Yair Lapid’s Destructive Conspiracy of Silence for Israel

13.07.2016, Tlaxcla http://www.tlaxcala-int.org (Mexico) Tlaxcala, the international network of translators for linguistic diversity

Gideon Levy جدعون ليفي גדעון לוי

All Israelis who break the silence about the occupation and other crimes are doing their patriotic, human and moral duty. That’s why the Yesh Atid leader is so afraid of them.

The discussion on the occupation can only be held abroad. Such a debate requires the existence of a free democratic society where people know what’s going on. So the discussion can’t be held in Israel, just as the discussion on the Yazidis can’t be held in Iraq and the discussion on gay people and journalists can’t be held in Russia.

 

Breaking the Silence activists hold signs saying 'this is what the occupation looks like' at a rally against incitement, Tel Aviv, December 2015. Photo Moti Milrod

Under Israeli rule live two societies that are incapable of holding a discussion on the occupation. There’s the Jewish society that lives in denial and repression, knowing nothing and not wanting to know anything; and the Palestinian society that

WHY THE INCONVENIENT TRUTHS OF THE NAKBA MUST BE RECOGNIZED

May 14, 2012 +972blog http://972mag.com (Israel)

By Tom Pessah*

Limor Livnat was furious. The minister of culture was speaking at a Knesset discussion about the Independence Day arrests in Tel Aviv, following an attempt by a small non-profit called Zochrot to commemorate the Nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe of 1948. The Israeli police surrounded the Zochrot office in central Tel Aviv, preventing the activists from exiting. One person spent a night in jail for reading aloud the names of destroyed Palestinian villages from a history book. But Livnat’s anger wasn’t directed at the police, but rather at those arrested:

I went in with my iPhone to the Zochrot association [website], and there it was. There are some details there, including places. What are the Arab villages that the Zochrot association is talking about, that it tries to present to the public? The public should know what this is about. They present a map, and the map has dots. Dots, dots, dots […] from the north of the country to its south, south of Be’er Sheva. And these dots, which are the villages we’re talking about, the points are in all the State of Israel! Not in Judea and Samaria, not in the Gaza region, not in what you call the Occupied Territories […] Here, inside Tel Aviv! I found some like that in the Tel Aviv area, dozens of dots.

During and around the 1948 war, over 400 Palestinian villages and towns were destroyed by Israeli forces. Over 80 percent of the Arab population of what became the State of Israel was either expelled or banned from returning. Many of those who managed to stay were internally displaced, their village lands were given to Jewish communities or turned into parks. These are all documented historical facts, yet their discussion is considered so outrageous that the minister of culture didn’t need to explain what was wrong: for her, it was self-evident that a website mentioning destroyed Palestinian villages inside Israel (even inside Tel Aviv!) is an abomination.

Israelis, especially younger generations, approach the history of 1948 through a number of well-trodden formulas: the UN decided on a partition creating a Jewish and Arab state, the Arabs refused, neighboring Arab countries intervened, and at the end of a bloody war, some Palestinians found themselves on the other side of the border. These things, we are told, happen in wars.

I remember hearing for the first time about the expulsion of Majdal, today Ashkelon. The town had been known as the “Arab Manchester,” and several of its textile workers were affiliated with the Histadrut labor union. Despite protests from the Histadrut, the town’s inhabitants were loaded onto trucks and dumped in the nearby Gaza Strip. But this didn’t “happen in war.” It happened in 1950, after the ceasefire. When I heard this for the first time, I thought it must be a mistake: how could this have happened after the war? What was the security reason?

Israeli historian Benny Morris found a communique from the previous year by Yigal Allon, one of the senior commanders, who urged the army to transfer the town’s Arabs. For him, the Palestinian population was too close to the Egyptian front lines, and their presence could serve as a base for enemy infiltration. In June 1948, Allon thought the Arabs of Ramle would also be a threat, and gave orders to expel them. In April of that year, according to his own testimony, he used threats to push the Palestinians of the eastern Galilee to flee: their villages could have served as bases for the Syrian army. And, according to a letter he wrote to Ben-Gurion, he would also have liked to have conquered the West Bank to eliminate the security risk posed by the Jordanian army. This letter mentions a potential problem, the presence of a civilian population, but Allon reassures Ben-Gurion that “a large part, especially the refugees, will retreat eastwards as a result of the military operations… The plan for the offensive must take into account leaving an opening for the retreat of the enemy army, and the refugees following it.” Had Ben-Gurion resumed the offensive, the West Bank could have been emptied too.

When you dive into the history of 1948, certain features become familiar. Some Palestinians used violence against Jews; some generals stretched the definition of security risk to its widest possible interpretation. There were Israelis who protested: Ben Dunkelman, the commander who conquered Nazareth refused to expel its inhabitants; Rabin recalls how soldiers instructed to drive out Lydda’s population had to undergo “extensive propaganda activities.” But most Israelis didn’t object: they trusted their security forces that had successfully repelled the incoming Arab armies, and they often benefited from the vast properties the refugees left behind.

Remaining unaware of this history is a form of illiteracy: it has deeply influenced anyone living in the country or connected to it in any way. The simplistic formulas that most Israelis believe leave them incapable of understanding Palestinian experiences and expectations, and are a major barrier to reconciliation. And ignorance of the systematic expulsions enable them to continue in different forms – see, for example, current plans to displace tens of thousands of Bedouins in the Negev.

Jewish Israeli history will remain intertwined with the fate of Palestinians. Genuine awareness of our shared history is essential. Zochrot is holding another event to commemorate the Nakba: this time they invited Livnat. Perhaps one day she, or another minister of culture, will attend.

*Tom Pessah is an Israeli sociology student, currently studying the Nakba as part of his PhD

Latuff: O que temos na Palestina é uma questão imperialista

4 Abril 2012, Vermelho http://www.vermelho.org.br (Brasil)

Cerca de 500 pessoas compareceram no ato em solidariedade ao Dia da Terra Palestina, que ocorreu na Faculdade Cásper Líbero, na última sexta-feira (30). O evento teve a participação do Professor Doutor Paulo Daniel Farah e do cartunista Carlos Latuff, que expôs suas charges e debateu com os participantes sobre a situação dos palestinos.

Na atividade, que faz parte do 3º Festival Sul Americano da Cultura Árabe, Latuff produziu charges ao vivo enquanto eram declamadas poesias árabes. Após esta intervenção, deu-se início a um debate sobre o tema.

O cartunista, que desenha sobre a Palestina desde 1999, contou para os participantes a experiência que teve no local e como usa do trabalho artístico para contribuir com a luta dos povos pela paz. “O que temos na Palestina e Israel é uma questão imperialista. Existe um lobby pró-Israel que tenta neutralizar qualquer tipo de discussão, de debate, de charges”, denunciou.

Para ele a falta de informação trazida pelos meios de comunicação faz com as pessoas desconheçam a real situação vivida na Palestina.

Guerra é negócio
Ao ser questionado sobre o que poderia ser feito para a resolução do conflito, Latuff disse acreditar que Israel não está interessado num acordo de paz, pois lucra muito com a guerra. “O Estado de Israel, enquanto entidade política associada aos Estados Unidos, ganha muito mais vivendo esse clima constante de conflito”. Para ele é preciso que a situação se resolva com justiça “não dá para passar mais décadas esperando, assistindo as pessoas sendo mortas, retiradas de suas casas. É preciso dar um basta!”.

O cartunista criticou a falta de solidariedade das pessoas e fez um apelo: “O direito ao retorno é fundamental, direito de voltar para a própria terra. A justiça é o caminho da paz. Existe uma construção feita cuidadosamente pelo Estado, as pessoas são doutrinadas a acreditar que o palestino é inimigo, terrorista é preciso que se comece a quebrar esses estereótipos”.

Fórum Social Palestina Livre
A respeito do Fórum Social Mundial Palestina Livre, que vai ocorrer em Porto Alegre em novembro deste ano, Latuff se mostrou otimista e afirmou que será uma boa oportunidade para definir metas e estratégias que contribuam com a causa. O professor doutor Paulo Daniel Farah, que foi o coordenador da mesa, acredita que há uma mobilização mundial forte em prol da solução pacífica para o conflito e apoio aos direitos dos palestinos a um Estado soberano. “Espero que o fórum consiga cumprir o objetivo de mostrar a importância deste debate, sempre no espírito da não violência e da cultura da paz”, disse.

