A demonstration in Whitehall, opposite Downing St on Saturday afternoon called to an end of the siege on Gaza. Pictures are copyright.
Free Palestine - End Gaza Seige
It's Kosher!
Whitehall was a busy place for democracy on Saturday afternoon. While the Freedom for Protest demonstrators were facing police outside Downing St, across the road there were two other demonstrations, one calling for an end to the seige on Gaza. There seemed to me to perhaps be a hundred or so people taking part, though I later watched an Internet TV report in which they were described as 'thousands'. I think more supporters arrived after I left, including Tony Benn.
Included among them were Jewish demonstrators, and a banner annnounced it was kosher to boycott Israeli products. This was from 'Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods', the J-BIG campaign set up last year as a part of the overall campaign to boycott Israeli goods (The BIG Campaign:
http://bigcampaign.org/.) These British Jewish peace activists feel that they will not be open to the charges of anti-Semitism often made by the Jewish community against those who oppose Israel's policies and in particular the occupation of Palestinian lands.
Included among them were Jewish demonstrators, and a banner annnounced it was kosher to boycott Israeli products. This was from 'Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods', the J-BIG campaign set up last year as a part of the overall campaign to boycott Israeli goods (The BIG Campaign:
http://bigcampaign.org/.) These British Jewish peace activists feel that they will not be open to the charges of anti-Semitism often made by the Jewish community against those who oppose Israel's policies and in particular the occupation of Palestinian lands.
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Rate of killing doubled since Annapolis
14.01.2008 18:12
Nor do they acknowledge Israel's planning of these attacks, and those to come, long before the Annapolis Charade.
Where are the angry demonstrations?
Barghouthi: Rate of killing doubled since Annapolis
Maan News
Jan 10, 2008
The rate of Israeli attacks on, and killings of, Palestinians has doubled since the US-sponsored Annapolis peace summit, former Palestinian information minister and head of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouthi, announced on Wednesday.
As US President George W. Bush's visited the Palestinian Territories, Dr Barghouthi exposed the extent of Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people in 2007, a year characterised by the highest ever ratio of Palestinian to Israeli killings, and unabated settlement expansion.
Dr Barghouthi presented data showing that Israeli military killings of, and attacks against, Palestinians have soared by 100% since Annapolis, confirming an intensification of Israeli military violence against the Palestinian people even after the meeting on 27 November 2007.
He highlighted that the ratio of Palestinians to Israelis killed in 2007 had risen to 40:1, up from 30:1 in 2006 and 4:1 from 2000-2005.
"We do not want anyone to die, Israeli or Palestinian, but this ratio is alarming. It is unacceptable to justify such large-scale killings under the pretext of security," Barghouthi said, adding that five of the Israelis killed in 2007 were soldiers who died whilst carrying out attacks inside the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
"Israel uses security as a pretext to step up its aggression against Palestinians and to evade any commitments to peace," he went on.
"The question here is about security for everyone, not only Israelis, and about equality and the equal rights of all peoples to life. The facts on the ground show very clearly that the Israeli government and its military do not believe in this most basic and universal right when it comes to Palestinians," he added.
Barghouthi also focused on Israeli settlement expansion and their refusal to dismantle any existing settlements, saying that this was a further indication of Israel's sense of absolute impunity with regard to international law and United Nations resolutions. He described the lack of international censure at such Israeli practices as "alarming."
He warned that while there is much talk about Israel's 105 illegal outposts, with a combined population of 3,000 settlers, it also maintains 133 settlements in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) which have population of 447,500, and which are equally illegal under international law. Moreover, Israel continues to build in 88 of these
settlements.
Barghouthi stressed that settlement expansion is being facilitated by Israel's 'Roads and Tunnels' Plan. Israel is also constructing a separate highway network to link settlements on both sides of the Apartheid Wall with
Israel and to each other.
"Tell me of any other case in the world where roads are segregated on the basis of ethnicity? This is a practical manifestation of Apartheid to an extent never before witnessed, not even at the height of the Apartheid regime in South Africa" he said.
He concluded that only a peace process based on adherence to
international law, and which respected Palestinian national rights, the rights of refugees and the right to freedom from Apartheid could yield a just and lasting peace.
As Predicted: Israeli Tanks, Bulldozers Roll Into SE Gaza
ALERT: Annapolis a Charade: Israel Plots Massive Aggression
It's interesting to note that, while the Plant Spammed the site again, pretending to be someone else reposting old articles, he glaringly eliminates certain stories.
The timing is interesting, given the upcoming "Annapolis Conference", which serves to be about PR alone, as Olmert has already ruled out any Negotiations or Compromise in the name of peace.
If you follow the events surrounding Israel's "Disengagement" from Gaza, you will quickly understand that this was the plan all along. While Israel was making a public spectacle of "forcing Jews to leave their homes", it was quietly surrounding the Strip with artillery emplacements, in an operation ominously named "First Rain".
