable and lasting peace cannot be achieved without putting a complete end to the occuaption which is the root cause of the hatred and bloodshed. Leaders, politicians and diplomats cannot be relied on to do the job alone. There is needed a daily struggle for peace, a grassroots struggle, a joint struggle of commited citizens from both sides, acting together." The above sums up he mood among two hundred Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, public figures and intellectuals who gathered this morning in Ramallah on the West Bank to attend the founding conference of the "Joint Action Group for Israeli-Palestinian Peace." In order to get there, the Israeli participants had to find their way through the army roadblocks at the entrances to Ramallah. After several dozen Israelis mingled among Palestinian pedestrians at Kalandia Checkpoint on the south side of the city, soldiers blocked the entrance. The remaining activists, however, traveled by backroads and eventually made it to the conference hall. A few hours later, when they were exiting the city, soldiers at Kalandia wrote down meticulously names and ID numbers, threatening the Israelis on their way home with prosecution for having broken a military order - the three-year old order forbidding Israelis from entering the Palestinian cities ("Area A"). "Our most important declaration is the fact that we are here, peace- seeking Israelis who came to meet peace-seeking Palestinians and establish together a joint organization. The government wants to prevent Israelis who want peace from going into Ramallah; this is a privilege only of soldiers and settlers. But we are here to say to you, our Palestinian friends, that we are not enemies; that the joint enemy of all of us is the occupation, and the joint purpose - peace between the state of Israel and the state of Palestine", said Dr Lev Grinberg of Ben-Gurion University. "I am happy to receive and host here so many peace-seekers", said Hanan Ashrawi, one of the main Palestinian organizers. "The approach common to all of us here, to Israelis and Palestinians alike, is based on the concept of security - not military security, but human security, creating mutual trust and recognizing the humanness of the other. Even the most difficult problems outstanding between the two peoples, such as settlements, refugees and Jerusalem, must be squarely faced and equitably solved, rather than swept under the rug." Uri Avnery, who had a central role in bringing about the conference, mapped out a plan of action for the new body: - setting up a committee of experts to prepare within three months a detailed draft peace agreement, dealing with all the difficult issues; - a "Truth and Reconcilation Commission" on the model of the South- African body chaired by Bishop Desmond Tutu, with the ail of looking at the history of the past century and trying to formulate a version which both peoples can recognize; - a joint media bureau, which would actively engage the Israeli, Palestinian and international media; - an operations committee, charged with preparing demonstrations, campaigns and struggles, for example against the Separation Wall which is systemativally depriving Palestinian of their lands, or against the roadblocks which severely disrupt daily life. "We want to confront the feeling of despair among both peoples, both of whom lost the belief that there can be a different future. We want to tell both peoples that they have a partner for peace, that there is somebody to talk to", said Yehudith Har'el, a driving force behind the initiative. "From here, from Ramallah, we want to give a message to both our peoples. There is an alternative to the policy of occupation and bloodshed. An alternative based on recognizing each other's rights; of ending the occupation through evacuation of settlers and withdrawal of the army behind the '67 border. The refugee problem must come to a solution by agreement between the two sides, cooperation with the international community and basing itself on the relevant UN resolutions." The principles enumerated by Har'el, are in fact those set out in the new organization's manifesto. Naim el-Ashab who took part with her in drafting the text - already signed and published by more than a thousand people - remarked that this document is the result of dozens of preparatory meetings of Palestinians and Israelis over the past two years, starting from a small nucleus and gradually extending to more people on both sides. "This body must monitor the actual implementation of the roadmap, see to it that it does get to its official stated purpose - end of the occupation and creation of a viable Palestinian state which is the only way to achieve peace. The roadmap, originally created as a joint document of four international actors is more and more usurped by a single one of the four, one which has been showing itself as biased all too often. This poses the danger of the whole thing being derailed." He concluded by calling for the stationing of international forces, to ensure disengagement between two sides who have shed so much of each other's blood in the past thousand days. Former Knesset Member Tamar Gozanski had been delayed at the army road-blocks and arrived an hour late. "Sharon and Bush are trying to sell old merchandise in a new packing. They both know that the great majority even of Israelis is weary of war, occupation and bloodshed. Both of them know that it is impossible even to contemplate a solution without talking of "creating a Palestinian state." But their using this concept is emptying it of the original content. Sharon means to create Bantustans and call them a state. We have to start using new language, and take care to be very precise about what we mean and not give up for example on the '67 borders." Dr Gabi Baramki, former President of Bir-Zeit University, spoke of the two army roadblocks created at the Surda area, between Ramallah and the town of Bir-Zeit, which force students and lecturers to trek daily some two kilometers by foot, there and back. "This is a sadistic measure, which serves no Israeli security need whatsoever, the only purpose is to make our life difficult, to make it more difficult to maintain the normal academic life of our university." Bir-Zeit students also took up the same point: Israeli activists, some of them students or lecturers themselves, expressed interest in the suggested joint protest at the Surda roadblocks. Some Israeli and Palestinian students already exchanged phone numbers and email addresses on the spot. Participants called for solidarity with the Palestinian prsoners held by Israel and who have started a hunger strike. Specific mention was made of Marwan Barghouti. "If he would be able, he would be here with us." said Hanan Ashrawi. Also mentioned was the other imprisoned Palestinian legislator, Husam Khader. The Israeli refusniks - with their dramatic court martial sessions in the past week - got an applause. "They have been put on trial for their refusal to serve the occuaption, but now they put the occupation itself on trial" exclaimed a very proud grandfather, and himself a veteran peace activist, Reuven Kaminer. The supreme sacrifice of Rachel Corrie was commemorated. (It was in the past days that the army's legal branch officially declared that the Corrie file is closed, with nobody prosecuted.) A delegation of conference participants met shortly with President Arafat, who was reported to welcome the joint initiative. For background: Uri Avnery +972-(0)50-306440 Hanan Ashrawi - +972-(0)2-585 1842 Yehudit Har'el +972-(0)56-263145 Lev Grinberg - +972-(0)52-227432 For video footage: Natasha Dudinsky - 972-(0)53-475496 Kathy Vasana - 972-(0)67-371606 B.H. Yael - 972-(0)51-939976 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jul 2 19:00:20 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Will something come of it? Message-ID: <3F031DB4.3208.1C6D8DA@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International release Tel-Aviv - July 2, 2003. Will something come of it? Evaluation by Adam Keller "Will it will work this time? Maybe, just maybe". You can hear it from Israelis and from Palestinians, from committed peace activists to shop- keepers who had voted for Sharon: a mixture of hope and scepticism, still prevalent on the third day of the fragile "hudna" - Arabic for "cease- fire ", a concept drawn from an ancient Islamic tradition which has in the past year entered into day to day Hebrew. Israelis and Palestinians, we have all seen it before - promising ceasefires broken into terrible scenes of bloodshed, partial withdrawals which ended with the tanks coming back even more brutally, prisoners released and arrested again. Can it possibly end differently, this time around? The reasons for scepticism are many and obvious. The Israeli military commanders make no secret of not having wanted this cease-fire - which is potentially more dangerous than the Palestinian rogue groups who so far defy the cease-fire. (Ironically, they are not drawn from Islamic militants, but from outlying groups of the Fatah organization, the central structure of which was all too successfully targeted by the IDF.) There is a fundamental difference of opinion on what the whole thing is about. Sharon, his ministers and his generals are stridently demanding the disarming and dismantling of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. In this demand, which would inevitably entail a full-scale Palestinian civil war, Sharon seems to be backed by the Bush Administration. For their part, the Palestinians have undertaken to enforce the cease-fire and prevent attacks on Israelis, including attacks on soldiers and settlers - which was among Palestinians a long-debated point. But they also made abundantly clear that they have no intention whatsoever of presenting Sharon with the spectacle of bloody battles among Palestinians in the streets of Gaza. Assuming that this major hurdle will be somehow overcome, a far more fundamental discrepancy remains unresolved. When Sharon speaks of "a Palestinian State", he means a truncated series of enclaves embracing no more than half of the the West Bank, and surrounded on all sides by Israeli-held territory studded with military camps and settlements. Hardly a "viable state" as envisaged in the famous Roadmap. In furtherance of that aim, Sharon is continuing full ahead with settlement construction, fully authorized by the government and paid for from its budget - while the much-trumpeted "dismantling of unauthorized settlement outposts" has dwindled into unconvincing farce. Moreover, Sharon is busily marking out his version of the eventual border in the form of the so-called Separation Fence ("Apartheid Wall" as the Israeli and Palestinian protesters call it). Day by day, as this monster advances across fields and olive orchards, Palestinian villagers continue to lose their land and livelihood - notwithstanding the public expression of displeasure by National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice. Why still feel even a bit of hope? Not just because people are alive who might be dead otherwise, nor just because some manifestations of the occupation such as roadblocks in the Gaza Strip have been moved away. What is far more significant is the general feeling on both sides that the military option has been tried to the full and beyond. No Israeli general could point to significant results to be expected from continuing to hold down the Palestinian population. Nor can Palestinian militants credibly promise any good result of further suicide bombings. The two societies are exhausted; the two economies ravaged. Palestinian poverty goes much deeper but also more and more Israelis are unable to make ends meet. As many commentators remark, the "War of a Thousand Days" is ending - if it is indeed ending - in a stalemate, with no clear victor. Considering the enormous discrepancy in economic and military power such a result is an enormous tribute to Palestinian endurance and steadfastness. In a way, the very scepticism on both sides could turn out to be a blessing. One of the inbuilt failures of "Oslo" was that a preliminary agreement which left the most important issues open, was ceremoniously presented as peace had already been reached. Everything thereafter could hardly be anything but a let-down. This time, with expectations extremely low among Israelis and Palestinians alike - any surprises would have to be for the good. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photo's - of action or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German Articles and documents in French Articles and documents in Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Jul 5 20:11:27 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Army in the service of Hebron settlers, PLEASE PROTEST Message-ID: <3F0722DF.12439.1A78DE@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org The Hebron-based Christian Peace Makers report on what is going on behind the roadmap scenes... What the hell has the IDF against rebuilding and rehabilitation work in Hebron? What else then letting the buildings collapse and fall like ripe fruit in the lap of the settlers. Please, protest to the addresses Dorothy gives in the end ***. [] N.B. Text of Gush Shalom ad re 7000 prisoners Ha'aretz, July 4, 2003 ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Dorothy Naor Dear All, please protest to the people listed at the end of the message - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: CPTHebron FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sue Rhodes July 4, 2003 Phone: 972-222-8485 Cell: 972-67-932-086 ISRAELI ARMY HALTS RESTORATION IN HEBRON HEBRON, WEST BANK - The Israeli army entered the offices of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee on July 2, 2003 and issued a military order that all building, rebuilding and rehabilitation work must cease immediately in the city, Committee members said. The Israeli army returned to the offices on July 3 and repeated the instruction. The army failed to produce any written documentation. Committee members said the army stated any employees found working would be arrested. In a meeting with the Committee, Christian Peacemaker Team learned the work stoppage affects 300 workers and their families, at a time when unemployment is extremely high due to repeated curfews in H2, (most of the Old City area which is under complete Israeli control). The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee also said several main business streets have been closed down, including Shuhada Street, Haram Street (by the Ibrahimi Mosque), Old Shallala Street and New Shallala Street. The army forced all shops on New Shallala Street to close, including the banks, indefinitely. Mr. Tawfiq, the committee lawyer, pointed to the irony that, on the same day as they received the stop building order in the Old City, the Israeli High Court granted permission for the continued building of the Israeli settlement on Tel Rumeida. The Tel Rumeida construction had previously been stopped two years ago by the Israeli High Court, due to archaeological finds under the proposed site. The construction will replace temporary housing with four permanent settlement buildings. Donor funding for the restoration of the Old City comes from the Arab Development Bank and the United Nations Development Fund, with specific donations from Spain and Germany. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, please visit our website at: http://www.cpt.org. Photos of our projects may be viewed at: http://www.clubphoto.com Login as: cptheb@palnet.com ***Send your protest to: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon webmaster@pmo.gov.il, pm_eng@pmo.gov.il The Office of the Prime Minister, Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel; Office Fax: 972-2-566-4838/6705415; Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz sar@mod.gov.il US President George W. Bush president@whitehouse.gov Fax: 202-456-2461; "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , Fax: 202-261-8577; US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer webmaster@usembassy-israel.org.il; American Embassy in Israel 03 519 7575 Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People [a branch of the UNDP] Feedback 4A, Ya'kubi St., P.O.Box : 51359, Jerusalem Telephone #: (972-2-6268200) Fax #: (972-2-6268222) E-mail: registry.papp@undp.org UNDP: Telephone +1 212 906 5896 (New York) And since Spain and Germany have donated to the project, it is worth phoning/faxing their embassies (I was unable to find email for either). In Israel the phone/fax numbers for the 2 embassies are: German Ambassador to Israel is Rudolph Dressler German Embassy phone no. in TA 03 693 1313 Fax 03 695 0608 Embassy of Spain (in TA) Phone 03 696 5210/9/8 Fax: 03 695 2505 03 696 5217 [] N.B. Text of Gush Shalom ad re 7000 prisoners Ha'aretz, July 4, 2003 THE FIRST STEP 7000 prisoners and detainees fill the Israeli prisons at this time. Each one of them has a large family, an extended hamula and many neighbors, acquaintances and friends. All in all, tens of thousands. Every released prisoner can become an ambassador of peace. The release of the prisoners is the most significant step that we can take to empower the forces of peace. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jul 6 13:26:02 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] The Draw - Avnery on Hudna Message-ID: <3F08155A.29899.EB5749@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [In what starts as a linguistic reverie, Uri Avnery sets out the possibilities / obstacles account of the present situation.] Uri Avnery 5.7.03 :עברית באתר / For Hebrew: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article257_heb.html The Draw After "Intifada" (shaking off) and "Shahid" (martyr), another Arabic term has entered the world's vocabulary: "Hudna" (truce). In Islamic tradition, the word evokes an historical event. The first Islamic truce was declared in the year 628 AD at Hodaibiya, in the course of Muhammad's war against the pagan chiefs of Mecca. According to the version now doing the rounds in Israel, Muhammad broke the truce and conquered Mecca. Ergo: Don't believe the Arabs, don't believe in the Hudna. In Arab history books, the same event is presented quite differently. The Hudna allowed the adherents of the new faith to enter Mecca on a pilgrimage to the holy rock. The pilgrims used the opportunity to make converts. When most citizens had accepted Islam, Muhammad entered the city almost without bloodshed and was received with open arms. Ergo: already in their earliest history, Muslims realized that persuasion is better than force. Therein lies the answer to the questions that are being asked now: Will the Hudna last? Will it continue after the initial three-month period? Will Arafat and Abu-Mazen succeed in bringing Hamas along with them? The answers depend completely on the mood of the Palestinian population. If it wants the Hudna, the Hudna will last. If it detests the Hudna, it will collapse. Hamas does not want to lose public sympathy by breaking a popular Hudna. On the contrary, it wants to play a major role in the future Palestinian state. But if the population comes to the conclusion that the Hudna has borne no fruit, Hamas will be the first to break it. On what will this depend? If the Hudna delivers a major political achievement to the nation and a marked improvement in the quality of life to individuals, it will be popular and take root. That is logical, and that corresponds with my own personal experience. I have already mentioned in these columns that in my early youth I was a member of a liberation and/or terrorist organization (the definition depends on your point of view). At that time, I learned that such an organization needs public support and cannot operate without it. It needs money, means of propaganda, hiding places, new members. For an organization like Hamas, that has also political and social ambitions, popularity is doubly important. As long as the Hudna is popular, Hamas will abide by it. This is primarily a test for Abu-Mazen. What can he do to make the Hudna popular? He must secure the wide-scale release of Palestinian prisoners; the amelioration of the horrible living conditions; the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the towns and villages; the removal of the checkpoints that make Palestinian life miserable; the restoration of freedom of access to the urban centers, the work places, hospitals and universities; an ending of targeted assassinations, deportations, demolition of homes and uprooting of groves; the freeze on building activities in the settlements and an end to the construction of the "fence" that is biting off large chunks of land from the West Bank. If there is no progress in all these matters, the Hudna will collapse. Should this happen, the Israeli military and political establishment will shed no tears. There the Hudna was received with much gnashing of teeth, as if it were imposed by some hostile force. As a matter of fact, it came about by sheer American pressure. The Israeli media, all of whom have long ago become propaganda instruments of the "security establishment", received the Hudna in unison, as if by order, with comments like "It has no chance. It will not last" - a prophecy that may well prove to be self-realizing. The army command opposed the cease-fire. As always, the officers explained that victory was just around the corner, that all it needed was one last decisive blow. Exactly this, in the very same words, was said by th e French generals who opposed ending the war in Algeria, and by the American generals when Nixon fi nally gave up in Vietnam. This was said by the Russian generals in Afghanistan, and now they are sa ying it again in Chechn ya. They are always just about to win. They always need to deliver just one more blow. And it's alw ays the corrupt politicians who stick a knife in their backs and bring about defeat. The truth is that the army commanders have failed dismally. They have had many small successes , but they have failed to achieve their main aim: to break the will of the Palestinian people. For every "local leader" wh o was "targeted" and "liquidated", two new ones arose. The "terrorist infrastructure" was not destr oyed, because there is no way to destroy it. It is not composed of arms workshops and leaders, but of popular support and the number of youngsters ready to risk and abandon their lives. After 1000 days, in spite of the killing and the destruction, the Palestinian spirit of resist ance and their fighting capacity were not broken. The Palestinian people has not given up the deman ds expressed at Camp Da vid and Taba. At the beginning of this Intifada, some individuals volunteered for suicide missions; at its end, hundreds stood in line. The Palestinians did not win, either. They have proved that they can not be brought to their k nees. They have prevented the Palestinian cause from being struck from the world agenda. The Israel i economy has been hit hard. The Intifada has cast its shadow over daily life in Israel. Many of the acts that are conside red criminal by Israelis look to the Palestinians like glorious acts of heroism. The destruction of Israeli tanks, the eli mination of a major checkpoint by one solitary sniper, the attack by Palestinian commandos who craw led under the "separation wall" - acts like these have filled the Palestinians with pride. And the very fact that after 10 00 days the Palestinian David remains standing and facing the mighty Israeli Goliath is by itself a n achievement that will be proudly passed down to the coming generations of Palestinians. But the Palestinians have not succeeded in imposing their will on Israel, just as Israel has not succeeded in imposing its will on the Palestinians. Both the Israelis and the Palestinians are exhausted. This Intifad a has ended, for the time being, in a draw. Mosh Ya'alon, a chief-of-staff with an unquenchable thirst for talking, has proclaimed victory. But on the same day, in a respected Israeli public opinion poll, 73% of those polled expressed the opinion that Israel has not won, and 33% even saw the Palestinians as the victors. The largest circulation newspaper in the country headlined a story about the chief-of-staff with the ironic words: "For your information, We Have Won!" The majority does not believe that the Hudna will hold. But in the meantime, every day that passes without human sacrifice on either side is a pure gain for all of us. What now? Real negotiations? Negotiations that are nothing other than make-believe? Efforts by both sides to court the Americans? American pressure on both parties to come up with some real actions? Ask Condoleezza. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jul 11 21:03:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (fwd) More internationals face deportation in Sunday trial In-Reply-To: <20030711145033.31191ABF1@sitemail.everyone.net> Message-ID: <3F0F181D.7382.1BAB74A@localhost> [some details inserted by Gush Shalom] [[because of a technical problem you may get thie twice ]] -----------Forwarded message follows------- Date sent: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 07:50:33 -0700 (PDT) From: "e.h." To: info@gush-shalom.org The International Solidarity Movement July 11 2003 For immediate release ISRAELI PEACE ACTIVISTS RELEASED INTERNATIONALS FACING DEPORTATION IN SUNDAY'S TRIAL Outside the villages of Til and Iraq Bureen, in the area of Nablus, giant dirt roadblocks stand as a testimony to the desire of the Israeli army to isolate the inhabitants of the area, and prevent any communication with the outside world. Yesterday the efforts ofthe Israeli army was proven futile by the work of peace activists from around the world, including two from Israel itself. Over 30 peace activists worked with the Palestinian inhabitants of the area to remove the roadblocks together and restore traffic and a small slice of normality.Unfortunatly, the Israeli army threatened violence almost immediatly by attempting to seize the mayor of Til, and the bulldozer owned by the village. After protracted negotiations, it was agreed that the Palestinians and internationals would replace the road block, in return for being allowed to return peacefully to their homes. As the work was nearing completion, the Israeli army reneged on their promises, and 6 peace activists were arrested attempting to protect the villagers.Since then, the internationals were brought before an initial hearing of the Ministry of the Interior at 1 o'clock in the morning, without either their respective consular representatives or legal representatives present. Today the two Israeli activists, Avi Zer-Aviv and Aviv Kruglanski, were released from Ariel police station, where they were being held. For those who are near enough: The deportation hearing for the internationals has been scheduled for Sunday, 1:30 in the afternoon at the Tel Aviv District Court (Weizman St., corner of Shaul Hamelech), under presiding Judge Fogelman. They will be represented by Attorneys Shammai Leibowitz and Yoni Lerman. For "overseas readers" - you can at least phone to: Ariel police station, +972-39065444 or +972-3906530, or send a protest to your nearest Israeli Embassy; a directory of Israeli embassies and consulates can be found at: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm and alarm your own representatives For more information contact: Huwaida Arraf, ISM Spokesperson 067 47 33 08 ISM Press Office 02 277 4602 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jul 11 19:46:14 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (fwd) More internationals face deportation in Sunday trial In-Reply-To: <20030711145033.31191ABF1@sitemail.everyone.net> Message-ID: <3F0F05F6.965.173CF64@localhost> [some details inserted by Gush Shalom] -----------Forwarded message follows------- Date sent: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 07:50:33 -0700 (PDT) From: "e.h." To: info@gush-shalom.org The International Solidarity Movement July 11 2003 For immediate release ISRAELI PEACE ACTIVISTS RELEASED INTERNATIONALS FACING DEPORTATION IN SUNDAY'S TRIAL Outside the villages of Til and Iraq Bureen, in the area of Nablus, giant dirt roadblocks stand as a testimony to the desire of the Israeli army to isolate the inhabitants of the area, and prevent any communication with the outside world. Yesterday the efforts ofthe Israeli army was proven futile by the work of peace activists from around the world, including two from Israel itself. Over 30 peace activists worked with the Palestinian inhabitants of the area to remove the roadblocks together and restore traffic and a small slice of normality.Unfortunatly, the Israeli army threatened violence almost immediatly by attempting to seize the mayor of Til, and the bulldozer owned by the village. After protracted negotiations, it was agreed that the Palestinians and internationals would replace the road block, in return for being allowed to return peacefully to their homes. As the work was nearing completion, the Israeli army reneged on their promises, and 6 peace activists were arrested attempting to protect the villagers.Since then, the internationals were brought before an initial hearing of the Ministry of the Interior at 1 o'clock in the morning, without either their respective consular representatives or legal representatives present. Today the two Israeli activists, Avi Zer-Aviv and Aviv Kruglanski, were released from Ariel police station, where they were being held. For those who are near enough: The deportation hearing for the internationals has been scheduled for Sunday, 1:30 in the afternoon at the Tel Aviv District Court (Weizman St., corner of Shaul Hamelech), under presiding Judge Fogelman. They will be represented by Attorneys Shammai Leibowitz and Yoni Lerman. For "overseas readers" - you can at least phone to: Ariel police station, +972-39065444 or +972-3906530, or send a protest to your nearest Israeli Embassy; a directory of Israeli embassies and consulates can be found at: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm and alarm your own representatives For more information contact: Huwaida Arraf, ISM Spokesperson 067 47 33 08 ISM Press Office 02 277 4602 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Jul 12 21:33:50 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Monday, at the Barghouti trial, we will be there Message-ID: <3F1070AE.31981.5490DA@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org FYI = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Marwan Barghouti trial, Monday T-A District Court Important to be there = = = = = = = = = = = The Monday July 14 session of the Barghouti trial may turn out to be the last session before the verdict. Now would be the time for him to present his defence, but as you know: he won't, and he will probably make a speech explaining why he doesn't recognize the authority of an Israeli court in his case. Because of the more recent experience Adv. Shammai Leibowitz estimates that, if we arrive in time, we may get in, and it is important to be there - to show another kind of presence in what became the Sharon government's show trial, and also in the context of the now actual more general question of prisoners release. IF you can make it at that hour, please come - and come in time. Meeting point: Monday morning, July 14, 8.30 - corner Weizman / Shaul Hamelech. On the spot will be a briefing on how to make our presence visible in case they won't let us in. The trial itself begins at 9.00 in the room of Judge Sara Sirota, on the 4th floor. For info: Adam Keller 03-5565804 / 056-709603 -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jul 13 18:28:01 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Gush ad // Avnery's on bi-national state // reminder+update Message-ID: <3F1196A1.6238.5CD796@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] 'Our generation has seen many wars' - Gush ad [] The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb - Avnery on bi-national state [] At the court: reminder re Barghouti trial, update about internationals \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] 'Our generation has seen many wars' - Gush ad עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org Our generation has seen many wars. All of us have blood on our hands. Only peace will end the bloodshed. The first step towards peace: release of the prisoners. Gush Shalom ad in Ha'aretz, July 11, 2003 [] The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb - Avnery on bi-national state Uri Avnery: 12.7.03 עברית באתר http://www.avnery-news.co.il/hebrew/index.html (This is an updated version of an article I wrote two years ago that was published in the respected Journal of Palestine Studies, which is published in the United States under the auspices UC Berkeley) The Bi-national State: The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb" prophesied Isaiah (11:6). This is possible in our times, too - provided you bring a new lamb every day. I am reminded of this cruel joke every time the idea of a bi-national state comes up. In desperate times, messianic ideas flourish. They permit an escape from the dark present to a better, brighter world; from a feeling of helplessness to a sense of creation. No wonder that in these dark times, the bi-national idea is raising its head again in some Israeli left-wing circles. It's a beautiful and noble idea, imbued with faith in humanity. But, like Isaiah's prophecy, it is an idea for the days of the messiah. If it has any realistic chance at all, this may come in another two or three generations. In the meantime, it is indeed an escape from reality. A dangerous escape, as we shall see. According to the bi-national idea, the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River - Palestine / Eretz Israel - will again constitute one state, as in the days of the British Mandate before 1948. Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, will live there together as equal citizens. The exact form of the regime - bi-national or non- national - is secondary. All citizens will vote for the same parliament and the same government, serving in the same army and police force, paying the same taxes, sending their children to the same schools, using the same textbooks. An attractive idea, indeed. It may seem strange that this idealistic vision is reappearing just now, after it has failed the world over. The multi-national Soviet Union has disappeared, and now even the multi-national Russian federation is in danger of falling apart (see Chechnya). Not only Yugoslavia has disintegrated, but so have its fragments. Bosnia, too, has fallen apart and been glued together artificially, with foreign soldiers trying to keep the peace somehow. Serbia has been compelled to give up Kosovo in all but name, and the integrity of Macedonia is in doubt. For a long time now, the unity of Canada has been threatened by movements within the French-speaking population. United Cyprus, with its model bi- national constitution, is barely a memory. And the list is long: Indonesia, the Philippines and many other countries, not to mention our neighbor, Lebanon. But there is no need to look far away. Our own reality is enough. The immediate roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are more than a hundred years. A fifth generation has been born into it and its whole mental world has been shaped by it. Basically it is a clash between the Zionist movement and the Arab-Palestinian national movement. After a hundred years, the force of Zionism is far from exhausted. Its main thrust - expansion, occupation and settlement - is in full, offensive swing. On the Palestinian side, nationalism (including the Islamic version) is deepening and growing from martyr to martyr. It takes real faith to believe that these two nationalistic peoples will give up the essence of their hopes and turn from total enmity to total peace, giving up their national narratives and being ready to live together as supra-national citizens. The 20th century has seen several "utopias" that have caused terrible disasters. The communist vision, for example, was based on the assumption that there is a perfect human being or that human beings can be perfected. It clashed with a reality of imperfect human beings. As the German post-communist leader, Gregor Gysi, once told me: "We tried to impose the perfect system on imperfect human beings. So we tried to impose it by force." Thus a system of terror came into being and millions were slaughtered, from the Ukraine to Cambodia. One must pose three essential questions: 1. Will both sides accept this solution? 2. Can a bi-national state function? 3. Will it put an end to the conflict? My answer to all three questions is an unqualified 'no'. There is no chance at all that the present, post-holocaust, Israeli generation, or its successor, will accept this solution, which conflicts absolutely with the myth and the ethos of Israel. The aim of the founders of the State of Israel was that the Jews - or a part of them - could at last take their destiny into their own hands. A bi-national state means the abandonment of this aim, and, in practice, the dismantling of Israel itself. The Jews would return to the traumatic experience of a people without a state throughout the world, with all that that implies. And not as a result of a crushing military defeat, but as a free choice. Not very likely. And what about the Palestinian side? Some Palestinians do indeed talk longingly of a bi-national state, but I believe that for some of them, at least, this is just a code word for the elimination of the State of Israel, and for some others an escape from bitter reality to the dream of returning to their homes and villages of the past . But the great majority of the Palestinian people want to live, at last, in a national state of their own, a state that expresses their national identity, under their flag and their government, like other peoples. The chance that the two nations will accept the bi-national idea in the foreseeable future is remote indeed. Would such a state - if it came into being - be able to function? There is hardly any multi-national state in the world that really functions properly. (Have I mentioned Switzerland?) Because in order to function properly, one of two conditions must be fulfilled: either all sides cede their national identity or they must have equal economic and political power. The very opposite is true in this country. There is a gaping inequality between Israelis and Palestinians in almost every respect. The disparity is immense. In a joint state, if it were to be set up, the Jews would dominate the economy and most other aspects of the state, and try very hard to preserve that situation. At this point in time, a bi-national state would be an occupation regime in a new form that would thinly disguise a reality of exploitation and economic, cultural and probably political repression. The situation of the Arab citizens in Israel, after 55 years, is not very encouraging. Therefore, I do not believe that such a solution, if it were possible at all, would put an end to the conflict. It would only set it on a different track, perhaps more severe and more violent. All this is known, of course, to the adherents of the bi-national idea. In order to escape the contradiction between their vision and reality, they have developed a theory that goes like this: In the beginning, the joint state will indeed be some kind of an apartheid state. But the situation will change gradually. In time, the Arabs will become the majority in this state. Even now, some 5.4 million Jews and 4.6 million Arab Palestinians live between the Mediterranean and the Jordan. The Arab birthrate will change the ratio soon. The Palestinian majority will fight for equality. The world will support it, as it supported the South-African struggle against apartheid. Thus we will achieve a real state of equality. This is a wishful dream. The white racists in South Africa were hated by the whole world. Unlike the Jewish Israelis, they had no powerful base of support. American Jewry has immense political, economic and media might, and they will not lose it for many years to come. Israel continues to rely on - and will do so for a long time - the guilt feelings of the Christian world inspired by the holocaust. At the same time, the Arabs are becoming more and more the bogyman of the Western world. It will be far more difficult for international pressure to influence the Jewish community that will dominate the bi-national state. It will take generations, and in the meantime the expansion of the settlements will go on relentlessly. In a bi-national state every Jew can, of course, settle wherever he or she wants. The Palestinians will continually lose out economically, and the gap between the two peoples will grow. It can be assumed that the power struggle in the bi-national state will cause severe violence, as it did in South Africa. The conclusion is: two states are needed for two peoples. This will direct the national feelings of the two peoples into reasonable, constructive channels, that will make co-existence, cooperation and, finally, a genuine reconciliation possible. The independent political structure of the State of Palestine will put at its disposal international and national barriers against the danger that its far more powerful neighbor would exploit use its economic might to exploit the Palestinian people or even expel them. The Palestinian people will at long last feel that it has a solid base, as did the Jews after the establishment of the State of Israel. The recent past has shown that even this is extremely difficult to achieve. We still have to overcome much mutual fear, hate, myths and prejudices to make it possible. But those who despair at these obstacles and so adopt the bi-national gospel resemble an athlete who can't manage a 100 yard sprint and therefore enrolls for the marathon. There is great danger even in propagating this idea. It is said that "the perfect is the enemy of the good." The very mention of the bi- national vision will scare the great majority of Israelis, who are now slowly approaching acceptance of the two-state solution, will arouse their most deep-seated existential anxieties and push them into the arms of the extreme right-wing. It will give the Right a powerful weapon: "What did we tell you? The real aim of the adherents of the two-state solution is to abolish the State of Israel by stages!" Some of the new advocates of the bi-national solution use a very odd argument. They say: "Sharon declares that he is for the two-state solution, but he means some enclaves comprising 50% of the occupied territories. Therefore we must not support the establishment of a Palestinian state." The simple answer is: should we abandon a good and positive idea just because the enemies of peace pervert it and try to use it for their ends? Logic would dictate the opposite: to expose the perversion of the idea by Sharon and fight for a Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders. In the early 50s, when we raised the two-state idea again after the 1948 war, we did not speak of "separation". Today, too, we reject this term absolutely. We speak of two states with an open border between them, with free movement of people and goods (subject, of course, to mutual agreements). I am convinced that, in the light of the geographical and political facts, a natural process will lead to an organic connection, perhaps a federation, and later, by common consent, to a regional community like the European Union. In the end, we shall reach the objective: to live together in peace, side by side. Perhaps a later generation will one day decide to live in one joint state. But today the propaganda for this utopia diverts attention from the practical, immediate objective, at a time when the whole world has accepted the idea of "two states for two peoples". This remote utopia blocks the way to a solution that is achievable in the near future and sorely necessary, because in the meantime "facts on the ground" are being created. I am convinced that the 21st century will bring vast changes in the structure of the world and the way of life of human society. The importance of the nation-state will gradually diminish. A world order, world law and world-wide structures will play a central role. I believe that Israel will whole-heartedly take part in the march of humanity. We shall not be tardy. But there is no point in expecting the Israeli public to be 50 years ahead of the times. [] At the court: reminder re Barghouti trial, update about internationals --Tomorrow, Monday Marwan Barghouti trial Meeting point for joint presence in the court room: Corner Weizman / Shaul Hamelech at 8.30 (sharp!) On the spot will be a briefing on how to make our presence visible in case they won't let us in. The trial itself begins at 9.00 in the room of Judge Sara Sirota, NB: on the 6th floor (not the 4th). For info: Adam Keller 03-5565804 / 056-709603 --Today, internationals on the way to bail The appeal proceeding against deportations of the 8 ISMers lasted very short. The judge seemed surprised to see there 4 defence lawyers (Gabi Laski, Shammai Leibowitz, Yonni Lerman and Leah Tzemel), a very crowded courtroom and quite some obvious media people. The judge immediately started with a very pointed suggestion to the state representatives to settle about bail terms until the evening. Representatives of New Profile and Gush Shalom as well as individual activists offered to help with posting the bail. For info about ISM's actions - www.palsolidarity.org -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jul 13 21:50:40 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] No bail after all - please send your protest to the Minister Message-ID: <3F11C620.15400.1166638@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Dear friends. Sorry for clogging your mailbox, but we just heard from Adv Shammai Leibowitz that the 8 imprisoned ISMers were NOT released on bail - the prosecution, representing the state, being adamant on depicting them as "great dangers to state security.". background in our earlier mails: https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom- intl/2003/000335.html https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom- press/2003/000387.html Here comes what you can do: Send a protest to:  The Honorable Mr. Abraham Poraz Minister of Interior By Facsimile: 972-2-5666376  Dear Sir,  Re: Imprisonment of 8 human rights activists  I have been informed that your office has ordered the arrest and deportation of eight international human rights activists, who are now incarcerated in Ariel Police Station, where they have been detained since July 10 without any charges filed against them.  I kindlyrequest you to releasethe eighthuman rights activists fromtheir prison cell.I kindly request you to cancel any deportation proceedings being conducted against them. Fromthe information we have gathered from them and their lawyers,theywere arrested solely fordoing humanitarian work in the WestBank,notwithstanding the facttheywere not involved in any violent action.  We are very much concerned about the imprisonment and deportation ofinternational humanitarian activists. It has been seen, time and again, that the presence of an international observer subdues, if only slightly, what is often the aggressive behavior of occupation soldiers and settlers against Palestinian civilians.  Deporting non-violent human-rights activists can only give ammunition to those who seek to ridicule and undermine the State of Israel.  I would kindly ask you to inform me of your decision, and will continue to follow developments regarding this case.   yours faithfully  --------------------------  copies: Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, by Fax 972-2-6274481  Important: After sending fax, confirm arrival of fax by the following numbers: Ministry of Interior - 972-2-6701402 Attorney General - 972-2-6466521  -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 15 00:07:02 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "Barghouti To Talks Table, Not To Jail!" Message-ID: <3F133796.11261.2A8C1EA@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// International release July 14, 2003 "BARGHOUTI TO TALKS TABLE, NOT TO JAIL." It was rather an unusual scene this morning in the Tel-Aviv District Court, where the Barghouti trial was about to start.. We weren't allowed into the hall where the trial would take place, we, that is: some twenty Gush Shalom activists of all ages and a more or less similar number of cameras & journalists (not less frustrated!). We all were led to another hall, on another flour where we would be able to follow the proceedings on a video screen. Soon, we decided to take from our pockets and unfold the papers, prepared for the moment that Barghouti would be led in, with on each the same slogan, printed and enlarged. The cameras happily turned away from the video screen focusing on our papers: "BARGHOUTI TO TALKS TABLE, NOT TO JAIL." And, the journalists were also eager to follow us when we were violently removed and "escorted" by guards all the way down (five stairs), while chanting "Release Barghouti, Release the Prisoners!" Uri Avnery, who was among the "rioters" told journalists: "Release of prisoners would create such an enormous good-will. And Barghouti who helped the cease-fire come about - he could do so much more if he were out." The guards had torn our signs but we had spare ones. What was not so good: activist (and new historian) Teddy Katz got wounded in the turmoil and had to be taken care of at the nearby Ichilov hospital. Meanwhile our little action was broadcast on the radio, and reported on the media internet versions. And via a phonecall to one of the Barghouti lawyers, Adv. Shammai Leibowitz, we ourselves took care that the message got there. Some Gush Shalom activists went immediately from the District Court to the Military Court in Jaffa, where five anti-occupation draft refusers were heard in their ongoing court martial. The Barghouti trial itself took today a remarkable course, with the judges confirming Barghouti's criticism of the Attorney General (or, more correct, "Chief Legal Adviser of the government") Elyakim Rubinstein. Rubinstein had labelled Barghouti an "arch-terrorist" even before the end of the trial - thereby predestining the trial and making it into a farce. About what went on in today's trial, read the following detailed Ha'aretz report. (The last paragraph mentions our protest.) [Photos of the action will be on www.gush-shalom.org as soon as the website is repaired. Right now there is no access at all.] http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/317840.html *Judges blast AG for condemning Barghouti before trial's end* By Assaf Bergerfreund, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service West Bank Fatah Movement secretary general and leader of the Tanzim Marwan Barghouti refused to testify Monday in his trial in the Tel Aviv District Court, charging that the outcome of the court case was predetermined. The District Court in Tel Aviv was hearing defense arguments Monday in the trial of Barghouti, who is charged with a series of murders and responsibility for other acts of terror. Barghouti, who was scheduled to testify Monday, decided not to do so, saying that the trial is "staged" and its outcome predetermined. Barghouti claims there is no point in testifying since there is no chance he will receive a fair trial in Israel. Backing up his assertion, Barghouti quoted Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, who referred to him two weeks ago as an "architect of mass-murdering terrorism." He said that Rubinstein's comments constitute a "blatant" interference in the legal proceedings against him. The District Court judges were also critical of Rubinstein's comments with Judge Sara Sorota, who presided over the panel of three, saying the comments constituted sub judice as Barghouti has not yet convicted of involvement in terrorism. A statement from Rubinstein's office said that the attorney general's comments were not intended to influence the outcome of the trial, but rather reflected the general position of the prosecution as appears in the official charge sheet against Barghouti. In addition, the statement says that Rubinstein's comments were made to the prime minister in arguments he presented against Barghouti's release - in line with his job. Rubinstein made the comments following reports that Israel was considering releasing Barghouti along with other Palestinian prisoners under the U.S.-backed road map for Mideast peace. Barghouti is charged with leading and conducting suicide attacks on Israeli targets and is accused of murder and attempted murder. Barghouti, arrested by Israeli commandos in Ramallah in April last year, however has said he played a part in "legitimate resistance". Barghouti claims that an Israeli court does not have any jurisdiction over him nor the right to try him and that he never had a chance at a fair trial. He quipped that "a political decision to convict me has been made and my chances of getting off are like [Shinui leader Yosef] Tommy Lapid's chances of becoming leader of Shas" Barghouti declared that "The Israeli occupiers are not prepared to give me a just trial. We [the Palestinians] will not give up until we have independence. We will not fear assassinations, closures." He added that the Israeli government never responds to any Palestinian initiatives to advance the talks process and does not allow tensions between the sides to calm down. Barghouti, who was an instrumental force in getting the Palestinian militant groups to agree to the hudna, or temporary truce, has also filed a petition against the conditions in which he has been held for the last 10 months. He claims that "they are trying to kill me. I do not get medical equipment," going on to describe the harsh conditions in which he is being held. He also says that he is being held in solitary confinement and members of his family are not allowed to visit him. The court however rejected his petition and remanded him in custody for a further six months in solitary confinement, saying that there has been no change in the circumstances which led the court to remand him in solitary confinement six months ago. Since Barghouti is refusing to testify at his own trial, the defense has rested, as has the prosecution. The court thus adjourned Monday until August 24 when the prosecution is set to present its closing arguments. Before Monday's court session, Gush Shalom peace activists demonstrated at the court, calling for Barghouti's release. Demonstrators held up signs saying "Barghouti to talks table, not to jail." The protesters had to be forcibly removed from the court before the hearing could begin. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 15 15:57:46 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Moral duty to refuse to be part - COs testify in court Message-ID: <3F14166A.6292.FAC899@localhost> Yesterday, in the Jaffa Military Court three more "occupation refusers" testified - and put the occupation on trial. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Anat Matar" Date sent: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 14:25:23 +0300 Subject: [parents] Refuseniks' trial, 14 July 2003 Press Release: Draft Resisters Parent’s Forum July 15, 2003–07–15 [עברית על פי בקשה] Speaking Truth to Power: An Ode to Humanism in the Testimony of Young Israelis Refusing to Join an Army of Occupation Despite the fact that the date was chosen arbitrarily, the deliberations that took place in the Jaffa military courtroom are a tribute to Bastille Day. In the framework of the trial of the five draft resisters who are refusing to join the IDF because their conscience does not permit them to serve in an army of occupation, the court heard the testimony of Shimri Tsameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat. (The other two, Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer testified in a previous session). The values of freedom, equality and solidarity were woven into the testimony of the three. The courtroom was packed with supporters, including Israel Prize laureates Shulamit Aloni and Professor Dan Meron. The trial began with the testimony of Col. Noam Burstein, who heads the Conscript Division in the Mobilization Base. In this capacity Burstein was responsible for the repeated sentencing of the conscientious objectors. In the cross examination by Adv. Dov Khinin, the defendents’ attorney, Burstein admitted that he had never seen any official order or regulation dealing with conscientious objectors and that he does not know of any such official procedure, despite the fact the during the period that he holds his position, he was personally responsible for sending tens of conscientious objectors to prison. Burstein admitted that he had never been present in any briefing on the subject of conscientious refusers and that he had never received any tools from the IDF to deal with the subject. He explained that the method of dealing with refusenicks is a “mixture of personal discussions and prison sentences”, which often convinces the refusenick to change his mind and agree to be mobilized. After this, the court continued to hear the testimony of Shimri Tsameret. In the first part of his testimony on June 24, 2003 Shimri began to explain the motives for his conscientious refusal. He concentrated on the tremendous damage done to Israeli society by the endless occupation. Previously he talked about the damage from terror acts, the psychological harm to soldiers serving in the occupation and the seepage of corrupt norms into Israeli society. “ I believe that the war we are engaged in,” he said, “could be avoided and only political egoism as well as errors of judgment prevent the public and its leaders from being stopped. This is a war of choice and not necessity and its victims are unnecessary. “ Shimri gave examples of a list of subjects that vanish from the public’s agenda because of the ‘security situation.’ Among other matters, he cited social problems, economic polarization, ecological issues, and discrimination between different groups. This distorted public agenda, totally determined by the occupation and problems stemming from it, leads to the loss of faith of the public in its leaders and to the degeneration of the media. and the deterioration of Israeli democracy. During the testimony, the prosecution staff was augmented by General Enat Ron, head of the army prosecutor’s office. By chance, a few minutes after her appearance, Shimri cited her as being responsible for denials and whitewashing in the case of the death of a child, Khalil el Morabi. He expressed sorrow over the lack of any media coverage in this affair as a symptom of the very same moral degradation which he reviewed. Shimri concluded his testimony with a number of personal experiences, some of which were based on participation in the activities of women from MachsomWatch (Checkpoint Watch) and other events regarding his family history. In citing the conclusion of the play “Ashkavah” (Requiem) by Hanoch Levin, he explained the individual’s commitment to assume personal responsibility and to shape his own life and the life of the society in which he lives. “It is forbidden to give up on the dream”, he said. “It is the refusal to give up on my hopes and my dreams – which has motivated me in my decision to refuse.” Adam Maor testified after him. Adam spoke of a number of cases which typified the evils of the occupation and the critical role of the IDF in enforcing these evils. It was like that in the Kfar Yanoun affair, as well as the Southern area of the Hebron hills. “Any person who saw or heard about what happened in Yanoun would be shocked. Every sane person would understand that Avery Ron, the settler, is the leader of all of the activity in the area and is a terrorist, and even a model of terrorism. But I want to stress at this point that my wrath is not directed at the settler, Avery Ron and his gang. Religious and nationalist fanaticism and severe manifestations of racism such as these are things that have happened all over the world and in every period. Many groups, including the Jewish people, have suffered such pogroms. The question is, in my mind, what does the sane majority do in such cases. Of course, if Avery and his gang would come to my house and rob me, no one would permit this to go on for two hours, or more than once. Of course, if the Yanoun residents would enter a settlement, the army would respond with speed. But when Avery and his gang torment Palestinians they enjoy immunity if not full cooperation. The sane majority in this case does not stop the terrorists, it finances them, defends them and cooperates with them. Thus, people who have nothing in common with these fanatics, defend them, discriminate between them and their victims, and implement many of the deeds that the IDF performs to advance the criminal settlement project such as the annexation of land from Palestinians for military purposes, so as to build new settlements and the like. When the IDF becomes a tool in the hands of fanatics, all its soldiers, either as a result of a lack of understanding or simply not caring, become fanatics themselves.” Adam talked about his meeting with Brian Avery and his sincere admiration for the International Solidarity Movement volunteer who was seriously wounded when he tried to defend Palestinians in Jenin. He concluded his testimony by telling of his love for music and how this guides him in his refusal to deny a normal life from the Palestinian population. “If you participate in the occupation you become responsible for it, responsible for the immoral acts perpetrated in the territories and responsible for the terrorist actions.” Noam Bahat testified after him. His testimony was devoted mainly to his role as an educator and the deep contradictions that he discovered between the educational system which disseminates “occupation values” and between his understanding of morality. In cases where the law harms the interest of the weak, physically and spiritually, violates their freedom, discriminates against them, renders them illegitimate or denies them freedom of expression or freedom of conscience or other freedoms anchored in basic freedoms, I consider it my civil and moral duty to violate the law. You can try other things, but if they are not successful you cannot allow the law to eliminate people’s basic rights." Noam analyzed the values inculcated in Israeli youth via the educational system and discussed his efforts as a youth leader to change this reality. He also discussed the way he was exposed to the level of crime perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians. He expressed amazement over how very few, the number of people who know about these tensions. He determined “that everything that appears evil is indeed evil, but people refuse to understand that they are Goliath and want to see themselves as David, small, weak, heroic and wise. In truth we are just another country exploiting and tormenting the Palestinian people and workers almost to the point of slavery. In the face of this reality,” testified Noam, he feels that he "must refuse to join the IDF". The date of the continuation of the trial is yet to be determined. Checks earmarked for "legal aid" to New Profile, POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271 From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 15 19:50:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:03 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Return or not - Yehudit Harel on James Bennet on Khalil Shikaki Message-ID: <3F144CEF.23428.1CFC771@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org We thought you should not miss Yehudit Harel's comments to a newpoll by Khalil Shikaki. The subject of the poll: who would actually return. In the end you find the James Bennet article about the poll as it appeared in the New York Times yesterday. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 22:35:50 +0200 From: Yehudith Harel Subject: Fw: About The Right of Return: James Bennet: Would the exiles actually return? Ramat Ha Sharon, 14.7.2003   The need to recognize the Right of Return as the basis for any possible compromise  Yehudith Harel  It is very important to have an authoritativepoll on this very sensitive subject of the ROR, done by an expert with impeccable professional authority like Khalil Shikaki, the findings however are notsurprising. The results presented in this recent poll, reported by James Bennet in the IHT and NYT, 'match' with my little private'research' resultsbased onaprivate visit to three refugee camps in Jordan in 1996. They match with the contents of many discussions I have had since then with other Palestinians, refugees living in the West Bank or abroad. I went to Jordan in 1996together with a colleague from the Israeli Peace movement in order to try to create contacts with Jordanian Peace groups, and we were offered an opportunity to be taken into the refugee camps.We were accompanied by a PLOofficial who arranged our visit in the camps. We did not say that we were Israelis - our host told the people that we were European journalists.We had the privilege and the opportunity to visit and talkto people in three camps - Wihdat, Yarmouch and Abdoun ( yes, near the millionaires'residence in Amman there's also a refugee camp with the same name. ) We talked to about 30 people in the campsandto another group of refugees who were living out of the camps in Amman and Irbid. Altogether we talked to more or less 40 - 50 people. The majority of the people said that despite of their dreams and attachment to Palestine, they do notintend to go back to Israel because of many reasons. Among the reasons listed were the factthat their houses and villagesexistno moreand that Israelis a racist country where they are not welcom,and that they don't wish to become secondclass citizens in a racist society. Some said that they realized thattheir return will never be permitted by Israel and they want to get their life settled with the help of the compensation.Some older people said that they want to get the compensation so that they cansee their children comfortably settled in their lifetime. Nevertheless, everybody - absolutely everybody said that theydemanded a direct and straightforward recognition of their right of returnand to be given the right of free choice to refuse to return...Theyinsisted that they demand the right to refuse repatriation, and would never ever accept to be 'told' byIsrael that they cannot return. Such a recognition of their right, being given the right to refuse to return, would give back their honor, would prove that they have been wronged.Only after that can theyacceptcompensation for their wasted life, for their suffering and misery and the loss of their property.When asked about their preferred choice - where would they like to settle - only a few said that they are ready tocome back and become Israelicitizens and settle wherever itwould be possible for them within the green line. The majoritysaid they would like to stay where they are - in Jordan, some said they would like to move to the Free Palestinian State or elsewhere. However,the unanimous and adamantdemand of recognizing their rights came out so forcefully. It was then and there thatI understood what itreally meantfor the Palestinians, and that without this recognition there will never ever be anyresolution of the conflict.  Our people here do not understand the psychological and historical importance attributed by the Palestinians to the recognition of the Right of Return. There are many meanings attached to this recognition, but the most important one is that this recognition will re-institute them aslegitimate owners and equal partners in this land and it will mean that the compensation they get is their right and not a charity 'granted' to them by us because of our 'generosity and good will'. They cannot and will not accept compensation as charity on a humanitarian basis. They can and will not allow theirjust causeto be reduced to a 'humanitarian case' solved out of generosity by Israel and the International community. Only formal recognition of their rights can make the difference. It's also a kind of 'settling the account" with the Zionist movement and the 55 years long abuse of their 'name', the destruction of their society and herritage, the abuse of their rights, their suffering,the rewriting of history by us and dominating the International discourse in this respect. Israelis refuseto recognize the ROR exactlybecause they arenot ready to admit that we havehistorically wronged the Palestinians.Our peopleare not ready to assume our share ofhistorical responsibility for this tragedy. While denying and negating this RIGHT and claiming that it does not exist, Israelisare protecting the hegemonic status and the self-righteous and self-declared, moral superiority of the Zionist movement over the moral and historical rights of the indigenous people of this country. Such an approach cannot open the way for reconciliation. To put the matter in veryclear terms: The recognition of the ROR by Israel is not about the actual ROR, as it has been clearly shown in the Shikaki research, but about settling a historical account between the Palestinian and Jewish National Movements... Therefore it is the key to the door of reconciliation between the two peoples.  I spent the weekend in Ramallah and had the opportunity to meet another "new commer" 48' refugee family. They are first and second generation refugees from Jaffa - and PLO staff. The manwas born in Jaffa and was expelled with his familywhen he was a little boy. She was born one year after the Nakbaand grew up in Jordan until they were expelled in Black September. Then her family moved to Beirut, where she becamea student and PLO activist. She got married in Beirut and had two small babies when they were expelled again withthe PLO in 1982. Her new family was once again uprooted and separated. Her husband was sent to Yemen while she left to Cyprus. Later her husband was assigned to the Emirates where she joined him with her children. In 1991, after the Gulf war they were expelled from the Emirates and her husband was sent back to Tunis. In 1994 he came back with the PLO but she and the children were not on 'the list' - were not given permits so they moved to Amman...Only in 1996 did she manage to get permits for herself and her two children to reunite with her husband in Ramallah. Now they live in Ramallah - work for thePA and move around from one rented flat to another - paying high rents in USD - because the local landlords abuse the "aedin" (the 'new' returnees)and demand the rent in USD... Despite of the fact that they haveproperty in Jaffa they cannot afford to buy a flat in Ramallah... I have befriended several such families - and it's a typical story. Until I met such people I never really understood what it was to be a refugee and how the Lebanon war of 1982 and the Gulf war in 1991 really affected their families and lives andcreated a re-enactment of the painful experience of the Nakba of 48' - another uprooting,another exile and separation offamilies time after time. I also noticed that all of these people live in rented flats, sometimesin a newly built condo, but more oftenin a kind of a "semi basement" flat:The well off people of Ramallah, the lucky house owners'close' the area bellow their home (underneath the typical 'columns' of the house)to make a big flatwhich is usually very dark - and rent it out to the 'aedin' ( the 'returnees') for a lot of money... Thiswoman was just telling me how shedisliked this flat because it was so dark... I stayed overnight with another'returnee' family - slept in their flat which was of the same type. Indeed, this sense of depressing darknesswas the first impression I got when I entered theirhome. No sunshine entered the big rooms under the columns. However, my hosts - the 'returnee' refugee family - cherish their home, which is the first real home they have ever had since their expulsion from Beirut....I imagine that one day someone may write a story or make a film about these flats. Apropos films: Friday nightI wentto see a new Palestinian film in the Ramallah cinemateq.It was thegala of a new Palestinian movie about the struggle for the land and against the settlements - "Maussem al Zeitoun" - the Season of the Olives - by Elias Hanna. The main theme was the olive trees versus the settlements, with much more to it.It was a lovely evening - people seeking amoment of normalcy and mental sanityin the midst of a cruel reality of occupation, insecurity and daily humiliation. I am going to see this movie again,here in the TAcinemateq tomorrow, Tusday at 17:30. It will be interesting to compare the atmosphere and the discussion in these two places...Ramallah versus TA. PS - recommended..:-) Yehudith  Dear All, Please find enclosed a most important article reporting about a new polladdressing the Palestinian position regarding their intents of exercising the Right of Return. The poll was runon a very big sample of Palestinian refugees both in the occupied territories and the Diaspora - almost everywhere. The findings of such polls should be taken into consideration whiletrying to find an equitable and acceptable solution for the painful problem of the Palestinian Refugees, a problem which without solving it in a mutually satisfactory and acceptable way - there will be no solution to the Palestinian - Israeli conflict. Yehudith  ----- Original Message ----- From: Baruch Kimmerling  To: Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 4:59 AM Subject: RoR Copyright © 2002 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com Would the exiles actually return? James Bennet/NYT NYT Monday, July 14, 2003  RAMALLAH, West Bank A mob attacked an eminent Palestinian political scientist Sunday as he prepared to announce a startling finding from a region-wide survey of Palestinian refugees: Only a small minority of them would insist on exercising a so- called right of return to Israel as part of a comprehensive peace agreement. Khalil Shikaki intended to explicate for the Arabic-language press the tensions and complexities of Palestinian society, but, struck, shoved and pelted with eggs but not seriously injured, he wound up starkly illustrating them instead. Standing in the wreckage of his office here, as workers swept up the broken glass and shampooed the rugs, Shikaki offered a political analysis of the attack. He said that the dozens of rioters - who came prepared with their own press release, in Arabic and English, misrepresenting Shikaki's findings - were hijacking his press conference to signal the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. "They are trying to send a message that the right of return is sacred, and that you who are negotiating are on notice," said Shikaki, who is a refugee himself. "It's incitement." Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, has accused Abbas of botching negotiations with Israel under a new American-backed peace plan. The two leaders have not spoken to each other since Abbas threatened to resign in a bitter argument last Monday night. In perhaps the thorniest dispute of the conflict, Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 claim a right of return to live in what is now Israel. Israel rejects the claim, fearing that Palestinians intend to accomplish by demography what they have failed to do by force of arms - erase Israel's Jewish character. Palestinian refugees and their descendants now number about four million, while Israel has roughly five million Jewish citizens and one million Arab citizens. In the first such wide-ranging survey, Shikaki's researchers questioned 4,500 refugee families living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan and Lebanon. More than 95 percent of them insisted that Israel recognize a right of return, he said. But the researchers then presented five options for refugees, including financial compensation and moving to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The options were based on those negotiated but never formally endorsed by the two sides in January 2001, and they assumed that Israel formally recognized a right of return as reflected in a United Nations resolution, 194. Only 10 percent of those questioned demanded permanent residence in Israel, a percentage that decreased further if the respondents were told they would have to take Israeli citizenship or that their old homes were gone. More than half - a total of 54 percent - said they would accept compensation and homes in the West Bank and Gaza, or in land ceded by Israel in a territorial swap from some West Bank land. Thirteen percent rejected any deal at all. The poll had a margin of error of less than three percentage points, Shikaki said. It did not include the roughly 10 percent of refugees living in Syria. Shikaki said that his results showed that refugees were less interested in being standard- bearers for a nationalist cause - a role assigned them by Arab nations as well as many Palestinians - than in living fuller lives. "This is a slap in the face for all of us," he said. "Refugees are human beings with needs. These people want to live their lives." Many refugees remain confined to camps, often living in squalid conditions, unable to vote or otherwise join in the life of surrounding towns or cities. Some Palestinian analysts say that Arab and Palestinian leaders prefer to maintain the refugees as an open political wound, rather than help them integrate into other societies. The press statement of the group that invaded Shikaki's office stated that his study "claims that the vast majority of Palestinian refugees are prepared to renounce their Right of Return." Shikaki called that a deliberate misrepresentation of his results, which he had circulated among some Palestinian leaders before Sunday. The statement carried the letterhead of the Palestine Liberation Organization, but Saji Salameh, director general of that body's Refugees Affairs department, disavowed any connection to the rioters and criticized their use of violence. He said of Shikaki's study, however, "We don't believe that it reflects the reality and the position of the refugees." Asher Arian, an Israeli political scientist, said he had not seen the survey, and he cautioned that answers to the questions might vary over time. He called the right of return the most important issue to Israelis. "It raises the demons of demography," he said. But, he said, Israelis might soften on the question, in the right circumstances. "We've seen Israeli public opinion very flexible when legitimate leadership makes an effort to lead it in that direction," he said. The New York Times From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jul 18 03:53:06 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Eight international peace activists to be deported Message-ID: <3F176112.8582.26112D0@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Tobias, Tarek, Fredrick, Bill, Daniel, Alex, Saul and Thomas - eight peace activists of nearly as many countries will be deported from Israel/Palestine as "dangerous to state security". The efforts invested by their four lawyers, Leah Tsemel, Gabi Laski, Shammai Leibowitz and Yoni Lerman - all in vain. We didn't stop this - even with several US diplomats present in the courtroom. It is clear that there has been a high-up decision to get rid of the ISM. The fact that this actually proves the effectiveness of their method of non-violent action is meagre consolation. The trial itself was truly a farce. From the outset the attitude of the judge was evident. He was aggressive, particularly with Leah Tsemel.The state insisted that the ISM endangers soldiers' lives by interfering with their activities. But no proof was given of this occurring for any of today’s defendants. Yet both the state and the judge reiterated the broad powers given to the Minister of Interior to grant or deny visas, and to deport--all without having to furnish a reason. And indeed, the judge omitted furnishing any reason for his verdict, as though he were a clerk sent by the Ministry of the Interior rather than an impartial observer carefully weighing on the scales of justice the arguments of both sides. [in the above was made use of the report of Dorothy Naor of New Profile] Below find the ISM report. Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 18:16:42 +0000 From: Rapprochement Centre Subject: [palsolidarity] Israel to Deport Eight International Peace Activists International Solidarity Movement July 17, 2003 For Immediate Release Israel to Deport Eight International Peace Activists Today Tel Aviv District Court Judge Nissim Yeshaya upheld the deportation orders of eight Internati onal Peace activists who were working with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Of the eight activists, Tobias Karlsson (SWEDEN), Tarek Loubani (CANADA), Fredrick Lind (DENMARK), Bill Capowski (USA), Daniel Knutsson (SWEDEN), Alex Perry (UK), Saul Reid (UK) and Thomas Pellas (FRANCE) Four were arrested on July 9 while at a camp on Palestinian land in the village of Arrabony near Je nin slated to be confiscated by Israel for the building of the separation wall, and four on July 10 while helping to remove roadblocks near the city of Nablus calling attention to the restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement under the occupation. They were subsequently issued deportation orders by the Ministry of the Interior. The Israeli military has claimed that the ISM and all peace activists are a security threat and the lawyer for the state used this as the argument for why the activists should be deported. No evide nce as to the illegality of the defendants' actions was presented. Signed affidavits that the presence and work of ISM is important were submitted by prominent Israel i organizations and individuals such as Bat Shalom, MK Yossi Sarid and several Israeli professors. The judge sided with the state lawyers saying that under Israeli law the Ministry of the Interior has unlimited power to deport and revoke visas of internationals. The policy of punishing international peace activists without any evidence other than labeling them a security threat is an expansion of Israel's policy of using administrative detention to punish P alestinians the military labels a security threat. Currently there are over 1,000 Palestinians being held in administrative detention after having sec ret evidence used against them. Administrative detention is an indefinitely renewable six months of ca ptivity. Many Palestinians have now been held in detention for years without any charge or knowled ge of when they might be released. After the ruling, a lawyer for the eight defendants requested a one-week stay on the deportations t o allow time to file an appeal. The request was denied. Two Israeli citizens were also arrested with one of the groups of activists. Both were released wi thout charge. Some of the activists reported being kicked and otherwise abused while interrogated after the arrests and at least one was severely beaten after they stopped eating in protest two days ago. For a picture of the eight in court please see our website: www.palsolidarity.org For more information please contact: Huwaida: +972-67-473308 ISM Media Office: +972-2-2774602 -- Photos of Gush Shalom activists demonstrating at and being evicted from the Barghouti trial: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_eng.html A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Jul 18 18:39:13 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Where did all the money go Message-ID: <3F1830C1.7594.EF761B@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] Where did all the money go - Gush ad [] Thanks from Gaza for the Barghouti protest \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Where did all the money go - Gush ad [Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, July 18, 2003] WHERE IS THE MONEY? There is no money for medicines. There is no money for operation theaters. There is no money for single mothers. There is no money for the aged, who have to choose between food and medicines. There is no money for the unemployed. There is no money for children's allowances. There is no money, because the state is poor. So says Netanyahu. So says Sharon. But it's a lie. The state has money. Lots and lots of money. Enough money to spend 7.5 billion on the "separation wall". Enough money to fatten hundreds of thousand of settlers. Enough money to invest tens of billions on the continuation of the occupation. But nobody tells this to Vicky Kanfo and her friends, the single mothers from all over the country who are now demonstrating opposite the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem. Gush Shalom, Help us defray costs of future ads Donations to: P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, [] Thanks from Gaza for the Barghouti protest Hisham Abd-al-Razek, the Palestinian Minister for Refugee Affairs, has called Uri Avnery from his G aza office and thanked him for the Gush Shalom demonstration in the Tel-Aviv District Court against the trial of Marwan Barghouti. Abd-al-Razek has served himself 23 years in Israeli prisons and was a renowned leader of the priso ners. He lives in the Jabalia refugee camp and belongs to the Fatah movement. "We shall not forget what Gush Shalom is doing for justice and peace," he said. The demonstration took place on Monday, July 14. Twenty Gush Shalom members "invaded" the court on the day of Barghouti's final statement and hoisted posters saying "Barghouti - to the negotiation table and not to prison!" They were attacked by court guards, and in the ensuing scuffle one of the demonstrators, the historian Teddy Katz, was slightly wounded and sent to hospital. Shouting "Release Barghouti" the demonstrators were evicted from the courthouse. The incident was twice shown on Israel's TV Channel-1 and a UK supporter wrote us he saw us on UK TV-4. Photos and report of the action at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_eng.html with Hebrew text: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_heb.html -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Jul 20 00:31:06 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery's weekly analysis: Caesar's Favor Message-ID: <3F19D4BA.30534.311DB4@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [ Sharon and Abu Mazen scheduled to meet Sunday, but Uri Avnery is not too impressed.] Uri Avnery 19.7.03 Caesar's Favor George Caesar, the Imperator of the new Rome, likes Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). He has invited him to the White House and showers him with compliments. As in ancient Rome, the likes and dislikes of the Emperor shape the policy of the Empire. All the ministers, eunuchs, officials, proconsuls and local rulers act accordingly, while mouthing words of flattery and praising the wisdom of Caesar, irrespective of whether he is really wise, like Julius Caesar, stupid like Tiberius or downright mad, like Caligula. Caesar is Caesar. George Bush is a simple man. His mental world, like a Western, contains Good Guys and Bad Guys. His impressions are personal and come "from the gut". They have nothing to do with logic or political analysis. Arafat made Bush angry, he is a Bad Guy. Abu Mazen is a Good Guy, mainly because he is not Arafat. Like King Herod, who lived in Jerusalem but whose ears picked up the slightest murmur in Rome, Ariel Sharon listens to every whisper in Washington. In order to influence Bush, he always has to know exactly which way the wind is blowing. If Bush likes Abu Mazen, so Sharon, too, likes Abu Mazen. More than that, he lays out a blue-and-white carpet for him to walk on. He invites him to his Jerusalem office, exchanges smiles and handshakes over the emblem of the State of Israel, publicly orders his people to strengthen Abu Mazen in every possible way, watching over him like a good father over a promising son. But with friends like this, one has no need of enemies. I would advise Abu Mazen not to turn his back when Sharon is around. Definitely not. Because Sharon's hidden agenda is far removed from his public one. As we have said many times before: don't listen to what Sharon says but pay attention to what he does. From the day Abu Mazen was appointed Palestinian Prime Minister, Sharon's sole aim has been to topple him from his rickety chair as quickly and as forcefully as possible. It started with statements from Sharon and his henchmen that made Abu Mazen look like an Israe li stooge, a sub-contractor for Israeli security. It is continuing by denying him any political ach ievement at all, making him look like a "featherless chicken", as Sharon has called him. Sharon's many statements about releasing prisoners as a gesture of generosity have been loaded with so many "no"s as to become meaningless. No prisoners with "blood on their hands". No Hamas an d Jihad members. No, no, no, until only 300 remained, including common criminals and prisoners about to be released anyhow. At the same time, Sharon has fulfilled almost none of his obligations under the Road Map. The removal of some 60 settlers' "outposts" has become a joke. Only one single inhabited outpost was re moved in a dramatic struggle before the cameras, and two new ones were put up in its place. The freezing of all the settlements has been "f orgotten". The building of the "separation wall", whose main aim is the drawing of a new border deep in P alestinian territory and grabbing as much land as possible, is going rapidly ahead, contrary to Sha ron's obligation not to do anything that may change the situation on the ground. He is about to spend almost two billion (billion, not million) dollars on this monstrous enterprise, while the education and health systems in Israel are collapsi ng for lack of funds and single mothers are sitting in protest tents next to his office. The withdrawal from the Palestinian territories is a sham. The Israeli army has left some areas in the Gaza Strip which it wanted to leave anyway. The central road has indeed been opened, but no t completely, and it can be shut down again at a moment's notice. The army has also left parts of Bethlehem, but continues to build walls in other p arts of the town. Withdrawals from all the other Palestinian towns "are not under consideration for the time being". All over the West Bank, the checkpoints continue to make the lives of the population hell. Eve ry night more people are arrested. The Chief-of-Staff boasts that the hudna (cease-fire) constitutes an Israeli victory, thereby inciting Palestinians to break it. The commander of the Central Sector accuses the Palestinian secu rity services of not having cooperated in securing the release of a kidnapped Israeli cabdriver, after refusing to give them the least scrap of the necess ary information And most importantly, all Sharon's spokesmen announce day and night that Abu Mazen has failed in his job. Israel, they say, will not make any gesture towards him until he begins to disarm Hamas and Jihad - that is to say, initiates a civil war that will cause Hamas and Jihad to end the hudna and start a new conflagration. This would allo w Sharon to wriggle out of his obligation to dismantle settlements. Abu Mazen is also told that he must replace Arafat, who is vastly more popular than him. The o ngoing imprisonment of Arafat in his wrecked Ramallah compound is, of course, weakening Abu Mazen a nd strengthening Arafat. Putting together this pattern of behavior, there is only one possible conclusion: while praisi ng Abu Mazen , Sharon is doing everything possible to bury him. He is not fighting against Arafat a lone, he is also - and primarily - fighting against Abu Mazen. Unlikely? Strange? Not at all. Like Herod in his time, Sharon knows the vital importance of ke eping in Caesar's favor, so as to be able to manipulate him and take advantage of him. Arafat does not disturb Sharon in this pursuit. Bush hates him. But Abu Mazen has turned out to be a dangerous competitor for Bush's favor. He must be eliminated. And quickly. But this is a sensitive job. Care must be taken to avoid suspicion in Washington. Annoying Bu sh must be avoided at all costs. Therefore, when Sharon hears dissatisfied murmurs from the White H ouse, he is quick to make concessions. Not 300 prisoners will be released, but 400, including some Hamas and Jihad members. They want the remo val of another "outpost"? OK, bring on the TV cameras to witness another dramatic struggle. In any case, one can rely on the settlement rowdies to come back in the night. The main thing is to satisfy Caesar and his eunuchs. Hail Caesar, those who are about to kill Abu Mazen salute you. -- Photos of Gush Shalom activists demonstrating at and being evicted from the Barghouti trial: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_eng.html A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 22 15:11:25 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Civil rights organization ACRI speaks out Message-ID: <3F1D460D.5209.8D5B83@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [Much of what you read in the following Ha'aretz article about a report released Tuesday may not be so new for active email readers. It is however the more significant since it comes from the respected Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). Among the listed violations by the army is mentioned a horrifying example about which we didn't hear yet (later part of Reinfeld article): >Another practice - to park an armored personnel carrier next to a >house and race its engine, sending clouds of exhaust smoke into the >house to choke the residents. The report says one such "smoking" >was captured on videotape.] Haaretz website 22/07/2003 Rights group: Gov't undermining foundations of democracy By Moshe Reinfeld, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Associated Press English http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/320787.html Hebrew (less extensive version) http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=320745&sw=%E6%EB%E5%E9%E5%FA+%E0%E3%ED The Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) harshly criticized Israeli domestic policies, accu sing the government in a report released Tuesday of being party to a wider effort to undermine the foundations of democracy and social cohesion in Israel. In its annual report on the state of civil rights in the nation, which was published yesterday, ACR I says that while the government is not alone in being responsible for the situation, its activitie s contribute to the continuing trend, which it said is characterized by damage to the rights of the Arab minority; undermining the legal system as the guardian of democracy; extensive p rivatization that favors individual profit over social welfare; critically harm to the health, education and welfare services; damage t o job prospects and the rights of workers to campaign for better pay and pensions; and total violation of Palestinians' human rights, coupled with unprecedented physical injury to innocent Palestinian people. The report says social rights have been so badly damaged this year that there is a real danger of t he entire welfare state collapsing. The report details repeated harm to the weakest communities in society, noting that National Insurance payments, unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, supplementary income payments, and rent aid have all been cut. In a large section devoted to IDF soldiers and the intifada, the report harshly criticized Israeli troops for "malicious," cruel and sadistic behavior against Palestinians over the past year and, c omplained about military policy that it said bans inquiries into most deaths of Palestinians. The report by decries "unprecedented harm to innocent people, Palestinians and Israel is," during the third year of violence. 'Jews Only' Law The report is also highly critical of attempts to legislate a law bypassing the High Court that wou ld allow the Israel Lands Authority and the Jewish Agency to allocate state lands tocommunities exclusively "Jews only." This initiativ e has for now been frozen but ACRI says the government's support for it was worrying. ACRI also criticized the first-time use this year of a clause allowing the Interior Minister to rem ove the citizenship of anyone convicted of carrying out a terror attack. The organization believes that if the process continues, it could lead to rendering political opponents stateless. The report also specifies a series of state infrin gements of freedom of speech and of the press, including an investigation of Haaretz reporter Baruch Kra. Palestinian attacks, Israeli violations Covering the period between June 2002 and June 2003, the report denounces Palestinian terror attack s that killed hundreds of Israelis, but its section on the territories concentrates on alleged Israeli violations of Palestinian human righ ts, listing military behavior at roadblocks, searches of villages and assassinations of suspected P alestinian militants as areas of violations. The group charges that most of the civil rights violations by Israeli soldiers "arise not from any operational necessity, but from hardheartedness of soldiers, who receive from above the message of utter disregard for the dignity, freedom and lives of innocent Palestinians." In a written response, the military categorically rejected the claim. "The opposite is true," the s tatement said. ACRI was founded in 1972 as a nonpolitical and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control, according to the group's website. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed during the year, the report notes, but only a handful of inqui ries were opened, all concerning settlers suspected of violence. ACRI complains that the military prosecutor follows a policy of refusing to investigate "deaths that occurred during warfare," a term that covers most of the fatal incidents. The military countered that some such cases are investigated, but indictments are filed only if the re is criminal evidence against a soldier. 'Failure to prosecute soldiers for malicious behavior' The ACRI report complains bitterly about the behavior of soldiers at West Bank roadblocks, referrin g to a report from B'Tselem, another human rights group, about a soldier who carved a Jewish star on the arm of a Palestinian. The roadblocks, set up shortly after the violence erupted in September 2000 to keep Palestinian att ackers and bombers out of Israel, have become institutionalized centers of mistreatment of Palestin ians, and many of them have no other purpose, ACRI claims. Besides daily humiliation, some Palestinians have died as a result of the roadblocks, the report ch arges. Some roadblocks permanently cut roads. "While a healthy person can somehow make his way across," the report says, "a pregnant woman or a sick person cannot, and an ambulance cannot cross from the other side," the report reads. Though the military has pledged several times, including in response to an ACRI appeal to the Supre me Court, to allow urgent cases to cross roadblocks unimpeded, and a procedure for that exists, the civil rights group charges that "the pro cedures are not implemented, and in many cases, people in need of medical attention do not cross." The military said that soldiers at roadblocks "face difficult problematic dilemmas," and violations are investigated. The ACRI report also alleges wanton violence and harassment by Israeli soldiers south of the city o f Hebron. Soldiers randomly search houses in the middle of the night, wreaking havoc and destructio n, and sometimes they sound loud sirens. Another practice is to park an armored personnel carrier next to a house and race its engine, sendi ng clouds of exhaust smoke into the house to choke the residents. The report says one such "smoking " was captured on videotape. "Absence of a response from the military, and failure to prosecute soldiers for such malicious beha vior, sends a message to the soldiers in the field of ignoring or looking away from these acts, which have absolutely nothing to do with security needs," the report alleges. The military said an investigation is underway. The report also details hardships faced by Palestinians under lengthy curfews, when they are confin ed to their homes for days and weeks at a time. ACRI lists 12 cases in which Palestinians were shot and killed by soldiers for violating curfews between July and October 2002. The civil rights group also takes the military and the government to task for targeted killing of s uspected Palestinian militants, complaining that many innocent civilians have been killed and wounded in the operations. During the year covered by the report, "the military assassinated 80 Palestinians. In at least 20 cases, the military accepted responsibility. In the operations during the period, 90 women, children and innocent men were killed and more than 300 innocent people were wounded," the report reads. The military said that harm to civilians is an unfortunate but inevitable part of the fight against terrorism. -- Photos of Gush Shalom activists demonstrating at and being evicted from the Barghouti trial: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_eng.html A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Jul 26 23:07:53 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] See for yourself the wall snaking through the West Bank Message-ID: <3F22FBB9.22416.826793@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org "I think the wall is a problem and I've discussed that with Prime Minister Sharon. It is very difficult to develop confidence between the Palestinians and Israel with a wall snaking through the West Bank."  These were the words uttered last night by the President of the United States - after so many months in which it had been very difficult to get any attention in the mainstream media for the wall and its terrible impact both on Palestinian daily life and on the prospects for a future solution. It remains to be seen if George W. will back up his words with deeds, and make use of his considerable leverage upon Sharon. Meanwhile, grassroots protest action against the wall will continue and intensify - such as the protest tent encampment at Mas'ha Village, where Palestinians, Israelis and internationals maintain an ongoing presence for the past months. We invite you to view on the Gush Shalom website the update on that camp and a flash presentation showing graphically the facts which impressed even Bush. in Hebrew: http://www.gush-shalom.org/index.html in English: http://www.gush-shalom.org/index.html http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html P.S. Three international activists, detained during a protest at the Mas'ha Protest Tent Against The Wall several weeks ago, were yesterday released on bail following a prolonged public and judicial campaign. Read more in the following message. ---------forwarded message follows-------- From: webmaster@palsolidarity.org INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT July 25, 2003 For Immediate Release ISRAELI COURT: “ISM NOT A SECURITY RISK” Activists released on bail [Tel Aviv] Rejecting the claims of the Israeli government prosecution, Judge Gabriel Kling ruled yesterday that three international peace activists do not represent a \"security risk\" to the state of Israel. Continuing that \"to protest is not illegal,\" Kling’s statement appears to set a hopeful precedent in the case of the three. Primarily, it allows them to be released on bail, until their next hearing, which will come before the Israeli High Court in October. At that point, the courts will again consider the claim of the Ministry of the Interior that the three represent a security risk and should be deported immediatly. The prosecution appealed this descision, but today at noon, the Israeli High Court judge who heard the appeal rejected it, adding further weight to the notion that peacefully demonstrating against the occupation cannot be considered reason for deportation, and momentarily staying the government’s attempt to criminalize mere membership in the ISM. Tarek Loubani, Tobias Karlsson, and Frederik Lind, from Canada, Sweden, and Denmark, have been held now for over two weeks in Ariel detention center, following their arrest at the Arrabony Peace Camp in Jenin. They are charged with entering a closed military zone. Although Judge Kling ruled that the men should be released, they are barred from traveling to the Occupied Territories until their deportation case is heard on October 7. The three have opposed their deportation from Israel, stating that they were at the camp at the request of the Palestinians, and that the Israeli government does not have jurisdiction in the Occupied Territories. Until their hearing in October, the three men are prohibited from participating in political activities, including public demonstrations, and must register with the local police, according to Judge Kling’s ruling. Today they were released to the custody of Rabbi Jeremy Milgrom of the organization Rabbis For Human Rights. In a separate agreement, Frederik Lind has agreed to return home to Denmark before Sunday in exchange for all charges being dropped. For more information, contact: ISM Media Office: +972-2 277 4602 Eitan: +972-51 659 376 -- Photos of Gush Shalom activists demonstrating at and being evicted from the Barghouti trial: http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/barghouti_eng.html A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 29 21:43:24 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Thursday morning Qualqilia, joint action against the wall Message-ID: <3F26DC6C.31638.652A0B@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Thursday, July 31 - Gush Shalom will join the protest of the Qalqiliya inhabitants and international peace activists against The Wall. When (and if) Qualqilia might soon be handed to Palestinian rule it does not make a difference for it's suffering strangulation from The Wall. BREAKING THROUGH THE WALL Palestinian, Israeli, International Groups to Rally in Qalqiliya, Demand End to Separation Wall, Expose Realities in West Bank City When: 10:00 AM, THURSDAY JULY 31, 2003 Where: Qalqiliya, West Bank What: Giant Balloon Banner Launch, March, Rally, Paint on Wall, Performances Who: Palestinians, Israelis, International Activists Participating Organizations from Qalqiliya: Palestine Red Crescent Society, Al-Amal Deaf Association, Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions, Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Farmer’s Union, State Information Services, Al-Quds Open University, National Institutions Office Participating Organizations from Israel: Gush Shalom, Kvisa Shchora (Black Laundry) International Solidarity Movement Palestinian residents and community organizations from Qalqiliya, Israeli Peace groups, and Human Rights activists with the International Solidarity Movement will come together to demonstrate against the Separation Wall, which is now surrounding Qalqiliya and which Israel is using to annex 10% of the Occupied West Bank, attack the Palestinian economy and civil life, and force Palestinians to abandon their land. Palestinians and internationals will gather in Qalqiliya at 10:00 AM on Thursday and march with balloons, banners, and kites to the Separation Wall, where art performances, a balloon launch, speeches, and a dramatic painting of the wall will take place. Israeli groups will convene at the same point along the wall, on the opposite side. Palestinian and Israeli groups will attempt to reach a point where they can see each other. A 6x4 meter banner reading “No Apartheid Wall “ in Arabic, Hebrew, and English will rise over the wall, lifted by giant helium balloons, in addition to smaller balloons carrying the names of Palestinian prisoners from Qalqiliya. The floating banner, escaping Qalqiliya, will send an urgent plea to the world on behalf of Palestinians throughout the West Bank imprisoned behind the Wall. The Separation Wall has laid siege to Qalqiliya’s population of 45,000, now isolated within concrete and barbed wire, severely limiting or preventing movement between Palestinian cities and villages. The wall, which lies far inside the Green Line, has confiscated 35% the city’s arable land and 33% of the city’s water resources. Qalqiliya, once known as the “bread basket” of the West Bank now faces dire food and water shortages while the settlements that surround it enjoy a rich supply of these resources. The wall has torn apart the local economy, causing a sharp rise in unemployment and stifling business. EnglishPress Contact: AdamKeller (Gush Shalom) 056-709603 (also for transportation from Tel-Aviv) LisaBhungalia: 055 673 452 (international:972-55-673-452) Arabic Press Contact: Mohamed Qubaa: 054 379 876 (international: 972-54-379-876) Hebrew Press Contact: Adam Keller (Gush Shalom) 056-709603 (also for transportation from Tel-Aviv) Ady Ben-Israel 058 459 780 (international: 972-58-459-780) -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Jul 29 23:44:12 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (info@gush-shalom.org) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: (fwd) [TheOtherIsrael] THE IMAGINARY PACIFIST Message-ID: <3F26F8BC.13506.D3C6A5@localhost> -----------Forwarded message follows------- From: The Other Israel \\// //\\ \\// //\\ TOI Billboard THE IMAGINARY PACIFIST //\\ \\// //\\ Tel-Aviv, July 29, 2003 New phenomenon revealed in Jaffa Military Court: THE IMAGINARY PACIFIST "Yoni doesn't lie; he really believes he is a pacifist; but the Commission has no doubts: he isn't" thus could be summarized what Colonel Shlomi Simchi admitted in an hours-long cross-examination by Adv. Michael Sfard. Simchi had headed the Conscience Committee which rejected Yoni Ben-Artzi's application for CO status. Yoni joins the honour with Martin Luther King whose credentials as a genuine pacifist were also put in doubt by the colonel. This caused an explosion of laughter of the family and friends, among them Uri Avnery, on the spectator benches. And further on the name Tolstoi seemed to mean nothing at all. All this came up after Sfard exposed the total lack of criteria or guidelines of the army's Conscience Commission. Sfard compared the percentage of successful applications to the Conscience Committee and it turned out that over the years less than 5% were recognized. Sfard had with him a dossier showing the statistics in other countries which have conscription and do recognize the freedom of conscience, in all of which 60% to 95% of applicants succeed to get CO status. Simchi responded that he neither knows nor cares about other countries. Then Sfard showed him the statistics for Israeli women draft refusers who go through a different commission, composed of civilians, unlike the one for males. There, the number of successful applications is 95%. Moreover, the number of applications by women is tenfold that of the males. Sfard argued that the few applications of male refusers is the result of the low chance of success as well as of the army not making the existence of a Conscience Commission known. In a related development, Sfard who is an active member of the reservist refuser movement Courage to Refuse seems bound to cross swords with Amiram Bogatz, the governmental Registrar of Associations. Bogatz is threatening to open proceedings aimed at disbanding this refuser association as "promoting illegal activity." However, according to the popular writer Sami Michael "refusal is a patriotic duty. Sharon has already admitted that Israel is maintaining an occupation rule over the Palestinians. He has no moral right to go on sending soldiers to enforce that occupation" (Maariv, July 25). -- Selected articles The Other Israel April/May issue on site: Adam Keller's "Road Map In The Air" (lead article) http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ed.html Saga Of The Court Martials: http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/courtmartials.html + a lot more One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org Subscribe to TOI-Billboard by sending one blank mail to TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com The Other Israel peace movement magazine pob 2542, Holon 58125, Israel; ph/fx: +972-3-5565804; for free sample hardcopy mailto: otherisr@actcom.co.il for selected articles http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/ Archive of issues since 1994 available at http://israelipalestinianpeace.org From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Jul 30 01:03:37 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Letter writing / Sleepover - Hours remain to save Palestinian Homes Message-ID: <3F270B59.1411.11C7EE8@localhost> ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Rabbis for Human Rights" To: Subject: Urgent Action - Hours remain to save Palestinian Homes Date sent: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 03:48:16 +0200 Dear friends WE NEED YOUR HELP IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS! The Ministry of the Interior has scheduled at least 6 demolitions in the village of Jabel Mukaber for this Wednesday, Rosh Khodesh Av. I wonder whether these demolitions will help Palestinians identify with the mourning of the Jewish people over the demolition of the two Temples which once stood in Jerusalem, thereby contributing to the "Trust building measures stipulated in the "Road Map." RHR, ICAHD, BIMKOM and others are exploring every possible avenue to stop these demolitions. You can help by writing to the officials listed below. SHOULD WE FAIL, WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHO IS WILLING TO SLEEP IN THESE HOMES STARTING TUESDAY NIGHT OR ARRIVE IN THE MORNINGS. . We have been receiving reports for two weeks now of large numbers of home demolition orders being handed out in various East Jerusalem neighborhoods - Sur Baher, Jabel Mukaber, Shuafat and Beit Hanina. For various reasons it has taken us a while to put the list together, but the picture is becoming clearer. At least 45 demolition orders have been either handed out or delivered orally. Some families have succeeded in receiving stays, but not all have been so lucky. In addition to the six demolitions scheduled for Wednesday (One family was also told that their home would be demolished on Tuesday.), other homes have 30 day administrative demolition orders going into effect on August 1. Enclosed are the profiles of some of these families. Pictures and additional profiles can be sent upon request. In Sur Baher and Jabel Mukaber, the orders seem to be concentrated in neighborhoods which will be cut off from the rest of their respective communities by one planned bypass road or another, and perhaps the Separation Wall. Nowhere is the cruel irony more evident than in Jabel Mukaber, where many of the homes were fines were handed out 10 or more years ago, but demolition orders were suspended to give the families time to obtain building permits. This was impossible as the land was not zoned for building, but three years later the families were fined for being in contemp of court for having failed to obtain the permits. After successive fines, the homes are now slated for demolition. The master plan for Jabel Mukaber - Arab A-Suakhreh 2683 a - was created in the 80's and approved in 1996. It never took into account the natural demographic needs of the residents. In the neighboring Jewish neighborhood of Armon HaNatziv built on land expropriated from Jabel Mukaber their plan allows them to build much higher and exploit a higher percentage of each dunam for building than in Jabel Mukaber. Sixty-Five percent of the land remaining to Jabel Mukaber is zoned as "Open View Land" and it is forbidden to build on this land. Many residents must choose between leaving Jerusalem or building "illegally." "Bimkom," an Israeli NGO of architects and city planners, is working on a new master plan, but must raise the funds for almost all of the expenses. I participated on Sunday in a meeting of human rights organizations with Mayor Lupolianski's senior advisor Aharon Agassi who claimed that the Municipality has no responsibility for funding master plans for Jews or Palestinians and was not forthcoming in terms of willingness to help Palestinian families survive the permit process usually taken care of by contractors for large subsidized projects in Jewish neighborhoods. We need to check the sources of funding for master plans in Jewish neighborhoods, but this seems disingenuous. Please write polite but unequivocal letters, with copies to RHR, to the Israeli officials listed below (I have also listed the officials to write about the single parents which I neglected to include last week.) Interior Minister Poraz has built his reputation on promoting clean and honest government and proper procedure. The Kafkaesque and catch - 22 situation in which Palestinians find themselves in is none o the above. We know that some of you may not wish to write to local officials, but it could really make a difference if the White House would be flooded with faxes, emails and phone calls in the coming hours leading up to Tuesdays meeting between Prime Minister Sharon and President Bush. The policy of home demolitions is neither fair nor based on the principles of good planning. Rather a Kafkaesque snarl of rules, regulations and resident nor-friendly zoning insures that Palestinians must build "illegally." In the Jewish tradition this is called "Eifa V'Eifa," double standards. With your help, the month of Av need not be a month of massive destruction of Palestinian homes and of the trust necessary to cultivate the fragile beginnings of a reborn peace process. B'Vrakha, Arik President George W. Bush COMMENTS: 202-456-1111 SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 : White House Web Mail or president@whitehouse.gov Secretary of State Colin L. Powell: (202) 647-7098 http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_secretary.html Israeli Officials : Regarding home demolitions please write to PM Sharon, Interior Ministry Poraz and Mayor Lupolianski Please write to all government ministers regarding the striking single parents. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: Office of the Prime Minister, Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Rehov Kaplan 3 Jerusalem 91919; Fax: 972-2-566-4838; Tel: 972-2-670-5511; webmaster@pmo.gov.il Finance Minister Binyanmin Netanyahu: 1 Kaplan St. Jerusalem, bnetanyahoo@knesset.gov.il; sar@mof.gov.il; Fax:972-2-563-5769; Tel: 972-2-531-7200 Minister in the Treasury Meir Shetreet Tel 972 2 531-7727, Fax: 972-2-5317697, mshitrit@knesset.gov.il Mayor Uri Luplianski: Kikar Safra 1, Jerusalem, Israel; Phone: 972-2-629-7717; Fax: 972--629-6014; mayor@jerusalem.muni.il Interior Minister Avrahm Poraz Ministry of the Interior; Kiryat Ben Gurion, Kaplan 2, Jerusalem, Israel; aporaz@knesset.gov.il; sar@moin.gov.il; Fax: 972-2-566-6376 Tel: 972-2-670-1402 Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Natan Sharansky Tel. 972-2-6799774, Fax 972-2-6799775 Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid Tel. 972-2-6466527, Fax. 972 2 6285438, sar@justice.gov.il 28 July 2003 Ahmad’s home: 02 6732 735 (Arabic only) Ahmad’s neighbor’s mobile 052 324 693 (Arabic and some Hebrew) Imad from Jabal Mukaber 052 501 238 (Arabic, Hebrew, English) Office of lawyer, Najeeb Zaid 02 622 1515 Mobile of lawyer’s assistant, Abdella 066 277 756 and\or 066 377 756 Sawaherah neighborhood in Jabal Mukaber Israeli Interior Ministry officials today told Afaf Sheqerat that tomorrow her home in the Jabal Mukaber village of East Jerusalem would be demolished because it was constructed without a permit. Her husband, Ahmad Hassen Sheqerat, the owner of the house, was at work when an Interior Ministry inspector told Afaf in Arabic that she and her family must evacuate their home before the demolition tomorrow. Ministry officials visited the home three times today. Ahmad hopes the building permit he obtained from the Jerusalem Municipality on 09-08-01 will help prevent the demolition. Eight people live in the house today: Ahmad, Afaf, their five children (Nahed, 7.5; Fadi, 12; Wael, 14; Jamelah, 14; Waselah, 18), and Ahmad’s brother Ibrahim, 39, who is mentally disabled and has just one hand. As we talk, the kids scurry in and out, bringing coffee, tea, and ashtrays, and then clearing the emptied glasses. The mood in the house is frantic, and when Ahmad comes home from his lawyer’s office around 10pm, he looks exhausted and stunned. Ahmad built his house in 1987, on land he inherited from his father. No one knows for how many generations the land has been in his family. Until 1996 Israeli officials gave the family’s home no trouble. In that year, the Jerusalem Municipality took Ahmad to court for illegal construction of his home. The court fined him NIS 15,000, and demanded that he either obtain a building permit within three years or demolish his home. Ahmad paid the fine in NIS 400 monthly installments, and hired planner Isham Abu Dheen and engineer Nadir Mashnee to help secure a permit. These services cost Ahmad $2,500. After paying an additional NIS 70,000 in licensing fees, the Jerusalem Municipality gave the house a permit on 09-08-01. >From that date until this month, Israeli officials left the house alone. Ten days ago, the Interior Ministry brought a demolition order to the house, printed in Hebrew and Arabic. Officials returned today and told the family to evacuate. Ahmad works in road construction in Jewish neighborhoods (Sharafat? Near Bet Safafa). “I feel so much confusion,” he said. “In areas where I build, they have the government behind them to give them licenses, and we have no authorities to help us, no one to help us. There is nothing we can do.” Waselah, his oldest daughter, just finished high school. The family has no money to send her to university, so she’ll stay at home. The younger children are still in school. “When I told my sons that our house would be demolished, they began to cry. I told them that we would live in a tent. They asked, ‘How will we play with toys, how will we read, how will we watch television, how will we go to the bathroom?’ I have a permit, I paid all the fees, I have five kids in school; if they demolish, where should my kids live? How should we plan our lives? How will this affect my children? What will they say about peace, about Israelis?” 28 July 2003 Abdul Hamid speaks Arabic, Hebrew, and English Mobile phone: 057 723 642 Engineer: Saleh Attallah (works with Shmuel Dudsun) Abdul Hamid Alleh Ajej learned that the Israeli Ministry of the Interior will demolish his home on Wednesday, 30 July 2003, along with five other homes in the Jabal Mukaber village of East Jerusalem. Abdul Hamid lives with his wife, Sameh, and seven children. His oldest child, his daughter, Fidah, is sixteen. Abdul Hamid’s house was built in 1990-1991, when his first wife, Gauther, learned that she had cancer. The family was living with Abdul’s father at the time. “She wanted to leave something for the kids,” Abdul Hamid said. “We didn’t seek a permit then. No one bothered during the first intifada, and anyway she had no time to deal with the papers; she was very sick.” Gauther died not long after the family moved into the new house. “In 1994 the Ministry of the Interior came to my home, wanting to bring me to court. The Orient House hired a lawyer for me, Hosni Abu Hassein. The procedure took from ’94 till ’97, when the court gave its decision: I had to pay a 20,000 shekel fine, 1,000 shekels every month, and they said I had 12 months to plan the area and get a permit. But this was a joke; impossible. When I finally finished paying the fine twenty months later, I thought it was over after that, I thought everything was finished. But they told me, ‘No, you have to get a permit.’ We Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, we don’t really know the law, the procedure. And when we go to lawyers and engineers, they often don’t care about any human case; the important thing for them is the money, and they often don’t really do a good job.” “In 2000, people from the Interior Ministry who were working in my area told me that I should really get a permit, or else they would demolish my house. Abdul Hamid hired the engineer, Saleh Attalah, to help with the bureaucracy involved in planning the area and seeking a building permit. Abdul Hamid estimates that he has paid Attalah approximately NIS 17,000-20,000. “We rely on them,” Abdul says, “but really, to be honest, I don’t understand what they’re doing.” Abdul Hamid began submitting documents to the Ministry of Interior in May of 2001. He has thus far been unable to get his area planned, a prerequisite for getting a building permit from the Jerusalem Municipality. Two weeks ago, Abdul Hamid received a verbal order to evacuate, and today he learned that his home will be demolished this coming Wednesday. “My children ask lots of questions,” Abdul Hamid said, “but I have answers for very few of them. I know this will leave a stamp on their lives. The Ministry of Interior doesn’t understand that if they do this, it will ruin my children’s lives.” 23 July 2003 Mohammad speaks Hebrew and Arabic 052 570 465 or 058 503 329 lawyer: Saleh, from the office of Jawad Boules Mohammad Daoud Abu Kaff and his wife Aida live in Sur Baher with their six children and eleven other relatives. The family rents the house from Mohammad’s uncle, who has been living in Jordan since 1967. Because Mohammad’s cousins plan to come from Jordan to live in the house, Mohammad in 2001 sought a building permit for land he inherited elsewhere in Sur Baher, to build a house for his family. He and his lawyer approached the Jerusalem municipality with papers documenting the residents’ efforts to plan their neighborhood. The municipality told them that their efforts were futile, because the area is not zoned for building. Though Mohammad’s family holds little hope of securing a permit for their house, they hope their bureaucratic hassle will help families with similar struggles in the future. Mohammad felt he had no choice but to build his own home illegally. Even before their cousins from Jordan laid their claim, Mohammad’s family never felt quite at home in the crowded house. They built a partition into the children’s room to separate boys’ and girls’ sleeping areas; the house was not built for nineteen. “The children saw their new home as their freedom,” Aida said. “This is not their own home, they can’t play freely here.” “We put all our savings into the house. For months we did not eat vegetables, fruits, or meat to save money for the house.” Aida said she and her husband did much of the construction themselves to avoid paying workers. Soon after they finished building, in June 2002, the house received a demolition order. With their lawyer’s help, the family managed to delay the demolition, temporarily. On 1 April, 2003, they received a final decision: their house will be demolished between the first and the thirtieth of August, 2003. “As the day approaches, we feel that we are waiting for everything to end. Even the lawyers give us no hope. The children know, and they are always crying. We used to take them to the new house to show them their dream. The kids gave up their pocket money to contribute to the house and the legal fees. Now they want their money back.” The family no longer takes the kids to see the new house, hoping to lessen the apparently inevitable trauma of its demolition. Meanwhile, the parents are in no position to make promises about reimbursing pocket money. Mohammad earns NIS 3,000 per month, working at a supermarket in Ramot. He pays NIS 7,000 per month in building-related debts and legal fees. Hoping to avoid Mohammad’s hassle, his brother bought land in a planned area properly zoned for building. Nevertheless, the authorities have managed to halt his construction for the past four years. He has apparently been using the wrong bricks, and has also improperly positioned one of the walls. Mohammad’s brother has repeatedly paid to comply with these requirements. Olive oil is available from the RHR office 25 NIS per liter, 350 NIS per jerrycan Rabbis For Human Rights Tel. 972 2 563-7731 Fax. 972 2 566-2815 Mobile 972 50607034 info@rhr.israel.net Website: rhr.israel.net ------- End of forwarded message ------- From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Jul 31 22:18:35 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] `You are guarding a ghetto!' Message-ID: <3F2987AB.23412.16F7821@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [Report of the joint Palestinian-Israeli Qalqilya action, including comment on the new racist law, and news about the court case of two newly- arrived internationals] “Kodem Kol - Hachoma Tippol" (first of all – the wall must fall!) chanted peace activists at a demonstration against the Apartheid Wall that was called jointly by the public organizations of Palestinian Qalqilya, the Israeli Gush Shalom and the international ISM. The town of Qalqilya was offered this week by Sharon to be transfered to Palestinian control. But there is no suggestion of removing the walls and fences which surround the city on nearly all sides, leaving only a single narrow exit. "Once a thriving commercial center for its entire region, our city has been reduced to destitution." said Qalqilia Mayor Ma'aruf Zaharan in his speech. This morning, Zaharan and hundreds of his townspeople marched from the town center up to the Wall, holding flags and banners, accompanied by a sizeable contingent of internationals. On the way some youngsters managed to decorate the wall with various kinds of graffiti. Finally, they arrived at a point on the southern side of the city - the predetermined rendezvous, where a barred gate makes it possible to see the other side. There, an Israeli contingent arrived - veteran activists who had been involved since 1967 (even before) rubbing shoulders with energetic young anarchists. We also had internationals with us, from such disparate countries as the US, Denmark and Poland - including a Vietnam War veteran turned peace activist, who last night piloted a jet plane on its flight from the New York to Tel-Aviv. "Tonight I am due at Ben Gurion Airport to take her back, but the hours in between are mine to do with as I choose" he said . Within moments of alighting form the bus, we spread out in a long line facing the wall with banners: “The wall – a ghetto for Israelis, a prison for Palestinians”/The Green Line – Border of Peace"/"Where there are walls there is no peace". The Palestinians with their waving flags were clearly visible, some twenty metres on the other side. They heard the greetings in Arabic made to them on the megaphone by historian Teddy Katz, and answered in kind. Sandwiched in between was a large force of soldiers, brought in to ensure that these two bodies of demonstrators would find no way of coming together. The young Itay Rotstein of Tel-Aviv took the megaphone to address them directly: "Soldiers, did you give any thought to what you are doing here? Do you realize that you are guarding a ghetto - yes, a ghetto? Do you realize that you are holding tens of thousands of people prisoner, preventing farmers from cultivating their land, preventing merchants from having customers, driving a whole population down to poverty and misery? Can you look yourselves in the mirror?". The soldiers looked on impassively, making no overt reaction. For their part, Rotstein's fellows burst out chanting: "Not a fence but a ghetto, not soldiers but prison guards" and "Refuse, Refuse, Refuse!" "There is a semantic debate about whether to call this thing in front of us 'wall' or 'fence', since physically it is a bit of both" said Uri Avnery. "But as to its function, the best term might be 'noose'. A strangling noose around Qalqilia, around all Palestinians, around the neck of all of us in this country and this region, a direct threat to all our hopes for peace." Towards the end of the demonstration, the military commander on the spot relented to the extent of allowing a single Palestinian to cross the closely-guarded gate and present greeting to the Israeli participants. He gave his consent to that radical step only reluctantly, first declaring it "a security risk" (which declaration was greeted by jeering remarks from the demonstrators). The young woman was allowed to spend only a few minutes on the Israeli side, before being escorted by soldiers back into her beleaguered city - just long enough to say a few words, hand over a hastily-scribbled message of thanks and solidarity, and receive and enormous cheer from everybody present. Photos from the Qalqilya demo can be viewed on the Gush Shalom website at http://www.gush-shalom.org/actions/q_fence_eng.html On the way back to Tel-Aviv, we listened to the news and, yes, our little action got mentioned (and the evening TV news of Channel-II gave considerable coverage of the action from the Palestinian side of the Wall). But - as we also heard on the radio broadcast - this was also the day that the Knesset definitely voted into law a regulation which makes it from now on impossible for an Israeli citizen to bring a Palestinian marriage partner over to live in Israel - a measure which will force especially Israeli Arabs to choose between leaving the country or living a clandestine life. P.S. Back in Tel-Aviv the Gush Shalom bus went straight to the District Court where some 25 demonstrators filled the benches during the hearing of two internationals who upon arrival yesterday were denied entry and detained pending their appeal. The Judge, Tzippora Baron, expressed surprise how these hardly arrived detainees got so many friends together. The decision will be handed down later in the week. Meanwhile David Watson and Michael Shake - both "recidivist internationals" - remain at the far from comfortable Airport Detention Cells. They are defended by Advocates Gabi Laski and Yoni Lerman. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Aug 2 20:26:43 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Your presence needed in Mes'ha - as well as protest letters Message-ID: <3F2C1073.25437.17F7FD5@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] URGENT: your presence needed in Mes'ha - as well as protest letters [] Report on tenacious struggle yesterday - from the ISM [] The Occupation is the Infrastructure - Gush ad \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] URGENT: your presence needed in Mes'ha - as well as protest letters [There just came a phonecall from our member Oren Medicks who takes part in the Coalition Against The Wall at the Mes'ha tent.] Tomorrow, Sunday August 3, the Separation Wall bulldozers are expected to enter the front yard of of the Amer family home at Mes'ha Village on the West Bank, demolishing whatever shed is in it's way and start construction of the wall right there. The family home itself will escape demolition - but from tomorrow it will become part of the "security perimeter". Any exit of Hani Amer, his wife or their six children from their door will require a permit from the army, and nobody will be allowed to visit them. Obviously, the army would like the family to go away and save them the bother - except that they have nowhere to go. Starting tonight, Israeli and international peace activists, together with Mes'ha villagers, will set up a protest tent on the threatened spot. They ask for those who can to join them there, and participate in passive resistance to the demolition, and demonstrate exacty what Sharon means when he says that efforts will be made to prevent the wall/fence from disrupting Palestinian daily life. For details of how to arrive, call Oren 054-412369, Natzi 053-503551. Those who can't be physically present are asked to express by fax, phone or email theirr protest to PM Sharon, to his Foreign Minister Shalom, with copies to the US administration, especially to Secretary of State Powell who spoke some highly pertinent words on the wall and its destructive effect on Palestinian daily life. (So maybe this time your letter will not fall on deaf ears!!!) You can use the two first paragraphs of this mail as a "sample letter". email string: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il, sar@mofa.gov.il, president@whitehouse.gov, secretary@state.gov more address details: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 Jerusalem 91919, Israel Fax: +972 2 6705475 E-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom President George W. Bush COMMENTS: 202-456-1111 FAX: 202-456-2461 Email: president@whitehouse.gov Secretary of State Colin L. Powell: phone: (202) 647-7098 email [] Report on tenacious struggle yesterday - from the ISM ---------forwarded message follows-------- From: "International Solidarity Movement" Date sent: Fri, 01 Aug 2003 20:54:05 -0000 Report from Deir al Ghassoon, north of Tulkarem At 11:30 approximately 200 farmers from Deir al Ghassoon, at least 50 internationals, and many television cameras, started their march from the center of the village to the fence that has prevented access to the fields of the village for two weeks now. Two weeks ago, the farmers attempted to pass through the gate in the Ghetto Wall that the Israeli government promised them, along with ISM activists. They were shoved back onto the village side of the Wall and denied access to the land by hired security guards. A lock was placed on the gate. Last Friday, the farmers came again to the fence. This time, they took action into their own hands. They dismantled the fence physically and cut the lock. When proceeding to move to their field, the Israeli army appeared, and again physically forced them back through the gate. Today, while approaching the gate, the international activists began to cut the razor wire that has been placed meters before the gate to block access. The army was waiting for them. As they approached, the army opened fire with "rubber bullets", clearly aiming high, not at the ground as is the regulation. Eight activists were hit during continuous fire, shielding the Palestinians. 2 farmers were also hit with rubber-coated steel bullets. None were seriously wounded, although several were taken to the nearby hospital of Dr.Thabet Thabet in Tulkarem. As the activists fled admist clouds of tear gas, the army spokesman was already claiming an appropriate use of "non- lethal force". The eight internationals injured were: Thomas, from Britain Polly, from Britain Andrew, from Scotland Robin, from Britain Michael, from the USA Joe, from the USA Eric, a student at Bir Zeit University and Juliana, currently in Palestine to work on a documentary film about medical care and access in the Occupied Territories, from the USA. [] The Occupation is the Infrastructure - Gush ad THE OCCUPATION IS THE "INFRASTRUCTURE OF TERRORISM". IT MUST BE DESTROYED (Translation of this week's Gush Shalom ad on Friday in Ha'aretz) -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Aug 4 00:30:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Turning point in Mes'ha? // The Prisoner of Ramallah Message-ID: <3F2D9AFD.6616.1FDFA72@localhost> ///////////////// Gush Shalom //////////////////// August 3, 2003 [] Turning point in Mes'ha? [] The Prisoner of Ramallah - Avnery column \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Turning point in Mes'ha? For once we have a piece of good news. Yesterday we passed on an alert regarding the home of Hani and Munira Amer and their six children - at the village of Mes'ha on the West Bank. ("The Separation Wall" was to be constructed in their garden, making the house into an enclave, with the family members virtual prisoners on their own land.) Today we can tell you that at least for the moment this threat has been averted. Many thanks to those who came to the spot & those who sent their protest. Bulldozers started work at 7.00 AM some twenty metres from the Amer house. Some sixty international activists - among them a contingent of Israelis - were present to confront them, together with many Mes'ha villagers. When police and army seemed about to start evicting the protesters, the Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis linked arms. The media representatives on the spot were invited to a press conference from the protest tent, and addressed by the house owner and representatives of various participating organizations. With the international spotlight turned on the Wall and the Sharon Government involved in a public debate with the Bush Adminstaration, the authorities apparenty decided to avoid confrontation. The bulldozers halted work, and the contractor informed the protestors there will be no work on the site of Hani A'amer's house for the next two months. (He refused, however, to repeat this verbal pledge in writing.) The activists intend to keep the Mas'ha peace tent in front of the house - so as to hold the contractor to his promise, as well as maintain the campaign against the Wall in general. [] The Prisoner of Ramallah - Avnery column Uri Avnery 2.8.03 The Prisoner of Ramallah Every television viewer recognizes the bridge between the last two buildings left standing among the ruins of the Mukata'ah (compound) in Ramallah. During one of my last visits, a Palestinian officer pointed to a simple table and chair near one of the windows of this bridge. Through this window a stretch of the Palestinian landscape beyond the town is visible. "Here Abu-Amar likes to sit between meetings and look out," he explained. Abu-Amar is the affectionate name for Yasser Arafat. 21 years ago, when I went to Beirut and met him for the first time, he was one of the most mobile leaders in the world, if not the most mobile of all. Once he told me that during the last five days he had visited seven countries, sleeping on the plane between destinations. At the time, his neck was in a surgical collar. Now he has been imprisoned in the compound for more than two years. For some of the time, the conditions were worse than in an ordinary prison: he lived in a closed room without fresh air and almost without water, with the sewage blocked. He knew that at any moment Sharon's soldiers could storm in and kill him. In a few days, he will be 74 years old. He will spend his birthday in his prison. This is a good opportunity to take stock of the man and his work. He has been on the world stage longer than any other current leader, apart from Fidel Castro. Many of today's world leaders, like Bush and Blair, were infants when he took the responsibility for the destiny of the Palestinian people in his hands. His face is well known throughout the world. He is one of the most maligned statesmen in the world, perhaps the very most. He is the most hated person in Israel. Rightists and Leftists compete with each other in expressing their hatred of him. There is hardly an article by an Israeli "Leftist" which does not include some words of abhorrence about him. He is the most admired and beloved leader of his own people, and apparently the leader most admired by the masses throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Not bad for a person who is turning 74. The title most often attached to his name is "symbol". Even the Palestinian opposition groups call him "the symbol of the Palestinian people". That is true, but also misleading. Misleading, because a "symbolic" person is usually someone in honor of whom statues are erected and whose likeness adorns the walls. The President of Israel is a symbol, and so are the presidents of Germany and Italy, while Arafat is very much an active leader, dominating the Palestinian scene. Yet the title is also appropriate. Arafat's progress, from leader of a tiny group of refugees to the present stage, when the whole world supports the idea of a Palestinian state, symbolizes the Palestinian struggle for survival. No one symbolizes the condition of the Palestinian people, its suffering, determination and courage, more than the man in the besieged Mukata'ah, a prison within a prison (Ramallah) within a prison (the Palestinian territories as a whole). Much has already been written about his early life, about his father, a merchant from Gaza who had settled in Egypt; about his mother, who died when he was still an infant; about his childhood with his mother's family in Jerusalem. Lately, Arafat likes to recount to his guests - Palestinians, Israelis and foreigners - about those happy years, when he played with Jewish children near the Western Wall. His years with his father's family in Cairo seem to evoke much less nostalgia. He likes to remind people that he studied engineering. He attributes his legendary memory - especially for numbers and facts - to his profession. More than once he has corrected me on numbers - how many ultra-religious members were in the Knesset, exactly what percentage of the West Bank Sharon has said he was ready to "give" to the Palestinians as part of his "painful concessions". His political career started in the Palestinian Students' Association in Cairo. It assumed historical significance when he was the main founder, in the late 1950s, of the Fatah organization, the first Palestinian liberation movement since the catastrophe of 1948. Liberation - from who? Well, obviously from Israel. But in reality, from the domination of the Arab leaders, too. It is impossible to understand Arafat without knowing this important chapter of his life. At the time, the Palestinian cause served as a football in the inter-Arab game. Each Arab ruler used it in order to reinforce his claim for leadership of the Arab world and to beat his competitors. Gamal Abd-al- Nasser in Egypt, Abd-al-Karim Kassem in Iraq, the young King Hussein in Jordan and their equivalents in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the other countries - each proclaimed himself the Defender of the Palestinian People while mercilessly suppressing any sign of independent Palestinian activity in his own realm. In the eyes of Arafat and his comrades, the "independence of Palestinian decision-making" became a sacred goal. Fatah was born into this reality. Arafat and his group wanted to wrest the Palestinian cause from the hands of the Arab rulers. The new movement had no power, no money, no arms. It had no base anywhere where it could operate freely. Its activists were at the mercy of the secret services of any Arab country, if they did not fulfil the demands of the local dictator. That happened many times. The climax was reached when the Syrian dictator put the whole Fatah leadership, including Arafat, in prison. Only the wife of Abu Jihad, Umm Jihad (now the minister for social affairs in the Palestinian government) was left outside and so she assumed the command of all Fatah forces. For the movement to survive, Arafat had to manoeuvre between the leaders, flatter people he despised, suck up to leaders who did not give a damn for the interests of the Palestinian people. As an important Palestinian personality told me: "For the survival of our people he had to dissemble, lie, trick, be equivocal, use ruses. At was then that the typical Arafat language evolved." In spite of sabotage by the Arab regimes and with the help of these methods, the power of Fatah slowly grew. In order to block it and to subordinate the Palestinians to Egyptian interests, Abd-al-Nasser initiated the founding of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and appointed an aging and ineffectual demagogue, Ahmad Shukairy, as its leader. But the June 1967 war destroyed the respect for the rulers of Cairo, Amman and Damascus. The battle of Karameh (1968), in which the Fatah fighters, led by Arafat in person, won a victory against the Israeli forces sent to destroy them, caused Fatah prestige to rise sky-high. After three Arab armies had been shamefully defeated by Israel, the fighters of Fatah had held on heroically. The result: Fatah took over the PLO, the 39 years old Arafat became the leader of the nation. All the Arab leaders with whom Arafat had to contend at that time have in the meantime died natural or unnatural deaths. Arafat remains. Perhaps his greatest achievement as a national leader lies in his ability to hold the Palestinians together. Most liberation movements have known fratricidal wars, bitter splits and desperate internal struggles. The pre-state Hebrew underground, too, experienced the fratricidal "saison" and the bloody Altalena incident. But the Palestinians, whose situation was incomparably more difficult, were spared this fate. Almost all other movements grew from populations that lived on their land, under one particular foreign regime. But the Palestinian people were dispersed in a dozen countries, almost all of them oppressive dictatorships. The name "Palestine" had disappeared altogether from the map, and even the Palestinians who had remained in their homeland lived under oppressive rulers - first the Jordanian and Egyptian, and then the Israeli military governor. When the PLO grew, all the Arab regimes tried to gain influence over it. Damascus, Baghdad, Riad, Cairo, in addition to Moscow, set up Palestinian organizations in order to impose their agendas on the Palestinian people. Secular and religious, Leftist and Rightist organization tried to play their games inside the movement. Arafat had to cope with all of them, manoeuvre, cajole, threaten, appease. He became a past master of this art, perhaps its outstanding practitioner in the world. At the same time, he had to lead the national struggle. Like almost all leaders of modern liberation movements, from Garibaldi to Nelson Mandela, he was convinced of the need for the "armed struggle" (always called "terrorism" by the opposing regime.) The PLO organizations carried out many bloody attacks, many of them brutal, some of them outright monstrous, even if most of these were made by organizations who also fought against Arafat.) All PLO leaders believed that the "armed struggle" was necessary, considering the vast disproportion between the might of Israel and the almost negligible force of the Palestinians. Arafat himself, according to the testimony of his assistants, is far from being cruel or blood-thirsty. Only in rare instances did he confirm death sentences, and that only when the public demand was irresistible. The number of executions carried out in his domain is incomparably lower than in former Governor's George W. Bush's Texas. It is accepted by most authorities that without the "armed struggle", the Palestinians would not have achieved anything and would have lost their homeland long ago. They believe that the violent attacks enabled the Palestinian people to return to the world map and allowed the PLO to attain its historic achievements: its recognition as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Palestinian people, its invitation to the UN, its international standing, the Oslo agreement, its return to Palestine and the creation of a world-wide consensus supporting the idea of a Palestinian state. But Arafat did not see the "armed struggle" as an end in itself. Violence is for him a means among others. At the end of 1973 he did something that is rare among leaders. After making one revolution (the creation of Fatah and the start of the "armed struggle") he initiated another. (Years later, Yitzhaq Rabin did something similar.) The October 1973 war changed his strategic concept. Until then he believed that Israel could be overthrown by force. The Palestinian struggle was designed, primarily, to cause a general military confrontation between Israel and the Arab world, as happened in 1967. In October 1973 Arafat realized that this hope had no basis in fact. The armies of Egypt and Syria did indeed attack Israel and achieved initial surprise, giving them a resounding victory, but within two weeks the Israeli army had turned the tables and was advancing on Cairo and Damascus. Arafat, forever the rational engineer, drew the logical conclusion: there exists no military option. From there it was but one step to the second conclusion: the Palestinian state can only be founded on compromise, by a political settlement with Israel. He started to work on it. The necessary effort was immense. A whole generation of Palestinians saw in Israel a monstrous enemy that had expelled half the Palestinian people from their homes and lands and continued to oppress and dispossess th e other half. In their time of desperation, the Palestinians clung to their belief that the very ex istence of Israel is illegitimate and that some day, somehow, it will be eradicated. Arafat had to uproot this belief and to cause his people to accept a compromise that left the Palestinian people only 22% of their histo ric homeland. He worked as he always has done: with infinite patience, sensitivity to human beings, tactical manoeuvres, zigzags and equivocation. He started secret contacts with a tiny group of Israeli peac e activists (including myself), hoping that they would open the way to the heart of the Israeli establishment. He encourag ed some of his people (mainly Sa'id Hamami and Issam Sartawi, who were both murdered because of thi s) to express his hidde n thoughts publicly. He caused the Palestinian National Council, the parliament in exile, to gradua lly change its resolutions. In this effort, which lasted from 1974 to 1988, he was mainly assisted by Abu Mazen. At that time, Yitzhaq Rabin still was an extreme opponent of a peace settlement with the Pales tinians, and Shimon Peres was the godfather of the settlements. Both advocated the "Jordanian optio n" (returning parts of the West Bank to Jordan and make peace with the king, ignoring the will of the Palestinians). If an yone deserved the Nobel Prize for the Oslo agreement, it was Arafat. One of the attributes that endear him to the Palestinian public is his rare personal courage. When Ariel Sharon invaded Lebanon in 1982, in order to expel the Palestinians and kill their l eader, Arafat could have easily left Beirut in time. This would have been accepted by everyone as a sensible step. But he remained with his fighters in the besieged city until the last day. After a long battle, his men le ft with their heads held high, bearing their arms, led by Arafat. Another, almost forgotten, episode brought him even more esteem. A year after the exit from Be irut, the Syrians and their agents attacked the Palestinian forces in the North Lebanese refugee ca mps near Tripoli. At th e time, Arafat was the guest of the UN in Geneva. He did something almost unbelievable: he secretly returned to Lebanon, slipped into the besieged camp and, in the end, left with his fighters, who d id not surrender this t ime either. Most of his life he has spent in constant danger, with a dozen secret services trying to kill him. He survived several assassination attempts. Once he escaped with his life when his plane had t o perform a tough emerg ency landing in the middle of the desert. His bodyguards were killed. In the middle of the battle of Beirut I asked him where he would go if he got out alive. Wit hout hesitation he said: "Home, of course!" Twelve years later, on his first day in Gaza, he whispe red to me: "Remember wh at I told you in Beirut? Well, here I am." As head of the new Palestinian Authority he was confronted with one of the toughest jobs of hi s life. He faced a challenge unknown to any other liberation movement: to set up a kind of state wh ile the liberation stru ggle was still far from over. Arafat returned together with the veterans of the struggle, who believed, quite understandably , that it was their right to control the National Authority. The same was claimed by a new generati on of fighters, veteran s of the intifada, the prisons and the underground. The same was claimed by thousands of profession als who had studied in universities the world over. (One of them told me: "OK, let's give medals to all the fighters. But the state must be governed by people trained for it.") Arafat had to give a part of the pie to the Christian minority, to the representatives of the various regions, and, most importantly, to the he ads of the great famili es who have dominated Palestine society for centuries and without whom one cannot rule. Altogether, an almost impossible task. It cannot be said that the establishment of the Palestinian Authority was an unqualified succe ss. But, considering the objective pressures, Arafat did not do too bad a job either. One of the weak points was the centralism of the new administration. During the decades of str uggle, Arafat has got used to deciding alone and quickly. His colleagues had all too willingly let him take the historic d ecisions that demanded courage and personal risk. Most of his closest comrades in arms had been kil led during the struggle, some by Israel, some by the Iraqi agent Abu Nidal and his ilk. Like all le aders who have been at the center of internal struggles and responsibility for a long time, Arafat has become lonely and s uspicious. Some of the Palestinian personalities believed that with the establishment of the Authority, t he struggle had come to an end. They started to look out for their own personal interests, some bec ame corrupt, assimilati ng the norms of the neighboring countries (and not only theirs.) This aroused resentment among the Palestinian public. Israeli Leftists began to condemn the "corrupt Authority", the official Israeli propaganda machine too k the story up and gleefully distributed it around the world. This caused grievous damage to the Pa lestinian cause at a most sensitive time. But not the slightest hint of suspicion ever attached itself to Yasser Arafat himself. While Ariel Sharon is sinking in a morass of corruption affairs and world leaders like Helmut Kohl in Germany and Jacques Chirac in France have starred in major scandals, Arafat has remained above suspicion. Neither his opponents at home nor the Israeli intelligence agencies have succeeded in discovering any spots. He lives a very simple life, has no home of his own, his clothes are his khaki uniforms. Throughout his life, Arafat has made many mistakes. He may have exaggerated his opposition to the 1977 Sadat initiative, surrendering to the pressure of his enraged colleagues. His support of Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf war was a major mistake that cost dearly. More than once he erred in choosing assistants and confidants. But to his own people he has remained the only leader who can be trusted unconditionally. Foreigners are unable to understand this. They find it odd that the very same attributes that made him abhorrent to many people in the West make him a hero to his people. For example: when, at Camp Davis, Arafat emphatically rejected the proposals of Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton, he was condemned by most of the Israeli "peace camp". But in Palestinian eyes, it was the epitome of courage and national pride. When he went to the summit meeting, many Palestinians were afraid that he was walking into a trap and would not have the strength to extricate himself. It was clear that the "generous proposals" of Barak did not meet the minimum demands of the Palestinians. When he came back without having surrendered, he received a hero's welcome. Now the Palestinians are ready to give some credit to Abu Mazen, who believes that he can get some concessions from Israel and the US. Abu Mazen is an old partner of Arafat and respected by the public. But no Palestinian can imagine entrusting him with the destiny of the nation. One person only enjoys that kind of trust: the man besieged in the Mukata'ah. He remains the ultimate judge. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Aug 5 09:34:38 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: URGENT: Mes'ha, peace activists arrested; bulldozers approaching Message-ID: <3F2F6C1E.21575.73B21E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org August 5, 2003 [We have been celebrating too early when we thought that the home of Hani and Munira Amer and their six children would be spared encirclement by The Wall...] With bulldozers less than 10 meters away from the threatened house at Mes'ha, the army is right now arresting the 40 international and Israeli peace activists who spent the night there - among them Oren Medicks of Gush Shalom, and CO Dror Boymel and five other Israelis. Other activists are from the US, Britain, France, Italy, Germany Sweden and Japan. The activists who sit in a circle singing are dragged one by one. An effort is under way to organize a new group to go there. In case you want to join, contact Dorothy 09-9584804, 054-507804 Suggestion - also for the overseas activists: phone to the Ariel Police Station: +972-3-906-5530 (Prisoner information) +972-3-903-5444 (General information) +972-50-374-237 (Ariel police spokesman) and/or: phone to the nearest Israeli embassy http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm THE OCCUPATION IS THE "INFRASTRUCTURE OF TERRORISM". IT MUST BE DESTROYED (Translation of this week's Gush Shalom ad on Friday in Ha'aretz) -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Aug 5 20:52:53 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Update + request for protest re detained Mas'ha activists Message-ID: <3F300B15.80.2678492@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Very little was heard during the past hours from the group detained in the early morning. After we first still had intensive phone contact with Oren Medicks and a few of the others, it afterwards simply died out. During the day, quite a lot of Israelis went to the spot - to be barred by the army - only seeing the bulldozers work. Nine of them, including Neta Golan, got arrested themselves, but all but one were released soon after. What seems to take so long is that the police tries to select "ringleaders". Meanwhile, there is video footage, Reuters (+972-2-5370502) and still photos from freelance photographer Eyal Ofer (+972-55-369365 / www.pbase.com/yalop/masha ). [Ofer got closer than other journalists, and was shortly arrested himself.] Here follows the ISM update and alert. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Organization: International Solidarity Movement From: "Huwaida" Date sent: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 18:59:24 +0300 ** OVER 45 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DETAINED TODAY, 5/8/03 ** AT LEASTTWO ARRESTED  DETAINEES ARE FROM PALESTINE, ISRAEL, U.S., U.K., ITALY, SWEDEN, FRANCE, DENMARK, JAPAN, IRELAND, GERMANY AND CANADA   [Occupied West Bank] At approximately 7am this morning, Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights activists were detained while attempting to block the demolition of part of a Palestinian family's home, near the village of Mas'ha. The building had been slated for demolition by the Israeli Military because it lay in the path of the Apartheid Wall that Israel is building on occupied Palestinian land.  The peace activists were violently thrown on busses by Israeli soldiers and border police. Two internationals were beaten; one, a US citizen from Los Angeles, was repeatedly kicked in the stomach and may have sustained broken ribs. Immediately, a Caterpillar bulldozer moved in to demolish part of the family home (an animal shed attached to the home).  Though it’s difficult to communicate with the detainees and we are unsure of the final numbers, the detainees we know of are from the following countries:  11 US 1 Canada 1 Japan 6 UK 1 Ireland 4 Sweden 1 Denmark 8 Italian 2 France 5 Israel 3 Palestinians  Detainees are being held at Ariel Prison in the illegal settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank. One Palestinian and one Italian have been put under formal arrest. The others, the Israeli Ministry of Interior is currently deciding what they want to do with. One option is for them to deport the internationals. To our knowledge, the Ministry of Interior has not yet issued a decision.  Please flood the Ministry of Interior with phone calls from around the world, asking that ALL the detainees be released. Let them know that you are watching and protest the Israeli government’s attempts to deport peace activists witnessing and trying to prevent abuses against Palestinian human rights.   You can phone the Ministry of Interior at: +972 2 670 1648  You can also flood Ariel prison with calls demanding the immediate release of all detainees. The best numbers to call are the officers but if they are unreachable, please call the General Info line.  Ariel Prison General Info: +972 3 906 5444  Ariel Prison Officer - Ami Baran and Haim Fadlan: +972 3 906 5406 or +972 3 906 5416  For some photos, please see: http://www.palsolidarity.org/pictures/PHOTOS_5Aug03_09_19_35Qalqiliaism.htm http://www.palsolidarity.org/pictures/PHOTOS_5Aug03_10_02_37Qalqiliamas`ha2.htm For further information, contact the ISM media office on 972 2 277 4602,You can also email the ISM office at info@palsolidarity.org, but re sponses to email may be slower.  INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT www.palsolidarity.org  ------- End of forwarded message ------- From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Aug 8 19:49:39 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Urgent - Activists needed in Bet Hanina & ALSO protest letters Message-ID: <3F33F0C3.760.16D7E52@localhost> ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 07:14:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Victoria Buch Subject: Urgent Action Alert - Activists needed in Bet Hanina To: info@gush-shalom.org, ActLeft@yahoogroups.com Friends, help! In the Bet Hanina Palestinian neighborhood of Jerusalem, there are several "unlicensed" houses with an activated demolition order, valid for the month of August. That is, the bulldozers may come any morning of this month. Below, enclosed please find a description the terrible daily wait for bulldozers, as seen by a group of activists this week. The families need your support NOW: 1) Spend a morning, or several mornings, with the families in Bet Hanina. If you can, come overnight. Your presence provides support, and shows the authorities that you care. Also, the more witnesses, the more publicity. Activists are needed starting Saturday night, or Sunday morning. Call Rabbi Arik Ascherman 050-607-034, 02-5637731 (office). 