[GushShalom] Responses to the Bush-Sharon peace + conscience update
Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)
info at gush-shalom.org
Thu Apr 15 20:18:17 IDT 2004
GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - www.gush-shalom.org/
comments on Bush speech
[1] How Sharon and Bush made peace between them - Gush statement
to appear in the weekend Ha'aretz (16.4)
[2] Too big a victory? - Dan Margalit in Ma'ariv
[3] Palestinian comments
prisoners of conscience update
[4] Vanunu, harsh restrictions after release next Week (Yediot)
[5] "It is my moral duty – not my choice, but my duty – to refuse"
Daniel Tzal - on the way to the military prison
[6] Justice may be blind to selective refusal - Yuval Yoaz Ha'aretz
Extensive report on Laura Milo's High Court case
\\// //\\ \\// //\\ \\//
[1] How Sharon and Bush made peace between them - Gush statement
to appear in the weekend Ha'aretz (16.4)
òáøéú áàúø / Hebrew on the website
www.gush-shalom.org
SHARON AND BUSH
MADE PEACE
BETWEEN THEM.
BUT ISRAEL
MUST MAKE
PEACE WITH
THE PALESTINIANS.
To help us place such ads please write a check to:
Gush Shalom P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033,
***
[2] Too big a victory? - translated from Dan Margalit in Ma'ariv
[we didn't find it on the internet Hebrew and English editions]
(...) As of this moment Sharon is the big victor. He got from the
Americans far more than the sceptics thought he would. Were the
Likud Party referendum held today he would reap the full benefit. But
nothing is definite yet. The Europeans will rise up against the
Americans. The Arab World will refuse to accept it. The crescendo of
Bush and Sharon is so deafening that Abu Ala will not be able to
endorse Sharon's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, as he intended to
do. If these developments will cause the renewal of Palestinian
terrorism with all its might - because the Bush declaration seems so
pro-Israeli that nobody in Ramallah and Gaza will dare to stand in the
way of the suicide bombers - Sharon's victory might turn out to be a
Phyrric one. Too big a success, at too heavy a price to the other side
carries within it the seeds of failure. But not yet, so far the celebrations
are going on.
To sum up: a great achievement for Sharon - with a lot of question
marks already for the near future.
***
[3] Palestinian comments
[The Bush-Sharon pact is especially a blow for the non-violence
Palestinians. With Hamas saying that this is the end of "illusions that
there can be a U.S.-sponsored political settlement" what can they
answer - now that Bush overstepped all limitations which there are to
peace-brokers?]
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "ghassan_andoni"
<rapprochement at palsolidarity.org>
Date sent: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 13:29:21 -0000
Subject: [rapprochement] Digest April 15
Bush: No Return of Refugees, No Return to pre 1967 Borders
I
MEMC & Agencies, April 15, 2004
The American President George W. Bush denied the Right of Return of
Palestinian Refugees to their land expelled from in 1948 and said no
Israeli pullout to the 1967 borders.
"In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major
Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of
final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the
armistice lines of 1949," Bush told reporters after the meeting the
joined him with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the White
House Wednesday. Bush said the Palestinian refugees would not
return to their lands, but to the future Palestinian State.
Bush's statements enraged the Palestinians who consider both, Right
of Return and the Independent Palestinian State on the West Bank
with the Borders of pre 1967 as red lines that can not be crossed.
The Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei rejected Bush's
statements and told reporters outside his office in Ramallah
Wednesday, "He [Bush] is the first president who has legitimized the
settlements in the Palestinian territories when he said that there will be
no return to the borders of 1967," he said. "We as Palestinians reject
that, we cannot accept that, we reject it and we refuse it."
Palestinian Minister for negotiations affairs Dr. Saeb Erekat also
dismissed Bush's statement. "This is like someone giving a part of
Texas' land to China," he said, adding that over the years, U.S.
administrations have assured the Palestinians that issues like borders
and settlements would be handled in negotiations between the two
sides.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a former minister of Information also slammed
Bush Statements said "Bush and Sharon are trying to protect each
others' political future but are endangering the political future of Israel,
the Palestinians and the whole region."
Further more, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan criticized Bush for
ignoring the Palestinians' wishes in recognizing Israel's claim to major
West Bank settlements. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, the
secretary-general reiterated his position that unresolved details of a
final Middle East peace deal "should be determined in negotiations
between the parties, based on relevant Security Council resolutions,"
"He strongly believes that they (Israelis and Palestinians) should refrain
from taking any steps that would prejudice or preempt the outcome of
such talks," Dujarric added.
