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TechnoratiLights Out in Gaza, News Blackout in US
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have decried Israel's continued aerial bombing campaign as unlawful and denounced the killing of more than 300 Palestinians since 27 December, including scores of unarmed civilians not taking part in the hostilities. Israel's attacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip also elicited condemnation from numerous world politicians and sparked protests in global cities.
Despite international outcry over escalating violence, the U.S. mainstream media continues to privilege a prepackaged narrative in which Israel's actions are never disproportionate, never counterproductive and certainly never gratuitous. According to the mainstream media, the U.S. must continue uncompromisingly supporting Israel because the allegedly beleaguered democracy is held hostage by monomaniacal Islamofascists who are inherently evil. Promoting a paradigm in which Israel is always David up against Goliath, the U.S. media presents suffering Palestinians as expendable for the greater cause of Israel winning its epic struggle. To justify U.S.'s carte blanche to Israel, the mainstream media restricts American readers to an echo chamber in which the following claims are repeated ad nausem until they are mistaken for fact:
- Israel has a legal and moral right to bomb Gaza out of defense Security concerns are not and never have been a tolerable justification for pre-emptive attacks. Israel's decision to bomb Gaza represents a major assault on the international rule of law. The law of occupation is one of the oldest and most developed branches of international humanitarian law. An occupying power is obliged to follow the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects the civilian population. The United Nations Security Council held in 1979 that the Fourth Convention did apply in the territories seized by Israel in 1967. Article 48 of the additional protocol is clear that Israel, as an occupying power, has obligations: "The Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objective." The latest Israeli attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza's beleaguered Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and other necessities of life. "International law is not observed with respect to Israeli policies towards the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to reinforce an occupation whose every element violates international humanitarian law, and particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention," notes Jeff Halper, an Israeli-American Anthropologist, author, lecturer, political activist, and co-founder and Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
- Israeli citizens live in constant fear of Hamas rockets Since 2005 Hamas has fired some 6,300 rockets from Gaza at Israel, killing 10 people.[1] In just the last four days, Israel has reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble and killed over 300 Palestinians. During the ongoing four-decade-long brutal occupation of historic Palestine and the recent grotesquely inhumane blockade of Gaza, Palestinian deaths have far outnumbered Israeli deaths. Since September 29, 2000, approximately 123 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians whereas 1,050 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis. Since September 29, 2000, a total of 1,062 Israelis and no fewer than 4,876 Palestinians were killed in the conflict.[2]
- Hamas refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist and has never made any concessions As Seth Ackerman of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) notes, there is no need to euphemize Hamas' history of brutal tactics or its bellicose ideology, but Hamas has signaled its potential willingness to accept a two-state settlement and make other concessions to broker peace.[3] Hamas has also made tentative offers of a long-term "hudna," or truce, albeit with less gusto than Israel demands.
- Israel is only targeting Hamas headquarters Gaza, one of the most densely populated tracts of land in the world, is home to about 1.3m Palestinians, about 33% of whom live in United Nations-funded refugee camps.[4] Avoiding civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip during aerial raids is comparable to trying to avoid such casualties in Washington DC, New York City or Los Angeles. "Because Gaza is so densely populated, there is no such thing as precision strike - you have glass, brick, shrapnel flying into people's homes," notes Ewa Jasiewicz, a volunteer with the Free Gaza Movement.[5]
- Attacking Hamas will help Israel achieve security There is no doubt that the recent attacks will only embolden and multiply Israel's detractors. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians against Israel's attacks on Gaza. For a second day in Jordan, several thousand protesters gathered in Amman and burned Israeli and American flags.[6] There were similar rallies in Egypt, Syria, Libya and Iraq with many calling for a firm response from their leaders. Hamas' military is barely dented by the Israeli attacks and, according to a poll by Israel's Channel 10 television station, only 6% of Israelis believe its governments aerial bombings will end Hamas' rocket attacks. [7]
- The Bush administration has the implicit support of the international community in blaming Hamas "thugs" and applauding Israel's show of defense With the exception of the U.S. and her staunchest allies, the international community has largely condemned Israel's attacks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Israel to "urgently halt" its military campaign. Japan's Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said, "Japan calls on Israel to exercise its utmost self-restraint." China's Vice-Premier Li Kequiang joined the voices urging a halt to violence and said, "The Chinese side is shocked and seriously concerned over the current military operations in Gaza that have caused a large number of death and injuries."[8] Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi similarly stated, "Malaysia deplores the disproportionate use of military power by Israel against the people of Gaza." French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the European Union presidency, told the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas of his serious concerns about the escalating violence. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon added his voice to the 15-member Security Council's call for an immediate end to hostilities and urged Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the poverty-stricken territory.[9] Humanitarian organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reiterate their call for an end to reckless and unlawful Israeli attacks against densely populated residential areas.