2) Keep writing protest letters to politicians and to Jerusalem municipality. A sample letter is given in the end, together with a list of addressees. Israeli politicians should be aware of your protest. Foreign politicians should know how exactly Israeli authorities implement the Road Map in Bet Hanina. Victoria Buch, The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions ------------------------------------------------ Jerusalem Tuesday August 5, 2003 Will the bulldozers come today? Friends, Today we spent a morning in Bet Hanina, in a house of Khader, which is subject to a "ticking" demolition order, for a month. Bulldozers may come on any of the mornings. Our group consists of Jerusalem left wing and human rights activists - Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights, Jeff Halper of the Israel Committee Against House Demolitions and people from Peace Now, Ta'ayush, Machsom Watch and other organizations. The group has come every day since Sunday, before sunrise, and has been waiting with Khader for a few hours: Will the bulldozers come today? So: we arrive early in the morning. Cars are parked near a silent clump of houses, we trot in the darkness to a rickety entrance of Khader's house. Khader opens the door. He tells me later he has not slept normally for the last year and a half. "It is like if you know you have cancer - the thought does not let you sleep, really." His eyes are red. People come to stay with him through these terrible nights. Last time the elderly in-laws were present, this time - a young friend. Coffee is served, plans for passive resistance made, should the bulldozers come today. Khader notes my disposable camera and asks me to photograph the house. Taking photos has a ritualistic quality - Khader with Arik and Jeff in the living room; Khader with the group. Khader calls Arik - "my father", which is weird - Khader is older. Then a guided tour of the house - I with a camera, Khader pointing. Empty children's bedroom - kids were scared and went to sleep with their mom. In the parents' bedroom, three small children are sleeping in the big bed with mom, and the remaining bunch - on the floor around it. Khader wakes some for better photos. A girl is taken to her bedroom, to pose with stuffed toys. The house is a strange combination of poverty (scanty furniture, pile of rubble instead of entrance steps, bare walls) and an effort for luxury (beautiful tiles in a huge living room - Khader is a tile-man). We climb the roof, joined by a neighbor - also named Khader, also with a ticking demolition order - ten days to go. The other Khader seems to take it better - he can sleep in the afternoon, and he can smile. I am told that there are ways to avoid it all - by huge bribes, or collaboration with the police. The sun rises over the little valley. There is a long lake at the bottom; it is polluted by sewage. A distant man is measuring a plot of land at the bank - "The crazy guy wants to build a house there!" I am told. We view together the morning man-hunt. People with Palestinian IDs are trying to sneak to Jerusalem side through the neighborhood. Border Policemen in patrol cars are catching them. A woman is stopped and sent back, we hear her curses from a distance. A patrol car arrives slowly from the right, a "catch" of some ten laborers with plastic lunch-bags marches meekly behind. Their IDs were already taken by the BP "for inspection". A precious work-day is lost. They will be detained for hours in the side street, waiting for their ID return. The patrol car stops directly in front, on the other side of the valley. We see the boots of the resting Border Policeman sticking out of the window. Noises like gun shots emanate from there, produced by the BP by tapping on a loudspeaker mike "for fun", I am told by Khader. Then a Hebrew song is broad-casted, loud enough to wake the neighborhood. I am told that the BP repertoire includes in addition imitating the muezzin call for prayers, and ejaculations in Arabic such as "Feyn baba?" ("Where is daddy?"). Then the car disappears and we see a seller of bagels, with a tray on his head, running frantically to the other side, followed by some hurrying people. The time crawls. Finally we decide "not today". "Go to rest, man" I suggest to Khader. "Cannot, going to meet a guy from the municipality". We leave to our free world, where houses are not demolished, and people are not hunted on the way to work. Victoria Buch, Jerusalem, Israel * * * * * * PLEASE SEND PROTEST LETTERS AGAINST HOUSE DEMOLITIONS!! --- Sample protest letter, addressees below ----------- Subject: STOP PALESTINIAN HOME DEMOLITIONS! Dear Sir / Madam These days bulldozers are threatening to enter the front yard of homes at Beit Hanina and other Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, demolishing whatever shed is in their way. Why? Because an absurd and discriminative set of complicated and confusing rules, regulations and resident nor-friendly zoning insures that Palestinians must build "illegally" in East Jerusalem. So the authorities may come whenever they want and wherever they want and demolish Palestinian homes. This policy is ignoring the Road Map's clear ruling stated in its Fist Stage that "GOI (Government of Israel) takes no actions undermining trust, including deportations, attack on civilians; confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli construction; destruction of Palestinian institutions and infrastructure; and other measures specified in the Tenet Work Plan." Moreover, this is a humanitarian tragedy, which is well beyond the violation of the Road Map. Stop for a minute and think how would you feel if bulldozers were threatening to demolish your home? What would have felt when they are actually demolishing it? What did your children would have felt? Will it be possible to heal their wounds? Please act urgently to save these homes. Save their inhabitants from the terrible trauma of seeing their homes destroyed and their hopes shattered. Sincerely * * * * * * * The addresses of Israeli and international authorities: email string: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il, webmaster@pmo.gov.il, sar@mofa.gov.il, mayor@jerusalem.muni.il, brsigal@jerusalem.muni.il, aporaz@knesset.gov.il, sar@moin.gov.il,sar@justice.gov.il, president@whitehouse.gov, secretary@state.gov, ecu@un.org, coi@un.org, webadmin.hchr@unog.ch, romano.prodi@cec.eu.int, public.info@consilium.eu.int, info@rhr.israel.net Address details: Israeli Officials: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 Jerusalem 91919, Israel Fax: +972 2 6705475; +972 2 5664838; Tel: 972 2 6705511 E-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il; webmaster@pmo.gov.il Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom sar@mofa.gov.il Mayor Uri Luplianski: Kikar Safra 1, Jerusalem, Israel; Phone: > 972-2-629-7717; Fax: 972--629-6014; mayor@jerusalem.muni.il; brsigal@jerusalem.muni.il Interior Minister Avrahm Poraz Ministry of the Interior; Kiryat Ben Gurion, Kaplan 2, Jerusalem, Israel; aporaz@knesset.gov.il; sar@moin.gov.il; Fax: 972-2-566-6376 Tel: 972-2-670-1402 Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Natan Sharansky Tel. 972-2-6799774, Fax: 972-2-6799775 Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid Tel. 972-2-6466527, Fax. 972 2 6285438, sar@justice.gov.il * * * * * * * American officials: > President George W. Bush COMMENTS: 202-456-1111 FAX: 202-456-2461 Email: president@whitehouse.gov > Secretary of State Colin L. Powell: phone: (202) 647-7098 email * * * * * * * UN Secretary General Kofi Annan : ecu@un.org, or: coi@un.org United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights webadmin.hchr@unog.ch or Fax: +(41-22) 917-9016 * * * * * * * Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission: > romano.prodi@cec.eu.int Council of the European Union: > public.info@consilium.eu.int * * * * * * Rabbis For Human Rights Tel. 972 2 563-7731 Fax. 972 2 566-2815 Mobile 972 50607034 > info@rhr.israel.net Website: rhr.israel.net > For other e-mail addresses see internet sites: US Congress: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/directory/directory.db q?command=congdir US Senate http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm Contact information for European Governments http://europa.eu.int/abc/governments/index_en.html Permanent Missions to the United Nations http://www.un.int/missions/webs.html Many of e-mail addresses of UN missions are formatted as follows: , , , , , etc. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Aug 11 00:04:50 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Military court recommends re-hearing for CO Ben Artzi Message-ID: <3F36CF92.4346.6F31C4@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org {We were considering to pass on a translation of the Refuser Parents press release, but then we saw that the version of Galili in Ha'aretz includes most of it, and more.] Military court recommends re-hearing for draft objector By Lily Galili, Haaretz Correspondent עברית http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/327964.html English: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/327966.html An unexpected twist occurred Sunday in the trial of draft refuser Yonatan Ben-Artzi when a Jaffa military court recommended that he be brought anew to the army's conscience committee. In a well-publicized conscientious objection case, Ben-Artzi, the nephew of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has already served 200 days in military prison after the committee refused in an earlier hearing to recognize him as a pacifist. [Actually, Yoni is already "celebrating" a year in prison. GS] The Jaffa court on Sunday cut off summation discussion and issued its recommendation for Ben-Artzi's re-appearance before the army's conscience committee. It issued this recommendation to the IDF Advocate General after conferring behind closed doors with the prosecutor and defense counsel in the Ben-Artzi case. The Jaffa court opined: "We believe that in light of new materials [that have surfaced]...the army draft board should consider the arguments for a re-hearing" of Ben-Artzi's claims. The court was referring to the testimony of Yonatan Ben-Artzi himself, as well as that of his sister and IDF Colonel Shlomo Simhi, who headed the conscience panel before which Ben-Artzi originally appeared. Ben-Artzi's attorney, Michael Sefarad, said Sunday that he views the court's recommendation as a rebuke of the decision reached by the conscience committee to refuse to grant his client pacifist status. In an appearance before the Jaffa court, Simhi stated that while Ben- Artzi might genuinely believe that he is a conscientious objector, the IDF committee believes otherwise. -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Aug 17 00:36:21 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery column & two Gush Shalom statements in Haaretz Message-ID: <3F3EBFF5.29881.252C8F5@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [Avnery confronts the Defence Minister with a piece of "remembered history", and learned something new himself, about how he unknowingly had once saved the life of Moshe Dayan. Find in the end also the text of two ads published by Gush Shalom.] עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר Uri Avnery 16.8.03 “Hero in War and Peace” Sometimes a single sentence is enough to reveal a person’s mental world and intellectual profundity. Such a sentence was uttered by Shaul Mofaz, the Minister of Defense, some days ago during a visit to the Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip. “With our enemies, it seems, no shortcuts are possible. Egypt made peace with Israel only after it was defeated in the Yom Kippur War. That will happen with the Palestinians, too.” This means that there is no political solution. There is only war, and in this war we must “defeat” the Palestinians. A simple, simplistic, not to say primitive, view. But the revealing sentence is: “Egypt made peace with Israel only after it was defeated in the Yom Kippur War”. Revealing, because it utterly contradicts the almost unanimous view of all the experts in Israel and around the world – historians, Arabists and military commentators. These believe that the exact opposite is true: Anwar Sadat was able to lead Egypt towards peace only because he was admired as the commander who had defeated Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Only after the Egyptian people had won back their national pride were they able to consider peace with the enemy (with us). When the war broke out, the Egyptians did something that amazed the world and shook Israel: they crossed the Suez Canal and overcame the celebrated “Bar-Lev line”. Everybody considered this a brilliant military feat. The stupidity of Israeli army intelligence and the arrogant complacency of Prime Minister Golda Meir allowed the Egyptians to achieve total surprise, destroy a large number of tanks and pin down the Israeli Air force. The Minister of Defense, Moshe Dayan, was in shock and talked about the “destruction of the third Jewish state”. (In traditional Jewish historiography, the first two Jewish states are symbolized by the first and second temple in Jerusalem.) In the course of the war, the tide turned and, in the end, the Israeli army crossed the Canal into Egypt. At the end of the war, Israeli troops were established on the western shore, but large Egyptian forces remained to their rear, on the eastern side. This week a long- delayed official study by the Israeli army was leaked. It declares unequivocally that Israel had “not won that war”. But the professional military analysis is not so important in this context. What is important is how the events appear to the Egyptian consciousness and affect their actions since then. I succeeded in reaching Cairo on the morrow of Sadat’s sensational visit to Jerusalem, and found myself in a city drunk with joy, in some kind of delirious popular carnival. Over the main streets stretched hundreds of slogans celebrating the act of the president. Every commercial corporation felt duty-bound to hang such a slogan with a peace message. The one slogan that outnumbered all others was “Anwar Sadat: Hero of War and Peace”. The Egyptian people would not have supported peace, if they had considered it a surrender to the diktat of an arrogant enemy. Only the crossing of the Canal four years earlier, which Egyptians consider one of the greatest victories in all the 8000 years of their history, enabled them to accept the agreement as a compromise between equals, without loss of honor. Like many other nations, the Egyptians – and all other Arabs – consider national dignity the most important treasure. Perhaps Mofaz should go to Cairo and visit the round building that houses the museum of the Ramadan War (as Arabs call the Yom Kippur War). There he will see an exciting, emotion-laden display of the crossing of the Canal. Every day the place is thronged with people, especially school-children. If one wants to draw a parallel between the Egyptians and the Palestinians, as Mofaz tries to do, the conclusion would be: only after the Palestinians win back their national self-respect, will they be able to make peace with Israel. The first intifada, which Palestinians consider a victorious struggle against the immense might of the Israeli army, allowed them to accept the Oslo agreement. Only the second intifada, which has already proved that the Israeli army cannot subdue the Palestinian uprising, enabled them to accept the Road Map, which is supposed to bring about peace between the Israeli and the coming Palestinian state. On a related topic: On the eve of the thirtieth anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Israeli newspapers are full of revelations about it. Among them is the disclosure that I saved the life of Moshe Dayan. That surprised me, as it would have surprised Dayan, if he were still living. But it appears to be true. The facts are revealed by Amir Porat, the former communication officer and personal confidant of Shmuel Gonen (universally known as “Gorodish”), who was in charge of Southern Command during the war. Later, when the public was looking for a scapegoat for the terrible initial defeat, the main blame was put on Gorodish. He was dismissed from his command and nobody was prepared to listen to his side of the story. All the media boycotted him. This man, who practically overnight had fallen from the height of glory (as one of the heroes of the 1967 Six Day War) to the depths of ignominy, was in despair. He blamed Dayan for the injustice done to him. In the end he made an appointment with him, planning to shoot him and then himself. At the very last moment, one day before the fateful meeting, Haolam Hazeh correspondent Rino Tzror arranged a meeting between us. At the time I was editor-in-chief this newsmagazine, the only medium in the country that was truly independent of the establishment. We had a reputation for supporting the underdog and challenging the powers that be. I talked with him at length. During the whole conversation he toyed with his pistol. Gorodish was very far from my political views, he was a right-wing person, an out-and-out militarist, but I became convinced that the official inquiry into the war had indeed done him a shocking injustice. Therefore I promised to help him getting his side of the story across. He saw that the whole world was not closed to him. Having someone listening to his side of the story and promising to publish it relieved his despair and made him give up the idea of killing Dayan and committing suicide. I published a large article under the headline “The Israeli Dreyfus”. This affair has its ironic side. In the whole of Israel, no one was more opposed to Dayan than I. More than anyone else (except Ben- Gurion and his sidekick, Shimon Peres) Dayan laid down in the 1950s the anti-Arab tracks on which Israel is moving to this very day. In the pages of Haolam Hazeh I attacked him relentlessly, writing hundreds of articles against him, exposing his illegal traffic in stolen archeological finds and his private peccadilloes that endangered the security of the state. And in the end it appears that I saved his life. Back to the main point: The Yom Kippur War did not lead to the “destruction of the third state”, as Dayan had prophesied, but to peace with Egypt, after its national honor had been restored. If Sharon and the army command succeed in disrupting the hudna (truce) and bring about the renewal of the intifada, they will not break the Palestinians, who will refuse to submit. And after large-scale bloodshed, Yasser Arafat will make a speech in the Knesset, as did Sadat, the “Hero of War and Peace”. \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [weekly ad - Haaretz, August 15] WHO MADE THE DECISION? Question: Who gave the order to carry out the “targeted killing” in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, killing four people? And, after that, who gave the order to kill the Jihad militant in Hebron? Everybody knew that these executions would be followed by acts of revenge, and that the hudna (truce) was liable to be shattered. The hudna is like a bicycle: either you move forward or you fall. Instead of taking advantage of the hudna in order to come closer to a political solution, the Sharon government avoids any positive step: it releases prisoners who were about to be release anyhow, leaves hundreds of checkpoints in place and removes three for the cameras, continues to build the Choking Wall and threatens to open the Temple Mount by force. But if the hudna will collapse – who will be blamed? [special ad Haaretz - August 15] TWO STATES – ONE COMMON FUTURE In view of Sharon’s tricks, it is important to state again: There is no solution to the conflict other than the establishment of Israeli-Palestinian peace based on the co-existence of two independent and sovereign states, the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, on either side of the Green Line, with their capitals in Jerusalem. Gush Shalom, one of the pioneers of the idea of “Two States for Two Peoples”, believes that this is the realistic solution for the historic conflict. We reject categorically Sharon’s policy of deceit. He talks about “an end to the occupation” and “a Palestinian state” – when all he means is Palestinian enclaves, cut off from each other, on half the area of the West Bank. We shall continue to fight against the building of the “separation wall” that is designed to realize this aim of the Sharon government. Peace – Not Occupation! Partnership – Not Separation! GUSH SHALOM [your donations help us making statements; send a check to: Gush Shalom, pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 For US, UK, Holland, Germany - ask us for charities in your country] -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Aug 21 01:34:48 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Cycle of bloodshed resumes - press release Message-ID: <3F4413A8.11603.621D95@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press Release, August 20, 2003 [The following is the translation of a press release, sent today by Gush Shalom to the Israeli media]. Cycle of bloodshed resumes The horrifying suicide bombing in Jerusalem, in which dozens of innocent civians were killed and wounded, deserves to be condemned in the sharpest terms. We offer our condolences to all the bereaved families. But it is imposible to avoid also considering how did this come to happen. The renewed cyce of bloodshed has begun with the decision of the political and military echelons to implement - in the middle of the Hudna (cease-fire) - a series of "targeted liquidations", knowing full well that that act would lead to retaliation bombings and to the breaking of the Hudna. The perpetrators of the bombings came from Nablus and Hebron, two cities under full control of the Israeli army, and their deed of blood was committed in West Jerusalem, where the Israeli police is in charge. In none of these places does the Palestinian Authority exercise any measure of real control, and its police has no ability to operate there. The real immediate solution is to remove the IDF from the Palestinian territories and hand over full control to the Palestinian Authority - as was laid out in the Road Map. For more details: Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603 From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Aug 23 03:53:13 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Cosmopolitan justice - Gush Shalom given as example Message-ID: <3F46D719.22305.143B39D@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Not many may have seen yet the book 'Law Against Genocide - Cosmopolitan Trials, by David Hirsh which appeared in April, in London and mentions Gush Shalom on one of the first pages. Hirsh mentions that the emergence of ``cosmopolitan trials'' is the outcome of the general feeling that there should never again be allowed a Holocaust. Mentioning the two kinds of Jewish interpretations of "never again"- never again to Jews, i.e. the reaction of the ultra- nationalist camp in Israel vs. never again to anybody, he takes for the latter the example of the 2002 Gush Shalom warning letters to officers. (You may remember that we wrote to the officers who admitted to violations of International Law and the storm which those warning letters caused.) Without seeing the emerging Cosmopolitan Criminal Law as a sure sign of humanity entering a higher form of civilization, Hirsh doesn't share the scepcticism of those who reject the possibility that any justice could ever come of it and that it's all only serving the interests of the internationally powerful. David Hirsh' message is that certain phenomena, however partial they may remain, do constitute moral "sparks of light," and are providing some new tools in the struggle against the immunity of sovereign states when violating human rights. And indeed, our own warning soldiers that there exist international courts and the shock waves it caused, seem to support that point. In this PhD study the writer describes in detail four different trials: two at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; the London trial of Andrei Sawoniuk in 1999 for crimes during the Holocaust, and the David Irving libel case. Law Against Genocide: Cosmopolitan Trials. Author, David Hirsh. ISBN, 1904385044, Pages, 207 pp. Publication Date, April 2003. Glasshouse Press www.cavendishpublishing.com // To contact the publisher: info@cavendishpublishing.com To contact the author: d.hirsh@gold.ac.uk From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Aug 24 03:41:07 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery on collapse of Hudna/Roadmap Message-ID: <3F4825C3.23193.65F1EEE@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Uri Avnery 23.8.03 A Drug for the Addict It was a putsch. Like any classic putsch, it was carried out by a group of officers: Sharon, Mofaz, Ya'alon and the army top brass. It is no secret that the military party (the only really functioning party in Israel) objected to the hudna (truce) from the first moment, much as it opposed the Road Map. Its powerful propaganda apparatus, which includes all the Israeli media, spread the message: "The hudna is a disaster! Every day of the hudna is a bad day! The reduction of violence to almost zero is a great misfortune: under cover of the truce, the terrorist organizations are recovering and rearming! Every terrorist strike avoided today will hit us much harder tomorrow!" The army command was like an addict deprived of his drug. It was forbidden to carry out the action it wanted. It was just about to crush the intifada, victory was just around the corner, all that was needed was just one final decisive blow, and that would have been that. The military was upset when it saw the new hope that took hold of the Israeli public, the bullish mood of the stock exchange, the rise in value of the shekel, the return of the masses to the entertainment centers, the signs of optimism on both sides. In effect, It was a spontaneous popular vote against the military policy. Ariel Sharon realized that if this went on, reality would overturn his long-term plans. Therefore, right at the beginning of the hudna, he adopted three immediate goals: First, to topple Abu-Mazen as soon as possible. Mahmud Abbas had become the darling of George Bush, a welcome guest at the White House. The unique standing of Sharon in Washington was in danger. The pair Bush-Sharon, which was mutating into a single Busharon unit, was in danger of becoming a triangle: Bush-Sharon-Abbas. There is no greater danger to Sharon's plans. Second, to wipe out the Road Map in its infancy. The Map obliged Sharon to remove immediately about 80 settlement outposts, freeze all settlements, stop the building of the wall and withdraw the army from all West Bank towns. Sharon never dreamt of fulfilling even one of these obligations. Third, to put an end to the hudna and give the army back its freedom of action in all the Palestinian territories. The question was how this could be achieved without a trace of suspicion attaching itself to Sharon. The great majority of Israelis, who had greeted the hudna, could not possibly be allowed to suspect that their own leaders were responsible for extinguishing this glimmer of hope. Even more important, it was imperative that no such pernicious idea should enter the innocent head of the good George W. All the blame must fall on the Palestinians, so that the affection for Abu- Mazen would turn into contempt and hatred. The means for attaining this goal were selected with great care, taking into account the simplistic world of Bush with its Good Guys and Bad Guys. The Bad Guys are the terrorists. Therefore, it was advisable to kill Hamas and Jihad militants. That would not upset Bush. In the eyes of the President, to kill terrorists is a Good Thing. And as a result, the Palestinians would be compelled to break the hudna. This is how it happened: On August 8, Israeli soldiers killed two Hamas militants in Nablus. But the retaliation was restrained: on August 12, a Hamas suicide bomber killed one Israeli in Rosh-Ha'ayin and another bomber killed one person in the Ariel settlement. Both suicide bombers came from Nablus. Hamas announced that the hudna would continue. On August 14, the Israeli army killed Muhammad Seeder, head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron. Five days later, on August 19, a suicide bomber from Hebron blew himself up in a Jerusalem bus, killing 20 men, women and children. Two days later, on August 21, the army assassinated Isma'il Abu-Shanab, the fourth ranking leader of Hamas. This time it was not even possible even to pin on the victim the appellation "ticking bomb", as is usual in such cases. The man was a well-known political leader. Why was he of all people chosen for assassination? A military correspondent on Israeli TV made a slip of the tongue: Abu-Shanab was killed, he said, because he was "available". Meaning, he was an easy target because he did not go underground after the bus bombing, as did the leaders of the military wing. This time, at long last, the aim was achieved. The Palestinian organizations announced that they were calling off the hudna. Sharon and Co. rejoiced. Within hours the Israeli army had again penetrated into the centers of the Palestinian towns, starting an orgy of arrests and house demolitions (more than 40 in a single day). The addict leapt for the drug. His crisis was over, the officers could do all the things they had been prevented from doing for nine long weeks. But the situation will not revert to the status quo ante intifada, so to speak. The attacks and killings will be more numerous and more cruel. The construction of the Wall deep in the Palestinian territories will be accelerated, along with the building activity in the settlements. The army propaganda machine is already preparing the public for the "expulsion of Arafat". "Expulsion" is a euphemism produced by the "verbal laundry" section of the army, one of its most creative departments. The intention is not to expel the leader from his Ramallah compound, nor from Palestine, but from this world. The reaction of the Palestinians and the whole Arab world can be predicted. It would be a historic point of no return, perhaps eliminating the chances of peace for generations. And the Americans? Never has the Bush administration looked so pathetic as here and now. The unfortunate Colin Powell arouses compassion with his stuttering and his emissary, John Wolf, a wolf without teeth, will go the way of all his predecessors. After the implosion of the new order in Afghanistan and the classic guerilla war now engulfing the universally hated occupation regime in Iraq, the collapse of the Road Map will put an end to any presidential pretensions. It is much easier to have one's picture taken in the uniform of a glorious victor with a background of army extras than to steer the ship of state. The renewal of the cycle of violence will, of course, exacerbate the economic depression in Israel. The crisis will deepen. Together with the hudna and the Road Map, tourism, foreign investment and the recovery will also die. The economy, too, is an addict who needs his drug: nine billion dollars in US government loan guarantees are waiting for Sharon in Washington. That should be enough for the political and military elite. Only the poor will become poorer. But who cares? All this is being done without consulting the Israeli public. There is no open discussion, no debate in the tame media, the silent Knesset and the cabinet of marionettes. That's what makes it a putsch. To sum up: The road Map is dead, because Sharon was against it from the beginning, Bush saw it only as a photo opportunity on a nice background and Abu-Mazen did not get from Israel and the US anything that he could present as a Palestinian achievement. What will happen now? After the shedding of yet more blood and many tears, the two peoples will arrive once more at the conviction that it is better to come to an agreement and make peace. Then they will be compelled to learn the lesson of the last chapter: It must all start from the end. Only after the picture of the final settlement clearly emerges can one deal with the immediate problems. Anything else would be a road map to the abyss. -- The last few months through the eyes of "The Other Israel" - the August-September issue is out. 28 pages with political analysis, Mes'ha camp, refusers putting the occupation on trial, and a lot of action news. Free sample (if you didn't yet get one) from otherisr@actcom.co.il -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) //==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==// [from the Coalition Against The Wall] Invitation to sign the Petition Against The Apartheid Wall that Israel is constructing in the Occupied Territories Now, when the Palestinians are engaging in nonviolent protests against this unjust wall (which will bring no security to Israel), we—Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals of the Mas’ha Peace Camp—ask you to help stop construction, NOW. (The building of the Apartheid Wall in the Occupied Territories is now at a critical stage. The completed sections of the wall have already caused considerable suffering to the Palestinian population. Homes have been demolished, thousands of olive trees uprooted, acres upon acres of land have been expropriated, roads have been destroyed--all to make way for this monster.) Add your voices to the Petition against construction of the Wall. Read and sign the petition on: stopthewall.org.il/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?_conf=petition //==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==//==// -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Aug 30 20:18:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] STOP LIQUIDATIONS - Vigil on Wednesday + more ... Message-ID: <3F50F868.4176.6BAE513@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] STOP LIQUIDATIONS - Vigil in Tel-Aviv on Wednesday [] Gush ad against the liquidiation policy - Ha'aretz, Friday - August 29 articles [] First of All - the Wall must Fall! / Uri Avnery [] A Failed Israeli Society Collapses While Its Leaders Remain Silent [] How to obtain The Wall Brochure \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] STOP LIQUIDATIONS - Vigil in Tel-Aviv on Wednesday TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF BLOODSHED TO STOP THE LIQUIDIATIONS Protest vigil, Wednesday Sept. 3, at 6am Where? Opposite the Defence Ministry, in Tel-Aviv  We all know it – why do we remain silent? The “liquidations” executed by the army in Nablus and Hebron resulted in the collapse of the Hudna and the terrible terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Since then, the Israeli government continues with constantly new assassinations in the Gaza Strip. Like a promaniac fireman who pours petrol on the fire instead of water – under the personal supervision of Prime Minister Sharon. A whole country lives in the tense expectation of the inevitable next terrorist attack, after which there will be new assassinations and thus the cycle of bloodshed spirals on and on. The proposal of the Palestinian Authority to renew the cease-fire was rejected out of hand by our government which continues to add provocation to provocation, such as mass demolition of Palestinian houses, demonstrative inauguration of new settlement extensions, and the opening of the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors (while preventing access to millions of Muslim worshipers). In the papers are published openly and unashamedly plans for further escalation, such as the large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip and the “deportation” (to the next world?) of Palestinian president Yasser Arafat. It’s time to raise our voice. See you there. [] Gush ad against the liquidiation policy - Ha'aretz, Friday - August 29 THE PYROMANIAC FIREFIGHTER The daily assassinations will cause the whole country to go up in flames. Every assassination invites a suicide bombing. Sharon is a firefighter who pours gasoline instead of water on a burning house. Gush Shalom pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 [] First of All - the Wall must Fall! / Uri Avnery "First of All - the Wall must Fall!" Uri Avnery, 30.8.03 This slogan was born spontaneously, opposite the Wall in Kalkiliya, at the place where it becomes a fence and turns east, penetrating deep into Palestinian territory. On the other side of the wall the Palestinians were demonstrating. We were looking for a short rhyme to broadcast by megaphone. A common effort brought forth the seven words that carry the whole message. True, this is not the wall of Jericho that could be destroyed by the sounding of trumpets. The people who are building this obstacle want it to stand for eternity, much as "united" Jerusalem is the "eternal capital of Israel". The Israeli Right has no concept of a period of time less than eternity. But among Israeli Leftist there are also some who believe that the wall has created an "irreversible" situation. Not me. Because I remember other "irreversible" situations. And other "eternities", too. Our Wall is frequently being compared to the Berlin Wall. Visually and politically, this is a reasonable comparison. Also because the "Berlin Wall" was not only an urban monstrosity. It was part of the German section of the Iron Curtain, cutting all of Germany into two and extending from the Baltic Sea in the north to the border of Czechoslovakia in the south - almost a thousand km, approximately the same as the planned length of Sharon's monster. In Germany, too, it was a huge obstacle, a combination of walls and fences, watchtowers and firing positions, "death zones" and patrol paths. It divided the country, scarred the landscape and separated parents from children. An awesome monster, arousing fear and loathing, a symbol of power and finality. Especially finality. Everyone who saw it felt that this was a point of no return in German history, that the separation was eternal, that there was no point fighting against it. Indeed, serious politicians based their policy on the wall's permanency. Leftists and Rightists resigned themselves to the fact. No serious commentator questioned it. The situation was "irreversible". And then, one day, like a completely unforeseen eruption of a volcano, it just happened. The terrible wall disappeared, as if by itself. A communist minister made a slip of the tongue, the police had a moment of indecision, a crowd gathered - and the "irreversible" became eminently "reversible". The situation had changed. Like the dinosaurs, the terrible monster disappeared from the earth. (Some time before that I drove from West Germany to Berlin. I had to pass a DDR border station. Vopos (Volkspolizei) with hard faces and raw commands: "Your passport! Sit there! Wait!" No "please", "thank you" or "excuse me". Like the Nazis in Hollywood movies. Same uniform, same peaked caps. same behavior, same everything. Some days after the fall of the wall I passed there again. The same policemen were still there, but they were unrecognizable. Smiles from ear to ear. Unbounded civility. Please, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Would you please, Sir. Just a moment, Sir. Obviously not only walls are reversible, people are reversible, too.) There is, of course, an important distinction between the German and the Israeli wall. East Germany had a border fixed by international agreement (between the Soviet Union and the Western allies at the end of World War II). The wall was built entirely on this line. Its path was self-evident. But here there is no agreement, no border, no self-evident path. Everything is determined by anonymous planners. It is easy to imagine them sitting in their air-conditioned offices, a map spread out before them. A very special map, because it shows only Jewish settlements and bypass roads. The Palestinian towns and villages do not appear on it at all. As if the ethnic cleansing, that so many in Israel (and in the Sharon government) are longing for, had already happened. That is what's so special about this Wall: it is inhuman. The planners have completely ignored the existence of (non-Jewish) human beings. They took into account hills and valleys, settlements and bypass roads. But they totally ignored the Palestinian neighborhoods and villages, their inhabitants and their fields. As if they did not exist. And so the Wall stands between children and their school, between students and their university, between patients and their doctor, between parents and their children, between villages and their wells, between peasants and their fields. Like a big armored bulldozer that crashes into a village and crushes and destroys everything in its path without faltering, the Wall cuts thousands of the thin threads that constitute the fabric of people's daily lives, as if they weren't there. For the planners, these lives simply do not exist. The country is empty of non- Jews. At the beginning of the 21st century they act in accordance to the Zionist slogan that was current at the end of the 19th : "A land without a people for a people without a land". Indeed, the idea of the wall is rooted deep in the Zionist consciousness and has accompanied it right from the beginning. In his book "Der Judenstaat" that gave birth to the modern Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl was already writing: "In Palestine we shall constitute a part of the wall of Europe against Asia…an outpost of culture against barbarism." More than a hundred years later, Sharon's wall expresses exactly the same outlook. Outsiders won't understand this. Yasser Arafat told me this week that Abu- Mazen, on his recent visit to the United States, showed President Bush a map of the Wall. Bush was shocked. He shook the map before the Vice President, Dick Cheney, and cried: "What's this? Where is the Palestinian State?" By its very existence the wall seems to express power. It announces: "We are mighty. We can do whatever we want. We shall imprison the Palestinians in little enclaves and cut them off from the world." But that is make-believe. In reality, the Wall expresses ancient Jewish fears. In the Middle Ages, the Jews surrounded themselves with walls in order to feel safe, long before they were obliged to live in ghettoes. A State that surrounds itself with a Wall is nothing but a ghetto-state. A strong ghetto, for sure, an armed ghetto, a ghetto that frightens everybody in the neighborhood, - but a ghetto, nevertheless, that feels save only behind walls and barbed wire and watchtowers. We shall not achieve peace unless we overcome this ghetto mentality. And first of all, we must get rid of the Wall. [] A Failed Israeli Society Collapses While Its Leaders Remain Silent Avraham Burg - {HYPERLINK "http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.08.29/oped3.html"}http://www.f orward.com/issues/2003/03.08.29/oped3.html [] How to obtain The Wall Brochure On the Gush Shalom website you have been updated about the reality and further plans for the Separation Wall. But did you already see: The brochure about The Wall Hebrew or English including maps (hardcopy) 5 Shekel each - which amounts to US$1.10 (from ten up: US$1 each) We accept postal orders from 50 Shekel (US$10) and up. For oversea's sending we have to ask an additional US$8 (US$3 bank fees, + US$5 postal expenses. For orders of US$50 and up, no need to add the $8. Special conditions for bulk distribution of the Hebrew version; please phone to the Gush answering machine 03-5221732 and leave your number. Send a check in your own currency (or cash wrapped well in an extra piece of paper) with your order to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel If you live overseas and only want one brochure, then, please, send us cash (NB!) US$2 or equivalent in your own currency and include a self- addresses airmail envelope (the elongated type). -- The last few months through the eyes of "The Other Israel" - the August-September issue is out. 28 pages with political analysis, Mes'ha camp, refusers putting the occupation on trial, and a lot of action news. Free sample (if you didn't yet get one) from otherisr@actcom.co.il -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- [from the Coalition Against The Wall] Invitation to sign the Petition Against The Apartheid Wall that Israel is constructing in the Occupied Territories Now, when the Palestinians are engaging in nonviolent protests against this unjust wall (which will bring no security to Israel), we—Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals of the Mas’ha Peace Camp—ask you to help stop construction, NOW. (The building of the Apartheid Wall in the Occupied Territories is now at a critical stage. The completed sections of the wall have already caused considerable suffering to the Palestinian population. Homes have been demolished, thousands of olive trees uprooted, acres upon acres of land have been expropriated, roads have been destroyed--all to make way for this monster.) Add your voices to the Petition against construction of the Wall. Read and sign the petition on: stopthewall.org.il/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?_conf=petition -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Sep 4 00:02:15 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] -> Liquidation -> Terrorist Attack -> Liquidation -> Terrorist Attack -> Liquidation -> Terrorist Attack -> Message-ID: <3F5672F7.21132.197A4A7@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Tel-Aviv, Sept 3, 2003 International release . -> Liquidation -> Terrorist Attack -> Liquidation -> Terrorist Attack -> The passers-by on their way home in Tel-Aviv's Kaplan Street between 6 and 7 saw opposite the Defence Ministry a series of round signs with the words "Liquidation" and "Terrorist Attack" chasing each other in a merry go round. Under it one big banner: "Occupation is Terror." The people holding these signs: a few dozen Gush Shalom activists of mostly respectable age, Uri Avnery among them who celebrates next week his eightieth birthday and several other senior activists of different backgrounds - such as Teddy Katz and Latif Dori (Meretz), Yoram Gozanski (Communists) and the revolutionary adv. Yossi Schwartz who had especially come from Jerusalem. [Where were the young people, who mostly join such actions? Only a few showed up. It turned out that there had been some lack of coordination: exactly at the time of our protest against the liquidation policy another protest took place, also in Tel-Aviv and partly drawing from the same circles - a protest against the abominable behavior of the government towards migrant workers (it had been publicly declared that their children would be detained and deported). The protest had been organized by the migrant workers, and they invited Israelis to join in - too late for either one to make changes.] Meanwhile, those who were there noticed an interesting phenomenon. The Gush Shalom signs described above were rather shocking for some, but the majority of the people reacted friendly - some making even special efforts from their vehicles to shout support: "Thank you for doing this!" "Does this help", asked one of the newer faces among the protesters. "Whether it will help one never knows; perhaps a few people who see us will start thinking, perhaps not. But still one thing is sure: worse than holding a small powerless vigil against a big evil is to stay home and not even shout." -- On the Gush Shalom website you have been updated about the reality and further plans for the Separation Wall. But did you already see: The brochure about The Wall Hebrew or English including maps (hardcopy) 5 Shekel each - which amounts to US$1.10 (from ten up: US$1 each) We accept postal orders from 50 Shekel (US$10) and up. For oversea's sending we have to ask an additional US$8 (US$3 bank fees, + US$5 postal expenses. For orders of US$50 and up, no need to add the $8. Special conditions for bulk distribution of the Hebrew version; please phone to the Gush answering machine 03-5221732 and leave your number. Send a check in your own currency (or cash wrapped well in an extra piece of paper) with your order to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel If you live overseas and only want one brochure, then, please, send us cash (NB!) US$2 or equivalent in your own currency and include a self- addresses airmail envelope (the elongated type). -- The last few months through the eyes of "The Other Israel" - the August-September issue is out. 28 pages with political analysis, Mes'ha camp, refusers putting the occupation on trial, and a lot of action news. Free sample (if you didn't yet get one) from otherisr@actcom.co.il -- A map of the separation wall: http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/hebrew.html (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/thewall/index.html (English) -- [from the Coalition Against The Wall] Invitation to sign the Petition Against The Apartheid Wall that Israel is constructing in the Occupied Territories Now, when the Palestinians are engaging in nonviolent protests against this unjust wall (which will bring no security to Israel), we—Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals of the Mas’ha Peace Camp—ask you to help stop construction, NOW. (The building of the Apartheid Wall in the Occupied Territories is now at a critical stage. The completed sections of the wall have already caused considerable suffering to the Palestinian population. Homes have been demolished, thousands of olive trees uprooted, acres upon acres of land have been expropriated, roads have been destroyed--all to make way for this monster.) Add your voices to the Petition against construction of the Wall. Read and sign the petition on: stopthewall.org.il/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?_conf=petition -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and an archive full of interesting documents N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. To get more of the forwarded reports and announcements which we receive from other organizations + a selection of English-language articles, send one blank mail to: TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Sep 5 18:51:51 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [fwd] Uri 80 - for the Israelis - a reminder; for others - just to let you know Message-ID: <3F58CD37.4517.E48CE1@localhost> [We gladly pass on the following initiative of a group of "peace friends". For the Israelis who got earlier the invitation in Hebrew it's a reminder; for the sympathizers abroad - just fyi.] ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: תדי כץ ...the lad has actually turned 80! You Are Cordially Invited to an Evening in Honor of Uri Avnery on his 80th (believe it or not!) birthday Participating in the event are Shulamit Aloni Ahmed Tibi Loba Eliav Alex Massis Ziad Abu-Ziad Amnon Zichroni Yitzhak Livni Sirhan Salaimeh Haim Baram Adam Keller Providing the vocal fare: Aviv Gefen Moderating the affair: Amikam Gurevitch Additionally, a sreening of select segments of Uri’s life: Shahaf Haber and Nadav Harel Place: Tzavta, Auditorium no. 1 When: Tuesday, September 9, ‏2003 Time: 20:30 Tickets (to cover the costs) 40.00 shekel Everyone is Invited to Come and Celebrate the Event "...the lad has actually turned 80!" From info at gush-shalom.org Sat Sep 6 20:32:55 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Abu-Mazen Resignation Victory for Sharon / Arafat's Life in Danger Message-ID: <3F5A3667.21275.4D79308@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press Release Sept. 6, 2003 עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = Gush Shalom: Abu-Mazen's Resignation is a Victory for Sharon Arafat's Life is in Immediate Danger! = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = The resignation of Abu-Mazen (Mahmud Abbas) is a great victory for Ariel Sharon. >From the beginning, Sharon intended to topple Abu-Mazen. It was obvious that President Bush's has taken a liking to this Palestinian leader, and this endangered Sharon's exclusive status in the White House. Therefore it was Sharon's aim to bring about the political elimination of Abu-Mazen in a way calculated to put the blame on Yasser Arafat. Thus Sharon hoped to kill two birds with one stone: safeguard his exclusive influence on Bush and prepare the way for the elimination of Arafat. Abu-Mazen's position has become impossible. He got nothing at all from Sharon and Bush, except the release of a bunch of Palestinian criminals and an increase of the number of Palestinians workers in Israel - as required by the Israeli economy. Apart from that, not one of the "painful concessions" promised by Sharon has been delivered. On the contrary: the "targeted eliminations" have been accelerated, as well as the building of the Wall and the enlargement of the settlement. President Bush has provided nothing but nice words. Apparently, after the photo opportunity on the shores of the Red Sea' he has lost interest. There is an immediate danger that Sharon may exploit the new situation in order to kill Arafat, under the pretext that something happened to him during an operation to deport him abroad. The chief of Army Intelligence, General Amos Gilad, has hinted as much on Israeli TV. Gush Shalom calls on all peace forces in Israel and abroad to do everything possible to prevent the implementation of this plot, which may cause untold harm to both peoples. P.S.: Just as this goes, was announced the attempted assassination by IDF helicopter of the Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin, illustrating that Sharon continues to pour petrol on the fire. For Sharon, involved in a corruption scandal, there seems not yet to be fire enough. For {HYPERLINK "../roadmap/index.html"}a detailed analysis of Sharons violations of the Road Map: http://www.gush-shalom.org/roadmap/index.html For more information: Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603 From otherisr at actcom.co.il Thu Sep 11 08:57:20 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:04 2004 Subject: Demonstrations and protest actions in Israel Message-ID: <3F602AE0.20298.4B6B1C7@localhost> The Israeli-Palestinian joint demonstration at Kalandia Checkpoint, which was planned for this Saturday, is cancelled due to the extremely tense situation in the Ramallah region. Following are several actions which do take place. In addition, we know that Peace Now is considering an emergency action - we will give detailas when they are available. 1) The Assasinations policy kills us all - protest vigils in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. 2) Cease fire now - Gush Shalom ad. 3) Women against the seperation wall. 4) Water convoy to the Negev. ----------------------------------------------- 1) The Assasinations policy kills us all - protest vigils in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. We will demonstrate today, Thursday, at 6:00 PM In Tel Aviv, in front of Ministry of Defense (Kaplan st.) In Jerusalem, in front of the Prime Minister Office (Government compound) We urge all individuals and organizations to join us. Please bring with you appropriate signs, and all your friends. This action is initiated by Ta'ayush and joined by Gush Shalom. All other groups and organizations are welcome to join in. Facing the determination of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Government and the Hamas to kill all of us, and in light of the silence and consent in which the killing and the horrors are accepted, with no protest, we, Arabs and Jews, will demonstrate tomorrow against the assassination policy, against the killing of civilians, against the occupation and for sanity, peace, equality and security for the two peoples. We have been silent long enough and sunk into despair. If we did nothing after Saturday, we cannot sit still anymore. Each assassination leads to a bomb attack, each bomb attack leads to the next assassination. Killing causes more killing, violence brings about more hate, despair and death. We will not be thousands, but this isn't a reason to stay at home: we must make our voice be heard. Together, it can be loud. For further inquiries: Tel Aviv: Ronen 067-579509 Wiam 054-739982 Jerusalem: Yigal 067-399001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) Cease fire now - Gush Shalom ad CEASE FIRE – NOW! Stop the “liquidations”. Stop the suicide bombings! This is murder and that is murder. This is terror and that is terror. Give Abu-Ala a chance! Arrange a cease-fire at once! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. { HYPERLINK http://www.gush-shalom.org }www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: { HYPERLINK mailto:info@gush-shalom.org }info@gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom ad to be published in Ha'aretz, Fraidy Sept. 12. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Women against the seperation wall AN ETHICAL, POLITICAL PROTEST TUESDAY, 16 SEPT, MORNING EAST JERUSALEM - ABU-DIS Israeli women. {Palestinians and Jews}, working against the wall, will set out on Tuesday morning to the building site in Abu- Dis in order to document and protest the work being done there. Please bring with you other women and also writing accessories, cameras {of all kinds}, tape-recorders, field glasses and other equipment for documentation. For further information. As to exact time and meeting point pls. Call: Tsilli : 056-403429 Lily : 053-966281 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Water convoy to the Negev  The Bedouins are Thirsty - for Water and for Recognition  JOIN US!  We are organizing a WATER CONVOY to the Negev, to show our disdain with the government's policies of non-recognition and withholding of basic services.  There are still 70,000 citizens of Israelliving in45 officially unrecognized villages in our Negev.  These villagers still do not receive any basic services - no electricity, no running water, no sewage system, no garbage collection...  Electricity, for those who can afford it, is supplied by generator a couple of hours in the evening. Water - is still collected at collection points and transported to the villages by tractors... sewage and garbage, well...  The government is withholding these basic services for the last 50 years, and continues to do so in order to pressure the Bedouins into urban dwellings, in contradiction to all their cultural ideals and life style. There is no goodwill from the government to negotiate a reasonable compromise, only the policy of withholding minimal services and of house demolitions.  we will drive in a convoy with water tanks to the Negev; set up a water provision spot where the villagers will fill their water tanks to take back to their villages; talk to the residents of the unrecognized villages; we will then share food and listen to short lectures, and then music. The evening will end at about 19:30.  Our timetable:  Friday, Sept 19th: 13:30: leaving Tel Aviv, train station, and Jerusalem Gan Hapamon 14:30:Meeting of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem convoys atKastina 16:00:Meeting upwith the Negev residentsat Shoket Junction (by McDonalds) 16:30:Arrival at Tel Arad - the village we are visiting. 17:30:light meal, lectures and music. 19:30: leaving for home.  What to bring:  1. Friends and Family! 2. We will be providing some of the supper. Please bring fruit, or anything else to add to this meal. Make sure to have enough foodto last you until supper. 3. Warm clothes! A sweater - it is cold in the Arad area in the evenings. 4. Decorate your car with appropriate slogans! We want to promote awareness to the lack of services, and in particular water, in the unrecognised villages. Some 'decoration material' will be provided at the starting points. Suggestions for slogans (they appear in Hebrew in the Hebrew part of this invitation):  The Bedouins are thirsty for water and for recognition Thirst for recognition in the Negev Stop the house demolitions in the Negev The Bedouins too are citizens of Israel and our name:Forum Hakara.  for information on carpooling and transportation: Amos 09 9523261 for all else: Yeela 051 701118  Thisconvoy is organized by Forum Hakara, with the help of "Beyahad" Forum. Forum Hakara is a coalition ofhuman rights organizations and peace organizations which includes the following: The Association of Forty, Bustan HaShalom, The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, The Negev Coexistence Forum, New Profile, Rabbis for Human Rights, Village committees of various Unrecognized Villages and Ta'ayush. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From otherisr at actcom.co.il Fri Sep 12 19:41:46 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: "They have decided upon cold-blooded murder" Message-ID: <3F62136A.29354.C2B38CD@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press Release Sept. 6, 2003 עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = "They have decided upon cold-blooded murder" = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = Gush Shalom press release, 12/9/2003 "The government of Israel has tonight resolved to committ a cold- blooded murder, with the implementation deferred - the cold blooded murder of the elected president of the Palestinians. Let there be no mistake about it. Let no one be fooled by the talk of 'deportation'. There is no intention that Arafat will susrvive the enecounter with Sharon's soldiers. I know Sharon, I have followed his career for decades, ever since he was a young commando officer carrying out brutal cross- border raids. He has not changed in any essential, only in the amount of power held in his hands. He means to do it, he means to kill Arafat. He will watch for his chance, wait for a moment when the Amercians look elsewhere - and then he will pounce." That was the immediate response by Uri Avnery, former member of the Israeli Parliament and est Member and veteran activist of Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc). "The cabinet ministers of the Government of Israel have tonight adopted an ominous, criminal decision, whose implementation would entail rivers of shed blood - far beyond all the horrors we have already seen in the past three years. The effects will spread far beyoond the confies of this country - throughout the region and the world. The ministers who raised their hands for this infamous resolution will never be able to sheke of responsibily for what they have done". Avnery - spry and energetic, two days after his eightieth birthday had been marked at hundreds of political and personal friends packing the Tzavta Hall in Tel-Aviv - said these ominous words at the peak of an hours-long vigil opposite the gates of the defence minstry in Tel-Aviv, the place Sharon had chosen to gather the members of his Inner Cabinet. For hours we have been tensely waiting - more than a hundred Tel-Avivian activists of Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush and smaller groups, among them also the former KM Tamar Gozansli, as well as a similar number of Jerusalemites at a simultaneous vigil outside the Prime Minster's office - until we heard the cabinet's ominous decision on a squeking small transistor radio. Israeli peace activists seem doomed to spend a disportionate portion of their lives on that dismal small parking lot, coming again and again to manifest protest at ever more outrageous acts of the government and army - but this time was different. This time we had the knowlege that in one of the official buildings behind the fence on the other side of the street, a small group of men was at that very moment gathered to take life-and-death decisions - and we, whose own lives might be directly affeted, had no confidence whatsoever in their motives or their judgement. This lent an extra eletric quality to the atmosphere, the feeling of being actors in in vast tragedy - an extra poignancy to the ongoing chanting from young and not-so-young throats: "Sharon, Mofaz and Ya'alon -terrorists in power!" / "All the minsters - are war criminals!" / "Down with the occupation!" / "Sharon, Sharon, the Hague is waiting for you!" / " Jewish - Arab Brotherhood!" / "Peace Yes - Occuption NO, NO, NO!". Oveall fluttered a big banner bering a long series of words: Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>..... And now what? The Americans blocked Sharon from sending his troops into the Palestinian presidential compound ialready last night - as according to some press accounts he planned to do. But how much reliance can be placed on the Bush Administaration - which itself engaged more than once in adventurous, ill-considered and ill-fated decisions? For us, at least, the immediate idea is to organise a visit of our own to Arafat's compound - not a visitation of death and destruction such as Sharon is planning, but a visit of solidarity, of belief in the peace between this land's two peoples, a peace which is still possible and which is more then ever a vital need. Stay tuned for further developments (for further info call Uri Avnery +972-50-306440). Meanwhile, following is a chilling and inspiring message which we got from Yithchak Frankenthal, coordiantor of the Parents' Crircle - a group of Israelis and Palestinians who all lost loved ones in the ongoing violence, and are dedicated to try and put an end to it. Date sent: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 18:07:55 +0200 From: Anat Subject: Hillel Cafe It is now 11:59 PM, half an hour after the suicide bombing at Hillel Cafe. Just the night before, my wife and I and two of our friends were sitting at the Cafe until around 11:40 PM. The place was packed. I can now hear the sirens of the ambulances racing through the streets of Jerusalem. I cannot get the images out of my head; images of severed arms, decapitated heads, people with nails and pieces or iron stuck in their bodies, broken tables, the cake and sandwich bar shattered into thousands of pieces. What happened to the sweet waitress who was serving us? What happened to the young bus boy? We were sitting in the middle of the room; all those people came there for a good time and were carried out in coffins. Is the high ceiling still in place? The glass wall shattered into millions of shards, covering body parts and swimming in the blood that spilled on the floor like water. Shema Israel, hear O Israel, we pray - but Israel is not listening. And I feel empty inside, asking myself which of my friends and neighbors were at the Caf? today? I am thinking about the people holding their coffee cups when the bomb went off, and how they were lucky if the shatters only got in their eyes and did not kill them. I think of the man biting into his sandwich not knowing that this would be his last bite ever; about the piles of human bodies flying in the air into one another; about the severed arm thrust into the young woman still seated at her table, but she feels nothing - she is either in shock or simply dead. I see how tables are blown by the blast, hitting the guests, and how in the fireball human flesh mixes with freshly-served cheese; and the smell, the smell of explosives and burnt human flesh blending into one; and the quiet after the blast, and the cries of pain and shock, the shock that comes after the quiet. I think of the victory that the Chief of Staff has announced two months ago, saying we have beaten the Palestinians, and I my heart weep: how could my army chief of staff be such a fool? I think of the folly of the politicians who are leading us from one catastrophe to the next, and I think about how the people keep silent. Has everyone forgotten? Adonai eloheinu - the Lord is our G-od, not Greater Israel. I know the painful truth. The body count will continue, because our political leaders are petty little people. So full of themselves, they are clueless about conflict resolution; they slay Palestinians and expect them to exercise restraint. These wise men believe that the occupation can continue; these glorious generals have for there years now been "letting the IDF win," as the slogan goes; they may be seasoned soldiers, but they are absolutely ignorant in conflict resolution. They believe that by using terror to counter terror they can give us security. They believe that they can devastate the infrastructure of Palestinian leadership and government and at the same time stop militias from wreaking chaos. They have for two years now been pronouncing Arafat "irrelevant", but what does that make of former defense minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer, of former prime minister Ehud Barak and of the incumbent, Ariel Sharon? Are they any more relevant than he? How long will it take us to wake up from this ongoing folly? How many more body bags will it take? Adonai ehad - G-od is the only unshakeable truth, not any political creed. The beauty of Israel is slain upon the Messianic pipedream - how long shall the petty leaders of this nation triumph? It is now the morning after, and I have just learned that Dr. Appelboim was killed, along with his daughter who was to get married tonight. I knew this wonderful, special man. My heart bleeds for him; it was only two months ago that we had a chat and even argued over my political views. How painful and despairing it is to see more blood being shed in vain. The young bride, excited to start a family with her betrothed, is forever married in a blood wedding to her father. They will lie side by side, as the silence of all eternity quashes the joyful sounds of the wedding that will never be. Shema Israel, yitgadal, veyitkadash shem? raba - hear O Israel, exalted and sanctified be the name of the great Sovereign - these are the words of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer recited over every freshly-dug grave. Shame on you, leaders of the nations. Yitzhak Frankenthal, father of Arik, who was killed because there is no peace. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From otherisr at actcom.co.il Fri Sep 12 19:41:46 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: "They have decided upon cold-blooded murder" Message-ID: <3F62136A.20908.C2B3986@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press Release Sept. 6, 2003 עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = "They have decided upon cold-blooded murder" = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = Gush Shalom press release, 12/9/2003 "The government of Israel has tonight resolved to committ a cold- blooded murder, with the implementation deferred - the cold blooded murder of the elected president of the Palestinians. Let there be no mistake about it. Let no one be fooled by the talk of 'deportation'. There is no intention that Arafat will susrvive the enecounter with Sharon's soldiers. I know Sharon, I have followed his career for decades, ever since he was a young commando officer carrying out brutal cross- border raids. He has not changed in any essential, only in the amount of power held in his hands. He means to do it, he means to kill Arafat. He will watch for his chance, wait for a moment when the Amercians look elsewhere - and then he will pounce." That was the immediate response by Uri Avnery, former member of the Israeli Parliament and est Member and veteran activist of Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc). "The cabinet ministers of the Government of Israel have tonight adopted an ominous, criminal decision, whose implementation would entail rivers of shed blood - far beyond all the horrors we have already seen in the past three years. The effects will spread far beyoond the confies of this country - throughout the region and the world. The ministers who raised their hands for this infamous resolution will never be able to sheke of responsibily for what they have done". Avnery - spry and energetic, two days after his eightieth birthday had been marked at hundreds of political and personal friends packing the Tzavta Hall in Tel-Aviv - said these ominous words at the peak of an hours-long vigil opposite the gates of the defence minstry in Tel-Aviv, the place Sharon had chosen to gather the members of his Inner Cabinet. For hours we have been tensely waiting - more than a hundred Tel-Avivian activists of Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush and smaller groups, among them also the former KM Tamar Gozansli, as well as a similar number of Jerusalemites at a simultaneous vigil outside the Prime Minster's office - until we heard the cabinet's ominous decision on a squeking small transistor radio. Israeli peace activists seem doomed to spend a disportionate portion of their lives on that dismal small parking lot, coming again and again to manifest protest at ever more outrageous acts of the government and army - but this time was different. This time we had the knowlege that in one of the official buildings behind the fence on the other side of the street, a small group of men was at that very moment gathered to take life-and-death decisions - and we, whose own lives might be directly affeted, had no confidence whatsoever in their motives or their judgement. This lent an extra eletric quality to the atmosphere, the feeling of being actors in in vast tragedy - an extra poignancy to the ongoing chanting from young and not-so-young throats: "Sharon, Mofaz and Ya'alon -terrorists in power!" / "All the minsters - are war criminals!" / "Down with the occupation!" / "Sharon, Sharon, the Hague is waiting for you!" / " Jewish - Arab Brotherhood!" / "Peace Yes - Occuption NO, NO, NO!". Oveall fluttered a big banner bering a long series of words: Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>Liquidation>Suicide Bombing>..... And now what? The Americans blocked Sharon from sending his troops into the Palestinian presidential compound ialready last night - as according to some press accounts he planned to do. But how much reliance can be placed on the Bush Administaration - which itself engaged more than once in adventurous, ill-considered and ill-fated decisions? For us, at least, the immediate idea is to organise a visit of our own to Arafat's compound - not a visitation of death and destruction such as Sharon is planning, but a visit of solidarity, of belief in the peace between this land's two peoples, a peace which is still possible and which is more then ever a vital need. Stay tuned for further developments (for further info call Uri Avnery +972-50-306440). Meanwhile, following is a chilling and inspiring message which we got from Yithchak Frankenthal, coordiantor of the Parents' Crircle - a group of Israelis and Palestinians who all lost loved ones in the ongoing violence, and are dedicated to try and put an end to it. Date sent: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 18:07:55 +0200 From: Anat Subject: Hillel Cafe It is now 11:59 PM, half an hour after the suicide bombing at Hillel Cafe. Just the night before, my wife and I and two of our friends were sitting at the Cafe until around 11:40 PM. The place was packed. I can now hear the sirens of the ambulances racing through the streets of Jerusalem. I cannot get the images out of my head; images of severed arms, decapitated heads, people with nails and pieces or iron stuck in their bodies, broken tables, the cake and sandwich bar shattered into thousands of pieces. What happened to the sweet waitress who was serving us? What happened to the young bus boy? We were sitting in the middle of the room; all those people came there for a good time and were carried out in coffins. Is the high ceiling still in place? The glass wall shattered into millions of shards, covering body parts and swimming in the blood that spilled on the floor like water. Shema Israel, hear O Israel, we pray - but Israel is not listening. And I feel empty inside, asking myself which of my friends and neighbors were at the Caf? today? I am thinking about the people holding their coffee cups when the bomb went off, and how they were lucky if the shatters only got in their eyes and did not kill them. I think of the man biting into his sandwich not knowing that this would be his last bite ever; about the piles of human bodies flying in the air into one another; about the severed arm thrust into the young woman still seated at her table, but she feels nothing - she is either in shock or simply dead. I see how tables are blown by the blast, hitting the guests, and how in the fireball human flesh mixes with freshly-served cheese; and the smell, the smell of explosives and burnt human flesh blending into one; and the quiet after the blast, and the cries of pain and shock, the shock that comes after the quiet. I think of the victory that the Chief of Staff has announced two months ago, saying we have beaten the Palestinians, and I my heart weep: how could my army chief of staff be such a fool? I think of the folly of the politicians who are leading us from one catastrophe to the next, and I think about how the people keep silent. Has everyone forgotten? Adonai eloheinu - the Lord is our G-od, not Greater Israel. I know the painful truth. The body count will continue, because our political leaders are petty little people. So full of themselves, they are clueless about conflict resolution; they slay Palestinians and expect them to exercise restraint. These wise men believe that the occupation can continue; these glorious generals have for there years now been "letting the IDF win," as the slogan goes; they may be seasoned soldiers, but they are absolutely ignorant in conflict resolution. They believe that by using terror to counter terror they can give us security. They believe that they can devastate the infrastructure of Palestinian leadership and government and at the same time stop militias from wreaking chaos. They have for two years now been pronouncing Arafat "irrelevant", but what does that make of former defense minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer, of former prime minister Ehud Barak and of the incumbent, Ariel Sharon? Are they any more relevant than he? How long will it take us to wake up from this ongoing folly? How many more body bags will it take? Adonai ehad - G-od is the only unshakeable truth, not any political creed. The beauty of Israel is slain upon the Messianic pipedream - how long shall the petty leaders of this nation triumph? It is now the morning after, and I have just learned that Dr. Appelboim was killed, along with his daughter who was to get married tonight. I knew this wonderful, special man. My heart bleeds for him; it was only two months ago that we had a chat and even argued over my political views. How painful and despairing it is to see more blood being shed in vain. The young bride, excited to start a family with her betrothed, is forever married in a blood wedding to her father. They will lie side by side, as the silence of all eternity quashes the joyful sounds of the wedding that will never be. Shema Israel, yitgadal, veyitkadash shem? raba - hear O Israel, exalted and sanctified be the name of the great Sovereign - these are the words of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer recited over every freshly-dug grave. Shame on you, leaders of the nations. Yitzhak Frankenthal, father of Arik, who was killed because there is no peace. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From otherisr at actcom.co.il Sun Sep 14 05:02:45 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: "If the soldiers come, they will find us barring their way" Message-ID: <3F63E865.16571.1EC86E5@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press Release 13/9/2003 = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = "If the soldiers come, they will find us barring their way" = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = == = = "I am willing to put myself at risk and serve as a human shield, in order to foil Prime Minster Sharon's intention to murder the leader of the palestinian People. So are many of my my fellows in the israeli peace movement" declared the veteran peace activist Uri Avenry of Gush Shalom (the Israeli Peace Bloc) upon his arrival at the Presidential Compound in Ramallah. "Sharon does not intend to "deport" Yasser Arafat. That word is a mere euphemism for murdering Arafat in cold blood. The murder of Arafat, by soldiers under the authority of the government of Israel, would be a terrible disaster for our country. It may precipitate an outbreak of hatered and bloodshed dwarfing everything we have seen in the past three years. Such a murder would also put an end to any chance of peace and reconciliation between the two peoples for many years, possibly for generations. To a person l;ike me, who deeply cares about Israel's future, there is nothing more important to do at this moment than do everything - and I do mean everything - in my power to prevent such a calamity. PM Sharon , Defence Minster Mofaz and their generals should know that if they send their soldiers in here, there will be Israeli peace activists here to bar their way" said Avnery, who mentoned that already last year, a group of Gush Shalom activists had spent the night at this compund, tduring a previous round of threats by Sharon against Arafat. AQvnery shraply condemend the so-called "experts" who on the Israeli media assert that "Arafat removal will pave the way for the emegence of moderate forces". "Either these genetelmen are bare-faced liers, or they have not the slightest knowlege on the subject they comment about, no realisation of the obvious fact that the murder of Arafat would wipe out for a considerable time any sign of moderation in the Palestinian society." Avnery arrived at the Presidential Compound this afternon, among a group of some thirty peace activists which also included Knesset Members Issam Mahoul and Ahamad Tibi, senior Meretz activist Latif Dori and the historian Teddy Katz. Together with them arrived a large group of Palrestinain public figures, partners of the Israelis in the Joint Israeli-Palestinian Action Group for Peace. When ath activist arrived, the compound was full of thousands of Palestinian demostrators, carrying photos of Arafat and flags of the various factions and organizations inthe Palestinian society, now united in strong opposition to Sharon's threat against Arafat. The presdential bodyguards made room for the peace delegation among the crowd. In the corriodtr inside the Israelis met with Arafat, who welcomed them warmly and invited Avnery and the two KM's to appear with his on the window. Thei appearanvce was greted by prolonged applause and cheers. Avnery handed to Arafat the Gush Shalom symbol, consisting of the linked flags of Israel and Palestine - which the Palestinian president immediately pinned on to his lapel. Arafat invited the peace activists to dinner, which was joined also by te new palestinian PM Abu Ala. During the dinner arafat spoke of the Olso agreements, signed ten years ago to the day, and said "Iwas then, and I remain now, committed to the hope of a secure future, a future when the children of both our peoples couold grow up without fear". Abu Ala called for an immediate cease-fire, putting a complete end to both suicide bombings by Palestinians and "liquidations" by the Israeli armed forces. Avnery advised the Palestinian PM to include in the presentation of his new cabinet, once it is formed, a direct appeal to the peaople of Israel. "Very many in Israel already understand the simple truth: assasinations and liuidations directly precipitate suicide bombings; whoever sends a helicopter guiunship to assasinate a Palestinian leader is threby also causing the death of the Israeli civilians in the subsequent suicide bombing. Sharon and many of his ministers and gneral do not want a cease-fire, but rather a total war. But among the citiznes of Israekl, who have had enough and more than enough of living in fear, such a direct appeal for a cease-fire could find an echo". Further info: Uri Avnery +972-50-306440 HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - Those able and willing to be part of a volunteer group, which might be called up at short notice to come to the Ramallah Presidential Compound to face toghether with the Palestinians a possilbe invasion by the army, please write to gushalom@actcom.net.il and/or leave a message with your name and phone number on the answering machine at the Tel-Aviv Gush Shalom office, 03-5221732. Thank you! HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - HUMAN SHIELD - _____________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From otherisr at actcom.net.il Tue Sep 16 02:24:15 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.net.il (otherisr@actcom.net.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat / Haaretz, Sept. 14 Message-ID: <1063668255.3f664a1f04ae2@webmail.actcom.net.il> GUSH SHALOM [this was sent from an Infoteam holiday address] FYI ----- Forwarded message from keller_adam@yahoo.com ----- Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2003 Subject: Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat / Haaretz, Sept. 14 Peaceniks `broke the law' by visiting Arafat By Jonathan Lis and Arnon Regular Police say a Gush Shalom delegation broke the law on Saturday when it went to the Muqata in Ramallah to express solidarity with Yasser Arafat and to mark the 10th anniversary of the Oslo accords. The delegation, led by veteran peace activist Uri Avnery, and including MKs Ahmed Tibi and Issam Mahoul, Meretz activists and others, promised Arafat they would organize a "human shield" to protect him from government threats to "remove" the PA leader. Invitations to join the human shield operation went out on the Internet over the weekend. Avnery told Israel Radio yesterday he is convinced the government intends to assassinate Arafat, not expel him. The Palestinians have already placed a "human shield" of civilians, including elderly people and children, in the Muqata to protect Arafat. Police say the peace activists' trip to the Muqata, where they also met Palestinian prime minister-designate Ahmed Qureia, violated an order issued by the Central Command two years ago. This forbids Israelis from entering Area A, the zones designated in the Wye River Plantation agreement as under full Palestinian control. A similar police investigation was prompted a year ago after former Meretz leader Shulamit Aloni went to Ramallah to meet with Arafat. Nothing came of that inquiry. Avnery yesterday sounded bemused by the police probe. "They are welcome. If necessary we'll stand trial for our peace work, if it is defined as breaking the law." From keller_adam at yahoo.com Sat Sep 20 00:21:17 2003 From: keller_adam at yahoo.com (keller_adam@yahoo.com) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Terrible decisions & action news Message-ID: <20030919212117.20195.qmail@web10410.mail.yahoo.com> Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv [] Gush Shalom emergency ads protesting terrible decisions [] Peace Now protest march Saturday night in Tel-Aviv SAVE THE COUNTRY ! DOWN WITH THE OCCUPATION ! [] Report on the Sept. 18 court martial session of "The Five" [] Lily Galili in Haaretz: Reserve pilots to refuse liquidations //\\//\\//\\ [] Gush Shalom emergency ads protesting terrible decisions “Haaretz” and “Jerusalem Post” - emergency ad: HALT! The decision of the Bush administration to veto the Security Council resolution forbidding the assassination of Yasser Arafat is a scandal of historic dimensions. The assassination of the Palestinian president, who was elected by a massive majority under the supervision of former president Jimmy Carter, will cause a catastrophe for Israel and the United States.. 0 Arafat is the only Palestinian leader who has the moral authority and the political power to make peace with Israel and convince his people to accept it. 0 After his assassination, the Palestinian Authority will collapse. 0 The Palestinian liberation movement will splinter into hundreds of violent groups, each of them intent on killing Israelis and Americans. 0 The most extreme Islamic fundamentalists will take over the leadership of the Palestinian nation. 0 The name of Arafat, the martyr, will become the battle-cry of militants throughout the Arab and Muslim world, creating thousands of new Bin Ladens. No place on earth will be safe. 0 An unbridgeable abyss will open between Israelis and Palestinians, making peace and reconciliation impossible for generations to come. It will create an existential danger for Israel. GUSH SHALOM Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Israel September 19, 2003 (Haaretz - weekly ad on page 2) The Palestinians Offer a general And comprehensive Cease-fire. Those who Rejected this offer Will be responsible For the death Of hundreds of Human beings, Israelis and Palestinians. Who gave Sharon and his generals The right To take this Terrible decision? Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information: info@gush-shalom.org Published in “Haaretz” September 19, 2003 [] Peace Now protest march Saturday night in Tel-Aviv SAVE THE COUNTRY ! DOWN WITH THE OCCUPATION ! ----- Forwarded message ----- From: Sylvia Piterman Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 18:09:52 +0200 Saturday night, 20 September, at 19:30, PROTEST MARCH, From the Rabin Memorial at Rabin Square to the Ministry of Defense, Tel Aviv, Calling: SAVE THE COUNTRY ! ENOUGH OF BLOODSHED - ENOUGH OF SETTLEMENTS - ENOUGH OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE - ENOUGH OF MORAL DEGRADATION - ENOUGH OF SHARON ! DOWN WITH THE OCCUPATION ! Transportation from Jerusalem will leave GAN HAPA'AMON parking lot at 18:15. JOIN US ! [] Report on the Sept. 18 court martial session of "The Five" --- Anat Matar wrote: From: "Anat Matar" Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:44:25 +0300 The trial of the five conscientious objectors refusing to be drafted into an occupation army resumed today at the military court in Jaffa. For long hours, the prosecutor, Captain Yaron Kostelitz, cross-examined the defendants Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer. Both defendants rejected the prosecutor’s claim that conscience is nothing but a nice word meant to enable anyone to do whatever he or she wishes. They repeated their explanations of why their objection to be drafted is motivated by deep conscientious considerations. Haggai Matar noted that he did not agree with the conceptual characterizations offered by the prosecutor, regarding such notions as pacifism, political refusal and conscientious objection. The prosecutor presented him with a list of hypothetical situations, in order to find out under what conditions he would agree to be drafted into the Israeli army. In his answer, Matar described the complexity of his conscientious decision and the way it is anchored in current circumstances. “I cannot sum up my opposition in one short sentence. At the moment, I see evil and inhumane acts committed by the Israeli army, and since its actions are inhumane, immoral and in my opinion also illegal, I conscientiously refuse to take any part in this army under present circumstances.” Fantastic hypothetical scenarios are irrelevant to the present situation, Matar said, and it’s impossible to answer such abstract questions or refer to descriptions of situations devoid of any context. Replying to the prosecutor’s claim, that what was described by him as evil was confirmed as legal by the Israeli High Court of Justice, Matar noted that some of the HCJ’s decisions are indeed illegal according to international law. When the prosecutor attempted to characterize his refusal as political rather than conscientious, Matar replied that his position is both political and conscientious, and that it is impossible to break these two spheres apart – yet a distinction must be made between a political stand and a position taken by a political party. “Conscience isn’t a party platform,” said Matar, “and its dictates are much clearer regarding disapproval and refusal than regarding obligations to commit certain acts.” The questions posed to Matan Kaminer were almost identical to those posed to Haggai Matar. Kaminer repeated and emphasized the principles he enumerated in his original testimony- those principles which led him to refuse the draft. “I oppose violence in general,” he said; “only extreme conditions could make the use of violence legitimate, and such extreme conditions are far from existing here and now. If we leave the Occupied Territories completely, if we allow the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian state, and if we live in peace and equality alongside this state, cooperating with it economically and culturally , then the existential situation in the region will be drastically different. There will be no suicide bombs and no violent actions committed by Palestinians against Israeli citizens. The mandatory draft will be irrelevant, but if there is still need of an army under these conditions, then I’ll be ready to take part in it.” Kaminer emphasized that in his opinion the state should – as far as possible – treat any consciences with respect and tolerance, but that his own conscientious motivations for refusal, ensuing from a humanist, rationalist and democratic conception, are essentially different than other motivations for refusal, such as those based on religious and nationalistic grounds. “I love this country and the people living in it, and I want to keep living in it and change it, so that it is a better place to live in. My refusal is part of this change.” Both Matar and Kaminer, replying to the prosecutor’s questions regarding the duty to obey the law in a democratic state, said that Israel is not fully democratic. A state ruling over 3.5 million people denied the right to vote, cannot presume to be a state whose decisions are all reached in a democratic procedure. South Africa during Apartheid wasn’t a democratic state, they said, and the classical Greek democracy was faulty since only men of certain status enjoyed the right to be represented, whereas the rest of the Polis inhabitants did not. “Either let the inhabitants in the occupied territories the right to vote or stop ruling them,” said Kaminer. The next court session, with the cross-examination of the three other defendants, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat, will be held on October 20th, 2003 . [] Lily Galili in today's Haaretz: Reserve pilots to refuse liquidations http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/342136.html Reserve pilots to refuse liquidations By Lily Galili A group of reserve pilots in the Israel Air Force is planning to publicly announce their refusal to participate in attempts to assassinate senior wanted men in the Palestinian Authority. The group has been discussing the initiative for more than three months and members say that they have been badly torn. According to sources in the movement of soldiers who refuse to serve in the territories, the group is in the process of collecting the last signatures and is waiting for "the right moment" to issue its announcement. The various refusal movements view the pilots' planned declaration as a big boost for their cause, due to the special status enjoyed by pilots in Israeli society, and hope that it will shake up Israelis in a way that "ordinary" refusals have not. Though one pilot joined the refusal movement at the start of the intifada, and though there were a few incidents during the Lebanon War of pilots refusing to bomb specific targets, a declaration by an organized group of pilots would be something new. The pilots initially considered joining one of the existing refusal movements, such as Courage to Refuse - the group of soldiers and officers who signed a declaration of refusal to serve in the territories more than 18 months ago. However, they eventually decided to form an independent group. Since Courage to Refuse was founded, with 50 members, more than 500 soldiers have signed its letter of refusal. However, the group has failed in its goal of provoking a public discourse over the continued occupation of the territories and Israel Defense Forces actions there. It is now hoping that the pilots' declaration will succeed where it has failed. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Sep 28 04:06:20 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Monday, Solidarity Vigil with the pilots Message-ID: <3F76502C.7569.3297EAB@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org We call for a Solidarity Vigil with the pilots Monday evening, Opposite the Defense Ministry Gate, Tel-Aviv HONOR THE PILOTS! You, the 27 of moral courage, who are refusing to comply with immoral orders, who are rebelling against the occupation, YOU are the real patriots, YOU save the honor of Israel, YOU restore the belief in our state, YOU ARE THE NATIONAL CONSCIENCE! Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, September 26 On Monday, Sept 29 at 5.30 PM, we will hold a solidarity vigil opposite the Defense Ministry gate in Tel-Aviv (Kaplan St.) to express support for the refusal of the 27 combat pilots to obey illegal and immoral orders; to bomb Palestinian neighborhoods in the course of "targeted liquidations. Other groups are invited to join. Text of the pilots' letter at www.tayasim.org.il (in Hebrew) Letters of support to: info@tayasim.org.il. -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Sep 30 16:16:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Support for the pilots starts coming + more upcoming actions Message-ID: <3F799E47.6095.F3C6E@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Our vigil in front of the Defence Ministry yesterday provided the first support for the 27 pilots visible on Israeli TV. With the government-led media campaign against the group of 27 we had expected that there would be some hostile reactions from the street. But it is remarkable how many positive honking and waiving we also got. Among the following forwarded messages is the one about another act of support being prepared - a petition of lecturers and students, and the statement of General (ret.) Amos Lapidot. Today's new target of the hate-campaigners is the appeal to the Supreme Court about the Shehadeh assassination war crime - see also below. (Deputy education minister Zvi Hendel suggests to expell the books of the participating writers from the school curriculum.) [] Evening in Solidarity with Mordechai Vanunu - 1.11.03 [] Petition in support of the 27 pilots [] Statement of former IAF commander General (ret.) Amos Lapidot [] Petition of women against the Wall [] The Shehadeh assassination war crime appeal [] Refuser Solidarity Network September Newsletter [] Evening in Solidarity with Mordechai Vanunu - 1.11.03 ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Sun, 28 Sep 2003 15:55:21 +0200 From: rayna moss An Evening in Solidarity with Mordechai Vanunu A solidarity event marking the 17th anniversary of Mordechai Vanunu's kidnapping and imprisonment by Israel. October 1, 2003, at Salon Mazal, Simta Almonit 3 (entrance from King George St), 8:00 p.m. Lecture: The History of the Atom Bomb - Akiva Orr, physicist and antinuclear activist Film: Israel's Secret Weapon, BBC documentary (2003) - English, no translation Discussion Information: Rayna Moss, 051-368236 [] Petition in support of the 27 pilots ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Anat Biletzki" Date sent: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 03:06:12 +0200 Hello All, (...) The following is a statement drafted in support of the pilots' statement. {No English version.] Those who agree with the statement and wish to sign should urgently send their name, title, and university affiliation to one of the following: (Also for receiving attachment with the Hebrew text.) hasan@h2.hum.huji.ac.il shulman@prism.as.huji.ac.il msyonata@mscc.huji.ac.il tzfati@cc.huji.ac.il edit@vms.huji.ac.il Lehitra'ot, Anat -------------------------------------------------------- H A K A M P U S L O S H O T E K ------------------------------------------------------- [] Statement of former IAF commander General (ret.) Amos Lapidot General (ret.) Amos Lapidot, commander of the Israeli Air Force from '82 to '87 expressed mild criticism and a lot of sympathy with the refuser pilots in an interview in Yediot Aharonot of today. "I understand the protest of the refusers. Their protest is not against the Air Force but against those who give the orders and define the policy which leads us nowhere. I share the view of the refusers that the occupation is increasingly corrupting our people. Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz said it already 36 years ago, and now everybody with eyes in its head could see it. Just look at the violent behavior of drivers at the Israeli roads. I think that the refusers took an unwise step, since a pilot in the Air Force is a volunteer anyway and nobody could force him to fly. What should have done is collectively resign from the Air Force. About the liquidations: I think that when there is a ticking bomb, somebody who is about to commit a suicide bombing or participate in it, it is justified to kill him but the policy makers should look further ahead. We are not enough sensitive and aware of what we are doing to the other side. We have to recognize that the Oslo agreement failed not only because of them but also because of us. We should create a horizon of hope and start immediately with dismantling the settlements. (Yediot Aharonot, Sept. 30, on page 7, in "I understand the refusers. We should stop the occupation" by Yigal Mosko & Yossi Yehoshua - together with statements of several other former IAF commanders who were against.) -- Send the pilots your letter of support mailto:info@tayasim.org.il -- [] Petition of women against the Wall ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: To: Gush Shalom info@gush-shalom.org Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2003 5:55 PM Subject: women against wall- tsilli WOMEN AGAINST THE WALL Only a border on the “Green Line” between Israel and Palestine will bring peace and security To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Fax: 02-6705475 The Prime Minister’s Office Building 3, Kaplan Street 3 Jerusalem 91919 1st October, 2003 Mr. Prime Minister! You promised peace and security but you have failed. Peace has not come. We have known no security for the three years of your time in power. We have only known terror, killing and destruction – 800 of our citizens have been killed, families devastated and thousands of people injured. Every single opportunity for peace has been destroyed by you in acts of revenge. You have not entered into peace negotiations, but only tried to use military force. The way you have chosen has been to lure us into war. We, citizens of Israel, accuse you of being guilty of ruining the peace process and of a policy of violence and illegal activities against the Palestinians. The bombs, the assassinations, the killings, the demolition of houses, collective punishment, checkpoints, closures and curfews have only increased the suicide bombings in our streets. Leaving us abandoned with no hope. Today a Separation Fence is being built which is supposed to bring security. At the beginning it was proposed to be built on the Green Line. Under the guise of a so-called Security Plan, and with no opportunity for public debate, the Fence has become a strategy by which 50% of Palestinian West Bank land is being expropriated. It has become a means of annexing settlements into Israel in a deceitful infringement of international law. One and a half million Palestinians, denied their rights and left with no income, will be locked into cantons and camps, as Israel closes them off with walls on the east, north, west and south. (See the attached map.) This is a program of annexation which will bring us neither peace nor security. You are using a policy based on deceit, in a pattern of behaviour which we are familiar with from the past. The route of the fence you are building over approx. 700 kms (more than double the length of the Green Line there), reveals you are not in the least interested in a negotiated border between Israel and Palestine. Your only interest is victory by means of Occupation and shedding of blood. In your time in power as prime minister, there will never be peace. We do not agree to take part in or to permit the annexations by the Wall which you are building and which go against all principles of justice, morality and law and which harms both Palestinians and Israelis. We do not agree that in our name parents are being separated from their children, pregnant women from their hospitals, farmers from their land and students from their schools and universities. We do not agree to be hostages in the hands of settlers who number only 3% of Israel’s population. Nor do we agree to be partners in an economic policy which is stealing bread from the elderly, children, single mothers, the sick and the handicapped for the sake of building this wall of annexation, settlement and war. We refuse to be partners in this disgraceful crime on both nations which you are committing. In this reality which you are intentionally and deliberately creating, anyone with conscience cannot live here anymore. No walls and no fences will bring peace or security. That will only be achieved by the evacuation of settlements, the end of Occupation and the return of Israel to within the borders of the Green Line. Signed: Bat Shalom and others, including Women Against the Wall: Tsilli Goldenberg, Nurit Steinfeld, Ofra Ben-Arzi, Rivka Merhav, Angela Godfrey-Goldstein JOIN US We, Women Against the Wall, call on all citizens of Israel to join us and sign this letter, by sending your name to tsilligoldenberg@hotmail.com with the subject of "Women Against the Wall" so that your email is easily identifiable from spam!! Or by telephone to Tsilli: 056-403429 Protest against the wall Thursday, 2 october, 2003, at 15:00 at the prime minister's office, hakirya, jerusalem. We will hand the above letter to the prime minister and demand the immediate halt of the construction of the "separation fence". We invite all men and women to protest with us. For additional information contact: Tsilli 056-403429 [] The Shehadeh assassination war crime appeal ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "peretz kidron" Date sent: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 08:43:27 +0200 Dear friend, Yesh Gvul, in association with a group of Israeli intellectuals, is submitting a petition to the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court direct the state's legal authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the deaths of 14 innocent civilians who died when an Israeli plane dropped a one-ton bomb on a residential district in Gaza, with the aim of killing senior Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh. The petition was submitted after both the army's chief prosecutor, and government chief attorney Elyakim Rubinstein, turned down Yesh Gvul requests for an inquiry to be held. The intellectuals associated with the petition are authors Izhar Smilansky, Sami Michael, Ronit Matalon and poet Natan Zach. Yesh Gvul regards the petition as one final effort to induce Israel's legal and judicial system to face up to its responsibilities in relation to suspected war crimes by Israel's armed forces. In the words of the petition: "...This is the last stop of the law-enforcement train before it goes beyond the national borders." If the Supreme Court fails to offer due recourse, Yesh Gvul will seek ways of submitting the matter to non-Israeli tribunals in countries whose laws allow for such cases to be adjudicated. Internet links on the Supreme Court petition y-net (hebrew) http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2772397,00.html maariv (hebrew) http://images.maariv.co.il/channels/1/ART/548/713.html haaretz hebrew http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=345500& contra ssID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0 haaretz english http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/345223.html Yesh Gvul has launched an appeal for funds to help cover the legal costs incurred through the Supreme Court petition. Contributions (cheques to "Yesh Gvul") can be sent to Yesh Gvul, POB 6953, Jerusalem 91068, Israel. US residents who wish to make a tax-deductible donation can send checks (made out to "Eschaton/Yesh Gvul") to: Eschaton Foundation 515 Broadway Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA [] Refuser Solidarity Network September Newsletter ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Steven Feuerstein Date sent: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 09:28:32 -0700 (PDT) Dear Supporters of the Refuser Movement, We hope this message finds you well. The newsletter can always be read on our website at: http://www.refusersolidarity.net/default.asp?content=rsn_fall_letter Sincerely, The Refuser Solidarity Network {HYPERLINK "mailto:info@tayasim.org.il"} -- Our site: http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Oct 5 21:30:01 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Gush Shalom activists sleep over at Arafat's compound. Message-ID: <3F808D59.2641.13ABE225@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International release October 5, 2003 == = == = == = == = == = == == = == Yom Kippur 2003 - From Haifa to Ramallah Gush Shalom activists sleep over at Arafat's compound. == = == = == = == = == = == == = == [Here follows a description by Adam Keller and Beate Zilversmidt of their experience - from the shock of the Haifa suicide attack to spending the night at Ramallah as part of a group which provided a human shield for Arafat.] Yesterday began as a routine Saturday, with news broadcasts focussing on the ongoing strike at Israel's seaports, the occupation pushed to the sidelines. For several weeks there had been no major assassinations nor suicide bombings - though people on both sides did get killed in "routine incidents". And it seemed that Sharon did not create too big of a wave by pushing through the settlement encompassing route of the "Separation Wall", nor by the 600 tenders for new settlement housing. The Bush administration appears to lose interest in mediating between israelis and Palestinians, with the roadmap shelved until after the Nov.2004 elections. But the Saturday siesta was suddenly shattered by the shockwaves of the terrible event in Haifa. Emergency bulletins disrupted the leisurely radio broadcasts, giving once again the gory details of a suicide bombing. This one claimed the life of nineteen people, with whole families wiped out as they sat at the restaurant tables. "Maxim" was a place jointly owned - and visited - by Jews and Arabs. Six of those killed were Palestinian Israelis, as were many of the wounded. (Did the perpetrator - a 29-year old woman lawyer from Jenin, reportedly seeking revenge for a dead brother and cousin - deliberately seek to strike at this oasis of coexistence? Or was "Maxim" chosen randomly, as a convenient place crowded with people?) After about two hours, the ambitious Health Minister Danny Naveh spoke on the radio, urging the government to "seize this opportunity to get rid of Arafat." (He did not even bother to pretend that Arafat had anything to do with the bombing, for which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic Jihad.) Nave's lead was followed by a whole host of similar pronouncements by ministers, Knesset Members and officials, as well as "unofficial leaks" of "well-placed sources" at the prime minister's bureau. For us, that meant the urgent need to shake off shock and lethargy and mobilize in very short order a group to immediately set off for Ramallah. It is no easy matter to phone a person - even somebody who had earlier registered as being willing to act as a human shield - and say: "Now is the time. Be ready within half an hour." In spite of several people being away from home in the Holiday weekend and some others getting cold feet, still the willing volunteers added up. Together with the Gush Shalomers came some young anarchists who have little use for Arafat or any other president but were convinced to oppose a move aimed at crushing the Palestinian people as a whole. Meanwhile the ISM was rallying its international volunteers, scattered in various West Bank towns and villages. Altogether, at 9.30pm there were some thirty activists at the dimly lit rendezvous point outside Ramallah: Israelis from Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, Californians, Canadians, Brits, Danes, a single Icelander... We made some contingency plans for the possibility of being blocked by the army and getting into Ramallah by side roads - a bit of a risky act in the dark - but in the event getting past the military roadblocks proved almost absurdly easy. A short drive, and there we were - at the gates of the Presidential Compound, whose Arabic name "Muqata'a" has become well-known to Hebrew speakers. Among the ruins of buildings destroyed in previous incursions by the Israeli army, were lurking a whole host of international journalists with TV-cameras, who immediately pounched upon Uri Avnery and other English speakers among the delegation. Just a few minutes after sneeking past soldiers we were in the midst of an impromptu press conference. "We are here as human shields to protect President Arafat," Uri Avnery was later quoted in Ha'aretz. "We will stay here just in case Sharon carries out an action." And in the Jerusalem Post he was quoted as saying: [we are here] "first and foremost to protect Israel from the catastrophe that would occur if Arafat were to be exiled, or killed. (...) If Sharon decides to kill Arafat, this would be an unprecedented historic catastrophe for the people of Israel." Once past the journalists we were heartily greeted by Palestinian officials and activists. A whole lot of drinks and snacks were brought in and since most of us had skipped dinner we embarked upon the pitabread and humus. Then, we were conducted to the conference hall which had been converted into an improvised dormitory - a large room with completely new fittings, replacing those destroyed by the Israeli army in September a year ago. And then, there was the long night to get through, with the attempt to read Sharon's intentions from the ambiguous reports monitored on a squeeking small transistor radio, and the ears alert to any alarming sounds from outside. Some of the Israelis and internationals joined the Palestinians on guard, and sat talking and exchanging views and anecdotes nearly the whole night through. The morning, after a fortunately uneventful night, brought reinforcements. Meretz activist Latif Dori arrived from Tel-Aviv, as well as a group of Italians who soon embarked on a recital of partisan songs. (On the Israeli radio news magazine Likud Knesset Member Ehud Yatom complained: "I stayed awake the whole night and listened to the news expecting to hear of the expuslion of Arafat. I am terribly disappointed it did not happen. And these leftists who provide Arafat with a defensive shield, that is terrible, a terrible fissure in Israeli society.") More Palestinians - not from the compound's staff - found their way to the Muqata'a. Ruwaida, a Ramallah boutique owner, came especially to distribute to the Israelis her own poem in Hebrew translation, a heartfelt appeal from a Palestinian mother to an Israeli mother. "I always give this to soldiers in checkpoints; these boys are already greeting me as 'Mom'." At noon, there was a meeting with President Arafat and Prime Minister designate Ahmed Qurei, followed by a well-attended joint press conference. Both Palestinian leaders sharply condemned the suicide bombing as a crime also against the Palestinian people. Latif Dori emphasized that he had come to show that not all Israelis are taken in by the demagoguery of one who refuses to make peace and builds settlements instead. Uri Avnery denounced the outrage in Haifa: "Whoever sent that young woman to kill 19 innocent people must have wanted to put the entire region on fire - by way of providing Sharon with a pretext for targeting Arafat." ISM coordinator Huwaida Arraf explained that the internationals felt they were there instead of the UN peace forces which should have long ago been sent to protect the Palestinian people. The Israeli and international human shielders decided to stay on in the compound throughout Yom Kippur, a time when there is a complete Israeli media blackout, which in the past was more than once the occasion of nasty surprises. -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Oct 10 20:35:59 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: (Fwd) TOI-Billboard's description of last session in Ben Artzi court martial Message-ID: <3F87182F.20427.45446BA@localhost> We forward to you the index of the new TOI-Billboard, and a selection of what appears in it, and which didn't yet appear anywhere else . If you want to receive the full text, mailto:otherisr@actcom.co.il and (NB!) write in the subject line SEND ME THE NEW BILLBOARD Adam Keller Beate Zilversmidt Gush Shalom Infoteam & Editors The Other Israel (TOI) info@gush-shalom -- otherisr@actcom.co.il ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: The Other Israel Escalation time and what goes on behind the screens TOI Billboard, October 10, 2003 # Escalation time # From Haifa to Ramallah - description of a human shield operation # Disobedience Inside The Army -- Ben Artzi court martial tends to conclusion -- Uri Ya'acobi on speaking tour in Northern Europe -- Aide of KM Bronfman refuses to do reserve service in OT -- Writers in support of the Letter of the Pilots (Haaretz) # Campaign Safe Olive Harvest -- Action planned for tommorow, Oct. 11 -- Schedule for weekday olive harvesting from Rabbis for Humn Rights -- Internationals report on arrest of harvesters # Birzeit University made totally inaccessible # Women build Peace Tabernacle # A bereaved father's peace convoy during Days of Awe (()) ))(( (()) ))(( (()) selected articles: -- Ben Artzi court martial tends to conclusion -- Uri Ya'acobi on speaking tour in Northern Europe -- Ben Artzi court martials tends to conclusion In the small newspaper stand outside, there were banner headlines about the escalation on the northern border, and the call-up of reserves, and the rabble-rousing pronouncements of extreme-right minister Avigdor Lieberman. Inside, in the narrow hall of the Jaffa Military Court, the final act begun in the prolonged drama of a young man who thoroughly rejects militarism in all its forms - CO Yoni Ben Artzi, who has already spent more than a year behind bars for his refusal to join Israel's armed forces. Lieutenant Colonel Avi Levy, the presiding judge, would have quite evidently preferred to avoid this moment: the final summations by the defence, after which the court must pronounce Ben Artzi either guilty or not guilty of "disobeying a legal order". Two months ago, Levy took the highly unusual step of declaring the judicial proceedings frozen and formally suggesting to the military authorities that the "Conscience Committee" - which in the past rejected Ben Artzi's request for exemption from military service - be reconvened to reconsider his case. But the committee quickly threw the hot potato back into the court's lap, with a terse statement: "No new evidence found to justify reopening the Ben-Artzi case." And so, this court session came about - attended by activists and fellow-refusers, and with an observer from the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights taking notes throughout - and defence attorney Michael Sfard did get the chance to tear the committee to shreds in a brilliant final speech: "Your Honours, my learned colleague of the prosecution asserted that you should respect the conscience committee's ruling that the accused in this trial, Yoni Ben Artzi, is no pacifist and does not deserve exemption from military service. True, normally a court should respect the decisions taken by an administrative body in that body's area of competence. But to deserve such respect, said administrative body must exhibit at least a minimal degree of competence - which is not the case with respect to the Conscience Committee. In his testimony at this court the Committee's chair, Colonel Shimhi, displayed an utter lack of knowledge regarding pacifism, its history and tenets - nor did he take any steps to rectify that lack by reading even the most elementary text on the subject, before presuming to rule who is and isn't a pacifist. In the minutes presented to this court we see that the committee had set up completely inappropriate criteria such as that "a contentious person who argues a lot and confronts authority is not a pacifist". By this criteria, Yoni Ben Artzi was judged not to be pacifist; Gandhi, Martin Luther King and most other prominent pacifists would not have passed the committee's test, either. Then, we heard Colonel Shimhi declare that "Ben Artzi sincerely believes himself to be a pacifist, but he is wrong" and then he went on about the alleged true motives of which Ben Artzi is not aware. Leaving aside the question of Colonel Simhi's credentials as a psychologist (as far as I know, he has none), did nobody bother to tell him that his job is precisely to determine the sincerity of the convictions of those who appear before his committee - and grant exemptions on the basis of such sincerity? Apparently not. And there is also a matter called discrimination. In the seven years of its existence, this Conscience Committee rejected nearly all of the young men who applied to it. Only four percent of them were granted an exemption from military service, the other 96% being rejected. But there is a second committee, dealing with the applications of young women, where the result is an exact mirror image: 96% of the girls were given an exemption, only four percent being rejected. Judge Aharon Barak, President of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, already ruled that this kind of lop-sided statistics in the record of a public body creates a strong presumption of a biased attitude, of discrimination - which would tend to cast in doubt or altogether invalidate all the decision and rulings made by that body. The same attitude was taken by the US Supreme Court and by European judicial bodies, in cases where statistics seemed to indicate discrimination. In fact, in most of the precedents I have, the discrepancy between men and women, or in some cases between whites and blacks, was far less steep than in this case. Here, Presiding Judge intervened: "But it is well known that we are far from complete equality in the armed forces. Women serve a shorter period then men, there are many military jobs and units from which they are debarred, and many others to which they are admitted only in special cases while men are posted to them as a matter of routine. Is it therefore not logical that the army would make more stiff criteria in granting exemptions to men and be more lax to women?" "I have long suspected that this, indeed, is the source of the discrimination encountered here" responded Adv. Sfard. "Had the military authorities asserted officially that such is their policy, I would have been happy to challenge that policy. I can't imagine any judge in the Supreme Court accepting that Freedom of Conscience - a basic human and civil right - be applied differently to different citizens on the basis of gender. However, the army made no such assertion. In fact, my colleague of the prosecution assured us that there is no discrimination of any kind and that precisely the same criteria are applied to men as to women - an assertion on which the statistics cast a grave doubt". On the basis of the foregoing, Sfard asked the court to rule incompetent the committee's ruling with regard to Ben Artzi, and to rely instead on the testimonies of the accused himself - who had spoken at length about his convictions - as well as of Ben Artzi's sister. Also, the court was asked to take into account the fact that Ben Artzi has firmly stuck to his convictions through more than a year of imprisonment. "Yoni Ben Artzi is accused of disobeying a legal order. But the order he disobeyed was not legal. Ordering a pacifist to violate his most deeply held convictions by enlisting and donning the uniform of an army - an organization whose sole raison d'etre is violence - is an illegal order, just as ordering an observant Jew to eat ham would have been an illegal order. Under article 125 of the Military Legal code, Ben Artzi is not guilty of any offence for having refused to obey that illegal order." Adv. Sfard further pointed out that Ben Artzi's refusal comes under the purview of "Defence on the Grounds of Need", under which an otherwise illegal act can be justified if needed in order to defend a person's life, body or liberty, and provided that the act did not cause a greater damage than it was designed to prevent. "The late Prof. Leon Shelef of Tel-Aviv University has clearly demonstrated that `Liberty` in this context includes Freedom of Conscience". Finally, Sfard referred to the measure known to jurists as "Criminal Estoppel", or less formally "Defence out of Natural Justice": in cases where a court becomes convinced that charges had been brought against the accused in a grossly unfair way, the judges may "stop" these charges and set the accused free. "The defence has made no secret of its view that this entire trial should have taken place in a civilian court rather than a military one - since Freedom of Conscience is a civil, not a military, issue" concluded Sfard. "But since the proceedings did take place in this court, it would be an act of poetic justice for a military court - flesh of the army's flesh - to set right the wrong which the military system did to Yoni Ben Artzi". Following the end of the defence summations, Judge Levy called a ten-minute recess. In the event, the three judges remained closeted for nearly half an hour. Among the activists left in the hall, there was a buzz of speculations, some spectators expecting a startling announcement of one kind or another. But when the judges finally trooped back in, it was only to make a dry announcement: the verdict will be delivered "within two to three weeks", the exact date to be announced later. What, then, did take the judges so long? Had they been arguing about something? For the present, there is no way of knowing. Messages of support to Yoni Ben Artzi mailto:mbartzi@yahoo.com ** Uri Ya'acobi on speaking tour in Northern Europe Draft refuser CO Uri Ya'acobi - who spent half a year behind bars and in the end got his exemption from military service - will be on a speaking tour in Europe, in the end of the year. Ya'acobi was among the signatories of the Michtav HaShiministim (High School Letter). You may remember his open letter "I am no occupier, full stop" of a year ago - still appearing on http://www.wri- irg.org/co/yaacobi.htm During the second half of November he will appear in Sweden and Finland; in the beginning of December he plans to go to Denmark and from there he will get to Germany and Holland etc., where he will be during the second half of December. Groups interested in hearing Ya'akobi can contact him via email war_pax@hotmail.com or by phone: 972-55-498315 (mobile) / 972-2-6788315 (home). ** -- Selected articles The Other Israel August/September issue on site: http://otherisrael.home.igc.org/ One time free sample (hardcopy) via: otherisr@actcom.co.il >From US addresses via: aicipp@igc.org -- TOI-Billboard is forwarding alerts & articles of a variety of sources. Subscribe to TOI-Billboard by sending one blank mail to TOI_Billboard-subscribe@topica.com [next three lines explain how Hebrew readers can obtain items in Hebrew from original senders] אנחנו שולחים ה"בילבורד" רק באנגלית לרשימה בינלאומית. אבל יש לך האופציה לבקש - מהשולח האוריגינלי - אייתם מסוים בעברית The Other Israel peace movement magazine pob 2542, Holon 58125, Israel; ph/fx: +972-3-5565804; for free sample hardcopy mailto: otherisr@actcom.co.il for selected articles http://otherisrael.home.igc.org/ Archive of issues since 1994 available at http://israelipalestinianpeace.org >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Oct 12 15:35:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Uri Avnery's description and analysis of three tense days Message-ID: <3F8974A9.16227.4470C14@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [Here follows Uri Avnery's description and analysis of three tense days - including Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) - at Arafat's compound. Find attached the same as Word file] Uri Avnery 11.10.03 Living Shield The most dramatic moment arrived in the evening after Yom Kippur. We were sitting in the courtyard of Arafat's Mukat'ah (compound); a group of Israeli peace activists and Palestinian friends, senior Palestinian Authority officials. A pleasant mild wind was blowing after a hot day. We were chatting about the situation (what else?) and the latest gossip about the Palestinian leadership. From time to time a senior Palestinian joined us, before going up to see the President, or coming back from him. The tall figure of Jibril Rajoub emerged from between the sand sacks that defend the entrance of the building. He had seen Arafat and joined our group for a few minutes. "We have heard that the Israeli cabinet is about to meet," he announced darkly. We all understood the meaning of that. A meeting of the cabinet - what could that mean? What if not an attack on the Mukata'ah? Rajoub entered his black car and sped off on his business. We exchanged some words about the possibility of an attack - and then, suddenly, all the lights in the compound went off. A dead silence ensued. >From afar we heard the approaching drone of an airplane. Nobody said anything. In the brain a thought was passing: "So that's it!" And then the light went on, as suddenly as they had gone turned off. The plane in the air passed us and flew on in the direction of Amman. We continued to talk as if nothing had happened. Earlier on that day, the atmosphere had become tense for a different reason. At noon, one of the volunteers came back to the compound and recounted that, while he was sitting in a coffee shop, shouts were heard: "The Israelis are coming!" The owner of the shop urged his guests to run away, even without paying. Soon after, two army jeeps appeared. From afar, the sirens of ambulances could be heard. The two jeeps went on to the narrow street in front of the Muhata'ah, where they went back and forth. Inside, the rumor spread quickly. It looked like a reconnaissance patrol before the attack. The jeeps went off to Ramallah's central square. The children of the neighborhood threw stones at them. A matter of routine. Calm returned. The moment we heard about the shocking atrocity in Haifa, on Saturday afternoon, we understood that we had to hurry to the Mukata'ah. Within an hour, a small group of ten Israeli peace-activists was organized. Somehow we succeeded in entering Ramallah, which was surrounded and cut off by the Israeli army. With us were also some 30 international peace activists from many countries. If we had more time, the group might have been larger. But it was the Jewish holiday season, many of potential participants were abroad, others could not join on such short notice. But for us, time was of the essence. It was clear that Ariel Sharon would try to exploit the outrage of the Jihad, in which whole families were killed, in order to realize his dream of many years: to kill Yasser Arafat. That was so obvious that a question arose automatically: Was this, perhaps, the real aim of the initiators to start with? The suicide bomber was a young female lawyer, who wanted to take personal revenge: both her brother and her fiance were killed by the Israeli army. In the Palestinian territories there are now thousands of such people, men and women, and each of them a ticking bomb. They do not need any political reason. An Israeli who orders the killing of Palestinians, men, women and children, must know that this may well be the result. But the Islamic Jihad organization has taken responsibility for the action. Thereby the personal vendetta became a political act. A political act has political aims. And the aim could only be connected to the fact that - as all the world knows - Sharon is ready to kill Arafat at any minute. The Israeli government has already officially decided to "remove" Arafat. (Abroad, this word has been falsified into "expel"). Only the Americans are preventing this, for the time being. But after a major outrage the American red light might change into green, or at least into yellow. For Sharon, the slightest yellowish flicker is enough to execute his plan. A Palestinian organization that sends a suicide bomber in such circumstances knows that its action will not only kill and wound dozens of Israelis, women, man and children, but may also cause the death of the Palestinian leader. It seems that the Jihad - or somebody within the Jihad - desires this. He hopes that the killing of Arafat will cause the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, general anarchy throughout the country, the creation of hundreds of terrorist cells in the Palestinian territories and the raise of Jihad's prestige sky high. As it sometimes happens in history, the interests of Jihad are meeting the interests of Sharon. In order to realize his policy - the removal of the Palestinian Authority, the enlargement of the settlements all over the country and the domination of Israel over all the Palestinian territories - he need an atmosphere of anarchy and an ever-widening cycle of bloodshed. Arafat is an obstacle in his way, and therefore he wants to "remove" him - to the next world. Exactly for this reason, a consistent Israeli peace movement worth its name must do everything to prevent this act. The killing of Arafat would be a historical disaster for the State of Israel, because it would mean the elimination of any chance for peace for generations to come and the increase of bloodshed to dimension unknown until now. Therefore we decided to prevent this disaster with the paltry resources at our disposal. The reception at the Mukata'ah was tumultuous. Dozens of TV teams from all over the world, and especially from the Arab world, were crowded in the courtyard and pounced on us. Questions were showered on us from all sides and in several languages. One question turned up again and again: "Do you believe that you can stop an attack by Sharon?" We all answered candidly that we don't know. We cannot stop tanks, warplanes, trained soldiers or disabling gas. But we hope that the very knowledge that in the compound there is a group of Israelis, as well as internationals, may constitute one more factor that will be put on the scales when Sharon and his generals make the decision. If the arguments for and again outweigh each other, this factor may prove decisive. (The next day, it was mentioned in the media that one of the participants in the "security consultation" did indeed raise this point.) The hour was already late and we were shown our accommodations. In a large hall that has been restored after the destruction, mattresses were put along the walls, each one with a thick blanket. Next to the hall, new and reasonable toilets were built. At one side of the hall were tables with boxes of coffee and tea, bottles of light drinks, pitta bread, hard cheese and conserves. One of Arafat's assistants, Dr. Sami Mussalam, informed us that the Ra'is was sick and had stayed today in bed, but would receive us tomorrow morning. In the meantime, he saw to all our needs. After the hours of organization and traveling, we were quite hungry and tired. We tried to get the news over Israel radio and chose mattresses for ourselves. There were different opinions about what was the best place in case of bombing from the air, as opposed to storming by soldiers. The toilets? The entrances? All of us slept in his clothes. Most did not even take off their shoes. For all events, the lights were not put out altogether. It was possible to sleep only in fits. All through the night the mobile telephones did not stop ringing. People from America, Europe, South Africa and Asia kept asking for interviews. We had, so it seemed, become objects of international curiosity. At six o'clock in the morning I was woken up by the ringing of the mobile phone. I ran outside, so as not to disturb the dozens of sleeping people. A young lady from one of the morning talk shows wanted to know if I was ready to give an interview at seven o'clock. Generally I would not have been overjoyed by this, but this time I was in a good mood. A whole night had passed without anything terrible happening. I remained outside. The courtyard was empty, except for a few soldiers on duty. I took a chair and sat in a corner. Above me, in the gentle breeze, hundreds of small Palestinian flags were waving on strings, in addition to the larger flags in the roof. (Once they were called "PLO flags", and anyone who had one in his possession was liable to go to prison for three years.) On the walls that surround the courtyard on three sides (two buildings left standing and the famous bridge between them) were colorful posters left over from the mass solidarity demonstration after the "removal" decision of the Sharon government. "Our soul, all our soul, to the commander and symbol, brother Abu Amar" said one of them. Abu Amar is Arafat's nom de guerre. Another, by the Ministry for Refugee Affairs, said: "For brother Arafat, the symbol of our struggle, the support of the tents of the Palestinian people". On one of the posters where the pictures of the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Sepulcher. On all of the posters, Arafat with his famous keffiye (checkered headdress). The golden Dome of the Rock and the picture of Arafat are the two symbols of the Palestinian struggle, apart from the flag. The word "symbol" (Rams, in Arabic) appeared on all the posters without exception. On one of the wall was hanging a two-floors high cloth with hundreds of little handprints in the Palestinian colors - red, green and black on a white background, a present from the children of a refugee camp school. That morning, all of this looked almost gay. The Mukata'ah was silent, the few guards seemed bored. Every soldier passing me said politely "Sabah al-Kheir" (good morning, in Arabic), and some even said "Boker Tov" (same in Hebrew). Perfect tranquility - but a deceptive one. The knowledge that all this could be shattered in a moment, with the gay scene turning into a scene of blood and death, was lingering in the back of the mind. At about 11 o'clock, we were told that the Ra'is had got up from his sickbed and was ready to receive the Israeli human shield members in the long meeting room. Since then I have been asked dozens of times: How does he look? Well, he looked like somebody weakened after an attack of the flu: paler and thinner. It seemed to me that it would have been better for him to stay in bed for another day or two. But he had obviously compelled himself to get up. He received us, the Israeli peace activists, with much feeling, smiling broadly, with much shaking of hands and hugging. The fact that in such an emergency men and women from Israel had come to constitute a "human shield" had made a deep impression. He spoke about this repeatedly. About a dozen TV teams were allowed into the room and started to record the meeting. Abu-Ala (Ahmad Kurei) also came. Arafat put him between me and himself and delivered a very strong condemnation of Saturday's suicide bombing. The Emergency Government of Brother Abu- Ala, he said, would take the strongest possible steps to put an end to such outrages. I noticed the Israeli flag on his breast. A month ago, during another visit, I saw that he was wearing on the flap of the breast-pocket of his uniform jacket several emblems of crossed flags: Palestine-Canada, Palestine-Italy and so on. I removed from my shirt the Gush Shalom emblem - the crossed flags of Israel and Palestine - and put it in front of him. He picked it up at once and put it on, above the others. I was surprised that he had left it on and wore it on that day, too. (Two days later, at the swearing-in of the Abu-Ala government, he wore this Israeli flag on his chest.) After the meeting, Arafat invited us and the international volunteers to lunch in the hall above our sleeping quarters. On the long tables were the traditional dishes: mutton on rice, Sinia (hacked meat in Tehina), baked chicken parts. At the end, real Kenafeh from Nablus, considered the best in the world, was served. (Kenafeh is an Arab sweet with cheese). Rachel and I were placed on the two sides of Arafat. Generally he eats very little and offers with his hands choice morsels of meat or vegetables to honored guests. This time he sipped only chicken soup specially prepared for him. He told Rachel, my wife, that he sticks to a strict diet of chicken soup, which is the best after the attack of viral flu that had affected the stomach. Among the guest at the Mukata'ah that day was also an Italian choir. Before and after lunch they rendered the songs of the Italian partisans who had fought against the Fascist regime and the Germans. Emotions in the room ran high when everybody, including Arafat, held raised hands and joined in the singing. When they had finished, one of the internationals, a young Japanese, rose and sang a beautiful Japanese peace song. It appeared that Naoto, whose exact age I could not guess, has studied sociology but decided to become a singer. He is a perfect mime, and his good spirits and innocent good-heartedness made him the darling of all the group. In the end, a group photo was taken, and all Israelis and internationals grouped themselves around Arafat. It was hard to believe that this was no birthday party, but a meeting of people who were risking their lives for peace. Yom Kippur passed quietly. We saw the parade of Palestinian personalities that came and went, while the task of forming the government was progressing slowly. It was obvious that Arafat's and Abu-Ala's decision to form a narrow Emergency Government, consisting of only eight members (apart from the Prime Minister) had disappointed many central functionaries who remained outside. All the personalities approached and greeted us warmly. Arafat's close assistant, Nabil Abu-Rudeina, was asked by journalists how Palestinians could rely on the United States, the Arab countries, Europe or the United Nations. His answer: "We rely first of all on our Israeli friends." During all of the day, journalists called me from abroad (and from Israel, too, but I am not going to tell on those who called me on the holy Yom Kippur) and asked about the state of Arafat's health. It seemed that a lot of rumors, some of them quite crazy, were spread outside. Was it true that Arafat had been poisoned by Israel? I answered that Arafat himself had not mentioned this during lunch. At a corner of the courtyard an ambulance is parked permanently (the same was the practice in Israel during the days of Begin.) In the evening, another ambulance came in. A lone men got down and approached the building in unhurried steps. I was told later that this was a friend of the resident doctor who lives in the Mukata'ah and had come to visit him. After some time he came out, went to his ambulance, put on the flashing red light and drove off. Within an hour I got frantic calls from Tel-Aviv. Was it true that Arafat had suffered a heart attack? Was it true that he had been sped to hospital? I could answer with certainty that this was untrue. Afterwards the rumor spread that he had suffered a light heart attack a few days before. I am not a doctor, but if to judge by impressions, this rumor seems to me untrue. On the morning of Yom Kippur, the Abu-Ala government was sworn in. We, the members of the Israeli group, stood in the first line, in the part of the hall reserved for the media who were represented massively. We wore the large sticker of the Gush, also consisting of the flags of Israel and Palestine. The ceremony started late because of last minute problems (Palestinians, like Israelis, cannot do anything without last minute problems). Immediately after the ceremony was over, Arafat saw us, went directed up to us and hugged the Israeli activists before the massed cameras of the world. That was a personal gesture, but a political one, too. The Palestinian leader wanted to show the world that a settlement with Israel is the first item on the agenda of the new government. For us it was clear that with the setting up of the government, the imminent danger to the life of Arafat had - for the time being - passed, together with the terrible results his assassination would entail. After three days and nights we went home, ready to go there again if the need will arise, in order to do everything possible to prevent an act that would be a disaster for Israel. For us, that is the most important patriotic thing we can do. >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: AVNERY_English.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 53248 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031012/4d18a91b/AVNERY_English.obj From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Oct 13 21:34:35 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Huge nr of houses demolished Message-ID: <3F8B1A6B.7301.12CF2A5@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org The Tunnels - Reason or Pretext. #Haaretz: Huge number of houses demolished in Rafah raid #sample letter of protest and addresses Haaretz English (not found yet in Hebrew edition): 13/10/2003 18:17 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=349348&con trassID=1&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y UN official: 1,240 Palestinians made homeless by Rafah raid By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies Up to 1,240 Palestinians have been made homeless in the most recent operation by the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip, a senior United Nations official said Sunday. Peter Hansen, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)for Palestinian refugees, said that "many houses have been completely demolished". UNRWA said that about the 1,240 Palestinians were left homeless during the three-day raid by IDF troops hunting for tunnels used to smuggle weapons from Egypt into the Strip. This was the largest-scale demolition of houses in a single operation in Gaza in the past three years of fighting. "We have had very, very significant damage to the refugee camp," Hansen said after inspecting the damage Sunday. "Many houses, maybe as many as 120, have been completely demolished." UNRWA said 114 refugee shelters were destroyed in the raid. Another 117 buildings were damaged. The IDF said Saturday that three tunnels had been located and destroyed, but warned Sunday that the operation would continue, despite the withdrawal of most of the troops in the early hours, for as long as the tunnels were being used. IDF sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said over the weekend that Israel had intelligence warnings that Palestinians were planning to use tunnels under the Egyptian border to smuggle in weapons that could have a strategic impact on the three-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the Egyptians were not taking steps to stop them. Sources said the smuggled weaponry may include Stinger shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles that could shoot down the attack helicopters Israel often uses in operations in Gaza. tinger missiles could also threaten Israel Air Force warplanes or civilian aircraft flying close to the Gaza Strip. Also, the sources said, the Palestinians were trying to smuggle Katyusha rockets, which have the range to hit Israeli cities near the Strip. During the conflict, the Palestinians have been aiming homemade mortars and rockets at Israeli towns and settlements. Three Qassams hit Negev Three Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the western Negev area of Israel on Sunday. Two of the rockets, which were fired in the afternoon, landed near a kibbutz. There were no injuries, but damage was caused to a factory, Army Radio reported. Early Sunday morning, Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket at the town of Sderot, Israel Radio reported. No injuries were reported, but a road was damaged. Late Saturday night, troops thwarted an attempted terror attack when they discovered three Palestinian militants trying to place a bomb in the southern Gaza Strip settlement of Morag. The troops opened fire shortly before midnight, killing one of the men. Troops then chased away the other two would-be terrorists. The militant's body was found a short time later near three explosive devices which sappers then neutralized. Troops met with much opposition during the Rafah operation and IDF officers expressed surprise at the extent of the militants' firepower, including the hundreds of bombs, grenades and anti-tank missiles Palestinians threw at the troops, Israel Radio reported. Eight Palestinians, including a nine-year-old and a 12-year-old, were killed during the operation. A spokesman for the IDF said that a 19-year-old Palestinian killed on Saturday had been armed. At least 70 Palestinians were reported wounded in the operation, most when a helicopter fired a missile at a crowd. The IDF said the missile targeted a group of gunmen. Israeli forces also demolished five buildings used by militants to fire on troops, the military spokesman said. He also said another three buildings used to conceal gunrunner tunnels were demolished as well. Witnesses in Rafah said IDF troops demolished 42 homes, although it was not immediately clear how many of these were individual buildings. "It could be that Palestinian fire also caused structural damage," the spokesman said, referring to heavy resistance Israeli troops encountered when they stormed Rafah at daybreak Friday in the deepest raid there for six months. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a senior aide to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, called the operation a "war crime and a human tragedy." The funerals of the Palestinian casualties took place over the weekend, during which masked men called for revenge and fired their weapons in the air. The dead were identified as: Ibrahim Krinawi, 8; Sami Salah, 12; Mabruk Juda, 18 and Yihyeh Sharif, 19; Nader Abu Taha, 22; Mohammed Abd al Waheb, 23; Mohammed Yunis, 28 and Ala Mansour, 23. Palestinian sources said that medical professionals were also hurt in operation, and that the IDF initially prevented ambulances from arriving at the area of the fighting. They said that later on ambulances were allowed to evacuate the wounded into a makeshift clinic. Rafah residents said troops seized a strip of land 150 meters deep into the camp, a known militant stronghold, and soldiers took positions on roof tops. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday condemned the Rafah raid, saying that Israel's "disproportionate use of force in densely populated areas is not compatible with international humanitarian law." He called on both sides in the conflict "to take every measure to avoid harming innocent civilians. *** Sample letter of protest: To Prime Minister Sharon Dear Sir I hereby join the protest of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan condemning the Rafah raid. Your government's disproportionate use of force in densely populated areas is not compatible with international humanitarian law. Considering statements made by former general Yom-Tov Samya in the past it seems that your army is especially interested in demolishing houses in Rafah and uses every pretext ("opportunity") to demolish as many of them as possible. You better realize that you cannot for ever play deaf towards world public opinion. The day will come that you will have to account for your deeds. Nobody is immune for ever; remember Pinochet. [your name] addresses: To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom and/or via the Israeli embassy in your environment; addresses of Israeli embassies at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm with copies to: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan , US President George W. Bush "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , Mr. Terje Rod Larsen , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights European Parliament Belgian Office , If possible send in addition a fax or hardcopy letter to: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 Jerusalem 91919, Israel Fax: +972 2 6705475 -- Please, sign the international petition being organized by the Stop the Wall movement at the following link: http://stopthewall.org.il/mashacamp/petition/index.html >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Oct 15 01:24:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Army at Rafah - severe violations of international law Message-ID: <3F8CA1D9.23206.1479955@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Press release, October 14, 2003 = == = == = == = == = == = == = Soldiers and officers may be charged with severe violations. Those responsible failed to make army personnel adhere to legal norms, says Gush Shalom in letter to General Menachem Finkelstein, head of the Israeli Army's Legal Branch. = == = == = == = == = == = == = Following is the translation of a letter sent today by Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc - to General Menachem Finkelstein, head of the Israeli Army's Legal Branch. Dear General Finkelstein Last Friday (October 10) the armed forces of the state of Israel staged a wide-scale invasion of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and its adjacent refugee camps - the largest-scale invasion of Rafah launched during the three years of the present confrontation. In the course of that invasion, the army deployed armoured bulldozers which embarked upon systematic demolition of Palestinian homes. According to reports in today's Israeli and international press, 120 houses were destroyed - some of them being three- and four-storey houses in the refugee camp's main street - leaving 1240 people homeless. This morning (Tuesday, October 14) it was reported that the invasion of Rafah was resumed and that the bulldozers are at this very moment engaged on yet further destruction of Palestinian homes. Destruction on such a wide scale does not, and cannot, have any relation to the army's effort to locate tunnels used by arms smugglers - the official pretext under which this invasion was launched. This is manifestly a collective punishment of Rafah's entire population, an act constituting a severe violation of International Law and specifically of the Fourth Geneva Convention. All soldiers and officers involved in these acts - from the IDF Supreme Command, through Colonel Eyal Eisenberg of the Givati Brigade, which the Israel press mentioned as being in direct command of the operation, and down to the bulldozer drivers implementing the actual destruction - are liable to be charged with severe offences. This is not the first time that the army perpetrates such acts in Rafah. It is part of an ongoing policy, which started already in the term of General Yom Tov Samiya in the IDF Southern Command [1997-2001]. General Samiya was quite frank in describing that policy at an interview to Kol Yisrael Radio on September 26, 2001. According to Samiya, it is the army's aim to totally raze all houses and structures within a strip of 300-400 metres of the Egyptian border - a very densely populated area in which tens of thousands live - so as to create a fait accompli and ensure that this evacuated strip remain under Israeli rule in any permanent status agreement. Samiya also noted that the policy is being carried out incrementally, and that any conspicuous suicide bombing is being used as a pretext to "pull down another two or three rows of houses" (even when the bombing had nothing to do with Rafah). Ever since the army is consistently carrying out this policy, causing a terrible suffering to the people of Rafah. Over the years, the Army's Legal Branch did nothing to stop this manifestly illegal policy, totally abdicating its responsibility to make soldiers and officers adhere to legal norms of behavior. This ringing silence has made the Legal Branch itself share in legal and moral responsibility to severe and continuous violations of International Law - and is increasing the chance that soldiers and officers may eventually face punishment by international judicial agencies. Sincerely Yours Uri Avnery Adam Keller For the Gush Shalom Movement Note: the Samiya interview was extensively quoted by Akiva Eldar in the article "Under cover of revenge" (Ha'aretz, January 15, 2002) written in the wake of an earlier invasion of Rafah, in the course of which 59 houses were destroyed. For more information: Gush Shalom Spokesperson Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603 Appendix a) http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150912003?open&of=ENG- ISR [Amnesty International: Wanton destruction constitutes a war crime ] Appendix b) http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/349478.html [Arnon Regular's eyewitness report on the Rafah destruction in Haaretz, Oct.14] From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Oct 17 17:37:50 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [Gushshalom] This week's "two ways" + action update Message-ID: <3F9028EE.12098.3ECF492@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [The following was published as ad in Haaretz today. Hebrew at request and soon at the website - ????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ????] TWO WAYS To Jordan came this week Israelis In order to meet with Palestinians as equals To work out a draft peace agreement To create a light at the end of the tunnel: An end to the bloodshed, occupation and settlement A new page in the history of both peoples To Rafah came this week Israelis In order to meet with Palestinians as occupiers and occupied To sow death and destruction To "search" for smugglers' tunnels - and raze whole streets To sink deeper into the abyss of hatred and mutual killing WHICH WAY DO WE CHOOSE? Gush Shalom Help us to place ads with your donation to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, [See also Anat Matar's message about resumption of the Donation Campaign for Rafah Families - attached.] Tomorrow we will take part in olive harvesting together with the below mentioned groups Olive Harvest - 2003 When: Saturday the 18.10.03 Place: Village of Mes'ha Meeting Points: --Tel Aviv, Arlozorov Train Station, El-Al terminal, Time:08:00, (private cars and minibus) --Jerusalem, the Bell-Garden parking, and Binianei-Haumma, Time 07:30 (private cars and minibus) --Haifa: Sollel Bonne Square, Time 07:30 (private cars and minibus) Concentration point: --Kafar Quassem, Sonnol gaz station at the town entrance, Time: 08:30 Required equipment: work clothing and shoes, hat, water, lunch, identity-card, cameras are an advantage Important: Please notify of your participation via the following phones or emails - so we can prepare the transportation logistics. Telephones: -052-991379 , 050-733276, -09-7670801, 067-562518 052-887185 (for those coming from the north) Emails: odsh7@zahav.net.il , d-nir@zahav.net.il The olive harvest coalition: Gush Shalom // The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions // Woman's Peace Coalition // Shomrei-Mishpat - Rabbis for Human Rights*** // Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership. *** Not on Shabat Please, sign the international petition being organized by the Stop the Wall movement at the following link: http://stopthewall.org.il/mashacamp/petition/index.html >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter (only for Hebrew readers) http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Anat Matar" Subject: Donation Campaign for Rafah Families Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 10:19:04 +0300 Size: 34886 Url: https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031017/276354ab/attachment.eml From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Oct 21 16:45:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] A big day of the Olive Harvest, Saturday 25 Oct. Message-ID: <3F9562AC.7374.3617FDD@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom calls on all who can to take part on Saturday in this big mobilization for the olive harvest joined by several groups. = == = == = == = == = == = Join the Olive Harvest In the Shadow of the Wall, Saturday, Oct. 25 Israelis and Palestinians harvesting together = == = == = == = == = == = The olive harvest is underway in the occupied territories. In addition to the ongoing problems of closure, curfews, settler attacks and olive theft, the difficulties are compounded this year by the Separation Wall. The wall now in construction separates villagers from their land, the ill from medical care, and families from each other. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have already lost their livelihoods with the appropriation of 80,000 dunam of land. Over 12,000 Palestinians are caught between the wall and the Green Line, cut off from the rest of Palestine and prohibited from entering Israel. They are living in a ?closed military zone?, meaning that they must ask permission from the army to continue to live in their homes, and they risk losing that right. Under cover of the wall, trees are cut down, people are uprooted, and hate is sown. The next stage is quiet transfer, forcing the Palestinians to leave their homes. Help us break down the walls of hatred and fear. Join us this Saturday, 25 October in the Olive Harvest, Israelis and Palestinians together, in villages directly harmed by the wall. Buses: Jerusalem ? 7:30 am, Liberty Bell Park parking lot [for Binyanei Ha?Uma and Mevasseret, call (067) 515-797]. Tel Aviv-Jaffa ? 8:15 am, El Al Terminal at Rakevet Merkaz [053-554-815]. Haifa ? 7:30 am, Kikar Solel Boneh [054-617-180]. Kfar Saba ? All cars and buses will meet at 9:00 am at the train station parking lot. To arrange for additional locations, call (053) 554-815. Note: Olive harvesting will continue in the coming weekdays and weekends. Call (050) 733-276 or write to mesik@intermail.co.il Coalition of Women for Peace * Gush Shalom * Israel Committee Against House Demolitions * Rabbis for Human Rights * Ta?ayush: Jewish- Arab Partnership Donations are welcome to ?Mateh HaKoalitziya?, P.O. Box 1335 Kfar Saba 44113 or directly to Bank Hapoalim, Branch 679, Account 119442. -- Please, sign the international petition being organized by the Stop the Wall movement at the following link: http://stopthewall.org.il/mashacamp/petition/index.html >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From otherisr at actcom.co.il Wed Oct 22 03:47:55 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [fwd] Report of the Court Martial of the five "Occupation Refusers" Message-ID: <3F95FDEB.28591.1AC2015@localhost> ============================================= "Punished - not for our disobedience but for our opinions" -- this week's continuation of the Court Martial of The Five-- ============================================= Tel-Aviv, October 22 A few minutes before the beginning of the solidarity vigil on the afternoon of Sunday Oct, 19, somebody came up with a new slogan: "Conscience in Prison, Stupidity in Power!" Blank placards were drawn up on the sidewalk opposite the Defense Ministry gate, and the new slogan joined old favorites such as "Down With The Occupation!" and "Occupation Is Terror - the Refuser is a Hero!" Some 150 people had come to express solidarity with the imprisoned refusniks, now entering the last stages of the year-long ordeal at the Jaffa Military Court. Old and young were there, past and present refusers, parents and friends and sympathizers. The youngsters were singing the unofficial anthem: "No thank you Mr Sharon / Go yourself to Hebron / Damn your schemes, all to hell / Off we go to prison cell!" On the following morning, all who could afford to miss a working day crowded into the narrow hall at the court. KM Issam Mahoul was there, as well as a couple of "ecumenical accompaniers" from the World Council of Churches and several representatives of the international press. As on previous sessions, the five youngsters got prolonged applause as they filed in and took their places at the dock. The equally young military police accompanying them seemed quite friendly disposed. Today, the cross-examination of Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor, and Noam Bahat was scheduled, the other two - Chaggai Matar and Matan Kaminer had theirs already in September. The prosecutor, Captain Yaron Costelitz, had managed to prepare himself by obtaining a considerable number of leaflets and press releases by the various refuser movements, as well as the full text of Shimri's "prison blog", new installments of which appear every week on the Israeli Walla news website [ http://e.walla.co.il/ts.cgi?tsscript=category&path=225 ], trying to rattle the young COs with a flood of quotations. "So you think the war is not really necessary, do you? That the government could have ended it easily enough by just withdrawing? So you know better than all the generals, and all the decisionmakers, on the basis of the enormous experience and knowledge you gathered in your 19 years of life?" The youngsters stood their ground. "I did not take the decision to refuse in one day. I pondered for years what I was going to do. I read a lot of material and spoke with many people and had sleepless nights of thinking and debating with myself. I came to the conclusion that the army's acts in the Occupied Territories are flagrantly immoral and violating international law", said Shimri Tzameret. "Violating international law? We seem to have here an eminent jurist, also! Don't you know that the Supreme Court ruled all these actions to be justified and necessary for saving lives?" "That is not true; in some cases the Supreme Court forbade things which were being done for years. For example the torture of Palestinian prisoners." "But if the Supreme Court rules that your refusal is totally illegal, would you persist in it? Would you undermine the rule of law that much?" "You are an observant Jew. Would you obey the Supreme Court if it ruled that you must eat ham?" Adam Maor was subjected to prolonged questioning about the letter which the refusers signed last June, calling from the military prison upon Palestinians to avoid attacks on civilian targets, and which was published widely in both Israeli and Palestinian press. "You wrote specifically asking your Palestinian friends to avoid killing civilians. Does that mean that you approve of the killing of soldiers?" Tense silence in the court. Everybody had seen the morning headlines telling of three soldiers ambushed and killed in a West Bank village. "I am very much against killing in general, of civilians or soldiers. In that letter we specifically mentioned other courses of action Palestinians may take, such as mass demonstrations, hunger strikes or the dismantling of army roadblocks. Still I must say, if a foreign army was occupying Haifa where I live, if roadblocks were depriving all of us of the most elementary freedom of movement, if we had grown up seeing our fathers being humiliated by the foreign soldiers - frankly, I don't know how we would have behaved." Later, Costelitz tried to dig into the meanings of the Highschool Letter which the five together with some 300 others had signed. "When you write: 'We call upon all those soon to be conscripted to do as we do' does that mean that you call upon all of them to refuse military service?" Before defense attorney Smadar Ben-Nathan could voice an objection, the presiding judge, Lieutenant Colonel Avi Levi sternly reprimanded the prosecutor: "Before asking such .a question, it i your duty to warn the accused that his answer may implicate him in more serious charges than those he faces in this court, namely Incitement to Mutiny." Throughout the trial, Colonel Levy seemed to act in an eminently fair way, which is of course no guarantee for the final outcome. When it came the turn of Noam Bahat, Costelitz produced a thick file of Bahat's correspondence with the military authorities. "I have here the letter which you wrote to the army at the age of 17, and another letter from half a year later, and also a letter which your parents wrote to the army on your behalf at the same time. None of them mentions a principled objection to military service. In fact, the only request you made at that time was not to go to a combat unit. You have come quite a long way since, isn't it?" - "If you read these letters you must know that at that time I contemplated joining the army's Educational Corps and helping those soldiers who come to the army with lack of basic education, some of them actually illiterate. Since I have already some educational experience and that is what I want to do in life, I thought that would be the most useful thing I can do. But gradually I realized that the education which the army provides to such people is short and superficial, and its main purpose i still to make them into 'usefull parts of the military'. Also, while I had this correspondence I heard from friends who already went into the army what is really going on in the territories. For example, the practice of forcing Palestinians to be human shields when soldiers are besieging suspected terrorists and force their neighbors to go first into the building, and thus sometimes get killed. Later it was very much in the news. But I had already heard about it first- hand from friends. I decided I could not be part of a body which does such things. I am still very much willing to do educational work, as a service to the society, but in a civilian framework." "In January you had a hunger strike in your cell. I have here the press release where you are quoted as saying that you are persecuted for your opinions. Is that really what you said? Persecuted for opinions - not for disobeying legal orders?" - "Yes, indeed! That's what I said then, and that is what I say now. I and the rest of us are suffering for our opinions. There is in the army a procedure that a soldier who persists in making trouble upon enlistment is sent three times to a month in prison, and after ninety days or so gets to the Incompatibilty Committee which throws him out of the army. I know somebody who went to the Induction Center on the same day I did and he refused without giving any political or ideological reason. He is already out for more than half a year. Later I talked with an officer at the Induction Center, who told me that is really the procedure but that there is an order not to apply it to principled refusers. So, yes, we are here in this court not because of our disobedience but because of our opinions." With this day-long session a long-drawn out process of testimonies and cross-examinations came to an end. The next session, on November 4, will be devoted to the final summations of prosecution and defence, after which the final verdict should not be too long in coming. Still before that is expected the verdict in the separate trial of the "unrecognized pacifist" Yoni Ben-Artzi. (The army's official doctrine is that, while an objector to the occupation is ineligible for exemption a true pacifist could go free.) Meanwhile, on the day of the trial, a new refuser was reported to have embarked that morning on the long and weary way of confronting the military system. Three other draft resisters are still trapped in the limbo of going in and out of ever renewed monthly prison terms, while four reservists are presently incarcerated for refusing service in the occupied territories. Report made by Adam Keller for the Refusenik Parents Group Contact persons: Smadar Nehab "Anat Matar" "Reuven Kaminer" Donations: Checks earmarked for "legal aid" to New Profile, POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271, Israel From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Oct 23 02:59:39 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:05 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Your protest may again turn the scales for Akaba village Message-ID: <3F97441B.14004.41AC6D@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International alert (addresses for protest included) Tel-Aviv, October 23 While we can do little to stop the ongoing cycle of violence Israeli peace activists are rather mobilizing to take part in the olive harvest. But there is something everybody can do, something which is not dependent on physical condition or geographical distance. We got an alarming phonecall from Akaba village. Two and a half years ago we asked you to .help preserve its only health clinic - for which a demolition order had been issued. Then, your protests helped; the clinic is still there. But the village is again threatened. This time, the peasant families received for 12 out of the 18 houses AND the Mosqe AND the Kindergarten demolition orders. No problems of terrorism in Akaba; the hamlet doesn't pose any security threat whatsoever. Its only sin: that it is located in "C-area", that is: the area which Sharon wants to annex, and preferably empty. Please, make your critical questions heard - by phone, fax and/or email The first to be addressed: Commander, Civil Administration Fax 972 2 9977326 (or!!! phone him: 972-(0)2-9977341) Further fax and email addresses (for sending copies): fax numbers: Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz: Fax: +972-3-696-27-57 / +972-3-691-69-40 / +972-3-691-79-15 Israeli Foreign Minister: +972-(0)2-5303506 General Manager Israeli Foreign Ministry: +972-(0)2-5303704 Situation Room Israeli Foreign Ministry: +972-(0)2-5303896 Head of IDF Legal Department General Menachem Finkelstein Fax +972-(0)3-5693270 Secretary of State Colin Powell Fax: +1-202-261-8577 Prime Minister Tony Blair, Fax +44-207-925-0918 European Union, Jerusalem, Fax: + 972- (0)2-532 6249 UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Fax: +972-(0)8- 282-0966 email addresses: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz , pniot@mod.gov Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin "Mr. Terje Rod Larsen Personal Representative of the Secretary General to the United Nations in Palestine" unsco@palnet.com, lemore@un.org European Union, Jerusalem, Email mailto@delwbg.cec.eu.int UN Special Coordinator, Gaza, Email unsco@palnet.com Sיrgio Vieira de Mello UN High Commissioner for Human Rights <1503@ohchr.org> European Parliament Belgian Office Village contact: Haj Sami Sadek +972-(0)55-795286 / +972-(0)59- 208512 fax: +972-(0)9-2574073 -- Please, sign the international petition being organized by the Stop the Wall movement at the following link: http://stopthewall.org.il/mashacamp/petition/index.html >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Oct 27 03:23:33 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Olive harvest - between a rock and a hard place Message-ID: <3F9C8FB5.890.C95F322@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International release Tel-Aviv, October 26. [] "Between a rock and a hard place" by Adam Keller: -- report and background of the joint olive harvest at Hirbat Jabara -- with an epilogue: Sharon, go home (demo in Jerusalem). [] Israeli roulette - Gush ad in Ha'aretz, October 24 [] Whom to believe? - Avnery answers General Amidror [] "Two missiles were fired" / "The results were very good" \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] "Between a rock and a hard place" by Adam Keller: -- report and background of the joint olive harvest at Hirbat Jabara -- with an epilogue: Sharon, go home (demo in Jerusalem). The landscape seemed highly picturesque: the olive trees dotting the rolling hills, the strewn rocks, the placidly grazing donkey. Such a sharp contrast with the congested superhighways and high-rise office towers of metropolitan Tel-Aviv, a short drive away - a short drive, that is, to those privileged to pass the various barriers and roadblocks. But we had not come as tourists, and the apparently tranquil countryside was the inside of a besieged enclave, around which a noose is being drawn ever tighter. It was to help these besieged people that a mobilizartion effort had been mounted in the past week by the Olive Harvest Coalition. Already before arriving at our destination on this Saturday, Oct. 25, we had a good close look at The Fence - a line drawn across the landscape in the past year, cutting arbitrarily across the fields and the lives of those who live hereabouts. For some time our cavalcade - seven buses and some private cars - moved parallel to this implacable barrier, then we moved back from it, along ever-worsening roads and tracks. Soon came the moment to alight and divide into groups of about twenty, each guided by Palestinian farmers. Then quite a long way by foot, partly along goat tracks full of thorns and brambles, under a blazing sun which would have better fitted a day in mid-August rather then late October. Finally we arrived, panting. Mufid, our guide, pointed to the trees to the left: "These are ours, my father planted many of them". Then to the buildings on the next hill: "That is the settlement of Sal'it. The army is always getting nervous when we try to come here. With you, it should be more easy." But now, even the settlement takes second place in his worries in comparison to The Fence. "My village, Ras, is on the other side, and most of our fields and olives were left on this side. We have to ask for permits to cross the gate. I got a one-month permit. My wife, who did a large part of the harvest last year and in all the years before, did not get one. Why? The soldiers just told me "That's the way it is". Half of our village got no permit." We do our best to take the place of the villagers who were banned from coming here. Olive picking is a companionable work. The group spread around a tree and went through the branches one by one, hunting for the little blue-black olives. "We should be like locusts, leaving not a single olive unpicked. The harvest was not particularly good this year, we must make the best of what there is there" admonishes Ehud, the coordinator of our group. Uri Avnery, who had celebrated his eightieth birthday a month ago, is climbing up the bole, in order to get at the more difficult upper branches. This kind of work leaves a lot of opportunity for talking. Around our tree, the talk was mostly of politics - past and present, Israeli and international, in a mixture of Hebrew, Arabic, English a bit of Spanish. Aside from Israelis and Palestinians, our group included an American, two Catalans from Barcelona and two Japanese. And halfway through, the Israeli contingent is reinforced by the arrival of Yesh Gvul activists, who came directly from the solidarity vigil for the imprisoned refusniks held outside military prison 6. Unlike political work, olive picking provides a bit of an immediate, visible satisfaction - measured in the clump of already-harvested trees left behind and on the row of full sacks stretching ahead, filled with olives. "Each sack can be rendered into 17 litres of olive oil. One liter can nowadays be sold for 12 Shekels. Before the intifada, you could get up to 22 shekels, but now it is not possilbe to send olive oil to Jordan and very difficult even to get it different parts of the West Bank. We can only rely on the local market" explains Mufid. Four o'clock. Again we trudge through the rocky hills. Finally the track becomes a street, then a small unpaved plaza where smiling villagers offer cold water and mandarin oranges. The speech given by town councillor and school principal Sadeq Mas'ud - far from being just a show of politeness - is informing us about the troubles of the hardest hit of the villages, Hirbat Jabara with its 350 inhabitants. "Our village where you now stand has become a big prison. And our jailers, unlike in a normal prison, don't even bother about how their prisoners will have what to eat. The Wall is cutting us off from the rest of the West Bank. This village lives mainly from poultry. How can we continue with that when bringing feed for the chickens or transporting meat and eggs to the market has become totally impossible? The fence is five kilometers to the east; three kilometers to the west is the Green Line and if we take one step across, then we are liable to be arrested by the Israeli police for illegally entering Israel. And now, the army is demanding that we ask for permits to be allowed to stay in our homes!" Israeli speakers mount the improvised podium: Uri Avnery representing Gush Shalom: "The struggle now is not between Israelis and Palestinians but between Israeli and Palestinian peace seekers on the one side and the enemies among both peoples on the other side; the army hopes to make your life so bitter that you will just go away by yourself. We have come here to stand by your side and make sure this will not happen." Fathia Oukbi (Coalition of Women for Peace), herself an Arab woman from the Galilee, told of her family history: "I am from a village of this size which has ceased to exist. My grandmother was always telling us "better to be killed on your land than let yourself be expelled; but we have come here to show that there is a third way; that we can stand together and make sure that you can live on your land." Peretz Kidron of Yesh Gvul told: "In the military prison there are now ten courageous people, four reservists and six youngsters who refuse to be conscripts. They are all in prison because they don't want to take part in the occupation which does what it does to you." Yigal Bronner (Ta'ayush) summarized what had brought so many Israelis to this place: "General Kaplinsky of the Central Command issued a decree under which a Palestinian who lives in this area between Green line and Fence has no inherent right to be here, but has to ask permission, as a special favour. On the other hand, Israelis need no permit to come here, and the same for another class of persons - those 'who would be eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.'. In other words: J e w s. A Jewish from New York making a 24-hour stopover has more rights in Jabarra than the people who lived here all their lives, and their ancestors before them. This is Apartheid." [Together with Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush and the Women for Peace, also the Committee Against House Demolitions and the Rabbis for Human Rights are part of the Olive Harvest Coalition. Photos on the site: www.gush-shalom.org ] *** Epilogue: Sharon go home! When boarding the buses for the way back some Tel-Avivians joined the Jerusalemites in order to be in time for the Peace Now demonstration scheduled to start at seven. It was a strange transition. A quick cup of coffee in a Jerusalem cafe around the corner from the Prime Minister's Residence, and meanwhile the place filled up. Loudspeakers announced: now we are to march - to encircle Sharon's place. Activists took up torches and placards (Sharon go home! / There is another way! / Sharon is destroying the country / Save the country - Get out of the Territories! / Geneva Now!. There was chanting, too. Back in the place of the beginning, the organizers estimated that there were now around 4000 people, and indeed it was quite full, the crowd spreading over into the side streets. And very noisy it was. With the dust of harvesting still on us, we listened to ever more fiery anti-Sharon speeches of ex-Labor-minister Yuli Tamir, Meretz KM Ran Cohen, Geneva Agreement participant Dr Menachem Klein, Peace Now's Gaby Laski and a moving address of Yona Bargur, whose son was killed as a paratrooper officer seven years ago. More than any other factor, the "Geneva Accord" and the 39% support it already gained in opinion polls were setting the tone. Central themes, the "now proven fact that there is a partner" and also the recent killing of soldiers while guarding settlements "which should have been dismantled long ago." The speeches were accompanied by the chanting of slogans of a well- coordinated group of youths, megaphones in their hands, standing on the high walls surrounding the gardens of the houses in this beautiful old neighborhood. Very much booing any time that the name of the PM or one of the ministers was mentioned. "Sharon - Ason" (Sharon- Disaster) - "Two States for Two Peoples" - "Kick out the corruption!" - and the resurrected protest song (melody of a childrens' song) of the Lebanon War "We will fight for Sharon, and come back in a coffin!" Concluding message from the podium: "Sorry Mr Prime Minister, sorry to disappoint you. The danger of peace is not over. It is just getting started." *** [] Gush ad "Israeli roulette" in Ha'aretz, October 24 ????? ???? www.gush-shalom.org ISRAELI ROULETTE Four soldiers were sent by their commanders into a classic guerilla ambush. They were sent at night into the center of a Palestinian village, following a path that could be easily foreseen. Three were killed. The father of one of them called this "Israeli roulette". All of us are chips in this roulette. The Sharon government is playing with our lives and the future of our state. [and in smaller charackters:] Picking olives in the shadow of the Wall Tomorrow, Saturday, we shall participate - in the framework of the "Olive Picking Coalition" in picking the olives of one of the Palestinian villages that are mow imprisoned between the Green Line and the Evil Wall. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org *** [] Whom to believe? - Avnery answers General Amidror Uri Avnery 25.10.03 ????? ???? http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article273_heb.html (Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article273.html (English) Whom to Believe? Well... "Whom do you believe?" asked General Ya'akov Amidror on TV with subdued anger, "the army spokesman or Hamas?" General (reserves) Amidror is the highest religious officer in our army. In the past he has raised several public storms with some utterances denigrating secular Israelis, saying that they are not real Jews. He has a sharp mind, much above the average in the army command, and his intellect is fully employed in serving his extremist views - both the extremist religious and the extremist nationalist ones. His question was intended to be rhetorical. After all, the answer is self- evident: on one side there is the IDF, "the most moral and most humane army in the world", as it calls itself, and on the other side there is a bunch of crazy murderers, so what's the problem? But, according to Amidror himself, the reverse is happening. The world believes Hamas and does not believe the IDF spokesman. The Israeli public believes Hamas. Even cabinet ministers and Knesset members believe Hams and do not believe the army spokesman. The crisis of confidence was revealed in all its harshness by a series of events last week in the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinians, the army fired air-to-surface missiles at a car in which there were two Hamas militants. When people from the neighborhood crowded around the smashed car to see if the could help the victims, they were attacked by another missile. All in all 14 Palestinians were killed, among them a doctor who had rushed there to help, and dozens of others, including many women and children, were wounded. "A big lie!" the Army Spokesman angrily announced. The army did not fire another missile at all. It did not hurt civilians! It's just another vicious Palestinian slander! So there are two opposing versions, which are completely incompatible. A matter of either-or. One of the two sides is lying. But who? The Palestinian version is supported by the TV and video coverage of the killed, the funerals, the wounded delivered to the hospitals, as well as by doctors and journalists, local and foreign. The army version is supported by the host of Israeli "military correspondents" and "Arab affairs reporters" on TV, the radio and the newspapers who, almost to a man, repeat the official line like robots, as if they themselves had investigated and come to this conclusion. This time even the heavy artillery joined the battle, headed by Haaretz military commentator Ze'ev Shiff, whose independent judgements are often uncannily similar to those of the army command. The Air Force commander, already up to his neck in the affair of the rebellious combat pilots, took an unprecedented step and had the official version, denying the Palestinian story, circulated at all Air force bases. To reinforce its own story, the Air Force published, after a delay of 24 hours, a clip shot during the action by an army drone (unmanned aircraft). It clearly shows two missiles fired at the suspect car, with hardly any civilians in the vicinity. The devoted military correspondents even used their stopwatches to measure the seconds between missile A and missile B. So here we have a perfect riddle. A factual clip against the eye-witness account of the journalists. What would Sherlok Holmes have said? Well. Perhaps a Palestinian propagandist of genius invented the whole thing. The civilians committed suicide or shot each other, dozens of others wounded themselves, all in order to besmirch the IDF with a monstrous lie. (By the same logic, the father of little Muhammad al- Dura killed his son, at the beginning of the present intifada, in order to slander our brave and upright soldiers). Another possibility is that not two, but three missiles were used - the two seen in the clip and a third one later on. In order to find out, one has to view the whole film, not just an excerpt. And perhaps we are dealing with two different events altogether. If the Israeli media were truly independent, instead of being a department of the security establishment, a dozen Israeli journalists would have rushed to Gaza on the same day, interviewed the dozens of wounded in the hospitals, compared the evidence, visited the families of the dead and taken testimony from eye-witnesses, confronting these with the army version. But apart from Amira Hass and a Palestinian correspondent of Channel 2, this kind of independent investigation has disappeared long ago from our media (and perhaps never existed.) There remains the rhetorical question posed by General Amidror: Whom to believe? The Minister of the Interior Avraham Poraz (Shinui party) and the Knesset member Zahava Gal'on (Meretz) chose, so it seems, the Palestinian version and acted accordingly. So did a large number of other public personalities. That was what raised the hackles of the army. But even if we take the official version on trust, we would have to raise another question: WHY do so many people, in Israel and throughout the world, believe the Palestinians? In other words, why do they not believe the army spokesman? There were times when the army spokesman was believed without reservation. During the 50s, I was often asked by foreign journalists whether to believe the army statements. My answer invariably was: Sure, our army does not lie. These days are long gone. The occupation, which has corrupted everything, has corrupted the army statements, too. During the first intifada, the IDF published hundreds of statements that were manifestly mendacious. Children "lost their lives" when the army "shot into the air" (giving rise to bitter jokes about "flying children"). Palestinians were killed while "trying to wrest weapons from the hands of soldiers". Tall stories. Baron von Munchhausen would have been envious. Since then, the situation has become even worse. During the last 20 years I have followed the work of foreign correspondents, neutral, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli, and almost all of them trust the Palestinians more than official Israeli spokespersons. When things get tough, official spokespersons bring up the Jenin affair. The Palestinians claimed that during the "Defensive Shield" operation in April 2002 a massacre occurred there. This proved to be an exaggeration, but the things that did indeed happen there were terrible enough. For example, many houses were demolished by the drunken driver of a giant army bulldozer, without any idea whether the inhabitants were still inside. The terminological battle over the word "massacre" distracted attention from what actually happened. Credibility is worth more then gold. It takes years to build up, but just a few minutes to destroy. Now this affair shows that the credibility of the army spokesman has fallen into an abyss. "Whom do you believe?" the general asked. Well?hmm?it's not pleasant to say, but? *** [] "Two missiles were fired" / "The results were very good" [ Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz' embedded military commentator, reveals how the army authorities fight the wave of doubts regarding the IDF's credibility after the Gaza strike. That the disbelief was also from within - as remarked already by Avnery in the above article - was reason for the army to produce an internal briefing towards all air units. In it is admitted that "the second missile was fired about a minute after the first missile struck". Read for yourself how this admission, and its obvious implication, is buried - as to make it loose all importance.] IAF report quickly dispels rumors on Gaza strike By Ze'ev Schiff Haaretz, Friday Oct. 24 http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/353258.html There is one document that, in some ways, offers even better testimony than do real-time photographs from a pilotless drone as to what the Israel Air Force command really knew about Monday's missile strikes in Gaza. It is an internal report on the operation sent by IAF headquarters to all air force units. This document, which reached hundreds of personnel, was sent out after news reports began claiming that helicopters had deliberately fired missiles into a crowd of Palestinian civilians gathered near one of the targets. The drone's camera showed no such crowd, but the camera's lens might not see everything happening on the ground around the target. But anyone who thinks it is possible to lie in a bulletin sent to every unit of the IAF and not be caught does not know the air force. Any lie or distortion would quickly be noticed - and leaked. The bulletin was sent out on Tuesday in response to plea by two IAF base commanders who, having heard the media reports, wanted to know what really happened. It was drafted by the head of the operations division, with the approval of IAF Commander-in-Chief Major General Dan Halutz. The following are excerpts from the text. The full text, minus a few operational details having mainly to do with munitions, appears in today's Hebrew Haaretz; details omitted even in the Hebrew are marked here by ellipses: "The following document briefly describes yesterday's [i.e., Monday's] operational activity. The document is being sent so that you will know the facts ... I. The IAF conducted five strikes against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip yesterday ... III. Following are the operations and the main results, in chronological order: A. An attack on a plant for manufacturing explosives: ... Moderate damage was caused to the building. B. An attack on a car carrying weapons: Two missiles were fired, which hit the car directly. C. An attack on a munitions warehouse: 1. One missile was fired, which destroyed the building. 2. The building blew up, indicating the presence of munitions. D. An attack on a car carrying suicide terrorists: Two missiles were fired, which hit the car and killed the two suicide terrorists inside it. E. Another attack on the explosives manufacturing plant (the plant attacked in item A): 1. It was attacked with ... to minimize collateral damage. 2. The result was ... and the building was seriously damaged. 3. The attack was halted because people approached. IV. Main points: ... C. All the targets were targets belonging to terrorist organizations engaged in producing arms or organizing attacks. D. In the planning and execution, maximum efforts were made not to hurt uninvolved persons. Despite this, when [there is] fighting against terrorists who deliberately live among a civilian population, uninvolved persons are sometimes hurt. E. With respect to the media reports of a missile that went astray and massive injury to uninvolved persons, it is important that you know the facts: 1. All the munitions struck their targets exactly. 2. In every attack, at the time the munitions were fired, neither the operational nor the video films showed any uninvolved persons. 3. There was no firing of munitions into a crowd. 4. In the attack on the car carrying the suicide terrorists, the second missile was fired about a minute after the first missile struck. At the time the missile was fired, no uninvolved persons were spotted, but by the time the missile hit, a small number of people had apparently already arrived at the scene. In any event, according to the films, there was no massive injury to uninvolved persons and there was no firing into a crowd. V. Summary A. The results were very good. B. Planned terror attacks were prevented and many armaments were assaulted. C. Maximum precautions were taken, in both planning and execution, to avoid harming uninvolved persons." The above document reflects what the IAF knew, but it does not offer a full explanation for the large number of Palestinian casualties. In any event, air force policy on the conflict with the Palestinians remains unchanged, so this is probably not the last time such operational- ethical questions will arise. *** See the attachments for: --Appeal from Australia to counter the anti-Ashrawi hate campaign --Hans Lebrecht reports on attempt at the life of MK Issam Mahoul --the latest ISM report Please, sign the international petition being organized by the Stop the Wall movement at the following link: http://stopthewall.org.il/mashacamp/petition/index.html >From Hawaiian Gardens to Jerusalem: about how to stop Irving Moskovitz http://www.stopmoskowitz.org/ Online support for the pilot's letter; http://www.tayasim.org.il/support.asp? -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Mahoul.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 23040 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031027/f9234576/Mahoul.obj -------------- next part -------------- -----Original Message----- From: vivienne Porzsolt [mailto:porzsoltv@optusnet.com.au] Subject: Campaign against Hanan Ashrawi Dear friends You may not know that Hanan Ashrawi has been awarded the Sydney Peace Prize for 2003 awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation. Hanan Ashrawi has been subject to an unprecedented campaign of vilification and disinformation by the Zionist Establishment. There is an international campaign to have Carr and the University of Sydney dissassociate itself from the award. The University has already withdrawn the use of its Great Hall for the presentation, despite it having been available for previous awards. The Premier of NSW Bob Carr is presenting the prize 6 November. He has so far resisted the pressure to withdraw. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Lucy Turnbull has caved in to the pressure and has disassociated the City of Sydney, a sponsor of the prize, from the presentation this year. A factor is that Turnbull's husband, Malcolm Turnbull, is a very wealthy merchant banker now trying to bulldoze his way into a nomination for a parliamentary seat. This may seem a storm in a teacup for you as someone far from the parochial squabbles of Sydney. But with the intervention of Associate Professor Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University with an international petition now said to number 10,000, this is an international attack on the standing and credibility of a key Palestinian leader. It is an attack on the Palestinian national movement. The article below by Alan Ramsay, a Sydney journalist reveals in fascinating detail a verbatim report of the kinds of pressures which are being brought to bear on the Sydney Peace Foundation. What you can do: Write to: Australian Jewish News valhadeff@jewishnews.net.au Sydney Morning Herald letters@smh.com.au Premier Bob Carr bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au Shalom Vivienne Porzsolt Jews Against the Occupation Sydney [Alan Ramsey is a senior columnist and reporter with the Sydney Morning Herald] Here's Lucy, caving in, taking flight By Alan Ramsey October 25, 2003 Dr Hanan Mikhail Ashrawi is a woman, a professor of English, an international human rights activist, and a politician. A year ago she was chosen, unanimously, to receive the 2003 Sydney Peace Prize. The Premier, Bob Carr, will present Ashrawi with her award at State Parliament in 12 days. The first four recipients of the annual prize were honoured at functions in the Great Hall of Sydney University. They included South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1999), East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao (2000) and Australia's Sir William Deane (2001). However, for Ashrawi, the Great Hall is out of bounds. This is not because Ashrawi is either a woman, an academic or a political activist. It is because she is a Palestinian. That is enough to ensure a virulent campaign of distortion and ridicule by Jewish critics to brutalise her image and try to have Carr renege on Ashrawi's presentation and the award taken from her. So far Carr has refused to buckle. Not so Sydney University. Earlier this year the university's chancellor, Justice Kim Santow of the NSW Supreme Court, made it known to Professor Stuart Rees, director of the Sydney Peace Foundation, and to Kathryn Greiner, the foundation's chairwoman at the time, that the Great Hall would be closed to Ashrawi. Rees and an academic colleague, Ken McNabb, took the matter to Sydney's vice-chancellor, Gavin Brown. In what was called a "difficult and shameful" meeting, Brown confirmed the decision. The campaign now is about maximum political pressure for other corporate and civic sponsors to abandon Ashrawi and intimidate Carr. Lucy Turnbull, Sydney's Lord Mayor since Frank Sartor joined Carr's ministry after the NSW elections in March, is the latest to fold her tent and take flight. Sartor, as lord mayor, had earlier arranged for the City of Sydney to be a $30,000 annual sponsor, for five years, of the Peace Foundation lecture, which is always given, in a separate function, by the peace prize winner the night before the award ceremony on the first Thursday in November. On Tuesday this week, in a brief "Dear Professor Rees" letter dated October 20, Turnbull told Rees the Sydney City Council "will be unable to participate in this year's Peace Prize events". That is, the council was blackballing both the lecture and the award ceremony. Turnbull's reasons for doing so were a travesty: the usual ignorant mishmash of allegations forever trotted out by the usual suspects against any Palestinian with international credibility and standing in the peace process. Lucy Turnbull should read the letter from a Jewish academic at Oxford University published in the Herald yesterday. Then she should go hide her head in shame. The letter responded to Tony Stephens's story in the Herald two days earlier about Turnbull's craven cave-in to the anti-Ashrawi campaign. It said: "Opposition to awarding the Sydney Peace Prize to Dr Hanan Ashrawi has so far been based on historical ignorance, ideological blindness, wilful malevolence or provincial political opportunism." (Are you listening, Malcolm?) The letter continued: "Dr Ashrawi has been a rare and precious voice of reason in the peace process and her commitment to a just solution has been exemplary. She has consistently encouraged Palestinians to reject violence, despite continuing Israeli territorial expansion and systemic political oppression." (signed) Ben Saul, Tutor in International Law, Magdalen College, University of Oxford, England. And what does Rees think of Lucy's white feather? He said yesterday: "When I negotiated the sponsorship contract with the City of Sydney, I did so with Frank Sartor, not Lucy Turnbull. She's an interesting person. I've had face-to-face communications with all the major corporate sponsors who support us over this issue. I even flew down to Melbourne to talk to Rio Tinto. But Lucy Turnbull and co are like the Medicis of the Town Hall. She never talks to me. All I got was this summary note a couple of days ago in which, for her own purposes, she completely misinterprets Ashrawi's public statements and says she won't publicly support us this year. "In other words, she won't be seen in the same company as Ashrawi. She doesn't even want to be seen in the lecture theatre. Apparently it's more than her husband's political life is worth." Ah, yes, of course - Malcolm Turnbull's much publicised stalking of the Liberals' Peter King in his pursuit of the eastern suburbs' federal seat of Wentworth. Lucy Turnbull has gone to ground since her "Dear John" letter to Rees this week. But a senior business figure phoned Rees on Tuesday to tell him of a conversation he'd overheard at a function the previous night. It apparently included Lucy being told something like: "That wretched King is going around saying you support the Palestinians because you're a party to this peace prize." Rees commented: "So Hanan Ashrawi gets her name sullied and ridiculed because the Turnbulls want to be more important that they already are." And Kathryn Greiner? Greiner was chairwoman of the Sydney Peace Foundation for four years until her resignation this year over an issue of solidarity involving her husband, Nick, against the Senate of Sydney University and unconnected with the peace prize bitchiness. She was one of the jury of six who selected Ashrawi unanimously in September last year as this year's recipient (the other five: Rees; social researcher Hugh Mackay; Dr Jane Fulton from University management; Stella Cornelius, Sydney's 83-year-old grand dame of conflict mediation; James McLachlan, a director of Kerry Packer's PBL). Greiner remains a non-voting member in support of Rees. But two weeks ago, on October 9, she phoned Rees to talk frankly about her concerns with an accelerating campaign against Ashrawi. A file note of their conversation reads: KG: "I have to speak logically. It is either Hanan Ashrawi or the Peace Foundation. That's our choice, Stuart. My distinct impression is that if you persist in having her here, they'll destroy you. Rob Thomas of City Group is in trouble for supporting us. I think he must have had a phone call from New York. And you know Danny Gilbert [partner in the law firm, Gilbert and Tobin] has already been warned off." SR: "You must be joking. We've been over this a hundred times. We consulted widely. We agreed the jury's decision, made over a year ago, was not only unanimous but that we would support it, together." KG: "But listen, I'm trying to present the logic of this. They'll destroy what you've worked for. They are determined to show we made a bad choice. I think it's Frank Lowy's money. You don't understand just how much opposition there is. We cannot go ahead. If only there was progress in the Middle East, this would not be such a bad time." SR: "I won't be subject to bullying and intimidation. We are being threatened by members of a powerful group who think they have an entitlement to tell others what to do. This opposition is orchestrated. The arguments are all the same - that Hanan Ashrawi has not condemned violence sufficiently, that she was highly critical of Israel in her address to the UN's Johannesburg Conference on racism, and wilder accusations that do not bear repetition." KG: "But you're not listening to the logic. The Commonwealth Bank - I was at a reception last night - is highly critical. We could not approach them for financial help for the Schools Peace Prize. We'll get no support from them. The business world will close ranks. They're saying we are being one-sided, that we've only supported Palestine." SR: "Kathryn, we need to avoid the trap of even using the language of 'one side'. That's not the issue. We are being bullied and intimidated and you are asking that we give way to it. The letter writers and the phone callers who this group encourage have spent weeks bullying a 25-year-old colleague of mine who handles the foundation's administration. You are asking me to collude with bullying." KG: "I'll tell you how serious this is. Bob Carr won't come to the dinner. He'll flick the responsibility to [his deputy, Andrew] Refshauge at the last minute. And you won't get the Town Hall. It is more than Lucy's life is worth. They will desert us as well." SR: "I've never given way to bullying. Public life is too much characterised by cowardice. If we give way I'd be so ashamed I couldn't face myself. The image of the Peace Foundation would be shameful. Our reputation would count for nothing." KG: "My friend, I am telling you what the reality is. The foundation will be destroyed. I'd hate to see its work come to nothing over this. Our critics are saying it's an awful choice." SR: "These critics are 'they' and 'them', invisible but powerful people. They stay powerful because they are invisible. They bully and intimidate in the same breath they behave as unblemished pillars of the community. Do you mean to say that in cautious, often gutless Australia we are not going to follow through on this? No. I remain completely committed to our decision." Watch this space. This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/24/1066974313719.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: from_ISM.txt Type: application/octet-stream Size: 6300 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031027/f9234576/from_ISM.obj From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Oct 27 17:43:21 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: FW: Cut Palestinian trees and settlers attacking RHR delegation documenting it Message-ID: <3F9D5939.28611.FA93B6C@localhost> Rabbis for Human Rights delegation physically attacked by settlers while documenting cut trees. And this is not the only case of settlers cutting down Palestinin olive trees NB: Speak about it! Write letters to the editor about it! And prepare yourself & your friends to give money to compensate the Palestinian farmers. More information soon. Gush Shalom ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Rabbis for Human Rights" Date sent: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 15:47:00 +0200 Pictures available!! This morning RHR delegation was attacked by settlers while documenting cut trees. well known journalist John Ross age 66 is on his way to Beilinson hospital. RHR executive director Rabbi Arik Ascherman was also bitten along with activist David Nir. Dalya Bones was threatened. The delegation arrived at Ein Abus after receiving words that hundreds of trees have been cut down there and in the village of Isawiya. 5 young settlers, some of them with there face covered, descended with clubs. Rabbi Ascherman and David Nir were kicked with clubs and stones. They took Rabbi Ascherman's Kipa (head cover) and said that this was their land. After leaving Ascherman and Nir, they saw a Palestinian family. The family ran away but they saw John Ross and started biting him. They turned back to Ascherman when he came to save Ross. Ascherman held him at his stand off until they retreated because the police was arriving. Ross is on his way to Beilinson while Ascherman and Nir are on their way to make a complain in the Ariel Police office. For further details: Rabbi Ascherman: 050-607034 David Nir:052-991379 Dalya Bones:053-325189 Ibrahim (asawiya): 067-751555 (Hebrew) Ein Abus representative: 052-584410 Muhamad: 052-886195 Olive oil is available from the RHR office 25 NIS per liter, 350 NIS per jerrycan Rabbis For Human Rights Tel. 972 2 563-7731 Fax. 972 2 566-2815 Mobile 972 50607034 info@rhr.israel.net Website: rhr.israel.net ------- End of forwarded message ------- From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Oct 29 13:12:38 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Sign, Read, Donate & מתנדבים דרושים Message-ID: <3F9FBCC6.12575.3B18BD4@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org 1) דרושים מתנדבים [about the need of volunteers in Israeli cities] 2) Please, sign Hanan Ashrawi petition 3) Read "Get out of Gaza" - Haaretz editorial 4) About compensating the farmers whose olive trees were cut 1) מתנדבים דרושים [about the need of volunteers in Israeli cities] דרושים מתנדבים עם את(ה) יכול(ה) להשקיע קצת זמן בפעילות הסברה ברחוב - בבקשה לטלפן ל 03-5565804 2) Please, sign Hanan Ashrawi petition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hanan Ashrawi - Palestinian legislator and peace activist under attack Please, sign the petition to defend her http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/439042231 *** 3) Read "Get out of Gaza" - Haaretz editorial ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you didn't read yet the GET OUT OF GAZA editorial of Haaretz, October 27, 2003: English: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/354032.html עברית: http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=354074&contrassID=2 &subContrassID=3&sbSubContrassID=0 *** 4) About compensating the farmers whose olive trees were cut ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As for the Palestinians whose olive trees were cut and severely damaged by settler hooligans (see Oct. 27 message "Cut Palestinian trees and settlers attacking RHR delegation documenting it"), Rabbis for Human Rights have announced that they accept earmarked donations. So, you can send a check in your own currency or cash wrapped well in extra paper to: Rabbis for Human Rights, 42 Gaza Road, Jerusalem 92384, Israel and don't forget to add: "Compensation damaged olive trees." [Meanwhile we of course hope that the Israeli government and guilty parties eventually will remunerate, but it may last too long (if it will happen) for the afflicted families.] *** -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Nov 2 14:20:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] A change in public opinion? Maybe. Message-ID: <3FA512B0.5139.28A5417@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org The organizers of the annual Rabin Memorial did everything to keep a low political profile, but the banners brought by activists expressed what this crowd stood for: LEAVE THE TERRITORIES / SHARON GO HOME! This year, also the streets around the big Tel-Avivian square were totally filled, and even the most sceptical estimates spoke of 100 000. And our stickers - with the photo of the Rabin-Arafat handshake - were grabbed from our hands and glued to their clothes especially by the many young. [] Selection from the Israeli media reporting of the memorial [] Read Avnery on the word Murder & Settlement expansion in 15 steps [] Saturday, anti-wall events in the framework of international campaign [] "Netzarim settlement no longer worth the price" - a spontaneous demo \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Selection from the Israeli media reporting of the memorial #Haaretz: `But the banners were all political, and very specific: "Leave the territories - save the country," "The Geneva Accord - New Hope."' English http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/355954.html Hebrew http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=356267 &contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0 #Jerusalem Post: "the rally had deep political undertones and was hailed as something of a comeback for the dormant center-left." http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFul l&cid=1067676022459 *** [] Read Avnery on the word Murder & Settlement expansion in 15 steps ?????/Hebrew http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article274_heb.html English: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/article274.html [] Saturday, anti-wall events in the framework of international campaign ????? ??"? Gush Shalom is taking part in the Coaltion Against The Wall (full participants list not yet available) which plans two actions on Saturday - a Saturday night demonstration in the Cinemateque Square - for which was done leafletting in the Rabin Memorial, and in the morning a protest near the wall in Abu Dis [more detailed information in Hebrew only, in attachment] [] "Netzarim settlement no longer worth the price" - a spontaneous demo Left and right demonstrating jointly in Negev http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/355999.html -- Did you read the GET OUT OF GAZA editorial of Haaretz, October 27, 2003 ? http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/354032.html !!!N.B.!!! Hanan Ashrawi - Palestinian legislator and peace activist under attack Please, sign the petition to defend her http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/439042231 -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: nov8wall.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 33280 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031102/26b16cc2/nov8wall.obj From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Nov 4 17:22:27 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Campaign Against The Wall - demos in J'lem & Tel-Aviv + petition Message-ID: <3FA7E053.25890.127428C@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org The anti-Wall coalition - in which Gush Shalom takes part - invites everybody to be very outgoing this coming Saturday. In this weekend of the International Campaign Against The Wall there will be two events for Israelis, in the morning in Jerusalem; in the evening in Tel-Aviv (with transportation between the two). November 8th - coming Saturday. - in the morning a joint Israeli-Palestinian protest at the two sides of the Wall in East Jerusalem - at a neighborhood soon to be cut into two. - in the evening, a demonstration to alert Israelis, in the heart of Tel- Aviv DEMONSTRATION IN EAST-JERUSALEM Transportation in the morning: >From Jerusalem, Gan Ha'Paamon at 11:00. >From Tel Aviv Arlozerov train station 09:45. DEMONSTRATION IN TEL AVIV CINEMATEQUE, 19:00 Transportation in the evening: For Jerusalem phone 056-403429 For Haifa-Nazareth phone 067-562518 More volunteers are still needed for: *Signing people on the petition - sign on-line now: www.gader.org *Distributing flyers about the demo * Informing people about it. *Organizing the demonstrations on Saturday. Call: naama 052-245788 or Lin 064-502694 or Yana 067-562518 Participants in the anti-Wall coalition so far: Alternative Information Cente * Black Laundry * Coalition of Women for a Just Peace * Green Action * Gush Shalom * HaKampus Lo Shotek * HaKav HaYarok * Independent Media Group - Indymedia * Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions * Mas'ha Group * One Struggle * Peace Now * Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership * Women Against The Wall * Yesh-Gvul Information about actions of the anti-Wall coalition at:http://www.gader.org (so far only in Hebrew, but hopefully soon with translations into Arabic, Russian and English !!!N.B.!!! Hanan Ashrawi - Palestinian legislator and peace activist under attack Please, sign the petition to defend her http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/439042231 -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Nov 5 03:54:32 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Surprising session in the court martial of "The 5" Message-ID: <3FA87478.28694.36A08AB@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org גארסא עברית קצרה יותר על פי בקשה The Prosecutor & The Judge [The following is the report on the latest session in the court martial of "The Five" which Adam Keller wrote on behalf of the Refuser Parents Forum. Gush Shalom supports the struggle of these courageous youngsters against the occupation.] November 4, morning. It's nearing the end - this routine of coming again and again to the Jaffa Military Court, to which we have grown accustomed in the past half year. The testimonies and cross-examinations are past. Today the prosecutor - Captain Yaron Kostelitz, will make his final summation, trying his utmost to make the most heavy case and use the most specious arguments against the five young guys in the dock. To offer solidarity to Haggai and Matan and Adam and Shimri and Noam, we have come again: parents, friends and supporters, plus the faithful Ecumenical Accompaniers of the World Council of Churches, and two young Italians doing internship at the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees at Ramallah, a civilian service in lieu of service in the Italian Army - the kind of constructive alternative which the state of Israel denies to its own conscientious youths. We have become quite familiar with Kostelitz over the long-drawn out course of this court martial as well as Yoni Ben Artzi's. He is quite predictable, and none of us is surprised at the basic philosophy expressed in nearly each sentence he utters: "Military service is the highest duty and the highest privilege of a citizen, the chance to lay down his life"; "Breaking the law is by definition an immoral act. Law is morality, morality as defined and encoded by the entire society. Breaking the law is immoral , only obedience to law can hold society together". When Colonel Avi Levy, the Presiding Judge, remarks that "Things are are not that clear-cut, not always black and white", Kostelitz mutters: "Oh, it is black, very black indeed ..." What caught us all by surprise - and apparently, also Kostelitz himself - were the frequent interruptions of his narrative by Colonel Levy, which often seemed to deflate Kostelitz's best arguments just as he got into his swing. "There is a difference between Conscientious Objection and Civil Disobedience. Conscientious Objection is a purely personal act, carried out in silence, without publicity, aimed merely at getting exemption for one particular person from acts which he finds intolerable, incompatible with his personal conscience. He does not seek to involve others, does not ask anybody to follow or emulate him. Civil Disobedience is the complete opposite - a pernicious, seditious act of a group which seeks maximum publicity, maximum complicity and participation in its effort to hamper the elected government in carrying out its policies. And what have we here, in this group of five accused? They have all signed a letter, the Shministim Letter, a letter signed by hundreds of youths and addressed to the Prime Minister, The Defence Minister, the Army Chief-of Staff, and to the press. Yes, to the press, especially to the press! And what did they write in that letter of theirs? Let me quote: 'We refuse to become the occupation's soldiers." The word 'refuse' is underlined in the original, please note that in the minutes. Yes, 'We refuse to become the occupation's soldiers. When the elected government tramples upon basic democratic values, we have no choice but to obey the dictates of our conscience and refuse'. And here comes the crux, note this well: 'We call upon our contemporaries and upon the soldiers - whether conscripts, reservists or career military personnel - to do as we do'. Need I add anything? These words speak for themselves. These five are no Conscientious Objectors, they are agitators involved in Civil Disobedience, in trying to overturn Constituted Authority, an attempt which cannot be tolerated..." "Just a second" interjects Colonel Levy. "I feel that this distinction between Conscientious Objection and Civil Disobedience might not be as watertight as you try to make it appear. Is it not reasonable to assume that a person who considers the army's actions to be highly immoral, so much so that he prefers a lengthy prison term to becoming part of that army, would naturally want also to persuade others not to perform these immoral acts? If a company commander orders a soldier with high moral values to shoot a child, obviously the soldier will refuse. But he will likely also try to persuade the rest of the company not to shoot the child. What, then, of your fine distinctions?" Other lines of Kostelitz's argument got cut off even sooner. "If political refusal is legitimized, there will be chaos. Soldiers will choose which orders to obey and which not, there will be total anarchy and the army will go to pieces. And it will not stop with the army. Citizens will choose which laws to obey and which not, and always the lawbreakers will claim they are acting according to their conscience. For example, if there is a special tax to finance the Separation Fence, some people may refuse to pay it and justify this by their conscience. The very idea - everybody understands that refusal to pay taxes is a political act, not an act of conscience..." Colonel Levy: "Are you completely sure? Can there be no circumstances where refusal to pay taxes, too, may derive from conscience? For example, if a governments decides upon "transfer" of the Palestinian population and imposes a special tax to finance that operation, would a person strongly objecting the measure and therefore refusing to pay the tax be acting from political motives or for reasons of conscience? Or another example: if the Palestinian Authority imposes a special tax to finance the Hamas operations, and a Palestinian who is morally opposed to suicide bombings refuses to pay it, would you consider his act a political or as an act of conscience?" Later on, Kostelitz contended: "The army does recognize the freedom of conscience. It is willing to grant exemption to pacifists - to pure pacifists, whose objection to military service in unadulterated by any other motives, who object to war, all wars without exception, to all armies without exception. It is not willing to grant exemption to those who object to a particular war, to a particular military operation, to a particular government policy. That is not conscience, that is a political and ideological opposition, an illegitimate attempt to blackmail the government. The government cannot tolerate such an attempt to flout its legitimate policies, or the country will be plunged into chaos and anarchy..." Col. Levy: "But is the case of the pacifist so much different? The political refuser challenges a specific government policy, the policy of starting a certain war or holding on to a certain territory, and you consider that illegitimate. But the pacifist also challenges government policy, in fact on a deeper and more fundamental level. Government policy, in Israel as in all other states, is based on the assumption that use of force is acceptable under certain conditions, that in some situations there could be a legitimate reason to go to war. The pacifist challenges that basic assumption head-on. Yet you are willing to grant him exemption." Kostelitz: "Well, in practical terms it is considered that the challenge offered by the political refuser is more audacious, more undermining the government's authority. Also, it is assumed that the number of pacifists is not likely to rise significantly, while the political refusers have the potential of growing enormously if not checked. And if that assumption proves wrong, if the number of pacifists grows so much that the army starts experiencing significant manpower problems, than the army might start conscripting them, too. Their exemption is not a right. Rather, it is a favor, a privilege, a goodwill gesture which may be overruled if the needs of state security so dictate." At the end of the session, spirits were more high then we expected them to be after a court day devoted to the prosecution. But a veteran jurist, who had attended this court martial since the beginning, cautioned against reading too much into Colonel Levy's interruptions and utterances. "We know that he takes this case - and the Ben Artzi case, too - very seriously. He is aware that, one way or another, it will influence his future career, that every dot and comma in the final verdict will come under close scrutiny from many quarters. He will think carefully about it and look very closely into every aspect, of both the prosecution's case and the defence's. More than that it would be futile to guess." There is, anyway, not much longer to wait in suspense and speculation. . Next Tuesday (November 11), Adv. Dov Khenin will deliver the defence's summations; the session will be preceded by a solidarity vigil outside the court. A day later, Colonel Levy will deliver the verdict in the long standing case of Yoni Ben Artzi, the pacifist who was not considered "pure." The verdict of the Five cannot be very far away, either. Meanwhile, today's session had a positive side effect: the prosecution has introduced in evidence the text of the special standing orders with regard to refusers. Until now, we were not at all sure that such orders existed in writing at all, and could only guess and infer their content from the authorities' actual behavior. That might be quite useful to a number of new of refusers who are right now starting their own intricate struggle. The latest news is of a girl refuser who already spent initial 14 days behind bars and seems bound to spend much longer - the army being in a hurry to prove that girls are not easily exempted either. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Nov 7 16:54:08 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Anti-Wall - Update Israeli-Palestinian demos + global url Message-ID: <3FABCE30.5342.7CA62C1@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org November 8 and 9 - Anti-Wall events around the globe For international events http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/91.shtml Here follows the final update about Israeli-Palestinian events TWO DEMONSTRATIONS ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8TH We are getting ready for the national day of demonstrations against the wall, November 8th - coming Saturday. MORNING: EAST JERUSALEM N.B. This will be a joint Israeli-Palestinian protest Gan Ha'Paamon at 11:00. Tel Aviv Arlozerov train station 09:45. Haifa Solel Bone: 08:30 - please call 052-887185 to confirm. EVENING: TEL AVIV CINEMATEQUE, Ha'Arba'a St. at 19:00 N.B.: There Will Be Big Screens Featuring Documentary Films About The Wall Transportation from: Jerusalem Gan Ha'Pa'amon at 17:30 (056-403429). Haifa at 16:45 from Solel Bone (067-562518). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = SITE AND ONLINE PETITION AGAINST THE FENCE: www.gader.org ===================================== Both demos are organized by a coalition of organizations, groups and individuals struggling for a just resolution of the conflict, and to stop the Israeli occupation. website: www.gader.org email: info@gader.org Alternative Information Cente * Black Laundry * Coalition of Women for a Just Peace * Green Action * Gush Shalom * HaKampus Lo Shotek * HaKav HaYarok * Independent Media Group - Indymedia * Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions * Mas'ha Group * One Struggle * Peace Now * Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership * Women Against The Wall * Yesh-Gvul TOI Billboard 03.11.05 is out. If you want to read about: # A change in public opinion? Maybe. # Checkpoint refusenik gets 28 days in prison # Verdicts due soon in long-drawn out COs court martial # HaCampus Lo Shotek lets the pilots speak. # Yesh Gvul demands criminal investigation # Roadblocks in October - summary from MachsomWatch # Uri Avnery's description and analysis of three tense days # We respectfully protest the careless killing, PCATI # B'Tselem: 875,000 Palestinians Directly Harmed by Barrier # Settler vandalism and olive harvest in Inabus # Olive tree massacre - Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Nov. 4 # International day of demonstrations against the wall Saturday Demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv ..then send a mail to otherisr@actcom.co.il with "send me the billboard" in the subject line -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.    From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Nov 9 04:11:18 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "This is Sharonistan" - report on two anti-Wall events Message-ID: <3FADBE66.21411.F9F41@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International release, Nov. 8. 2003 = == = == = == = == = == = == "This is Sharonistan" - report on two anti-Wall events = == = == = == = == = == = == At the rendezvous point in the Liberty Bell Park. A hitch developed: the Jerusalem Ta'ayush people, who took upon themselves to organize the morning event, had underestimated the number of people. As more and more activists arrived from Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem itself, it turned out that there weren't enough buses to transport everybody to the demonstration site in Sawahre, and the whole action was delayed for an hour. The mostly young organizers stayed remarkably calm: "It is very good that many came." As the cavalcade set out at last across the invisible border between West and East Jerusalem, the activiststs meanwhile got detailed instructions for the eventuality of confrontation with the police. However, the contingency plans remained unused, no problems whatsoever with the police..But as we found later, the police was active further east, blocking the way for many Palestinian villagers who wanted to join the demonstration. Still. when we alighted from the buses, there was a considerable Palestinian crowd, of all ages, to welcome us. Sawahra valley. It really looked like a replica of the Berlin Wall, that wall which had fallen exactly fourteen years ago - a long row of giant concrete panels planted in the middle of a pastoral landscape. Did the Israeli military consciously emulate the East-German example? Or is this just what engineers/bureaucrats routinely come up with? In no time, the dull grey was overlaid by an enormous lot of graffiti, as Israeli, Palestinian and international activists simultaneously pulled out spraypaint bottles and cheerfully set to work . There was complete freedom of speech - no attempts to censor or streamline: "Barrier for peace" / No more ghettos! / No to the Apartheid Wall! / There are no good walls. / Here ends the Zionist dream and begins the nightmare. / Arabern raus, this is Sharonistan. / Zionism of dispossession. / Riv Muren Swedent. / Make peace - not walls./ Pull down the wall. / The Wall will fall. / This wall is killing Israel, too. / Two states for two peoples. / Non au mur. / Planting and sowing is better than the wall of blood. / One state for two peoples. / IDF go home. / The IDF is a terrorist organization. / Yes to reconciliation. / Remember the Warshaw Ghetto. / This is not the Israel we dreamed of. / Down with the wall. / Yes to peace - No to the wall. / Another future without a wall. / This is Israeli supremacy and Apartheid. / Yes to the Green Line. / Peace begins with vegetarianism. / This is not security, this is stupidity. / Ghetto Palestine. / Wall = ethnic cleansing. / Stop the shame! / The wall kills the chance for peace. / Concrete is not security. / Do you see a Nazi in the mirror? / We want peace, we don't want wall. / No to ghettos - Yes to compassionate listening. / Enough of Dispossession and Provocation; Long Live Peace and Brotherhood. / No hands meet when walls are built. / Let the Palestinians live! / Somebody is calling from the other side, do you listen? / Love thy neighbor. / Down with Zionist terrorism. / Long Live Free Palestine. / Peace Now! / Peace immediately! / Amor no guerra. ./ Remember the Maginot Line. / Remember the Bar-Lev Line. / This is occupation is killing us. / Love without borders. / Legalize hash. / Education and not the wall. / The occupation kills, we want peace - and now. And, in some places also the standard inscription of each block (Ministry of Defence - Department of Construction) was transformed: Department of Destruction / Department of Occupation / Department of Apartheid / Ministry of Oppression. And the Japanese word for peace, painted on many corners looked like an ornament. (Two separate groups of Japanese activists had arrived as well as the Buddhist monk, long-time resident of Jerusalem and a fixed feature of demonstrations.) Then we set out in procession to the top of the hill, with Palestinian flags, rainbow peace flags, red flags of the DFLP, the round Gush Shalom Two- Flag signs... En route, some information over the megaphones: The concrete blocks are not yet in their final place. Construction has been temporarily stopped by an appeal to the Supreme Court. The rally will take place at the wall site as designated by the army where Sawahre inhabitants have been maintaining a protest tent for the past month. Niham Abu-Gush, head of the Sawahre Civic Committee, addressed the gathered crowd: "Do you see the beautiful view of the valley? The mountain on the other side? When the wall is erected here, you will see nothing. And the houses over there have all got demolition orders." He was followed by Beate Zilversmidt of Gush Shalom ("The wall destroys Israel from the inside, economically and morally") and Yigal Bronner of Ta'ayush ("It has nothing to do with security; only with annexation and ethnic cleansing.") *** Between the morning action and the evening rally in Tel-Aviv, news broadcasts told of 11 Palestinians shot to death by soldiers in different locations during the past 48 hours... *** At Tel-Aviv's Cinematheque Square a giant screen was erected. In an effort to bring some of the occupation reality to the city, the images and the noise of bulldozers cutting down olive trees; soldiers shooting teargas grenades; demonstrators being dragged away from a bulldozer which they tried to block. Activists circulating among the crowd distributed a realistic replica of the confiscation order signed by General Moshe Kaplinsky of the Central Command: "Under my authority as commander of military forces and according to my judgment that it is needed for security reasons I order a strip of land at a varying width of 47 to 60 metres to be transferred to the possession of the army and be declared a closed military zone, as designated in the enclosed map." The map, however, marked the confiscated strip down a major Tel-Aviv thoroughfare... Lin Dovrat and Hulud Badawi were the inspiring moderators, alternatingly in Hebrew and Arabic. Speeches were delivered by Einat Podgorny of Ta'ayush ("We will not stay silent about this crime and the destruction of our future"); Na'ama Nagar of ICAHD ("The Wall unilaterally annexes large parts of the West Bank, severely damaging property and living conditions"); the remarkably vivid Hannah Safran - Women's Peace Coalition (Israeli society is full of oppression, violence and hatred - against Palestinians, against migrant workers, against women, against the poor"); Adam Keller - Gush Shalom ("Sharon had this annexation map ready since the 1970s, implementing it first through settlement activity, now through the Wall"); the poet Rawda Murkus ("At Tuwani village I feel occupied / And all women are occupied with me"). Most impressive was the direct appeal of Ossama Zachalke from the Sawahre Civic Committee who had joined the bus from Jerusalem. "People of Tel-Aviv! I came here to tell you what this wall will do to us in Sawahre. This is not a wall of separation between Israelis and Palestinians, but between Palestinians and Palestinians, between people of one village. We in Sawahre are 30 000 people. The wall will divide us, 20 000 on one side, 10 000 on the other. Eight hundred families will be divided, in some places brothers are divided from each other, in another place a father and a son. In the one part, pupils will not be able anymore to go to school and it will be forbidden to die, as the cemetery will be on the other side." Moderator Lin Dovrat then reminded the audience that Sawahre was but one of many dozens of afflicted towns and villages, and asked everybody to stay tuned for further activity, among other things signing the petition on the website: www.gader.org The anti-Wall Coalition includes: Alternative Information Center * Black Laundry * Coalition of Women for a Just Peace * Green Action * Gush Shalom * HaKampus Lo Shotek * HaKav HaYarok * Independent Media Group - Indymedia * Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions * Mas'ha Group * One Struggle * Peace Now * Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership * Women Against The Wall * Yesh Gvul P.S.: The Israeli & Palestinian actions are part of a global campaign which includes demonstration in the U.S. (New York, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans etc..; and one event or more in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bangladesh and Jordan - details on: http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/62.shtml Freelance photographer Eyal Ofer gave us the link to his recent series of professional photos of the Wall: http://www.pbase.com/yalop/fence -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions or otherwise informative \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [mostly WORD documents - not always same as English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Nov 10 16:27:51 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [fwd] We are not alone, or am I wrong? - Letter of Shmimri (1of the 5) Message-ID: <3FAFBC87.2735.392DF10@localhost> " I know that there are many more people who think the Occupation is terrible, who think that what people like us, refusing to be occupiers, deserve is not three more years in prison. Am I wrong?" Answer Shimri by being there tomorrow morning, 8.30! (and/ot by telling your friends) Tuesday - from 8.30 Vigil in front of court - during the last day of the defence of the five "occupation objectors" before their verdict. Wednesday - at 2.00 - the verdict in the case of pacifist CO Yoni Ben- Artzi at the Jaffa military court. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Sun, 09 Nov 2003 23:15:28 +0200 From: Sergeiy Sandler Subject: Fw: A reminder, with a letter from Shimri Tzameret A letter from Shimri Tzameret: This Tuesday, November the 11th, the last hearing in the trial of myself (Shimri Tzameret) and my four friends - Noam Bahat, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar and Matan Kaminer. We all have been sitting in prison and in detention for a year because we refuse to enlist in the army out of a conscientious objection to taking part in the Occupation. If convicted, we might be imprisoned for three additional years. One of the main hardships of refusing is that of departing from the consensus. Many people would make us feel that our refusal is illegitimate, that what we are doing harms society and does not benefit it. If they are right, and we are just five feeble-minded people performing an extreme and cheeky act that nobody supports, than it is quite possible that the Occupation will just go on. I don't think this is the case. I know that there is no chance that the Occupation will simply go on. I know that there are many more people who think the Occupation is terrible, who think that what people like us, refusing to be occupiers, deserve is not three more years in prison. Am I wrong? Shimri Tzameret. The summing hearing in the trial of Shimri and his friends will take place in the military courtroom in Jaffa, at the junction of Shivtei Israel and Yeffet Street. At 8:30 am we shall hold a demonstration in support of the objectors. All are invited. Refuseniks' parents forum | Shministim | New Profile | Yesh Gvul | Gush Shalom | Coalition of Women for a Just Peace | Ta'ayush - Arab- Jewish Partnership -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive our Hebrew-language press releases [not always sent out in English] mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Tue Nov 11 01:21:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: (Fwd) Twenty meters of fence removed - in joint Israeli/Palestinian action Message-ID: <3FB0397C.21506.184D1E8@localhost> Saturday, in the bus Jonathan - of the Tel Aviv-based "Anarchists Against Fences" - told us something about another anti-Wall demo, planned for Sunday. We promised him to forward his report. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 21:48:22 +0100 From: cat To: info@gush-shalom.org Subject: Zububa 9.11 report Send reply to: cat Hi Adam, Here is a report about yesterday's action. A bit late, I'm sorry, but I have a good excuse - I had to go to the hospital because of teargas poisening. Jonathan -- We made clear that no walls would stand between the people. Some two hundred Palestinians, 35 Israelis and a similar number of internationals gathered yesterday in the village of Zububa to mark the international day of solidarity against the wall, by tearing a portion of it down. Our day started much earlier though. Zububa is the village located farthest north in the occupied territories, and adjacent to a village named Salem, inside the 1948 borders. In the days before the wall became a cold and hard fact it had been a matter on mere minutes walking between the two villages. Nowadays the two villages are cut from each other completely, and so was our easy route to Zububa. We were forced to go through a military checkpoint in the wall, 10 kilometers away, where we were to switch to a Palestinian bus. 10 kilometers may not sound all that much, but in the reality of the occupation this short ride took us over an hour and a half of dirt roads and roads regarding which even former term will seem like an unreasonable euphemism. We were very lucky. The Army is regularly patrolling these roads, but with no regularity as to when and where. Indeed, as we were slowly driving we spotted an APC taking a left at a crossroads we were about to get to five minutes later. It was creeping slowly as if insisting that we remember that the picturesque scenery isn’t really such a pleasant one. When we finally made it to Zububa we were led to the municipality building where a short meeting took place, roles were set and our Hebrew signs were uncovered. A march formed and we were heading to the site of the fence, bolt cutters and pooling hooks in our hands, unwilling to stop. We found a white military jeep waiting for us, but proceeded nevertheless. Shouting slogans in Hebrew for the soldiers to hear, we started cutting at the barbed wire. The soldiers were shocked. Five minutes later we were already past the barbed wire and at the electronic fence. By the time more army forces arrived, the fence was already noticeably cut. We continued. It took half an hour of teargas, concussion grenades and some twenty meters of fence removed before we were pushed back. No arrests were made. As we retreated slowly towards the village, the soldiers fired warning shots over our heads. The village Qadi [religious leader] addressed the soldiers in Hebrew asking them to leave and come back without their weapons. “How can there be any peace when we are imprisoned in ghettos?” He talked about partnership with us, the Israelis present; he spoke about freedom. When we were already on the bus ready to leave, a strong explosion was heard followed by three military jeeps heading towards Salem military camp but provocatively taking the route through the village. Kids were throwing stones. We later found out that the explosion had been a concussion grenade thrown in the direction of the municipality. But, for the time being the people can go to their fields. Photos and video footage available from cat@squat.net From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Nov 13 04:32:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: Breathtaking days in the military court Message-ID: <3FB30945.12853.545468E@localhost> BREATHTAKING DAYS IN THE MILITARY COURT [The following is the report of two days in the military courtroom (Nov. 11 and 12): the defence summation of "The Five" and the verdict of Yoni Ben Artzi.] For an hour we sat in the overcrowded and badly ventilated courtroom of the Jaffa Military Court, listening to presiding judge, Colonel Avi Levi, reading out a long verdict - hard to understand as he was rushing through the document. The text gave different and contradicting pointers as to the outcome. "We have become convinced of the sincerity of Yoni Ben Artzi's pacifist convictions, and we are far from feeling that the Conscience Committee acted at its best when it rejected his request for exemption. The assertion that he wanted to avoid military service for personal convenience does not stand up to the proven record of his spending than a year behind bars, and to his rejecting offers of easy and comfortable military service made to him by various high officers. Nor do we accept the prosecutor's contention that his participation in the Yesh Gvul rally proves him to be a political refuser rather than a pacifist. A pacifist could have political opinions, too. Objecting to Israel's rule behind the Green Line is exactly the opinion which we would expect a pacifist to hold and we would have been surprised to find him holding a different one. In his testimony in this court, Colonel Simchi - head of the Conscience Committee - admitted to many shortcomings of the committee which he led. He is to be commended for his honesty. Nevertheless, this committee is the constituted authority entrusted with determining whether or not a person liable for military service would or wouldn't get an exemption. This court is not empowered to act as a court of appeal upon the Conscience Committee. Moreover, Ben Artzi appealed against the committee's findings to the Supreme Court, and was rejected. This court is certainly not a court of appeal upon the Supreme Court. We cannot accept the learned councel's assertion that the military authorities' conduct towards the accused was so grossly unfair as to render the order upon him to enlist illegal. It was a legal order, and we cannot but find him guilty of disobeying that legal order. Nevertheless, we strongly call upon the military authorities and the minister of defence to review the facts of the case and to reconvene the Conscience Committee to discuss once again the issue of whether or not Yoni Ben Artzi should get an exemption from military service." Unlike the normal practice, the judges did not just disperse and end the session. Rather, as soon as he was finished, Colonel Levi summoned prosecutor Yaron Kostelitz and defending lawyer Michael Sfard and they remained closeted at his bureau for more than half an hour. Meanwhile, in the courtroom the TV cameras focussed upon Ben Artzi and his father Matanya, and all around intensive discussion and debate. Some who followed this trial from the start were furious: "Damn this judge! After all that was revealed, how can he find him guilty!" But Yoni himself did not seem so disappointed. "I am as satisfied as I could have been in a military court. These three judges have gone out of their way to state that they believe me, and accept the sincerity of my pacifist convictions, and they rejected one by one all the counter- claims of the prosecution. They did have to find me guilty on disobeying the order. After all, I did disobey that order." When finally emerging from the judge's bureau, and immediately pounced upon by the waiting journalists, Adv. Sfard was quite upbeat: "There is no question of discussing any punishment at this moment. The ball is now in the court of the army's Legal Department. They have to answer the very strong suggestion made by the court to reconvene the Conscience Committee. If I was in their place i would think twice before rejecting it. Despite the conviction they didn't come out of this trial very well. For the first time in the history of Israel, a military court - three judges acting unanimously - recognized a person in front of the m to be a pacifist. The court, a flesh of the army's flesh, is demanding from the military authorities to stop mistreating this fin young man, who has suffered enough, to grant him at last the exemption he should have gotten two years ago. Let's see what they will do." *** What will the implications of this verdict be for the other five draft resisters, in whose own court martial we heard yesterday the defence summation? Before the court started, some 150 people had turned up, quite impressive on a working day. Fortunately the rain had let up shortly before the demo began. Signs were unfurled: "Conscience in prison - stupidity in power", "Alternative Service to COs!", "Occupation is in the dock here!" and a group of youngsters started singing "Go to Hebron / Fight for Sharon / And come back in a coffin". Chen Gutman took the megaphone and read a poem written by Yehonathan Gefen some twenty years ago, before she herself was born: "We celebrate independence / On the backs of another people / We feel completely free / To kick them around and cut down their trees..." Will more generations have to grow up into the reality of ongoing occupation? At 9.00 we filed in. Knesset Members Bronfman, Barake and Makhoul showed up, as did former KM Gozanski. Dr. Anat Matar, philosophy lecturer and the mother of Haggai, spoke from the aisle: "There are far too many of us today to fit into this courtroom, even though we dragged extra benches in. Please go out at 10.30 and give your place to one of those waiting outside." From the dock where The Five sat, Matan Kaminer turned his head and smiled: "Thank you all for coming!" Then the judges entered. Adv. Dov Chenin, lawyer and veteran political and environmental campaigner, started his well-constructed exposition. "Last week in this courtroom, my colleague of the prosecution went on at length about the danger of anarchy and chaos which would ensue from tolerating Conscientious Objection. I defy him to produce even a single historical example of a state or society which was disrupted by the recognition of the Freedom of Conscience. There is none. But many are the examples of horrors which came upon societies and states by an excess of Non-conscientious Obedience. The experiments of Milgrom and other social psychologists have shown that a large part of humanity is capable of tolerating and taking part in evil acts - not necessarily out of cruelty or sadism, but simply out of conformism and acceptance of authority. Those who defy authority and stick to their own deeply-held perception of right and wrong are a vital lubricant to society. We need but look at the kind of person which our ancestors, who wrote the Bible, held up as an ideal. Look at te story of Moses. He only survived babyhood because two Hebrew women and an Egyptian princess conspired to break the Egyptian law according to which little Moses should have been drowned in the river together with the other babies. Growing up, Moses killed an Egyptian overseer who was beating a Hebrew slave, and had to flee into the desert as an outlaw. Then, he came back as an agitator fomenting dissent an rebellion among the slaves. Later still, this contentious person was debating with God Himself and often got the best of the argument. A bit later in history, in the first half of the Nineteenth Century, there was a person who took Moses as her example. A woman named Harriet Tubman, who regularly went into the south to take slaves away from the plantations and smuggle them to freedom. There was a price on her head, but since her nickname was "Moses" the pursuers did not look for a woman. By the terms of her time, she was a criminal. She deliberately broke the laws duly passed by Congress and enforced by the Supreme Court of the United States. She was a thief, who stole from the slave-owners a lot of valuable property. Yet today who of these people would be considered the criminal? Yet, you may well ask: what has all this to do with this court? This is a court of law, it can only render judgement according to the law of the land, not according abstract moral or philosophical principles. But that is exactly my contention: the Freedom of Conscience, this vital spark which is so crucial to human society, is indeed recognized as part and parcel of Israeli law. My colleague of the prosecution, who spoke at length on obscure points of military procedural law, made hardly any mention of the Constitutional Revolution which occurred in the Israeli judicial system in 1992, when the Knesset adopted the Basic Law on Human Liberty and Dignity. As Judge Aharon Barak, President of the Supreme Court, has shown, from that moment on the basic human rights have become a fundamental norm of Israeli law, a norm to which all state institutions and agencies must conform. All state institutions and agencies, that also includes the army.And, as Judge Barak and his colleagues pointed out on numerous occasions, among these rights, and not the least of them, is the Freedom of Conscience. This does not mean, of course, that every person can take any action which comes to mind, and claim that it deserves to be defended by the Freedom of Conscience. It is up to the person to prove that said action does indeed derive from conscience - that is, from deep and fundamental convictions about right and wrong, convictions so deep and fundamental that by breaking them you would break the person. But once a person proves this point - and it is my contention that the five young men standing trial here did amply prove that their refusal to enlist in an army of occupation does originate from such deeply held convictions - then that person's act is protected as part of the Freedom of Conscience. In our legal system, no right is absolute - neither the Freedom of Speech nor the Freedom of Movement, and also not the Freedom of Conscience. When a person is suspected of a crime, the police may arrest him and put him in a cell, which evidently violates his liberty. But the police may not do so arbitrarily. There is a law which defines exactly when they may arrest a person, how long they can hold him and under what conditions. The same with any other right. It may be infringed in order to preserve another right or a value upheld by society - but as the Basic Law states and the Supreme Court reiterated, such an infringement of a basic right can only be justified when it is according to a specific law and when there is a near certainty of its being needed for the sake of preserving another value. In the entire presentation made last week by my colleague of the prosecution, not the slightest mention was made of any of this. No reference to a law by which the military authorities may infringe the Freedom of Conscience, no proof that such infringement was needed with near certainty. It is not the prosecutor's fault that such a huge gaping hole was left in the argument which he presented. He did his work conscientiously, faithfully representing the position and practice of the military authorities. It is simply that those authorities have not yet realized that a constitutional revolution has occurred, and that it applies to them, too. Still, this hole does gape, and through it the five accused must walk out free." Adv. Chenin sat down. "The court thanks the prosecution and defence for the well-thought out presentations which they made to this court. This is a very complicated case, which the court will have to deliberate closely. Don't expect a verdict in less than several weeks." *** Report made by Adam Keller for the Refuser Parents Forum Contact persons: Smadar Nehab "Anat Matar" "Reuven Kaminer" Donations: Checks earmarked for "legal aid" to New Profile, POB 6187 Ramat HaSharon 47271, Israel -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: yasser mlatat Subject: about beit forik Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 09:35:14 -0800 (PST) Size: 27297 Url: https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031113/391f57d5/attachment.eml From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Nov 14 20:44:42 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] All around a-Ram // Avnery on Ya'alon Message-ID: <3FB53EBA.31793.112D7C5@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] All around a-Ram - Gush ad [] Hawk turned pseudo-dove - Uri Avnery on Ya'alon \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] All around a-Ram - Gush ad ????? ???? www.gush-shalom.org SEPARATION - BETWEEN WHOM? In the beginning, when people talked about a "separation fence", they meant a security fence. As Ehud Barak announced at the time: "We shall be here and they shall be there." This has turned into a blatant lie. The fence that is being built now is not intended to separate between Israelis and Palestinians, but between Palestinians and Palestinians. To cut the Palestinian territory into ribbons. To confine the Palestinians in isolated pockets. A glaring example is the double wall now being built around the town of a-Ram, north of Jerusalem. It has 60 thousand inhabitants, of which 40 thousand have Jerusalem IDs and Israeli license plates on their cars. But the double wall will cut the town off, both from Jerusalem and the West Bank. Only one single way out of this pocket will remain: the infamous Kalandia checkpoint. Normal life will become impossible, commercial life will be destroyed, pupils will have to get up at 5 am in order to reach their schools in adjoining neighborhoods on the other side of the wall. Sick people and pregnant women will be on the road for hours before they reach their hospitals in jerusalem or Ramallah - if they get there at all. A determined Israeli-Palestinian campaign will be waged against this monster. Building has not yet started. The disaster can still be avoided! Join the effort! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: info@gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, November 14, 2003 *** [] Hawk turned pseudo-dove - Uri Avnery on Ya'alon Uri Avnery 15.11.03 ????? ????? ???? www.gush-shalom.org Ya'alon's 70 Virgins What has happened to the Chief-of-Staff, Lieutenant-General Moshe ("Bogie") Ya'alon? Until recently, he was the most aggressive hawk in the army, perhaps in the whole country. Suddenly he is almost turning into a dove. Has he had a divine revelation like Rabbi Saul of Tarsus, who went to Damascus to persecute the Christians and arrived there as an apostle of Jesus? Up to now, Ya'alon's gospel was far from the teachings of the gentle Jewish preacher from Nazareth. His doctrine was: Hit the Arabs on the head and they will give in. If that isn't enough, hit them harder. Make the life of every single Palestinian unbearable, prevent him from leaving his village or town, destroy the livelihood of his family, take his land away. This was an almost mathematical formula: when one blow follows the other, the lives of the Palestinians will reach breaking point. They will not be able to resist. They will raise their hands, lower their heads and accept everything the government of Israel is good enough to offer them. They will turn over their fighters ("terrorists" in the parlance of the occupation, "national heroes" in the parlance of the occupied.) They will live in the enclaves Israel allows them, or look for a better life in another country. Now, suddenly, the C-o-S distances himself from this strategy. He tells the public that the government's policy - whose staunchest supporter he has been - is "destructive". Instead of liquidating terrorism, he says, it produces terrorism. The lives of the Palestinians must be eased, they must be given hope. So what has happened? The first part of the plan has worked beyond expectation. The life of the Palestinians has indeed become hell. Most of them live below the poverty line, many on the threshold of hunger, some in an actual state of hunger. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children suffer from malnutrition. Every village has become a prison camp, completely surrounded by roadblocks. Traffic is well-nigh impossible. Many Palestinians cannot reach their place of work, hospital, university or school or bring their produce to market. Israeli troops prowl in the towns and villages, demolishing homes, arresting or killing activists and, at the same time, women and children, too. The distant sound of an airplane engine is enough for the whole population to hold their breath. In this sense, all of Ya'alon's aims have been achieved. It would be difficult to imagine a more terrible situation, barring actual massacres. According to plan, the Palestinians should have broken a long time ago. But, wonder of wonders, this has not happened. The Palestinians have not given in. They have managed to exist even in these appalling circumstances. The mutual assistance of all the members of the extended Arab family has helped. Moreover, the great majority of the Palestinians continue to support the violent attacks ("terrorism" in the parlance of the occupation, "armed resistance" in the parlance of the occupied.) The suicide bombers are viewed with pride and admiration. For every "martyr" who blows himself up, a hundred are pressing to follow in his footsteps. The only discussion among the Palestinians is whether they should go on with suicide attacks inside Israel or limit themselves to attacking settlers and soldiers in the occupied territories. It seems that Ya'alon and his generals have reached the conclusion that their campaign has failed. Any further pressure on the Palestinians will be counter-productive: producing more hatred, more hostility. So there will be more attacks, compelling the army to mobilize more troops and invest more resources, without achieving anything. Ya'alon the Hawk turns into Ya'alon the Pseudo-Dove. But his new remedy, too, is based on false assumptions: Instead of "hit them on the head" it is now "ease their situation". How? Allow some thousands to work in Israel? Let some hundreds of merchants into Israel to buy Israeli goods? (The Israeli economy could certainly use that.) Remove some roadblocks here and there? Use the stick less and the carrot more? That, too, is a recipe for a predictable failure. Because, like the old recipe and all the false forecasts along the way (Remember Yom Kippur!) it is based on a bottomless contempt for the Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular. But, as the extreme right-wing Zionist leader Vladimir Jabotinsky already understood some 80 years ago: you can't buy the Arabs off. Changing total hell into a less than total hell will not induce them to give up their national goals. Even if the occupied territories turn into a paradise on earth and the military government provides every male inhabitant with 70 virgins (as promised for the Islamic paradise), the Palestinians would still want an end to the occupation. They want a state of their own in the whole of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. But the "easing" promised by Ya'alon will be far from creating paradise. It will be like a drop of water on a hot stone. And in the meantime, the monstrous "security wall" is daily destroying the livelihood of thousands more people, robbing them of their land and cutting them off from the world. Ya'alon is not suffering from a sudden attack of humanity. He senses that the Israeli public is gradually turning away from his strategy. Even laymen are starting to realize that he has failed. Ya'alon is changing course because the public is starting to change course. A man of principle would go to the Prime Minister, put his general's insignia on the table and declare: "Sir, I have failed. I resign. And, by the way, Sir, I would advise you to do the same." -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Nov 17 20:52:03 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:06 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Translation full text of Yediot interview with 4 ex-security heads Message-ID: <3FB934F3.16121.F2079B@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org International release November 17, 2003 [The Yediot interview, with four former Shabak heads who sharply spoke out against the way our government handles the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, attracted worldwide attention. But so far the interview was only quoted. The following full translation was distributed on the discussion list "Alef" by Amy Mina without mention who did the translation.] Jerusalem Friday November 14, 2003 We are Seriously Concerned About the Fate of the State of Israel Yedioth Ahronoth (p. B4) by Alex Fishman and Sima Kadmon -- When the meeting is almost over, we ask Avraham Shalom (Bendor) if he thinks we are on the brink of an abyss. We are on our way, he says, because all the steps that we have taken are steps that are contrary to the aspiration for peace. If we do not turn away from this path, of adhering to the entire Land of Israel, and if we do not also begin to understand the other side, dammit, we will not get anywhere. We must, once and for all, admit that there is an other side, that it has feelings and that it is suffering, and that we are behaving disgracefully. Yes, there is no other word for it. Disgracefully. What do you mean disgracefully, we ask, disgracefully at the roadblocks? All of it, says Shalom, all of it. What is disgraceful, we ask, do we behave disgracefully in the refugee camps? Everything, everything, Shalom says. It is all disgraceful. We debase the Palestinian man individual to all and sundry. And nobody can take this. We too would not take it if it were done to us. And neither do they take it, why should they suffer? And we are incapable of taking even a small step to correct this. Shimon Peres once tried to take this small step, he at least talked about it when I was GSS director, and then nothing was done. Q: What did he talk about? That the music should be changed, says Shalom. The tone that makes the music. And Peres truly tried to change the overbearing and arrogant attitude of the Jews. And after all, this entire behavior is a result of the occupation. We have turned into a people of petty fighters using the wrong tools. And if we don’t change this, there will be nothing here. This was the blunt, direct manner of the former GSS director, Shalom, to explain the sense of urgency that led him, this week, to a unique meeting, the first of its kind, of four directors of the General Security Service to send a message, a warning, an alert, an alarm. To put a red alert sign in right in the face of Israeli society. Together they have a total of 20 years in the GSS. The four—Avraham Shalom, Yaakov Peri, Carmi Gillon and Ami Ayalon—under different governments and in different periods, headed the organization that knows better than any other organization the innards of both societies, the Israeli and the Palestinian. >From the sewage of the Khan Yunis refugee camp to the offices of the presidents of both societies. Not only is the message harsh. The meeting itself wasn’t simple. These are people who do not always live in peace among themselves. Only Carmi Gillon’s willingness to join such a meeting with Yaakov Peri, after a long period of estrangement, proves how much the matter burns in their bones. What ultimately led them to put their old enmity aside, to overcome the natural embarrassment of being prophets of doom, and to give up the comfortable addiction they each have to their present occupation, was the deep sense that something very bad is going on here. And each of them summarized this sense in his own language and style. Wallowing in the Mud In my opinion, Ayalon said, we are taking very sure and measured steps to a point where the State of Israel will not be a democracy or a home for the Jewish people. Everything else is commentary. I completely agree with this phrasing, said Gillon. That is also what brought me here. I am very concerned about our future. I look at my daughters, who are still young, and it is clear to me that we are heading for a crash. And we are the second generation that began the revival, and I would very much like the coming generations to live in a Jewish and democratic state the way my parents wanted. And I, said Yaakov Peri, do not foresee any breakthroughs being made by deliberate decisions. I am one of those who believe in the phenomenon of cycles. And whether there are seven or 70 bad years, there are always seven or 70 good years. I think that a large part of the miracles that happened to the Jewish people did not take place because a government or someone decided on them and planned them, but because something unexpected and unforeseeable happened. And I believe that something of this sort will happen in the not-distant future, because otherwise, we really are bent on doom. But I can say that from whatever aspect you look at it, whether the economic, political, security, or social aspect, in each of these aspects we are going in the direction of decline, nearly a catastrophe. And that is why, if something doesn’t happen here, we will continue to live by the sword, we will continue to wallow in the mud and we will continue to destroy ourselves. Look, said Gillon, the reason that we are here, is because of Ami Ayalon’s document. But with all modesty, although I am part of it, I think that this is the first time, perhaps the last, that it will be possible to take four GSS directors, to put them together for two hours and have them talk about—I don’t know, the most minor description I can find is: the serious concern for the condition of the State of Israel. This is the statement of the event. I personally had a great many doubts about coming to this meeting. I deliberated until this afternoon. What were your doubts, we asked. It doesn’t matter, said Gillon in his cautious way. I had doubts. It appears a bit too dramatic to me, and it is actually dramatic. Because if four GSS directors get together who know the situation, and who live among their people and not only the GSS, but are also involved in other social spheres – and they convene and want to convey a message, it is important that this be the main message, and not if Arafat is relevant or irrelevant. Look What They Did to Us Ami Ayalon is short-tempered, tense, almost emotional. He came to the meeting with the avowed goal of promoting the document of principles he authored with Sari Nusseibeh. He hopes that the support of three other former GSS directors will have a dramatic effect. One of his achievements from this meeting was the willingness of his colleagues to sign his document. Ayalon’s pleasure over this was touching. True, the signature campaign among the Israeli and Palestinian publics goes on, but the number of signatories is still far from constituting public pressure on the political establishment. You know what the paradox is? He asks. I go places all day. I meet with thousands of people. In the Katamon neighborhood, in Sderot, in Kiryat Shmona, everywhere in the country. There is no argument over our document. The argument is not over the paper. The argument is over our rights and obligations as citizens. Can we have an effect, is it right for us to have an effect, if our call, our cry, our signature, will do anything. The argument is over what is democracy in Israeli society at the beginning of the 21st century. And what you see, says Peri, is apathy, repression, a lack of desire to think deeply. Look what has been going on over the last three years: there are no demonstrations, no rallies, almost no protest. Those who do bother to come out strongly against the government of Israel or against the leadership, put an ad in the newspaper at their own expense. There is almost nothing organized. Look what they’ve managed to do to us. And I think, says Peri, that this interview, this historic meeting, can achieve its goal if we use it to appeal to the Israeli public. There is a natural resistance on the part of an incumbent administration to any initiative that it does not make itself. But I think that a government with any self-respect, a leadership with any self-respect, must at last hold a debate on such an initiative. Afterwards it can throw the document away, reject it, say it is unacceptable. But what we have here is complete disregard. This is true for both the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document as well as the Geneva document. I think this is a mistake, because there is a desire on the part of the public, there is a new sense of openness. In my opinion, the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document balances, in a more than reasonable way, between what I call “the national aspirations and identity of Israel as a Jewish democratic state,” and the national aspirations of the Palestinian people. Its drawback is that its implementation is dependent on an anarchist society, and who knows how many years it will take for it to recover. But to come and say that this document or its principles cannot be implemented because of the condition of Palestinian society—that would be a mistake. As of today, says Carmi Gillon, the only political agenda formally on the table is the road map. The problem is that all of the plans in the last ten years were plans of stages. The stages were created in order to build trust between the sides. And in these ten years, this failed, it didn’t work. And that is why I think that the change that Ayalon and Nusseibeh bring, as does Yossi Beilin, is that they are coming and saying: okay, this way failed. We tried it for ten years, and no trust was built. Now, instead of building trust, let us build agreements. This is a different way of tackling the conflict. Instead of trying to build trust and then agreements, we make the agreements now, and then roll the carpet back and begin to deal with the stages until reached an agreement. As of today, says Gillon, we are preoccupied with preventing terror. Why? Because this is the condition for making political progress. And this is a mistake. You are wrong if you think that this is a mistake, says Shalom it is not a mistake. It is an excuse. An excuse for doing nothing. We remind Shalom that Sharon accepted the road map. Yes, Gillon answers in Shalom’s place, but he made a condition to the road map, that turned the issue of terror into the be all and end all. You can’t see the road map from behind the terror. The only person in the Likud who was honest in this matter, says Shalom, was Yitzhak Shamir. He said: I’ll draw the matter out for ten years, and then another ten years. One thing is clear, says Gillon, and that is without an agreement we are down for the count. And only one thing interests me: how to have a Jewish democratic state here in the Land of Israel. And after years in which I believed that we had to move stage by stage, and after we paid the entire territorial price with Egypt and Jordan, and from a strategic and security aspect this only benefited us, then I think that if we don’t resolve the present situation and we continue our conflict with the Palestinians, this country will go from bad to worse. The question, says Ayalon, is what do we want. After all, for years, our leaders did not know what to do about the security zone in southern Lebanon. And in the end, we left there for one reason—because the public said: Gentlemen, we are leaving Lebanon and stop driving us crazy. That is why, Ayalon says, I contend that in the coming years we will comprehend more and more the necessity—not the desire, but the necessity—of organizing and creating coalitions from the outside. What do you mean, we ask, popular movements like the Four Mothers? This brew, which was concocted by the Four Mothers, says Ayalon, is a magic potion. We don’t exactly know how to recreate it. I know some of the founders of the movement and I don’t know if they planned what they did in detail. If you ask, is the process of creating a public movement with a clear goal of what it wants to accomplish with the details being left for the political echelon the right thing to do, then yes. I think this is the correct process. That’s not what happened with the Four Mothers, says Gillon. I want to remind you that we left Beirut, we left Lebanon before we left the security zone. There was a political upheaval in Israel that advocated withdrawing from Lebanon, and then Rabin came up with the withdrawal plan. This, precisely, was where the GSS had a lot of influence, says Shalom. We were the first to say that we must leave there back in 1982. We said that it was too big for us, but the army didn’t want to hear about it. But the possibility of civil war, we ask, does that not scare you? Very much, says Shalom. And Gillon says: But this is the idea and there is nothing else, except for conflict. The Founder – and the Dismantler Interestingly enough, the word “conflict” came up in the course of this meeting in only one context: the conflict with the settlers. We asked Ami Ayalon, since one of the sections of his plan refers to evacuating all the settlements, how he plans to do this. Describe for us, we said, how you evacuate Elon Moreh. I want to preface by saying, Ayalon says, that here too I begin with the political echelon. After all, we erred in the public discourse and in the lexicon we created in the last ten or 30 years. Were we to go to the settlers and tell them: you have been the pioneers of the State of Israel for the last 30 years, it was because of you that we were able to reach a situation in which an agreement with the Arab world is possible, but you are also the ones who will pay the very painful price of the agreement. And that is why we, Israeli society, have to make sure you have houses, jobs, that we bring you home. Were this to be the language of public discourse, we could, in my opinion, neutralize between 75- 85% of the settlements. I think that such a situation was almost created in a rare opportunity in the summer of 2000, when the level of anticipated resistance to removing settlements was extremely marginal, because ultimately, these pioneers realized that the public wanted something else. Do you really believe, we asked him, that the manner of public discourse willchange the positions of a large group of fanatical extremists, which to this day dictates our national agenda? You don’t understand. At issue are 15% or even 10% of the settlers, he says, and we have to be capable of facing such a number. We wondered how Ayalon thinks that it is possible to face 10-15% of the settlement residents, when we are unable to evacuate even one illegal outpost. After all, with every evacuation another settlement is immediately established. And Yaakov Peri says: I think that Ami is saying smart things, but their time has passed. I contend that that today 85-90% of the settlers, with a simple economic plan, would simply get up and go home. There is no problem with them. There are 10%, perhaps 12%, of the ideological core with whom we will have to clash. And I believe that Arik Sharon is perhaps the only person who can do this. As a founder of the settlements he can also be the one to dismantle them. The problem, says Peri, is that to this day no leader has ever gotten up in the State of Israel, pounded on the table and said, “we are going home, because that is what an agreement entails.” Sharon has often talked about the fact that we will be required to make painful compromises, and there are no painful compromises except for evacuating settlements. I am sure that Sharon understands this and that it is difficult for him, ideologically, morally, socially, but the person who was able to bring about a deal such as the prisoner exchange deal and who could be that determined, can also get other things passed, such as evacuating settlements. If Peri is the sober one, and Gillon the cautious and reserved one, and Ami Ayalon the dreamer—then Avraham Shalom, the man who resigned as director of the GSS in wake of the no. 300 bus affair, is the cynical version of the little boy from the tale The Emperor’s New Clothes. I don’t believe that these 10%, whom Peri mentions, are all that brave, he says. I definitely don’t think so. Not long ago, at an internal meeting, after I heard that the “hilltop youth” were like Hamas, I talked to some of them. They told me that there are 100 activists and another 400 who follow them and 1,000 supporters. Let’s say that these numbers are correct. So I said: if they were Arabs, would you know how to solve the problem? Yes, they told me. So I said: so let’s resolve the problem as if they were Arabs. Take 15 of them, put them under administrative detention, and see how all the rest do nothing. And I said something else. I said: you say they are like Hamas? That they are willing to be killed? The answer was an explicit no. So I am more optimistic in this matter. When we leave them out there alone, they’ll come. And how they’ll come. A silence settled on the room, and only Peri said: I would like, how should I put it, to soften this, without Avrum’s permission. But Avrum Shalom says: I didn’t say we should have a civil war. I, says Peri, think that perhaps we can expect a clash and it could be a painful clash, and if I could avoid it, of course I would. But I don’t think there is any way to avoid it. There will always be some groups, or some individuals, for whom the Land of Israel nestles among the hills of Nablus and inside Hebron, and we will have to clash with them. If someone can show me a different way, says Peri, I am willing to accept it. But if there is ever, and I hope that in the foreseeable future, there will be peace with the Palestinians—then I don’t see how the State of Israel can be responsible for the safety of its citizens living in Hebron. I don’t know how to do it, and I don’t think anyone else knows. And that is the real problem. And I’m not making light of the fact that Hebron is the city of the forefathers, but it must return to the Palestinians, and those who live there today will have to leave, sooner or later. All of us here, says Ayalon, speak of something that is the consensus, that is not just confined to this room, but is common to all Israeli society: we want a country that is a democracy and a home for the Jewish people. And that is why I will state in clear words: in the life of every country or nation, there is more than one Altalena. The political leadership of the State of Israel has made difficult decisions in the past when it was clear what the alternative was, and a future political leadership will have to make difficult decisions when the alternative is clear. A very narrow square There is something surprising, unexpected, about hearing the GSS people, who are responsible one day for targeted killings and assassinations and closures and roadblocks, and the next day, when they are released, they present a worldview that is very far from this policy, one that it is easy to call left wing. Interestingly enough, they firmly reject their definition as leftists, and are almost offended by it. But Peri says: This sociological phenomenon should be studied one day. Why is it that everyone—GSS directors, chiefs of staff, former security personnel—after a long service in security organizations, become the advocates of reconciliation with the Palestinians. Why? Because they come from there. Because they were there. We know the material, the people, the field, and surprisingly enough, both sides. And once you come from there, you know the scents and can characterize and diagnose them. Do you mean to say, we asked, that the present GSS Director Avi Dichter, with his positions on tightening closures and increasing roadblocks, could be released tomorrow from the GSS and present positions that are identical to yours? Certainly, they say, without a doubt. I worked with three prime ministers, says Shalom, and had a different effect on each of them, without wanting to. The same words that I said echoed on different walls: One green, one blue and one yellow. That’s the way it is. And I have to admit: Each time I was hit by the ricocheting paint. But the effect was great. And you have to remember that as a GSS director, you have to be non-partisan. You have no political influence, and it should not interest you either. If you cannot serve under a certain government, resign. But if you can live with the guidelines of the war against terror, then you do it to the best of your ability, with all the means at your disposal. And the statements you make to the prime ministers constitute an influence, in the absence of anyone else to do it. The GSS has a critical effect, because it is the only one that is familiar with the material. There is no one else. That is why I don’t buy the definitions that are directed at Dichter: What happened to him. Nothing happened to him. The State of Israel is what happened to him that is what happened to him. Excuse us, we said, but there is still a debate here with the chief of staff, who argues that the blockades, the closures and the treatment of the Palestinian population create a problem of expanding the circles of terror. The strategy today, says Gillon, is how to prevent the next terror attack. Period. And it is Dichter’s duty to come and say how best to prevent the next terror attack. So it is true that the chief of staff is justified in saying that it is better to think in broader terms, and to ask how to prevent the coming terror attacks and not just the next terror attack. But I think that the problem, as of today, is that the political agenda has become solely a security agenda. A tactical-operative agenda, amends Shalom. Yes, says Gillon, and it only deals with the question of how to prevent the next terror attack, not the question how it is at all possible to pull ourselves out of the mess that we are in today. The existing gap is at the political echelon, says Ayalon, and it lies in the fact that there is no balance to operative thinking. We have built a strategy of immediate prevention. I want to give an example that may surprise you. When Bibi Netanyahu came back from Wye Plantation, the GSS’s position was against withdrawing from the territory, because it appeared to us as a withdrawal with the intention of returning. It was not a real process, at least according to my understanding of the security cabinet and the Palestinian Authority at the time. And there were definitely situations when I, with my opinions as you know them, when I was in my position—thought that it was wrong to withdraw from the territory. And I have another example, said Gillon. The withdrawal from seven cities in the West Bank. The withdrawal was set with a predetermined timetable, and I, as GSS director at the time, thought that this was wrong, and that conditions should be posed and fulfilled in advance, and only then should we withdraw from the next city. Eventually, the political echelon, which was the late Yitzhak Rabin, sat down and made the decision. The problem, says Peri, is not the differences of opinion between the army and the GSS, nor if someone changed his opinion. The problem is that when there is no political direction, senior position holders such as the chief of staff or GSS director may—and I am not saying that this is happening—lose their path, or become confused or vague. If the State of Israel, the government of Israel, the narrow kitchenette, the security cabinet, were to step forward and say: This is where the State of Israel intends to go over the coming years, this is where we want to go, it would be a different story. But when there is no political direction—a senior position holder is ultimately forced to stick to his very square framework, where he does not share the responsibility, since the GSS’s role is to thwart terror, period. And it is the IDF’s role to provide internal and external security to the State of Israel, period. And this square, in the reality that exists today, is very narrow. It is not strategic. It remains at a tactical level. And I have to tell you, that we should doff our hats to the security establishment, who succeed in doing what they do within this limited framework. In this context, says Gillon, remember that in the days of the Rabin and Peres governments, there was a very clear policy: That we should fight terror as though there were no peace process, and continue the peace process as though there were no terror. That is precisely the direction that the GSS should be given. When you talk about a political direction, we ask, did Barak’s government supply such a direction? Barak’s government, in my opinion, said Peri, did not signal in any political direction. Can anyone here tell me which direction Barak was going in, aside from the well known statement in the last hour of Camp David? Yes, guffawed Shalom, that there is no one to talk to. I think, said Peri, that all of the Israeli governments after Rabin, for the past seven years, did not signal and did not tell the Israeli public or the security forces, where they wanted to reach. And that is the reason that we have gathered here today, after extra-parliamentary initiatives have arisen as a result of personal acquaintance, as a result of familiarity with the material, and these initiatives enter into the vacuum created by political deficiency. Mistaken attitude towards Abu Mazen Ayalon: Yaakov Peri says that one of the great errors of the political leadership today is that fact that most of the debate revolves around the question whether we do or do not have a partner. And I think that this is indeed an error. In this terrible situation, where civilians are slaughtered in restaurants and buses, in my opinion there is no other way but to take unilateral steps. And I believe that if the State of Israel were to get up tomorrow morning—or three years ago, as far as I am concerned—and leave the Gaza Strip and Gush Katif, and really and truly begin to dismantle illegal settlements, then I tend to believe, based on long standing acquaintance with our future dialogue partners—that the Palestinians would come to the negotiating table. We asked Shalom if he agrees with Peri. Yes, he says, one hundred percent. Gillon and Ayalon also agree with him. Therefore, continues Peri, it is an error of the first order that most of the things we hear on the news and in the press consist of the question whether Arafat is relevant or irrelevant, or whether we should expel Arafat or not expel him, or whether we do or do not have a partner. And I accept that the State of Israel erred in its attitude towards Abu Mazen’s cabinet on many topics. Q: Was it also an error to destroy the PA’s security services in the three years of combat? Yes, says Peri. And I think that what we did with Jibril Rajoub was an error. Yes, says Shalom, grave damage. And the preoccupation with Arafat is primarily an anachronism, because we will not determine who is relevant and who isn’t. I believe it was the mother of all errors with regard to Arafat. Just as it is not dictated to us that Bibi will be after Sharon or Sharon after Bibi, by the same token we cannot determine who will have the greatest influence over there. So let us look at the Palestinians’ political map, and it is a fact that nothing can happen without Arafat. What you are saying, we said, is that it doesn’t bother you for Arafat to be a partner. Nothing bothers me in politics, if I can gain from it. Arafat or no Arafat, one fine day he will be gone, and someone else will replace him. But in the meantime the Palestinians are living in steadily worsening conditions. I think that Arafat is a great obstacle, says Gillon. Over the past ten years we have tried all types of governments. We have had hawkish governments, and we have had dovish governments, and we have made compromises. On the Palestinian side, the same Arafat remained in place. And without handing out grades to the Israeli side, there is no doubt that Arafat deserves a failing grade. I don’t believe in Arafat, but I believe in the document of principles. Because it is good for the Jews. It is good for a Jewish and democratic state. It is good for Israel, period. And I want us to determine our agenda, not Arafat. And when we say that Arafat is an obstacle to peace, it is precisely like placing terror before everything else. Why shouldn’t we come and say: Wait a minute, this is what is best to preserve this state for our children. This is what assures us peace and security. The best thing now is to convince and create public opinion that will come and say: This is what we want. We want to withdraw from the territories. We are willing to compromise on Jerusalem, we are willing to do all of this because it is best for our security. And I think, says Peri, that the State of Israel has made every possible error in the matter of Arafat, including the latest decision to expel him, thereby putting him on the stage after he had already sunk into the abyss. And they tried to sell it to us by implying that there is some kind of trick here, some kind of maneuver that we mortals do not understand what is behind it. And what was behind it was an unwise decision by the Israeli government. I think that Arafat is interfering, and therefore we have two paths: The extra-parliamentary path, for the sake of which we have gathered here, and the unilateral path. To stop talking about a partner already, and do what is good for us. And what is good for us is to be able to protect ourselves in the most effective manner. Not to have to waste too many troops in Gaza. To waste fewer troops on guarding hilltops and settlements and three goats and eight cowboys. And ultimately, we will build a fence. The route can be discussed, and that is already a different story. But we will build a fence. A fence is necessary, at least to demarcate our ability to defend ourselves. The red lines are in fact the borders of the historical State of Israel, says Gillon. We returned to the Green Line in the agreement with Egypt. In Jordan. In Lebanon. The tradeoff that the Rabin government and Netanyahu conducted, was also on the Green Line. Therefore, it is clear to me that our borders in Judea and Samaria, and certainly in the Gaza Strip, run along the Green Line. The separation fence is becoming irrelevant. It is a fence that is not a fence, that follows borders that are not borders. I am also troubled by the fence, says Shalom. A fence succeeds on two conditions: That no one ever passes in either direction, and that the discipline of those who guard the fence is at the level of the Germans. And that will not happen. Today’s fence is creating a political and security reality that will become a problem. Why? Because it creates hatred, it expropriates land, and annexes hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the State of Israel. This is contrary to our interests, according to which we view the State of Israel as the home of the Jewish people. The result, says Shalom, is that the fence achieves the exact opposite of what was intended. Instead of creating a reality of separation and maintaining a window of opportunity for “two states for two peoples,” a situation has been created where this window of opportunity is gradually closing. The Palestinians are arguing: You wanted two states, and instead you are closing us up in a South African reality. Therefore, the more we support the fence, they lose their dream and hope for an independent Palestinian state. Lost honor Shalom later says that until we understand that we have come to the Arab world in the Middle East, rather than the Arabs having come to the Jewish world, until we really understand that—nothing will happen here. Because our education is at least as flawed as the Palestinians, who say that there is no State of Israel, that we should be thrown into the sea. Our attitude on the issue of Arab honor is catastrophic, he says. I have no harsher words to use. But it is also due to the fact that we are also like that to one another, and if we have not succeeded in being nice between Jews, how can it be demanded that we be nice to the Arabs? And I mean that they should stop knocking around the Arab population. The fact that we do not allow them to leave through this door, but only through that door. And this one with his car, and that one without his car. And that is not the GSS’s role, says Peri, this policy. There is a prime minister, there is a defense minister. Imagine that Avi Dichter would come tomorrow and say that we should drop an atom bomb on Gaza. So because it is a recommendation of the most critical echelon, it would be done? There is a leadership in the State of Israel. Excuse me, there should be a leadership. All right, we said, let’s set aside the matter of the closures and bypass roads. The measure known as targeted killing was also not invented today, but it seems that it is being used differently today. Excuse me, says Ayalon, once it was an operative consideration. It did not become a political strategy. Today it is not the GSS that carries out targeted killings. It is the State of Israel that does so today as a policy. And I say, added Shalom, that it has become an excuse. And this is something that cannot be explained to someone who does not understand about thwarting terror. Because terror is not thwarted with bombs or helicopters, but rather quietly. And the less we talk about it, the better. Believe me, if we were quieter, there would be fewer terror attacks. Once thwarting terror was a surgical operation, says Gillon. Today it is an HMO. The business has become cheapened. And why does this increase terror, says Shalom, because it is overt, because it carries an element of vindictiveness. Thwarting terror in and of itself, says Ayalon, cannot be government policy. It must be GSS policy. Then thwarting terror will also be more effective, and the level of security will be higher, if alongside the thwarting of terror there is a political process, a political vision and faith. And I am talking about the Palestinian side at the moment. For at the end of the day, they will reach a Palestinian state. Take Advantage of the Wind The gloomy feeling that pervaded this meeting cannot be overstated. It appeared that the four GSS directors had decided to speak because of the belief that what they say could lead to a turning point. Or perhaps they thought that the very act of holding this dramatic meeting would also be its strength. That it could shake up old conceptions and rock the apathetic and despaired public. Peri was the first to discern the mood of despondency that was liable to hover over their remarks. There are four GSS directors sitting here, he said, and this is liable to be perceived as if we were writing a requiem for the country. And it is not so. We came after long and exhausting political service, as volunteers and contributors, because we are worried and because we are pained. Unlike Avrum, I don’t think that I can call what is happening in the territories “disgraceful.” I think that many things must be corrected. I think our massive and non-specific behavior, what was previously called “an HMO instead of surgery,” is where the affliction lies. This totality. And you cannot convey to a soldier at a roadblock or to a woman soldier checking [Arab] women at a roadblock, the precise spirit of the commander. Sometimes the fear, the lack of experience, the lack of intelligence or just a lousy commander, are what dictate events. To this day I don’t understand why a tank driving through the streets of Ramallah has to also crush the cars parked on the side of the road. And it appears to me, says Peri, that a call must come out from this room, that says that when they are sincere initiatives that try to find a solution to the situation, they must be addressed, by the public as well. And I call on the leadership to address this in an open and businesslike fashion. And I, says Ayalon, want to relate to the most terrible thing that has happened to us. And I am not referring to everything that has been said here, which I do not belittle and which I think is terrible. I think that much of what we are doing today in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is immoral, some of it patently immoral. And I think that over time, they pose a very big question mark on where we will be in another 20-30 years. But I think that what has happened to us—and this is even worse than the fact that we’ve moved from surgery to the HMO waiting room—is the loss of hope. And I’m speaking of both sides. Almost everything that we do to them and that they do to us, were we able to put it into a context of time and to say that this is just a stage on the way to something better, would be tolerable. The problem is that today, neither us nor they see any better future, and this is the consequence of what we are doing today. And that is the most terrible thing. And for this reason, in my opinion, it is imperative to begin to create hope. Because if the captain doesn’t decide where he wants to go, there is no wind in the world that can take him. Yes guys, says, Ayalon, that is correct. The sea is always stormy. And you can’t take advantage of the wind if you don’t know where you want it to take you. The Participants: Avraham Shalom (Bendor). Shalom was GSS director between December 1980 and September 1986. At his request, he ended his term in September 1986 in wake of the commission of inquiry that investigated the no. 300 bus affair. Avraham Shalom is one of the group of top GSS officials granted clemency by the president. When he ended his term, he became an independent businessman, mainly overseas. Among other things, he has served as a consultant to international companies. Yaakov Peri. He served as GSS director from April 1, 1988 to March 1, 1995. He was GSS director during the first Intifada. Today he is chairman of Hamizrahi Bank and chairman of the Lipman Company. In the past he was president of Cellcom and the prime minister’s adviser on POWs and MIAs. Carmi Gillon. He served as GSS director from March 1, 1995 until February 18, 1996. He asked to end his service after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. He was recently elected chairman of the Mevasseret Tziyon Local Council. Prior to that he was Israeli ambassador to Denmark. Maj. Gen. (res.) Ami Ayalon. He was the first GSS director to come from outside the GSS. He served as GSS director from February 18, 1996 until May 14, 2000. In the past he was the commander of the Navy. Today he is chairman of the Netafim irrigation systems company and heads the “National Consensus-Signing an End to the Conflict” initiative together with Prof. Sari Nusseibeh. END -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Nov 20 18:50:06 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "Big mouth - empty hands" & alerts from other groups Message-ID: <3FBD0CDE.19315.33DE465@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Translation of tomorrow's ad in Ha'aretz ????? ??"? BIG MOUTH - EMPTY HANDS Ariel Sharon is categorically opposed to meeting with Yaser Arafat. During years he is conducting a hate campaign against the leader of the Palestinian people, accusing him of all the crimes in the world and boycotting everybody who does meet with him. But, soon Sharon is going to meet with..., no, not with Arafat (G'd forbid!). The Israeli prime minister is going to hold in a glare of publicity a meeting with a person coming from Arafat and acting on his behalf, a person who got Arafat's blessing and isn't hiding it in any way. Less important with whom Sharon is going to meet. More important: what does he have to offer. The answer is clear: Sharon has to offer nothing whatsoever - not to Arafat, not to Abu-Ala, nor to the Israeli public. Sharon has no plans whatsoever to reveal which are his famous "painful concessions" and even less to implement them. He has no plans whatsoever to dismantle the settlements nor to end the occupation. The only thing on his mind is how to look moderate and how to seem engaged in negotiations for an Israeli public that yearns for a peaceful solution, for an end to the hell of the last three years. One more deception in a long row of deceptions; one more sign of bancruptcy of a failing government - failing at all fronts. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: info@gush-shalom.org But, if you do not really believe us and feel Gush Shalom is exaggerating then go to the following Haaretz page: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/360916.html See also alerts from other groups - attached -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)" Subject: [fwd] outpost update & protest against firing Arabs Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 17:01:59 +0200 Size: 30163 Url: https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031120/3879bc37/attachment.eml -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: big'empty.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 25088 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.gush-shalom.org/pipermail/gush-shalom-intl/attachments/20031120/3879bc37/bigempty.obj From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Nov 23 22:57:00 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery on anti-Semitism & forwarded alerts other groups Message-ID: <3FC13B3C.23239.1E5C25D@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] Anti-Semitism (Avnery's acceptance speech for the Lev Kopelev prize.) [] Forwarded alerts & reports other groups Tomorrow's outpost tour & olive harvest & court case etc. \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Anti-Semitism (Avnery's acceptance speech for the Lev Kopelev prize.) Uri Avnery 22.11.03 (Instead of my usual weekly article, this time I am sending my acceptance speech on receiving, together with Sari Nusseibeh, the Lev Kopelev prize. The award ceremony took place last week in Cologne, Germany.) Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ambassador of Palestine and the former Ambassador of Israel, (I am sorry that I am unable to greet the present Israeli Ambassador, since he did not see fit to attend,) Dear friends, Every time I stand on German soil, I ask myself: What and where would I be now, if Adolf Hitler had never been? Would I be standing here with Sari Nusseibeh? Would I be an Israeli at all? I was born not far from here, in Beckum, Westphalia. My grandfather, Josef Ostermann, was the teacher of the small Jewish community there. But my family originally came from the Rhineland. My mother once told me the name of the place, but I have forgotten it. Now there is no one left to ask. My father, who attended the "humanist" high school where Latin was taught as the first foreign language, always maintained that we had come to Germany with Julius Ceasar. However, no archaeological proof of this has yet been uncovered. The family was steeped in German culture. My father, an enthusiastic music-lover, adored Brahms and Beethoven. His favorite piece was the overture to Wagner's Meistersinger. No work of classic German literature was missing from our bookshelves, and I had read almost all of them before my 15th birthday. Father knew both parts of Goethe's Faust by heart. When he was engaged to my mother in 1913, he stipulated that before the wedding she must learn the first part of Faust by heart. Mother's condition was that my father must learn to play tennis. They both fulfilled the conditions, but a day after the wedding my mother forgot every word of Faust and my father never played tennis again. What caused this family, the family Ostermann, to leave Germany in 1933 forever, and to go to a far-away, foreign country, the country of the Nusseibeh family? One word: anti-Semitism. It is true that my father had always been a Zionist. He was nine years old when the First Zionist Congress took place. The idea excited him. As a wedding gift he received a document confirming that a tree had been planted in Palestine in his name. But he never imagined that he himself would one day go there. (A joke current at the time: "What is a Zionist? A Jew who takes the money of a second Jew in order to send a third Jew to Palestine.") The Zionists were then a miniscule minority in the German Jewish communities. Among our relatives it was said that my father had become a Zionist only because he had a contrary disposition. (It seems to run in the family.) Shortly after the Nazis' rise to power, my father decided to emigrate. The immediate cause was small. My father was a court-appointed receiver of bankrupt businesses. His honesty was proverbial, he was "straight as a die". One day, during a session of the court, a young lawyer cried out: "Jews like you are not needed here anymore!" My father was deeply offended, and from that moment Germany was finished for him. I still believe that a feeling of insult played a large part in the divorce between the Jews and Germany. Where to? For a short while, Finland and the Philippines were considered. But Zionist romanticism decided the issue. We went to Palestine, and since then, the destiny of my family has been irrevocably intertwined with the destiny of the Nusseibeh family. I was then ten years old. When my father went to Police headquarters to give notice of our departure, as required by law, the police officer exclaimed: "But Mr. Ostermann, what has entered your head? After all, you are a German like me!" I tell this story frequently, in order to warn my Palestinian friends not to be tempted to consider the anti-Semites as their allies. On the surface it seems logical: the anti-Semites hate the Jews, the Jews are the majority in Israel, Israel oppresses the Palestinians, so the anti-Semites must be the friends of the Palestinians. Nothing could be further from the truth. Without anti-Semitism, Zionism would never have been born. True, the Zionist myth asserts that in every generation the Jews were longing for Palestine, but any such longing was limited to prayers. As a matter of fact, throughout the centuries, the Jews made not the slightest effort to gather in Palestine. A small example: 511 years ago, half a million Jews were expelled from Christian Spain. Most of them settled somewhere in the Muslim Ottoman empire, which received them graciously. They settled down in countries like Morocco, Bulgaria, Greece and Syria. But only a tiny handful of Rabbis settled in Palestine, then a remote corner of the Turkish Sultan's domains. Muslims turn in prayer to Mecca, Jews turn in prayer to Jerusalem. But that has nothing to do with the Zionist idea of a Jewish state. Modern political Zionism was clearly a reaction to the modern anti- Semitism of the national movements in Europe. It is no coincidence that the term "anti-Semitism", which was coined in Germany in 1879, was followed only a few years later by the word "Zionism", which was first used by a Vienna-born Jew, Nathan Birnbaum. It was a response to the challenge. If he new national movements in Europe, practically without exception, do not want to have anything to do with the Jews, then the Jews must constitute themselves as a nation in the European sense and found their own state. Where? In the land of the Bible, then called Palestine. Thus started the historic conflict between our two peoples, the people of Sari Nusseibeh and my people, a conflict that is today - in 2003 - more vicious than ever. It began when the Zionists wanted to realize their aim, to save the Jews from Europe, and the Palestinian Arabs wanted to realize their aim, to achieve freedom and independence in their homeland, in the same little country, without having any idea of each other. Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionist movement, wrote in his diary, after the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897: "In Basel I founded the Jewish State." At the time he had never been to Palestine, he had no idea who lived there. A fellow activist coined the memorable phrase: "A land without a people for a people without a land." For them, Palestine was empty, uninhabited. But the grandfather of Sari Nusseibeh was living in Palestine at the time, together with another half million Arabs. They had no idea - and could have no idea - that somewhere in Switzerland, in a town they probably had never heard of, a meeting was taking place, whose results would change forever their own fate and the fate of their children and grandchildren, their family, their town, their village and their country. Anti-Semitism set Zionism in motion, the Holocaust lent it tremendous moral power, even today it sends masses of Jews from Russia, Argentina and France to Israel. The Palestinians have many enemies - but none is as dangerous as anti- Semitism. If in some Arab countries an effort is made to import this foreign anti-Semitism from Europe, it is a fateful mistake. Sari Nusseibeh and I, two Semites who speak closely related Semitic languages, must be allies in the battle against this old-new mental disease. I believe that we are. I want to add at once: the curse of anti-Semitism must not be abused in order to choke every criticism of my state. We Israelis want to be a people like any other people, a state like every other state, to be measured by the same moral standards as others. Yes, here, in Germany, too. No Sonderbehandlung, please. The conflict has now been going on for more than a hundred years. On both sides, a fifth generation has been born into it, a generation whose whole mental world has been shaped by it. Fear, hatred, prejudices, stereotypes and distrust fill this world. We are standing on the edge of an abyss, and in both peoples there are leaders who command: Forward, march! We are here because we want to save our peoples from this abyss, because we want to show them another way. The state of Israel exists, nobody can throw us into the sea. The Palestinian people exists, nobody can push them out into the desert. Our Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, wants to turn all of Palestine into a Jewish state. Muslim fundamentalists, like the Hamas and Jihad movements, want to include all of Palestine in a Muslim state. That is the direct route to catastrophe. We both believe in peace and reconciliation between our two peoples. Not only do we believe in it, we work and struggle for it, each in his own way. Together we have taken part in many actions. On New Year's eve 2001, we marched together, arm in arm, through the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem, at the head of a large group of Muslims, Christians and Jews. But our main task is to convince our own peoples that peace and reconciliation are possible, that on both sides there is a readiness to pay the price of peace. These are not abstract aspirations. Gush Shalom, the Israeli peace bloc to which I belong, published a peace agreement in all its details in 2001. Not long ago, Sari Nusseibeh, together with the former Israeli security service chief, Ami Ayalon, articulated the principles of a peaceful solution. Now a new group of Israeli and Palestinian politicians has worked out in Geneva the draft of a peace treaty. The bloody confrontation that has been raging in our country for three years now is a symptom of hopelessness, frustration and despair on both sides. Of course, there can be no symmetry between occupiers and occupied, rulers and ruled. The violence of the occupation cannot be compared with the violence of the resistance. But the hopelessness and distrust on both sides is comparable, and our task is to overcome it. We follow the age-old wisdom: Don't curse the darkness, light a candle. Together with our partners, the thousands of peace activists of both peoples, we have already lighted a lot of candles. I am an optimist. I believe that the darkness of despair is slowly giving way to the twilight of hope, that it is getting lighter. In Israel, the conviction is gaining ground that the shedding of blood leads nowhere. Thirty of our combat pilots refuse to follow immoral orders. The number of conscientious objectors among our soldiers is growing. The Chief-of- Staff, until recently an extreme hawk, has talked back to his superiors and declared that there is no military solution. The Geneva peace talks have had an impact, they show that there are indeed partners for peace. Parents of fallen soldiers protest publicly against the senseless sacrificing of their children. A new wind is blowing. A new hope is emerging. We shall do everything possible to make this hope grow, in order to bring about a historic change. As a member of Gush Shalom, I gratefully accept this award. I am especially proud that it bears the name of Lev Kopelev. All fighters for peace and human rights in Israel, Palestine and the whole world belong to an international community, for whom Lev Kopelev is a model figure. I thank you. We shall not disappoint you. [] Forwarded alerts & reports other groups # Peace Now tour to the existing settlement outposts # Olive Harvest Weekly Schedule - Starting Tomorrow! # South Gate completely inaccessible in Jayyous # Indian American activist to sue Israel (Jayyous related) # Yesh-Gvul: marking the border + refuser solidarity update # Peace Now tour to the existing settlement outposts ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Yariv Oppenheimer Date sent: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 14:18:39 +0200 Subject: [PeaceNow] Peace Now tour to the existing outposts Talking is one thing, Actions is another Peace Now tour to the existing outposts Peace now will hold a tour, tomorrow, Monday - November 24, 2003 to the Outposts in the Shomron area- to see with your own eyes those points that have flourished in the past two years. Departure: TLV 07:30 from the Northern Train Station JRS 08:30 The Liberty Bell Garden JRS 09:00 THE Knesset Note: The Tour will be traveling in a bulletproof bus and accompanied by many Members of Knesset. For further information: Yariv Oppenheimer, Peace Now Spokesman yariv@peacenow.org.il Mobile: 054-200060 from outside Israel: 972-54-200060 *** # Olive Harvest Weekly Schedule - Starting Tomorrow! ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Rabbis for Human Rights" Date sent: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:02:25 +0200 Dear Members and Supporters, Although the harvest for tomorrow is not yet finalized, we intend to leave for the village of Zvuva in the Jenin area from the Gan Hapa'amon parking lot at 05h30, and from the Rosh Ha'ayin train station at 06h30. If you are interested in participating please be in touch with the office today until 17h00. 02-563-7731. After 17h00 please be in touch with Arik directly on 050-607034. The harvest on Wednesday in planned for the village of Kafin in the Ariel area. Please join us! Thursday, we plan to harvest in Distaria. Please be in touch to register. Please call Tamar from 9h30 to 17h00. Olive oil is available from the RHR office 25 NIS per liter, 350 NIS per jerrycan Rabbis For Human Rights Tel. 972 2 563-7731 Fax. 972 2 566-2815 Mobile 972 50607034 info@rhr.israel.net Website: rhr.israel.net Website: rhr.israel.net *** # South Gate completely inaccessible in Jayyous -----------Forwarded message follows------- From: "ISM Media Office" Date sent: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 14:29:28 +0200 Subject: [palsolidarity] For Immediate Release November 23, 2003 FAMILY AND FARMERS ISOLATED BY NEW BARRIERS AT THE SOUTH GATE OF JAYYOUS [Jayyous, West Bank] Early Sunday morning, the Israeli army placed nine metal stakes in the road leading to the south gate in the Separation Wall and strung rows of razor wire around these stakes, creating a barrier that will prevent access for the Abu Amar family and farmers from Jayyous who pass through the gate daily. Zarifi, the mother of the Abu Amar family, has spent the past two days in the village due to being denied access to her home by Israeli soldiers. This morning, the military created a passage in the razor wire coils for Zarifi to return to her home a half a kilometer beyond the gate to meet her children and then pass back through the gate and new wire barrier. The military told the family and International Solidarity Movement volunteers present that the south gate would now be closed indefinitely to anyone other than the Abu Amar family. The soldiers said that the 20 farmers with 700 dunams of land isolated beyond the south gate must now access their land through the west gate, the second and only other gate in Jayyous. The Abu Amar family is one that has already been completely cut off from the village of Jayyous by the Wall. This one family must pass through the gate daily to travel between the village and their isolated home to get to school, to access the village to purchase food and to receive water. Since August there have been 3 tank-loads of water passed through the Wall to the Abu Amar family, but this will no longer be possible with the new barriers erected today. Please take action and let the Israeli authorities know that this violation of basic human rights cannot stand and demand they grant access for the family of Abu Amar and the farmers of Jayyous. Israeli District Command Office Phone: +972 97 922 234 / +972 97 759 219 Israeli Ministry of Defense Email: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il Fax: +972 3 696 27 57 / +972 3 691 69 40 / +972 3 691 79 15 For more information contact: Tracie (English): +972 65 203 543 Henry (English): +972 67 343 298 Allam (Arabic): +972 66 391 832 *** # Indian American activist to sue Israel (Jayyous related) International Solidarity Movement volunteer Radhika Sainath, from Orange County, California is suing the state of Israel on Thursday, November 27 for unlawful imprisonment, negligence and breach of obligations. Leading human rights lawyer Shamai Leibowitz will be representing Ms. Sainath, who was seized by Israeli soldiers last November in the olive groves of the West Bank village Jayyous. Ms. Sainath will testify against the gross misconduct of Israeli authorities in handling her arrest, during which she was prohibited from calling her lawyer, not served with an arrest warrant and transferred to multiple holding centers over 48 hours, causing her to suffer mental trauma and agony. Eight other internationals and 1 Israeli were detained along with Ms. Sainath after observing hundreds of Palestinians pray at the site of olive trees bulldozed for the creation of the “security” Wall. Three of the internationals were deported. News agencies, Israelis, and Internationals are invited to attend this hearing in support of Radhika Sainath. Judge David Geldstein 12PM Thursday, November 27 Tel Aviv Magistrate Court 1 Weizman Street, Tel Aviv For more information call: Radhika Sainath 065 203 596 Attorney Shamai Leibowitz 064 414 505 11:00 am Sunday, November 2 Tel Aviv Magistrate Court 1 Weizman Street, Tel Aviv *** # Yesh-Gvul: marking the border + refuser solidarity update ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "ram & michaela rahat" Date sent: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 12:14:02 +0200 Subject: Actions Section Bloodshed without end? Only if we blunder on without purpose! Confronted with a government that: Insists on building settlements and giving a stamp of legality to "outposts; Seeks toimprison the Palestinian populationwithin enclosed ghettoes; Continues to post soldiers at roadblocks where they are sitting ducks; Erodes education, health and welfare, out of a preference for stones and soil over human beings - We proclaim that there is another way! Friday 28/11, at 12:30, we shall MARK THE BORDER (in central Israel) to remind Israelis heading east of there that they are crossing the border and entering occupied territory. Join us, because change is possible, but not from your armchair. Transportation: Jerusalem (Binyanei Ha'umma)11:00 Tel Aviv (El Al terminal, northern railway station): 11:00 There's a Limit to the week 16 - 22/11/2003 Criminal section The Liars The cat was out of the bag this week. We can hardly argue with the tabloids Maariv and Yediot Aharonot (among others) who affirmed that the IAF commander, theIDF chief-of-staff andthe Minister of Defense, all knowingly lied about the air force strike at the Nusseirat refugee camp which killed 12 innocent bystanders. They lied to the pilots of the air force and the public at large. They even lied to the IDF spokeswoman (probably out of the macho conviction that a woman can't keep a secret).Now they're trying to tell us it was a "technical" lie. The missiles fired must have been rubber-coated.Their chutzpeh(look it up) is without limit. But there are limits to restraint. This week Yesh Gvul's legal department urged the army's Judge Advocate General (who shows such touching concern for the consciences of the "shministim" draft resisters) to order the army's criminal police to launch an investigation into the killing of innocent civilians. Link to Guardian's article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1089989,00.html Sitting ducks This week two IDF soldiers were killed at the roadblock on the "tunnel road" to Gush Etzion. The roadblockguards an Apartheid road ("for Jews only" (near the sealed-off Palestinian villages of al-Khader and Hussan, which are blocked to make sure they give no trouble to the Gush Etzion settlers. The two soldiers were killed there, just as others were cut down earlier at Ein Yavroud and Netzarim, where they were posted to protect the settlers. How much longer will Sharon and Co. offer up soldiers' lives on the altar of occupation? Prison Section Reservists: Yiftah Cohen, astudent of law, philosphy and literature, was sentenced to 21 days inMilitary Prison #4 for his refusal to take part in repression of the civilian population in the Gush Etzion area (see"Sitting Ducks") Tom Mehager and Gil Avimelech are still held at Prison #6 Guy Shalev, Ezra Peres, Tzachy Lavi, Ariel Handlass and Shahar Ido remain at Prison #4 Messages of support to: dash@seruv.org.il Full details: http://yesh-gvul.org/english/prison/ Held in Isolation: Yoel Perlman, a pacifist serving a fourth sentence, is held in isolation at Prison #4. He is to be courtmartialed on Nov. 27 2003. Messages of support to: lipperl@actcom.co.il Konstantin Susskin, a pacifist, is likewise held in isolation at Prison #4: Letters of support to Yoel and Konstantin to: Agaf Bidud, Military Prison #4, POB 02507, IDF, Israel In all fairness The IDF advocates gender equality ! A woman pacifist is equally deserving of imprisonment! Inbal Gelbert was jailed for 12 days after refusing to enlist in the army. Gelbert's requests for a referral to the "conscience committee" have yet to elicit a response. She awaits the army's decision.  In "open detention": Yoni Ben Artzi, a pacifist, was convicted by a courtmartial and now awaits sentencing; Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Noam Bahat await the military court's verdict in their case We look forward to seeing you on Friday 28/11, at the "green line". *** If you do not really believe us and feel Gush Shalom is exaggerating then go to the following Haaretz page: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/360916.html -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Nov 26 03:54:04 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Three peace drafts // reminder discussion Thursday // petition is support of refusniks In-Reply-To: <3FC3F40A.27157.2BD3FBF@localhost> Message-ID: <3FC423DC.21522.3781172@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] Three Drafts for an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement [] Reminder Geneva discussion Thursday 19.30 in Beit Sofer [] Sign the petition in support of the refusniks \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [] Three Drafts for an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement עברית באתר / Hebrew http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/compare_heb.html English: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/compare_eng.html Three Drafts for an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreement A Comparison The Gush Shalom Peace Proposal (2001) The Ayalon-Nusseibeh Statement of Principles (2002) The Geneva Initiative (2003) Adam Keller The three documents here compared are of very different length, the one of Gush Shalom covering three pages, that of Ayalon-Nusseibeh a single page (being more a statement of general principles then a draft peace agreement) and the Geneva document the far longest, covering 47 pages and going into the fine technical details of implementation. This should be taken into account in reading the following comparison, and in particular the lack of reference in the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document to many points mentioned in the others should not be necessarily taken to mean a lack of concern to these points by its drafters. BASIC PRINCIPLES All three documents start with affirming the principle of “Two states for Two nations”. The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document and the Geneva document include in this context a Palestinian obligation to recognize the Jewish character of Israel (Ayalon-Nusseibeh document: "both sides will declare that Palestine is the only state of the Palestinian people, and Israel is the only state of the Jewish people"; Geneva document: "the State of Israel and Palestine Liberation organization (...) affirm that this agreement marks the recognition of the right of Jewish people to statehood and the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, without prejudice to the equal rights of the Parties' respective citizens"). The Gush Shalom document does not include such a reference. The Gush Shalom document mentions as a basis for the agreement UN resolutions 242, 338 and 194. The Geneva document mentions resolutions 242, 338 and 1397 (which did not yet exist when Gush Shalom drafted its proposal) as a basis for the whole agreement. 194 is not mentioned in the preamble of the Geneva document, but it is mentioned in the specific article about the refugee problem. In the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document there is no mention of UN resolutions. All three documents include the statement that their implementation constitutes the end of the conflict (the Gush Shalom document has the specific stipulation that the two parties will jointly report to the UN about completing the implementation of the agreement). THE BORDERS In all three documents the borders between the two states are based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with the possibility of exchange of territories. The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document and the Geneva document stipulate specifically that the exchange will be at the rate of 1:1 while the Gush Shalom document states that "exchange of territories can be effected by agreement between both parties". (The rate of exchange was one of the issues which caused the collapse of the Camp David Conference in 2000, where PM Barak proposed an exchange at the rate of 9:1 in Israel's favor.) While the Gush Shalom document and the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document don't make a specific proposal of concrete change of territory, the Geneva document does draw an exact border down to the centimetre, whose demarcation was the subject of prolonged, precise and crisis-ridden negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian drafters. In the Geneva document website there is a detailed list of the settlements which would be annexed to Israel as part of the proposed agreement (including the main ultra-Orthodox settlements, Beitar-Illit and Modi'in-Illit/Kiryat Sefer, which are both located near to the Green Line but presumably their inclusion is also designed to help gain support of the ultra-Orthodox parties). The Israeli territories which would be given to the Palestinians in exchange are mostly near the Gaza Strip, in order to increase its overcrowded territory. These are fertile lands in territorial continuity with the Strip, unlike the proposal made in the time of Camp David, to give the Palestinians the Chalutza Sands which are a desert area having no territorial continuity with the Strip. CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE WEST BANK AND THE GAZA STRIP The Gush Shalom document: "a highway will be constructed between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and it will belong to the state of Palestine"; the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document: "the Palestinian state will have a connection between its two geographic areas, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip"; the Geneva document has a long and detailed article which defines a corridor between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip which will be "under Israeli sovereignty" but "under Palestinian administration" and with everybody passing through it subject to Palestinian law. The territory of the corridor is not included in the calculation of the land swap. The Geneva document also includes arrangements for the use by Israeli civilian traffic of "designated roads in Palestine" (road 443 which connects Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem and a large part of which goes through the West Bank, the Jerusalem-Tiberias Road going via the Jordan valley, and the Jerusalem-Ein Gedi Road). Israelis will be given special "permits for use of designated roads"; the roads will be under both Palestinian sovereignty and Palestinian administration, but there will be patrols of a multinational force patrolling through them (presumably to intervene in case of any incident involving these passing Israelis, though that is not explicitly stated in the text; the Oslo Agreement assigned that role to joint Israeli- Palestinian patrols, which despite partial success could not avoid the tension of being regarded by Palestinians as a form of continuing occupation). TIME-TABLE FOR ENDING THE OCCUPATION The Gush Shalom document: "within a year"; the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no reference to a specific time-table; the Geneva document, withdrawal is to take place in two stages, the first after nine months and the second after a further 21 months. After the second stage, the full territory will be under complete Palestinian sovereignty but Israel will be allowed to maintain a small military presence in the Jordan Valley for a further 36 months. Two Israeli early-warning stations will remain in Palestinian territory indefinitely, but the Palestinians could ask for a reopening discussion on this issue after ten years. THE DEMILITARIZATION OF PALESTINE The Gush Shalom document: "the state of Palestine undertakes to refrain from arming itself with heavy offensive weapons for 25 years. This obligation will become void if peace treaties are signed between Israel and the Arab states." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document: "The Palestinian state will be demilitarized and the international community will guarantee its security and independence." The Geneva document: "Palestine shall be a non-militarized state, with a strong security force." COUNTERING TERRORIST ACTIVITY The Gush Shalom document: "Both parties undertake to combat terrorism and terrorist initiatives organized in one state against the other, its residents and institutions." In the Geneva document, both parties are to "refrain from organizing, encouraging, or allowing the formation of irregular forces or armed bands, including mercenaries and militias within their respective territory and prevent their establishment. (…)The Parties shall take joint and, in their respective territories, unilateral comprehensive and continuous efforts against all aspects of violence and terrorism.” The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document has no specific reference to this subject. THE AIR SPACE The Gush Shalom document: "Both parties will come to an agreement regarding the usage of each other's air space." The Geneva document required Israel to facilitate Palestinian air traffic according to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, but the Israeli Air Force shall be indefinitely entitled "to use the Palestinian sovereign airspace for training purposes". THE BORDER CROSSINGS The Gush Shalom document: "The State of Palestine will have full sovereign control of all its border crossings on land, sea and air." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no reference to the subject. The Geneva document: "All border crossings shall be monitored by joint teams" of the Palestinians and the multinational force, which will prevent the entry into Palestine “of any weapons, materials or equipment that are in contravention of the provisions of this Agreement." Israel will be allowed to maintain an "unseen presence" at the border crossings for 30 months, and a remote control monitoring of them for a further two years, and will be entitled to demand a reinspection by the Palestinians and multinational force whenever it feels that an inspection has been inadequate. MILITARY CONTACTS WITH THE OUTSIDE The Gush Shalom document: "Both parties undertake to prevent the entry of any foreign military force into their territories. Any contravention of this section by either state will grant the other state the right to take any measures required for self-defense." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no reference. The Geneva document: Palestine and Israel each shall "refrain from joining, assisting, promoting or co-operating with any coalition, organization or alliance of a military or security character, the objectives or activities of which include launching aggression or other acts of hostility against the other." SETTLEMENTS The Gush Shalom document: "Residents of the settlements located in territory that is to become part of the State of Palestine will be evacuated from the territory before the end of the Israeli occupation." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document: "After establishment of the agreed borders, no settlers will remain in the Palestinian State." The Geneva document: "The state of Israel shall be responsible for resettling the Israelis residing in Palestinian sovereign territory outside this territory." Where the Gush Shalom document writes: "The settlements will be transferred intact to the Palestinian authorities, without any damage inflicted on buildings or other immovable property. The property evacuated by the settlers will be considered part of Israel's contribution to the rehabilitation of the Palestinian refugees" the Geneva document has a svery similar but more detailed provision, and the Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no specific reference to this aspect. INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND A MULTINATIONAL FORCE On this subject there is an obvious difference between the Geneva document and the other two. In the Gush Shalom document there is a provision that "an agreed-upon international committee will monitor the implementation of this agreement and act as arbitrator in the case of differences of opinion" and an international involvement is mentioned in the context of the refugee issue. (See later.) Similarly the Ayalon- Nusseibeh document refers to international involvement mainly with regard to the refugees, and also refers, without going into details, to the international community guaranteeing the security and independence of the demilitarized Palestinian state without going into details. On the other hand, in the Geneva document the international involvement is far more direct and prominent, not only with regard to the refugees but in all aspects of implementing Israeli-Palestinian peace and maintaining that peace in being. This enhanced international involvement clearly constitutes a central and essential element in the percept of peace held by the drafters of the agreement According to the Geneva document there will be created a "Implementation and Verification Group (IVG)" which will include the partners of the present diplomatic "Quartet" - the United States, the Russian Federation, the EU and the UN - as well as "other parties, both regional and international, to be agreed upon by the Parties." The IVG will maintain a permanent headquarters in Jerusalem, will maintain a Multinational Force on the ground, and will establish a permanent apparatus for dealing with complaints of the parties one against the other for violation of the agreement. Nearly each article in the Geneva document includes a detailed reference to the part of the IVG in implementing that article. The Multinational Force is to have many and different roles, among them close monitoring of the Israeli withdrawal, protecting the territorial integrity of the state of Palestine which will be not allowed to have an army of its own, monitoring the border crossings of Palestine, helping to enforce the measures against terrorism, protecting the security of the Israeli teams which will go to and from the early-warning stations located in Palestinian territory, and maintaining a permanent presence in the al- Haram al-Sharif/ Temple Mount Compound together with the Palestinian security personnel and in the Old City of Jerusalem together with the Palestinian and Israeli police forces. The Geneva document regards the IVG as an active partner which would not be restricted to answering appeals from the parties but might initiate actions which it will regard as necessary on the basis of reports from its own personnel on the ground. The way that the Geneva document is written seems to indicate that those who drafted it wanted as much as possible to anticipate the problems which might arise and provide solutions in advance, and these solutions usually include the active involvement of the IVG (presumably, a lesson drawn from the collapse of Oslo). One exceptional issue should be mentioned. In all other spheres the Geneva document provides for international involvement to be exercised through the IVG, which includes many different international actors, but all issues of intelligence and the sharing of information about terrorism are assigned to a trilateral committee which together with of the Israelis and Palestinians includes solely the representatives of the US, The document provides no explanation for this exceptional arrangement. JERUSALEM In all the three documents the basis of the solution in Jerusalem is Israeli rule over the Jewish neighborhoods and Palestinian rule over the Arab neighborhoods, with each state establishing its capital in the part of Jerusalem under its control (This is drawn from the principles of the "Clinton Parameters of December 2000 – see http://www.fmep.org/documents/clinton_parameters12-23-00.html). The Gush Shalom document mentions that "The Jewish quarter of the Old City will be part of the State of Israel and will be attached to its territory. The Muslim, Christian and Armenian quarters of the Old City will be part of the State of Palestine." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no specific mention of how to divide the Old City. The Geneva document makes a division similar to that of the Gush Shalom document, except for the stipulation that the historic "David's Tower" which is in the Armenian Quarter will be under Palestinian sovereignty but Israeli administration. The Geneva document also gives Israel sovereignty over the road south of the Old City Wall, so as to create territorial continuity to the Jewish Quarter. (The idea of that road providing Israel with such territorial continuity was mentioned by President Arafat at a meeting with a Gush Shalom delegation in Gaza, some years ago.) It should be noted that the detailed maps of dividing sovereignty in Jerusalem, which appear on the Geneva document’s website, do not include Har Homa among "the Jewish neighborhoods" which will pass to Israeli rule, but rather pass Har Homa to the Palestinians. Dr. Menachem Klein, who is the main expert on Jerusalem among the Israeli drafters of the agreement, noted that the settlement of Israeli civilians in Har Homa started only after President Clinton published the above-mentioned “parameters” and after these parameters had been accepted by both parties. The Geneva document also notes that the Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem which have been created beyond the Green Line and which will be annexed to Israel are counted in the calculation of the territory swap. The Gush Shalom document notes that "The municipality of the Palestinian Jerusalem and the municipality of the Israeli Jerusalem will establish a joint council, based on the principle of equality, to manage the shared municipal services." The equivalent paragraph of the Geneva document mentions a "Jerusalem Co-ordination and Development Committee", charged with "co-operation and co-ordination of the municipal services" with sub-committees in the areas of Planning and Zoning , Hydro Infrastructure, Transport, Environment, Economic Development; Police and Emergency Services and the Old City. The difference between joined management of municiapl services according to the Gush Shalom document, and coordination between separately managed services in the Geneva document, is more than verbal and seems to reflect a fundamental difference on the issue of freedom of movement, as will be shown later. The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document makes no specific reference to this point. According to the Geneva document, "Palestinian Jerusalemites who currently are permanent residents of Israel shall lose this status upon the transfer of authority to Palestine of those areas in which they reside", but "interim measures" will be applied in order to preserve "the accumulated socio-economic rights of the residents of East Jerusalem." The other documents make no reference to this issue. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document says that "Jerusalem will be an open city, the capital of two states" with no further elaboration. The Gush Shalom document states explicitly that "There will be no barriers or obstacles preventing unrestricted passage between the two parts of the City. Both parties will establish border checkpoints, if they so decide, at the entrances/exits of the City." On the other hand, in the Geneva document it is defined that a "border regime" shall be designed in Jerusalem which will take into account "the specific needs of Jerusalem (e.g., movement of tourists and intensity of border crossing use, including provisions for Jerusalemites)." In a lecture at the Tzavta Club in Tel-Aviv Dr. Klein confirmed that this could be interpreted as leading to the construction of a border fence between the two parts of Jerusalem - "not a separation fence like the one Sharon is now constructing, but the border fence of a living, functioning border between two sovereign states which live in peace with each other but have not yet attained the degree of intimacy of the United States and Canada, or Holland and Belgium" as he put it (quote made from memory, not necessarily verbatim). In the Geneva document, the freedom of movement does not apply to Jerusalem as a whole, but only inside the Old City which is surrounded by a wall. The Geneva document devotes a long and very detailed chapter to the Old City and the special regime which will govern it. According to it, the division of sovereignty within the Old City will be marked by “a visible color-coding scheme “ but without physical barriers, with security and public order taken care of by Palestinian, Israeli and multi-national police units acting together as well as by a special tri-lateral committee of the Palestinian, Israeli and American security service which will deal with threats of terrorist attacks. In the Old City, unlike the other parts of Jerusalem, the Geneva document defines a joint Israeli-Palestinian management of municipal services rather than a coordination of separate services. Some of the gates of the Old City will be under Palestinian control and the others under Israeli control. Anybody who enters the Old City could move freely within its boundaries but would be able to leave only through the gates controlled by the same sovereignty that had let him in. The Geneva document mentions the possibility that "The Parties shall examine the possibility of expanding these arrangements beyond the Old City and may agree to such an expansion." Apparently, the drafters of the agreement consider the Old City of Jerusalem a suitable ground for experiments which may be later extended. The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document states that "Neither side will exercise sovereignty over the holy places. The State of Palestine will be designated Guardian of al-Haram al-Sharif for the benefit of Muslims. Israel will be the Guardian of the Western Wall for the benefit of the Jewish people." In both, the Geneva document and the Gush Shalom document the two states will get sovereignty not just guardianship over the above-mentioned holy places. The Geneva document includes detailed provision about preserving security and public order in the al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount Compound jointly by Palestinian security personnel and a multinational presence. The latter will be "composed of the IVG and other parties to be agreed upon by the Parties, including members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)" – which implies that at least part of the multinational presence in this important Muslin site will be drawn from Muslim countries. All three documents include the stipulation that there will be no archeological or other diggings in the al-Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount Compound without the consent of both parties. The Gush Shalom document applies this stipulation also to diggings in the Wailing Wall Compound (not a theoretical question; in the 1970s and 1980s the Israeli archeological diggings in the Wailing Wall area were the cause of constant controversy and tensions). For its part, the Geneva document gives Israel sovereignty not only over the Wailing Wall but also over the tunnel under it, whose opening in September 1996 sparked off riots and bloody confrontations. The Geneva document also provides for Israeli administration of the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, a subject not mentioned in the two other documents. THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES On this issue, there is a conspicuous difference between Ayalon- Nusseibeh document and the other two documents. The Ayalon- Nusseibeh document does use the term "Right of Return" but gives it the interpretation "Palestinian refugees will return only to the State of Palestine; Jews will return only to the State of Israel", which makes the document controversial on the Palestinian side. The Gush Shalom document states that "Israel acknowledges the principle of the Right of Return as a basic human right" and stipulates that "In order to heal the historical wound and as an act of justice, Israel will allow the return into its territory of a certain number of refugees, which will be decided by agreement. The returnees will be allowed back under a reasonable annual quota within a time limit not exceeding 10 years." In the Geneva document the term "Right of Return" does not appear at all, a point on which the Israeli partners had been completely unwilling to give way during their discussions with Palestinian interlocutors, and instead there appears the term "choice of permanent place of residence" (by the refugees). The refugees are offered the following residence options: the state of Palestine, areas in Israel being transferred to Palestine in the land swap, third countries, the state of Israel, or the present host countries. According to this perception, the arrival of Palestinian refugees to live within the state of Israel is not considered "Return" but rather absorption of refugees similar to that in third countries towards whom there is no historical claim. Accordingly, the number of refugees which Israel will accept is to be determined by Israel on the basis of "the average of the total numbers [admitted] by the different third countries." All three documents provide for an international fund which will provide monetary compensations for the Palestinian refugees. The Gush Shalom document states that "Israel will contribute an appropriate portion to this fund, taking into account the value of Palestinian property that remained in Israel." A similar principle guides the Geneva document, where there is detailed the process by which an international "Panel of Experts" will determine within six months the value of Palestinian property left in Israel in 1948, which would constitute "the Israeli lump sum to the international fund" and after which "no other financial claims arising from the refugee problem may be raised against Israel." The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document only states in general terms that Israel and the Palestinian state will initiate an international fund and contribute to it. In the Geneva document the international involvement is deeper than in the other documents, also regarding the refugees. It states that there will be created not only an international fund but also "An International Commission [which] shall have full and exclusive responsibility" in everything concerning the refugees. That commission should include, except for Israel and Palestine, also "the United Nations, the United States, UNRWA, the Arab host countries, the EU, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Japan, the World Bank, the Russian Federation, and others." According to the Geneva document, the process of solving the refugee question will take five years at the end of which refugees, even when they refuse to accept one of the options offered by the agreement, will lose the refugee status; and UNWRA, which has taken care of the refugees since 1949, will be dismantled and its functions transferred to the host states. Altogether, a rather quite callous rude approach which may end up turning refugees who are opposed to the agreement and refuse to give up their individual claims into stateless vagabonds with no legal status whatsoever. About the Geneva document offering refugees the option of residing in "areas in Israel being transferred to Palestine in the land swap", several remarks deserve to be made. First, in defining their proposed border, the Geneva document initiators included Israeli territory near the Hebron area, an area in which until 1948 the Palestinian village of Duheimeh existed. During the occupation of Duheimeh by the Israeli army in late 1948 many civilians got killed, and on the ruins of the deserted village there was never established an Israeli community. Therefore, the transfer of this territory to Palestine will enable the refugees of Duheimeh, unlike those of other villages, to implement the full right of return in the sense of rebuilding their village on its exact original location, which may turn into a heavily-symbolic event. Furthermore, the extension of the Gaza Strip will place in Palestinian hands lands which belonged before 1948 to Palestinians now living in Gazan refugee camps; but, given the overcrowding in these camps, there may also come up the option of building there whole new cities for use of refugees in general. Finally, it should be noted that in drawing the border in the Latrun area, the Geneva document leaves in Israel's hands the whole of the main Tel- Aviv--Jerusalem highway, but gives to the Palestinians most of the pre-'67 Latrun enclave in a way which makes possible the restoration of the three villages destroyed by Israel in June 1967. HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MEMORY OF THE PAST Under the Gush Shalom document, "Israel acknowledges its central responsibility for the creation of this tragedy during the course of the wars of 1948 and 1967." There is nothing of the kind in the other two documents and the Israeli participants in the Geneva document are actually emphasizing the absence of such a clause on historiavl responsibility as one of their achievements in the negotiations with their Palestinian partners. The Ayalon-Nusseibeh document includes "Recognizing the suffering and the plight of the Palestinian refugees." The Gush Shalom document details: "Both parties will establish a "truth commission" of historians - Israeli, Palestinian and international - that will examine the precise causes that lead to the creation of the problem in all its aspects, and will issue an objective, conclusive report within three years. This report will be incorporated into the schoolbooks of both states." In the Geneva document, there is a program along similar lines: “The Parties will encourage and promote the development of cooperation between their relevant institutions and civil societies in creating forums for exchanging historical narratives and enhancing mutual understanding regarding the past. The Parties shall encourage and facilitate exchanges in order to disseminate a richer appreciation of these respective narratives, in the fields of formal and informal education, by providing conditions for direct contacts between schools, educational institutions and civil society. (...) These programs may include developing appropriate ways of commemorating those villages and communities that existed prior to 1949." RELEASE OF PRISONERS AND DETAINEES According to the Geneva document, all Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the hands of Israel will be released without exception, in three stages: all prisoners held since before May 4, 1994 (when the Oslo Agreement went into effect) will be released immediately upon signature of the argeement, , as will be all administrative detainees, women prisoners and ill prisoners. The other prisoners will be released after 18 months, except for prisoners whose names will be mentioned specifically in an annex to the agreement (that will presumably include mainly prisoners fitting the wide Israeli criteria of being considered to have "blood on their hands"); this group of prisoners will be released within five years of the agreement coming into force. The other two documents have no prisoners clause. According to the Uvdah program of Second-Channel Israeli TV, which on November 18 broadcast authentic material filmed during the discussions which led to the Geneva document, the prisoner clause was the subject of sharp and prolonged debate between the Israeli and Palestinian partners. At some point Yossi Beilin was even heard declaring that if such an agreement would have been brought up in the government where he was Minister of Justice, he would have been opposed to it. But Sufian Abu- Zaida, who led the Palestinians on the prisoner issue, insisted that it would be impossible to have an agreement ending the conflict while and leaving any Palestinian prisoners behind Israeli bars. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION The Geneva document: "Israel and Palestine shall work together with their neighbors and the international community to build a secure and stable Middle East, free from weapons of mass destruction, both conventional and non-conventional, in the context of a comprehensive, lasting, and stable peace, characterized by reconciliation, goodwill, and the renunciation of the use of force. To this end, the Parties shall work together to establish a regional security regime." The other two documents don't refer to such matters. WATER The Gush Shalom document: "The water resources of the entire land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean belong to both parties. A Supreme Israeli-Palestinian Committee will be appointed and will be responsible for water resources and distribution. Water will be allocated justly and equally, on the basis of the numerical proportion of residents in both states. Both parties will cooperate in projects for the development of additional water resources, such as desalination of seawater." In the Geneva document a clause on this important subject is missing. In the text as it was presented to the Israeli and the Palestinian public, this lack is acknowledged and the text states that this issue was passed on to a team of experts, which apparently did not yet finish its work. The Ayalon- Nusseibeh document makes no mention of water. *** Full original texts available at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/peace.html http://www.mifkad.org.il/eng/PrinciplesAgreement.asp http://www.heskem.org.il/Heskem_en.asp [] Reminder Geneva discussion Thursday 19.30 in Beit Sofer עברית באתר www.gush-shalom.org THE JOINT ACTION GROUP FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE Invites you to a discussion of THE GENEVA INITIATIVE Thursday 27.11.03 at 19.30 in Beit HaSofer 6, Kaplan Street, Tel-Aviv Among the participants: *Initiators of the Agreement* *Palestinians and Israelis of the JAG* *Open discussion with participation of the audience* For details: Yakov 050-733276 / 09-7670801 Latif: 03-7520212 [] Sign the petition in support of the refusniks ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Refusniks Parents' Forum Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 7:52 PM Dear friends, As you may know, the trial of the five occupation refuseniks is about to end. The Refuseniks Parents' Forum intends to publish a petition supporting the accused and their freedom of conscience before the final session of the military court in Jaffo. We intend to gather signatures and contributions in order to print a very large ad in the daily press. For this purpose, the seruvniks need your help. Please sign your name, gather additional signatures and make your contribution against the occupation. You can use the enclosed form to send your signature (and other signatures). You can also write and send a check made out to New Profile to POBox 9013 Jerusalem 91090. Signatures can also be sent via email to refusniks_updates@yahoogroups.com ========================================================= ========================================================= While occupation spawns terror While war spawns poverty and unemployment While innocent children are being killed in the occupied territories While an agreement, an alternative to blood and death, is on the table While the settlers impose terror on the Arab villages While collective punishment, curfew and siege have become routine While the occupation corrupts the morals of an entire generation While soldiers die in a superfluous war – a war for the settlements While the government of Israel continues its drive for annexation and expropriation Six youngsters: Yoni Ben Artzi, Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Tsameret and Noam Bahat refuse to become soldiers as a matter of conscience: they refuse to be occupiers, they refuse to violate the human rights of the Palestinians and they refuse to assist in the continuation of the occupation, which is destroying Israeli society. For more than a year, Israel is imprisoning these young people who listen to the dictate of their conscience. All this time, they have been prevented from contributing to Israeli society through alternative civilian humanitarian service. If convicted, they can be sentenced to three years in jail. We, the undersigned demand the immediate release of the prisoners of conscience, and to enable them to perform alternative civilian service according to the dictates of their conscience. ========================================================= ========================================================= Name: Email: Address: -- If you do not really believe us and feel Gush Shalom is exaggerating then go to the following Haaretz page: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/360916.html -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Nov 27 16:43:34 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] University to keep Arabs out + alerts & translated mustread Message-ID: <200311271443.hAREhWYc027499@smtp2.actcom.co.il> GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ [] Universities return to aptitude exams to keep Arabs out [] Translated: Barbed-wire Screen, Smoke Screen - B. Michael in Yediot [] reminder weekend activity \\// //\\ \\// [] Universities return to aptitude exams to keep Arabs out By Relly Sa'ar Thu., November 27, 2003 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/365572.html There's no politically correct spin to put on it, and the facts speak for themselves: As soon as Israel's top university administrators noticed that the big winners from admissions policy changes were not Jewish youngsters from low-income towns, but rather Arabs, they reverted back to the old admissions system. This year, the universities instituted a policy change - the abandonment of psychometric aptitude tests as a requirement for admissions. However, once university officials realized that the main beneficiaries were Arabs, they decided to reinstate the exams. During the upcoming academic year, university admission candidates will be judged according to the old system, which is based on a combination of high school matriculation exam results and the psychometric tests. By reinstating the old system, the universities apparently intend to guard against high enrollments of Arab students in selected departments. One of the country's universities studied the results of this year's new admissions policies - candidates had to submit their results from various high school matriculation exams rather than take the aptitude tests. However, the university discovered that the new admissions system benefits Arab candidates. For example, the percentage of Arab students who were supposed to be accepted to the university's faculty of dental medicine under the new system was 52 percent; in the previous academic year, when psychometric results were part of the admissions policy, Arab students comprised just 29 percent of the first-year class. The same held true for the university's occupational therapy department: under the new admissions system, 56 percent of first-year students were to be Arabs; under last year's old admissions system, the figure was 19 percent. To prevent a heavy influx of Arab students in fields such as dental medicine and occupational therapy, the university instituted what one department head described as "revisions" in its admissions policy. "We set the [minimum] entry age for studies at 20, instead of 18, and we also gave added weight to personal interviews with candidates," the department head said in describing the "revisions." The Arab candidates do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces, so the previous minimum entry age, 18, worked to their advantage, while increasing the importance of personal interviews worked to the disadvantage of Arab candidates, partly because the interviews are not conducted in their native language. As a result, the "revisions" helped the university departments maintain the same Jewish-Arab demographics that had been obtained in previous years. The universities did little yesterday to conceal the fact that admissions policies are being altered to benefit Jewish candidates. "Admissions policies based on [high school] grades do not make studies more accessible to [Jewish] students from the periphery. The opposite is true," declared the committee of university heads. In its statement, the committee was careful not to use the words "Jews" and "Arabs," but its intention was clear. In a euphemistic idiom, it wrote: "since the number of places available in university enrollment has not risen, the acceptance of one population [that is, the Arab students, R.S.] nudges out another population [Jews, R.S.]" Based on cold statistics, it remains unclear how this year's new admissions policy, which took into account matriculation exam results, unwittingly instituted an affirmative action program for Arab youth. For years, the Arab secondary school system has notched poor matriculation exam results due to chronic discrimination in budget fund allocations. Two weeks ago, the heads of the universities worked out an arrangement with Education Minister Limor Livnat and Knesset Education and Culture Committee Chairman MK Ilan Shalgi (Shinui) whereby the system of considering matriculation exam results in lieu of psychometric exams is to be "suspended for one year" rather than be scrapped permanently. At the end of the current academic year, the universities are to submit to the Knesset committee empirical research studies that address the correlation between academic performance in higher education and psychometric exam or matriculation test success. Since the universities vehemently opposed adoption of the system used this year and claimed that psychometric exam results are the most reliable indicator of success in higher education settings, it can be expected that the research will point to the need for reinstating the psychometric tests as an important factor in admissions decisions. [] Translated: Barbed-wire Screen, Smoke Screen - B. Michael in Yediot Yediot Ahronot, 31/10/03 B. Michael Translation: Tal Haran A lot of ?separating? can be achieved with 3,000 km of barbed-wire: separating livestock from its owners, olives from their harvesters, vines from their pickers, a doctor from his patients, a worker from his place of work, a teacher from his students. Especially the farmer from his land. One kind of separation will not be obtained by the thousands of barbed kilometers: Separating the suicide-bomber from his victims. Three thousands kilometers of barbed-wire have been stretched along the ?first phase? of the ?separation fence?. Three million meters. Equal to the distance between Israel and Switzerland. A lot of ?separating? can be achieved with 3,000 km of barbed-wire: separating livestock from its owners, olives from their harvesters, vines from their pickers, a doctor from his patients, a worker from his place of work, a teacher from his students. Especially the farmer from his land. Only one kind of separation will not be obtained by thousands of barbed kilometers: separating the suicide-bomber from his victims. He ? as we have learned from the State Comptroller?s report on security procedures ? will continue to reach his objective as he does today: through the checkpoints, usually in a motor vehicle, in appropriate disguise, in possession of false identification. And he will continue to storm his way towards his wretched loss, taking with him the lives of innocents. The fence will not stand in his way. Quite the contrary: the criminal will go to his death reassured that thanks to this fence, his dispatchers will easily locate his potential successors. The fence will supply them with the infrastructure of despair, loss of hope, and fortify hatred, frustration, madness. It will hand them the infrastructure for terrorism. No need for anger at the separation-wire that does not separate the suicide-bomber from his murder victims. This has only been its alleged aim. In reality, its aim is very different. In reality, its purpose is invisible. In reality, the barbed-wire screen is enveloped in a smokescreen. But if the purpose of the fence is invisible, its deeds are quite visible. And one can no longer turn one?s eyes westward only, and stubbornly continue to ignore the horrors taking place in the east. For clarity?s sake: an honest-to-goodness fence, reasonable and humane, would be received with relief and open arms by people on both sides. Israelis and Palestinians. It would not have robbed anyone of anything. It would not have shut tens-of-thousands in cages. It would not have suffocated the livelihood of tens-of-thousands. And who knows, perhaps it would have helped to create neighbors who are just a wee-bit better, the way high fences are supposed to (although one could continue to doubt its effectiveness in blocking suicide-bombers). Only the route imposed on it, the snaking, evil line that has been laid down for it by the cult of zealots holding the country by the throat and their servile footmen in the government, turns it into such a loathsome abomination. About 200,000 people live in the immediate vicinity of the northern part of the fence. Hardly any of them have not been hurt by it. The entire town of Qalqilya, with a population of over 40,000, is hermetically sealed off. Only one gate connects it to the world. Tulkarm is cut off from the west by a wall, and from the east by closure checkpoints. 18 villages, with all their inhabitants, are completely surrounded with barbed-wire fences. Their residents live in a gunuine pen. 3,000 families (at least) have already been separated from their lands. The ?farming gates? which they were promised ? do not exist. About 25 wells have been destroyed, another 14 face destruction. 36 other wells have been separated from the communities that used their water. These wells would yield 6.7 million cubic meters of water. The entire system, consisting of double razor-wire coils on both sides, an ?intrusion tracking path?, a lurking path, a petting path, an obstacle- ditch and watchtowers, is at least 50 meters wide. It runs through 15,000 dunams of confiscated land, and the route assures another 120- 150,000 dunams that have suddenly attached themselves to the State of Israel, separate from the West Bank. Annexation? God forbid. Why annex when you can simply snatch? The Tulkarm-Jenin-Qalqilya region is the ?fertile basin? of the West Bank. About 45% of its farm produce used to be grown there, according to the World Bank. No longer. At least half of this produce, perhaps much more, will not grow there now. Tomatoes have a hard time growing among fences and soldiers, checkpoints and non-existent gates. About 4,000 of Qalqilya?s residents, nearly 10% of its population, have already left. Hunger and unemployment have done their share. About one- third of the 1,800 teachers living in this besieged city and teaching throughout the region, are not likely to be able to reach their classrooms (this too, follows World Bank data). About 200 houses, mostly shops, have been demolished by bulldozers. Several hundred more have demolition orders pending. The entire market of the village Nazlat Issa, known far and wide for its lively trade, has been razed to the ground. The pretext, as usual, is illegal construction. This is a highly useful pretext, since the Palestinian villagers have not a chance in a million to ever receive construction permits, and whatever they build is ?illegal? and demolishable at any given moment, to begin with. So far, about 110,000 olive and fruit trees have been uprooted along the northern path of the fence. One-hundred and ten thousand. For centuries olive trees have grown there, yielded fruit and livelihood for their harvesters.No longer. The separation fence has separated them from their land. One-hundred and ten thousand trees. And this is just the tip. And only the beginning. In the Jerusalem area, the fence has gone completely haywire. According to the planned route, it will cut villages and communities in half, separate students from their schools, congregations from their mosques, village residents from their own cemetery, bedrooms from living rooms. Half a neighborhood will be cut off from the east, its other half cut off from the west, and both cut off from each other. As though some blind Parkinson-stricken sadist has drafted this route. Yet what is the logic of such an evil, mad fence? Allegedly it tries to separate ?us? from ?them?. But in reality, it connects tens of thousands of Palestinians to Israel. It allegedly tries to stop murderous suicide- bombers, but in fact it creates for them a magnificent hothouse and does not impede them in any way from their current mode of action. And to what purpose are billions of shekels, 3 billion so far (nearly three times the price of a fair and reasonable fence), spent ? all dedicated to ruin the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, to crush their dignity, destroy their property, dispossess them of their land? Tragically, this is probably the idea. This is the secret of the wall: not security, nothing like it. Not war against terrorism, war against reason. A slow-motion nakba (catastrophe, the 1948 Palestinian expulsion, tr.). Gradual strangulation. An evil illusion that an entire people can be made to surrender and become a nation of slaves, to make Sharon and Mofaz? wet-dream come true. In this week?s paper (Akiva Eldar, Ha?aretz 28.10.03), we read that the first villagers living on the eastern part of the ?separation fence? have received demolition orders for most of the houses in their village. The mosque and kindergarten are to be demolished as well. Of course they may appeal within three days, but they better have the moving trucks ready. For the first time one can establish with amazement that the nightmare is indeed coming true: an eastern fence that will turn the future State of Israel into the past South Africa. A mono-ethnic community in control, and surrounding townships of another people. Gigantic prisons of cheap labor. Soweto-south, Soweto-north. Privileged masters, transparent slaves. That?s the target. That?s the objective. But such an objective is hard to market. Even Israel?s indifferent and exhausted people would start to bubble if it were told outright that billions of its shekels are not invested in its security, but rather in fulfilling the impossible hallucination of a Messianic cult and an aging general. No wonder, then, that a combination of deceit and subterfuge is doing its best to camouflage the real reason and rhyme of the ?separation fence?. It seems that since the days of the war in Lebanon, no one has tried to sell Israel?s citizens such a bluff. Seeming ?security?, seeming ?war on terrorism?, seeming limited tactical objective, seeming general accord between coalition and opposition. In fact ? another attempt to reorganize the world according to Arik Sharon. Another attempt to hide behind ambiguity, blurred maps, snaky deals and endless doses of brutality, in order to do away with the Palestinian issue and extend the longevity of the ?settlement mission? at any price. Total deja-vu. The Comic relief of the blurring efforts is supplied by the web site of ?The Seamzone Administration?. It instructs us that the entire project has been conducted in a ?humanitarian and environment-friendly spirit?. Landscape architects have joined the team and utmost attempts have been made to protect nature and vegetation. Indeed 60,000 olive trees have been uprooted, (in fact, that is half the real number), but ?an inner mechanism has been set up to replant them in appropriate sites?. ?Inner mechanism? indeed: an external contractor received money for the uprooting job, then most of the trees were stolen and sold to the nobles of Kfar shemaryahu, Hertzliya-Pituach and other posh communities. The trees certainly enjoyed their upgraded residence. And when bulldozers crushed tens of thousands of dunams and destroyed entire groves, ?The Seamzone Administration? did not fail to delicately pick some thousands of irus bulbs and send them (in an ambulance?) to another meadow, so that the beauty of the land shall not be spoilt. But the most instructive and explicit of messages is the section in the English version of the site, proudly declaring that this land expropriation is absolutely legal and conducted according to clause 23G of the Hague Convention that has laid down rules and procedures of war since 1907. The world will surely be delighted to learn that Israel is so meticulous about war procedures. In the Hebrew version there is no lingering on such folly. War procedures and international conventions are worthless to Hebrew speakers. And the clause, according to the site, allows the seizure of ?private land? if this seizure be absolutely crucial for ?self defense needs?. I, however, am a suspicious creature. So I turned to the Hague Convention, and to my great un-surprise, discovered that the legal wisemen of ?The Seamzone Administration? did to this clause what they do so well with Palestinian property: they fixed it with a bulldozer. To be more exact ? they simply falsified it. The clause does not refer to land, certainly not private, and does not even mention ?self defense?. It only says that enemy property must not be seized or destroyed unless this is absolutely necessary for the needs of war. This is also the clause that forbids the use of poison, execution of war prisoners, the use of outlawed ammunition, and other such matters that regard conduct in the storm of war. Perhaps it permits the crushing of an old Fiat in the kasbah, when there is no other way to get to the target, or temporarily take over a balcony and turn it into an observation post. But to conclude from this clause that hundreds of thousands of dunams may be expropriated, probably permanently, for the needs of ?self defense? For this a special capacity for historic counterfeit and legalistic trickery is required. And the extent of truth in this section mirrors that of the entire site and the entire fence. No few politicians, some innocents, others cynics, have lustily fallen into the ?security? trap laid down for them. And every time some bulldozer stalls for a moment, they quickly raise a bitter cry over ?neglecting security?. Not a few figures in the media, too, gladly and dedicatedly chew this tale, and share their cud with their audience. Most of them have always been inclined to lose professional and public consciousness to the sound of the word ?security?. But all of these may finally come to. One cannot go on looking away, shutting eyes, ears, mouths, and wallowing hypocritically in acquired and insistent unknowing. Because the State of Israel, on the other side of its eastern border, is conducting a harrowing sequence of evil deeds, callous deeds, robbery, deceit and barbarity. According to the Geneva, Hague and Rome Conventions many of these deserve the label of Crimes of War and Crimes against Humanity. And rightly so.  [] # MARK THE BORDER # Protest against firing of Arab hotel workers # Weekly J'lem Peace Now vigil with MachsomWatch speaker # MARK THE BORDER ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "ram & michaela rahat" Subject: [Yesh-Gvul] marking the border (was shortened) Bloodshed without end? Only if we blunder on without purpose! Confronted with a government that: Insists on building settlements and giving a stamp of legality to "outposts"; Seeks toimprison the Palestinian populationwithin enclosed ghettoes; Continues to post soldiers at roadblocks where they are sitting ducks; Erodes education, health and welfare, out of a preference for stones and soil over human beings - We proclaim that there is another way! Friday 28/11, at 12:30, we shall MARK THE BORDER (in central Israel) to remind Israelis heading east of there that they are crossing the border and entering occupied territory. Join us, because change is possible, but not from your armchair. Transportation: Jerusalem (Binyanei Ha'umma)11:00 Tel Aviv (El Al terminal, northern railway station): 11:00 *** # Protest against firing of Arab hotel workers ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "Yeela Livnat" Subject: REMINDER - Protest against firing of Arab hotel workers, (was shortened) Sat Nov 29th, 11:00am at the Dead Sea Date sent: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 09:49:50 +0200 Reminder - Join the Demonstration! Your Participation is Crucial!!! Life is getting nasty in the Negev a.. Houses of Arabs are being demolished b.. Their fields are being poisoned c.. Discriminating laws are being brutally enforced d.. And now - hotel workers are being fired because they are Arabs The Negev Coexistence Forum and Saut el-Amel for the protection of worker 's rights Invite you to join a Protest in front of Nirvana Hotel Saturday, Nov. 29th at 11:00am Against the policy of firing and non-employment of Arab workers in the hotels "Because it bothers the Jewish guests..." Departure and rides from Tel-Aviv,"Rakevet Tsafon", and Jerusalem "Gan HaPaamon" at 8:15am, Beer Sheva, main post office at 9:30. Shoket Junction at 9:45. Arad, towards the Dead Sea at 10:30. If you need a ride, phone Amos Gvirz at 09 952 3261 Muhammad el-Amur was fired from his position as manager of foods and drinks at the Nirvana hotel because of his refusal to fire all Arab workers under him that worked in the 'front' (in contact with customers.) For more information, an article in Ynet (in Hebrew) http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2811858,00.html or on the Negev coexistence website, in English (including a letter of protest) http://dukium.org/modules.php?name=3DNews&file=3Darticle&sid=3D44 Don't remain silent! Jews once were treated this way... Contacts: Yeela Livnat, Coordinator The Coexistence Forum in the Negev 051 701118 www.dukium.org Wahabe Baderna, The Workers Voice, 051 770134 *** # Weekly J'lem Peace Now vigil with MachsomWatch speaker ---------Forwarded message follows---------------- From: "Sylvia Piterman" Date sent: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 12:13:12 +0200 (was shortened) Come to protest with us on Saturday 22.11.03, at 20:00 at Paris (Hagar) Square Among the speakers Victoria Buch from Machsom Watch * * * -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Dec 1 21:44:27 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Changed date for A-Ram demo + Welcome to Geneva Message-ID: <3FCBB63B.24322.39FF2FE@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv www.gush-shalom.org On the day when Israelis and Palestinians meet in Geneva to launch a major peace initiative, and as the Palestinian factions move closer to declaring a comprehensive cease-fire, the Sharon Government chose to launch a new invasion of Ramallah which had cost the life of four Palestinians, among them a nine-year old child. Today has also seen a new settler provocation at Jabl Mukaber, a Palestinian neighhborhood of Jersualem. And yet the tide of public opinion seems to be turning in both societies, after three years of lethal deadlock. Today's messages: [1] Date of A-Ram demo moved to Dec. 13 [2] Welcome to Geneva - Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz 28/11/03 [3] Avnery on signs of change \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [1] Date of A-Ram demo moved to Dec. 13 Mark the day:  The big demonstration against construction of the "Seperation Wall" at A- Ram, north of Jerusalem, will take place on Saturday, December 13 - NOT on Dec. 6 as was earlier announced. Participants in this action include Gush Shalom, Ta'ayush, and other members of the Coalition Against the Wall; on the Palestinian side it is organised by the A-Ram Municipality together with the whole range of political and social organizations active in this town of 60,000, which stands to be cut down the middle by the Wall, in the near future. For more information on A-Ram read Gideon Levy's article http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/366014.html  More details will follow. In the meantime - please make sure to save the day!!! PS: An organising meeting will take place at A-Ram of Friday, Dec. 5. For details call Teddy Katz 051-244674 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Welcome to Geneva - Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz 28/11/03 AN IMPORTANT STEP “Gush Shalom” welcomes the “Geneva initiative” which is to be launched officially next Monday. This is an important step in the right direction. We shall discuss at a later date the differences between this document and the Draft Peace Treaty published by Gush Shalom two years ago. At this point in time, the important thing is to emphasize: THERE IS A PARTNER FOR PEACE! THERE IS A BASIS FOR PEACE! THERE IS LIFE AFTER SHARON! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. { HYPERLINK http://www.gush-shalom.org }www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: { HYPERLINK mailto:info@gush-shalom.org }info@gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz, Nov. 28, 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - [3] Avnery on signs of change Incident in Lisbon by Uri Avnery A few days ago I had a collision with Miguel Angel Moratinos, the astute Spanish diplomat who for several years acted as the emissary of the European Union in our region. Together with experts from a dozen countries – from Brazil to Pakistan - we took part in a conference of the Portugese Institute for Strategic Studies. In the debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ahmad Khalidi, the editor of a prestigious Palestinian publication and the scion of one of the most distinguished families in Jerusalem, also took part. In my lecture I criticized the reluctance of Europe to exert pressure for peace. I said that this attitude was “scandalous”. Khalidi, on his part, also harshly criticized the Europeans. When it was Moratino’s turn to speak, he reacted angrily. How do you have the impertinence to complain about Europe? he asked, raising his voice. Where is the Israeli peace movement that should have changed the political situation in Israel? Why is its voice not heard? Do you want Europe to do your job for you? And, addressing Khalidi: You want Europe to do something for you? Than first of all please put an end to terrorism! If you are not able to do this, don’t blame Europe! Blame yourself! If both of you do your part, Europe will do its share, too! (By the way, during the official dinner, Moratinos recounted that after the failure of the Camp David summit, the Europeans talked the Americans into setting up a Clinton-Arafat meeting. Arafat was due to fly to Washington on January 1, 2001. But Ehud Barak opposed it so violently, that the meeting was cancelled and the Taba talks took place instead.) Moratinos was quite right in his criticism. We tend indeed to blame others for our own failures. We cannot demand that foreigners – whether Europeans or Americans – do our job for us. If the peace camp does not constitute a political power in Israel, we should not blame others. The same goes for the Palestinians. After the debate we shook hands. I honestly admitted that he was right. Khalidi did the same. But in recent weeks, things have happened on all four fronts – Israeli, Palestinian, American and European – which may indicate that matters are beginning to move. On the Israeli front, the most high profile event is the launching ceremony for the “Geneva Understandings” that is scheduled for this coming Monday. After the young men who refuse army service in the occupied areas, the revolt of the airforce pilots, the Ayalon-Nusseibeh initiative, the declaration of the four former Security Service chiefs and the warning of the Chief-of-Staff, the Geneva initiative is a further step in the same direction. For three years, the extra-establishment peace forces stood alone on the battlefield. We protested, demonstrated, maintained contact with the Palestinians, aroused world opinion. All this time, the bigger, establishment-connected peace movement remained in a state of collapse and uttered hardly a squeak. The brutality of the occupation intensified from day to day, Sharon did whatever he wanted, the opposition was comatose. The slogan was “There is no one to talk to”. Now there is an awakening. It seems that the public has had enough of the bloody confrontation. It understands by now that there is no military solution and that the confrontation is destroying our economy and increasing poverty. The Geneva Initiative has come at exactly the right time to express this new mood. Its strongest point is educational. It shows that there is indeed “someone to talk to” and that there is a model for peace, with which both sides can live. It will make a big contribution to the forming of a new national consensus. Its disadvantage is that it has no solid political basis. It is boycotting the radical peace forces on the left, while being attacked on the right by the Labor Party hacks, led by Shimon Peres. The political establishment suspects that it will serve as an instrument for Yossi Beilin in his efforts to create a new political party, after losing his place in Labor. What worries me is that it is not written to capture anyone’s imagination. It is a lawyers’ document, dry and matter-of-fact. That is good and that is bad. Its movers declare that it is “not a marriage agreement, but rather a writ of divorce.” Meaning divorce between Israelis and Palestinians. That is the very opposite of our own message: “Two States – One Future”. But all in all, this is a positive initiative, coming at the right time and opening the way for more initiatives to come. It seems that our ice-age is drawing to an end. Even Sharon senses this. Suddenly he is eager to meet Abu-Ala, he is talking about “unilateral steps”. One should not believe a word he says, but the fact that he utters such words shows that something is indeed changing. On the Palestinian front, too, there is a change. Abu-Ala, in close cooperation with Yasser Arafat, is working on a new Hudna (truce) with the Palestinian factions, this time one that will be linked with a Hudna with Israel. All sides will undertake to stop all acts of violence, and Sharon will be asked to make meaningful concessions. If that succeeds – a very big “if” – then conditions may be ripe for a deep change in public opinion on both sides, which is without doubt a pre-condition for any real movement towards peace. On the American front, interesting things are happening, too. All the experts predicted that with the approach of the elections, Bush would abstain from anything liable to arouse the anger of the Jewish and the Fundamentalist-Christian lobbies. But lo and behold, Washington is giving public, and almost official, support to the Nusseibeh-Ayalon and the Geneva Initiatives. President Bush expressed relatively strong disapproval of Sharon’s acts, side by side with his routine condemnation of the Palestinians. He also deducted a symbolic sum from the American loan guaranties given to Israel. That is not much. In fact, it is very little. But we are not pampered – even small American gestures can mean a lot. For Sharon, his American connection is the jewel in his crown, more important than anything else. The smallest change will set off an alarm in his head. Perhaps the most interesting change has taken place in Europe, of all places. At the time of the incident with Moratinos I did not know – nor did he, I believe – that something was going to happen concerning us. Six years ago, Gush Shalom declared a boycott of the products of the settlements. We said: “Every Shekel for the settlements is a Shekel against peace.” We composed a list of their products and distributed it widely. Tens of thousands of families joined the boycott. Our aim was to prevent the transfer of Israeli factories to the occupied territories, where the government (under both Labor and Likud) gave them huge subsidies. We told them: in the end you are going to lose, because the Israeli and foreign markets will be closed to you. Our initiative has caused, so it seems, the Europeans to wake up. Goods “made in Israel” are exempt from custom duties in Europe, but the trade agreement with the European Union expressly excludes goods produced beyond the pre-1967 border, the so-called Green Line. The Israeli government ignored this stipulation and broke it flagrantly. The European officials saw this, gnashed their teeth and closed their eyes, because some European governments (including Germany and Holland) obstructed any action against Israel. Now this has changed. Lately, the Europeans have demanded that every suspect Israeli firm deposit the equivalent of the potential customs duties until it proves that it is not located beyond the Green Line. The exporters complained loudly. This week the Israeli government gave in and announced that from now on, the actual place of origin will be clearly marked on all goods exported to Europe. At long last, a resolute European action. Enterprises dependent on exports to Europe will be compelled to leave the settlements and return to Israel proper. Hallelujah! As Galileo said: And yet it does move. -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-press-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Dec 3 13:46:41 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Today - government minister dedicates illegal outpost Message-ID: <3FCDE941.11300.5B0E09@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv www.gush-shalom.org Senior cabinet minister to dedicate illegal settler outpost today at Hebron, West Bank Gush Shalom Press Release 3/12/2003 In recent weeks, the Sharon Government is under pressure from the US to start dismantling illegal settlement outposts in the Occupied Territories, as clearly stipulated in the "Road-map for Peace" recently enshrined in a UN Security Council resolution. Defence Minister Mofaz made pronouncements about his intention to dismantle "some" of these outposts "in the near future". But meanwhile, a senior minister in the Sharon cabinet is today going to endorse and give public support to the creation of just such an illegal settlement outpost deep inside the Palestinian city of Hebron. Housing Minister Effie Eitam, leader of the National Religious Party and member of Sharon's Inner Cabinet, is going to arrive today at what the Hebron settlers call "The Heroes' Outpost" - a piece of Palestinian land in the heart of the Old City of Hebron seized by settlers last year, in which they had maintained a continuous presence despite being several times "evicted" in front of TV cameras. Minister Eitam is going to be take part in a large-scale gathering to be held at that particular location today (Wednesday., December 3) at 3.30 PM, where he is due to "dedicate a Torah scroll". At Minister Eitam's side in that ceremony there will be the notorious Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who last year called upon settlers to help themselves to olives from the groves of their Palestinian neighbors - since, as the Rabbi put it, "God makes the rains fall solely for the sake of the Jews". According to a settler ad placed in the extreme-right paper "Makor Rishon" (28/11), the settlers are going to bus in their friends from Jerusalem, with the convoy of bullet-proof buses closely guarded by the army, which is also due to detail a considerable force to guarding the ceremony itself. So much for the "evacuation" of settler outposts, promised by Sharon to every visiting diplomat... Further details: Adam Keller, +972-3-5565804 or +972-56-709603 --------- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Dec 5 04:32:02 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: American peace activist arrested inTel-Aviv, about to be deported Message-ID: <3FD00A42.11690.567523@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv www.gush-shalom.org Press Release 5/12/2003 American peace activist Radika Sainath has been detained by police yesterday afternoon in Tel-Aviv and is held in the deportation cells at Ben- Gurion Airport, in preparation for being deported from the country. This morning (Friday, Dec, 5) at 9.00 AM, her lawyer, Adv. Shamai Leibovitz, will appeal to the Duty Detentions Judge at room 359 of the Tel-Aviv Courts Building (corner of Weitzmann and King Saul, Tel-Aviv). Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc) and other groups appealed to their activists to be present at the courtroom to exprss their solidarity, and of course there will be there members of the ISM (International Solidarity Movement) to which Radika Sainath belongs. Sainath was picked up by police yesterday afternoon, soon after leaving the same court building - but then she had been there in a completely different capacity, as a witness in the compensation suit she had presented against the Israeli police, asking for 50,000 Shekels (about $10,000) in damages for wrongful detention. The suit referred to events taking place a year ago, in November 2002, at the West Bank village of Jayous, on whose lands a section of Sharon's "Separation Wall" was being built at the time, causing the outright confiscation of village lands, the cutting down of numerous olive trees and destruction of various agricultural installations, and also involving the threat - since then realized - of cutting the villagers off from much of their land which was not officially confiscated. Radika Sainath had been among a large group of international and Israeli activists which joined the Jayous villagers in a non-violent protest march. The army commander on the spot ordered the demonstrators to disperse - but before they even had time to think whether or not to obey, the soldiers opened up with tear gas and "rubber" bullets (i.e., rubber-coated metal bullets). Afterwards, police roughly pushed Sainath and several fellow demonstrators down on the ground, handcuffed them and took them off to the Ariel Police Station, where she spent 30 hours until the Supreme Court in Jerusalem ordered her release. Judge David Geldstein of the Tel-Aviv court listened patiently when she related at length all of the above. When she mentioned the army onslaught, the judge asked: "But why did you not run away?" to which Sainath answered: "We could not. We had come there in order to defend the Palestinian villagers, to insert ourselves between them and the army - because we knew that the soldiers might be far more rough to them them to citizens of Israel or of Western countries". Later, the state representative tried to depict Sainath as "a provocateur who is in the habit of lying down in front of bulldozers" and described the ISM as "an anti-Israeli organization". But the judge did not seem impressed, stating: "What she may have done or not done at other times and places is not relevant here, nor is the ideology of organizations to which she may belong. So far, as regards the facts of the case here considered, I heard evidence indicating that she was engaged in a lawful, non-violent protest which was wrongly broken up. I have yet to hear evidence to the contrary". The judge added, however, an aside to Sainath herself: "You see how enlightened is the state of Israel. Which other state would have allowed you to sue it in this way?". Then he fixed the next session for April 2004, when the state is supposed to bring testimonies from the soldiers and police who were at Jayous on that day. All seemed over for the day. Sainath and her friends went out of the court building and boarded a bus. Two men - who later turned out to be plain- clothes police - boarded the bus after them. When they got off, the two again followed, approached Sainath, told her she was under arrest for being illegally in Israeli territory, used some force to beat off the Israeli and international activists present, and then pushed her into an unmarked car and whisked her off directly to the cells at Ben Gurion Airport. It seems these two were adept at such operations, being - as it turned out - members of the notorious Immigration Police which is terrorizing migrant workes, kidnapping them off the streets as well as in midnight raids to apartements in the slums of south Tel-Aviv. The authorities intended to put Radika Sainath on a plane then and there, but quick action by her Israeli lawyer Shamai Leibovitz gained a temporary injunction, pending this morning's session. "This is pure, small-minded vindictivness on the part of the police" says Leibovitz, a veteran of numerous hard-fought human rights cases. "It is true that her visa expired some days ago. She openly declared this to the court, saying that she extended her stay in order to testify at her compensations suit and showing the court the return ticket she has for December 12 and which she fully intends to use. This arrest and attmepted deportation is pure vindictivness, they were so angry that she dared sue them that they wanted to get back at her at all costs." For updates on the case, call Adv. Leibovitz +972-64-414505, Ronen Edelman +972-53-561580, Adam Keller +972-3-5565804 or +-972-56-709603. - http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Dec 8 15:54:48 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [Gush Shalom] Demo against the Wall, A-ram 13/12 + Avnery on the tides of public opinon Message-ID: <3FD49EC8.12840.123B504B@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv www.gush-shalom.org [1]Demonstration against the Wall, A-Ram, Saturday Dec. 13 [2]Washington is responsible Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz, Dec. 5 [3]Olmert etc. - Avnery on the tides of public opinion [4]Update: activist Radika Sainath out of detention [5]"We are Air Force, not Mafia" - interview with the refuser pilots [6]Online petition to support the refusers [7]The West Bank checkpoints: report and analysis by Victoria Buch \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [1]Demonstration against the Wall, A-Ram, Saturday Dec. 13 The Monster Has Reached A-Ram The builders of the wall of hatred are planning to carry out yet another crime against the peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The new crime is due to take place in the town of A-Ram. A-Ram is located north of Jerusalem. 100,000 Palestinians, most of whom have Jerusalem identity cards, live in this area. Jerusalem is the center of business, educational, medical, and cultural life for all of these people. Now their life is going to be destroyed: The wall will surround A-Ram on all sides; in order to enter or leave the town residents will have to pass through gates. The entire area will become one big prison. This new part of the apartheid wall will separate A-Ram from Jerusalem. The wall is to be built in the middle of the major Jerusalem-Ramallah road, on the entire length of this central artery: one side of the road will be located in Israel; the other side will belong to the West Bank. After the wall is built, a trip from A-Ram to Jerusalem, which now takes fifteen minutes, will take at least two hours. The wall is inhumane. It will create a hothouse of hate. It constitutes a security danger. While Sharon is speaking about "painful concessions", "unilateral action" and "the road map," the brutal occupation continues and gets worse day by day. The work on the wall in A-Ram has not yet begun! We can still prevent it from being built! This Saturday, December 13th at 12:30 we will join the residents of A-Ram for: A mass Israeli-Palestinian protest on the wall's planned route in A-Ram. Join us so that we can expose this outrage to the world and so that we can prevent the wall from being built. Together we will come together under the slogan: The Wall Must Fall! During the demonstration we will build a symbolic wall on the planned route of the wall of hatred, and school children will fell the wall which - if built - will separate them from their school The demonstration will take place regardless of the weather. Come with umbrellas. We will meet at the commercial center of the French Hill in Jerusalem at 11:00 From Tel Aviv: The Arlozorlov Station at 9:30; From Jerusalem: Gan-HaPa'amon at 10:15. From Haifa at Solel Boneh at 8:15. For more information: 056-709603 Gush Shalom/The Committee Against House Demolitions/The National Union of Arab Students/Hadash/Yesh Gvul/The Women's Coalition for a Just Peace/Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership NB:We need volunteers for preparation work, who can meet in Jerusalem at around 10:00 and go to the site before the masses. Those able and willing to take part, please contact Shie at 053-727602. [2]Washington is responsible Gush Shalom ad, Ha'aretz, Dec. 5 Secretary of State Colin Powell is to meet with the initiators of the Geneva Accord. So is Paul Wolfowitz, the most right-wing official in the administration. They are to be congratulated. But moral encouragement for the Israeli and Palestinian peace forces is not enough, if at the same time the US administration is giving financial and diplomatic support to actions opposed to its official position: the building of the Separation Wall that destroys all chances for peace and the enlargement of the settlements at a frantic pace. One tough hint from Bush would suffice to put an end to these provocations. Bush, Powell and Wolfowitz: You cannot evade your responsibility! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732.HYPERLINK { http://www.gush-shalom.org }www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions:HYPERLINKmailto { :info@gush-shalom.org }info@gush-shalom.org [3]Olmert etc. - Avnery on the tides of public opinion The Weathercocks Are Turning Uri Avnery 6.12.03 It is not yet a tidal wave. But it is more then a ripple. It is a wave in the process of formation. During the last few months a realignment of Israeli public opinion has started to become noticeable. It has several causes: public tiredness of the endless cycle of bloodshed, the perception that there is no military solution, the worsening of the economic crisis, the untiring activity of the radical peace movements. The list of the accumulating symptoms is getting longer: the movement of the young men who refuse army service in the occupied territories, the revolt of the air force pilots, the Ayalon- Nusseibeh initiative, the statement of the four former Secret Service chiefs, the criticism voiced by the Chief-of-Staff, and, this week, the public criticism by reserve officers on the continued maintenance of the Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip, where they had just completed a tour of duty. (see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/368026.html) The Geneva initiative gave this change a great boost in Israel, as well as an impressive echo abroad. The participation of international personalities in the solemn ceremony in Switzerland lent it status and prestige. The decision of the US Secretary of State and the General Secretary of the United Nations to receive the leaders of this initiative was a gesture of public support for the peace movement. (So was the warm personal message conveyed by the President of Germany, Johannes Rau, to the ceremony in which a Peace Prize was awarded to Sari Nusseibeh and me.) When the wind changes, the weathercocks start to move. That is happening these days. The most sensitive ones, like Yoel Markus in “Haaretz”, already began attacking Sharon some months ago. Now this is becoming a fashion in the media. The very same commentators who served for three years as propagandists for the government and the army high command, have suddenly discovered that everything done during the last three years was, after all, a terrible mistake. In the wake of the pundits come the politicians. The Labor Party functionaries, who are mounting a venomous attack on Beilin and Co., have themselves published a peace program not very different from the Geneva document (not that anybody paid much attention.) But the most interesting phenomenon is the public conversion of Ehud Olmert, the former mayor of Jerusalem. Those who have followed Olmert’s career for a long time see him as the epitome of the political opportunist. He wants to be the Likud chairman after Sharon, whom he is loyally serving now. His main competitor, Binyamin Netanyahu, is following an extreme nationalist line. Olmert, who has done the same in the past, has suddenly changed the color of his skin. This week he has let loose a surprising attack both on the Greater Israel idea and on the settlers, and come out for “unilateral withdrawal”, arguing that the continued occupation will turn Israel, God forbid, into a bi-national state. He did not go into details about Israel’s future borders. Clearly, the sensitive nose of Olmert has picked up the change in public opinion. But the Likud candidate for Prime Minister is nominated by the 3000-odd members of the Likud Central Committee, a notoriously extreme right-wing body that has turned down even Sharon’s so-called moderate proposals. Olmert, so it seems, believes that even this body is going to change. Sharon himself has not changed. To him, the old adage about the leopard’s spots still applies. But he, too, finds it necessary to repeat again and again that he is for “painful concessions”, hinting that he is ready for “unilateral withdrawal” (from where? where to?) and talking about a meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Abu-Ala (what for?). This does not prevent him from driving forward the building of the monstrous Wall that is cutting the Palestinian territory into ribbons. The Palestinians, for their part, are very much aware of the importance of the change in Israeli public opinion. Abu-Ala’s efforts to organize a truce are designed to help this process. They, too, understand that a suicide bomber who causes massive slaughter in an Israeli town may well undo the tenuous steps towards change. The direction of Palestinian policy is very important. I remember an event 31 years ago: in Bologna, Italy, the first large public Israeli- Arab conference took place after years of preparations. I was asked to make the opening speech for the Israeli side. I said: the Vietnam war is being won in American public opinion, the Algerian war was won in French public opinion, the Palestinian war will be won in Israeli public opinion. Before making the speech, I showed it to the senior Arab representative, the Egyptian leftist leader Khaled Mohei-al-Din, one of the “Free Officers” who made the 1952 revolution. He agreed with me. But after delivering it, I was approached by an angry Palestinian who protested: “Your Israeli arrogance knows no limits! Do you think that what’s happening in Israel is more important than the Palestinian struggle?” I told him that it goes without saying that but for the valiant struggle of the Vietnamese and the Algerians, American and French public opinion would not have changed. Two years later, Palestinian leaders appeared who voiced the same opinion. Sa’id Hamami, the PLO leader who started the first secret contacts with us, told his colleagues: “If the whole world recognizes us and Israel does not, what have we gained?” Issam Sartawi went even further, asking Yasser Arafat to concentrate entirely on changing Israeli public opinion, subordinating all other efforts to this supreme aim. Arafat understood that the changing of Israeli public opinion is an important objective, but did not accept it as the single most important one. We have talked about this many times. It now seems that he recognizes the importance of this effort more than ever, as shown by the blessing he gave to the Palestinian delegation in Geneva. There remains the question: if the change of public opinion in Israel does indeed gather momentum and become a big wave – how will it manifest itself in political terms? In other words, how will it change the political set-up and achieve a majority in the Knesset? Not a single person in Israel is able to answer this question now. Yossi Beilin is trying to create a party that will unite his followers with the Meretz party. This may turn out to be a serious political mistake. Meretz was hit hard at the last elections, losing half its strength and receiving only some 5% of the vote. It is considered an elitist Ashkenazi (Israeli of European origin) party, far removed from vital sections like the oriental Jews, the Russian immigrants, the religious and even the Arab citizens. Beilin, himself a member of the Ashkenazi elite, will not change this public image. If the Geneva Initiative becomes the banner of one party on the margin of the political scene, it will be condemned to political irrelevance. Beilin himself will descend to the status of chief of a small party – if he wins the competition for the party’s leadership, which is not at all certain. Perhaps it would be better for him to retain the lofty status of the bearer of a national message, free from factional interests. The central problem is the Labor party. Its reaction to the Geneva initiative showed it in all its shabbiness. From the pathetic Shimon Peres to the shrill Dalia Itzik, not to mention Ehud Barak with his personal psychological problems, they attacked Beilin, their former comrade, whom they had pushed out of the party on the eve of the last elections. Yet without the Labor party, the Left will not become a dominant political force, in a position to win the next elections. The creation of a viable substitute would take many years, and Beilin’s new party will not achieve this in the foreseeable future. But in the entire Labor Party, one cannot, with the best will in the world, perceive a plausible candidate for Prime Minister. That may give the Likud another chance. It is not impossible that Sharon will again deceive the public, as he did at the last two elections, when he presented himself as the man of peace and security. He will speak about “painful concessions” and show photos with Abu-Ala. It is also possible that another Likud candidate devoid of principles, such as Netanyahu or Olmert, will come up with a vague peace message. Either way: if the Israeli Left fails to create a dominant political force, the change in public opinion may remain without results, a powerful wind that does not blow into any sail, steam without a locomotive. [4]Update: activist Radika Sainath out of detention After 48 hours in custody, and after a stormy session in court where the state representatives tried once again to portray her as a "dangerous provocateur" and used abundantly the magic words "state security", activist Radika Sainath was let out of detention. However, under the stiff conditions set by the judge, she must spend the rest of her stay in Israel (she is bound back to the US on the 12th) within the Tel-Aviv house of activist Ronen Edelman - still an imprisonment of sorts, even if in an environment far more comfortable and friendly than the detention cells at Ben Gurion Airport, where she spent the weekend in company with other "unwanted aliens" bound for deportation. The judge also conditioned her release upon the posting of 30,000 Shekels (about $ 6,000) in bail, of which 5,000 Shekels ($1,000) had to be delivered in cash. It was a race against time to raise the sum from various Tel-Aviv activists and get her out of detention before the state representatives had the chance to appeal the judge's verdict to a higher court, as they threatened to do. Still, the money was collected, and Adv. Leibovitz picked her up from the cells and drove her to Tel-Aviv where the bunch of us welcomed her. [5]"We are Air Force, not Mafia" - interview with the refuser pilots The group of Israeli Air Force pilots who some months ago create a furor by their refusal to participate in missions involving "targeted killings" which often end in the killing of innocent civilians - and whose action seems to have contributed to a great reduction in the use of that measure - have now overcome their initial hesitation to give interviews to the international media. Several of them were interviewed on Ted Koppel's show "Nightline" on ABC-TV, which featured about a 12 minute segment on their act of refusal, and Chris McGreal of the British Guardian published an interview with other, last week. http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1098 456,00.html [6]Online petition to support the refusers With the court-martials of the six young refuseniks nearing their end, New Profile has launched an online support petition, which already bears several thousand signatures. http://www.petitiononline.com/refuz/petition.html [7]The West Bank checkpoints: report and analysis by Victoria Buch >From a speech by Victoria Buch of MachsomWatch, at the Peace Now vigil outside the prime minster's residence, Jerusalem, Nov. 29. What Sharon means when he speaks of "State Security" I am a member of a women's human rights organization named MachsomWatch. The organization monitors military checkpoints (CPs) that restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians around the West Bank. We make an effort to increase the awareness of the Israeli and international public of what is happening there. Moreover, MachsomWatch attempts to act against human rights abuses at the checkpoints. The activity is problematic, since the very existence of the multitude of checkpoints constitutes one large scale violation of human rights and soldiers who man the CPs act upon orders from their superiors. Still, now and then we succeed in helping by mediating between Palestinians and soldiers, or by procuring help in blatant cases which are not covered by the orders. I should like to tell you about what we saw lately at CPs in the Nablus area and also to share with you some thoughts concerning the real objectives of the closure policy. A large majority of the roadblocks do not separate Israelis from Palestinians, rather, they separate Palestinians from Palestinians. In particular, Palestinian towns such as Nablus are surrounded by a ring of CPs, which restrict motion between the town and the surrounding villages. The CPs make it difficult for the villagers to reach the town services, such as shopping-malls, hospitals, clinics, schools, work-places, etc. Currently, in the Nablus area, the CPs are manned by elite paratrooper units. Their other assignment is to provide security for neighboring settlements. Let me describe a "typical" roadblock. Two or three soldiers are stationed in the middle, their job is to check IDs. Palestinians wait at a distance behind a "holy" plastic barrier (I shall explain in a moment, why is it "holy"). Additional soldiers, serving as security cover, are stationed nearby. Frequently, their guns are pointed at the waiting queue. (We tried to argue with the soldiers in the past that scaring people by pointing guns is quite unnecessary, but we were unsuccessful.) And so the Palestinians wait, for one hour, for another.. and sometimes for much longer. A person arrives at the top of the line, and is summoned by the soldier. The ID is shown, sometimes the coat is opened to show "no explosives", an explanation may be requested as to where he or she is heading. And then, the 19-year-old soldier determines if the person can pass, according to the orders of that day. I did not find much logic in these orders. One day, everybody passes, another, the CP is closed to everybody. For a while, students (young and healthy people) are allowed to pass, while the elderly and the sick are stopped. After several weeks the orders are reversed - everybody above some age, say 45 or 35, is let through, while students are not covered by the orders. People who do not belong to the general categories permitted to pass have to produce special permits. Procuring such a permit from the DCO (District Coordinating Office) is no fun, and the number of different permits required by the authorities is constantly increasing. For example, a Palestinian with the hard-to-get work certificate in Israel must still obtain a "Permit to Pass a Roadblock". Last week we observed the following scene.A Palestinian shows a paper indicating an appointment at a clinic in Nablus. "Why don't you travel in an ambulance?" asks the soldier. "Ambulances are expensive, I don't need one, I just need to get to a clinic". "Then you cannot pass, today only medical emergencies in ambulances are let through". Sometimes a soldier decides that a Palestinian "looks suspicious". Then the Palestinian's ID is taken, and the ID number is fed via telephone to the Security Services computer. This is an amazingly slow computer. The ID owner waits (often for hours) at the CP until the security clearance arrives. Arguing with soldiers may result in a punishment of an extra wait for ID return, or worse. This routine does not have a good influence on the soldiers' psyche. For us, it is painful to watch, how their young faces darken, their voices become rude, their body language - violent. These boys' first act as grown-ups is to to become agents of the occupation, and to acquire immense power over resentful and angry Palestinians. At the same time, the soldiers are afraid. The mixture is poisonous to their souls. Today in the morning we encountered an especially nasty example at the Bet Furiq roadblock, in the form of an aficionado of order. This soldier devoted only a fraction of his time to checking IDs. As mentioned above, Palestinians are supposed to wait behind a plastic barrier. A Palestinian MUST NOT move beyond the barrier, even by a bit, unless summoned. The soldier may close the barrier for an indefinite time, "to teach a lesson". A significant fraction of soldiers' time is spent on yelling "The checkpoint is closed, move back! move back!". But that Bet Furiq soldier had more elaborate requirements. Palestinians were supposed to wait in a single file. Tired people who sat down on the roadside were requested to join the file. In addition, his attention focused on two young men who had been detained and displayed nearby as a lesson. They were kneeling on the stony ground, with hands bound tightly behind their backs. They were supposed to turn their backs to the waiting line, and to lower their heads. Now and then, the soldier checked if they maintained the "correct" position. It took us about an hour of phone-calls to secure their release. One of the detained told us that he has been "in position" for some five hours. Another assignment of the soldiers is a man-hunt for people attempting to pass around the CP. These are Palestinians who according to the orders of the particular day cannot pass through the CP or the ones who are willing to endanger themselves to avoid the wait and the humiliation. This man-hunt is occurring in the vicinity of all roadblocks, but in Bet Furiq it had a new twist. For this purpose the soldiers were supplied with three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles, of the kind you can rent at Nitzanim Beach for recreational purposes. We watched