End of an Odyssey: Thoughts after the Free Gaza Voygage
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- Written by Jeff Halper, Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) Jeff Halper, Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
- Published: 04 September 2008 04 September 2008
- Hits: 3967 3967
First, the mission of the Free Gaza Movement to break the Israeli siege proved a success beyond all expectations. Our reaching Gaza and leaving has created a free and regular channel between Gaza and the outside world. It has done so because it has forced the Israeli government to make a clear policy declaration: that it is not occupying Gaza and therefore will not prevent the free movement of Palestinians in and out (at least by sea). (Israel's security concerns can easily be accommodated by instituting a technical system of checks similar to those of other ports.) Any attempt on the part of Israel to backtrack on this - by preventing ships in the future from entering or leaving Gaza with goods and passengers, including Palestinians - may be immediately interpreted as an assertion of control, and therefore of Occupation, opening Israel to accountability for war crimes before international law, something Israel tries to avoid at all costs. Gone is the obfuscation that has allowed Israel to maintain its control of the Occupied Territories without assuming any responsibility: from now on, Israel is either an Occupying Power accountable for its actions and policies, or Palestinians have every right to enjoy their human right of travelling freely in and out of their country. Israel can no longer have it both ways. Not only did our two little boats force the Israel military and government to give way, then, they also changed fundamentally the status of Israel's control of Gaza. {josquote}I now am a Palestinian in every sense of the word: On Monday I received my Palestinian citizenship, on Tuesday I was already in an Israeli jail.{/josquote}
When we finally arrived in Gaza after a day and a half sail, the welcome we received from 40,000 joyous Gazans was overwhelming and moving. People sought me out in particular, eager it seemed to speak Hebrew with an Israeli after years of closure. The message I received by people of all factions during my three days there was the same: How do we ("we" in the sense of all of us living in their country, not just Palestinians or Israelis) get out of this mess? Where are WE going? The discourse was not even political: what is the solution; one-state, two-state, etc etc. It was just common sense and straightforward, based on the assumption that we will all continue living in the same country and this stupid conflict, with its walls and siege and violence, is bad for everybody. Don't Israelis see that? people would ask me.
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Palestinians lose faith in two-state solution
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- Written by Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem
- Published: 04 September 2008 04 September 2008
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Study group calls for new form of resistance to Israeli occupation with goal of single, bi-national state
A group of prominent Palestinian figures has proposed a radical change in strategy to demand a single, bi-national state if the current round of Middle East peace talks fails.
The Palestinian Strategy Study Group, an EU-funded project written by 27 leading Palestinian figures from across the political spectrum, argued that the current two-state framework for peace talks is failing to bring the promised independent state. Instead, it suggested ending the negotiation process that has gone on now for nearly 20 years, reconstituting the Palestinian Authority into what might become a "Palestinian Resistance Authority", and developing a form of "smart" resistance.
"The central aim will be to maximise the cost of continuing occupation for Israel, and to make the whole prospect of unilateral separation unworkable," it said. The final, and most striking proposal, is to shift to a "single state outcome" as the Palestinians' preferred goal. This, it said, would regain the strategic initiative for the Palestinians.
"Although many Palestinians may still prefer a genuine negotiated two-state solution, a failure of the present Annapolis initiative will greatly strengthen those who argue against this," the report said. "Most Palestinians are then likely to be convinced that a negotiated agreement is no longer possible."
Dr. Al-Arian Released on Bail! After 5 Grueling Years, a Moment of Repose
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- Written by Washington Report Washington Report
- Published: 04 September 2008 04 September 2008
- Hits: 2367 2367
Earlier today (Tuesday), the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed an order for the release of Dr. Al-Arian from their custody. Judge Brinkema originally granted Dr. Al-Arian bail on July 10 and reaffirmed that decision last month, but the ICE continued to detain him until today on the pretext that they were completing deportation procedures.
Last week, Dr. Al-Arian's attorneys filed a petition for habeas corpus with the court, challenging the continued unlawful detention by ICE. Judge Brinkema gave the government until today to respond. Their response came in the form of an order for Dr. Al-Arian's release on bail.
Dr. Al-Arian's family was overjoyed upon hearing the news. Four of his five children along with his attorney met him at an ICE facility in Fairfax, Virginia earlier this afternoon. "We couldn't believe our eyes," Leena, Dr. Al-Arian's second oldest daughter, said. "We were so relieved. It's been 2,020 days since he's last been with us."
