Hebron: Young men disappearing from the Old City
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- Written by Paulette Schroeder Paulette Schroeder
- Published: 17 March 2010 17 March 2010
- Hits: 2960 2960
REFLECTION
Paulette Schroeder
Our Palestinian neighbor sent
her 15yr.old son to buy bread. Fifteen minutes later, Israeli soldiers
blindfolded and handcuffed him, accusing him of throwing stones. The boy
insisted he did not throw stone/s at the soldiers. Nevertheless, he is now
spending time in the Israeli prison system. Having spent the first 17 days
in Ofir Prison among men who may/ may not have committed serious crimes, he
continues to insist on his innocence. He will spend 4 or 5 months in
another Israeli prison until his court case is completed. All for the “crime” of
supposedly throwing a stone at soldiers!
Mohammed, and Eissa too, were
walking with the 15 yr. old. Mohammed is 14yrs. old and Eissa is 19. The
Israeli authorities held Mohammed in Ofir Prison until a donor
contributed 2000 shekels. (This amounts to $500.00 approximately.
Near our CPT apartment soldiers
accused a 12 yr. old boy of throwing stone/s. He too spent one week in
Ofir prison.
Soldiers recently blindfolded and
handcuffed an 8 yr. old boy for stone throwing. They forced him to spend 8
hours with a dog behind a military gate.
A 14 yr. old neighbor boy was
helping his dad in his store, cutting cardboard boxes filled
with wares. The soldiers saw him with a knife, blindfolded him, whisked him away
behind the military gate, holding him for two hours while the father pleaded at
the gate.
A 15 yr. old boy in the
neighborhood ran an errand for his father. The soldiers saw him running,
grabbed him, and likewise detained him behind the military gate for 2 hrs. as
his father also insisted his son did no wrong.
Besides the issue of the boys’
ages, and the severity of the sentences imposed, there is also the persistent
need of the parents to travel 2 hrs to the prison, their consequent loss of
work, and their travel expenses involved. (Approximately
$15.00 each trip) Sometimes before a child’s case is settled, the parents
must travel 4 or 5 times to the courtroom.
I have only begun to enumerate the
stories of children recently taken from our midst. Though the people’s
patience has been great and their will to resist persists; yet anyone who
witnesses these actions firsthand will call them insanity, dehumanization,
oppression, collective profiling. From my point of view, this problem in
Biden, Israel, and the Dangers of “Special Relationships”
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- Written by G. Schramm G. Schramm
- Published: 17 March 2010 17 March 2010
- Hits: 2081 2081
Biden, Israel, and the Dangers of “Special Relationships”
I think it was Thomas Jefferson who warned Americans to avoid “entangling foreign alliances” (i.e. “special relationships”). He was not preaching isolationism, only reminding us not to confuse our own interests with those of foreign states. In Israel a few days ago, Vice President Biden got a lesson in the kind of abusive entanglement a “special relationship” can become.
First, Biden gave the Israelis a huge hug. He reiterated longstanding US policy by asserting America’s “absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israeli security.”
Biden then added that “progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is no space between Israel and the US.” This is sheer fantasy. Since 1948 our “Israel can do no wrong” policy has been supported by billions of US taxpayer dollars, scores of single US vetoes on security council resolutions, and endless assurances of our undying love and support. Yet Israel is now vastly more powerful than all her neighbors combined and still there is no peace.
Why? Unconditional US support has created a vast sense of entitlement and lack of accountability in Israel. It has enabled Israeli governments to defy world opinion, international law, American law, and even some of Judaism’s most treasured values: all for the sake of appeasing a few thousand “settlers” and their fundamentalist ideology. The current status quo is the direct result of a “special relationship” in which Israel’s actions, no matter how violent and counterproductive to peace, must always be put in a good light.
So when Biden got around to restarting the peace talks that are vital to US security, there is little wonder that (in spite of his endorsement of Israel and the myth that goes with it) he got a slap in the face—America’s interests don’t matter. Israel, knowing quite well it might derail any peace talks and set off a new explosion in Palestine, chose that delicate moment to announce large new building projects in the occupied territories. Such settlement projects make a mockery of peace. Secretary Clinton rightly called Israel’s behavior an “insult” and an “affront.”
Biden condemned Israel’s announcement, repeated our demand for a settlement freeze, and asserted that “sometimes only a friend can deliver the hardest truth.” Well that’s only true with real friends. Friendship is a two way street, but Israel has happily taken our money, paid lip service to our needs, and done whatever it wants—no matter how damaging that is to the US. The “special relationship” relieves Israel of all accountability. Zero accountability doesn’t work any better in foreign affairs than it does on Wall Street.
Biden in Israel looked like a man trying to stop a friend from driving drunk. He got a slap instead of the keys. We should not let Netanyahu drive away. Remember, we bought the car, we gave them the keys, we buy their gas, and we have helped them cover up their previous offenses. Enough is enough. It’s time to recognize that we made a mistake. Our 3-5 billion dollars in annual aid to Israel has involved us in the shame of their hit and run crimes and fueled wider anti-Americanism and extremism that is costing us further trillions in misspent defense dollars.
When PM Netanyahu stood in the West Bank recently and said, “we are here to stay,” he showed that he is out to seize the last remnants of Palestinian land by force. That is not a sane or humane policy. It is naked aggression. We should respond as we would to any other country: immediately cut off all US aid, impose further sanctions, and so on. When there is a just and comprehensive peace and a viable contiguous Palestinian State we should return to a normal, friendly (but never again “special” or abusive) relationship with Israel.
G. Schramm
Saturday, March 20, 2010: Portlanders to Protest 7 Years Since Iraq Invasion
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- Written by Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group
- Published: 16 March 2010 16 March 2010
- Hits: 2870 2870
Portlanders to Protest 7 Years
Since Iraq Invasion with Rally, March, and Teach-In
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Student feeder march at 11:00am, PSU Park Blocks
12:00 Noon: Rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza, SW 3rd and Madison
1:00 pm: Teach-in at First Unitarian Church
Iraq, Seven Years Later:
Change US Foreign Policy-Bring All the Troops Home!
With the uncertain outcome of the March 7 elections continuing to delay the withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq, Portlanders are gearing up to protest the ongoing presence of the US military and contractors on the anniversary of the 2003 invasion.
The themes addressed throughout the day will include the expansion of US military presence and US support for military occupations throughout the Middle East:
- End the Occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine
- Stop the Expanding Attacks in the Middle East: No Drone Strikes in Pakistan
- No War on Iran
- US Out of Latin America
The day's events are being coordinated by Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group and cosponsored or endorsed by more than 20 other organizations.
For more information: Peace and Justice Works 503-236-3065 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.pjw.info
America's Rude Awakening
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- Written by Joharah Baker for MIFTAH Joharah Baker for MIFTAH
- Published: 15 March 2010 15 March 2010
- Hits: 2858 2858
It all started with a visit from the second most powerful man in the United States government, Mr. Joe Biden. The US Vice President is the highest ranking official to date from the Obama Administration to visit the region, ostensibly to nudge along the delicately fragile peace process that has only recently wobbled to its feet. Leave it to Israel to make it buckle at the knees, slapping its legs with a settlement stick so hard, the poor baby fell flat on its face.
One thousand six hundred homes to be exact is the number of settlement units it took for Israel to publicly embarrass Biden, strain relations with its staunchest ally and throw even the most optimistic of peaceniks into a downward spiral of skepticism over Israel's true intentions towards the Palestinians.
The announcement that additional settlement homes would be built in the east Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo [built largely on lands originally belonging to the Palestinian suburb of Shufat] came a day after VP Biden sang Israel's praises, commending Netanyahu on "taking risks for peace." The warm and fuzzy feeling did not last long though, even for a man like Biden, who in a 2007 interview declared he was a Zionist. But even for a "Zionist", the settlement declaration was a bit too much. Why? Not because of the actual fact that settlements are being built illegally on Palestinian land every day, or even that they are being built with the US's tacit consent. That has been going on for years. No, the impertinence came with the fact that settlement construction is the sore spot the US has been trying to smooth over ever since Barack Obama took the Oval Office. Not only did the announcement come mere days after the Palestinian leadership begrudgingly said it would approve a four-month window for proximity talks with Israel, but Netanyahu had to make it even worse by saying that the announcement was a simple faux pas and not an intentional political snub.
Of course it was. Nothing is coincidental, especially in Israeli politics and especially when it comes to the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed the announcement was not meant to embarrass Biden, but admitting that the timing was "unfortunate." However, not once did the Israeli premier say it should not have happened. On the contrary, he insisted that despite the diplomatic strain the announcement caused, the construction would not be halted. Not in Jerusalem, definitely, which Israel is adamant to proclaim as its eternal capital.
The souring relations between Israel and the US can only bring a smile to Palestinian faces, though. We have grown so accustomed to being at the wrong end of the stick where these two are concerned, always taking the heat, always being blamed for botching up this or that "opportunity for peace." Granted, it took the audacity of someone as rude as Benjamin Netanyahu to draw out this kind of criticism from the US but as long as the latter feels Israel has "insulted" them, we are making headway. "This was an affront, it was an insult but most importantly it undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region," said David Axelrod, one of US President Obama's closest aides. In short, Israel pushed its friend a bit too far.
This is not very surprising given the nature of their relationship though. The US has been so appeasing to Israel's behavior, has turned a blind eye countless times to Israel's blatant violations of international resolutions and human rights law, that the latter has been led to believe it is not obliged to account for its actions. How else would you explain the US's disregard for Israel's treatment of Palestinians, its unbalanced stance in international forums in favor of Israel and its flagrant double standards when it comes to Palestinian obligations towards making peace? Israel is right to believe that the US will not stand in its way because nothing over the years has proved this assumption wrong.
Maybe this recent incident will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Israel is clearly concerned with the tense relations with the US, especially since high ranking administration officials such as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are making unusually stiff demands on Israel. Apparently, Clinton, who was extremely miffed by the settlement fiasco, has sent Israel a "to-do" list to try and reverse its bad behavior. Not only did the Secretary call on Israel to make a "substantial gesture" towards the Palestinians, she also said Israel should reverse the decision to approve the 1,600 Ramat Shlomo settlement homes.
These demands may seem miniscule in light of the billions of dollars in economic and military aid Israel receives each year from the Americans, but for this pair, it's a big deal. For America, it’s a big deal because it's not used to scolding and disciplining its baby and for Israel, it's an even bigger deal because it's certainly not used to being scolded and told what to do.
Finally, for the Palestinians, this could also be a potentially big deal. The Palestinians have done everything they possibly can to align themselves with international demands without compromising their basic rights and national aspirations. Going back to the negotiating table in the form of proximity talks took months of cajoling and a promise from the US that it would take a firm stance against any party that violates the spirit of these talks. Perhaps, this is America finally living up to its word.
Joharah Baker is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Petraeus briefing: Biden’s embarrassment is not the whole story
- Details
- Written by Mark Perry Mark Perry
- Published: 15 March 2010 15 March 2010
- Hits: 3136 3136
On January 16, two days after a killer earthquake hit Haiti, a team of senior military officers from the U.S. Central Command (responsible for overseeing American security interests in the Middle East), arrived at the Pentagon to brief JCS Chairman Michael Mullen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The team had been dispatched by CENTCOM commander David Petraeus to underline his growing worries at the lack of progress in resolving the issue. The 33-slide 45-minute PowerPoint briefing stunned Mullen. The briefers reported that there was a growing perception among Arab leaders that the U.S. was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM's mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region, and that Mitchell himself was (as a senior Pentagon officer later bluntly described it) "too old, too slow...and too late."
The January Mullen briefing was unprecedented. No previous CENTCOM commander had ever expressed himself on what is essentially a political issue; which is why the briefers were careful to tell Mullen that their conclusions followed from a December 2009 tour of the region where, on Petraeus's instructions, they spoke to senior Arab leaders. "Everywhere they went, the message was pretty humbling," a Pentagon officer familiar with the briefing says. "America was not only viewed as weak, but its military posture in the region was eroding." But Petraeus wasn't finished: two days after the Mullen briefing, Petraeus sent a paper to the White House requesting that the West Bank and Gaza (which, with Israel, is a part of the European Command - or EUCOM), be made a part of his area of operations. Petraeus's reason was straightforward: with U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military had to be perceived by Arab leaders as engaged in the region's most troublesome conflict.
The Mullen briefing and Petraeus's request hit the White House like a bombshell. While Petraeus's request that CENTCOM be expanded to include the Palestinians was denied ("it was dead on arrival," a Pentagon officer confirms), the Obama Administration decided it would redouble its efforts - pressing Israel once again on the settlements issue, sending Mitchell on a visit to a number of Arab capitals and dispatching Mullen for a carefully arranged meeting with Chief of the Israeli General Staff, Lt. General Gabi Ashkenazi. While the American press speculated that Mullen's trip focused on Iran, the JCS Chairman actually carried a blunt, and tough, message on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: that Israel had to see its conflict with the Palestinians "in a larger, regional, context" - as having a direct impact on America's status in the region. Certainly, it was thought, Israel would get the message.
Israel didn't. When Vice President Joe Biden was embarrassed by an Israeli announcement that the Netanyahu government was building 1600 new homes in East Jerusalem, the administration reacted. But no one was more outraged than Biden who, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, engaged in a private, and angry, exchange with the Israeli Prime Minister. Not surprisingly, what Biden told Netanyahu reflected the importance the administration attached to Petraeus's Mullen briefing: "This is starting to get dangerous for us," Biden reportedly told Netanyahu. "What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
That endangers us and it endangers regional peace." Yedioth Ahronoth went on to report: "The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel's actions and US policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops fighting against Islamic terrorism." The message couldn't be plainer: Israel's intransigence could cost American lives.
There are important and powerful lobbies in America: the NRA, the American Medical Association, the lawyers - and the Israeli lobby. But no lobby is as important, or as powerful, as the U.S. military. While commentators and pundits might reflect that Joe Biden's trip to Israel has forever shifted America's relationship with its erstwhile ally in the region, the real break came in January, when David Petraeus sent a briefing team to the Pentagon with a stark warning: America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers. Maybe Israel gets the message now.