the soldiers returning riding on these vehicles, with the "catch" marching in front of them; they were met with congratulatory cheers from their colleagues at the CP. And it can be much worse. Two weeks ago, a short time after we left the Bet Furiq CP, a 14-year old Palestinian boy was shot dead by a soldier. Soldiers claimed that he threw stones. This summary execution did not become in any a significant piece of news in Israel. Once I asked a soldier - "What do you care? Why won't you let an Arab to go from one Arab place to another?" The soldier answered with full strength of his 19-year-old conviction: "Don't you understand? I am protecting the state of Israel! I am protecting you!" The Chief-of-Staff of the IDF does not seem to have the same conviction. Recently, he managed to mumble that perhaps the policy of closure promotes anger and violence and thus endangers the State Security, rather than serving it. Four ex-chiefs of the General Security Service (Shabak) did not mumble. They stated quite loudly that the oppressive and humiliating policies towards Palestinians, together with funding and development of settlements, are not the way to prevent terror. On the contrary, they bring Israel to a brink of an abyss, into existential danger. Despite these statements by Israeli security experts, the roadblocks are still there, fully operational. Let us then ask what purpose do they serve in the policy of Sharon. Our public was told that the purpose is apprehending terrorists. This claim does not stand the test of reality. Since Sharon came to power, terrorism against Israeli citizens reached an unprecedented level. The terrorists, members of well-organized and well-funded groups manage to reach their destinations quite effectively. On the other hand, peaceful people do not manage to conduct their daily affairs, and are denied normal respectable life. Another proposal: Sharon honestly thought that the roadblocks would help against terror, but now realized his error and embarked on the way of compromise and negotiations. Didn't we hear recently from him about the need for "painful concessions"? Aren't there negotiations in progress? I am always amazed about the number of people in Israel who are willing to believe, again and again, in this optimistic fairy-tale. It is a deja-vu; the scenario is known in advance. Pressure for negotiations mounts in Israel and abroad; Sharon declares he is willing to negotiate and compromise; a purely symbolic removal of some settlement outposts is carried out, and the closure noose is loosened slightly; negotiations with Palestinian Authority are initiated (and I think that Sharon keeps this powerless PA in existence so that he can set this farce going again and again), while on the ground, the occupation machine keeps grinding diligently; then an assassination of a Hamas or Jihad leader is ordered, or a similar provocation is carried out; a chain of terror acts against Israeli civilians ensues; Sharon declares "I wanted peace, but you see, there is nobody to negotiate with"; and the Israeli public repeats obediently "We wanted peace, but there is nobody to negotiate with". Another possibility has been raised by some among the Israeli left, that Sharon aims at permanent settlement in the form of Bantustans, according to the old-time South African recipe. The Separation Fence marks the borders of the projected Bantustans. Sharon hopes to negotiate a permanent Apartheid system, relying on the PA's weakness. I do not believe in this proposal, either. If you wish to establish a stable Bantustan, you do not begin by demolishing it. During his tenure, Sharon ordered systematic destruction of political and economic infrastructure in the densely populated Areas A of the Occupied Territories, which are the projected Bantustans. Recall destruction of the PA security forces, of the government structures and equipment, of agriculture, workshops, roads, lamp- posts... Most of the Palestinians live now under the poverty line - 2$ per person per day. If you lock 3 million people behind fences in Bantustans, without viable economic and government infrastructure, and without a hope for better future, the result is escalating bloodshed. That much is should be clear to any reasonable person, as well as to the people who instituted the policy. Let us not kid ourselves - these are intelligent and determined people, capable of long term planning. I believe that the Bantustans were planned by them as a "useful" transitional phase towards their real objective. So what is the objective? I think that the aim is quite obvious - the Greater Israel ("Eretz Israel HaShlema") from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, in which the Palestinians will be supplanted by settlers. For Sharon and Mofaz, the Palestinians are a pest by definition - not potential partners for coexistence. When Sharon is talking about striving to uphold the security of the state, that is what he means. In other words, he aims to repeat, in a big way, the "exercise" of 1948. Before 1948, there were many Palestinians around us, and then most of them disappeared. There may be people among us who, would claim that in 1948 it happened in the course of Israel's fight for existence. However that may be, now it is certainly not a war for existence, but rather a systematic policy of unrelenting and uncompromising nationalism. This policy brings our country to the brink of existential abyss, just as the four ex- GSS heads said. And we had better do something about it, urgently. Contct: Machsom Watch ---------- If you do not really believe us and feel Gush Shalom is exaggerating then go to the following Haaretz page: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/360916.ht ml -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more ###################### Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. For assistance: info@gush-shalom.org From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Dec 14 05:01:23 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: Israeli - Palestinian rally at A-Ram Message-ID: <3FDBEEA3.12190.F6B5C3@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv www.gush-shalom.org Before giving you this eye-witness account of today's protest action at A- Ram, we whould let you know that the verdict in the court martial of "The Five" will be finally read out this week - on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 2.00 PM in the Jaffa Miltary Court (corner of Yefet and Shivtey Yisrael). An hour before, at 1.00 PM, a solidarity vigil will be held on the same spot. (Many of the young refusers, those who are not yet behind bars, were present today at A-Ram.) "The Wall must fall, must fall, must fall!" Dec. 13, 2003 Once again, the organisers underestimated the number of people who would come to participate in a protest against the monstrous Wall which the Sharon government seems bent on erecting. After six buses were filled up, nearly two hundred more people arrived at the rendezvous point in the commercial center of the French Hill Neighborhood. Fortunately, the big Palestinian taxis of East Jerusalem - vans capable of taking nearly twenty passengers each - were happy to come at very short notice and take up the extra load. But still it did take time, and it was a matter of rather complicated logistics to keep the whole unwieldy column moving as a single convoy, through the circuitous road by-passing the big army checkpoint at the approaches of A-Ram. Meanwhile, there were frantic calls from our Palestinian partners up ahead, asking us to hurry up and telling that the hundreds of youths they had gathered together were chafing at the bit and eager to start. In fact, when we arrived at the designated starting point we found that the mass of Palestinians has ser out already. From some three hundred metres down the street there come the rhythmic thudding of a half-a-dozen giant drums, and the sound of chanting in which the word "Jidar" (Arabic for "Fence", similar to the Hebrew "Gader") was clearly discernable. We had to scramble out of the buses, grab the signs and banners ("The Wall is strangling A-Ram, the Wall is strangling all of us" and "No need of walls, we have a partner for peace") and hurry to catch up. The pundits who make self-satisfied statements about Israelis and Palestinians being "too alienated from each other to ever live together" and draw the conclusion that "a civilized divorce is the best which could be hoped for" should have seen the merging of these two groups. At one moment there were two distinct groups - some two thousand Palestinians forging ahead, five hundred Israelis quickly caching up with them. The next, the two flowed smoothly into each other and became a single mass, above which flew in profusion and in no particular order Hebrew and Arabic and English signs and flags and the emblems of Israelis peace groups and Arab parties from Israel and the main factions of the Palestinian political spectrum all side by side, Gush Shalom and Fatah and Hadash and Ta'ayush and Yesh Gvul and and the Israeli Women's Coalition and the Palestinian Islamists (only a few of them, but quite distinct) and KM Azmi Bishara's Balad Party (Bishara was there in person, as were his colleagues/rivals Muhammad Barake and Ahmad Tibi) and a sizeable block of the red flags of the Palestinian People's Party (former Communists) and among them a solitary flag of the Italian Communists, flown by a visiting delegation. And the Ecumenical Accompaniers of the World Churches have all gathered here from the various towns and villages where they fulfill various tasks, and people from the International Solidarity Movement and the Christian Peacemakers, and some of the Japanese who recently seem to crop up at virtually every peace demonstration... There was a considerable presence of Palestinian women - young and old, some dressed in demure traditional clothes while others were clad in the latest of western fashions. Palestinian signs varied greatly, from enormous well-prepared printed banners bearing whole manifestos ("Yes to freedom of Education, Worship, Medical Treatment & Movement in Our City of Jerusalem, that the Apartheid Wall will block") to a "Fuck Sharon!" hastily scrawled on the back of packing carton and held aloft by a grinning boy. A group of girls were marching under a hand-drawn banner, "Break the Wall", with the letters on a white background drawn alternately in black, red or green - the Palestinian national colours. They were, it turned out, from "The Bridge Academy", an institute which stands to suffer a mortal blow from the Wall. "Half of us are from A-Ram here, the others from Beit Hanina across the highway. Until now we went back and forth without even thinking about it, but if they build the wall across the Highway we will not be able to meet each other again, and our school will lose half of its pupils...". The highway of which the 17-year old Tagrid spoke was the Jerusalem- Ramallah Highway. The government plans call for erecting the Separation Wall right in the middle of it, so as to create "a Palestinian lane" on one side and an Israeli one on the other, and in process completely cut off from each other the Palestinian neighborhoods on either side. And out route of march took us to that very highway. A specially-made cardboard replica of the government's planned Wall was straddling the center of the road, and to the side was a truck draped with Palestinian national flags and fitted out as a podium. The rally begins. "This Wall, if we don't stop it, is about to create an Apartheid regime much worse than anything South Africa has ever known" said Catherine Rottenberg of Ta'ayush. "The Wall about to be built will separate a mother from from her child. It will divide between worker and workplace, between the pupil and school, and cut off the ill from the hospital and the dead from the cemetery. And the Wall will also cut off all of us, Israelis and Palestinians alike, cut us all of from the possibility of achieving a just peace". "We are sending a message from here to Mr. Sharon, the prime Minster of Israel" called Sirhan Salaymeh, Mayor of A-Ram and decades-long interlocutor of Israeli peace activists. "Here is the message: we don't stand alone, Mr. Sharon, we the inhabitants of A-Ram whom you want to cut off and separate from out city of Jerusalem, we the Palestinian People which you plan to imprison in enclaves and bantustans. We stand together here, Palestinians and Israelis and internationals, together confronting your dirty scheme - and we will foil it! The Popular Committee Against the Wall represents the the whole range of social and political forces in A-Ram, and it is determined to maintain and extend the struggle in all possible ways". Then Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom: "Had the government built a fence or wall along Israel's legitimate border - the Green Line, the 1967 border - it would have acted within its rights, though I think even that would have been an enormous waste of resources: making peace and ending the occupation would in my view put an end also to the suicide bombers' motivation, and mae a wall completely unnecessary. But as things stand, the Sharon Government arouses the enmity of the whole world by its relentless blind arrogance, by pushing forward the plans to build a Wall of Hatred which cuts into the Palestinians' living flesh, makes their life into hell and steals their land piece by piece. This week, the mad project of this Wall brought Israel to the dock at the International Court in the Hague, for the first time in the coutry's history. All of us, Israelis and Palestinians, will continue paying a heavy price for this Wall, for the settlements and the occupation - but in the end the Wall will fall, as the Berlin Wall fell which also seemed impregnable, and the two peoples could live side by side in peace in prosperity". There were quite a few more speakers - many groups and factions had taken part in organizing the rally, and each had its own representative on the podium. The lively audience responded lively, with boos and catcalls whenever the Wall or Sharon its builder were mentioned. And then it happened: the crowd anticipating what was intended as the dramatic climax of the rally, falling upon the mock cardboard Wall in the middle of the road, pulling it down and tearing it to pieces. It was started by the Palestinian youths, but their Israeli contemporaries were not slow in joining in, and the call "The Wall must fall, must fall, must fall!" burst from a thousand throats. Everybody knew, of course, that with the real Wall it will be far more difficult and messy. And still, we all also felt that something of enduring importance was achieved today, there on the highway outside A-Ram. For more information: Adam 056-709603, Irit 053-826631, Hulood 067-469738, Mayor Sirhan Salaymeh 067-2348808/02-2348808 Gush Shalom/The Committee Against House Demolitions/The National Union of Arab Students/Hadash/Yesh Gvul/The Women's Coaltion for a Just Peace/Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership Petitions against the Wall: http://www.gader.org/Main/engPetition.asp (for Israelis) http://www.petitiononline.com/stw/petition.html (international petition) ###################### N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. _______________________________________________ If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to gush-shalom-intl-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line. -- To unsubscribe, send mail to From info at gush-shalom.org Mon Dec 15 18:41:55 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Avnery on balloons // 2 fwded action alerts Message-ID: <3FDE0073.4932.EE4556@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [1] Avnery on Sharon's balloons [עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר] [2] [Hebrew & English] Tomorrow, Tuesd 2pm: verdict in 'Trial of the Five' + demonstration starting at 1pm opposite Green House in Jaffa [3] [Hebrew only] Friday 19/12: Against the Apartheid wall in Deir Ballut - Demonstration and rising of a new protest tent \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [1] Avnery on Sharon's balloons Uri Avnery 13.12.03 Balloons עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר www.gush-shalom.org He is at it again, and again it is working. He is launching colorful balloons, and the whole world is looking on with rapture and wonderment. Ariel Sharon needs to divert attention. His popularity has dropped in recent opinion polls. The Geneva initiative has captured the national and international agenda. The police investigations into his corruption affairs have reappeared in the headlines. Army and Security Services officers have criticized him publicly. He has been accused of immobility, foot- dragging, the lack of a plan. So he is launching balloons: "Unilateral steps". Sensation! "In the future we shall not be in all the places we are now". Shock! "We shall be moving settlements". Uproar! He has sent Ehud Olmert to exercise his jaw on every talk-show, warning against the terrible danger of a "bi-national state". His plan, Olmert declares, will ensure the existence of a "Jewish state", 80% of whose population will be Jewish. Since already more than 78% of Israel's citizens are Jewish, this must mean that densely populated Palestinian territories would not be annexed. Sharon's office has leaked reports that Olmert is echoing Sharon's own view, and that Sharon himself will make a sensational statement to this effect next week in Herzlia. General turmoil! The Geneva Initiative is almost forgotten. All the pundits are busy with wild speculation: What is Sharon up to? What does he mean? What is he going to do? Is Bush compelling him to change his spots? Olmert's conversion from screeching hawk to cooing dove has been all the more convincing because at the same time, quite by accident, he has been forced to accede to an European demand to mark the "place of origin" on all Israeli exports to Europe. This is meant to block preferential customs treatment for the products of the settlements. The settlers have started a furious campaign against him. They have plastered the walls of Jerusalem with posters showing Olmert stamping settlement products with a Nazi-style yellow star of David, with the word "Jude" on it. (For good measure, they have put my picture on the poster as well, just to show who is pulling the strings.) So now it is clear: Olmert is a dove, a reincarnation of the Prophet Elijah, announcing (according to Jewish tradition) the coming of Sharon, the Messiah. The leaders of the Labor Party are already taking the nylon covers off their ministerial suits. Any moment now, they believe, Sharon will call on them to take the places of the extreme right-wing ministers in his government. Shimon Peres is about to fulfil his dream and become a minister again. Who would have believed it! Sharon is the Israeli de Gaulle, after all! Peace is on the way! All this confirms the old American adage: A sucker is born every minute. I have already warned a dozen times: Don't pay attention to what Sharon says, pay attention to what Sharon does. His pronouncements can be ignored, they serve only to fulfil the tactical requirements of the moment. But his actions are very, very important. And his actions are quite clear: The Wall is being extended at a frenzied pace. In the Sharon tradition, it is creating "Facts on the Ground." The Palestinian territory is being cut into ribbons. Before our eyes, isolated Palestinian enclaves are appearing, each of them an open air prison. And while the army is removing one uninhabited mobile home in one "illegal" hilltop outpost, the government is pushing the enlargement of the settlements by all available means. This is a vigorous campaign, employing all arms of the government. Only a person completely cut off from what's happening in the occupied territories can claim that things are "frozen". Only a person living in the virtual world of the media could believe that Sharon has no plan. He does have a plan, the same one that he has been following for decades. His and Olmert's statements do not contradict it, quite the contrary. Here are its basic principles: - "Unilateral steps": There will be no peace agreement with the Palestinians. They will be imprisoned behind the walls and the fences, a continuation of the occupation by other means. - "A state with an 80% Jewish majority": All sparsely populated Palestinian territories will be annexed. That will include half the West Bank (the former Area C), all the major highways, the entire Jordan valley, many of the olive groves and fields of the Palestinian villages (but not the villages themselves.) - "Painful concessions": Israel will give up the Palestinian population centers, towns and blocs of Palestinian villages (the former Areas A and B) and most of the Gaza Strip. All the enclaves together will amount to some 45% of the West Bank. Together with the Gaza Strip, they will constitute only some 10-12% of the original territory of Palestine before 1948. - "A Palestinian state": Sharon is ready - indeed, keen - to have these enclaves called "a Palestinian state". This will free Israel from taking any responsibility for the population. If they starve or decide to move elsewhere - so much the better. - "Moving settlements": The dozens of small settlements built in the Palestinian population centers will be transferred to the areas that will be annexed to Israel, enlarging the Jewish component. - "The terrorism will continue": This will not end the war. Indeed, Sharon and his people have no interest in ending it. As far as they are concerned, it can go on forever. The Palestinians will always be blamed. The redeployment will make life much easier for the army, since there will no longer be a need to devote substantial forces to the defense of isolated settlements. This is the opposite of the Geneva Initiative, which is based on the belief that an agreement with the Palestinians can be achieved. It is also the opposite of the Road Map, to which both sides still pay lip service, while treating it as a whim of President Bush that has been forsaken by Bush himself. Sharon "accepted" it at the time - with 14 reservations that emptied it of all meaning. In practice, he did not take even the first step along this road (any more than the Palestinians did). The peace plan of Sharon and Olmert proclaims the continuation of the war against the Palestinian people. It is a provocation to the United States and world public opinion. How will it affect opinion in Israel? Perhaps it will divert into another channel the growing longing for peace, which found some expression in the Geneva Initiative. Sharon and Olmert play upon two powerful tendencies in the Israeli subconscious: (a) racist attitudes towards Arabs, which undermine belief in the possibility of peace with them, and (b) the desire for a Jewish state, without Goyim (non-Jews) in general and Arabs in particular. Some say that the Sharon initiative is nothing but media spin. Just another of Sharon's utterances that have little to do with reality. But anyone who sees the walls and fences that are now going up, will recognize the new reality that is being created. *** [2] [Hebrew & English] Tomorrow, Tuesd 2pm: verdict in 'Trial of the Five' + demonstration starting at 1pm opposite Green House in Jaffa ------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: NewProfile@Topica.com From: sergeiy@netvision.net.il Date sent: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 09:55:01 +0000 English follows Hebrew שלום, פסק-הדין במשפטם של חמשת סרבני הכיבוש, נועם בהט, אדם מאור, חגי מטר, שמרי צמרת ומתן קמינר, יינתן ביום ג' הקרוב, 16/12/2003, בשעה 14:00. בשעה 13:00 תתקיים משמרת מחאה ותמיכה בסרבנים מול "הבית הירוק" (רחק יפת 91-93) ביפו. בואו בהמוניכן והביאו שלטים וסיסמאות. פורום ההורים גם ביקש להזכיר לגבי העצומה לתמיכה בחמישה: http://www.petitiononline.com/refuz/petition.html תודה, סרגיי - פרופיל חדש. Dear All, The verdict of the 5 (objectors Noam Bahat, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar and Shimri Tzameret) will be given on Tuesday, 16 Dec., 14:00. A solidarity vigil with the 5 will start at 13:00 opposite the "Green House", 91-93 Jeffet st., Jaffa. Bring your slogans with you. Please contiue to spread the word on the petition http://www.petitiononline.com/refuz/petition.html We already have 3250 signatures. We need many more ! Thanks, The parents *** [3] [Hebrew only] Friday 19/12: Against the Apartheid wall in Deir Ballut - Demonstration and rising of a new protest tent ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 13:28:11 +0100 From: Jonathan Pollak בימים אלו מתחדשות העבודות על גדר האפרטהייד והטרנספר שנבנית בגדה המערבית. התקציבים לשלב ב' (אזור הגלבוע) ושלב ג' (בין מסחה לשכונות המסופחות של מזרח ירושלים) כבר אושרו והעבודות החלו. כפר דיר בלוט, יחד עם הכפרים א-זאוויה ורפאת יכלאו עפ"י התכנון במובלעת אשר תבודד אותם מדרום, מזרח ומערב. עם סיום הגדר, הדרך היחידה לרמאללה שמדרום תהיה דרך שכם, שמצפון מזרח. במחאה על תוואי הגדר, כמו על עצם קיומה החלטנו, פעילים ישראלים, פלסטינים ובינלאומיים, להקים מחנה מחאה בדיר בלוט. המחנה ימוקם בבית הספר היסודי של דיר בלוט, אשר בנייתו הופסקה ע"י הצבא הישראלי, וישמש, במשך שבועיים, כבסיס לפעולות הסברה ופעולות ישירות באזור. ביום שישי, ה-19 לדצמבר, בשעה 11:00 נקיים צעדה שתסתיים בבית הספר ובהקמת המחנה. הסעות ייצאו מחניון הבימה בשעה 10:00. אנא הודיעו על השתתפותכם בהקדם ליונתן, 327736 066, כדי שנוכל לדאוג להסעה מתאימה. אנו זקוקים גם לאנשים שיהיו מוכנים לאייש את המחנה בימים ובלילות. *** -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) with \\photos - of actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English \\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for: Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Dec 17 02:34:09 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: (fwd) Doing things the hard way - the verdict of The Five Message-ID: <3FDFC0A1.22219.D93519@localhost> Doing things the hard way - the verdict of The Five Dec. 16, 2003 The courtroom at the Jaffa Military Court had never been so overcrowded. Special benches had been dragged in, filling the aisle and leaving hardly any room for passage. Activists, family members and journalists crowded into every available corner (there were four TV crews, who were chased out after the judges came in) and still as many as were in had to wait outside. At long last, the verdict in the trial of Noam Bahat, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar and Shimri Tsameret was going to be delivered. After the Yoni Ben-Artzi verdict, nobody really expected a "not guilty." Clearly, they would be found guilty-as-charged of the formal aberration of "not obeying an order", but against our better judgement we were hoping that these boys' convincing moral stand did impress the court. But the Colonel Avi Levy who read the verdict seemed a different person from the presiding judge who had exhibited signs of moderation throughout the earlier sessions. While starting out by accepting the defence's contention that the Freedom of Conscience is a right under Israeli basic law and not just a privilege granted at the army's pleasure, the verdict proceeded to give it such an interpretation as to nullify its practical value. In essence, the verdict endorsed the military authority's policy and the judicial justifications for it as presented by the prosecution: exemption from military service should be granted only to pacifists and nobody else. The judge seemed less concerned with the ideological differences and more with practical ones: pacifists in his view are a small group which does not challenge government policies but just seek personal salvation and, so he stated, are not likely to grow significantly. But what the court dealt with here was far more serious: "We recognize that the accused do feel moral and ideological revulsion about taking part in an army which according to their belief is perpetrating manifestly immoral acts. But the act of refusal is derived not only from this revulsion but also - and perhaps mainly - from the wish of the accused to change public opinion in general, to effect a change in the views and in the behavior of those who are about to go into the army and of conscripts and reservists, and finally to cause a change in government policy and bring about an end to the occupation." Colonel Levy went into long and complicated legal as well as philosophical arguments reaffirming over and over again that this was a threat not to be tolerated, and that everybody must be made to go into the army and share equally the risk to life in defence of the country (no mention of the tens of thousands ultra-Orthodox who don't risk their lives while receiving generous allowances for studying in religious seminaries). "There exists no legally established alternative civilian service in Israel, so the military authorities cannot be blamed for failing to offer one as an alternative to the five accused. But it is the position of this court that even if it existed, it would not have provided a fitting answer for the case of these five. The requirement of equality is not that citizens just give three years of service, but that they all undergo the same risk to life" (skipping over the fact that most soldiers in a modern army are non- combatants...). As the reading ended, we sat there in stunned silence. Only Reuven Kaminer, grandfather of Matan, got up and left the court shouting "Shame!" But outside the court there was the solid phalanx of press photographers and TV cameras, and behind them the activists who had not been able to enter. When the five emerged they got a hero's welcome of wild cheers and prolonged clapping. Then there developed a scene surely unequaled in the decades that this building has been used as a military court; something halfway between a political rally and a press conference. The chanting "Occupation is Terror - the Refuser is a Hero" and "Peace Yes - Occupation No" (some cried out "army no") lasted several minutes, until the TV crews managed to get the quiet to interview the five, their parents and their lawyer. "We are being punished for saying the word o-c-c-u-p-a-t-i-o-n. So here I say it again: occupation, occupation, occupation" said Matan Kaminer. "The most easy thing for an 18-year old in this country is to get an exemption from the army through all kind of backhand tricks. Anybody can do it, and many do. We chose to go the hard way. We say that the occupation is a moral abomination which moral people can not tolerate and that this is the reason that we refuse to enlist. If our sincerity means that we will sit many years in prison then we will sit many years in prison." "We say a truth that most of the public does not know, and that many choose not to know, and that's why we are being punished" said Haggai Matar. "They do war crimes and they expect us to keep silent. But we will not be silent. We will speak out against the occupation, even when we pay a price. After an exhausting year we find that the military court is not willing to listen to what we have to say. It turns out that Colonel Avi Levy is after all not more than a screw in the military machine. He is not the kind of person to shake the whole system." "The worse the occupation becomes, the more people will refuse." These words of Adam Maor were to go into the evening TV news of Channel-I. He went on to say: "A country which oppresses three and half million people and denies them the most basic human rights is a country which is bound also to oppress its own citizens. No wonder that this country is sending us to prison. No wonder that it is trampling the poor and the disadvantaged, as it does." Shimri Tzameret was next: "I am not deterred by this verdict. This court is part of the army, and the army is doing terrible and immoral things such as sending my friends to risk their life for Netzarim settlement and for Hebron, when everybody knows that eventually we will evacuate these places. The army is causing despair in the Palestinian society. In fact it is the army which is breeding the suicide bombers. This is the kind of army it is, and it is no surprise that this is the verdict handed by the court of this army." Last of the five was Noam Bahat: "It is important to remember that the war going on now is a war of choice, a war which is not needed for survival or self-defence. A war of choice is by definition immoral. We must refuse because this war will end only when people stop supporting it. I can't say that I am happy with this verdict, but it is in no way a reason for me or the others to give up." "I have listened most carefully to this verdict" said adv. Dov Chenin. "The test of whether a basic civil or human right is being respected is not when everybody agrees. The test is exactly when it is hotly controversial. The court said that the Freedom of Conscience is protected by Israeli law, but it refuses to apply it where it is most needed. If people like these five don't get the protection of the Freedom of Conscience, then this freedom doesn't exist. About this I have a strong debate with the court. This right was not given the weight it deserves, which in my view makes the verdict unconstitutional." (This was perhaps the first draft of an appeal to the Supreme Court.) Meanwhile, the last act of this court is still to come: next Tuesday (Dec. 23) at 2pm, the court is to hear the arguments of the prosecution and defence as to the fitting punishment, which is expected on that same day. [The information reached us that solidarity demonstrations for The Five took place today in London, Rome and Berlin, and that in France over thousand signatures were collected on a petition initiated by veterans who had themselves served prison terms for refusing to take part in the Algerian War.] For more information: Adv. Dov Chenin +972-3-5256333 / +972-68-249212 Anat Matar +972-3-5408977 / +972-58-560001 Messages of support to: Noam.Kaminer@exlibris.co.il Hebrew readers can follow the "Prison Blog" of Shimri at: http://e.walla.co.il/ts.cgi?tsscript=category&path=225 [Report written by Gush Shalom member Adam Keller on behalf of the Refuser Parents' Forum.] -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Dec 18 23:30:45 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Sharon speech - paving the way for unilateral annexations Message-ID: <3FE238A5.4701.FFD3C8@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom Press Release Tel-Aviv December 18, 2003 Sharon's Speech: Tissue of Lies and Half-Truths His "Plan" - Recipe for War and Annexation "Ariel Sharon's speech of today is a masterpiece of misrepresentation, half-truths and outright lies," Gush Shalom declared immediately afterwards. "The polished formulations are hiding the clear intent of annexing more than half the West Bank, while giving up a few far-away and isolated settlements that are the army consider as a burden." As examples of blatant untruths, Gush Shalom cites: 1. Sharon: The Road Map demands that the Palestinians eliminate terrorism, and that only afterwards Israel is requested to fulfil its obligations. The truth: The Road Map demands that Israel starts to fulfil its obligations at once, simultaneous with and independent of the steps to be taken by the Palestinians. 2. The Road Map demands from Israel to remove "unlicensed outposts". The truth: The Road Map demand from Israel to remove ALL settlements set up after January 2001. 3. Sharon: The Road Map allows Israel to build inside the "built-up area" of the settlements. The truth: The Road Map forbids any building activity in the settlements. The "built up areas" of the settlements have been planned in advance in such a way that tens of thousands of new houses can be built there. 4. Sharon: Lately we have made life much easier for the Palestinians. The truth: While life was intolerable even before, it has become much worse lately. Almost no checkpoint has been removed, free movement is impossible, and, worst of all, the "separation fence" has cut off hundred thousands of Palestinians from their sources of livelihood as well as from their schools, hospitals, universities and even cemeteries. 5. Sharon: The "separation fence" is necessary for security. The truth: The present path of the barrier is not separating Israelis from Palestinians, but Palestinians from Palestinians, in order to imprison them in more than a dozen isolated enclaves. 6. Sharon: A "contiguous" Palestinian state will be set up. The truth: Between the enclaves that Sharon is creating by the "separation fence" and other means, there is no real contiguity. Sharon promises to connect the enclaves by artificial means like bridges, roads and tunnels that can be cut off by the army at any moment. The removal of some outlying settlements is demanded by the army, which does not have enough forces to defend them. Sharon uses the promise of their removal as an alibi for annexing practically all of "Area C", which comprises more than half of the West Bank. [Gush Shalom ad in Ha'aretz tomorrow, Dec. 19, Hebrew follows English] DON'T LISTEN TO SHARON'S WORDS - LOOK AT HIS HANDS! Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org N.B. The e-mail for sending support messages to the COs on court martial is snehab3@yahoo.com - and not as published earlier. If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Wed Dec 24 03:18:22 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] "The worst of criminals" Message-ID: <3FE9057E.20056.2F2CE44@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org #"Conscientious Objectors - the worst of criminals" report of the court session of Dec. 23 by Adam Keller # 13 elite refusers - and it spreads... # Akiva Eldar in Ha'aretz Dec.23, 2003: Gush Shalom finds: 52 factories exited the Occupied Territories \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// #"Conscientious Objectors - the worst of criminals" report of the court session of Dec. 23 by Adam Keller This should have been The Day - the culmination of more than a year of legal struggle, the day when the Jaffa Military Court would finally hand down its judgment on Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Noam Bahat, Adam Ma'or and Shimri Tzameret. More than an hour before the time fixed by the court, hundreds of demonstrators turned up, holding signs: "We are all Refusers!" - "Refusing to Serve the Occupation!" - "Conscience in Prison -Stupidity in Power!" The news spreads that today admittance to the court is restricted to family members and journalists only - apparently in order to prevent repetition of last week's spontaneous rally inside the military court enclosure. But Anat Matar, mother of Haggai, negotiates with the court administration and succeeds in getting enough of us inside. When the Five filed in, they did get the hero's welcome which has become customary. Captain Yaron Kostelitz, the prosecutor, was visibly heartened by the court excepting his arguments last week: "Your honors did well in finding these five guilty, but your verdict must be completed by handing down a suitably harsh punishment. What we have here are ideological criminals, and former Supreme Court Judge Yitzhak Zamir already noted that these are the worst of criminals, since they not only break the law, but flout its authority, and therefore should be doubly punished. The very fact that they are idealistic people and in many ways positive characters should be counted against them, since it helps them find followers and spread their law-breaking further into the society." Kostelitz did not explicitly refer to last week's poll, showing that 30% of Israeli youths regard refusal as legitimate. He went on quoting many precedents on the issue of ideologically-motivated crime - most of them cases of settlers and extreme right fanatics such as he notorious Avigdor Eskin. "I object to this terminology of 'ideological crime' which my colleague of the prosecution introduces", said defence lawyer Dov Chenin. "It lumps together various criminal offenses which have no similarity whatsoever. Avigdor Eskin of whom my colleague spoke was convicted in several grave charges of assault and arson; there is nothing similar between him and the five standing trial today, who did not commit any violent act and indeed the act of which they have been convicted last week was their refusal to be in any way party to violence." Meanwhile, Kostelitz makes clear what the military system has in store for the Five: "These persistent lawbreakers must be made to render the military service which they owe to their country. It doesn't matter how long it will take: in the end they will be made to do it. If a heavier punishment and the fear of a still heavier one is the only way, then this way must be taken. It happened before. There were refusers as defiant as these ones, and the military courts knew what to do with them. Take Gadi Elgazi in 1980: he refused four times and was sentenced to a month each time; and when he persisted the military court gave him a whole year." "And that didn't help either!" sounded the voice of Gadi Elgazi in person, from among the public benches.... "Let me complete the story of Gadi Elgazi" said Adv. Chenin. "He was indeed sentenced to a year in prison. But after half a year he was pardoned and discharged from the army by the Chief-of-Staff of that time, Rafael Eitan. There was no question of demanding again and again that he enlist, as it seems the military system proposes to do now. I can only wonder at it that they want to go far beyond the policies of Eitan, who had the name of being a strict disciplinarian. 'What they don't do out of love, they will be made to do out of fear' - this new guideline of the military as expressed by the prosecutor in this courtroom, is not really new. Our people have heard it in past generations from such institutions as the Spanish Inquisition. In this very week we celebrate Hanukka, a holiday instituted to commemorate a provincial priest named Mattityahu who was faced with exactly such a guideline by the constituted authority of his time, an authority which demanded that he bow to an idol and threatened him with death for his refusal. It is part of our tradition to proudly remember his refusal and rebellion. "Such a guideline" continued Chenin, "has no place in a democratic state, a state which adopted a Basic Law on Human Dignity. My colleague has made extensive quotations of former Supreme Court Judge Yitzhak Zamir and of jurist Ruth Gavison. He submitted many articles by them as corroborating evidence to this court. Let me quote from one of these articles: 'A democratic state may find it necessary to punish a conscientious objector, but it should not try to break his will and force him into acts which are against his conscience.' In your verdict of last week your honors have stated that these five young people have acted out of moral and ideological abhorrence of being part part of an army which they consider to be perpetrating manifestly immoral acts. True, you have added that they also acted out of a wish to change public opinion in general, which you consider an illegitimate motive, but you did accept that the moral motivation was and is there. Let me say, that in the course of the past year i have come to know these young people quite well, and not only are they my clients but I am proud to consider them my friends. i can say quite confidently that they are not going to break, also by the imposition of further imprisonment. It will be no use to them, to the army or to the Israeli society. Much better to give them a chance to do three years of civilian service to the benefit of society as they are willing and eager to do. "My colleague of the prosecution said that a severe punishment must be imposed to deter other refusers. Leaving aside that a commission of very respectable jurists determined recently that it is inadmissible to impose a harsh punishment on a person not on the basis of his own acts but in order to deter others. Anyway, what deterrence is needed? Is what these young people already endured, more than a year of repeated imprisonment and detention, not enough to make crystal clear that the straightforward declaration of refusal on grounds of conscience is the most difficult, prolonged and painful way of getting out of the army? Is it not well-known that different avenues exist for getting exemption, such as appealing to a psychiatrist, and that the people who take these routes far outnumber the actual and potential refusers? "To sum up: You have determined that these young people are guilty of an offence under the military legal court, and deserve a punishment. In determining what the punishment should be you should be guided by the practice of your fellow judges in the military courts of the Israeli Defence Forces. I have gathered here for your attention several cases which I think are relevant. --Sergeant Yosef Bachar has been found guilty on three separate counts of beating up Palestinian detainees, and got three months of actual imprisonment and four suspended. --Soldier Saguy Harpaz wa found guilty of beating up a Palestinian detainee and got five months suspended. On appeal. one and half months of these were turned into actual imprisonment. --A Lieutenant Colonel publication of whose name was forbidden by censorship gave his soldiers orders, the fulfillment of which led to an unarmed Palestinian being shot to death. The military court which judged him stated that 'he had given an order whose illegality cries out'. They found that the fitting punishment was one month suspended. --Four soldiers of the Givati Brigade have repeatedly beaten up two handcuffed Palestinian children of whom one died later. Some of them got three months and some two months, plus demotion. --Four soldiers of the elite Duvdevan unit shot carelessly at a Palestinian car, killing its driver. They got a fine of one Agora [less than a US Cent]. On appeal this was changed to short terms of suspended imprisonment. "I could go on and give more examples. I can also mention that these represent the few cases of which the perpetrators were at all apprehended and punished. But it is enough to show the standards which the military judicial system applies with regard to offences committed out of moral callousness. I think it is self-evident that moral callousness is a worse phenomenon than moral sensitivity, which was the motivation recognized by this court for the act of which my clients are convicted. It would be only right and proper that their punishment be lesser." It was already long into the evening when the Presiding Judge Colonel Avi Levy made his dry announcement: "You understand of course that a judgment cannot be expected tonight. We need quite a bit of time to take all this into consideration." And so, we have still another act before the curtain falls, and the Five must wait several tense days more before they know their fate. [A phonecall to somebody's mobile told of a solidarity vigil, held for the second consecutive week outside the Israeli Embassy in Rome.] *** # 13 elite refusers - and it spreads... Also this day, the papers carried headlines about the letter of the 13 elite commandos of Sayeret Matkal - the same unit which conducted the legendary hostage-freeing operation of Entebbe 1976 - who now declared their refusal to serve in the Occupied Territories. It was reported that the discontent has spread also to the equally elite Naval & Air Force Commandos, and includes no less than seven Israeli Navy Gunship Captains [Itay Asher, Ma'ariv p. 18 and 19]. See also: http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/374364.html *** # Akiva Eldar in Ha'aretz Dec.23, 2003: Gush Shalom finds: 52 factories exited the Occupied Territories Factories exit Soldiers who are not responsible for one of the dozens of roadblocks stand guard, among other things, over the industrial zones scattered throughout the territories. The compromise reached recently with the European Union , which requires Israel to include the place of origin of every product on its label, outraged the settlers and their patrons. Based on the amount of noise they have made, one might have thought that the West Bank compete s with Silicon Valley. But an operation mounted by the Gush Shalom ("Peace Bloc") organization raises the suspicion that at some of the industrial parks in the territories, only non production personnel - from CEOs to cleaning ladies - remain. The factories that operated there have left. To update its boycott list, Gush Shalom's Boycott Committee sent letters at the end of November to the managers of 120 industrial plants whose products it is urging the Israeli public not to buy. The letter noted that man y factories have apparently left the settlements and returned to Israel, and that the number of departures can be expected to grow in the wake of the agreement with the EU regarding the labeling of Israeli exports. Manage rs whose plants had returned to Israel were therefore requested to give Gush Shalom their new addresses so that they could be removed from the boycott list. Gush Shalom's mailbox was too small to hold the flood of returned mail. The post office sent back no fewer than 52 letters stamped "moved" or "address unknown." Most came from the industrial parks in Mishor Adumim (18 let ters), Barkan (11), Atarot (5) and Ariel (3). A few letters were also returned from industrial parks in Karnei Shomron, Ma'aleh Efraim and Kiryat Arba. Telephone calls to some companies were answered by security guards. G ush Shalom discovered that some businesses maintain two addresses. One enables them to obtain customs breaks in Europe, and the other allows them to obtain tax breaks in Israel. "The fact that more than one-third of the factories in the territories have quietly packed their bags and returned to Israel gives us great satisfaction," says Gush Shalom's Uri Avnery. "Israeli governments - both Likud a nd Labor - invested enormous efforts in enticing factories to the settlements, and their efforts have failed." Avnery sees the failure of the occupation industry as proof that it is impossible to conduct serious economic activity in a region of violent conflict. The veteran peace warrior believes that this failure, like the closure of the European market to products from the settlements, will hasten the inevitable evacuation of the settle ments. //Full article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/374866.html *** -- If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Thu Dec 25 00:24:03 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:07 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] Demolitions started at Akaba - Protest may still make a difference Message-ID: <3FEA2E23.8783.779BFEB@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org ###################### Demolitions started at Akaba Your protest can still make a difference ############################## International alert "The soldiers have arrived, they are destroying houses!". It was Haj Sami Sadek from from the tiny Palestinian village of Akaba, sourth-east of Jenin. This is the same village about which we sent an alarm, October 23, when the demolition of 12 houses seemed imminent. With your help we succeeded then to arouse a wave of protest letters, and win time. But the authorities thought that meanwhile everybody may have forgotten about Akaba. Yesterday, two houses were demolished "because they had been built without a permit". As we wrote before, the inhabitants of Akaba would have gladly build legally on their lands - but since 1976 the Israeli authorities refused to issue any building permits there. Two families - altogether four adults and twelve children - are left homeless in the middle of winter, in a cold mountain region. And the army official in charge anounced upon his departure that they would be back "in five days" in order to demolish ten more houses, including Akabah's mosque and kindergarten. Why this sudden interest in Akaba village? During these months the army revived old demolition orders which had lain dormant for years and issued new ones. Also they started conducting searches and intimidating patrols, in one of which armed soldiers entered the kindergarten and greatly frightened the children there. There seems no obvious reason. No violent activity of any kind occured in Akaba in the entire 36 years of Israeli rule. However, some unofficial maps of Sharon's Separation Fence show the village of Akaba to be straight in its route... Whatever the reason for the threat to Akaba's houses, the threat is direct and immediate. For a community of some 250 , altoghether living in 18 houses plus some shacks and tents, the destruction of twelve of the houses will be a mortal blow. Efforts are presently made to save what can be saved and otbtain a judicial injunction preventing further demolitions. This is the context which can make your renewed protest meaningful. addresses: To: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Spokesperson of the Prime Minister Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Spokesperson Defense Ministry Foreign Minister Silwan Shalom and/or via the Israeli embassy in your environment; addresses of Israeli embassies at http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/israel1.htm with copies to: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan , US President George W. Bush "Secretary of State, Colin Powell" , Mr. Terje Rod Larsen , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights European Union , If possible send in addition a fax or hardcopy letter to: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187 Jerusalem 91919, Israel Fax: +972 2 6705475 Please, send copies to: Haj Sami Sadek, Mayor of Akaba Phone/Fax 972-09-2572201 phone 972-55-795286 / 972-59-208512 Israeli Committee Against House Demolition: icahd@zahav.net.il Gush Shalom: info@gush-shalom.org And - last but not least: phone to the Commander, Civil Administration +972-(0)2-9977341 You can use the following sample letter or compose your own. Dear Sir I am deeply shocked at the demolition by the Israeli army of two houses in the occupied village of Akaba southeast of Jenin, on December 23, and even more so by the threat to destroy another ten houses. This village has never caused a security problem. The IDF apparently wants to destroy the whole village (the entire village contains no more that 18 houses) with demolition orders even for the mosque and the kindergarten. In the much-publicized prime minsterial speech at Herzlia, a plegae was made that Israel would abide by its obligations under the Roadmap for Peace. The destruction of a village days after such a speech would cast grave doubts, to say the least, on whatever international credibility the government of Israeli still has. I call upon you to act immediately to prevent any further demolitions and to grant the people of Akaba permits to build houses for themselves on their own land. [your name and address] -- Read about factories exit from the occupied territories in 2nd part of following article http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/374866.html (Akiva Eldar in Ha'aretz Dec.23 2003) -- If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Fri Dec 26 16:04:36 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:08 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] * Army shoots with live bullets at Israeli peace activists Message-ID: <3FEC5C14.23526.9811AF@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org In a macabre synchronization yesterday the new (not-new) cycle of bloodshed has started. We condemn hereby the suicide-belt exploded amidst a bus station and the preceding assassination missiles shot at a Gaza car in the middle of the traffic. The immoral and senseless killing machine tries to silence peace initiatives. The following is an effort not to be silenced. [1] Army shoots with live bullets at Israeli peace activists Joint Israeli-Palestinian action of breaking through the fence at Masha [2] Gush ad re refusal reaching the heart of the army \\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\// [1] Army shoots with live bullets at Israeli peace activists Joint Israeli-Palestinian action of breaking through the fence at Masha ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 18:11:53 -0800 (PST) From: uri ayalon [After we got the following message we just heard by phone that one of the anarchists lost consciousness after being shot with a live bullet in his leg - and was taken by an ambulance. Everything was photographed by both still - and video camera - see addresses in the end.] No to the ghetto that's being built by Jews! No to walls between people! Stop the occupation! Israeli, Palestinians and international activists Bringing down the apartheid wall in mash'a In this moment, friday afternoon {seventh candle of hanuka} dozens of activists are tearing apart and breaking down the gate of the apartheid wall which is also known as the "separation fence", to enable a free passage for the people of mas'ha to their lanDs. The activists, equiped with tools, are breaking the gate that has remained closed since the wall was built two monthes ago. The farmers, whose land is on the other side of the fence were told that they would be able to cross through the gate to work their lands. That promise turned out to be a methodical, crude and cruel lie. All throughout the suffocating wall the gates are remaining blocked and the Palestinian residents remain with no access to their only source of income. The army is present - at the Mas'ha village gates which are located next to Elkana settlement - and yet, its not clear how will the confrontation between the army and the activists will end. The activists are calling for a joined active resistance of Israelis and Palestinians toward the ghettoizing policy that the Israeli government is issuing. The action is being held as a part of The Alternative Protest Camp Against The Apartheid Wall that started a week ago in Deir Balut. The camp is hosting Israelis and Palestinians, and located on the path of the Apartheid Wall, on the land of the village's elementary school. (The building of the school was stopped due to the land being confiscated for the building of the wall.) We invite the media that follows Ariel Sharon's promises, for the so called evacuation of he settlements, to come and see for them selfs the land confiscating and settlement expansion operation that is operating this days. Deir Balut protest camp and other protest actions that take place and that will take place in the future will set a live and kicking alternative to the occupying, stealing and confiscating actions that the Sharon government and the Israeli army are responsible for. For more details and for pictures and video footage from the action: Liad:067-724519 Jonathan:066-327736 Franceska:064-494030 ANARCHISTS AGAINST THE WALL [2] Gush ad re refusal reaching the heart of the army Gush Shalom ad published in Ha'aretz, December 26, 2003 THE HEART OF THE ARMY "As long as the occupation continues, the number of conscientious objectors" will grow," said last week Adam Ma'or, 19, one of the five objectors now being tried by the military court in Jaffa. A few days later, the fighters of the elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal, refused to serve the occupation, as did before them the 27 combat pilots of the Air Force. Conscientious refusal is not any more a marginal occurrence. It has reached the very heart of the Israeli army. Gush Shalom, Help us with donations to P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, Phone 972-3-5221732. www.gush-shalom.org Requests for information about current actions: info@gush-shalom.org -- If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (?????/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From otherisr at actcom.co.il Sat Dec 27 01:42:48 2003 From: otherisr at actcom.co.il (otherisr@actcom.co.il) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:08 2004 Subject: Protest at Defense Ministry T.A, Sat. 19.00 - re shooting of peace activists Message-ID: <3FECE398.16626.2A9855E@localhost> הפגנה מחר, מוצאי-שבת, ה- 27.12.03 ב- 19:00 מול משרד הביטחון ברחוב קפלן בתל-אביב, בעקבות פציעת פעיל ישראלי ביום שישי מירי חיילי צה"ל. זה לא ביטחון זה זלזול בחיי אדם די לפגיעה באזרחים Defense Ministry Kaplan St. Tel-Aviv, Shabbat evening, Dec. 27 at 7pm (19.00) This is Not Security! This is Disregard for Human Life! Stop Hurting Civilians! --- היו כמה וכמה יוזמות ספונטניות להפגין ולמחות, מיד כאשר נודע מה קרה במסחה. בהתיעצות הטלפונית הרחבה ביותר האפשרית, ועל דעת היוזמים המקוריים של ההפגנה במסחה, הוסכם שהמשמרת תהיה ב7.00- ולא בשעה מוקדמת יותר כפי שנאמר בחלק מן היוזמות. This is nobody's specific initiative, but the result of many comparable spontaneous reactions, as were the initiatives to phone to the hospital where Gil is being treated and to the Ariel Police where Yonathan is still being held (the police want to remand him in custody; adv. Gabi Laski fights to get him released). After a host of phone calls with Yonathan's parents, Liad, Shelley we call upon you to come to the Defense Ministry in Tel-Aviv, Shabbat evening at 7pm (19.00) and not earlier (as appeared in one of the initiatives). For confirmation: Shelley 054-547989 Liad 067-724519 Pollack family: 03-5161041 / 054-507522 Uri Ayalon: 03-6296945 Adam Keller: 03-5565804 / 056-709603 *** The shooting of peace activists with live bullets during an anti-Wall protest caused many people to take initiatives. Here follow some texts which were proposed, and between we cannot choose. בחודשים האחרונים אין כמעט יום בלי הרוגים פלסטינים, עשרות בכל חודש, לא מעטים מהם חפים מפשע, גם בתקופה שאין פיגועים. מה שנחשב בישראל כ- "3 חדשי שקט", לא היה כך בכלל עבור הפלסטינים בשטחים; ומעגל הדמים הגיע בסופו של דבר גם אלינו בפיגוע בו נהרגו 4 ישראלים. היום, יום שישי, כתגובה לפעילות מחאה נגד החומה, ירו חיילי צה"ל ירי מכוון אל פעיל ישראלי, פצעו אותו קשה, ופצעו קל מפגינה נוספת. בצה"ל מאמינים שמותר לירות ירי חי על קבוצת אנשים בלתי-חמושים שעוסקים בפעילות מחאה, אם הזהירו אותם מראש או אם מי מהם חובש דבר זה או אחר לראשו! שר הביטחון, המפקדים הבכירים, והמפקדים בשטח מעודדים את ידם הקלה של החיילים על ההדק בכך שאינם חוקרים, אינם מעמידים לדין באופן מיידי ואינם מטילים עונשים משמעותיים על חיילים שהורגים פלסטינים במצבים בהם לא נשקפת סכנה לחיי החיילים. יותר מכך, הוראות-הפתיחה-באש עצמן מעודדות זלזול בחיי אדם! אנו קוראים להפסיק את הפגיעה באזרחים, לחקור, להעמיד לדין ולהעניש בכל חומרת הדין את האחראים לפגיעות כאלה. This is Not Security! This is Disregard for Human Life! Stop Hurting Civilians! A demonstration tomorrow, Saturday 27.12.03, 19:00/18:00 (?), in front of the army's headquarters, Hakirya, Tel-Aviv, following the ijury of an Israeli activist on Friday, by Israeli soldiers' shooting. In the last few months Palestinians were killed almost every day, dozens every month, a lot of them were innocent. And this in times when there were no suicide-bombings. What was refered to in Israel as "Three quiet months" was not at all like that for the Palestinians in the OT. The vicious cycle of bloodshed eventually reached us, in a suicide bombing in which 4 Israelis were killed. Today, Friday 26.12.03, in response to a protest action against the wall, Israeli soldiers intentionally shot an Israeli activist, causing him serious injury and lightly injuring another demonstrator. The Israeli army believes that it's OK to shoot live bullets at a group of unarmed people, engaging in protest activity, if they were pre-warned or if one of them has some kind of head-cover. The defence minister, the high command and the commanders in the field encourage the light hand of soldiers on the trigger by refraining from investigating, immediately pressing charges, and severely punishing soldiers that kill Palestinians in cases were the soldiers are in no danger of being hurt. Furthermore, the instructions for opening fire themselves foster a disregard for human life! We demand to stop hurting civilians, to investigate, press charges against and severely punish those responsible for such acts. --- As we deal with the shock of two peace activists being shot by the Israeli army while protesting the Apartheid Wall, as we mourn the many thousands of victims of the earthquake in Iran, of the gas explosion in China and of the flight in Benin, as we watch the funerals of the four young Israelis who died in Thursday's suicide bombing and witness the destruction of the family home of the (also young) Palestinian bomber - >From his hospital bed, one of the wounded from the Thursday bombing had this to say about how to end the cycle of violence: "We must seek every road towards peace. Perhaps if we get out of their territories, there will be a chance for peace." thanks for the posting - lots of calls getting through and interest in the wounded. Rayna (more from Rayna was sent later) One of the people who called the Ariel police and then called me to say that he did, was Aharon Hirsch, 80 years old, who together with his wife Re'uma participate in the Tel Ha'shomer project. (...) When he spoke with the Ariel police, they asked him who he was and he said "I am a citizen of 40 years, a bereaved father who lost a son to war and I'm calling to tell you that shooting at these activists is a disrespect to my son's memory and to me and my wife." הודעה לעיתונות היום נחצו מספר קוים אדומים ביחסו של צה"ל לפעילי שלום . ומתוך דאגה לדמוקרטיה הישראלית, אשר מאבדת את מצפונה …. אנו דורשים מאלוף פיקוד המרכז והרמטכ"ל לתת את הדין ולהמציא הסבר מפורט לתקרית החמורה , אשר ארעה היום בצהרים בכפר מסחה, בתוך 48 שעות. לא נעבור בשתיקה על פגיעה בגופם ובחופש פעולתם של מפגינים ופעילים. המשך הכיבוש משפיע באופן ישיר על האופי הדמוקרטי של ערכי המדינה, המוסר וחופש הבעת הדעה . הארגונים החברתיים חיילים/קצינים סרבנים שחר. ה. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Dec 28 01:14:05 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:08 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] The day after the shooting of peace activists Message-ID: <3FEE2E5D.73.22D68F4@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org = == = == = == = == = The day after the shooting of peace activists A lot of fury - a lot of attention = == = == = == = == = International release Tel-Aviv, December 27, 2003 We just come back from a fiery demonstration - in protest of yesterday's shooting at peace activists. Especially, the story of the seriously-wounded Gil Na'amati continues to make headlines. The 22 -year old kibbutznik had to be raced to hospital after he lost consciousness because of his heavy bleeding. Both his legs were operated to remove bullets; in one leg the knee was involved. The non-violent though militant protest at the Separation Fence was his first demonstration after he only two weeks ago finished his three years of military service. (His father told on TV that Gil had become so rebellious exactly because of what he had seen and had to participate in at the roadblocks in the West Bank.) This Saturday evening hundreds of furious, many of them young, demonstrators blocked for hours the road in front of Tel-Aviv's Defence Ministry. Among them were also our veterans such as Uri Avnery and Teddy Katz, as well as Oren Medicks and Nimrod Kerrett who both became very involved in the anti-Wall protest and the Masha camp. The police came with a far too small force and succeeded to arrest eleven - among them David Tartakover, graphic artist and laureate of the prestigious Israel Prize. The others just continued their sit-in on the road. While blocking the road slogans were chanted "We won't kill nor be killed for the settlements" (some chanted "for Zionism" which in Hebrew also produces an acceptable rhyme and rhythm) and fitting placards were held up. Anarchists Against The Wall: "When they shot at Palestinians we were silent!"; the anti-militaristic Profile Hadash "Purity of arms - a contradiction in terms!"; from the Gush Shalom store: "The Evil Wall Must Fall!" The gay peace group Kvisa Schora was represented, but what especially attracted media attention was the presence of Knesset Member and Meretz Leader Ran Cohen. When out of nowhere suddenly the prominent anarchist activist Yonathan Pollack appeared (straight from the Ariel Police Station where he had been held since yesterday) it was decided to end the demonstration and march collectively to the Tel-Aviv (Yarkon) Police Station and demand there the release of the detained activists. The police station was sort of besieged, and through the mediation of lawyer Yoni Lerman and Leah Tzemel it was agreed to lift the siege in return for the release of all activists. Read further the reports in Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post and for the Hebrew readers, Y-net and Ma'ariv (English) http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/376391.html (Hebrew) http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/376445.html (English) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFul l&cid=1072509699711&p=1008596981749 (Hebrew) http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2850186,00.html (Hebrew) http://images.maariv.co.il/channels/1/ART/616/290.html -- If you want to be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986), write to: -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only. From info at gush-shalom.org Sun Dec 28 19:03:07 2003 From: info at gush-shalom.org (Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)) Date: Mon Nov 22 03:53:08 2004 Subject: [GushShalom] About ignorance and the moral dimension - 2 articles Message-ID: <3FEF28EB.22333.63EFE2@localhost> GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org [] Gideon Levy in today's Haaretz: The price of ignorance "There is an Israeli price to the many concealed Palestinian dead." [] "It is the refusers who have introduced a moral dimension into the public discourse" - Uri Avnery in his weekly column [Just heard that the sentence of the five Ocupation Objectors is expected Sunday and that pacifist Yoni Ben-Artzi's sentence is once more postponed; meanwhile Meretz KLM Yosi Sarid says right now on TV to expect thousands of new refusers now that the too easy firing orders no longer only refer to Palestinians but also to leftists...] [] Gideon Levy in today's Haaretz: The price of ignorance English http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/376717.html Hebrew / עברית http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=376556&cont rassID=2&subContrassID=3&sbSubContrassID=0 The price of ignorance By Gideon Levy Haaretz, Dec. 28 2003 The suicide bomber at the Geha Junction, Shehad Hanani, was from Beit Furik, one of the most imprisoned villages in the territories that is surrounded by earth roadblocks on all sides. It's a place where women in labor and the sick have to risk walking through fields to get to the hospital in adjacent Nablus. At least one woman in labor, Rula Ashatiya, gave birth at the Beit Furik checkpoint and lost her infant. Few Israelis are capable of imagining what life is like in Beit Furik: the almost universal unemployment, poverty, endless siege and humiliations of life inside a prison. A young man like Hanani, who was 21, had no reason to get up in the morning other than to face another day of joblessness and humiliation. However, Israelis have little interest in knowing the lay of the land from which terror springs. The Israeli media have next to nothing to say about life in Beit Furik. By the same token, few Israelis heard about the killing of the suicide bomber's relative, Fadi Hanani, 10 days ago in Nablus, just as they hadn't heard about all the killings of Palestinians in the past few months. Life in Beit Furik and the killing in Nablus do not justify a suicide bombing at a bus station, but whoever wants to fight terror must first and foremost improve life in Beit Furik. Israel counted "81 days of quiet" without terrorist attacks. But there is no greater lie than this. The quiet was only here. During this "quiet," dozens of Palestinians were killed, and almost no one bothered to report it. That is how it becomes possible to speak of quiet and then claim that the Palestinians disturbed it. The fact that the media does not speak of Palestinian deaths does not mean that they did not happen. The eight Palestinians who were killed last week in one day at Rafah, for example, killing along the lines of a medium-sized terror attack, together with destruction that is to an extent unknown in Israel, weren't enough to generate any interest here last week. They barely got a mention. The international community dealt prominently with this frightening killing, and the United Nations secretary-general issued a special statement condemning them. There was only one place where the entire event was ignored - the country whose soldiers perpetrated the killing. The images of giant bulldozers and tanks demolishing more and more houses, and the scenes of the dead and 42 wounded, among them women and children, being taken to hospitals in Rafah were hardly shown in Israel. The mass-circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth, for example, mentioned the killing in Rafah in a sub-headline to a very small item on an inside page that dealt with the minor injuries sustained by a settler couple in the Gaza Strip settlement of Nisanit as a result of a Qassam rocket. This is how the national agenda is determined. Such disgraceful coverage of such a lethal operation by the IDF might evoke other regimes, in which the public is shown only what the authorities want it to see. This has nothing to do with media critique; it's about our image. A society that disregards loss of human life, caused by its own soldiers, is a tainted society. A society that conceals from its citizens vital information of this kind is undercutting their sense of judgment. The situation is further compounded when one examines the attitude of the Israeli society toward its victims: there aren't many societies that immerse themselves in bereavement so intensely. What we have, then, is a dual morality: we count only our own dead, all the rest don't exist. Concealing information has another ramification: if we don't know, there is no one to ask why. The eight Palestinians were killed in Rafah during the destruction of the tunnels without the question being asked as to whether this mission was justified at any means, at any price. This is a deliberate aim. It permits presenting the Palestinians as the only guilty party, and it falls on fertile ground. The majority of the public doesn't want to know what the IDF is really doing in the occupied territories. But the media, therefore, are in serious breach of their duty. Both those who support the occupation and those who are against it are entitled to get complete information about the price it exacts. The presentation of killing as such a marginal matter also sends a dangerous message to Israeli soldiers: there is nothing terrible about killing more and more Palestinians On Thursday, 15 passersby were wounded in the targeted killing of Islamic Jihad activist Makled Hamid in Gaza. Last week, three children, one of them five years old, were killed in Balata refugee camp, near Nablus. The week before, three children were killed on one Saturday in Jenin and in nearby Burkin. Two Palestinians were killed recently along the fence in Gaza, trying to enter Israel to find work. Six Palestinians were killed in Rafah in the previous tunnel operation in the middle of the month. Increasing numbers of children were shot to death near the Qalandiyah refugee camp. All of these cases rated barely a mention in the media. But behind each Palestinian victim is family and friends, and hatred springs up from their graves. Ibrahim Abd el Kadr, from Qalandiyah, who a few months ago lost his eldest son, Fares, when the fourteen-and-a-half-year-old was shot in the head by soldiers, swore to take revenge. Is it so difficult to understand him? There is, therefore, an Israeli price to the many concealed Palestinian dead. They are incentives to terrorism. Their exclusion from our agenda cannot make the results of their killing disappear as well. Would Hanani have carried out his killing operation at Geha Junction if he had grown up in humane conditions and if his relative had not been assassinated? That question should be very disturbing to us. In the meantime, though, it's not even on the agenda. [] "It is the refusers who have introduced a moral dimension into the public discourse" - Uri Avnery in his weekly column Uri Avnery 27.12.03 עברית על פי בקשה או בקרוב באתר The Categorical Imperative Some years ago, when the jury for the annual Israel Prize announced its award to Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz, I decided to invite him to give a lecture to the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, the group that established the first contacts with the PLO. "I am ready to come," he said, "on one condition: I shall speak only about the duty to refuse to serve in the occupied territories." For him, that was the alpha and omega of the fight against the occupation. I told him that he was free to speak about whatever he saw fit, even if I myself did not quite share his view. (The lecture, by the way, had an unexpected result. In his usual provocative style, Leibowitz compared the Special Units of the Israeli army to the Nazi SS. His words were published, aroused a storm of protest and the prize jury wanted to cancel the award, whereupon Leibowitz himself announced that he refused it.) Since then I had an ongoing debate with myself about this hard and painful subject. I am not a pacifist, in the sense of totally refusing to bear arms. My heart is certainly with Yonathan Ben-Artzi, who is standing trial now because of his uncompromising pacifistic stand. He is a wonderful and admirable youngster. But as a member of a generation that experienced the war with the Nazis, I cannot accept the principle that every war is evil. Once the Nazis had taken hold of Germany and started to carry out their aggressive designs, there was no way of stopping them other then by force of arms. As long as there is no world order and no world government, no world legislature or world police (all of which I hope will be in place by the end of the 21st century), no country can do without with a defense force. And as long as there is no world government that enables every people striving for liberty to attain its goal by peaceful means, freedom-fighters will need to use arms. But Leibowitz was no pacifist. He did not advocate a general refusal to bear arms, but the refusal to serve the occupation. He believed in the moral value of this refusal, in the duty of every moral person to draw a line between himself and an unjust regime and to declare that he will not lend his hand to a policy that is inhuman, immoral and illegal by its very nature. He also believed that the personal example of the objectors was bound to influence the general public. This approach is beset, of course, with several pitfalls, which made me hesitate. First, it undermines the democratic order. The army is supposed to serve the legal government that was elected by the citizens. If you refuse to follow the orders of the legal government, you shake the very foundations of democracy. Second, you legitimise the same actions by your opponents. According to the "categorical imperative" of Immanuel Kant, you have to behave "as if the principle by which you act were about to be turned into a universal law of nature". If A has the right to refuse to serve the occupation, B has the right to refuse to remove settlements. Third, you corrupt the army. If all moral people leave the army, it will remain in the hands of the immoral ones. The checkpoints will be manned exclusively by Arab-haters, operations will be executed by sadists. But if the decent people remain in the army, they can influence its spirit, preventing by their very presence injustices and atrocities, or, at least, bringing them to light. I have always had a lot of respect for conscientious objectors. I know how much courage is needed for a young person (and an old one, too) to withstand the social pressure of family, comrades and neighbors and to bear the consequences. I am impressed much more by such moral fortitude than by physical heroism in battle, when you know that all the people are behind you. (And I speak as one who has served in a so-called "elite unit".) Therefore I have always supported an individual's right to refuse. But I myself was not ready to call upon young people to follow this line. My position was that persons must decide for themselves where they will best serve the fight against the occupation - inside or outside the army. But I feel that my position is changing. First of all, many soldiers have convinced me that it is almost impossible to withstand the pressure inside the army. The brainwashing is intense and unrelenting; those in the higher ranks are more and more like robots with blunted senses, the products of the occupation; not to mention the members of the religious academies connected with the army, Arab-haters and settlers with "knitted kippas" (associated with the extreme right-wing national-religious party.) Second, the occupation itself has become a monster that nobody can serve without losing his humanity. When the members of the "cream of the Israeli army", the Sayeret Matkal (General Staff commandos) say so and refuse to go on, their testimony is persuasive. When the Airforce combat pilots revolt against their commander, who has said that he "feels nothing but a slight bump" when he releases a bomb that kills women and children, respect is due to them. When five 19-year old youngsters choose to go to prison rather than enjoy the freedom of the occupiers, Kant himself would have saluted them. The protest against an immoral regime is a categorical imperative. Does this refusal prepare the ground for the refusal of right-wing soldiers? There is, of course, no symmetry between freedom-lovers, who refuse to take part in an ongoing injustice, and the settlers, who are themselves part of the injustice. But if one recognizes the right to refuse for reasons of conscience, one must apply Kant's principle to them, too. If there ever is an evacuation of the settlements, the right of a soldier to refuse to take part for reasons of conscience must be assured. Is this a blow against democracy? Most certainly. But this is a blow for the good. Israeli democracy is being whittled away with every day of occupation. We are witnessing an continuous decline: the government has become Sharon's kindergarten, the Knesset attracts general contempt, the Supreme Court has largely become an instrument of the occupation, the media are marching in step. It is the refusers who have introduced a moral dimension into the public discourse. The accumulation of refusals, with one act inspiring the next and one military unit influencing another, is bound to have a lasting effect on the general public. It is both an expression of change and a stimulus for change. But above all, the act of refusal shines like a beacon in the darkness. It drives out the despair that has infects every part of the collective body. It restores faith in the State of Israel and its younger generation. Of course, the objectors are few. They are a small minority of the people and the army. But the course of human history would have been quite different without such minorities - people who had the courage to march on when the chorus of conformists shouted: "Stop!" And not least: these people allow us to be proud again. A nation that has sons like these can have hope. -- For our member Dan Shohet's eyewitness account of the shooting of peace activist Gil Na'amati: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2310.shtml -- Buy Olive Oil From Palestinian Villagers from villages around Nablus 1 jerican (17 liter) = 320 NIS 1 liter = 20 NIS for details please contact: keren, 064-465650, mali_assaf@usa.net Gili, 054-506540, gili@lama-lo.co.il (not for overseas) -- To be among those from all over the world who prepare to welcome Mordechai Vanunu ("the nuclear whistleblower ") upon his release in April (imprisoned since 1986) - contact: freevanunu@mindspring.com; in Israel: Rayna Moss, 051-368236 -- http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (עברית/Hebrew) http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English) http://www.gush-shalom.org/arabic/index.html (selected articles in Arabic) with \\photos of recent actions \\the weekly Gush Shalom ad \\the columns of Uri Avnery \\Gush Shalom's history & action chronicle \\position papers & analysis (in "documents") \\and a lot more N.B.: On the Gush Shalom website links for Articles and documents in German, French and Spanish In order to receive Gush Shalom's Hebrew-language press releases mail to: gush-shalom-heb-request@mailman.gush-shalom.org + NB: write the word "subscribe" in the subject line. If you want to support Gush Shalom's activities you can send a cheque or cash, wrapped well in an extra piece of paper to: Gush Shalom pob 3322 Tel-Aviv 61033 Israel or ask us for charities in your country which receive donations on behalf of Gush Shalom Please, add your email address where to send our confirmation of receipt. More official receipts at request only.