Khaled Mashaal the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement
Hamas, said Bush's policy marked the end of "illusions that there can
be a U.S.-sponsored political settlement" between the Israel and the
Palestinians. "This stance proves that resistance is the only way,"
Meshaal told Reuters.
***
[4] Vanunu, harsh restrictions after release next Week (Yediot)
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 14:24:40 -0700
From: Rayna Moss <legalese at netvision.net.il>
[Translated from Yediot Ahronot, April 15, 2004]
Harsh Restrictions to be Imposed on Vanunu After His Release Next Week
Vanunu's Relatives Enraged: We Won't be Able to Meet Him
The prisoner told his brother yesterday, that he won't be allowed to meet
foreign nationals, go near air or sea ports and foreign embassies, possess
a cellular phone or surf the internet. His adoptive parents: This is an absurd
decision. Vanunu will appeal to the High Court of Justice against the
restrictions immediately after his release.
By Tsadok Yechezkeli and Anat Tal-Shir
"I can't believe what they've decided to do to my life after I've spent 18 years
in prison," Mordechai Vanunu told his brother yesterday, during their last
meeting in Ashkelon Prison before his release next Wednesday.
"Up to the last minute I still thought that they would let me go away from
here."
Vanunu was referring to the document that he had received shortly earlier
from security agents, which contained a full description of the restrictions
that will be imposed on him during the first months of his life as a "free"
person, mainly, a prohibition on leaving the country and an absolute
prohibition on meeting with foreign nationals.
Vanunu told his brother yesterday, that he will be prohibited from leaving
the country for a period of 12 months (after which the prohibition will be
reconsidered), from meeting with foreign nationals and media persons from
abroad. In addition, he will be prohibited from going near air and sea ports
and foreign embassies, from possessing a cellular phone and from surfing the
internet. Vanunu will even have to inform the police 24 hours in advance if he
decides to go from one city to another.
The sense of shock that Vanunu gave out yesterday also reflected the harsh
atmosphere among his relatives and his many supporters, some of whom
have already arrived in Israel to welcome him at the moment of his release
after 18 years, of which he spent 11 years in solitary confinement. The
list of restrictions - and mainly the absolute prohibition on meeting with
foreign nationals - was received with amazement and rage, since it
effectively erases from Vanunu's life all contact with his many supporters
around the world, some of whom are the people closest to him.
"This is a destructive decision for Mordechai," Vanunu's adoptive mother,
Mary Eoloff, said yesterday with undisguised anger. She and her husband
Nicholas arrived from the U.S. yesterday. The couple, who adopted Vanunu
several years ago, dreamed of leaving the country together with him and
thereby realizing his dream of emigrating to the U.S. and opening a new
chapter in his life. Yesterday they found it hard to digest the news, that
Vanunu would not be able to leave the country and would even be forced to
accept life under harsh restrictions.
"The terrible thing is, that the State is denying basic human rights to a
person who has already completed his sentence," Mary Eoloff stated angrily
in an interview with Yediot Ahronot. "They are assuming in advance, that
he will use his freedom of speech to speak out against Israel. He has the
right of expression just like any citizen, and that cannot be taken away from
him." Eoloff, who lives with her husband in Minnesota, called the prohibition
on meeting with foreign nationals that was imposed on Vanunu "absurd".
"We are his legal parents and we intend to see him. Tomorrow (Thursday) we
are going to meet him in prison. So is it conceivable, that we will be forbidden
to be with him when he is freed? It is possible, that we are not included in
that prohibition, but we don't know anything any more."
The prohibition on meeting with foreign nationals has put pressure on
Vanunu's many supporters. A delegation of about 80 of his supporters,
including British Members of Parliament, Nobel Peace Price Laureates and
cinema stars, will be landing in Israel over the next few days. Many of
them have kept in touch with Vanunu by means of letters. Now they fear,
that if they meet with him, they will cause him to violate the restrictions,
thereby giving the security forces a pretext to re-arrest him.
"This is a terrible scandal," said Peter Hounam, the Sunday Times reporter
who exposed the Vanunu affair and who arrived in Israel to meet him after
18 years. "We don't want to cause him any problems. If I reach the
conclusion that I am putting him at risk - I'll give up on the meeting.
But this is an outrage. Imagine, I won't even be able to shake the man's
hand."
Vanunu has been given the right to appeal against the restrictions by next
Sunday, and he intends to do so. He has empowered the Association for
Civil Rights in Israel to petition the High Court of Justice against the
restrictions on his behalf, and the petition will be made to the Court
immediately after his release next week.