- The attacks on Gaza are supported by the entire Jewish community Jewish Voice for Peace joins millions around the world, including the 1,000 Israelis who protested in the streets of Tel Aviv this weekend, in condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. The organization calls for an immediate end to attacks on all civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli. In the face of mounting deaths, several Israeli and American Jewish peace groups are protesting the recent air raids by demonstrating in the streets, petitioning their elected officials and directly reaching out to Palestinian civilians. Groups that are encouraging peace between Palestinians and Israelis include Rabbis for Human Rights, B'Tselem, Bat Shalom, Ta'ayush, Yesh-Gvul, Peace Gush Shalom Tikkun, and many others. While there is no consensus in the Jewish community on the recent Gaza air raids, the underreported efforts of the Jewish "left" is far from negligible; Jewish Voices of Peace claims more than 10,000 members and has been instrumental in drawing attention to the lopsided media coverage through their "Lights out in Gaza, News Blackout in U.S." campaign. Many of these Jewish peace activists are deeply religious and draw on the Torah to support their stand against Israel's attack on Gaza. The media has extensively covered the Israeli settlers who cheer on Israel's more hawkish actions, but little has been written on dissident Israeli Jews and their American Jewish sympathizers who are advocating a more peaceful, non-violent course.
The mainstream media is culpable for American's ongoing ignorance and knee-jerk loyalty to Israel. Instead of elucidating motives and contextualizing actions, reporters' biased diction obscures facts and editors' cursory commentary muddles logic. By de-historicizing the conflict, the media reduces Palestinians to stock-characters who reject generous olive branches offered by Israel in favor of advocating for the dissolution of the Jewish state. A column by Israeli Gideon Levy in Haaretz, entitled "The neighborhood bully strikes again," could never appear in a paper in the U.S nor could a single paragraph be uttered by any American politician, in either party, of any national prominence without damning consequences.[10]
While visiting Israel
in July, President-elect Barack Obama said, "If somebody was sending rockets
into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to
stop that, and would expect Israel
to do the same thing." The question remains, what would Obama do if his
daughters were deprived of food, electricity, medical care, and human dignity?
What would Obama do if his daughters were humiliated when they traveled, maimed
when they walked away from bomb shelters and robbed of their childhoods? If
Obama fails to answer these questions with humanity, we can expect 4 to 8 more
years of President Bush's failed Middle East
strategy.
Notes:
[1] Wall Street Journal (Asia Edition), Editorial,
December 30, 2008 (http://online.wsj.com/
[2] If Americans Only Knew http://www.
[3] Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) http://www.fair.org/index.php?
[4] BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/
[5] Evening Standard (London) http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/
[6] BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
[7] TIME Magazine http://www.time.com/time/
[8] AFP News, http://www.google.com/
[9] AFP News, http://www.google.com/
[10] Salon.com http://www.salon.com/opinion/
54 Comments so far
Show AllThe problem is that Zionists regard jews as superior in value to non jews--everything they do is in relation to that belief system.
Jews have more rights than non jews.
Only jews can defend themselves.
Only jewish suffering matters.
This is why you get the ludicrous comments where Israel, supposedly with the 4th or 5th strongest army, is also the Middle East's biggest victim.
The Mark Steel article on the Independent highlights the lunacy perfectly.
Israel kills 300, Palestinians kill 3, but the problem is the Palestinians.
They should just die and let the Chosen people do what they want.
A jew whose family lived in Russia for 1000 years has more rights to live in a land than the people whose family has lived there for a 1000 years.
They even admit that in the Bible it says non jews lived there before Moses brought them out of Egypt.
It doesnt say the land was always there's. It doesnt have to, because all that matters is that the One True God says that this land belongs to his Chosen people.
Its logic turned on its head--and the only way to fathom it is if you believe in jewish supremacy myths.
People dont want to admit it because of the nazis.
but who says only anglo saxons are capable of believing in a racial supremacy myth?
The japanese regard(ed) chinese as inferior
Brits and germans regarded irish and dutch as inferior
Africans kept slaves.
North American indian tribes also kept slaves(i.e. Makah).
Its human nature.
But only Israel can get away with it in this day and age.
Oh!
There are 4 new Holocaust movies out!
I better go watch them so i remember that only jewish suffering matters.
Since many Jewish groups observe my wife's lineage, she receives much info from their groups that is utterly disgusting and in my opinion puts Israel's interests before our country (USA). Just imagine Rep Rahm Emanuel served in the Israeli Defense Forcesbut never the US military service. With all the aid given Israel and the carte blanche we ask ourselves "why do the other countries in the mideast hate us?" They hate our government, not our ordinary people.
Also Rainborowe I mean US troops to occupy Israel and if the Israelis cause one damn problem, nuke Israel or burn it to the ground. I am also of Syrian ancestry, a US Veteran and my children (as said before) are semitic ancestry from mother's side, Lithuanian Jewish whose grandparents escaped the holocaust. However she and her parents have never put guilt trips on anybody.
Rainborowe: I too am a history student in the are of Greek, Roman and the Historical Search for Jesus. In addition I am Arab American and my wife is of Lithuania Jewish descent. Let us settle that the Palestinians are the wronged people and the USA has assisted, enabled and permitted the Jewish people to perpetrate the extermination of the people of Palestine. In reality I hate most American supporters of Israel within and without our government.
Rainborowe Your historicity has some very good points, but no one ever said Aramaic was a nationality. Certainly Jewishness is not a nationality. I noticed you overlooked the fact (according to the Torah) that Moses said his father was Syrian (Deut 26:5). I usually find the Old Testament as not devinely inspired due to so much evil in, but more an embellished and self-serving history of the Hebrew people. They remain so to this day. You also overlooked the fact that Islam came in roughly 565AD so they could not have been (as a religion)involved in the religious horse-manure spouted by Jews. The solution to the entire problem is to occupy Israel with American troops once and for all. If they step out of line, nuke them. Also No Aid from any country and removal of all their WMD.
Jonah, you said earlier, "Old Hippy If their were Jews in that area during the times of Moses & Abraham et al they were Of Aramaic (Syrian) nationality"
Now you say, "but no one ever said Aramaic was a nationality." Jonah, YOU SAID IT!
Jonah, I didn't overlook the Torah. I ignored it. I'm a historian not a Doctor of Divinity. Where Moses said his father came from is of no importance whatsoever in terms of history.
Now you say: "You also overlooked the fact that Islam came in roughly 565 AD so they could not have been (as a religion)involved in the religious horse-manure spouted by Jews."
Jonah, Actually around 630-660 to Palestine-Syria, etc. I'll not bother to comment on your religio-racist invective, not least because I'm not sure what it means and really don't think it amounts to anything.
You say, "The solution to the entire problem is to occupy Israel with American troops once and for all. If they step out of line, nuke them. Also No Aid from any country and removal of all their WMD."
Jonah, as the biggest problem in the Palestine situation (and I'm speaking here as a Palestinian as well as an academic) has always been the United States, from Harry Truman's leap to recognize, without question, the self-declared state of Israel when it first announced itself in 1948 to the slavish protection and vast amounts of money spent on it even when it was assaulting American interests and killing Americans, I'm afraid your suggestion that the USA simply go in and deal with it the way we have so successfully dealt with Iraq and Afghanistan just makes me laugh. Yes, we Arabs have a sense of humor, too.
Rainborowe
To Jonah and others:
So much garbled nonsense here. Not surprising if you think Mel Gibson movies and the Bible are historical truth. Here's a little taste of fact:
Aramaic was never a nationality. It was a language. In fact it was the lingua franca of common discourse, the language of the home, in the Roman provinces of Judea/ Palaestina-Syria. It was a vernacular Semitic language very close to both Hebrew and Arabic but simpler than both. The province of Judaea ran from just south of Jerusalem to the southern shores of Lake Tiberias (called the Sea of Galilee in the New Testament). East of the Jordan River (territory roughly comparable to modern Jordan) were the Nabataeans (Arabs who spoke one of many versions of Arabic among themselves but could speak Aramaic and, as everyone who was at all educated could, Greek). They also owned the Negev (they shipped goods out of the port of Ghaza after bringing them up from the Hijaz by camel train). Northwards, into the province of Syria Romana (included modern Lebanon, Palmyra, etc.) a dialect of Arabic was also spoken but, again, Aramaic and Greek were universal. (Greek since the time of Alexander the Great.)
Mel Gibson notwithstanding, NOBODY spoke Latin in the Eastern Empire except Roman citizens from the Latifundia in conversation with other Latin-speaking Romans. All Romans were educated in Greek if they were educated at all, so that was the lingua franca of government and administration as well as culture.
Christs's words from the cross were most likely garbled/misheard (the guy was in the process of having the breath squeezed out of him—the result of crucifixion) because anyone there, all of them Aramaic speakers, remember, should have recognized "Eloi, Eloi" as meaning "My God, My God" (compare the modern Arabic: Allahi, Allahi and also the classical Hebrew which is even closer to the Aramaic in this instance.) Who tinkered with the record to suggest he said Elijah? Maybe the Greek scribes putting it down at some point. Or maybe they thought he was too God-forsaken, or wanted to think so, to possibly invoke God at the hour of his death.
Judaism was both a nationality at that time (and some other times) AND a religion. The Jews of Judea administered themselves (as elsewhere in the Roman Empire) and had their own laws, although the Roman Governor had veto power (hence Pilate's dilemma). Judaea was the Roman province of the Jews until the Bar-Kokhba Revolt against the Romans in 132-135 A.D. At that time the Romans, having put down the revolt, drove many—probably most—of the Jewish families out into the diaspora (mostly to North Africa, and other places around the Mediterranean). The Romans then erased the province of Judaea and renamed the area between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean the province of Palaestina-Syria. "Palaestina" after the Philistines who lived along the coastal plain of Palestine (the Jews lived along the range of hills down the center of the land and somewhat toward the Jordan River; you'll note in the Bible nobody goes to the sea--except the "Sea of Galilee" which is actually Lake Tiberias). The Philistines (or their descendants) lived there. They were the people (also called the "Sea Peoples" in their early days, coming probably from the Greek Islands) who brought iron tools to the Near East. They were not Semitic but over the years they intermarried with the other people of the area who were definitely Semitic, almost all Arabs with various dialects of Arabic plus Aramaic, and quite possibly with Jews or lapsed Jews.
Oh, and those Aramaic speakers of Ma'loula in Syria? (I think that may be the only place now although 20 years ago there was at least one other such village.) It's a Christian village in the hills of Southern Syria. It's a village centered on an ancient monastery. Aramaic is the principle language of the Eastern Orthodox liturgy (something like Latin in the R.C. church) alongside old Greek. Small communities in mountains everywhere tend to be left to themselves. Elsewhere Aramaic gave way to the Arabic dialect of the Hijaz (now known as Classical Arabic) with the coming of the Muslims; the languages were so similar that Aramaic was easily absorbed and lost as happened all over the now-Arab world.
Rainborowe
A good understanding of actual history would be helpful to many here and to Americans in general.
Jews and Muslims have NOT been fighting each other for thousands of years. This is a transparent and easily disproven lie that has been promoted to enable Zionism and paint their Arab neighbors as intractable and subhuman.
If one wants to say that for thousands of years there has been fighting between the Semitic peoples and others of the region, that would be fair.
But that is no different than what has taken place in Europe, Asia or anywhere else on the planet. To assign belligerence to one group of people is simply ignorant. To say peace is impossible simply promotes the tired old lie.
I have always enjoyed chessgame's cool head and uncommon insight. You have to ask yourself, just what does Israel hope to accomplish with this action?
If they exterminate 1.5 million Palesinians with an invasion they will be forever painted with the genoside brush. Nothing good can come from these attrocities. Word will leak out. Just like word leaked out in Bagdad about what Blackwater was doing with their "Turkeyshoots."
All the "right to exist" defense spin in the world will not wash the blood off their hands this time. American citizens are sick of this. They are unemployed, expoited and lied to domestically. We have no more stomache for foreign handouts and foreign religous holy wars.
This is a very sick, sick planet (lead by a disfunctional monkey drunk with power right up to his last days.) Hasn't this dumbphuck done enough damage to the world, already? His fingerprints are all over Gaza, and what's worse: his villianous finger is on the button for another twenty days.
Maybe it's time we all start taking off our shoes and throwing them at government everytime they lie to us... at all levels of society.
You will dislike what I have to say but you are safe, at your home, and belaboring a nation trying to exist and to allow its people to be free from suicide and bomb attacks. Here goes: the Palestinians elected Hamas in Gaza area and Hamas continues to try to eliminate the legitimate state of Israel. They send rockets daily into Israel. Why is it then that Israel has not attacked the West Bank Arabs or why is it that over one million Arabs continue to live in Israel rather than relocate to Gaza or elsewhere?
stop trying to kill and you will not be attacked. Simple, right? so moan all you will about a crazed and futile effort to stamp out Israel by a group of criminals who hide among civilians and then bemoan the deaths of those around them.
The ultimate example of stupidity? After all these years trying still to destroy a nation that will not be destroyed. why not, when losing the game, change the rules and try comming to the peace tab le to see ilf that will work?
You will not stop the rockets by wholesale massacres. One wrong does not justify a greater wrong. What you WILL do is ensure a recurrence of the violence with a vengeance. Israel must make peace for its own good because it's only a matter of time until Palestine (or Lebanon, or other country you hate and/or hates you) gets a terrible weapon. Terrorism will not bring an end to terrorism; on the contrary, it will only increase it, regardless of whether you label it self-defense, retaliation, or whatever. Violence used to end violence only begets more violence. Someone has to end the cycle. And the more desperate you make your neighbor, the less he has to lose, and the more dangerous he becomes to you. Try to see all this before it is too late.
I got this in an e-mail from "The Palestine Chronicle" today:
"The Palestine Chronicle is making available the list below, simply as a start up tool to those who need help finding alternative news, commentary and all sorts of information regarding the situation in Gaza. It's not meant to suggest that these are the only available resources, and we apologize if we have missed some obvious choices. In fact, we are sure that we have. Nonetheless, we hope that the list below will help you find more information that you cannot locate in your local or national media."
The Palestine Chronicle
www.palestinechronicle.com
The Electronic Intifada
www.electronicintifada.net
The AlternativeInformationCenter
www.alternativenews.org
InternationalMiddle EastMediaCenter
www.imemc.org
Stop the Wall
www.stopthewall.org
Islam Online
www.islamonline.net
Press TV
www.presstv.ir
CounterPunch
www.counterpunch.org
Free Gaza
www.freegaza.org
AMIN
www.amin.org
Palestinian News Agency WAFA
http://english.wafa.ps
Al Ahram Weekly
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg
BitterLemons
www.bitterlemons.org
Palestine Think Tank
www.palestinethinktank.com
Friends of Al Aqsa
www.aqsa.org.uk
Palestine Information Center
www.palestine-info.co.uk/en
MIFTAH
www.miftah.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
www.palestinecampaign.org
PalestineCenter for Human Rights
http://www.pchrgaza.org
Znet
www.zmag.org/znet
IndyMedia
www.indymedia.org
Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com
YouTube Aljazeera Channel Arabic
www.youtube.com/user/aljazeerachannel?ob=4
YouTube Aljazeera Channel English
www.youtube.com/user/AlJazeeraEnglish
HELP GAZA - Charities
KinderUSA
http://www.kinderusa.org
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
http://www.anera.org
Friends of UNRWA
http://www.friendsunrwa.org
Christian Aid
http://www.christianaid.org.uk
Islamic Relief
http://www.islamic-relief.com
Its actions like this is why I no longer got to the MSM for any decent (read: acurate real) news these days. Their hayday has long since past and are now just sleeker looking RW corporate properganda machines now.
PFunk
Ignoring all of the 'talking points' dictated by the Israel to distract from the fundamental issues here; and, given that the Israel is the "king of the South" in the fractal Prophecy of Daniel 11:40, there will CERTAINLY be consequences to the genocide of the Palestinians against which the Israel will NOT be able to protect itself.
http://after-the-false-peace.blogspot.com/
Michael
Every July 1, Canada's Day of Independence, dozens of rockets with hundreds of powerful explosives (greater in number and more powerful than the fireworks launched towards Israel from Gaza recently) are fired across the Ottawa River in the direction of Quebec. The number of Quebecois killed or injured was exactly the same as in Israel this Christmas - zero! This is why Isreal's Hanukkah holiday attack on its neighbours has shocked the civilized world. Even worse, Isreal promises that this is only the start of the indiscriminate exterminations.
The English and French people that occupy Canada, just like the Arabs and Israelis that occupy Palestine, are distinct peoples but share a common history, religious heritage and ancestry. Christmas/Hanukkah is a time for love, goodwill and hope for all people, including the Arabs and Jews in Palestine - home of two largely Semitic peoples.
Jesus, the prophet/messiah/saviour and Prince of Peace said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [children] of God" (Matthew 5:9). Where are God's peacemakers?
Nikolaos
December 31, 2008
Jewish Organizations Call For End to Gaza Bombings
by Ali Gharib
With a fresh outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine, a battle of a different sort is being waged in Washington between various interests in Mideast policy circles.
As Israeli air strikes continue to pummel the Gaza Strip for a fourth day and crude homemade rockets launched by Palestinian militants land in Israeli towns near the densely populated and besieged Strip, Jewish groups in the U.S. are taking two distinctly differing tacks at addressing the latest Middle East bloodshed.
Some of what are traditionally thought of as pro-Israel groups are undertaking a major public relations campaign to support the bombing runs against Hamas that have claimed more than 370 Palestinian lives – largely parroting the Israeli government line that the attacks are a justified defense of Israelis.
The American Jewish Committee "expressed strong support for Israel … in its military operation aimed at terrorist targets in Gaza."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) urged U.S. leadership to "stand firmly with Israel as it strives to defend itself."
In addition to a flurry of press releases, officials from the groups are making regular appearances in the media and organizing conference calls.
But instead of offering unquestioning support of Israel's latest military venture in the decades-long conflict, four major Jewish organizations are calling for an immediate end to the bombings, and for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
One of the groups, Americans for Peace Now, the sister organization of the Israel-based Peace Now, called for "the government of Israel to end its military operation in the Gaza Strip and to act toward achieving a cease-fire."
And Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, called on the outgoing Bush administration "to initiate an international effort aimed at negotiating an immediate cease-fire."
These strong statements, along with ones from J Street (the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement) and the Israel Policy Forum (IPF), are in sharp contrast to many of the more hawkish traditional pro-Israel groups, who make no mention of a cessation of armed hostilities. The confident assertions from the four groups are a relatively new sort of campaign.
"You see a voice that is increasingly clear and has a significant resonance in the American Jewish community, and beyond the Jewish community, that takes a position, stakes it grounds, and won't be intimidated," said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator and the director of New America Foundation's Middle East Task Force, one of the four groups.
"This is an important position to be taking," he told IPS. "It's moving the ball forward on redefining the parameters of the debate on what it means to be responsibly and thoughtfully – rather than reflexively – pro-Israel."
The move by the groups is in many ways the culmination of a public relations effort of its own that seeks to establish a strong pro-peace, pro-Israeli voice that is not afraid to depart from the line of the Israeli government.
The groups are expressing a position that they, too, appreciate and support Israel and believe in its right to defend itself, just like their counterparts in the traditional, more powerful, so-called pro-Israel groups.
But Jeremy Ben-Ami, the executive director of J Street, says that the issue does not lie in a right to self-defense – a given – but whether an operation like the attacks on Gaza will even work.
"While … air strikes by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza can be understood and even justified in the wake of recent rocket attacks," according to Ben-Ami, "we believe that real friends of Israel recognize that escalating the conflict will prove counterproductive, igniting further anger in the region and damaging long-term prospects for peace and stability."
J Street echoed its director's statement with a press release declaring that the recent massive escalation was "pushing the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict further down a path of never-ending violence."
Therein lays the crux of these groups' assertions. While many of the other Jewish groups have been at best lukewarm on the peace process and the two-state solution, the peace groups see them as essential to the continued existence of the Jewish state.
By encouraging steps that they see as contributing to peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors, including the Palestinians, they contend they are helping Israel in the long run.
Levy said that the groups are essentially saying "We love Israel too, but it doesn't do us or Israel any good to be the mouthpiece for the talking points of the Israeli foreign ministry."
Levy also pointed to the peace groups' statements as an indication of a U.S. Jewish perspective, rather than a strictly Israeli one.
Indeed, the J Street release stated that reestablishing the cease-fire and making a concerted, international-led effort toward a sustainable resolution to the broader conflict "is a fundamental American interest."
"We too stand to suffer as the situation spirals, rage in the region is directed at the United States, and our regional allies are further undermined," said the statement, speaking from a U.S. perspective.
J Street is circulating a petition that has already garnered 14,000 signatures and which the group says it is already using to lobby President-elect Barack Obama's transition team and congressional leaders.
The petition calls for "strong U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to urgently reinstate a meaningful cease-fire that ends all military operations, stops the rockets aimed at Israel, and lifts the blockade of Gaza." Those actions, it says, are "in the best interests of Israel, the Palestinian people, and the United States."
The intense pressure from both sets of groups is very much aimed at the transition team, with Obama just three weeks away from being sworn into office, said an analysis of varying views in Jewish Week, a New York-based newspaper.
Obama and his transition team have been very cautious in their brief statements about the escalation, often repeating a talking point that there is only one president at a time.
But Obama campaigned on a renewed and vigorous attempt at Israeli-Arab peace, and he reiterated his commitment when announcing his foreign policy team last month.
(Inter Press Service)
Digg this!
As usual, mindless religion is at the heart of most of man's suffering. From an anthropological standpoint, religion and culture are just evolutionary mechanisms used by primative people to give their tribes a better chance of survival. But enough is enough.
Arguing about who has the right to exist, who are the chosen ones, and who are the infidels; who's rockets are requiring genoside by who's f-16s is just an excercise for the feeble-minded.
All religion is a mental disorder. Until we learn to get rid of it: heinous acts of unspeakable cruelty will continue, justified by some god delusion or another. In light of these attrocities, all support for Israel should end. Christians in peticular should be banned from politics or their churches should be taxed as the political machines that they really are. The Federal Bank should be abolished and not controled exclusively by a board consisting mostly of those of the jewish faith. If we are going to have a federal bank, it should not represent only 2 percent of the American population.
That's what I think.
To THOMASWADAMS:
I think you are spot on with you post-Great post!!!
Also Old Hippie there were no Muslims prior to Mohammed who lived in approx 535 AD. So during the time you referenced, they were all, ALL, Arab and probably Syrian since in the making of the movie "The Passion" the people spoke Aramaic which is still spoken in parts of Syria. It is not spoken anywhere else in the mideast including Israel. Is it any wonder that at Christ's crucifixion the Jews who gathered didn't understand when he cried out to God? They thought he was crying out to Elijah. Amen
Old Hippy If their were Jews in that area during the times of Moses & Abraham et al they were Of Aramaic (Syrian) nationality since Jewish is a religion and anyone can change their religion anytime they wish. Read the Jewish Torah (1st five books of the Bible). In their Bible, Deut 26: verse 5, Moses says his father was Syrian (some have said Aramaen, but that is still Syrian). Furthermore Jesus nationality was Arab, even tho his religion was Old Testament Judaim.
Why does Obama side with Israel instead of the Palestinians?
"Hamas is targeting deliberately kindergartens and schools and citizens and civilians because this is according to their values. Our values are completely different. We are trying to target Hamas, which hides among civilians."
- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
Can you provide evidence that Hamas is targeting Kindergartens? Have their toy rockets killed any Israeli children at all?
---USAn---
This is one of those consequences of not impeaching Bush for his illegal invasion and war against the people of Iraq.
If little Georgie were sitting in a cell awaiting his date with a rope the rule of law would be king.
If an American President was held accountable for war crimes then EVERY President would be too.
Leaders would think twice (or three times) before breaching another country's border and unleashing hell.
This is the future the stupid-and-proud-of-it American public has given to the world.
It has only just begun.
Again.
I was just at a medium sized demonstration against the siege of Gaza. It was an interesting group, with lots of young Arab-Americans, a significant group of anti-Zionist ultra Orthodox Jews, all male, a lively contingent of ebullient Latin-Americans and of course your multi-ethnic gringo peace stalwarts of all types including the Grannies etc.
There were doe eyed young ladies in head scarves, bearded Hasids with peyas, Andean people with knitted folk style caps. There were flags and signs. There were chants and there was motion.
There was a lot of "visual interest" there, which should please the New York Times. (In case you don't remember, the NYT has recently explained lack of coverage of the Iraq war by saying there was little "visual interest").
This particular demonstration was photogenic. I wonder if anyone will report it.
Joe
The more photogenic and calm, the less chance of reporting.
I think that only if open antagonism between the groups mentioned erupted into violence and blood spilled, would the press be interested.
Peace does not sell papers, if you hadn't noticed.
But I could be wrong !
In case I was not clear, the Hasids and the Palestinians were in the same demonstration and on the same side of this issue. There was no antagonism.
It was very surprising to see young Palestinians, women in head scarves, and religious Jews demonstrating together. Both groups found Israel's siege and bombing of Gaza reprehensible. (For theological reasons, the Hassidic literature condemned the validity of Jews claiming that land at all.)
There was a small counter demonstation in support of Israel on the other side of the street.
Joe
Slowly and deliberately we must make the Pro-Israel traitors in our country pay for their bringing hatred upon America. We must boycott all of their business interests from MSM, jewelry stores, Disney Worlds and all products made in Israel. Stay away from all movies made, pr5oduced and in pictures jews play parts. Encourage more Bernie Madoff's to steal their money. You are correct they are not our ally: check with Lawrence Franklin, Jonathan Pollard, USS Liberty and just today ramming the humanitarian ships going to Gaza with Americans aboard. If you know any in your community "shun them" and tell them they must speak out against Israel's activities.