Solidariedade com os povos
Para o secretário geral do Cebrapaz, Rubens Diniz, uma atividade como esta é uma forma inteligente e eficiente de desenvolver a solidariedade com povos em luta. “Necessitamos chegar às pessoas que não possuem informação sobre o tema, sobre as condições de vida do povo palestino, dos abusos que são cometidos pelas forças de Israel. É necessário falar do direito do povo palestino possuir seu Estado”, disse.

O conselheiro do Cebrapaz, Igor Fuser, lembrou que durante a semana o músico britânico Roger Waters fez uma declaração de apoio à causa palestina e que o ex-integrante do Pink Floyd defende uma campanha de boicote a produtos israelenses. “É uma coisa concreta que nós brasileiros talvez possamos fazer de apoio ativo à causa palestina. Boicotar produtos que são feitos com base na opressão de um povo inteiro”, sugeriu.

Dia da Terra Palestina
O dia 30 de março é lembrado pelos palestinos como símbolo de luta pela libertação de sua pátria e seus direitos ao retorno às suas terras e propriedades. Esta data é marcante, pois, em 1976, o povo palestino sofreu uma repressão violenta por parte do Exército de Israel ao se manifestar contra a invasão em seus territórios.

É o que explica o diretor da Federação Árabe Palestina do Brasil (FEPAL), Emir Mourad, presente nas atividades. “Uma greve geral e passeatas foram organizadas nas cidades árabes de Israel - da Galileia ao Negev - em reação ao anúncio do plano do governo israelense de expropriação de uma área de 25.000 metros quadrados, na Galileia - por "razões de segurança e para construção de assentamentos".

Além disso, uma área ainda maior, situada em três aldeias na área de Al-Mil, foi declarada zona militar fechada, visando a construção de nove assentamentos judaicos.” Durante as manifestações, seis palestinos foram mortos na área de Al Jahil, desde então é celebrado o dia da Terra Palestina.

Este evento foi organizado pelo Cebrapaz, FEPAL, FEARAB, BIBLIASPA e o Comitê Estado da Palestina Já. Nos próximos meses, o Cebrapaz e a BIBLIASPA vão desenvolver um curso sobre a história Palestina para estudantes e interessados em geral. Outras informações no email: info@bibliaspa.org

Para conhecer os trabalhos feitos pelo cartunista Carlos Latuff acesse o blog: http://latuffcartoons.wordpress.com/

Érika Ceconi, do Cebrapaz (www.cebrapaz.org.br)

China e Israel: Um dragão dança no Negev

3 fevereiro 2012, Vermelho http://www.vermelho.org.br (Brasil)

Não há registro da presença de dragões na história da vida nômade no deserto de Negev, que cobre, no mínimo, 4.000 anos (para alguns, 7.000). Também isso pode estar mudando, no Ano do Dragão.

M K Bhadrakumar*
Asia Times Online

Os beduínos do Negev logo começarão a ver uma linha férrea construída por chineses, serpenteando entre as montanhas castanhas, pedregosas, poeirentas e os wadis [1] e crateras, rumo norte, partindo da cidade-resort de Eilat, no Golfo de Aqaba, na direção do Mediterrâneo oriental.

Com importantes interesses plantados nos dois lados da fenda que divide o Golfo Persa – com os estados do Conselho de Cooperação do Golfo (CCG) e com o Irã –, a China está empreendendo um salto espantoso, que a qualifica como master player na geopolítica do Oriente Médio, e está aprofundando os laços que a ligam a Israel, já convertidos em laços de parceria estratégica.

Paradoxalmente, no momento em que os EUA tentam prender o dragão no Mar do Sul da China e “contê-lo” no Pacífico Asiático, a China movimenta-se pelo flanco e faz sua dramática aparição no palco da cidadela da geoestratégia dos EUA no Oriente Médio. As implicações geoestratégicas são profundas.

Na cacofonia dos tambores de guerra que batem no Golfo Persa e no Levante, passou praticamente despercebida a troca de gentilezas entre Pequim e Telavive, semana passada, para marcar o 20º aniversário do estabelecimento de relações diplomáticas entre os dois países. O que se viu foi mais do que simples cumprimentos protocolares.

Diplomacia para o que der e vier
O primeiro-ministro de Israel Benjamin Netanyahu disse que seu país e a China fazem “combinação de sucesso” e que já podia antever uma “expansão dramática” dos laços que os unem. “Acho que mal tocamos a superfície das relações sino-israelenses” – disse Netanyahu na cerimônia em Telavive, 3ª-feira passada.

Na mensagem de saudação pelo aniversário, o presidente Hu Jintao disse que a China “atribui alta importância ao aprofundamento dos laços sino-israelenses e está pronta para empreender esforços conjuntos com Israel”. E o premiê Wen Jiabao observou que China e Israel têm “vasto potencial e amplas perspectivas para colaboração” e que Pequim “está pronta para continuar a manter e aprofundar” esses laços, e a elevá-los “a novo patamar”.

Falando na solenidade em Telavive, Netanyahu convidou Pequim a trabalhar com Israel para “enfrentar os desafios de garantir a paz no Oriente Médio”. O embaixador da China em Israel, também presente à cena, respondeu:
O mais amplo desenvolvimento das relações entre China e Israel não beneficiará apenas nossos dois países e povos, mas também muito contribuirá para a estabilidade regional, a paz no mundo e a prosperidade global.

Ante as transformações e novos ajustes em andamento [leia-se: a Primavera Árabe] na região e no mundo, o relacionamento China-Israel é hoje um novo marco histórico. Temos de continuar a trabalhar juntos, crescer juntos e juntos chegar ao sucesso, nos anos vindouros.

É ideia brilhante, bem pensada e corajosa, em região na qual nem os anjos se atrevem a andar sem escolta. Mas os laços entre China e Israel estão tão maduramente pensados, que, no instante em que Gao discursava em Telavive, seu contraparte na ONU, embaixador Li Baodong, comentava “o impasse” no processo de paz no Oriente Médio e reiterava o decidido apoio da China a um estado palestino, como parte de uma solução de Dois Estados, que restaure “o justo direito” do povo palestino.

Li disse que “a China apóia a criação de um estado palestino independente e plenamente soberano, com Jerusalém Leste como capital e nas fronteiras de 1967.” E Li condenou sem meias palavras a recente decisão do governo israelense, de aprovar planos para a expansão de novas colônias:
A China mantém-se intransigentemente contra o estabelecimento de colônias exclusivas para judeus nos territórios palestinos ocupados, inclusive em Jerusalém Leste. Conclamamos Israel a cessar imediatamente a construção de colônias; a agir com prudência e a trabalhar ativamente em colaboração com a comunidade internacional para promover a paz e criar condições para o reinício das negociações entre palestinos e israelenses.

O embaixador na ONU mostrou, imperturbável, que os cálidos sentimentos que se manifestavam mutuamente entre chineses e israelenses em Telavive naquele mesmo momento, absolutamente nada mudam na posição dos chineses quanto à outra questão.

Repete-se aqui a mesma surpreendente brilhante diplomacia chinesa para o Oriente Médio, já bem visível durante o recente tour de seis dias de Wen Jiabao pelos estados do Conselho de Cooperação do Golfo (ver “No Golfo, a China pesa para o “lado certo da história”, 17/1/2012).

A diplomacia chinesa para o Oriente Médio está andando simultaneamente por três trilhas paralelas, engajando o Irã, os estados do Golfo e Israel. Pareceria talvez improvável, se se considera a ascensão do Irã e a concomitante hostilidade que essa ascensão desperta e faz crescer em Israel e nos estados do Golfo. Mas Pequim não vê aí qualquer contradição e trabalha para que as três trilhas, além do mais, sejam mutuamente complementares. Claro que se pode supor que, sim, um dia, essas três vias se complementarão e reforçarão mutuamente.

A grande beleza está em que esses três atores da história do Oriente Médio – Irã, o Conselho de Cooperação do Golfo e Israel – desejam igualmente ter as melhores relações com a China e manifestamente disputam as atenções do dragão. Eis aí criado e proposto um enigma praticamente inextricável para potências de fora que aspirem a “comandar” a região – sejam EUA, União Europeia, Turquia ou Rússia.

Netanyahu disse que “vejo bem clara a necessidade da China de garantir suprimento regular de energia, para sustentar seu impressionante crescimento. Considero possível substituir o petróleo iraniano”. – Ainda alimenta esperanças de separar a China e o petróleo iraniano, embora Pequim absolutamente não cogite de enfraquecer seus laços com o Irã. O comércio entre China e Irã já chegou a US$45 bilhões; o comércio China-Israel é de $8 bilhões.

“Junção de dois continentes”
Mesmo assim, Israel fez uma massiva oferta de petróleo e gás das reservas da Bacia do Levante, no Mediterrâneo oriental. A área, de aproximadamente 32 mil milhas quadradas, inclui reservas em terra e no oceano, incluindo a Faixa de Gaza, Israel, Líbano, Síria e Chipre. Em 2010, o US Geological Survey estimava que ali haveria apenas 1,7 bilhões de barris de petróleo extraível e meros 122 trilhões de pés cúbicos (tfc) de gás extraível.

Por estimativas anteriores, ali haveria petróleo e gás suficiente para atender às exigências da segurança energética de Israel; mas medições mais recentes, à luz de reservas recém descobertas, mostram que há muito mais.

Já há planos para obras gigantescas de infraestrutura, incluindo instalações para liquefação de gás, a serem construídas no litoral de Israel, e rotas de transporte até os mercados viáveis para as exportações israelenses de energia. Essas entusiasmantes perspectivas de cooperação explicam a confiança de Netanyahu, em que o comércio bilateral com a China poderá duplicar em futuro muito próximo. (A China já aparece como terceiro principal parceiro comercial de Israel, depois de EUA e União Europeia.)

O ministro dos Transportes de Israel, Yisrael Katz, esteve em Pequim em setembro e, como se leu recentemente, disse que “a capacidade profissional das empresas chinesas para construção de sistemas ferroviários e redes de transporte está entre as melhores do mundo.”

O Ministério dos Transportes de Israel tem repetido que Israel prefere que empresas estatais chinesas encarreguem-se da construção da chamada linha ferroviária “Med-Red”, que atravessará o Vale Zin do deserto de Negev, conectando o Mediterrâneo israelense às cidades costeiras de Haifa e Eilat, no Mar Vermelho.

Na sequência imediata, depois das conversações de Katz em Pequim, a China começou a trabalhar numa proposta conjunta com Israel, para o ramo Eilat. Empresas chinesas e israelenses podem executar juntas o projeto e pode-se supor que os investimentos serão chineses.

Ora, os dois maiores campos de gás recentemente descobertos em Israel – Leviathan e Tamar – estão a 130 e 80 km de distância da cidade portuária de Haifa. Estimam-se em 16 trilhões de pés cúbicos (tcf) a reserva de Leviathan; e em pelo menos 8,4 tcf, a de Tamar.
(Recentemente, foram descobertos outros dois campos de gás – Sarah e Mira –, ao largo do porto de Hadera, mais ao sul de Haifa.)

A conexão ferrovia-estrada facilitará a transferência do gás natural liquefeito da costa mediterrânea israelense para a costa do Mar Vermelho, de onde o gás poderá ser embarcado pelo Oceano Índico até a China. Outra vez, o elo de comunicação ampliará o escopo das exportações chinesas para a Europa central e do sul, e para os Bálcãs.

O relacionamento entre China e Israel sempre foi complexo, com altos e baixos. Mas o ministro israelense de Negócios Estrangeiros não errou ao dizer, semana passada, que os dois países vivem “nos anos recentes um florescimento em suas relações”.

2011 foi, de fato, um bom ano. Em maio, o comandante da Marinha chinesa, almirante Wu Shengli visitou Israel; depois, em agosto, esteve também em Israel o chefe do departamento de pessoal do Exército de Libertação do Povo, general Chen Bingde. Foi a primeira visita de comandante militar chinês a Israel.

Entre uma e outra visita, o ministro da Defesa de Israel Ehud Barak visitou a China, em julho. Também foi a primeira visita desse tipo. Em julho, os dois países assinaram um acordo de cooperação econômica. Nas palavras de Netanyahu, “Os laços bilaterais são importantes para nós; estamos comprometidos com expandi-los rapidamente, nos mais variados campos. Por isso, já dei ordens para que se aceitem todos os convites para visitar a China.”

Muito claramente, Israel e China estão posicionados para iniciar relacionamento profundo e altamente estratégico. Em reunião do Gabinete em Telavive, domingo passado, Netanyahu disse que trabalhará para desenvolver o projeto das redes ferroviária e rodoviária que ligarão Eilat ao norte de Israel, como uma “junção de dois continentes”. E destacou o interesse da China no projeto.

Pequim, com certeza, avaliou o imenso potencial estratégico de um projeto ousado de vias de transporte através do Negev, que deixará de lado o congestionado Canal de Suez no Egito, e poderá conectar Ásia e Europa. É quase como se Washington tivesse perdido o bonde da história.

Nota dos tradutores
[1] Rios intermitentes (secos durante a maior parte do ano; e cheios nos curtos períodos de chuva).

*MK Bhadrakumar foi diplomata de carreira do Serviço Exterior da Índia. Prestou serviços na União Soviética, Coreia do Sul, Sri Lanka, Alemanha, Afeganistão, Paquistão, Uzbequistão e Turquia. É especialista em questões do Afeganistão e Paquistão e escreve sobre temas de energia e segurança para várias publicações, dentre as quais The Hindu, Asia Online e Indian Punchline. É o filho mais velho de MK Kumaran (1915–1994), famoso escritor, jornalista, tradutor e militante de Kerala.

Fonte: Redecastorphoto, traduzido pelo coletivo Vila Vudu

Wikileaks: US Embassy officials got upclose view of marginalization and removal of Bedouins in Negev in ’05 (and said nothing publicly)

29 August 2011, Mondoweiss http://mondoweiss.net (USA)

Philip Weiss

The latest from Wikileaks (thanks to Ali Gharib). Once again, we see American Embassy officials in Israel learning intimately about an outrage back in 2005-- the Judaization of the Negev, the Israeli program to move Bedouins into a few approved townships-- and did we hear a word publicly about the outrage, no. Why do we have a State Department?

Here is the State Department Human Rights report from 2005. Its description of Bedouin conditions lacks the understanding reflected in this cable: That Bedouins are being relocated, that Jewish settlement in the Negev is being encouraged, that there are no high schools in the unrecognized Bedouin villages. The Israeli side of the story is presented carefully in the report.

The uprooting of the Bedouins has been a regular theme on this website in the last couple years. Many intrepid journalists have gone into the Negev to report on this. And from this cable we learn that the State Department was aware of these plans SIX years ago, was meeting with the Association of Forty, Bedouin leaders, and said nothing.

The cable is marked "Sensitive." Excerpts:

Summary: Emboffs met February 17 [2005] with Bedouin community representatives in two Negev desert Bedouin villages not legally recognized by the GOI [Government of Israel] to discuss issues affecting their lives and possible PD [Policy Division] small grants assistance to educational programs. The Bedouin in these two unrecognized communities live in poor, makeshift conditions, without the benefits of municipal services or basic infrastructure. Highlighting the Bedouin's tenuous residential status in the state, and GOI distrust of this segment of the population, the Jerusalem Post reported February 18 that the GOI intends to relocate hundreds of Bedouin families in illegal Negev communities near the perimeter fence of an airbase. The report draws the conclusion from unnamed Israeli military sources that the GOI fears that the Bedouin, who are citizens of Israel, may acquire anti-aircraft missiles for use against Israeli aircraft. This cable offers a snapshot of life in these illegal villages and a Bedouin perspective on the political context. End summary.

------------------------- Many Bedouin Marginalized ....

According to the Association of Forty's data, [Attia] El-Asam said, the Negev has about 45 so-called "unrecognized" Bedouin villages, with some 70,000 Bedouin residents, or half of the total Negev Bedouin population. These unrecognized villages have never been included in GOI land planning, do not qualify for provision of any public services, and therefore do not officially exist on Israeli maps. Many Bedouin are life-long residents of these communities, but are considered squatters by the GOI. Without legal status, these communities receive no government resources, including municipal services and infrastructure development.

...El-Asam highlighted that, while the Bedouin now compose about 30 percent of the Negev population, the GOI has recognized as legal only seven communities or "townships" wherein the Bedouin population can legally reside. According to The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights In Israel - Adalah, the GOI initiated a program to resettle the Bedouin in these seven townships during the 1960s-70s.

....El-Asam claimed that the GOI nonetheless provides electrical and other municipal services to 60 Jewish National Fund-sponsored single-family farms in the Negev for Israeli Jews, none of which are connected to larger communities...

