Israel and Palestine and the people of peace

"If we had given ground on the refugees and made such concessions, why hasn't Israel agreed to sign a peace accord?" The words of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in response to Al Jazeera's leaked documents from the PA revealing formally the extent of the concessions made on the Palestinian side and the intransigence of the Israeli state powers. Like we didn't know all this already!

So the Palestinians are denying it all and the Israeli's so far are quieter on the matter. If either side knew the meaning of the word 'shame' they would be ashamed of their exposure. But everything illuminated becomes a light (Ephesians 5: 12 - 14) and so with these leaked documents.

We are reminded of what is already known but rarely spoken of: the power-elite can play their games in secret rooms, pretending to negotiate peace but only really negotiating shares of power of Israeli's who have been cowed by their own government and narrative and Palestinians who do not know where to turn because they've been offered the wrong myths of redemption.

A two state solution? A One state solution? Choose your masters people! Do you want Palestinian corruption and neglect or Israeli/USA corruption and neglect?

But the good news is that most Israeli's want and work for peace and most Palestinians long for justice. So peace and justice are possible. The dickheads just need to get out of their secret rooms and go out into the street and start clearing rubble instead of whispering sweet nothings in Imperial ears in the dark.

Lucky ol' Gaza!

Today Israeli officials have offered to strangle Gaza with only one hand instead of two. Thus killing the region slightly more slowly. No doubt the Israeli Government and IDF will be praised for this by Western Governments who know no better because they are equally psychotic. All states are psychotic, not just Israel. They don't always kill their next-door neighbours but they are always destroying something beautiful.

Enquiry lumbers and slumbers on...

Blair, Brown and now Miliband have all argued that the invasion of Iraq was necessary to put into action the whimpish UN resolutions on Iraq into action.

None of the members of the Iraq enquiry have questioned the consistency of this logic. There are literally hundreds of resolutions from the UN Security council criticising Israeli foreign policy or insisting that Israel stop its atrocities against its neighbours and the occupied territories.

Now why isn't the enquiry dealing with this inclnsistency of the New Labour Hawks' foreign policy? Why indeed. It just goes to show there's no such thing as an independent enquiry.

Thy will...

Sunday Mass at Ush Ghrab, occupied territory Palestine, Sunday 21 February 2010.
Israeli soldiers and people attending mass converse in the language of the former colonial power.

Divest all ye faithful

On 11th December, prominent Christian Palestinian leaders have released a historical Kairos Palestine Document, calling on churches around the world "to say a word of truth and to take a position of truth with regard to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land." Unambiguously endorsing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) as one of the key nonviolent forms of solidarity that international faith-based organizations are urged to adopt, the document affirms: "We see boycott and disinvestment as tools of justice, peace and security ..."

Kairos is an ancient Greek term meaning the right or opportune moment. The Kairos Palestine Document is inspired by the liberation theology, especially in South Africa where a similar document was issued at a crucial time in the struggle against apartheid. Informed by a lucid vision based on the universal principles of "equality, justice, liberty and respect for pluralism," Palestinian Christians issue this document today to explore a morally sound way out of the "dead end" reached in the Palestinian tragedy, "in which human beings are destroyed."

The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) salutes the moral clarity, courage and principled position conveyed in this new document, which emphasizes that resisting injustice should "concern the Church" and is "a right and a duty for a Christian," adding that it is "a resistance with love as its logic."

The BNC keenly notes the importance of releasing this historical call on this day, 11 December, which marks the 61st anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, issued in 1948, calling for the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes of origin "at the earliest practicable date." Whereas Palestinian refugees are still awaiting their return six decades later, we share the message of hope in today's Palestinian Kairos: "One of the most important signs of hope is the perseverance of the generations and the continuity of memory, which does not forget the Nakba (catastrophe) and its significance. This land is our land and it is incumbent upon us to defend it and reclaim it."

Particularly praiseworthy is the Kairos's emphasis on urging all churches to positively respond to the call by Palestinian civil society, including religious institutions, for "a system of economic sanctions and boycott to be applied against Israel," which, the document clarifies, "is not revenge but rather a serious action in order to reach a just and definitive peace."


The full document. [pdf, with alignment from "the other alphabet"]

Gloucester Curate in nonviolent confrontation with Christian Zionists

Click here for the Gloucester Citizen's report of my arrest on Monday night.

A pilgrimage worth considering

Would it be useful to show any disappointment about the pope who will not be visiting Gaza? The polite answer, of course, will be: the Israeli junta will not guarantee the safety of the head of the Church of Rome in finibus Filistinorum, since it will guarantee no-one's personal safety in this area.
And so rather unsurprisingly the possibility to meet certain Christians of the land where Christianity was born will pass. Unsurprisingly, but still disappointing for the Christians concerned, and - without doubt - for the muslims too.

But there will be chances to have your own special pilgimage without taking risks no-one should run. Be on the lookout for olive harvesting.
And then there is the peace initiative of Father Elias Chacour, which organises its own pilgrimage in the autumn. I was there and I can only say: seeing for yourself, being there is - let me think about words because I do not want to sound like a tourist brochure.
More on "being there" soon.

In times when war was called humanitarian intervention...

There are lots of people hugely surprised about news that torture is being practiced in US prisons. This can only be a surprise for those who are not involved with one of every 31 adults in the US.

And then there is the news about Israeli soldiers deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza in what the media still like to call "a war". A war of retaliation for those trembling people in Sderot who got all these rockets raining on them and - incredible news item - "you could not even do rectal research" as a television news item from a children's hospital in Sderot mentioned in NL (I have not read any comments on this item, seems like I am the only one shocked by the sheer idiocy of this all).

Since I have seen this picture from a hill near Sderot, where these trembling fearful people are watching the slaughter below, I cannot be surprised any more.

I was in prison....

I just received this call to take action on behalf of two conscientious objectors in Israel. Since in most parts of the world it will not be useful to send a letter or postcard to one or both of the imprisoned girls before Jan. 29th it would be best to email a letter of support.

It looks like the regime wants to be rid of these annoying objectors by declaring them medically unfit to serve. Three of the shministim mentioned earlier have been released on this ground.


Dear Friends,

Two women objectors, Raz Bar-David Varon and Maya Yechieli Wind, both signatories of the 2008 high school seniors refusal letter, reported on Wednesday, 14 Jan., at the Induction Base, declared her refusal to serve in the Israeli military and were sentenced to 14 days in military prison. Both were told that the military prison for women is full and kept in the Induction Base for several days. Eventually, they began their prison terms yesterday (19 Jan.)

This is the fourth prison term for Raz, and the first one for Maya, 19, from Jerusalem and a United World College graduate, who has prepared the following declaration upon entering prison:
At first, like many other Israeli citizens, I too could not bring myself to confront or criticize the Israeli military’s immoral actions. I realize that this difficulty originated from my sense of identification with soldiers my own age, to whom I could relate. Today it is precisely this realization that leads me to refuse to serve. I cannot recognize the humanity of Israelis but not that of Palestinians. It is because of my deep sense of commitment and responsibility to the community in which I grew up that I am refusing to contribute to this cycle of bloodshed.

We can no longer term our military a “Defense Force.” A defense force does not conquer lands of another people. A defense force does not assist in the building of settlements on those lands. A defense force does not permit settlers to throw stones at Palestinian civilians, nor does it deny them access to their lands and source of livelihood. None of these are acts of a defense force.

The occupation has no defensive advantages. On the contrary, the pointless occupation of millions of people only leads to radicalization of opinions, hatred and the escalation of violence. Violence is a cycle that feeds into itself. This cycle will not stop until someone stands up and refuses uncompromisingly to take part in it.

This is what I am doing today.

My views are also relevant to the current operation in Gaza. One form of violence cannot stop another. This current violence is the result of decades of ongoing occupation of the territories and sieges on Gaza since the disengagement. I mourn the unnecessary deaths of both Palestinians and Israelis.

Yet again we have chosen war.
The two objectors are due out of prison on 29 Jan. and are likely to be imprisoned again afterwards. Their prison addresses are:

Maya Yechieli Wind
Military ID 5984305
Military Prison No. 400
Military Postal Code 02447, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-9579389

Raz Bar-David Varon
Military ID 6000383
Military Prison No. 400
Military Postal Code 02447, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-9579389
Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and encouragement to the imprisoned objectors via e-mail to shministim@gmail.com, and they will be printed out and delivered to them during visits.

Since the beginning of the assault on Gaza, there has also been an a wave of reservists who refused to take part in it. The military mostly avoids sending these reservists to prison. One objector is now serving a 14-day term for refusal, but at the request of his family we are not revealing any other details on his case.

Another exception to the rule is the case of Noam Livneh, an officer in reserves and one of the main organisers of the Courage to Refuse movement. Noam has been imprisoned for refusal in the past (January 2001). Yesterday (19 Jan.), in an unprecedented step, he was not sentenced by an officer, as would usually happen, but was rather arrested by the military police. There is a possibility that he will be put to trial before a military tribunal. We will update on further developments as they happen.

A media report on Noam's case, also mentioning Maya and adding some further background can be read here.

There has also been a news story reporting the case of a helicopter pilot, Capt. Orr, who refused to take part in the bombing of Gaza (hat tip to Max Watts, who brought this report to our attention). However, we were not able to find any independent confirmation of this story, and have some doubts about its reliability.

Finally, COs Tamar Katz and Yuval Oron-Ofir have been recently exempted from military service on medical grounds, and are no longer in danger of further imprisonment. Thanks to all who took action on their behalf.


Recommended Action

First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

1. Sending Letters of Support
Please send the imprisoned objectors letters of support (preferably postcards or by fax) to the prison addresses above.


2. Letters to Authorities
It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors' behalf, preferably by fax, to:
Mr. Ehud Barak,
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
Hakirya,
Tel-Aviv 64743,
Israel.
E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il
Tel.: ++972-3-6975540 or ++972-3-6975423
Fax: ++972-3-6976711

Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:
Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:
Avichai Mandelblit,
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-43-70

It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison, and it is the same officer who is ultimately in charge of the military Conscience Committee:
Gadi Agmon,
Commander of Induction Base,
Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.

Here is a sample letter, which you can use, or better adapt, in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners' behalf:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that [name & military ID], a conscientious objector, has been imprisoned for [her / his] refusal to perform military service, and is held in Military Prison no. [6 / 400].

The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as [name] is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals, let alone when the same person is being repeatedly imprisoned for her self-same beliefs.

I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of [name], without threat of further imprisonment in the future, and urge you and the system you are heading to respect the dignity and person of conscientious objectors, indeed of all human beings, in the future.

Sincerely,

We will appreciate receiving copies from the letters to the address: support.refusers.israel@gmail.com

The Depressing press

An ex-KGB spy is due to buy London's Evening Standard. Let's see if it's readers notice any change in editorial drive? I suspect not.

On a lighter note, Sophie's just posted off the latest hard copy of A Pinch of Salt to the printers. If you don't get a copy and want one email editor.apos AT googlemail.com.

At 7:17 this morning, on Radio 4, Jonathan Humphreys gave Mark Regev (Israeli spokesman) a spanking. Regev exposed himself as a liar and a fascist - admitting to targetting civilian police and civilian building and to refusing entry to western press agencies accept under Israeli supervision for limited periods but could not defend this decision.

Villages

A site that may speak of the few signs of hope for Israel/Palestine at the moment.

Gaza - follow the money of the future

In case you - rather: we - thought red peppers and oranges would be the main products, if ever Gaza would be producing anything in the future: read this and think again. And think again about the reasons why things are happening like they are at the moment.

Comment from Les, now released from custody

Three arrests occurred yesterday at the nerve centre of british power (Northwood, North West London) where questions were asked about the authorisation of killings of civillian, and any militarised obedient persons from Gaza, and in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A number of nonviolent creative anarchists vigilled and memorised the killings of military and civillians and three were arrested for alleged criminal damage. Priest Martin Newell, Susan Clarkson and Les Gibbons were arrested for the direct entry of top secret NATO base.

Questions were aimed at asking who is responsible, who approved and who authorised the killings, the many killings - ..the ability to observe objectively is universal if blame is not apportioned through questions - this creates the climate for reflection and inner questioning.

We asked those authorising others to go to war, kill and be killed to reflect on Gaza and disobey to come forward instead they stayed hidden - maybe they make themselves the gods of earth doing fine in their killing mandates.

This nonviolent calm intervention - forced by starvation, injustice and need to breach in a flint faced fashion the inner circles of empire and low quality power for the sake of preserving innocent, the real treasures are people not oil or security.

HOPE HAPPENING
Hope will be Happening on 4th January in the first Palestine Cafe in Southampton - messages in arabic greatfully received for cards and pictures - no violent messages will be authorised for dispatch. Please ask your friends to assist with this - this is a human rights shout for assistance for palestine and particurly Gaza.

For further details please contact Les: 07766904547

Image: Les by Lizzie Jones

Visitation to Shepherds in the Holy Land

On 15 November 2008, around 9:00 a.m., approximately fifteen masked Israeli settlers from the illegal outpost of Havat Ma'on attacked three Palestinian shepherds who were grazing their flocks in a valley south of the outpost. The settlers came running down from a ridge above the shepherds, hurling rocks. The shepherds were able to get their flocks away before the rocks injured them.

During the incident, the settlers were able to steal two of the shepherds' donkeys. The settlers killed one donkey with a knife wound in the chest area. They slashed another across the throat, but the donkey survived.

You can read more and see a video of the attack here:

http://www.cpt.org/

Stories of Peace

Four members of Fellowship of Reconciliation, England are travelling to Israel and Palestine for a two week delegation from Monday 10^th to Saturday 22^nd November as part of a joint delegation with Interfaith Peace Builders and American Friends Service Committee. With 20+ other British and American delegates, we will be visiting Palestinian and Israeli grassroots peacemakers. We will be experiencing and engaging in nonviolent peacemaking in a region where violence has prevailed as the solution to conflict. It is our hope to be empowered as peacemakers, to gain a first hand understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to learn new peacemaking skills, and to make lifelong friends.

We really hope you will want to hear about our experiences and the people and places we will be visiting. If so, please visit our blog, ‘Stories of Peace’ at http://storiesofpeace.blogspot.com/ and feel free to leave comments for us. We hope to be able to read any comments and update the blog every few days while we are away.

Martha Beale

on behalf of all of the delegates (Martha Beale, Joff Williams, David Masters and Rachel Smith)