Under this operation, Gaza basically became a "Free-Fire Zone", and several artillery and gunship strikes killed a high number of civilians. Finally, when one of these batteries fired upon and murdered a Palestinian family - picnicking on a beach that had been Segregated "Jews Only" only weeks before, Hamas finally decided to call an end to its unilateral, two-year cease-fire.
(In essence, they took Israel's bait. After all, you can't excuse your Aggression and label it "defense" if you're not being intermittently attacked. Never mind the hypocrisy underlying the entire media's framing of that whole debate ...)
When the Palestinians responded by electing Hamas to power (yes, elected), Israeli Extremists and their Ideological, bought foreign co-conspirators imposed unilateral sanctions on Gaza, a bit of Collective Punishment which increased the hardship of those stuck in the world's largest Concentration Camp.
When they felt Gaza had been substantially weakened, the US and Israel undertook a Coup attempt, using corrupt elements within the Fatah Party, provoking a violent response by Hamas, which expelled the group. Most of the world's media ignored the events leading to this "crisis", and instead only repeated the Propaganda emanating from the US and Israel, which used this to further increase sanctions against Gaza.
Most recently, Israel stepped up its Collective Punishment, except that human rights groups and legal advisors to the Government halted some of its approved measures, because they run contrary to International Humanitarian Law.
This was sold as another "response to rocket attacks" (again highlighting the hypocrisy of the debate's Framing - are the Palestinians allowed to defend themselves from strikes which actually KILL people ... ?), even though high-ranking officials said that this was NOT, in fact, a response to these attacks, but a way to "distance Israel from Gaza's infrastructure".
The real reason for this whole episode, of course, has been to "soften up" the Gaza Strip for a long-planned military attack, a way to undermine the resolve, and hopefully rid this territory of Palestinians altogether.
________________________________________________________________
Israeli Aggression to Follow Annapolis Photo-Op
As Predicted: Gaza Attacked
Censoring 'Neo-Con' Role in Gaza 'Civil War'
Olmert: Seige on Gaza Will Continue
Physicians for Human Rights Gaza Update - Another Seasonal Shame
Israel's Ongoing Human Rights Violations
Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment, World Inaction
Meanwhile, In The West Bank
Olmert Rejects Truce With Hamas
Oppose Apartheid
UK-IMC now a free-fire zone for Winnipeg spam
14.01.2008 21:25
"Under this operation, Gaza basically became a "Free-Fire Zone", and several artillery and gunship strikes killed a high number of civilians."
You are a bit of a broken record on this.
The fact is that after Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza, it was rewarded with almost daily rocket fire on its own citizens especially in Sderot that was not previously the case. Which country would not eventually have reacted?
Israel had sought to disengage from Gaza, to leave the Palestinians be there, however Palestinians militants under various flags do not tolerate Jews living anywhere in Israel.
Oddly (or perhaps not) you keep repeating that Israel "quietly" surrounded the Strip with artillery emplacements but don't mention the Qassam fire that led to Israel firing back. Plainly in your view firing on Israel is alright but for Israel merely to install artillery on its own soil (in case it is fired upon) isn't.
Then there is an alternative claim that the Qassam fire on Israeli citizens is a justified response to Israel intercepting Gaza shipping for weapons, aerial surveillance or waits for medical treatment in Israel. As if any of these things will improve as a result of the Qassams?
Israel is one of the few countries in the world that regularly accepts for citizens for medical treatment from a foreign entity continuously attacking it, as well as continuously supplying it with grain. Israel isn't stopping civilian movement through Gaza's border with Egypt either.
Quetzal
Queztal
14.01.2008 22:23
S'funny. I could have sworn that the majority of the indigenous people were the ones whose residency was not tolerated in most of their homeland.
"Oddly (or perhaps not) you keep repeating that Israel "quietly" surrounded the Strip with artillery emplacements but don't mention the Qassam fire that led to Israel firing back"
S'funny. I could have sworn that Qassams were fired from Gaza to Israel long before disengagement - that word which means that the Israelis left the settlements - but Israel maintained control of the borders, the exits, the sea-space, the air-space, the economy and basic utilities.
If you can think of a reason that Gazans should be appreciative enough to stop resisting their oppressors, perhaps you could enlighten us?
"The Indymedia UK website provides an interactive platform for reports from the struggles for a world based on freedom, cooperation, justice and solidarity, and against environmental degradation, neoliberal exploitation, racism and patriarchy. The reports cover a wide range of issues and social movements - from neighbourhood campaigns to grassroots mobilisations, from critical analysis to direct action."
All the things you don't stand for, wouldn't you say?