Why does justified disgust at Israel's policies and Zionist arrogance frequently morph over into ridiculous anti-Jewish proposals? I am not going to check out the ethnic background of small business owners or of actors before going to see a show. I would go to see Paul Newman anyway, or listen to Bob Marley or Mama Cass.
More to the point, we should not send aid or money to the state of Israel. It is the state and its leaders who deserve the criticism. We should not buy Israeli goods. Everything helps.
Joe
With great respect; all of these comments have threads of truth running through them; but should we not recognise the truth that sits on the foundation beneath it all?
There are two immovable forces opposed to one another, each believes they have the monopoly over "right and justice" for their beliefs,neither will bend to the extent necessary to create a lasting peace.
The only solution, as even Saddam demonstrated,is an imposed one, maintained by force and threat of death, torture, or dishonour.
The hate and discontent continues and is deferred for future generations to resolve.
Israel has endured the rain of hundreds of explosive rockets; a situation they could not be expected to accept; Hamas knew that and they now have the response they wanted, Israel's brutal retaliation. Hamas wants world opinion to turn in their favour; they are quite prepared to sacrifice their own civilians for this end. It is a cowardly act for a soldier to shelter behind unarmed civilians, unless those civilians accept their risk, if so, they are then part of the sheltering army. No tears and sympathy necessary.
Israel has been underestimated,for they will now impose, what for them , will be a final solution. The World will never go to war in support of the palestinians no matter how just their cause, the risks of major conflicts are too great.
The Palestinians deserve their Homeland every bit as much as anyone else; did not a large slice of Palestine end up in Jordan? The point is that much unwinding would be necessary to arrive at a position acceptable to all. It is not going to happen in our life times, if ever.
So we come back to present day solutions. The cycle of violence and temporary cease fires could go on for ever; there is no intention for them to bear fruit.
Finally, those responsible for supply of rockets to Hamas bear great responsibility for what is now going down, they should be found and prosecuted; some are saying it is the CIA because it suits US policy in the middle east to have continuing conflicts and to allow, justify, the imposition of Israel's final solution. THOMASTHEAUSSIEBATTLER
Thomas,
Who robbed who of their land? Who drove who out of their homes, farms, shops and livlihoods?
If the Isrealis don't like those ridiculous toy rockets, they should provide Hamas with F-16's, Blackhawks, and precision munitions too. I'm sure Hamas would love to properly target the Isreali Military and keep civilians out of harms way. The opposite is not true of Israel, who clearly target civilians as part of their campaign of ethnic cleansing.
The Palestinians have tried truces again and again since 1967 - It only leads to accelerated bulldozing of their farms and homes for Jewish settlements.
---USAn---
Lost in all of the rhetoric about Israel's right or not to exist,does anybody
remember the Old Testament. Seems to me there were Israelis in the area then only they called them Jews.
I'd also like to point out that Muslims and Jews have been trying to kill each
other since the time of Abraham. Problem is, the Christians got in the way. Anybody remember the Crusades?
My point is that war in some form or another has been going on in this part of
the world damn near since the beginning of time. Except in the 21st century, if
this latest little squabble gets much worse, we could turn this planet into a
radio active cinder, where the only survivors will be the cockroaches.
Old Hippy -
If Americans Only Knew http://www.ifamericansonlyknew.org/
The above reference the author of the essay provided is important. You will have the sequence from the time of the Canaanites to now,and you will understand fully what has happened and is happening.
Go there and open the history tab and read what is there on site or you can download it as a booklet or buy a booklet from Jews for Justice. It'll take some time, but it's easy to read, excellent quotations, and you'll get a very complete picture.
peace, /cm
Oldhippy39
"I'd also like to point out that Muslims and Jews have been trying to kill each
other since the time of Abraham"
Yes, I remember Genesis. The problem is that the Koran has a different description of Abraham's family. While Abraham is the patriarch of both Muslims and Jews the differences in these texts make it uncertain whether his first generation descendants tried to kill each other.
Excuse me, but Islam was founded in the 7th century. It is impossible that Muslims and Jews have been "trying to kill each other since the time of Abraham." Abraham lived 4,000 years ago.
OldHippy39,
Why do you blame the victims? Such wars have not been limited to 'that' area....
Please get your facts in order - then try again.
It's not hard! As another '39er', I found the facts avilable and surely if I can, so can you.
1st, you have to drop your prejudices.
We always hear of Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. Does Israel recognize the right of Palestinians to exist in a state of their own? No!!! Does the US recognize Canada's right to exist? What does this actually mean??? Why would one country need another country's permission to exist?
Over the past decades the U.S. has poured billions of dollars in aid to Israel.
A non-rhetorical question: Name one benefit that the U.S. has gained by this support of Israel?
Back during the Cold War, the US did gain access to captured Soviet military equipment during and after the wars over there...but yeah, that's all I can really think of. Oh, and I suppose a constant buyer of US arms counts too.
1. The cowardly attack on the USS Liberty.
2. 9/11, if one takes the time to listen to the group claiming responsibility.
But I could be wrong !
"But I could be wrong !"
You're not! The story that emerges from all of the details of the available evidence is like getting hit hard over the head with a cast-iron frying pan. Very difficult to pretend that it didn't happen as the bump grows on your head and the blood trickles down your face.
