| IOP Report {3} - January 2013 |
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| Saturday, 12 January 2013 | |
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While Occupation and blockade are business as usual for Israel, there should be no business with Israel In Occupied Palestine Zionism in practice Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property (Compiled by Leslie Bravery, Palestine Human Rights Campaign POB 56150, Dominion Rd, Auckland, New Zealand www.palestine.org.nz) New Palestinian village to challenge Occupation settlement expansion Freedom Bus joins forces with communities under threat in the Jordan Valley Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign urgent appeal for support Economic sabotage: Gaza – the Israeli Navy continues to enforce its unilaterally-imposed three-nautical-mile fishing zone in violation of the slightly less extreme six-nautical-mile fishing zone that fishermen were led to expect following the latest ceasefire agreement. Recent news updates: Jews For Palestinian Right of Return – As Jews of conscience, we call on all supporters of social justice to stand up for Palestinian Right of Return and a democratic state throughout historic Palestine — 'From the River to the Sea' — with equal rights for all. http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2013/01/07/jews-for-palestinian-right-of-return/ Palestinian children's photography showcased in Scottish Parliament. Lauren Pyott – The Electronic Intifada – "The exhibition, a collaborative effort undertaken by Scottish photographer Phil Chetwynd, the Glasgow University Palestine Society and the Lajee Center in Bethlehem's Aida refugee camp, showcased the artwork of children from across the West Bank. http://electronicintifada.net/content/palestinian-childrens-photography-showcased-scottish-parliament/12067 Two women found dead in West Bank floods. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=554689 Opinion: EU should re-think its border assistance role. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=549594 Palestinian home demolished in Jerusalem. Saed Bannoura – IMEMC – "ICAHD estimates that Israel demolished at least 24,145 homes in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since 1967." http://www.imemc.org/article/64842 Auckland, Waiheke Island – Theatres of Resistance 2013 – Community Cinema Evening – Feisty FUN and Discussion! 15 January at 8pm – Billy Hania is speaking to a piece by Chris Hedges on Palestine followed by a discussion. For more information contact: Jim Gladwin This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Why progressives should oppose Hagel. By Allen Ruff / Those to the left should not fall into the trap of cheering on Obama's latest War Department pick, solely because the Right stands opposed. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33577.htm BDS campaigners cost Veolia 4.7bn in London. 8 January 2013 – International Solidarity Movement / Vociferous local campaign by the No2 Veolia Action Group leads Occupation profiteer Veolia to withdraw from colossal waste management contracts. No2 Veolia Action Group (No2VAG) is celebrating a huge victory with the withdrawal of Veolia, a multinational company complicit in Israeli violations of international law. http://palsolidarity.org/2013/01/bds-campaigners-cost-veolia-4-7bn-in-london/ UK documentary maker and activist Harry Fear and Roger Fowler will give a talk on their experiences in Gaza up to the start of Israel's Operation Pillar of Cloud at the end of last year. The talk will take place at 7pm on 7 February at the Auckland University Library, Lecture Room B28. Harry's visit will be a great start to building up awareness and solidarity for Palestine in NZ in 2013. Harry Fear's documentary: Martyred in Gaza http://www.deliberation.info/martyred-in-gaza-a-documentary-by-harry-fear/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Palestinian village to challenge Occupation settlement expansion Palestine Liberation Organisation, Department of Culture and Information Press Release 11 January 2012: Dr Ashrawi on establishment of new Palestinian village of Bab Al Shams: PLO Executive Committee Member Dr Hanan Ashrawi welcomed the initiative to establish a new Palestinian village in the area where Israel plans to expand the Ma’ale Adumin settlement. Bab al Shams (Gate of the Sun) was established today by hundreds of Palestinians and international supporters, including the rightful owners of the land, popular committees, youth groups and other civil society organisations. “This initiative is a highly creative and legitimate non-violent tool to protect our land from Israeli colonial plans. We have the right to live anywhere in our State, and we call upon the international community to support such initiatives, as well as to protect those who are being threatened by Israeli occupation forces for exercising their right to peaceful resistance against the illegal Israeli occupation.” Dr Ashrawi congratulated the organisers: “This is collective effort initiated by civil society, including youth, social and political organisations, who came together to support the right of the owners of the land to make use of it as they see fit. We fully support and encourage non-violent popular resistance against the Israeli occupation throughout the State of Palestine.” To conclude, Dr Ashrawi highlighted the fact that “what this great initiative demonstrates, is the serious hardships that Palestinians face, just to live on their own land. Those who have challenged the occupation forces are being threatened simply for trying to peacefully make use of the land belonging to the occupied State of Palestine. What is happening at Bab Al Shams is a reminder of the apartheid regime that Israel has imposed for the exclusive use of land for Jewish Israeli settlers all over Palestine.” For more information please contact: Xavier Abu Eid, Communications Advisor Palestine Liberation Organisation, Negotiations Affairs Department Mobile No : +970 598 950 300, Office No: +970 2 296 37 45 Website: http://www.nad-plo.org Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Twitter: @Xavier_Abu_Eid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Freedom Bus joins forces with communities under threat in the Jordan Valley From 17-19 January 2013, The Freedom Theatre’s Freedom Bus, in partnership with Jordan Valley Solidarity [1], will hold a multi-day action with the people of Fasay’il. Located on the border of Area B and Area C, the community of Fasay’il experiences regular land confiscation, house demolitions and harassment from settlers and the Israeli army [2]. Fasay’il is currently under threat of further devastating evictions and house demolitions [3]. The Freedom Bus troupe will use Playback Theatre [4] to give voice to the personal accounts of Fasay’il residents. The troupe will be joined by the renowned Zajal poet, Abu Naji, as well as local musicians, and Dabke performers from the Jordan Valley. The three-day event will also include building work aimed at helping the residents of Fasay’il to stay on their land. The upcoming Freedom Bus visit to Fasay’il is part of the build up for the March Freedom Ride, taking place 17-29 March 2013 [5]. During the March Freedom Ride students, artists and activists from across Palestine and abroad will join Palestinian farmers and shepherds at risk of forced expulsion in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills. The ride will include building and reconstruction work, protective presence activity, guided solidarity walks, home-stays, interactive workshops, educational talks and cultural events. Inspired by the Freedom Rides of the Civil Rights era in the USA, the Freedom Bus promotes cultural resistance, using live music, poetry and Playback Theatre performances to transmit accounts of daily life under occupation. The Freedom Bus has been endorsed by well-known cultural and political figures like John Berger, Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Judith Butler and Noam Chomsky.[6] Details and background info: •The Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign: is a network of Palestinian grass-roots community groups from all over the Jordan Valley and abroad. [www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org] • The Freedom Bus: is co-ordinated by The Freedom Theatre: a Palestinian theatre and multi-media centre based in the Jenin Refugee Camp. A range of other Palestinian community-based organisations and associations are involved in the Freedom Bus initiative. [www.thefreedomtheatre.org/] Notes to Editors: [1] For more information visit: www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org [2] See United Nations Fact Sheet on the Jordan Valley area: http://bit.ly/UCI3Eo [3] More information see: www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=552669 [4] In Playback Theatre audience members share autobiographical accounts and watch as a team of actors and musicians instantly transforms these accounts into improvised theatre pieces. [5] Details and itinerary here: www.freedombus.ps/join-the-ride/ [6] A full list of endorsements can be found here: www.freedombus.ps/endorsements/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twitter: @FreedomBusPal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2013 – steady as we go From: The Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) Best wishes for a fulfilling 2013 to all who want to act in solidarity with Palestinians. We mourn the loss of friends – Ron Deen, Stephen Maxwell, Marion Woolfson, Rev Hugh Drummond – whose stalwart defence of Palestinian rights inspires us to continue and intensify our own efforts. 2012 was an active year for Palestine solidarity in Scotland, against a background of escalating Israeli dispossession and massacre, with full UK government backing of the criminal and apartheid state. The question is still open whether the worldwide movement of disgust at Israeli crimes and sympathy for the Palestinian cause can be turned into active solidarity of sufficient impact to force an end to Israeli crimes before the Zionist project is completed. SPSC is simply still too small as 2013 opens; we need your energy and your ideas to prevent the complete colonisation of all of Palestine with all Palestinians herded into walled and electronically controlled prisons. Unsurprisingly, UK Foreign Secretary Hague supported the November surge in Israeli killing of Palestinians without reservation and Tony Blair stills slouches around the Middle East, at huge public expense, as our official 'peace-bringer'. We expect by now that Hague and Blair will rub salt in the open wounds of Palestinians, but many were surprised when the Scottish Government dropped the First Minister's previous rhetorical commitment to sanctions against Israel and opted for normalisation. 2012 witnessed the development of Scottish-Israeli trade and technical co-operation, diplomatic relations unhampered by Israel's violations of international law, and Scottish Government defence of its financial aid to Israeli settler company, Eden Springs, to forward its business plan promoting the products of another Israeli settler company, SodaStream. 2012 also saw ordinary citizens and civil society institutions take a stand against Israeli crimes, with the building of the BDS campaign, boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until it conforms to minimum standards of justice for Palestinians. Seven Scottish PSC members participated in the World Social Forum – Free Palestine – in Brazil in November, which went ahead despite sustained Israeli and local Zionist efforts to prevent it. Observing South America, Palestinians can draw inspiration from current successes of indigenous peoples there to challenge colonial-settler systems based on racial domination by a white elite of mainly Spanish European decent. The current Bolivian President, Evo Morales, describes the Bolivian struggle as similar to that of South Africans. The inspiration is two-way; some talk of the indigenous people's intifada. We appeal to you personally to help us build a stronger campaign in support of Palestinians and against UK and Scottish Governmental complicity. Please support SPSC.