His eldest daughter Laila added that "We are overjoyed that our father is finally back with us after what felt like an eternity. I hope that this is just the beginning, that he'll be finally released for good, and that this horrific nightmare will be over. We'd like to thank all the people who've supported my father throughout the past several years. Their consistent dedication and hard work in the cause of justice has been invaluable." Dr. Al-Arian - who is unable to make any direct statements to the press because of his legal situation - echoed these sentiments, expressing his heartfelt appreciation for the countless thousands who have shown their support for his case.
"We owe so much to our lawyers, Prof. Jonathan Turley, Will Olson, and P.J. Meitl," Abdullah Al-Arian told the TBCJP. "Their incredible work for justice has allowed our family to finally be reunited after so long. On behalf of my father and my family, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
For his part, Dr. Al-Arian's lead attorney Jonathan Turley told the AP "We are obviously relieved and delighted," noting that the release would allow Sami to see his son off to college and to spend the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with his family.
Dr. Al-Arian will remain under house arrest until he is brought to trial for the current contempt charges against him or until several motions for dismissal are decided. On August 8th, Judge Brinkema postponed the trial pending Dr. Al-Arian's appeal before the Supreme Court concerning the prosecution's violation of the 2006 plea agreement.
This is a great day for freedom and justice in America. We would like to express our gratitude to all of you who protested Dr. Al-Arian's imprisonment, wrote letters, made telephone calls, supported the defense fund, and offered their prayers and support. Your efforts HAVE made a difference. Stay tuned for more updates on how to help our campaign grow!
Belgian de-miner dies in Lebanon
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- Written by BBC News BBC News
- Published: 03 September 2008 03 September 2008
- Hits: 3645 3645
A UN peacekeeper in Lebanon has been killed in an explosion while clearing munitions left over from the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The sapper belonged to the 370-strong Belgian contingent in the peacekeeping force known as Unifil.
The incident happened at the village of Aitaroun, near the Israel border.
More than 30 people, mostly civilians, have died in explosions of leftover Israeli cluster bombs and landmines since the end of the 2006 war.
The UN says Israel dropped millions of cluster bombs on Lebanon in the last days of the fighting, and about 40% of their bomblets failed to explode on impact.
The UN - supported by anti-mine groups - called Israel's cluster bombing "shocking and immoral", as most were used when a resolution was clearly imminent.
But Israel says it used cluster bombs out of military necessity and in accordance with international law.
A spokeswoman for the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre said 14 de-mining experts had died in similar explosions since 2006. They belonged to the Lebanese army, Unifil and private mine action teams.
Free Gaza Bootlift: The journey home
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- Written by Bill Dienst, MD Bill Dienst, MD
- Published: 30 August 2008 30 August 2008
- Hits: 3720 3720
We arrived safely last night. The trip home was much less eventful than the trip to Gaza and much less emotional. On board my boat, the FREE GAZA, was a family of Palestinians who had not been let out of the concentration camp called "Gaza" for five years. The mother had given birth to her youngest son four years ago, and the family, living in Cyprus, had not seen him. The joy on the faces of Hana's family was worth waiting the extra half day to leave. We had to make sure that the Cypriot authorities would allow them in.
{josquote}As usual, the Palestinians will face the wrath of the Israeli military,
because they had egg on their faces and will take it out on the
weakest.
{/josquote}
On board the LIBERTY was a 10-year-old boy whose leg had been shot off by the Israeli military. He was from Khan Younis. The story (and I haven't been able to verify it it yet) is that he was standing with his friend as an Israeli tank invaded his town. A sniper shot him through one leg, then when he stood to run, the sniper shot him through the other one, causing huge damage to the leg. It was amputated at the hip. Again, we had to wait for Cypriot authorities to give permission for him to transit to another country.
On the first page of the Cyprus Mail is a photo of the boy with Osama, one of our organizers. Even though we came in at 9 pm, the media was all over the quay waiting for us. Although we didn't get seasick this time, many of us, because we are so exhausted, are feeling the land effects today, swaying as we try to walk down the streets.
It has been a week of over-riding joy, sadness at the condition of so many sick and wounded Palestinians, hope for the future, and disbelief that we not only arrived safely but left safely. As we pulled out of Gaza yesterday, seven Israeli naval vessels surrounded the Palestinian fishermen who joyfully escorted us six miles out. The last view we had of Gaza was of the seven gunboats surrounding the fishermen. We've heard from our Israeli sources that they arrested four of them.