No high schools exist in any of the unrecognized villages, according to El-Asam, and only 16 of the villages contain even makeshift elementary schools. El-Asam claimed that 70 percent of the children in the unrecognized villages live below the poverty line.

Marches held across Israel as social protests enter fourth week

10 August 2011, Haaretz הארץ (Israel)

Homeless protesters in Holon burn tires and block roads after being ordered to dismantle tents; first Arab protest held in Haifa.

By Ilan Lior, Gili Cohen, Yanir Yagna, Asaf Shtull-Trauring and Revital Hovel

Protests against the rising costs of living marched on Wednesday in several cities across Israel. In Holon, protesters in the Jesse Cohen neighborhood burned tires and blocked roads after city inspectors ordered them to dismantle their tent compound within 24 hours. Most of the people occupying the tents are homeless.

The residents' representative, Nissan Zacharia, criticized the municipality's decision to clear the encampment. "A small match can ignite everything here," he said, adding that if the tents are dismantled "[Holon] will become like London, and it will be the mayor's responsibility."

In Be'er Sheva, protesters marched in swimsuits chanting "the protest is spreading" (also "undresses" in Hebrew). A mass rally is planned for Saturday, with organizers hoping for a turnout of 50,000 people. Uri Keiday, who heads the Ben Gurion University Student Association, said the event will be historic. "There has never before been a protest on this scale in the Negev," he said. "We are here to show those who want this protest to disappear that we are here to stay, and that this is everyone's struggle, from south to north."

In Wadi Nisnas in Haifa 200 protesters marched chanting the usual slogan – "the people want social justice" – but in Arabic. This was the first protests organized by Haifa's Arab community, which constitutes ten percent of the city's population.
Activists in other cities has been discussing whether the protest is political. Among these protesters in Haifa, the answer was clear, as they chanted, "The occupation is a disaster, it serves the tycoons," and "money should be given to neighborhoods, not settlements."

33-year-old Raja Za'atra, who organized Wadi Nisnas's tent city, said the protest is part of the nation-wide movement, but also seeks to highlight the specific problems facing the Arab sector. "The banks won't give mortgages to people who want to buy an apartment," he said. "In the case of the Arab population, the supply is limited and the prices keep rising." He added that there is also a shortage of kindergartens and schools for the Arab population.

In Jerusalem, approximately 250 people marched to protest against the state of public transportation in the city. The activist demanded clearer scheduling information at bus stops and more public involvement in decision making.

Additional protests took place on Wednesday in other parts of the country. Activists in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Kiryat Shmona held rallies against unfair employment conditions, wearing white masks as a symbol of the "invisible" sector in whose name they protested.

On Thursday, "stroller marches" are scheduled to take place across Israel for the third week straight.

PALESTINIAN BEDOUIN A BESIEGED MINORITY OF THE MINORITY

By Elizabeth Whitman

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 2, 2011 (IPS) - Israeli policies are destroying the livelihoods of Bedouin communities in the occupied West Bank and the Negev in southern Israel, activists and aid workers warn.

They have done so for years, threatening to erase the traditional ways of these indigenous people, precipitating an acute and worrisome humanitarian situation, and, some experts believe, undermining the possibility of a future Palestinian state.

Though the difficulties facing Palestinian Bedouin vary by location, many agree that Israel's policies have marginalised them, making them a slowly disappearing minority of the minority with little or no political voice to challenge their fate.

A report released Monday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the most effective solutions to this problem would not be the provision of short term relief but instead "substantive changes to policies and practices applied by the Israeli authorities" - in short, addressing the fundamental issues forcing the Bedouin to relocate and relinquish their traditional ways of life.

All the Palestinian Bedouin reached by IPS suggested that that the United Nations is doing some, but too little, to help, despite its knowledge and understanding of their plight, and acknowledged as well the critical absence of a unified voice representing the Bedouin community. The Palestinian Authority's authority in Area C is also extremely limited, controlling only health and educational services.

The OCHA report, based on visits to 13 Bedouin villages in Area C of the West Bank, noted that "clear patterns of displacement are occurring in the Area C communities visited, with residents being forced to move in order to meet their basic needs", and concluded that "the restrictive planning regime applied by the Israeli authorities in Area C" was the primary cause of relocation.

Bedouin are usually unable to obtain Israeli Land Administration (ILA) permits necessary to build houses and schools, and frequently face demolition orders for pre-existing structures. They also have difficulty accessing resources and services such as water, land crucial for livestock, and education, because Israeli settlements and other structures take up 70 percent of Area C.

Maxwell Gaylard, who is based in Jerusalem as U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian Territory, told IPS that he had seen one school knocked down and rebuilt four times.

"Residents report living in a state of pervasive insecurity and instability due to administrative practices implemented by the Israeli authorities," the report found. It warned that ultimately, "some of these communities may disintegrate and disappear altogether over the course of the next generation".

Bedouin in the West Bank
After the 1993 Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided in 1995 into three parts - Areas A, B and C. With the exception of health and educational services, Israel retains full control over Area C, which comprises roughly 60 percent of the occupied territory and whose Palestinian population is a diminishing 150,000. Some 27,000 of those are Bedouin or members of herding communities.

The 300,000 Israeli settlers living in Area C particularly complicate the matter, as Israel seeks to clear out Area C to make room to construct more of the settlements that are illegal under international law.

Mohammad Al Korshan, a representative of the Area C Bedouin, told IPS that Israel wanted to relocate Bedouin from Area C into Palestinian cities mainly in Areas A and B. Without the help of NGOs or the U.N., in a few years, one will no longer find Bedouin living in the desert, he believed. Many have already been forced to sell their animals - herding is a traditional livelihood for Bedouin - because they no longer have land to graze them on.

He said the U.N. was helpful in some ways, such as by providing food or temporary work, but overall, the world body was not helping enough.

According to Gaylard, Area C is "critical to the viability of the future Palestinian state". Still, the report stated, Israel's "highly restrictive and discriminatory planning regime… completely excludes their [Palestinian] participation and contributes to poor living conditions" and stymies opportunities for the development necessary to build a future state.

Meanwhile, problems of more immediate concern include "poverty and nutrition levels" which have rendered "the humanitarian fallout… for the Bedouin and the herders… particularly acute," said Gaylard.

When asked who served as the voice of the Bedouin in the West Bank, Gaylard responded with a wry chuckle, "I think it's us." Some NGOs, both Arab and Israeli, are dedicated to defending Bedouin communities, he added.

Bedouin in the Negev
In the Negev, the desert region in southern Israel home to tens of thousands of Bedouin, many Bedouin villages go unrecognised by the Israeli government. Their residents face similar challenges to the Bedouin in the West Bank, but under different political circumstances. As Israeli citizens, they are not represented by the Palestinian Authority, yet they are not treated as equal citizens by the state of Israel.

Excluded from the state's regional development plan, Bedouin face "forced evictions, home demolitions, and other punitive measures disproportionately against Bedouin" compared to Jewish residents, said a 2008 Human Rights Watch report.

Khalil Alamour, a resident of the unrecognised village As-Sira in the Negev and activist for Bedouin rights, said, "We are now all under the threat of demolition, which can happen anytime… The situation is deteriorating."

No single entity represents Bedouin interests, he said in an interview with IPS, warning that Bedouins' unique culture and ways of life "are going disappear very soon".

Jihad el-Sana, a resident of the recognised town of Laqia who is fighting for Bedouin rights, pointed out the irony of living in the third world - the majority of Bedouin live below the poverty line, he said - in such a developed country as Israel.

He supported Alamour's claim that the Bedouin did not have one unified voice because the community was too divided by needs and circumstances - some members owned land, some didn't, while some Bedouin live in recognised villages and others in unrecognised ones. In addition to a lack of political cohesion among the Bedouin, the "United Nations is doing nothing," el-Sana added.

In a recent twist, the BBC reported last week that Israel is suing a Bedouin community in the Negev for over half a million dollars in demolition costs. Each time Israel demolishes the village, the Bedouin rebuild it. (END)

THE CHARGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES or - Baksheesh for the Doorkeeper

23 July 2011, Gush Shalom גוש שלום http://zope.gush-shalom.org (Israel)

Uri Avnery אורי אבנרי

A Riddle: Which fleet did not reach its destination but fulfilled its mission?
Well, it’s this year’s Gaza solidarity flotilla.

It could be said, of course, that last year’s “little fleet” – that’s what the word means in Spanish, much as “guerrilla” means “little war” – is also a reasonable candidate . It never reached Gaza, but the commander of the Israeli navy could well repeat the words of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, whose victory over the Romans was so costly that he is said to have exclaimed: “Another such victory, and I am lost!”
Flotilla 1 did not reach Gaza. But the naval commando attack on it, which cost the lives of nine Turkish activists, aroused such an outcry that our government saw itself compelled to loosen its land blockade of the Gaza Strip significantly.

The repercussions of this action have not yet died down. The very important relations between the Israeli and Turkish militaries are still ruptured, with Turkey demanding an apology and indemnities. The victims’ families are pursuing criminal and civil proceedings in several countries. An ongoing headache.

Flotilla 2 reached its end this week, when a huge naval action led to the capture of 1 (one!) little French yacht and the detention of its sailors, journalists and activists –all 16 (sixteen) of them. Even our tame broadcasters could not help themselves from sneering: “Why didn’t they send an aircraft carrier?”

The 14 boats that were prevented from sailing, and the one that did sail, not only kept our entire navy on alert for weeks, but also helped to keep the Gaza blockade in the news. And that, after all, was the whole point of the exercise.
WHAT HAPPENED to the 14 boats which did not sail?

Incredible as it sounds, the Greek navy and Coast Guard forcibly prevented them from leaving Greek ports. There existed no lawful grounds for this, nor was there any pretense of legality.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Greek navy was acting under orders from the Israeli Chief of Staff. A proud sea-faring nation with a nautical history of thousands of years (“nautical” even happens to be a Greek word) degraded itself to perform illegal actions to please Israel.

It also ignored acts of sabotage carried out by naval commandos – guess whose - against the boats in Greek harbors.

At the same time, the Turkish government, the defiant sponsor of the Mavi Marmara, the ship on which the Turkish activists were killed last year, prevented the same ship from sailing this year.

Also at the same time, groups of pro-Palestinian activists who tried to reach the West Bank by air were stopped on their way. Since there is no direct access to the West Bank by land, sea or air except through Israeli territory or Israeli checkpoints, they had to travel via Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel’s gateway to the world. Most did not make it: under instructions from our government, all international airlines blocked these passengers at check-in, using “blacklists” provided by our government.

It seems that the long arm of our diligent security service reaches everywhere, and that its orders are obeyed by countries large and small.

A HUNDRED years ago, the secret police of the Russian Czar, the dreaded “Okhrana”, forged a document called “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”.

(In those times, the secret police everywhere was still called Secret Police, before being dignified as “Security Services”.)

The document reported a secret meeting of rabbis in the old Jewish cemetery of Prague, to decide upon strategy to secure Jewish rule over the world. It was a crude falsification, which lifted entire passages verbatim from a novel written decades earlier.

In its pages, the real situation of the Jews was grotesquely distorted – they actually had no power at all. In fact, when Adolf Hitler – who used the Protocols for his propaganda – set in motion the Final Solution, almost nobody in the whole world lifted a finger to help the Jews. Even US Jews were afraid to raise their voices.

But if the authors of the falsification were to return to the scene of their crime today, they would rub their eyes in disbelief: this figment of their sick imagination looks like coming true. The Jewish State – as Zionists like to call us – can order around Greek naval authorities, get Turkey to climb down, instruct half a dozen European states to stop passengers at their airports.

How do we do it? There is a simple answer, consisting of three letters: USA.
ISRAEL HAS become a kind of Kafkaesque doorkeeper to the world’s sole remaining superpower.

Through its immense influence on the American political system, and especially on the Congress, Israel can levy a political tax on anyone who needs something from the US. Greece is bankrupt and desperately needs American and European help. Turkey is a partner of the US in NATO. No European country wants to quarrel with the US. Ergo: they all need to give us a little political baksheesh.

To cement this relationship, Glenn Beck, the obnoxious protégé of Rupert Murdoch, visited us and was enthusiastically received in the Knesset, where he told us “not to be afraid”, because he (and, by implication, Fox and all of America) was supporting us to the hilt.

IT IS because of this that a few lines, which appeared this week in the New York Times, caused near panic in Jerusalem.

The NYT is, perhaps, the most “pro-Israel” paper in the whole world, including Israel itself. Anti-Semites call it the Jew York Times. Many of its editorial writers are ardent Zionists. A news story critical of Israeli policies has almost no chance of appearing there. No mention of the Israeli peace movement. No mention of the dozens of demonstrations in Israel against Lebanon War II and the Cast Lead operation. Self-censorship is supreme.

But this week, the NYT published a blistering editorial criticizing Israel. The reason: the “Boycott Law”, passed by the right-wing Knesset majority, which forbids Israelis to call for a boycott of the settlements. The editorial practically repeats what I said in last week’s article: that the law is blatantly anti-democratic and violates basic human rights. The more so, since it comes on top of a whole series of anti-democratic laws that were enacted in the last few months. Israel is in danger of losing its title as the “Only Democracy in the Middle East”.

Suddenly, all the red lights in Jerusalem started to blink furiously. Help! We are going to lose our only political asset in the world, the pillar of our strength, the basis of our national security, the rock of our existence.

THE RESULT was immediate. On Wednesday, the right-wing clique that now controls the Knesset, under the leadership of Avigdor Lieberman, brought to final vote a resolution that would appoint two Committees of Inquiry into the financial resources of human-rights NGOs. Not all NGOs, only “leftist” ones. This was another item on the long list of McCarthyist measures, many of which have already been adopted and many more of which are waiting for their turn.

The day before, Binyamin Netanyahu appeared specially in the Knesset to assure his followers that he fully approved, and indeed had sponsored, the Boycott Law. But after the NYT editorial, when the Commission of Inquiry resolution came up, Netanyahu and almost all his cabinet ministers voted against it. The religious factions disappeared from the Knesset. The resolution was voted down by a 2 to 1 majority.

But one ominous fact emerged: Apart from Netanyahu and his captive ministers, all the Likud members present voted for the resolution. This included all the young leaders of the party – the coming generation of Likud bosses.

If the Likud remains in power – this group of ultra-rightists,[] will be the government of Israel within ten years. And to hell with the New York Times.
FORTUNATELY, THERE are signs that a new phenomenon is in the making.

It started innocently with a successful consumer strike on cottage cheese, in order to compel a cartel of fat cats to reduce prices. This has been followed by a mass action by young couples, mostly university students, against the impossibly high prices of apartments.

A group of protesters put up tents in the center of Tel Aviv and have now been living there for over a week. Soon after, such encampments sprang up all over the country, from Kiryat Shmona on the Lebanese border to Beer Sheva in the Negev.

It is much too early to tell whether this is a short-term protest or the beginning of an Israeli Tahrir Square phenomenon. But it clearly shows that the takeover of Israel by a neo-fascist grouping is not a foregone conclusion. The fight is on.
Perhaps - just perhaps! - even the New York Times could be starting to report on the reality of our country.

RAISING A BLACK FLAG OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY

14 july 2011, Communist Party of Israel המפלגה הקומוניסטית הישראלית http://maki.org.il

Decisions of the 14th session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Israel

July 8, 2011

The Boycott Law ("The Law for Prevention of Damage to the State of Israel through Boycott - 2011"), which has just passed in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), is an outrageous attempt by the Israeli right to silence every form of criticism of government policy and especially the policy of settlement in the occupied territories. By threatening to impose costly damages on offenders, even without proof of damage, the right wing is attempting to shut out the voices of those who resist the occupation, and call, for instance, for a boycott of consumer products produced in the settlements.

This law joins a full series of other discriminatory and racist laws that have been proposed by Netanyahu's right wing government in recent years - laws that trample upon democracy, but have been approved by the Knesset.

The CPI condemns the "Boycott Law" as a grave assault on the freedom of speech, the freedom of criticism, and the freedom of protest, and calls for the forces who would defend our democratic space to rally together to put a stop to the fascist threat and to put an end to the injustices of the occupation.

Calling for a public campaign in favor of the UN General Assembly's recognition of a Palestinian State in the 1967 borders
The Obama government and European governments are applying pressure on the Palestinian Authority, demanding that it retreat from its appeal to the UN General Assembly - due to convene in September - to recognize a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders. These pressures are in service of the war-mongering policies of settlement and occupation pursued by the Netanyahu government, which are disastrous for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The Central Committee raises an alarm against the catastrophe that the next war will bring upon Israel and the regions' nations. This war is being devised by the Netanyahu government in an attempt to prevent a political settlement, that would involve retreating from all of the occupied territories, and to block the anticipated vote in the General Assembly over the Palestinian issue.

The Central Committee of the CPI stresses that the only steps that can lead to a just and stable peace agreement which can guarantee the security of the two people and their futures are: the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside Israel; the evacuation of all the settlements; dismantling of the separation wall; and a solution of the refugee problem based on UN resolutions.

The CPI congratulates the residents of Bil'in and all those struggling against the separation barrier, for their important victory in removing the fence from part of Bil'in's lands.

The Central Committee calls upon members of the party to enlist in the public campaign, initiated by Hadash, for Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 lines. We send our blessings to TANDI (Movement of Democratic Women in Israel) and all of the Israeli women, who initiated a similar political action in collaboration with Palestinian women in the occupied territories.

Stop the blood bath in Syria and establish a democratic regime
The CPI's Central Committee reiterates its unambiguous stance against the killings, oppression, and mass persecution of the Syrian people, who are fighting for their freedom, for democracy and for social justice. The popular demands are legitimate and just demands.

We utterly reject any attempt on the part of the United States, Israel, and their allies to intervene in Syria by saying that they are taking the side of the people against the regime. The United States and its allies never intervened anywhere for the interests of the peoples it claimed to defend: it intervened only in the interests of the corporations and in order to establish imperial hegemony.

A regime that kills its own people, who are struggling by peaceful means, cannot be progressive and cannot claim any legitimacy. Our position is clear: we stand alongside the popular movement that is fighting for democracy, social justice and civil liberties, and which rejects any foreign intervention in the Syrian issue or dependency on imperialism, and which struggles against the Israeli occupation.

The voices that issued from the meetings with the Syrian opposition held in Turkey and France, as well as during the visit of the U.S. ambassador in the city of Hama, and which invited foreign powers to intervene, do not reflect the genuine interests of the Syrian people, and are at odds with the spirit of the masses' legitimate demands. We condemn the position voiced by various circles, both within the regime and within the opposition, who are pushing to resolve the question of the Syrian popular demands by means of an understanding with the U.S. and its allies that will create dependence on those foreign powers.

We call for an immediate end to the blood bath in Syria, and for the establishment of a democratic regime that strives for social justice, and that adheres to the principle of Syrian independence, and its national and geographical unity. We reject any attempt to divide the Syrian Arab people on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or any other category.

We place a great deal of faith in the Arab-Syrian people, which carries a proud heritage of resistance to colonialism and occupation, and which fulfills an outstanding role in developing a progressive and enlightened culture. We are convinced that the Syrian people will not allow its wishes and its struggle to be hijacked, and will not allow its country to become a protectorate of the West.
We call upon all the elements of the society and people in Syria to attain full democratization and bring to an immediate end the bloodshed which is being carried out by the regime against the demonstrators who are using peaceful means while struggling for their rights.

Developments in Sudan
South Sudan has declared independence, and we honor the will of the Sudanese people both in the North and in the South. Sudan, as a country containing the sources of the Nile, is one of Africa's most important states. With its land and water resources, the country has untold possibilities for developing a thriving agricultural sector, as well as tremendous potential in terms of natural resources, especially in its southern part. Therefore, Sudan's status is of tremendous economic and strategic importance.

The West, and the United States in particular, is setting its sights on Sudan. The Western powers have worked for many years to keep Sudan divided, by fueling ethnic and geographic strife, while taking advantage of the crimes of the regime in Khartoum, and its denial of the legitimate demands of the Sudanese people in the south.

The division of Sudan was realized in wake of a referendum that took place in the south, whose results were also acceptable to the regime in Khartoum. This division was not a necessary step for solving the question of the south. It was advanced as part of Western intervention and the criminal policies conducted by the government in Kharoum, which ignored the desires of the country's inhabitants.

Rise in the cost of living and erosion of wages
During the past five years, the average real wage has risen by less than 3% while the prices of food have risen by 25%, the prices of fruit and vegetables by 36% and the cost of renting or buying a flat have doubled. The wave of price hikes, which have eroded the purchasing power of working families and senior citizens, is the product of a combination of monopolistic behavior on the part of the large corporations and the privatization policies of the government in support of capital.
The CPI calls upon the Histadrut (Labor Federation) to ensure that the workers receive immediate compensation for the recent price hikes by paying a one-time cost-of-living payment of 10% of the workers' wages.

Solidarity with the strikers
The CPI stands in solidarity with the workers of Haifa Chemicals, who have been on strike for three months now to demand a collective agreement and a fair wage for all the employees of the firm, and to protest against their degraded working conditions; with the doctors, striking to improve their working conditions and to save public medicine; with the nurses, who are implementing sanctions because of the lack of salaried positions and the abandonment of patients in the hospitals; and with all those fighting against factory shutdowns, layoffs, the privatization of government companies; and employment through temporary employment agencies.

An end to home demolitions
A year has gone by since the residents of Al-Araquib, joined by Jews and Arabs, began their resolute and courageous campaign to protect the village and villagers from the repeated demolitions of their meager homes at the hands of state representatives.

The CPI condemns the house demolitions in the Negev, which are an expression of the racist, anti-Arab policies that are attempting to uproot tens of thousands of Bedouin Arabs from their lands and villages.

The CPI's 26 Convention – in December
The Central Committee of the CPI has decided to hold the party's 26th convention on the 8-10th of December 2011, and has asked the relevant party institutions and organizations to begin preparations for the convention.

I FLEW IN TO HELP PALESTINIANS PLANT OLIVE TREES. THE ISRAELIS TOOK ME TO A PRISON IN THE DESERT

13 July 2011, Mondoweiss http://mondoweiss.net (USA)

Elke Zwinge-Makamizile is a member of the German Peace Council as well as The International League for Human Rights. She took part in the "Fly in" protest action to Palestine. She is being interviewed by Gitta Düperthal, a journalist for Junge Welt, in German. Translation by Cynthia Beatt.

Last Friday hundreds of activists attempted to travel to Palestine via Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. [Approximately 124 managed to do so]. You are one of those deported on Sunday. How did the Israeli authorities treat you?

It already began on Friday in Frankfurt/Main: as the plane was to start on time at 11 am, it suddenly braked sharply. After hours we were unloaded onto another machine and we were only able to take off around 5 pm – apparently due to an uneven surface area on the runway! Whoever wishes to believe this can do so; I rather believe this was to give the Israeli authorities time. Therefore we landed in Ben-Gurion Aiport at 11 pm, where they immediately took away our passports. The Israeli security officials seemed to know exactly who belonged to our group.

We had been invited by the Palestinian Peace Movements and there was a program prepared for us. The day of July 9th was chosen because this day in 2004 the International Court of Justice in the Hague declared the construction of the Wall on Palestinian Territories to be illegal. Amongst other activities, we were to visit the “Freedom Theatre”, to take part in the symbolic planting of olive trees and to visit a refugee camp. Instead we were forced to spend hours in detention rooms at the airport until we were taken in the early morning on Saturday to a prison van, in which other activists had already been sitting for four and a half hours. 23 women were inside and 16 men were penned in the other area of the same van. Around 35 security officials, whom we could see through the barred windows, stood outside. To pass the time we began to sing, upon which they threatened to use tear gas on us.

Where were you taken?

We were brought to the Beersheva Ela-Prison in the middle of the Negev Desert, where we were kept from Saturday morning until Sunday midday in a kind of luxury prison – not one of those prisons in which, according to Amnesty International, torture takes place. At our request consular officials of the countries from which the activists originate visited us; that was France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany. They noted our names and asked whether anyone should be notified. The Israelis were obviously at pains to ensure that no one would have reason to complain about their treatment there. Nevertheless we were under surveillance by video cameras the entire time.

How did the security officials react to you?

We used every opportunity to explain to them that we wished to make a contribution to easing the isolation of the Palestinians – the next step should be that Palestine must be recognized as a State and receive membership in the United Nations, to be voted upon in September. They did not comment on our views but my impression was some of them seemed to understand and did not show animosity towards us. They obviously had not been expecting people like us after the unbelievable propaganda campaign that Israeli officials started against us.

Israel’s Home Secretary Yitzhak Aharanovich, for example, described us as "extremists and hooligans", intending to disrupt public order. On the Ynet internet page we were even denounced as potential lawbreakers.

The ships of the second Gaza-Flotilla have been detained in Greece since days and many “Fly In” demonstrators couldn’t reach their destination – the Israelis compelled international airlines to refuse to even carry certain passengers. How do you feel about the success of this action?

We used the situation to make the media aware of how bad the human rights situation is in the West Bank and in Gaza. Through this sharp and totally exaggerated reaction by Israel it has become evident to many people all over the world what the government is prepared to do to isolate the people of Palestine.

Teachers in civics: a real danger of fascism in schools

1 July 2011 Communist Party of Israel המפלגה הקומוניסטית הישראלית http://maki.org.il

The Education Ministry's decision to strengthen "Jewish and Zionist identity" studies in civics classes at the expense of democracy studies is creating tension and rifts among teachers who are battling over the character and content of civics classes. The Kibbutzim College for education and Technology, in Tel-Aviv, held yesterday an emergency conference for 100 teachers who claim that the expected curriculum changes could endanger Israeli democracy. In the conference participated teachers, Jews and Arabs, from Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Um El-Fahem, Kfar Sava, Kufr Kassem, the northern Negev and others towns.

The storm and rift between the teachers are due to recent statements made by the Chairman of the Education Ministry's Pedagogical Secretariat Dr. Zvi Zameret who claimed that "patriotism and Zionism studies" should be a more significant component in civics classes – at the expense of democracy studies. A petition signed by 70 high school civics teachers from around the country stated: "We the civics teachers believe that civics education in Israel should include national and patriotic studies together with democracy studies and education to civic involvement".

"Israel se prepara para completar la limpieza étnica de los palestinos"

Entrevista al jeque Raed Salah

23 junio 2011, Rebelión http://www.rebelion.org (México)

Original en inglés: Middle East Monitor/Traducido al francés por MR para ISM/Traducido para Rebelión por J. M. y revisado por Caty R.

En una entrevista exclusiva con Middle East Monitor, el líder del movimiento islámico israelí, el jeque Raed Salah, advirtió de que «Los israelíes están sentando las bases de un clima general “adecuado” para la última etapa de la limpieza de los palestinos, que empezó en 1948 y no ha cesado desde entonces».

Salah, a quien los palestinos ven como el guardián de la mezquita de Al-Aqsa dijo que «Jerusalén sufre la continua ocupación israelí y el plan es la ‘judaización’ de Israel. Los lugares santos islámicos y cristianos, las mezquitas, iglesias y cementerios son objetos de ataques constantes».

«Estoy convencido de que las revoluciones árabes redefinirán la causa palestina, aunque algunos han tratado de distorsionar esta definición diciendo que la cuestión palestina concierne únicamente a los palestinos. Las revoluciones han confirmado que la causa palestina es una causa de todo el mundo árabe e islámico en conjunto, así como de todos los que aman la libertad y el humanismo».

Entrevista:

¿Puede describir la situación actual en Jerusalén? ¿Qué ocurre con los palestinos que viven allí, con la mezquita Al-Aqsa y los demás lugares islámicos?

Jerusalén sufre la ocupación israelí y el plan es la ‘judaización’ de Israel .Los lugares sagrados islámicos y cristianos, mezquitas, iglesias y cementerios, son objeto de ataques constantes.

La mezquita de Al-Aqsa, en particular, se enfrenta a las atrocidades de la ocupación, las excavaciones y demoliciones .Hay una posibilidad muy seria de que las autoridades de ocupación israelíes lleven a cabo sus sueños locos explícitamente anunciados: simplemente, quieren destruir la Mezquita Al-Aqsa y construir un templo en su lugar.

Los sufrimientos de los ciudadanos palestinos bajo la ocupación israelí en Jerusalén son enormes. Padecen restricciones para ganarse la vida, obstáculos para evitar que construyan en su propia tierra, la confiscación de tierras palestinas por parte del municipio de Jerusalén bajo control israelí en condiciones inaceptables.

Viven bajo la amenaza de que confisquen sus documentos de identidad y así verse expulsados de su lugar de nacimiento. Eso es exactamente lo que pasó recientemente a Mohammed Abu Tair, miembro electo del Consejo Legislativo, una amenaza que se cierne sobre todos los demás miembros del Consejo elegidos para representar a los habitantes de Jerusalén , y también le pasó al ex ministro Khaled Abu Arafa.

Los palestinos de Jerusalén sienten que todas las instituciones están en peligro, los organismos sociales, de salud, la educación, la literatura, a pesar de los impuestos recaudados por el municipio y que están obligados a pagar. Estos llamados impuestos son sólo un medio para confiscar las tierras y las casas de los ciudadanos bajo el pretexto de evasión fiscal.

¿Cuáles son las condiciones de vida en los territorios palestinos ocupados por Israel en 1948? ¿Puede describir los desafíos socioeconómicos, legales y políticos que enfrentan debido a la ley israelí y las restricciones que les imponen?


Personalmente, estoy convencido de que la realidad de los territorios de 1948 se puede resumir en tres proyectos que la clase dirigente israelí usa contra la comunidad palestina de 1948.

1.- Los intentos de la clase dirigente israelí para separar a los ciudadanos palestinos del resto de los palestinos árabes e islámicos.

2.- Los intentos de la clase dirigente israelí de desmantelar la sociedad palestina y convertirla en un conjunto de individuos y nada más

3.- Los israelíes están sentando las bases de un clima general "adecuado" para la última etapa de la limpieza de los palestinos, que comenzó en 1948 y no ha parado desde entonces. En primer lugar deportar a personas, luego a grupos y después puede llegar algo más grave.

Todo lo que el establishment israelí pone en práctica contra la sociedad palestina, de la discriminación jurídica y la persecución religiosa hasta la confiscación y erosión cotidianas de sus derechos, forma parte de los tres proyectos mencionados.

Quiero señalar aquí que la clase dirigente israelí da a todas sus decisiones y prácticas una cobertura de manera que todo parece legal, como la confiscación de tierras pertenecientes a palestinos y la destrucción de sus hogares. La dirigencia israelí ha ratificado una serie de leyes para ocultar todos los aspectos de estas injusticias, incluyendo las que se refieren a destruir las casas y pueblos, como ocurrió en todo el desierto del Negev.

El último ejemplo es la ley que permite a las autoridades la retirada de la ciudadanía. En violación de todas las normas internacionales, los israelíes aprobaron una ley que los autoriza a retirar la nacionalidad a los palestinos y expulsarlos de sus casas, y todo esto es perfectamente «legal» en Israel .

¿Qué piensa de las negociaciones? Los negociadores israelíes y la Autoridad Palestina, discutieron la posibilidad de un «intercambio de población» por un «intercambio de tierras» para el establecimiento de un Estado palestino, ¿qué piensa usted sobre esto y qué piensa la población afectada?

Puedo confirmar que todos los movimientos políticos en los territorios palestinos, donde están las masas incluidas, se niegan a aceptar esos intercambios. Los consideran, lo mismo que yo, un plan para expulsar a los palestinos de su tierra y continuar con lo que se inició durante la Nakba sobre el terreno en 1948.

¿Está en contacto con los miembros del equipo negociador de la OLP? En su opinión, ¿cuál sería una solución justa al conflicto?

Tengo relaciones con el Comité de Seguimiento, la Autoridad Palestina y la sociedad palestina en general, con todas sus instituciones y todas sus facciones. En lo que se refiere a la segunda parte de su pregunta, creo que la pregunta en sí misma es injusta para el pueblo palestino. Nos siguen preguntando nuestra opinión sobre la solución, pero al mismo tiempo la ocupación israelí no cesa de judaizar Jerusalén y Cisjordania . En otros términos, a nosotros se nos hace la pregunta de qué pedimos, cuando la realidad de la situación deja sin sentido nuestra respuesta. Por lo tanto digo que cuando exista una oportunidad real para el establecimiento de un Estado palestino, voy a responder a esta pregunta.

El movimiento islámico en Palestina (1948) está compuesto desde hace años de dos facciones, y usted es el líder del movimiento del norte. Los dos movimientos se reunieron recientemente en Israel. ¿Por qué ahora? ¿Qué provocó esta unión? ¿Y qué impacto cree que tendrá sobre los palestinos en Israel?

El movimiento islámico se escindió en 1996 y hemos visto la aparición de dos escuelas de pensamiento. Hoy, sin embargo, ambos grupos van hacia la unificación de la acción y el movimiento islámicos. Los palestinos de Israel recibieron con satisfacción esta unificación, porque creen que esto les dará poder, y no sólo al movimiento islámico.

El movimiento islámico en los territorios palestinos del 48 se estableció en la década de 1970 y pasó por tres etapas:

1.- La etapa de la creación, que terminó con una campaña de arresto por las autoridades israelíes de los miembros del movimiento en 1978.

2.- Tras las detenciones, a mediados de la década de 1980, se fundaron las instituciones locales y la estructura de la organización incluía a todos los miembros del movimiento. Esta etapa terminó con la salida de algunos miembros que decidieron participar en las elecciones de la Knesset israelí y formar parte del proceso político israelí.

3.- La tercera fase vio la expansión del trabajo basado en la educación islámica. El movimiento desarrolló programas educativos y de apoyo que se corresponden con la comprensión de nuestra religión.

Durante este período, el movimiento amplificó su lucha popular, profundizó su participación en las actividades internas de los palestinos y ha puesto en marcha muchos proyectos que han impactado en las vidas de la gente común, ya que entiende y responde a sus muchas inquietudes. El movimiento también empezó a establecer una red de organizaciones y servicios para ayudar a los musulmanes y no musulmanes en el interior de Israel, los comités de la zakat (limosna, ndt), por ejemplo, los comités de reforma y otras instituciones sociales como la Institución Sanad para madres e hijos, y muchas otras.

Desde la década de 1990, el movimiento islámico se ha centrado en las preocupaciones acerca de Jerusalén y la mezquita Al-Aqsa. Tomamos en cuenta la magnitud de la conspiración en contra de Jerusalén , su población y Al-Aqsa y el movimiento islámico decidió crear la Fundación Aqsa, que es muy popular debido a que es el ojo que observa de cerca lo que hace la dirigencia israelí contra nuestros lugares sagrados y la mezquita Al-Aqsa, y difunde alertas sobre los atroces crímenes de la ocupación israelí.

Los levantamientos árabes han llamado la atención de la comunidad internacional y de los medios de comunicación internacionales en los últimos meses, en los que los dictadores y los regímenes han sido derrocados. ¿Cuál es su evaluación de las revoluciones en el norte de África y el Medio oriente? En particular, ¿cree que el cambio de régimen en Egipto tendrá un impacto en Palestina?

Estoy convencido de que las revoluciones árabes redefinirán la causa palestina, aunque algunos han tratado de distorsionar esta definición diciendo que la cuestión palestina sólo concierne a los palestinos. Las revoluciones confirmaron que la causa palestina es una causa del mundo árabe e islámico en su conjunto y la causa de todos los que aman la libertad y el humanismo. Esto significa que las autoridades israelíes de la ocupación saben que hoy no sólo están luchando contra el pueblo palestino, sino también contra todo el mundo árabe, el mundo islámico y humanitario, en tanto y en cuanto continúen negando el derecho del pueblo palestino a establecer un Estado palestino con Jerusalén como capital.

La campaña por el Boicot, Desinversión y Sanciones (BDS) comenzó a tener eco en la comunidad internacional, con los famosos, los parlamentarios y activistas apoyando la campaña. ¿Qué piensa del movimiento BDS y de los activistas internacionales que vienen a Palestina para ayudar a poner fin a la ocupación?

En la actualidad los palestinos saben que las Naciones Unidas reconocieron al Estado de Israel , bajo la condición de que a los refugiados palestinos se les permitiría regresar a su tierra. Sin embargo, está claro que la dirigencia israelí niega el derecho al retorno, lo que significa que no ha cumplido los criterios para su reconocimiento por las Naciones Unidas.

Por lo tanto, la opinión pública de Palestina ha dicho francamente que Israel hizo de sí mismo una entidad nula en todos los conceptos del término. Los palestinos se preguntan por qué Israel se siente con el derecho de exigir que se reconozca su existencia, mientras al mismo tiempo el Estado sionista se niega a reconocer a Palestina . ¿Por qué el reconocimiento se orienta hacia un solo lado? Por tanto, es natural para los palestinos apoyar la campaña BDS, porque está claro que la entidad israelí es una falsa realidad que no debe ser reconocido por otros.

¿Cuál es el significado de su participación en la Flotilla de la Libertad?

Para mí, participar en la Flotilla de la Libertad significa formar parte de una iniciativa mundial en la que gente de todo el mundo, de todos los continentes y de todas las religiones, se une para afirmar que ya es hora de levantar el asedio de Gaza, que es momento de que Gaza viva en libertad e independencia y de que goce de la plena soberanía de sus aguas territoriales, su tierra y su cielo, como un paso hacia el establecimiento de un Estado palestino con Jerusalén como su capital.

Al mismo tiempo, la participación en la Flotilla de la Libertad para nosotros, los palestinos de los territorios ocupados en 1948, conocidos como " Israel ", un retorno a nuestras raíces, donde algunos han tratado de separarnos. Renovamos nuestros canales de comunicación entre nosotros mismos y nuestras relaciones entre palestinos, árabes, islámicos y humanitarios.

Original en inglés: Middle East Monitor
Traducido al francés por MR para ISM
Fuente: http://www.ism-france.org/analyses/Raed-Salah-Israel-se-prepare-a-finaliser-le-nettoyage-ethnique-des-Palestiniens-article-15709

Netanyahu's tidings of destruction

Indeed, the right wing considers recognition of the reality created in 1949 to be the chief enemy of Zionism. The dynamic of a conquering nationalism can never recognize that any situation created at any given time is final.

10 June 2011, Haaretz הארץ (Israel)

By Zeev Sternhell

Of all the tasks that the Israeli right has set for itself, the most important is expunging the foundational status of the War of Independence. For if a war that killed 1 percent of the population and gave rise to the State of Israel was nothing but one more in a long line of wars through which the land has been conquered again and again, from Zionism's early days until today, the two primary results of that war - the concept of citizenship and the new state's borders - truly have no special status.

By contrast, if we see the establishment of the state as a watershed event in Jewish national history - both because it engendered a new political and legal concept in the history of Zionism, that of citizenship, and because geopolitical borders were assigned to the new entity for the first time - then the enterprise of conquering the land has ended. And that, in the eyes of the right wing, is the real existential danger.

Indeed, the right wing considers recognition of the reality created in 1949 to be the chief enemy of Zionism. According to its worldview, Zionism must be a movement in a constant state of formation and creation, one that relies on the Jews' ability to impose their will on their surroundings. The dynamic of a conquering nationalism can never recognize that any situation created at any given time is final.

This, naturally, leads to the view that there's nothing sacred about the Green Line and that settling the land conquered in 1967 is no less legitimate than settling the Galilee or the Negev. That's the view Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently forgot to expound on in Washington. But it's reasonable to assume that U.S. President Barack Obama is aware of what most members of the U.S. Congress either don't know or don't want to know, whether for electoral reasons or for reasons of convenience.

Members of Congress apparently haven't heard that Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who wants to be the leader of the entire Israeli right, has already asserted that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved, and could therefore continue for another 100 years. Netanyahu's national security adviser, for his part, has asserted that the 1967 borders are unacceptable because they leave too many Jews outside Israel. But neither of them is perpetuating Netanyahu's big lie: that these borders are indefensible.

Unfortunately for the ruling right, the parameters of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal were set many years ago, and they have been etched deeply into the Israeli and international consciousness. The current French initiative is just an expression of the European consensus, if not the global one. This means that Israel has only two options: willingly accept the finality of the situation as it was the day after the state's establishment, or reach the same point only after being forcibly dragged to it, while becoming a pariah and an object of revulsion along the way.

But the question of borders is only one aspect of the failure to recognize the War of Independence as a fundamental turning point; it also has a civic angle. The anti-democratic legislation that the Knesset has enacted over the past year, which targets basic civic equality and which borders on racism even if it is not actually racist, is a way of declaring that the essence of the state is that it belongs to Jews alone. At bottom, this view stems from seeing Jews as the sole owners of the Land of Israel.

This means the state doesn't exist to guarantee democracy, equality, human rights or even a decent life to all; it exists to guarantee Jewish rule over the Land of Israel and to make sure no additional political entity is established here. Everything is deemed permissible to reach that end, and no price is considered too high. That's essentially what former Mossad chief Meir Dagan was warning us about as well. And for that reason, no previous government has ever posed as great a danger to the public as Netanyahu's government does.