LatzeuQ
Latzeuq
14.01.2008 23:45
Quetzal
Queztal
14.01.2008 23:54
Here it is again:
"If you can think of a reason that Gazans should be appreciative enough to stop resisting their oppressors, perhaps you could enlighten us?"
lazteuQ
latzeuq
15.01.2008 02:23
Quetzal
Queztal
15.01.2008 07:48
Your 'oppression' is nothing compared to that being experienced by Gazans. You aren't being incarcerated in a small densely populated area, and starved. You aren't facing endless power cuts, lack of medical supplies and an economy that is going backwards. Your shops aren't scantly stocked with stuff you can't afford to buy. You can leave when you want to.
Get back to me when you are capable of understanding that fact, and the fact that most Gazans have done nothing to harm anyone.
latzeuQ
'Quetzal' Supports the Indefensible, Loathes IMC
15.01.2008 14:59
It also censors the Israel IMC, by abusing the site's 'rate down' feature, which was intended to remove the Plant's material from the site.
A Warning About The Plant
"The person(s) who posted this (...) is responsible for the majority of spam on Indy Media sites. He/she has put some vile racist articles about Muslims all over this site and others. He/she also posts equally vile anti-Semitic articles in an attempt to discredit Indy Media sites. On other sites throughout Canada this person is known as "The Plant".
The Plant Situation
Long-Recognized Problem
News to me
16.01.2008 01:24
Quetzal
Boycott US Israel Statement
25.03.2008 15:22
Category International / Anti-War /
Press Release Author : BrianClarkeNUJ
Date: Mar. 25th, 2008 | 03.14 pm
Location ;: Phuket, Thailand
by : Middle-East Peace Committee Inform the editor of this Press Release
MAHATMA GHANDI
"Palestine
belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the
English or France to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the
Jews on the Arabs. What is going on in Palestine today cannot be
justified by any code of conduct. The Mandates have no sanction but
that of the last War. Surely it would be a crime against humanity to
reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews
partly or wholly as their national home. I am not defending the Arab
excesses. I wish they had chosen the way of non-violence in resisting
what they rightly regarded as an unwarranted encroachment upon their
country. But according to the accepted canons of right and wrong,
nothing can be said against the Arab resistance in the face of
overwhelming odds."
Perhaps one of the most appropriate for remembering this great soul of
Ghandi, is the tribute from one of Israel's most intelligent sons,
Albert Einstein; "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a
one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood." It is however
certain that these generations to come will have lessons to learn from
the extraordinary life of Mohandas Gandhi"
Palestine for the sake of peace and the children of the middle-east,
will need to make a sacrifice and go a step further than what Mahatma
Gandhi suggested and recognize the state of Israel. Israel needs to
start a GENUINE dialogue and stop the blame game and delaying game of
pre-conditions. The solution itself is really simple., every child on
the street knows that a return to the '67 borders is the solution.
In Ireland we understand what the word (Shoah) Holocaust, (The Great
Hunger) means. Believe me, we understand, its in our blood and our
genes. Between 1845 - 1847 our population, was reduced from 9 million
to 3 million by ethnic cleansing, by systematic, calculated,
heartless, engineered famine. The revisionist historians have tried to
re-write our history but this is fact. Our country too, lost 6 million
people. It is so difficult, to forgive this but we must forgive and
move on, for the future and for our children's sake.
The publication
this committee's compassion for the Jewish dilemma in this matter but
the Palestinian and Arab positions must be respected too.
As an Irish people overseas, who are outraged by the systematic ethnic
cleansing, being carried out currently in Gaza Concentration Camp, we
have found the above, a most informative source, thus far, in trying
to understand Israel and these war crimes. Our only reservation, is
the author's analysis of Leon Trotsky.
At this point, the only further obsevation we would make, is that we
are in danger of allowing cerebral masturbation, to become a
substitute for genuine human compassion and action, for the victims of
the victims of genocidal war crimes. Currently monstrous war crimes
are being committed by the US and Israel.
We believe our first action, must be a well organized, International
Boycott of all countries currently guilty of war crimes. A simple
majority of nations voting at the UN, should decide this matter
immediately. In the meantime, we are currently boycotting all American
and Israeli goods, music labels, film corporations, media
corporations, sport franchises, airlines, banking and services. There
are alternatives, we urge all intelligent people of goodwill, to be
ethical shoppers worldwide, including compassionate Americans and Jews
to do the same.
We need help with organizing this in Ireland, in an effective peaceful
international way. We also need to find effective united ways, to deal
with the considerable dis-information in the media, from very powerful
agencies. This campaign to be effective and not fall foul, to black
propaganda, must dis-associate itself entirely, from all violence,
justified or not, to be effective.
The propaganda and lies will come, so please, keep it peaceful, keep
it simple and stay
united.
To stay United, again, we must keep it simple, division and those who
promote it,
is a friend of the enemy.
United we stand, Divided we fall.
BOYCOTT THE USA AND ISRAEL NOW !
Anyone who would like to build this movement in Ireland organize and
spread the word, please contact
BFClarkeNUJ
e-mail:
BFClarkenUJ@gmail.com
Homepage:
http://BrianClarkeNUJ.livejournal.com/