- END -
[Two boxes also appeared on the same page - one about Susannah York and
the other about the Anglican Church in Israel offering Mordechai a job as a
history teacher at one of the church's schools. Rayna Moss]
***
[5] "It is my moral duty – not my choice, but my duty – to refuse"
Daniel Tzal - on the way to the military prison
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "snehab3" <snehab at netvision.net.il>
Date sent: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 20:35:45 -0000
Yesterday morning (Tuesday, April 13), the 18-year old Daniel Tzal of
Jaffa arrived at the induction center at Tel-Hashomer and informed the
recruitng officers of his refusal to obey his call-up order and enlist in
an army of occupation. He was immediately sentenced to a 14 days'
imprisonment and sent to Military prison 4 at Tzrifin. From the experience
of previous refusers, this is likely to the prelude to a long series of
repeated detentions and imprisonments – and if persisting in his refusal
to serve the occupation, Tzal may eventually face a court martial which
could impose a year's term or more. He had taken his step with the full
knowledge that this could well be the outcome. Daniel Tzal was accompanied
up to the military gates by some sixty solidarity demonstrors, including
several youths whose own call-up dates are due later this year and who
also intend to refuse.
The army's "Conscience Committee"
Three months ago, Tzal had written to the army"s "Conscienc
Committee", asking for an exemption on grounds of conscience – but the
committee refused was unwilling even to hear his arguments. In a letter sent
to the Minster of Defence, Daniel Tzal wrote: "The principles of `the only
democracy in the Middle East' have become totally devoid of any content
when the country is engaged in the systenmatic trampling upon the basic
rights of three million people, which undemines the basic principles upon
which the state of Israel was supposed to be founded. In historical
times such as the present, a sane person must rebel against the system
which perpetuates the opression. It is my moral duty – not my choice, but
my duty – to refuse to take part in the occupation and struggle against
the institutions which try to abolish basic human rights. A sane person,
who was not yet overcome by racism and by fear, bears the basic human duty
of refusing to take part in a system of occupation and opression such as
the IDF has become.
***
[6] Justice may be blind to selective refusal - Yuval Yoaz Ha'aretz
Extensive report on Laura Milo's High Court case
Justice may be blind to selective refusal
By Yuval Yoaz (Ha'aretz, 14.4)
"The court is actually encouraging non-involvement of citizens," said
Leora Milo, a conscientious objector to IDF service, whose petition to
overturn the IDF Conscience Committee's refusal to grant her an
exemption was heard yesterday.
Full text
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/415040.html
[On the day itself we saw it also in Hebrew on the internet as well as
printed edition; didn't catch it in time.]
--
Ongoing struggle
#Against the Wall (contact addresses)
#Refusniks (prisoner addresses & links to constantly updated sites)
#Vanunu to be released April 21
[ links to the latest re the Donate Now "Instead of Flowers"
campaign / worldwide vigils etc. especially important for
those who don't have the Paypal option ]
New: Contact re activities in Israel <legalese at netvision.net.il >
#Against the Wall
ðåëçåú éåîéåîéú áëôøéí îàéîéí ò"é äçåîä ìúàí òí
àééáé 064-604172 isichel at netvision.net.il
àøé÷ 050-607034 info at rhr.israel.net
Day to day presence at villages threatened by route of wall.
Contact: Ivy Sichel 064-604172 isichel at netvision.net.il who set's up a
list for people who can come at short notice, or: Arik Asherman 050-
607034 info at rhr.israel.net
#Refusniks
Constantly-updated list of all presently jailed refusniks:
English - http://www.yesh-gvul.org/english/prison/
Hebrew / òáøéú - http://www.yesh-gvul.org/prison/
For the latest news about the five:
http://www.refuz.org.il/News.html
NB:
Letters of support to
Noam Bahat / Haggai Mattar / Matan Kaminer
AGAF BET
Ma’asiyaho Prison
P.O.B 13
Ramla
Israel
Adam Maor / Shimri Tzameret:
Hermon Prison
P.O.B 4011
KFAR M’RAR
Israel
#Vanunu to be released April 21
Instead of sending flowers
Wordlwide campaign WELCOME VANUNU by donating a few dollars
(N.B.: online but ALSO otherwise) as a welcome gesture:
<http://www.vanunu.org/>
List of international vigils on day of Vanunu release (April 21):
http://www.nonviolence.org/vanunu/
http://www.vanunu.freeserve.co.uk/
Online petition for the unconditional release of Vanunu
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/freemordechaivanunu/
For details about Free Vanunu vigils and activities in Israel,
Call: 02-6254530 or 051-368236
or email: legalese at netvision.net.il
--
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