Israeli General 'tried to cover up truth about death of Rachel Corrie'
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- Written by Ben Lynfield Ben Lynfield
- Published: 11 May 2010 11 May 2010
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Israeli war hero accused of suppressing testimony that could reveal what really happened to Gaza activist
By Ben Lynfield
The Independent (.K.) May 7, 2010
AP PHOTO: The peace activist Rachel Corrie died on 16 March 2003
Seven years after the American activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, evidence has emerged which appears to implicate Israel's Gaza commander at the time, in an attempt to obstruct the official investigation into her death.
The alleged intervention of Major-General Doron Almog, then head of Israel's southern command, is documented in testimony taken by Israeli military police a day after Ms Corrie was killed on March 16, 2003. The hand written affidavit, seen by The Independent, was submitted as evidence during a civil law suit being pursued by the Corrie family against the state of Israel.
Ms Corrie, who was 23 when she died, was critically wounded when a bulldozer buried her with sandy soil near the border between Gaza and Egypt. The American, wearing a fluorescent orange jacket and carrying a megaphone, was among a group of volunteers from the anti-occupation International Solidarity Movement who over a period of three hours on that day had sought to block the demolition by Israel of Palestinian homes.
The Israeli military has maintained that its troops were not to blame for the killing of Ms Corrie and that the driver of the bulldozer had not seen her. It accused Ms Corrie and the ISM of behaviour that was "illegal, irresponsible and dangerous". Three days after Ms Corrie's death, the US state department announced that the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had promised the US President George Bush that the Israeli government would undertake a "thorough, credible and transparent investigation".
But according to a military police investigator's report which has now emerged, the "commander" of the D-9 bulldozer was giving testimony when an army colonel dispatched by Major-General Almog interrupted proceedings and cut short his evidence. The military police investigator wrote: "At 18:12 reserve Colonel Baruch Kirhatu entered the room and informed the witness that he should not convey anything and should not write anything and this at the order of the general of southern command."
The commander was a reservist named Edward Valermov. He was in the bulldozer with its driver. In his testimony before he was ordered to stop, he told military police investigators that he had not seen Ms Corrie before she was wounded. Alice Coy, a former ISM volunteer activist who was near Ms Corrie during the incident said in an affidavit to the court that "to the best of my knowledge the bulldozer driver could see Rachel while pushing earth over her body."
Hussein Abu Hussein, a lawyer for the Corrie family, said Major-General Almog's alleged intervention blocked the possible emergence of evidence that could have determined whether Mr Valermov's assertion that he did not see Ms Corrie was reasonable. "Do I believe him? Of course not. There is no doubt this was manslaughter," Mr Abu Hussein said. "First of all we claim the state is responsible for the death of Rachel. And secondly we claim that the investigation was not professional."
"When you, the state of Israel, fail as an authority to perform your function of having a credible investigation, when your standard falls from reasonable, objective standards than you have caused evidentiary damage," Mr Abu Hussein said.
Contacted by The Independent, Major-General Almog, a hero in Israel for his role in the 1976 raid to rescue hostages in Entebbe, Uganda, denied ordering the bulldozer commander to desist from testifying. In 2005, the General narrowly escaped arrest in Britain on a war crimes charge for allegedly ordering the destruction in 2002 of 50 civilian homes in Rafah, where Ms Corrie was later killed. Major-General Almog was tipped off about the warrant and did not disembark at Heathrow, returning instead to Israel on the El Al flight.
Mr Valermov said in his testimony that the bulldozers, manned by two people, were ordered to continue their work despite the presence of the ISM protesters. He said that troops in an armoured personnel carrier threw stun grenades, used tear gas and fired shots towards the ground to scare the protesters away. "It didn't help and therefore we decided to continue the work with all possible delicateness on the orders of the company commander" he said.
The testimony was interrupted after Mr Valermov said the driver of the bulldozer, named only as Yevgeny, said he did not know if Ms Corrie had been harmed by the shovel of the D-9. "It was only when we moved the D-9 backwards that I saw her. The woman was lying in a place where the instrument had not reached. As soon as we saw the harmed woman we returned to the central corridor, stood and waited for orders." The soldier's last statement before the order to stop speaking was: "My job was to guide. The driver cannot guide himself because his field of vision is not large."