/cm
USS Liberty
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/ussliberty.html
The Jews in the U.S. comprise 1.7% of the population.
Why are the MSM and the politicians held in thrall by such a small segment of their society?
Because Evangelicals and other types of Christian fundies think Jews and Israel are key to their prophecy of the end of the world...and they take up substantially more than 1.7% of our population.
MSM promotes the interests of the elite.
The elite own the MSM. They also own most politicos.
A very large % of that 1.7% are either elites, politicos, or MSM owners.
Thus there is no "thrall" to be held by.
It reminds me of Rhodesia's regime which was ruled by a small white minority back in the sixties and seventies.
I boycott mainstream corporate media. I watched two minutes of BBC America's broadcast and was SOOO disappointed by their pro-Israel bias. Only Democracy Now! has honored the dead, the wounded, the hurting, the terrorized people in Gaza, Palestine.
We have got to stop our pessimism, our "can't do" attitudes, and start pulling together to re-educate the american people.
I am surprised that the Arab brother nations are doing nothing to stop Israel from its sins. And why aren't the authors bringing this up?
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
"I am surprised that the Arab brother nations are doing nothing to stop Israel from its sins."
Egypt evidently just made some kind of deal with the U.S. That's why they were closing their borders this time to the fleeing Gazans and turning them back.
For the rest? Iran tried to deliver food and medical supplies by ship, but were turned back. Any stronger "interference," remember Israel is itching to nuke Iran, so was Cheney and Bush, and even Hillary Clinton said she wouldn't hesitate to bomb Iran.
Iraq is decimated, but protests are happening there as in other Mid-eastern countries as well as in the U.S. and European countries. But we all know how effective protests seem to be lately.
Beirut, Lebanon, was all but destroyed by Israel's airforce and savage missile strikes.
Jordan plays it cool, and a Syrian facility was bombed by Israel claiming that this facility was processing uranium for nuclear weapons. The only uranium found there was from depleted uranium/DU coating Israeli missiles, plus it was a farm facility Israel bombed. Syria has been keeping a low profile and making feelers for cooperation and has recently been taken off the AXIS of EVIL list.
Dubai? ... with Richard Cheney's new, huge, retirement mansion/estate there, plus Haliburton relocated there?
Kuwait? Nooooo. Nor anyone else.
So who? Israel knows the Palestinians ain't nobody's baby ...
So ... that's the problem ... and Israel has the nukes that could start WWIII, and since one of the Israeli government officials stated, "If Israel goes down, EVERYBODY IS GOING DOWN! and he sounded like he meant it, I for one, believe him. The U.S. politicos also know they created a monster and has a coolly insane/psychopathic, sabre-toothed tiger by the tail, plus there's all those Jewish banks of the Federal Reserve and elsewhere who pretty much control the world's economy, including that of the U.S., and all that money from AIPAC is available to help one get elected if that is the desire.
The situation for the Gazans and increasingly for the U.S. of A. is "between a rock and a hard place." It's likely why Ariel Sharon could so exuberantly say before he became comatose: "We've got America where we want her now," especially, according to my conclusions based on pretty hefty evidence, that Israel and the U.S.'s top echelon together created a little scenario called 9/11 and that really got the ball rolling and made for mutually-assured blackmail.
... sigh ... I wonder how it will all turn out ... any bets?
/cm
Thanks Cee. That's quite a lot of explanations there. I'll make notes of it. :)
Terrance Mitchell
Redfield, South Dakota
Well, they keep getting their butts kicked. But the Arab countries don't care about the Palestinians either.
The lack of knowledge of the history and politics of the region really shows in such a remark.
All the Arab countries, with the possible exception of Syria, and to some extent, Lebanon, are governed by kings and dictators who are virtual US puppets. Such is certainly the case for Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Other Arabs governments, plus Iran, very much care about Palestine, but intervening would be suicidal.
---USAn---
"The lack of knowledge of the history and politics of the region really shows in such a remark."
That's funny, considering my major area of study within my International Studies major was the Middle East and conflict. As you point out, all the governments in the area are more or less in thrall to the US. If as you say Lebanon is not, which I disagree, Lebanon surely does not care about Palestinians, considering their huge military action against a refugee camp relatively recently. As for Iran, it is not an Arab government, and it does intervene by supporting Hezbollah and Hamas with weapons and funds. I do not know if Iran also supports the Palestinians by advising them on infrastructure, good governance, etc, and supplies funds towards the same ends. Do you?
Now, my statement was that those governments that have intervened have gotten their butts kicked. You deny this? I also stated that Arab countries do not care about the Palestinians. Show me how they care, aside from providing support for their terrorist activities? Iraq reportedly paid the families of suicide bombers...did he help out Palestinians who were interested in developing the Palestinian territories instead? Egypt has shown by example it cares little for the plight of Palestinians. Jordan was perhaps the most sympathetic, but that was decades ago. If Saudi Arabia were to provide enough money from their oil wealth to rehabilitate the Palestinian areas and stimulate its economy, do you think the US would dare to make them stop, considering how WE are held in thrall to THEM?
Israel's (and Obama's) first and last offer to Palestinians: A jackboot in the face...forever.
US of A is really the US of I.