Israel's apologists distort the truth

Last updated March 27, 2007 5:39 p.m. PT

STEVE NIVA
GUEST COLUMNIST

The fairy-tale view of Israel as eternally besieged and completely faultless in its conflict with the Palestinians, as presented by David Brumer in the March 18 Focus ("Play shines light on conflict"), has certainly taken a hit this past year.

A growing number of Americans who deeply sympathize with Israel, including former President Jimmy Carter, have spoken eloquently of the need to recognize that Israel has committed severe human rights violations against the Palestinian people through its nearly 40-year military occupation and theft of Palestinian land for Israeli settlements. While extremely critical of Palestinian terrorism, they conclude that peace with security is not possible until Israel ends the injustices.

Perhaps that is why Israel's more fervent apologists are resorting to distortion and defamation as their preferred method to discredit anyone who dares acknowledge Palestinian grievances or Israel's grave and well-documented human rights abuses. Carter is facing an onslaught of malicious charges that range from intentionally lying to anti-Semitism. They want to silence an emerging debate over the United States' one-sided embrace of Israel.

This method of attacking the messenger is clearly on display in Brumer's article as well as in the flurry of protest against the play "My Name is Rachel Corrie" at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The play tells the story of the 23-year-old woman from Olympia crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer demolishing Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.

Instead of joining with Carter, Rachel Corrie and countless others, many Israeli and Jewish, who recognize Israel's occupation and settlements are unjustified and prevent peace, Brumer peddles defamation and falsehoods about Corrie masquerading as reasonable criticism.

Claiming that Corrie was even "unwittingly" supporting terrorists is contradicted by the fact that the Israeli army has never claimed or provided any evidence that the homes in the neighborhood of Gaza that Corrie was defending when she was killed were concealing tunnels or were involved in attacks on Israelis.

Claiming Corrie was in any way providing cover for suicide bombers is easily proved false by the fact that no Palestinian suicide bombers had come from Gaza three years before or during the time Corrie was there.

Claiming that Corrie was working with an "extremist" organization is contradicted by the fact that the International Solidarity Movement to End the Occupation is composed of leading Palestinian voices of non-violence and supported by numerous Israeli peace groups.

Legitimate questions can be raised about Corrie's risky decision to enter into a very dangerous conflict zone. But that zone was dangerous precisely because Israel has imposed a merciless military occupation over a largely defenseless population and was wantonly demolishing homes to steal land for Israeli settlements.

One can certainly and rightly blame, as Brumer does, Palestinian extremists for damaging the moral justness of the Palestinian cause through murderous and strategically worthless suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of innocent Israelis.

But none of that justifies Israel continuing to steal Palestinian land and building a wall deep within Palestinian lands to annex those settlements. Nor does it prevent Israel from taking unilateral steps to vacate completely the land that it has illegally occupied since 1967.

Brumer's complete silence regarding Israel's occupation and settlements implies that it does.

Brumer's implicit justification for Israel's occupation and settlements is the continually recycled myth that Israel has always extended its hand of peace while Palestinians have always rejected it. This myth conveniently ignores the fact Israel's "generous offer" at Camp David in 2000 was based on Israel annexing the bulk of its settlements, cutting any Palestinian state into five tiny enclaves surrounded by Israel. Brumer touts Israel's recent withdrawal from Gaza, but ignores Israel's withering siege upon its imprisoned population.

Brumer also justifies the status quo by emphasizing the immutable extremism of Hamas. But the fact is that Hamas has not conducted a single suicide bombing in nearly two years and has endorsed a reciprocal truce with Israel if it were to withdraw completely to its 1967 borders. But Israel completely rejects those terms, missing a historic opportunity to undercut Hamas extremism.

Those who truly support a balanced and just peace in the Middle East should honestly debate Corrie's life and legacy. Her very act of acknowledging legitimate Palestinians grievances and her promotion of alternatives to violence was a message of hope and peace sorely lacking today.

By attacking the messenger, Corrie's detractors are sending a clear message opposed to hope and peace.

Steve Niva teaches international politics and Middle East studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia.

Gaza continues to be an imprisoned society, says UN rights envoy

Gaza continues to be an imprisoned society, says Dugard

Submitted by Tarique on Fri, 2007-03-23 05:56. Muslim World News

Geneva, March 23 (NNN-KUNA) UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) John Dugard said that Gaza is an imprisoned society and the prisoner has made several military incursions.

Dugard told the Human Rights Council Thursday that elements of colonialism and apartheid are both prelevant in Israeli practices against the Palestinian people and noted that colonialism and apartheid are contrary to international law.

He added that there are similarities between apartheid of the former regime in South Africa and now in the OPT exercised by Israel.

Israel has learnt the lesson of apartheid by not showing their apartheid practices but the results are the same regime of oppression.

Dugard noted that more than 460,000 Israeli settlers live in the West bank and East Jerusalem.

He questioned whether the International Court of Justice has an advisory opinion on this unlawful state.

In his report submitted to the Council, Dugard argued in favour of a new advisory opinion from the International Court of justice on Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

He said, in his new report, that it must be remembered that the United Nations requested four advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice to guide it in its approach to South Africa's occupation of South, West Africa/Namibia.

"In these circumstances a request for another advisory opinion warrants serious consideration," he stressed.

The Special Rapporteur poses several questions like what are the legal consequences of a regime of occupation that has continued for nearly 40 years.

He said clearly none of the obligations imposed on the occupying power are reduced as a result of such a prolonged occupation. But what are the legal consequences when such a regime has acquired some of the characteristics of colonialism and apartheid, he said.

"Does it continue to be a lawful regime. Or does it cease to be a lawful regime, particularly in respect of measures aimed at the occupants' own interests.

"And if this is the position, what are the legal consequences for the occupied people, the occupying power and third states. Should questions of this kind not be addressed to the International Court of Justice for a further advisory opinion?

"It is true that the 2004 Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has not had the desired effect," Dugard said.

Following his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Israel from Dec 1 to 8 2006, Dugard said that the Occupied Palestinian Territory is of special importance to the future of human rights in the world.

"Human rights in Palestine have been on the agenda of the United Nations for 60 years; and more particularly for the past 40 years since the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

"For years the occupation of Palestine and apartheid in South Africa vied for attention from the international community. In 1994, apartheid came to an end and Palestine became the only developing country in the world under the subjugation of a Western-affiliated regime.

"Herein lies its significance to the future of human rights," he added.

There are other regimes, he said, particularly in the developing world, that suppresses human rights, but there is no other case of a Western-affiliated regime that denies self-determination and human rights to a developing people and that has done so for so long.

"This explains why the OPT has become a test for the West, a test by which its commitment to human rights is to be judged. If the West fails this test, it can hardly expect the developing world to address human rights violations seriously in its own countries, and the West appears to be failing this test," he noted.

The EU, he added, pays conscience money to the Palestinian people through the Temporary International Mechanism but nevertheless joins the United States and other Western countries, such as Australia and Canada, in failing to put pressure on Israel to accept Palestinian self-determination and to discontinue its violations of human rights.

The Quartet, he said, comprising the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the Russian Federation, is a party to this failure.

"If the West, which has hitherto led the promotion of human rights throughout the world, cannot demonstrate a real commitment to the human rights of the Palestinian people, the international human rights movement, which can claim to be the greatest achievement of the international community of the past 60 years, will be endangered and placed in jeopardy," stressed Dugard.

Caterpillar has been singled out by the United Nations for complicity in human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Synod urged to follow ACC steer on Palestine, Caterpillar

The Church of England should follow the recommendation of the Anglican Consultative Council and vote to divest from companies supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine during its General Synod this weekend, campaigners will say at a fringe meeting at York University on Friday (8 July).

The Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group has been examining whether the £2 million of shares currently held in Caterpillar are consistent with the Church’s ethical investment policy, which prohibits investment in arms companies or companies making ‘weapons platforms’ such as naval vessels or tanks. Caterpillar has been singled out by the United Nations for complicity in human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. As detailed in War on Want’s recent ‘alternative report’ on Caterpillar, thousands of Palestinian homes and vast swathes of agricultural land have been destroyed by the Israeli military using armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozers. Caterpillar bulldozers have also been used in the construction of Israel’s Separation Wall, ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice one year ago, in July 2004. War on Want campaigners will urge the Anglican Communion to follow the example of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which decided last year to implement a process of divestment from companies, such as Caterpillar, which benefit from Israel’s military occupation of Palestine. They were joined by the United Methodist Church on 11 June this year. Nick Dearden, Campaigns Officer at War on Want, said: “Israel continues to defy international law with its actions in Palestine, and each new day of the occupation sees more Palestinians condemned to poverty and despair. We call on the Church of England to follow last week’s decision by the Anglican Consultative Council and vote now to divest from companies supporting the military occupation of Palestine. Actions not words are needed if we wish to see justice for the Palestinian people.”

1) The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) unanimously passed a resolution on 22 June 2005 commending its member churches to consider divestment from companies supporting the occupation of Palestine; see www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/39/75/acns3996.cfm 2) War on Want is holding a fringe meeting at the Church of England’s 2005 General Synod in York, at 6.45pm on Friday 8 July 2005, to discuss the Church’s response to last week’s ACC resolution. The fringe will take place in Goodricke College Room 20 (G/020), University of York. For details of the fringe call Joe Zacune on 0781 3526980. 3) For more details or further comment, contact War on Want campaigns officer Nick Dearden on 07932 335464 or John Hilary, Director of Campaigns and Policy, on 07879 641848.

Report: “Israeli troops committed 1,123 violations last week”

Wednesday March 21, 2007 21:40 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies saed at imemc dot org

A report prepared and published by the Palestinian National Information Center - State Information Service, revealed that the Israeli army committed 1,123 violations against Palestinians and their property in the period between March 6th and March 12th.

State Information Service - logo

The violations included opening fire at civilians, shelling neighborhoods, and repeatedly invading cities, villages and refugee camps.

These violations included installing roadblocks on roads linking Palestinian communities and cities togetehr, and annexing lands for settlement construction and the construction of the illegal Wall.

During the reported period, soldiers fired at civilians and civilain property 42 times, and shot and injured 13 civilians.

Troops conducted 30 invasions and abducted 103 civilians. A total of 60 invasions were carried out during the reported week, and a total of 219 break-ins of Palestinian homes and property were reported.

Moreover, soldiers installed 136 temporary roadblocks in 59 seperate incidents. Crossings and main roads were closed 310 times.

Illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank carried out three attacks against Palestinian civilains.

Since the beginning of this year, Israeli troops have committed a total of 13,417 violations against the Palestinain population. Among these violations were 522 shooting attacks; 22 civilians were killed and 369 were injured.

A total of 1090 temporary checkpoints were installed and a total of 1410 civilians were kidnapped.

Soldiers have committed 23 acts of bulldozing and uprooting trees for settlement construction and expansion, and the construction of the illegal Wall, since the beginning of the year.