Another army document strongly suggests that Major-General Almog opposed the military police investigation. Dated 18 March 2003, a military police investigator petitioning a judge for permission to conduct an autopsy on Ms Corrie's body said that "we arrived only today because there was an argument between the general of southern command and the military advocate general about whether to open an investigation and under what circumstances." The judge granted the request provided the autopsy would be done in the presence of a US diplomat as the Corrie family requested. But the inquest was carried out by Israel's chief pathologist without any US official being there, in apparent violation of the judge's ruling.
Major-General Almog denied halting Mr Valermov's testimony. "I never gave such an order, I don't know such a document. I conducted my own investigation, I don't remember what I found. There were 12,000 terrorist incidents when I was general in charge of southern command. I finished seven years ago, if they want to invite me [to testify] they know the address. I certainly didn't disrupt an investigation, this is nonsense. In all of my service I never told anyone not to testify."
Asked if he gave an order to harm foreign activists interfering with the army's work, Major-General Almog responded: "What are you talking about? You don't know what a general in charge of command is. The general in charge of command has 100,000 soldiers. What are you talking about?''
Moshe Negbi, legal commentator for the state-run Voice of Israel radio, said of Major-General Almog's interdiction: "If a commander prevents a witness from testifying then it is disruption of an investigation, a criminal offence whose penalty is three years imprisonment."
Craig Corrie, Rachel Corrie's father, said the alleged intervention in Valermov's testimony was "outrageous."
"When you see someone in that position taking those steps you not only have to be outraged, you have to ask why is he covering up, what has he done that he needs to take these steps to cover it up?"
An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said: "Any military police investigations are completely independent and cannot be influenced by outside sources." The Israeli state attorneys handling the case declined to be interviewed. The trial is due to resume in September.
Rachel's nightmare scenario
Before she became a political symbol, Rachel Corrie was an American student on a study-abroad programme. A member of a middle-class family from Olympia, Washington, she was attending college locally when she travelled to Gaza with the intention of initiating a twin-city project between Olympia and Rafah.
Arriving in Gaza in January 2003, she linked up with the International Solidarity Movement, and spent the next two months as an activist. In the weeks before her death she wrote a series of emails home to her friends and family that detailed her impressions of life in Gaza. "I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers," she told her mother. "I'm witnessing this chronic, insidious genocide and I'm really scared... This has to stop. I think it is a good idea for us all to drop everything and devote our lives to making this stop."
The emails, which later inspired a play that appeared in London but was cancelled in New York and Toronto, end with an exchange with her father. "I am afraid for you, and I think I have reason to be," he wrote. "But I'm also proud of you – very proud... But I'd just as soon be proud of somebody else's daughter."
Corrie died on 16 March 2003. Like the death of the British activist Tom Hurndall in similar circumstances a year later, it prompted an international outcry about Israel's deeds in the Palestinian territories.
Transcript of Wyden's AIPAC Speech (Rough Draft)
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- Written by Ron Wyden Ron Wyden
- Published: 10 May 2010 10 May 2010
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[This is a rough draft of a transcript of Wyden's speech. We thought it was important to get it out there . . .]
AIPAC
Wyden Speech
April 25, 2010
Intro
We are fortunate and honored tonight to be joined by 3 members of Oregon's great congressional delegation. Over the years our members of Congress have played an important role in the strength of the US/Israel relationship. We've asked them to say a few words tonight. Our first speaker is no stranger to this audience. He has joined us for many AIPAC events in Oregon throughout his 30 years in the Congress. Elected to the House of Rep in 1980 and then to the US Senate in 1996 Senator Ron Wyden has consistently been a strong supporter of the Israel/US relationship. He is among the select group of senators leading the effort to insure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon capability. Aas a member of the Senate Intelligence committee sen widen appreciates and understands well the ??? threats facing the US and Israel. Senator Wyden we know you have a busy schedule. we are very grateful to have you here with us tonight. …. We thank you for your friendship and leadership over the last 3 decades. Ladies and gentlemen please help me welcome a great friend of the pro-Israel community, Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden …applause, applause…
Wyden
. . . Introductory small talk and remarks . . .
On the floor of the US senate every once in awhile you get the chance to take a point of personal privilege and I'd just want everybody in our community to know that the Rosenbergs speaking who we know just seeing around town involved in every cause. (noise. ..) No family in the united States has done more to foster a close US/Israel relationship than the Rosenbergs and I ….. applause, applause and more applause
I want to make just 2 points tonight
One is personal, the other is geo-political issue.
i almost didn't make it tonight and I'm not talking about public relations.
I almost wasn't born. My parents fled nazi germany in the 30's --- we lost family ……..
what guides my views in the United States Senate is really very simple and that is -- i think Jewish values are (emphasis) American values. Tthat's why I think I have the opportunity to be an opinion [mischief??] maker in the US Senate. In a lot of years you'd have to count Paul Simon. He's so wonderful -- he loves opinions.
If my grandparents were here tonight, they'd say - how in the world did their grandson a first generation Jewish guy get to with a …. with a face for radio ….
jewish values
2 points
older daughter ???
What i especially appreciate AIPAC for is making the case day after day after day passionately persistently and with specifics that WE MUST NOT ALLOW IRAN TO GET THE BOMB. applause, applause. Many people understand nuclear weapons and existential threat to the US and Isarel and the world from nuclear weapons. But you have to think about this, if iran gets the bomb, I think we'll go down the exactly same path with went with North korea…essentially we'll have to talk containment kind of strategy. The N. Koreans will enter in to an agreement with us which they have done with us in the past and which the Iranians will do as well. They would cheat on the agreement we would try to catch them cheating. When we eventually caught them, they would try to blackmail us in to going along with what we originally agreed to. So we absolutely must not let them get the bomb. What AIPAC has done with respect PARTICULARLY is going after the strongest possible sanctions . . . A bill that in effect says that Lloyd's of London couldn't do business in the US if it would make it impossible for insurance contracts with … petroleum of sales from Iran. That's the policy that in my view is the foundation of eventually a new movement in Iran where the regime is no longer in charge. It will come about to a great extent because of the leadership of AIPAC and ALL Americans ought to appreciate that for the world will be a safer place.
Last point . . . how to proceed with the enormous challenge israel and palestinian peace process. we've all seen in the last few days continued debate around where to go next. Certainly VP Biden's visit was a source of great tensions and the debate about what Netanayu knew or didn't know. The question is - where do go from here? I would like to offer up what I believe one possibility for proceeding fro this point on getting the focus back on the most promising ideas for bringing together israelis and palestinians. You've go to be Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian and anti Terror as our bedrock principle. With Clintons parameters (Dec 2000) we have support from both Israel and Palestinian leaders i think we need the foundation for a final status … somewhere a long the way soon we have got to find our way to a new diplomatic offensive. A variety of influential leaders recommend something like this. we ought to be debating this in our community. We ought to be looking for our leaders for concrete ideas for advancing this concept particularly in getting to the final status talks. That's what AIPAC does best promote debate in the community and try to bring together voices in this country that understand the relationship between United States and Israel is about safer mainstream america. That's why this work is so important. I hope you'll support AIPAC with everything you have in the days ahead.
HEY ELTON: Awesome video asking Elton John to cancel is upcoming concert in Israel
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- Written by John Greyson John Greyson
- Published: 09 May 2010 09 May 2010
- Hits: 3241 3241
HEY ELTON!
John Greyson
Palestinian civil society has called on Elton John to respect its boycott call and cancel his June 17th concert in Tel Aviv. If he does so, he'll be joining Santana and Gil-Scott Heron, who recently cancelled their spring concerts in Israel. This video suggests six reasons why Elton should join the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement.
For more info, please visit:
bdsmovement.net
BNC (Palestinian BDS National Commitee)
pacbi.org
PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel)
bricup.org.uk
BRICUP (British Committee for Universities for Palestine)
quaia.org
QUAIA (Queers Against Israeli Apartheid)
Unconditional support for Israel 'is dangerous', say leading European Jews
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- Written by Associated Press on the Guardian Associated Press on the Guardian
- Published: 03 May 2010 03 May 2010
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Anti-settlement petition signed by Bernard Henri-Lévy and others causes division in Jewish community
More than 3,000 European Jews, including prominent intellectuals, have signed a petition speaking out against Israeli settlement policies and warning that systematic support for the Israeli government is dangerous.
The petition's signatories include French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a Greens leader in the European Parliament.
Supporters, who compare their goals to those of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel Jewish lobbying group in the United States, plan to present their position at a news conference at the European Parliament in Brussels tomorrow.
They say they hope to build a European movement that is both "committed to the state of Israel and critical of the current choices of its government".
Israeli columnist Yossi Sarid, a former Cabinet minister identified with Israel's peace movement, praised the initiative in an comment piece published in the Haaretz daily today.
"These are people who seize every opportunity to defend Israel publicly and remain faithful to it," he wrote. "But even their patience is running out and their hearts are filled with sincere concern."
Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment because the initiative is not government-sponsored.
Many signatories are from France, where the petition has received much press coverage. France's Jewish community has hotly debated the petition, entitled Call for Reason.
But the president of France's leading Jewish association, CRIF, declined to sign, saying he objected to some of its language and its tone.
"Do Israelis need the Jewish Diaspora to know what is 'the right' decision, what should be the borders of a country that their sons and daughters are protecting?" Richard Prasquier wrote in Le Figaro newspaper.
The petition says Israel faces a threat in the "occupation and the continuing pursuit of settlements in the West Bank and in the Arab districts of East Jerusalem".
"These policies are morally and politically wrong and feed the unacceptable delegitimization process that Israel currently faces abroad," it sayings, adding that "systematic support of Israeli government policy is dangerous and does not serve the true interests of the state of Israel".
Attendees of the April 25, 2010 Annual Oregon AIPAC event.
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- Written by AUPHR AUPHR
- Published: 02 May 2010 02 May 2010
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This is the tentative list of the attendees announced at the annual AIPAC event in Oregon on April 25, 2010.
The names were announced by the AIPAC hosts at the podium. Akiva Tor, Ron Wyden, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader all gave speeches at the event.
Israel consulate general Akiva Tor
Japan Deputy Consul General: Hirofumi Murabayashi
Ted Kulongoski
Ron Wyden
Earl Blumenauer
Kurt Schrader
From Oregon State Senate: Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin District 19), Martha Schrader (D-Canby District 20), and Chris Telfer (R-Bend District 27) (also candidate for state treasurer)
From Oregon House: Brent Barton (D-Clackamas District 51), Sal Esquivel (R-Medford District 6), Val Hoyle (D-West Eugene District 14), Jim Weidner (R-Yamhill District 24), Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver District 53) , Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville District 26), Ron Mauer (R-Grants Pass District 3) (who is also running for state superintendent of public instruction)
Clark County Commissioner Mark Bolt
Multnomah County Commissioner Judy Shiprack
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle
Republican Candidate for Oregon Governor Allen Alley
Candidates for OR first district Republican Rob Cornilles, Republican Doug Keller, Repubican John Kuzmanich, Democrat David Robinson, Republican Stephen Brodhead
Candidate for second district Democrat Joyce Segers
Candidate for fourth district Republican Jaynee Germond
Candidates for Washington's third (to replace Brian Baird): Democrat Denny Heck, Democrat Craig Pridemore
Joining Wyden, state director Lisa Rockower
Joining Earl, finance director Elizabeth Wilson
Representing Wu, field rep Brian Plinski
Accompanying Schrader, Field rep Trevor Sleeman
Representing Sam Adams: Portland Director of International Affairs Noah Siegel
Multnomah County Republican Party Chair Jay Kushner
AIPAC National President Lee Rosenberg