Alone you can do something, but if you organise with others of your ilk you can do much more. Together we have a real chance to consign apartheid Israel to the dustbin of history with apartheid South Africa. Mick Napier On behalf of Scottish PSC This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strange Stirrings in Washington And the Israel lobby won't like it too much.... By Eric Willoughby As each lobby tries to put the best spin on President Obama's stated intention to make Chuck Hagel the new US Defence Secretary, other moves in a hefty Cabinet reshuffle are going almost unnoticed. In Tel Aviv, the initial fear of Hagel is subsiding, now that he has reminded everyone of his "unequivocal and total support for Israel", and that John Kerry's appointment as Secretary of State is regarded as a safe pair of hands for Israel. This despite the Israel lobby's fervent support for pro-Israel Tom Donilon, of whom we shall certainly hear more. Less obvious is the Cabinet reshuffle, where Jack (Jacob) Lew's term of office as White House Chief of Staff, has come to its end. His appointment as Treasury Secretary will finally allow Tim Geithner to take his leave of a job that has to deal with a budget deficit of $16.4 trillion (that's enough 0-s to make your eyes water). The resignation of Hilda Solis as Labour Secretary means that the only Hispanic has gone from the US Cabinet, and all the new appointees are "white" males. The key position of Attorney General stays with Eric Holder. What does this mean for the USA outlook on Israel and the State of Palestine? Despite Israel's muted relief, Hagel is in fact less than impressed by the Israeli hold on American politics, particularly AIPAC. Steven Walt's damning book on AIPAC* describes Hagel as wanting to be "more even-handed" on the Israel-Palestine issue, and of course Israel wants none of that. Hagel is also strong on opposition to military action against Iran. On this dichotomy with Israel he is more philosophical: "We have differences with all our allies" he says nonchalantly. The White House will only make the equivocal statement that "Sen. Hagel is in sync with the President's policies". In fact Hagel is way below Israel's ideal as American Defence Secretary. He has refused to sign up to a call for Hezbollah to be deemed a terrorist organisation, and in 2009 he called upon Obama to have direct talks with Hamas, fearing another Palestinian bloodbath. Not surprising, then, that Ira Forman – until recently Head of the National Jewish Democratic Council – said: “If [Hagel] was taking a policy role, we’d have real concerns.” That's nothing to the head-shaking going on in Tel Aviv. But with Hagel leading defence (Defense) and Jack Lew no longer running the White House, Israel is not wrong to think Washington is cooling very slightly on their devotion. It's not affecting the $4 billion of military aid going to Israel this year, but ordinary Americans are finally realising how many hours they have to work, to pay their share of that largesse through their taxes. There is an open door for an important campaign on this issue, because if the American people – who are increasingly Hispanics – start lobbying their Congressmen and Senators with objections, greater things might happen. If the timing is right, it could even affect the next Presidential election. President Obama's eaves-dropped comment to Sarkosy about Netanyahu: "...try putting up with him every day..." has been conveniently brushed under the carpet, but that will be nothing to the next Israeli government. Especially if Naftali Bennett gets a sniff of power. Whilst Livni's idea of alternating the Prime Minister-ship in a coalition is a non-starter, Washington's response to the governance of their closest ally will be sorely tested unless AIPAC really gets a grip on the new-style Cabinet. It probably will. Donilon is gone, but Hagel is no bagel, and Israel won't like that. With acknowledgements to the Washington Post and the Jerusalem Post
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Further news sources Ali Kazak's newsletter Today in Palestine contains many news summaries that include both armed and non-violent methods of resistance to the Occupation. The newsletter also contains much other useful reporting. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For more news see: Today in Palestine! www.groups.yahoo.com/group/f_shadi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Behind the Wall Rich Wiles is a photographic artist who has been living and working in Palestine for some years. His photographic work has been shown around Europe, the US, Australia and in Palestine itself. Since 2006 he has been writing from Occupied Palestine under the title Behind the Wall. Much of this work is based in and around the refugee camps in Palestine, highlighting daily life and memories of refugees who still live in forced exile for over 60 years since Al Nakba (The Catastrophe). www.richwiles.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See this In Occupied Palestine Report at: the PHRC website: www.palestine.org.nz - and you can check out previous editions by clicking on In Occupied Palestine listed under Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stop the Violence Coalition Stop the Violence is a coalition aimed at fighting against Israeli violence and crimes all over the world. The purpose of the coalition is to co-ordinate the efforts of groups and individuals working to protest against the historic and continuing oppression of Palestinian people by the Israeli regime. Our coalition is an independent and non-profit organisation, based in Europe, which was formed as part of a global movement against Israeli apartheid. We can also provide the latest news, articles, photos, events and petitions. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have friends who would also like to receive these newsletters, please ask them to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |