News

Munir’s Story: 28 years after the Massacre at Sabra-Shatila

Details: Written by Dr. Franklin Lamb Dr. Franklin Lamb; Published: 16 September 2010 16 September 2010; Hits: 3987 3987

The untreated psychic wounds are still open. Accountability, justice and basic civil rights for the survivors are still denied.

Scores of horror testimonies have been shared over the past nearly three decades by survivors of the September 1982 Sabra- Shatila massacre. More come to light only through circumstantial evidence because would be affiants perished during the slaughter. Other eyewitness are just beginning to emerge from deep trauma or self imposed silence.

Some testimonies will be shared this month by massacre survivors at Shatila camp. They will sit with the ever growing numbers of international visitors who annually come to commemorate one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.

Where has the hypocrisy gone?

Details: Written by Amira Hass Amira Hass; Published: 16 September 2010 16 September 2010; Hits: 3372 3372

No one thinks to ask about the consensus among the residents of Palestinian cities and villages on whose land the settlements have been built. The millions of Palestinians don't count at all.

In the late 1970s or early 1980s, Professor Asa Kasher spoke at a conference of some kind about the differences between Labor Party governments and Likud governments. The Labor governments were hypocritical, and there is something positive about hypocrisy, Kasher said. At least the hypocrite knows there is a binding system of values, and that he is not acting according to them. As a result, he disguises his actions.

It was understood from Kasher's comments that Labor governments knew that ruling over another people against that people's will was an impermissible act. The Likud, Kasher said at the time, as memory permits to reconstruct after the passage of 30 years, doesn't feel at all bound by those values. The impermissible had become legitimate.

PHOTO: Liebrman and Netanyahu, Tess Scheflan

Netanyahu (right) has become a Laborite playing the hypocrites’ game, while Lieberman
Photo by: Tess Scheflan

By that measure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become a Laborite who is playing the hypocrites' game, whereas Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is the 2010 version of a Likudnik, by Kasher's definition. Lieberman is someone who tells it straight while his prime minister blurs and obscures to make it easy for the American allies to feign progress while we mark time in the realm of deja vu.

Lieberman the non-hypocrite knows what he's talking about when he says no peace agreement will be signed, even in another generation. A peace agreement is not a business contract. It requires a change of values of a kind that does not exist within the vocabulary of the democratic Jewish state, which elevates the system of double standards to a level of virtuosity. The people of this state are incapable of imagining themselves departing from the privileges that this system confers. And who cares if the flip side of those privileges is dispossession, suppression of freedoms and the risk of regional conflagration?

The day before yesterday, Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz (Habayit Hayehudi ) was interviewed on Army Radio's morning broadcast, and argued that it was impossible to continue the construction freeze in the West Bank settlements while the Palestinians went on building and building.

One cannot expect an interviewer on Army Radio or Israel Radio to surprise and ask, for example: "Since the principle of equality is suddenly so important to the settlement lobby, why then residents of Nablus and East Jerusalem cannot have a housing project in Haifa or live in Ashkelon or in a panoramic neighborhood in the Galilee, while residents of Haifa and kibbutz Hazorea are allowed to build in Nablus Heights or in the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan?

But the interviewer didn't even correct a distortion of the facts and didn't tell the listeners that the Palestinians cannot build at will. In the 62 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control, known as Area C, Israel has frozen Palestinian construction for the past four decades.

It can be assumed that the interviewer, despite numerous reports, is unaware of the building freeze beyond the pale of settlement allocated to the Palestinians. Natural growth only applies to Jews. In Area C, schools, kindergartens and water are only for Jews. The Mekorot Water Company's wells in the Jordan Valley supply quantities of water to the settlements and their orchards. The water flows from the Palestinians' land, and the pipes are fenced off. And the land is parched, because the Palestinians are not allowed to draw their own water from those pipes, as Israel imposes on them a quota which is not set to human beings' needs. In the democratic Jewish state, within its virtual borders, it's as clear as the sun rising in the east.

If the American partner had wanted to, it would have demanded to begin evacuating the settlements, not only to continue the construction freeze. But the territory robbed by the separation barrier - Ariel, Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim, Efrat in its Anglo-Saxon elegance and East Jerusalem - are all within the consensus. Whose consensus? The people of the democratic Jewish state and evangelical Christians, of course.

No one thinks to ask about the consensus among the residents of Palestinian cities and villages on whose land the settlements have been built. The millions of Palestinians don't count at all. And hundreds of thousands of Liebermans, if not more, don't feel the need to be hypocritical.

Israeli intel firm behind Pennsylvania’s ‘terror’ bulletins on peace, environment, LGBT groups

Details: Written by Ali Abunimah Ali Abunimah; Published: 15 September 2010 15 September 2010; Hits: 3937 3937

The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response website.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has just ordered his state's Homeland Security director to cancel a $125,000 contract with an outfit called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR). The Associated Press reports:

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Information about an anti-BP candlelight vigil, a gay and lesbian festival and other peaceful gatherings became the subject of anti-terrorism bulletins being distributed by Pennsylvania's homeland security office, an apologetic Gov. Ed Rendell admitted.
Rendell, who claimed he'd just learned about the practice, said Tuesday that the information was useless to law enforcement agencies and that distributing it was tantamount to trampling on constitutional rights. In recent weeks, several acts of vandalism at drilling sites spurred the inclusion of events likely to be attended by environmentalists and the bulletins began going to representatives of Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry.
A Philadelphia rally organized by a nonprofit group to support Rendell's push for higher spending on public schools even made a bulletin, as did drilling protests at a couple of Rendell's news conferences this month as he toured the state to boost support for a tax on the natural gas industry.
"I am deeply embarrassed and I apologize to any of the groups who had this information disseminated on their right to peacefully protest," Rendell said at an evening Capitol news conference.
Rendell called the practice "ludicrous" and said the fact that the state was paying for such rudimentary information was "stunning."
Still, Rendell said he was not firing his homeland security director, James Powers, but he ordered an end to the $125,000 contract with the Philadelphia-based organization, the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response, that supplied the information.

What AP does not say is that ITRR is an Israeli "security" and "anti-terrorism" company -- and like most of such companies has close ties to Israeli military and intelligence. According to ITRR's website, the group describes itself as "the preeminent Israeli/American security firm providing training, intelligence and education to clients across the globe."

The site boasts of its "Israeli-style training" that "All ITRR courses are approved by the Israeli Ministry of Defense." ITRR lists among its "partners" such groups as "The Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute" and it lists its offices in Philadelphia and Jerusalem. ITRR also shockingly is a "partner" of Philadelphia University.

This nefarious outfit which boasts of its "approval" by the the war criminals at the Israeli Ministry of Defense has been caught red-handed violating the constitutional rights of Americans. How many more states or municipalities have contracts with this human-rights-abusing front? This is an urgent matter that media and civil rights groups must investigate.

UPDATE:

Going through ITRR's website I found this item which states:

All of the information ITRR's staff creates is sent to its monitoring center in Jerusalem, where it is analyzed and verified with other local sources.
"We never have just one member of the ground truth network in a country," Perelman said. Right now, the institute has more than 15 people in the field. "We are constantly cross checking with ground truth sources and communications that we receive through other means."
ITRR's network is global but not all countries are currently monitored. "If a client feels the need for coverage in a particular area we will obtain the information and coverage," Perelman said.

This appears to confirm that ITRR is gathering information on Americans and sending the data to Israel -- almost certainly to Israeli intelligence. It would not be surprising if this firm were simply a front for Israeli intelligence and in effect being paid by US taxpayers to spy on them. In Pittsburgh, a city council member has demanded a probe into ITRR accusing the firm of "espionage."

This post originally appeared on Ali Abunimah's blog here.

"Palestinian Gandhi" Convicted for Protesting; U.S. Silent

Details: Written by Robert Naiman, Policy Director, Just Foreign Policy Robert Naiman, Policy Director, Just Foreign Policy; Published: 14 September 2010 14 September 2010; Hits: 4036 4036

This week, an Israeli military court convicted Abdallah Abu Rahmah, whom progressive Zionists have called a "Palestinian Gandhi," of "incitement" and "organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations" for organizing protests against the confiscation of Palestinian land by the "Apartheid Wall" in the village of Bilin in the West Bank, following an eight month trial, during which he was kept in prison.

The European Union issued a protest. But as far as I am aware, no U.S. official has said anything and no U.S. newspaper columnist has denounced this act of repression; indeed, the U.S. press hasn't even reported the news. To find out what happened, someone could search the wires where they'll find this AFP story, or go to the British or Israeli press.

AFP reported:

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed deep concern "that the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahma is intended to prevent him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest against the existence of the separation barriers in a non-violent manner," her office said.

"The EU considers the route of the barrier where it is built on Palestinian land to be illegal," it quoted her as saying in a statement.

The failure of the New York Times to report the news is particularly striking, because the New York Times reported last August on the protests in Bilin, quoting Abu Rahmah in particular; and because this July New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, writing from Bilin with the provocative headline "Waiting for Gandhi," weighed in on the subject of Palestinian nonviolent protest.

Last August, Ethan Bronner reported in the Times:

Abdullah Abu Rahma, a village teacher and one of the organizers of the weekly protests, said he was amazed at the military's assertions [of protester violence, including of "rioters" throwing "Molotov cocktails"] as well as at its continuing arrests and imprisonment of village leaders.
"They want to destroy our movement because it is nonviolent," he said. He added that some villagers might have tried, out of frustration, to cut through the fence since the court had ordered it moved and nothing had happened. But that is not the essence of the popular movement that he has helped lead.

Kristof wrote patronizingly in his column last month that "some Palestinians are dabbling in a strategy of nonviolent resistance," but is seems that Kristof was "dabbling" in his fleeting expression of concern about the fate of the Palestinians.

Under the "law" of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank since 1967, "incitement" is defined as "the attempt, verbally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order", and carries a maximum 10 year sentence. Abu Rahmah's sentencing will take place next month, and the prosecution is reportedly expected to ask for a sentence of at least two years.

In December 2008 Abdallah received the Carl Von Ossietzky Medal for Outstanding Service in the Realization of Basic Human Rights from the International League for Human Rights in Berlin, as Amnesty International noted following his arrest.

This February, former President Jimmy Carter wrote on behalf of the Elders, the group of global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to promote peace:

We are especially concerned to hear that Abdallah Abu Rahma, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bil'in, was detained in a night raid on 10 December last year and faces charges of incitement, stone throwing and organizing and participating in illegal marches. [...] Abu Rahma is a middle-aged school teacher who eschews violence including stone throwing.

Catherine Ashton, Europe's Hillary Clinton, protested the conviction. Why hasn't Hillary done so?

Perhaps the failure of the U.S. media to simply report the news might have something to do with it?

You can ask Secretary of State Clinton to speak out, as Europe's Catherine Ashton has, by calling the State Department's comment line at 202-647-6575 and pressing 1.

Or you can use the State Department's web form, choosing "E-mail a Question/Comment," and topic "U.S. Foreign Policy/Middle East." You could use a subject like "Conviction by Israeli court of Abdallah Abu Rahmah for nonviolent protest," and a question like "I urge Secretary Clinton and other State Department officials to speak out against the conviction by Israeli military court of Abdallah Abu Rahmah for organizing nonviolent protests against the Israeli separation barrier in the West Bank, which has confiscated Palestinian land."

You can write a letter for publication to the New York Times This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; you can contact the Times' news editors This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; you can write to the Times' Public Editor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

UPDATE: (8/29): CNN, The Guardian, and The Independent reported the news; Amnesty International and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu protested the conviction.

Follow Robert Naiman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/naiman

Israeli army admits three killed Gazans were civilians

Details: Written by BBC News BBC News; Published: 14 September 2010 14 September 2010; Hits: 3549 3549

[Photo: Palestinians pray near the bodies of Ibrahim and Husam Abu Saeed in Jabalya, northern Gaza Strip, 13 September Ibrahim Abu Saeed, 91, and his grandson Husam were buried on Monday]

The Israeli army has admitted that three Palestinian men it killed in Gaza on Sunday were civilians, and not terrorists, as previously claimed.

Brig Gen Ayal Eisenberg said one of the men had picked up a grenade launcher abandoned in a field, and Israeli troops mistakenly opened fire, thinking they were about to come under attack.

Among those killed were a 91-year-old farm worker and his grandson, aged 17.

Rocket fire from Gaza has increased in the past week. No casualties resulted.

Hours after the general's statement, at least two Palestinians were wounded in Israeli shelling east of Gaza City, a medic and another witness said.

The two were wounded when Israel fired four tank shells near the village of Juhr al-Dik, close to the heavily-guarded border, the witness said.

The Israeli army said it had returned fire after militants approached the border and fired a rocket propelled grenade at a patrol.

Mistaken identity

Sunday's killings took place near the town of Beit Hanoun in Gaza after Israeli tanks fired across the border at the three victims, witnesses had said.

“Our soldiers identified a civilian who was picking up a [rocket] and, thinking he was going to fire at them, opened fire”

- Brig Gen Ayal Eisenberg Israeli army's Gaza division head

Two of those killed were named as Ibrahim Abu Saeed and his grandson Husam. The third victim, a 20-year-old man, has not been named.

At the time, Israeli army radio described the men as "terrorists", but Gen Ayal Eisenberg now says the soldiers made a mistake.

"The civilians killed by our soldiers' fire... were not involved in any terrorist operation," he told army radio.

"Our soldiers identified a civilian who was picking up an RPG [rocket propelled grenade] and, thinking he was going to fire at them, opened fire" in his direction, he added.

The incident occurred shortly after militants in Gaza fired several rockets and mortar rounds across the border into southern Israel. The attacks did not result in any injuries or damage.

'Trigger-happy attitude'

Separately, a report published by an Israeli human rights group found that Israeli soldiers who kill Palestinians were rarely punished.

The B'Tselem report released on Tuesday said that the military investigated only 22 of 148 cases submitted by the group.

No criminal charges were brought in any of the cases, which involved the killing of 288 Palestinian civilians between 2006 and 2009, it said.

"This policy permits soldiers and officers to act in violation of the law, encourages a trigger-happy attitude and shows a flagrant disregard for human life," the report said.

One Thai farm worker in Israel has been killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the past 18 months, while scores of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed over the same period.

Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights