Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Galway, Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign & Israeli Blood Diamonds

category galway | rights, freedoms and repression | news report author Saturday February 10, 2007 17:30author by TD - Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Diamonds crafted in Israel are exempt from the UN’s Kimberly Process

Today, Galway IPSC, enthusiastically aided and abetted by SWP, Amnesty International and SP activists turned out in strenght to man an information stall outside Lynch's castle, Shop St. in order to collect petition signatures and dispense flyers concerning Israel's Blood Diamond industry.
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Text of flyer
In 2005 Israel gemstone exports were valued at $16 billion

The Israeli Ministry of Defence budget in 2007 is $12 billion

In 2007 the value of gemstone exports from Israel is estimated to reach $18–20 billion

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), in co-operation with solidarity groups worldwide has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about the extent of Israeli involvement in the diamond business.

The IPSC believe that as a result of Israel's domination of the diamond business, diamonds crafted in Israel are on sale in all Irish jewellery shops and Irish consumers are unwittingly supporting the Israeli economy and Israel's illegal occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people.

The release of the film Blood Diamond in the past month has drawn a lot of attention to the issue of conflict or blood diamonds. Jewellers’ representatives have bombarded the media in an effort to assure the public that the enforcement of the UN based Kimberly Process controls have eliminated the trade in blood diamonds. What they fail to mention however is the fact that the Kimberly process only applies to unpolished or “rough” diamonds and completely ignores the trade in the much more lucrative polished diamonds from conflict zones. This has proven very convenient for Israel in particular and for jewellers as they now use their compliance with the Kimberly process as a smoke screen to sell diamonds crafted in Israel, the world's longest running and apparently most intractable conflict zone, to unsuspecting consumers.

The IPSC calls on the Irish public to reject diamonds crafted in Israel and to insist on the right to know where each diamond was crafted and the right to choose Israel-free diamonds, such as laser inscribed diamonds from countries that respect human rights.

Israeli diamonds fund war crimes - No Tanks

Text of petition

Petition to the Retail Jewellers of Ireland

We the undersigned call on the Retail Jewellers of Ireland to support the call for :
a. the definition of “conflict diamonds” to be amended so it no longer excludes polished diamonds from conflict zones,
b. the introduction of an international marking system to identify where each diamond was crafted,
c. the provision of certifiably Israel-free diamonds

If you care to join us, Galway IPSC will be at it again outside Lynch's castle, next Saturday from 12 noon.

Related Link: http://www.ipsc.ie/

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Comments (80 of 80)

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author by TD - IPSCpublication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 17:43author address author phone

more !

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louis de Paor, noted Gaelic poet and head honcho of the Centre for Irish Studies, NUIG.
louis de Paor, noted Gaelic poet and head honcho of the Centre for Irish Studies, NUIG.

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author by TD - IPSCpublication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 17:49author address author phone

4 !

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author by Friend of Sarah - IPSCpublication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 18:04author address author phone

DIAMONDS AREN'T A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND by Sarah

A ring on the hand may be quite continental
but diamonds aren't a girl's best friend
for diamonds have flaws that are quite penitential
that have got to end
for us to be good folks you see

These rocks, you know, are cause for woe
for poor people all over the world...
When diamonds are BLOODY
their sparkle goes MUDDY....
Diamonds aren't a girl's best friend!

author by Sean - IPSCpublication date Sat Feb 10, 2007 22:15author address author phone

Today’s event is Galway was obviously a great success. A similar event was staged in Grafton St. Dublin and received a very positive response from the public. In the space of just two hours we collected over 500 signatures on the petition to the RJI. People were surprised to learn about the extent of Israeli involvement in the diamond trade and the fact that a significant proportion of the diamonds in jeweller's windows were crafted in Israel.

This campaign is going to grow and grow and the call to hallmark all diamonds will spur companies not wishing to have their diamonds sullied by association with Apartheid Israeli blood diamonds will have to introduce some form of hallmark to distinguish their produce

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author by AN Otherpublication date Mon Feb 12, 2007 09:33author address author phone

I think the IPSC's campaign is deliberately misleading and purposely makes ample use of anti-Semitic cliches.

The report above and the posters used in the campaign gives the impression that Israel alone is involved in the blood diamond industry. What it fails to mention is that 80% of all rough diamonds, 50% of all cut diamonds and more than 50% of all rough, cut and industrial diamonds combined are handled though Antwerp, making this Dutch/EU city the de facto 'world diamond capital'. (http://www.hrd.be/index.php?id=20)

At present, 95 percent of the world's rough diamonds are marketed by the De Beers Group (registered in Luxembourg), which has become known by its marketing arm DTC (registered in London). De Baers supplies the Israeli diamond industry.

The trade in blood diamonds is clearly a EU problem rather than an Isaeli one.

These facts contrast with the blatent lie in contained at the top of the report: "Israel's domination of the diamond business, diamonds crafted in Israel are on sale in all Irish jewellery shops and Irish consumers are unwittingly supporting the Israeli economy and Israel's illegal occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people."

author by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Irelandpublication date Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:21author email info at antiwarireland dot orgauthor address author phone

There has been much interesting discussion on indymedia recently on the acceptability of symbolism that could be seen as anti-Semite. In my opinion, it is important to be very careful around these issues because there have been times when a casual anti-Semitism has infected elements of the left (I'm talking pre-Holocaust). Also, it's still out there in the general population. I heard a guy at work a few days ago call somebody a 'Jew' because he's tight with money. Anti-Semitism is still a live force - in the Middle East it is stoked by some very reactionary elements. So, those standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people need to be very careful.

However...the 'anti-Semite' label is also very consciously and deliberately used by the Israeli state and its supporters to intimidate their critics into silence. This attempt to equate Zionism with the Jewish people - as if all Jews support the Israeli oppression of Palestine - should be resisted. It's outrageous to hear supporters of Israeli violence damn human rights activists as anti-Semitics, particularly when those very activists are often the people most opposed to anti-Semitism!! Strange days indeed.

David Rovics, the US anti-war and left-wing singer-songwriter, sent out a very interesting email today on this very subject (see posting below). David will be playing at AWI benefit gigs in Dublin (Bull & Castle, 7.30pm, 21 Feb.) and Cork (Crane Lane, 8pm, 20 Feb.). Worth checking out - and only 10 euros in or 5 euros (unwaged/refugee/etc.)

Related Link: http://www.antiwarireland.org
author by Fintan Lane - AWIpublication date Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:28author email info at antiwarireland dot orgauthor address author phone

Actually, no need for me to cut and paste; David has posted this on his songwriter's blog:

http://www.songwritersnotebook.blogspot.com/

Related Link: http://www.davidrovics.com
author by Johnpublication date Wed Feb 14, 2007 23:15author email johnthemyers at googletalk dot comauthor address author phone



Why Israel should not and can not be called an apartheid state
A lesson for the great fighters for human rights esp the those in the west

This label is used in an effort to draw a comparison between South Africa’s treatment of non-whites during the apartheid era and Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens . Its a blatant lie constructed by those who have liitle concept of life under apartheid and life in Israel and the Middle East and who prefer to shout slogans without any factual basis .

The comparison, moreover is intellectually lazy, relies on emotive association, and fails to stand up to even token scrutiny of the facts .

Non-Jews make up 20% of Israel’s citizens, and they enjoy full citizen’s rights (in proportion to its population, Israel has the largest citizen minority within its border of any country in the Middle East)
Under the PR List system used in israels elections of the Knesset there are 10 very vocal and active Arab members -one of whom a Communist MK is on his way to Canada this week to take part in an anti israel rally -and he will be allowed back and wont be put under house arrest as was the custom in South Africa !

Israeli law does not differentiate between Israeli citizens based on ethnicity. Israeli Arabs have the same rights as all other Israelis, whether they are Jews, Christians, Druze, etc. These rights include suffrage, political representation and recourse to the courts.

Arabs can & do run for office – there are several Arab political parties, and Arab-Muslim legislators have voting powers.
Raleb Majadele, an Arab, is the science & technology minister in Israel’s cabinet

Israel is one of the few Middle Eastern states where Muslim women are allowed to vote, have free education, and good employment opportunities
Arabs, Jews & others study side-by-side in Israeli universities -Haifa University for example has an Arab student and faculty member ship of over 20 %

Jewish and Arab babies are born in the same delivery room, with the same facilities, attended by the same Jewish Muslim and Christian doctors and nurses, with the mothers recovering in adjoining beds in a ward. This does not happen in Palestinian Authority run Hospitals .

Israel has a free Arab press, and the several Arab newspapers free to what they want when they want

Several non-Jews have been awarded the Israel Prize, including Ali Yahya (an Arab, and the former Israeli ambassador to Finland), Druze leader Sheikh Amin Tarif, and Emile Habibi (an Arab, for literature)

It is mandatory for Hebrew-native Israeli children to learn Arabic in school, for several years

Arabic is one of Israel’s official languages, and road signs are bilingual

Of course, Israel struggles with prejudices amongst its many minorities, just as all multi-racial, multi-ethnic democracies do – Ireland included.
However, as in Ireland Israel’s laws try to eradicate – not endorse – prejudices, and in a region where the persecution of minorities – Jews especially – is a serious problem.
As South Africa’s minister for home affairs, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said, “The Israeli regime is not apartheid. It is a unique case of democracy.”
Besides which Israel s courts are a bastion of free thinking liberal thinking -some say too far to the left -and have been known to make rulings or investigations against the "High and Mighty " and often have atken action against Govt Depts .
One only has to stand on a street corner in any Israeli town or village and see the 90 shades of skin colour and ethnic origin passing by to realise how non Racist Israel really is
To label Israel as apartheid is ludicrous, and demeaning to the black victims of the real apartheid regime in South Africa.

author by redjadepublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 00:23author address author phone

John said: 'To label Israel as apartheid is ludicrous, and demeaning to the black victims of the real apartheid regime in South Africa.'

John, It took me 15 minutes of googling around to find quotes of anti-apartheid leaders that see the label as meaningful and accurate.

———————— ———————— ————————

Nelson Mandela, in a letter to Thomas L. Friedman
(columnist from the New York Times)
'The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not just an issue of military occupation and Israel is not a country that was established "normally" and happened to occupy another country in 1967. Palestinians are not struggling for a "state" but for freedom, liberation and equality, just like we were struggling for freedom in South Africa.'

more at
http://progressiveaustin.org/mandelap.htm

————————

Apartheid in the Holy Land
By Desmond Tutu

Monday April 29, 2002
'In our struggle against apartheid, the great supporters were Jewish people. They almost instinctively had to be on the side of the disenfranchised, of the voiceless ones, fighting injustice, oppression and evil. I have continued to feel strongly with the Jews. I am patron of a Holocaust centre in South Africa. I believe Israel has a right to secure borders.

What is not so understandable, not justified, is what it did to another people to guarantee its existence. I've been very deeply distressed in my visit to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa. I have seen the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about.

[....]

People are scared in this country [the US], to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful - very powerful. Well, so what? For goodness sake, this is God's world! We live in a moral universe. The apartheid government was very powerful, but today it no longer exists. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pinochet, Milosevic, and Idi Amin were all powerful, but in the end they bit the dust.'

more at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,706911....html

————————

from 'Israel and Apartheid'
by Uri Avnery


'But when we use the term "Apartheid" to describe the situation, we have to be aware of the fact that the similarity between the Israeli occupation and the White regime in South Africa concerns only the methods, not the substance. This must be made quite clear, so as to prevent grave errors in the analysis of the situation and the conclusions drawn from it.'

more at
http://www.counterpunch.org/avnery01232007.html

author by redjadepublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 00:55author address author phone

Also John said: 'As South Africa’s minister for home affairs, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said, “The Israeli regime is not apartheid. It is a unique case of democracy.”'

sigh... you quote Buthelezi to prove your point? sheesh!

When activists say that Palestine has been turned into an Apartheid-like Bantustan and Israel will only negotiate with 'Bantustan Leaders' they are talking idiots like Buthelezi. He was only brought into the first post-Apartheid government for sake of national unity and left some time after then.

Buthelezi was quite happy with Apartheid as long as the White regime allowed him power over KwaZulu. Is he your ideal Palestinian?

.. ... ..

'In 1970, Buthelezi was appointed leader of the KwaZulu territorial Authority and in 1976 became chief minister of the semi-independent Bantustan of KwaZulu. The emerging Black Consciousness Movement of the 1970s branded him an Apartheid regime collaborator....'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosuthu_Buthelezi

author by PaddyKpublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 01:24author address author phone

Poor john,

Much of his rant is grabbed , verbatim, from this :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_Israeli_apa...theid

As is usual John's stuff is not acredited or provided with any reference or quotes.

Why? Well he's pretending it's his pap for some strange reason ... and,

John is another "lazy" propagandist and Wikipedia is suh a rich source for this type of rubbish. Please folks, read the Wikipedia "article" if you are so interested in this type of crap, but John is a ghost paster of pseudo - nonsense. No more, perhaps much less.

author by JOHNpublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:02author address author phone

Sorry bhoys I am not one of your Jonny come lately activists
I know what went on in S Africa from the 1940 s onwards and know what is going on In Israel now and for the past 60 years .
There is just NO comparison in spite of what political "leaders " may say to curry favour with so called political allies .

Talk about 40 shades of green - Israel has 90 shades of colour and opinion !

I know what I am talking about and I know what your game is

author by redjadepublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:39author address author phone

JOHN said: 'There is just NO comparison in spite of what political "leaders " may say....'

Well, if you don't think that Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu were Anti-Apartheid leaders, yet Buthelezi was, then I'd say you've tipped your hand as to which side of the fence you have been on in past years.

The Apartheid regime supported Buthelezi for the same reasons Israel backed Hamas early-on. To divide and conquer 'the natives' along ethnic lines. Yet, another comparison between Apartheid and what's happening in Palestine.
{L'Humanité, Summer 2002 (english translation): http://globalresearch.ca/articles/ZER403A.html}

JOHN also said: 'Israel has 90 shades of colour and opinion!'

Yes, I agree. And this is a point that a lot of IPSC types on this website too often miss. And that is why I quoted Knesset member Uri Avnery above.

But, lets be clear, Israeli policy in the occupied territories does not have '90 shades of colour and opinion.'

author by Babspublication date Thu Feb 15, 2007 21:01author address author phone

The condition of Africans living in Post Apartheid South Africa to day is much worse than that of Arabs in Israel

author by Fedayeenpublication date Fri Feb 16, 2007 04:13author address author phone

A lot of hot air John, but you haven't answered redjade's telling point - according to your own words, you do not recognise Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu as credible sources, but you consider the apartheid collaborator and mass killer Buthelezi to be a credible source. That tells us all we need to know about your agenda

author by Johnpublication date Fri Feb 16, 2007 15:55author address author phone

Yes Mandela and Tutu are credible re South Africa
-maybe about Darfur and Zmbabawe
and also about Diamonds in Angola and Sierra Leone etc
but they have done nothing about those places .

Meanwhile Jews and Arabs live and work side by side in Israel - the Hospitals
[I know a bit about them ] have staff and patients fully integrated .
The Segregation in the North is still probably worse

have a good weekend

author by Fedayeenpublication date Fri Feb 16, 2007 17:34author address author phone

But they're not credible re. Palestine, but the mass killer and apartheid collaborator Buthelezi is? Come on John, just say openly what you think - people who fought against apartheid are less credible than people who helped prop up the system and murdered anti-apartheid activists. Easy to make a few guesses about your politics from that little nugget

author by Iggeret ha-Kodeshpublication date Fri Feb 16, 2007 19:08author address author phone

Iggeret ha-Kodesh - amazing that something as beautiful as the rubbayat as geometry as
Hegel could get written in times of such argument. We can find roots for zionism as well as a judaism which reacted against such... through millenia. Apartheid - that is a modern word for modern people. It took much industry to modern production methods & urban planning to add all those little labels & put up all those long fences. I suggest most people no longer think saying the Israeli state means you are talking about a spiritual homeland. So until people put the whole apartheid thing together from the Calvinists to Rhodes to where-else did you see that model happen? let's presume they understand "israeli state" better. Try it. say do you know what I mean when I say "israeli state!".... " did you catch that? ..... pronunciation, gutteral bit, trilling the rrrrr"............"you did?"........."ceart go leor". Now then use all the other bits of useful politic-dross words. do you know what I mean when I say "apartheid state bong bong hot countries nelson mandela catholics live there too but its very orange and indians live there - no no ghandi - he hadnt come into it - i'm i boering you dont be goerińgd........state of Israel @.&%$ xxxxxxx Save your breath for explaining the hardness of diamonds & how much blood they can spill. do you know what an exploitation diamond is? do you know why they are expensive? do you know why de beers (not boering u) withdrew from open market? do you know what a cartel is? do you know how to buy a diamond? got that - good Palestinians have that on top of the Israeli state. & you thought it was just walls & terrorists. tell someone.

author by JOHNpublication date Sat Feb 17, 2007 22:25author email johnthemyers at gmail dot comauthor address author phone


Seek truth from wherever it comes

But if you are redjade or fedayeen or IPSC

Do not ever let the facts distort your prejudices

author by Fedayeenpublication date Sat Feb 17, 2007 23:54author address author phone


Indeed, I never let facts “distort” anything. I usually find, when I consider all the facts and base my opinion on them, it becomes an opinion, not a prejudice. For example, I consider the fact that Buthelezi is a mass killer who collaborated with the apartheid regime, and I consider the fact that you consider him a valuable source while dismissing Mandela and Tutu, and I form an opinion about your politics that helps explain why you defend Israel so strongly.

author by Johnpublication date Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:01author address author phone

Fedayeen --thats agive way -they murdered Israeli over the 1947 borders from 1948 until 1967 --forget B as he is History now - but did he kill that many ?
-if so go out to S Africa and sort them out

I still find it funny how you forget all the other [African ] Atrocities -even your pal Orla G
-working for the BBC is discovering there are other problems in the world besides the Middle East -where was she this week in Darfur -took her 4 years to get there with her doom and gloom voice .

Have a nice day -worry about global warming instead -or whats still going on up North in West Belfast , Portadown and Derry --what sort of apartheid goes on there even now ?.

Who said being anti Semitic is hating Jews more than you have to ?
So is being anti israel also hating Israel more than you have to ?
Original Sin is it ?

Closed Topic

author by Fredpublication date Sun Feb 18, 2007 18:34author address author phone

Anyone in Galway out protesting about any of these APARTHEID Walls ?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=92084...=2007

Why Walls Are Going Up All Over the World?
Gwynne Dyer, Arab News

If good fences make good neighbors, then the world is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of neighborliness. They used to wall cities. Now they wall whole countries.


— Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist.

author by Babs - Aosdana publication date Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:38author address author phone

From Letters to Jerusalem Post

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backhanded...

Sir, - Your editorial "The Apartheid libel" (February 15) asked why Israel is treated differently by Westerners to the numerous Muslim nations with their illiberal laws and human rights infringements. Israelis and Jews might hesitate to answer, but I, a Christian, will.

While anti-Semitism is a factor for some, for most it is because they see Muslim nations as inferior to Judeo-Christian ones. Simply, they have lower expectations of nations such as Sudan, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia than they do of Israel.

In true multiculturalist style, they scorn Israel; but given the choice of life under the legal systems of these Muslim countries, or of Israel's, need one wonder how they'd choose?

It is a bizarre, quite unwanted compliment for Israel - but a compliment all the same.

JOHN LALOR
Dublin

...compliment

Sir, - When my husband had open heart surgery at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Hospital Arab and Jewish patients were treated side by side.
While the patients had their afternoon rest I went to eat my lunch in the room set aside for visitors. The relatives of the Arab patients invited me to join them. "Tfadali" (please), they said.

I went to sit with them at their table. We discussed the well-being of our dear ones and praised the devotion of the doctors and nurses, some of whom were also Arab.
I used the Arabic I had picked up working in Israeli mother and child health clinics, visited by Arabs as well as Jews.
Is this what they call apartheid?

DR. SUSI LEVENE M.D.
Rehovot

author by Seanpublication date Wed Feb 28, 2007 23:19author address author phone



First Arab president for Israel, but only for a week

ISRAEL got its first Arab president yesterday, even if it is only for a week. Acting president Dalia Itzik left on Tuesday on a trip to the United States, leaving Majalli Wahaba, a Druze, as Israel's ceremonial president.

Mr Wahaba's unexpected journey to the president's office began last month when president Moshe Katsav was suspended as he faced multiple criminal charges, including rape. Ms Itzik, the parliament speaker, stepped in to take his place.

With Ms Itzik gone, Mr Wahaba, her deputy, will take over both her roles - running the parliament and assuming the presidency - making him the first member of Israel's minority Arab community to serve in the top ceremonial post.

author by redjadepublication date Thu Mar 01, 2007 00:05author address author phone

I wonder if Majalli Wahaba is one of the 70% of Palestinians who support One State for both Palestinians and Israelis?

I hope that I am proved wrong - but I suspect he aint.

more info:
Religion and War
http://indymedia.ie/article/81225

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Fri Mar 02, 2007 01:03author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

Firstly, I am not the 'Fred' mentioned above who asks about Galway protests over walls elsewhere in the world. Secondly, 'Babs-Aosdana' sounds like a cod name to me; and I can't make out her point. If she really is a 'Babs' and is attached to 'Aosdána,' then surely she would support any proposed Aosdána motion culturally to boycott Israel - and why must she hide her identity?

author by Bobpublication date Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:52author address author phone

Fred Johnston, who exactly mistook you for the Fred named above? You're not the only Fred in the World! Secondly, being a member of Aosdana doesn't necessarily mean you have to support all motions tabled by said organization, including the one that accorded the Nazi colllaborator Francis Stuart its highest honour.Then again resigning from Aosdana means you lose the cherished stipend at the taxpayer's expense, which is why so many of the members of Aosdana opt for conformity.

author by redjadepublication date Sat Mar 03, 2007 14:25author address author phone

I just now bumped into this quote from Michael Ben-Yair (Israeli's Attorney-General 1993-1996)....

We enthusiastically chose to become a colonial society, ignoring international treaties, expropriating lands, transferring settlers from Israel to the occupied territories, engaging in theft and finding justification for all these activities. Passionately desiring to keep the occupied territories, we developed two judicial systems: one - progressive, liberal - in Israel; and the other - cruel, injurious - in the occupied territories. In effect, we established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories immediately following their capture. That oppressive regime exists to this day.

-- The War's Seventh Day; Ha'aretz, 3 March 2002.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=1...36433


then again, what would an Israeli Attorney-General understand about Apartheid? ha!

author by Michael O 'Npublication date Sun Mar 04, 2007 00:10author address author phone


I am not the only Michael in the world -but just came across your "discussion "
it seems as if this Indy site is the home of anarchist extremists whose raison d'etre
is to promote antgonism all over the world and engage in one protest after another .
Fred and Redjade seem to be professioanls at this hate game and everyone else
must see that they need someone like Freud to work out thier obsessions .
Pity not one of them can find something better to do .

author by Fredpublication date Sun Mar 04, 2007 00:39author address author phone

Not Fred J who protests too much and writes a lot of ............................

but Fred the original

Thanks Redjade for that quote from Michael Ben Yair -I found the whole article

Is nt wonderful that an Israeli can write what he wants in a newspaper in his own country ?

In this case explaining how and why the Israeli State was re established after 2000 years

and then complaining and disagreeing and objecting to the way things turned out .

Now if that was in any Muslim , Arab or Communist ruled country he'deither be shot [eg Turkey -Armenian editor ] or blown up [ Lebanon ]or had up in Court [Egypt ] or murdered [PLO area of West bank control when a paper didnt have Arafat on front page ].

Thanks again Redjade for your contribution[s] which are really instructive
and your comments which show a mindset which most of us thought had died out
with the fall of the Soviet Union .

What DID happen to Michael Ben Yair after this was published in Ha Aretz in 2002 ?

author by Fredpublication date Sun Mar 04, 2007 01:33author address author phone

Just reread the article by Ben Yair which RedJade found for us in Ha Aretz of 2002

He can not be trusted as he writes as follows ;

" In effect, we established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories
immediately following their capture. "

Maybe he should be shot for distorting history ! Nothing happened immediately .

This is NOT TRUE -the establishment of new Israeli communities in the disputed teritories did not start until many years later .
The first Israeli idea was to give the Arabs Autonomy and let them run their own towns and cities THAT IS WHY FOR EXAMPLE MOSHE DAYAN LET THEM KEEP CONTROL OVER THE TEMPLE AREA IN JERUSALEM BUT the Arab leaders meeting in Khartoum just after the 1967 War said NO NO and NO .
They would not recognise Israel or negotiate .--THEY wanted deadlock and no move to peace
it was like this form 1967 until 1993 when the Oslo talks led to rescuing ARAFAT form exile and giving him EU USA and UN millions to waste
Meanwhile Moshe Dayan gave the areas formerly under Jordanian and Egyptian occupation a lot of lee way and the Arabs flocked in to Israel and mixed for the first time for years with their Israeli neigbours and Israeli Arab brothers .
There was NO separation -that only started to hapen when the bombing campaign of the FIRST INTIFADA got to be too dangerous even for the peace loving Israeli lefties but even then 100s of 1000s of Arabs worked in Israel .
-that is when even left wing Israeli s began to say if they dont want to let us live in peace amongst us -let them live "over there " in their own areas away from us in peace . It was a leftie who first talked about a SEPARATION border .

I presume Ben Yair has not been shot for writing falsehoods

author by Fredpublication date Sun Mar 04, 2007 14:10author address author phone

Michael Ben-Yair

Michael Ben-Yair was attorney general of Israel from 1993-96 (that is,in the governments of Rabin and Peres). ...

That is during the post Oslo days when Arafat was brought from Tunis -and everything later went hay wire because Arafat would NOT stop the bus bombings in Israel -- and Rabin and Peres were telling their people that the deaths of Israeli civillians in the almost daily bombings after Oslo 1993 was the price one had to pay for peace with the Arabs -- some were saying then that israel should negotiate with Hamas and not Arafats PLO as they were so corrupt and used up the USA EU ,UN and Israeli funds they were given on prestige buildings ,villas . cars ,compounds adn other symbols which did not help the ordinary Palestinian Arabs establish a real democartic State in waiting -certainly Arafats corrupt gang did not prepare their people properly [umpteen security forces etc ] for self rule by allowing lawlessness to continue .

Some of this from Prof Bowens Provenance site

author by Tompublication date Tue Mar 06, 2007 21:50author address author phone



The Khartoum Resolutions
(September 1, 1967)

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Eight Arab heads of state attended an Arab summit conference in Khartoum during August 29 ­ September 1, 1967. It formulated the Arab consensus that underlay the policies of most Arab states participating in the conflict until the early 1970's. The resolution adopted called for the continued struggle against Israel, the creation of a fund to assist the economics of Egypt and Jordan, the lifting of an Arab oil boycott against the West and a new agreement to end the war in Yemen.

By adopting the dictum of
no peace with Israel,
no recognition of Israel and
no negotiations with Israel,
the Arab states appeared to have slammed the door on any progress towards peace.
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TEXT:

1. The conference has affirmed the unity of Arab ranks, the unity of joint action and the need for coordination and for the elimination of all differences. The Kings, Presidents and representatives of the other Arab Heads of State at the conference have affirmed their countries' stand by and implementation of the Arab Solidarity Charter which was signed at the third Arab summit conference in Casablanca.

2. The conference has agreed on the need to consolidate all efforts to eliminate the effects of the aggression on the basis that the occupied lands are Arab lands and that the burden of regaining these lands falls on all the Arab States.

3. The Arab Heads of State have agreed to unite their political efforts at the international and diplomatic level to eliminate the effects of the aggression and to ensure the withdrawal of the aggressive Israeli forces from the Arab lands which have been occupied since the aggression of June 5. This will be done within the framework of the main principles by which the Arab States abide, namely, no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it, and insistence on the rights of the Palestinian people in their own country.

4. The conference of Arab Ministers of Finance, Economy and Oil recommended that suspension of oil pumping be used as a weapon in the battle. However, after thoroughly studying the matter, the summit conference has come to the conclusion that the oil pumping can itself be used as a positive weapon, since oil is an Arab resource which can be used to strengthen the economy of the Arab States directly affected by the aggression, so that these States will be able to stand firm in the battle. The conference has, therefore, decided to resume the pumping of oil, since oil is a positive Arab resource that can be used in the service of Arab goals. It can contribute to the efforts to enable those Arab States which were exposed to the aggression and thereby lost economic resources to stand firm and eliminate the effects of the aggression. The oil­producing States have, in fact, participated in the efforts to enable the States affected by the aggression to stand firm in the face of any economic pressure.

5. The participants in the conference have approved the plan proposed by Kuwait to set up an Arab Economic and Social Development Fund on the basis of the recommendation of the Baghdad conference of Arab Ministers of Finance, Economy and Oil.

6. The participants have agreed on the need to adopt the necessary measures to strengthen military preparation to face all eventualities.

7. The conference has decided to expedite the elimination of foreign bases in the Arab States.

author by Johnpublication date Tue Mar 06, 2007 22:00author address author phone

Calls to boycott Israel weaken peace efforts --- Irish Times
Yoav Sivan
Tue, Mar 06, 2007

Campaigns demanding a boycott of Israel are naive, unhelpful and perhaps even destructive, writes Yoav Sivan

The release of the Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond, which concerns militias funded by diamond mining in Sierra Leone, has triggered the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) to urge Irish consumers to also boycott diamonds crafted in Israel.

Understandably, calling for a boycott of Israel is trendy as ever, at least it seems in Ireland where I recently attended a political conference as a representative of Meretz which is affiliated with the Irish Labour Party.

Other examples of Irish anti-Israeli campaigns keep piling up: an attempted academic boycott of Israel was launched last September while demonstrations against Israeli-made plastic garden furniture on sale in Atlantic Homecare stores resulted in the products temporarily being taken off the shelves. And now the topic even threatens to hit the mainstream with the news that Aosdána is to debate a cultural boycott of Israel.

That Israel's inability to withdraw to the Green Line offends Ireland's sense of justice is commendable.

As an Israeli peace activist I share the same sentiments myself, especially the all too familiar frustration at what at times amounts to Israeli incompetence in influencing the course of events in the region. Yet the channelling of such frustrations into boycott campaigns is not just naive but also unhelpful and perhaps even destructive.

Israeli plastic chairs are not necessarily made by right-wingers nor are they a secret ingredient in military operations. Boycotts of Israeli universities overlook the fact that academics have been at the forefront of the Middle East peace process.

The case against the boycott of Israeli diamonds is even clearer. The IPSC argues that the tax revenues from the lucrative Israeli diamonds potentially contribute to the budget for arms and weaponry. This is true, but so do revenues collected from any other Israeli company. And embarrassingly for the IPSC and the Israeli tax authorities, diamond polishing workshops have the reputation of being under-taxed, hence failing to contribute their fair share of Israel's military budget, compared, say, to software houses.

Broadening the Blood Diamond campaign to include countries like Israel may undermine or even nullify the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme which is an effective means of limiting access of rebellious groups to funds. If people follow IPSC's lead, the stand of the international community against insurgents in Sierra Leone might be weakened.

The proposed cultural boycott is an even bigger affront to our efforts for peace.

Cultural relations cannot be construed as sponsoring military action or of building support for Israeli occupation.
Art is a means of dialogue. It is part of how countries and societies communicate, how people exchange ideas and learn about each other. Culture is not a mere reflection of society's strengths but also, and perhaps more importantly, it is where its weaknesses are identified and analysed. Israeli writers and artists are our sharpest critics; they articulate our problems and constantly challenge us to improve and to fix our wrongdoing.
Therefore, a boycott of Israeli artists and academics would send a message that Ireland is not pro-peace but simply anti-Israel.
This in turn weakens the peace camp position in Israel.
If Europeans are not willing to engage in a dialogue with us, why should our sworn enemies be?

After 10 days in Ireland it seems to me that Ireland's considerable engagement with the Palestinian cause serves more as a benchmark of political correctness in the internal Irish political arena rather than reflecting the true need of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for meaningful international support.

The left in Israel welcomes Irish interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But there are better ways to engage with the issues than wrapping oneself up in a Palestinian flag or shopping with a selective goods list. Not that I am asking you to wrap yourself in an Israeli flag instead or, God forbid, to stop to criticise us - indeed I am willing to challenge anyone to a criticise-Israel-contest! But in order to criticise - and to influence - it is necessary to engage in real dialogue and to fully understand the issues.

If there is one idea we all share it is that Israelis and Palestinians should be partners. Doesn't the same lesson apply also to the Irish and Israelis?

• Yoav Sivan is a member of the Meretz social democratic party and a member of the presidium of the International Union of Socialist Youth

© 2007 The Irish Times

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author by PaddyKpublication date Wed Mar 07, 2007 00:55author address author phone

"The proposed cultural boycott is an even bigger affront to our efforts for peace."

This is quite a statement, but we must ask : Who made it?

Was it the UN, the US the EU, Russia, The Arab League?....No. Some young guy said it.

It was not even "John", the poster of this article, No. It was some young person from an Israeli Youth party and the statement is utterly wrong.

The cultural boycott is the most favoured and effective step forward in helping Israeli youth understand that the illegal activities of their government establishments are destroying all opportunities for young Israeli academics to intergrate abroad. "Blowing up bridges", its called.

All the points in the previous post are easily refutable in favour of continually Strengthening the cultural boycott against Israel, day by day. A small amount of research will confirm that people respond to Boycott. And through Boycott comes justice and eventually peace.

author by Fredpublication date Wed Mar 07, 2007 20:14author address author phone


What a pity when you get a really LEFT WING Israeli telling us like it is you can not listen to him .

The vast majority of Israelis now support ending the occupation of the territories for one resaon or another ..
Many believe it was a mistake to have ever controlled them.
Others believe it is too high a price to pay to keep them
A tiny minority see it as evidence of Israel’s misguided policies
So what?
Just as the despicable comparisons of Zionism to Nazism—a key plank of anti-Zionist propaganda since the mid-1940s but more to do with Communist anti Zionism —had nothing to do with the breakdown of the Oslo peace process in 2000, or the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in June 1967 or even the birth of Israel in 1948, the comparison of Israel to South Africa has nothing to do with the security barrier, or Israeli attitudes to, or treatment of, Arabs.
Rather it is merely another way of delegitimising the Jewish state and denying the right of Jewish national rights .
But it is right on one thing, the comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa ‘horrifies” and “infuriates” most Israelis, as well as their friends across the world.
This is not because they can’t handle the truth, but because they know it.
They know there is no foundation in fact to this lie and they can not understand why otherwise well meaning and rational people esp. those on the enlighteded "left " can even begin to think like that .

author by Fredpublication date Wed Mar 07, 2007 20:20author address author phone

Rubbish Paddy K

boycott will do nothing
-dont use your cell phone
-dont take your tablet s/ medicine
and dont watch satelite TV
or eat Jaffa oranges

Most made with Israeli technology -Jews and Arabs work together in these ventures

Job loss = poverty for all =no peace

author by malachypublication date Fri Mar 09, 2007 18:51author address author phone

why not boycott saudi arabian oil while you're at it?

author by PaddyKpublication date Sun Mar 11, 2007 14:46author address author phone

Who said Boycott will achieve nothing? You? What do you know about it? Post some information to back up your assertions.
You seem readily convinced that it will cost jobs dont you :

"Job loss = poverty for all =no peace".

So it will achieve plenty in your opinion also, you need to sort out your opinions, you sound confused.

No Fred the "arabs" are not worried about losing their High Tech positions in Israeli firms. They are more worried about losing their wages in their Palestinian government jobs, because thats whats already happened. The world has brought an embargo into place to force the Palestinians to do what the Israelis want them to do, will that boycott do nothing? Who to Boycott, Fred - it's confusing.
If the vast majority of Israelis are aching to leave occupied Palestine, as you claim, then it should not take much to push them. Perhaps an academic and cultural Boycott. No World Cup for Israel, how humiliating.
And you insist that one thing is right, that the comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa horrifies and infuriates most Israelis, as well as their friends across the world. Well, thats great Fred, because that's the intention.
You really do seem utterly at loss, Fred. The Boycott will achieve nothing other that to isolate Israel in fury and horror and cost jobs and bring poverty. Steady on there Fred I dont think even the Palestinian academics who call for the boycott expect to be as successful as you predict, or dont predict.

Whats your position again, Fred?

http://www.pacbi.org/campaign_statement.htm

....Since Israeli academic institutions (mostly state controlled) and the vast majority of Israeli intellectuals and academics have either contributed directly to maintaining, defending or otherwise justifying the above forms of oppression, or have been complicit in them through their silence.....

author by Fred [not the Johnston]publication date Thu Mar 15, 2007 23:51author address author phone


Sorry Paddy K while you rant and rave about Israel -a few things get better [see below ]
My position as you ask is being is straight upright and truthful .
Your postion seems to be bent over with the consequence that your view of the world is askew
you seem to want to fix the facts to suit your deeply ingrained prejudices
Have a good weekend - Fred .

IDF: 20,000 jobs created in Gaza
by YAAKOV KATZ, Jerusalem Post
Close to 20,000 jobs have been created in the Gaza Strip over the last four months thanks to coordination between the IDF and Palestinian agricultural unions, according to Col. Nir Press, commander of the IDF Coordination and Liaison Administration.

A drop in terror threats to the Karni Crossing made the changes possible, said Press. Nevertheless, unemployment in the Strip remains close to 35 percent, he said.

Out of the 19,100 Gazans who found jobs in the past four months, 10,500 were in agriculture, he said. The increase was spurred by an IDF decision to allow Palestinians to work fields in the northern Strip, particularly in the Beit Lahiya area, that had been off limits since they are used to fire Kassam rockets.

While Israel does not talk with officials from the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, Press said, he has held a series of meetings with farmers and union leaders, and coordinated the transfer of raw materials into Gaza and the export of agricultural produce to Israel and on to Europe.

Some 1,300 tons of strawberries and 18 million flowers passed through the Karni Crossing over the last four months on the way to Europe, almost twice the amount from last year. Since December, more than 14,000 tons of vegetables have been sent from Gaza for sale in Israel.

The increase, Press told The Jerusalem Post on Monday, was due to both improved coordination and a Palestinian effort to deter terrorists from planning attacks against Karni. Last year, Karni was closed for nearly 100 days due to intelligence warnings regarding planned attacks. Last summer, a vast tunnel—intended to be filled with explosives—was discovered being dug under the crossing.

"There is a combination of a number of elements," Press said from his office at the Erez Crossing just outside the Strip. "Most important is that there is a better understanding that terror has a negative impact on economic growth in Gaza."

The 19,100 new jobs, Press said, should not be taken lightly. "Each worker feeds about eight other people," he said. "And by finding them jobs, we are keeping them out of mosques where they would hear incitement against Israel."

Gazans plan to enlarge the size of the fields they cultivate in the area from 1,800 dunams now to 2,500 dunams next year.

Press said his office had received reports of farmers clashing with terrorists trying to fire Kassam rockets from their fields.

Asked about IDF plans to carry out a large-scale operation in an effort to stop the Kassam rocket fire and to destroy Hamas's terrorist infrastructure, Press said: "It is all about the balance between military and civilian issues pertaining to the people of Gaza. This is the job of the [Coordination and Liaison] Administration—to do what we can to help the Palestinian people while at the same time taking into consideration the security of the State of Israel."

author by PaddyKpublication date Fri Mar 16, 2007 02:10author address author phone



This thread is about cultural dancers and traditional costumes of Palestine coming to Ireland. I hope those people pictured here are safe in Palestine now. Its a big day there. Some countrys rejected there government today, everybody else didn't.

"Israel voiced its rejection to the new Palestinian national unity government on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the expected announcement of the new Palestinian government, pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV channel reported. "

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/16/eng20070316_3580....html

" David Baker, spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said Thursday evening that the emerging Palestinian government is a step backward from the peace process and "flies in the face" of the international community's demands."

Not my international demands !

Personally, I feel culturally elevated in congratulatin the Palestinians on the establishment of a new democratically principled government. I wish you the greatest success in achieving peaceful democracy in Palestine. Long live Palestine and Palestinian government.

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:41author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

God Almighty, but there is some adolescent crap dragged out on this link! Two issues are pertinent, and let's stay with them, re: Israel and Palestine. (1) The Israelis have rejected the Hamas-Fatah proposition because they do not want a government of the Palestinians which is acceptable to Europe and therefore will be supported by Europe and even increasingly by the US against an aggressive Israel. (2) There is a very good case to be made for a cultural boycott of Israel, as Israel has no trouble boycotting Palestinian intellectuals. Nadia Harb was prevented by the Israelis from travelling to Galway to speak during the recent International; Women's Day events, yet not one women journalist in print or broadcast media has mentioned this - not even on Indymedia Ireland, oddly. Now leave down your rattly toys and get serious.

author by Mary Waterspublication date Fri Mar 16, 2007 14:55author address author phone

Did this same Fred Johnson guy write the piece praising the Russian writer Georgy Pryapkin for his call for a boycott of Israel? - see the link below. Maybe I have it wrong but it seems that Pryapkin is a REAL anti-semite, rather than an imaginery one. Either Pryapkin is being seriously libelled on the website below, or Fred Johnson made a BIG mistake when he praised his book. I presume he doesn't think it's okay to align yourself with a neo-fascist, just because the neo-fascist in question happens to oppose Israel?

Related Link: http://unwelcomevisitor.blogspot.com
author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 01:43author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone 087.2178138

Since you give no reply e-mail or any other form of identification, it is clear your real name is Henry and you're probably from Galway. Firstly, don't be sloppy - my name is Johnston, with a 't', not Johnson. Secondly, Georgy's name is Pryakhin, not Priapkin, or somesuch, as you have it, which makes him sound like an ancient Greek fertility god; thirdly, the blog you refer to belongs to a gentleman (which you fail to mention) who's opposition to Pryakhin's visit we have documented on our site, both sides of the argument, often. Fourthly, I am absolutely all for a cultural boycott of Israel - Israel as you know(or perhaps you don't, Henry) boycotts Palestinian writers regularly, as recently as last week, by refusing a visa to a Palestinian woman who was to come and speak on International Women's Day. Now argue that. My number and e-mail are below, so you can drop the pseudonym. (It's not your fault I don't believe in subscribers who use pseudonyms: complain to Indymedia Ireland, for it is they who permit the absurd use of anonymous or pseudonymous postings.)

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 01:46author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

PS: Sweetheart - I never read Georgy's book - he has written several, so which one do you refer to, anyway? The only one translated into English hasn't been published yet. Stop listening to what people whisper in your ear.

author by PaddyKpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 02:10author address author phone

I made a mistake . This thread isnt about cultural dancers or any such like.

That's the other thread.

PS. Can anybody propose a position that supports the Binational state in Palestine/Israel ?

Ive read the experts opinions , but I cant argue with them, much as I'd like to.

Any BiNational state supporters? Let's talk.....

author by Trevorpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:12author address author phone

Fred always has to bring things back to himself. That's where his priorities tiringly lie: the spelling of his name, his pathethic achievments. Spare us your Ego Fred. You're on the lookout for a feebee in the fomr of a state subsidy, that's the sum of it!

author by Mary Waterspublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 14:42author address author phone

First of all, apologies for getting Mr Pryakhin's name wrong.

Now for 'Fred'. He did presumably write the review Anatoly K refers too? And it seems he wrote it anonymously, and now doesn't want to own up to it....

AND he still hasn't answered the simple question: does he think it's okay to make common cause with a neo-fascist against Israel? Or is he saying he has proof the guy isn't a neo-fascist? If he does, then he should post it here, and cut the bombast.

One can FAVOUR a cultural boycott of Israel, but at the same time OPPOSE making common cause with neo-fascists.

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 16:23author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone 087.2178138

Since neither of you are willing to reveal address or contacts, it is safe to say that you are both based in Galway and we, well, know who you are. The semi-literacy gives it away. I did not review Pryackin's book, I have never seen it. But what does truth matter, as we play our little game? As for 'Trev' - it's St Patrick's Day and your Mum's gone out to watch the parade so you think you can use her PC? To both of you, tiredly, I reply: attached is my phone number and e-address. I will not punish you parent-fashion if you contact me. I will not insist that you do the washing-up nor send you to your rooms early while the other children are still out playing. I do not support fascism, but I shouldn't be introducing you before your time to weighty political concepts. I'm writing this while waiting for the kettle to boil, so don't feel flattered by my lengthy response - inside you both, a tiny child from years ago asks, "Will he give me sweets?" Look out the window, it's raining, yeh? Can't go out to play. Must play. Let's play on Indymedia Ireland! Now, how d'you spell Pryackin, or is it Priapkin? Dare I ask Mummy? Perhaps . . . . I fancy the man I am slagging off, trying to get his attention.

author by Trevorpublication date Sat Mar 17, 2007 17:49author address author phone

Fred you're definetly one of the funniest posters to this site, but you have been making a nuisance of yourself lately. You have caused some embarrasment to Aosdŕna by claiming in a national newspaper that they were planning to table a motion calling for the cultural boycott of Israel, whereas no such plans exist. Said organization is doing its utmost to keep a low profile on these matters since disgracing itself in electiing a renowned Nazi collaborator to its highest office some time back.

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:10author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone 087.2178138

Yo, 'Trev'. Or is it Bev? Your point being . . . what, exactly? How do you know such a motion does not exist? Explain, please, before I outline what a prat you've just made of yourself. Now, look, Trev: it's Mother's Day Season, so go out and be nice to your Mum and she'll let you play with the big boys. And yes, I am quite funny - this is not a serious site, or haven't you copped on to that yet. I agree that the election of someone who broadcast and wrote for German radio - 'Reichsrundfunk' to you, Trev - was a gross error on the part of Aosdána and a shame on them. But I am not a member of Aosdána and you will no doubt have read my articles protesting about this election. Now since you are so knowledgeable about these matters, tell us the name of the writer who walked out and resigned in protest. Go on, Trev. Yes, you can ask Mummy.

author by Trevorpublication date Sun Mar 18, 2007 16:11author address author phone

Fred, you're funny, a downright nuisance, but funny nevertheless..

author by Mary Waterspublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 08:17author address author phone

No, Fred, I do not want to phone you or e-mail you. Sorry. Not interested in that sort of relationship with you. And I do not live anywhere near Galway. Don't know what your paranoia about Galway is? If you dislike it that much, why not move somewhere else? Now back to the serious questions you seem to be trying to dodge:

is Pryackin a fascist or extreme right winger? Or is he being libelled on the site below?

did you describe his "calling for a cultural boycott of Israel" as "admirable"?

Simple questions: if you can't answer them it seems to me to mean that you probably DID praise the call from a neo-fascist for a boycott of Israel. And neo-fascists are only interested in Israel for racist reasons; they don't give a shit about the Palestinians.

And it seems you did it anonymously despite lecturing Indymedia about anonymous posts here.

Related Link: http://unwelcomevisitor.blogspot.com
author by Trevorpublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:07author address author phone

He notes that our semi-literacy is indicative of the fact that we're Galwegians. A bit ungrateful towards a town that's been subsidising his living through literary subventions for the past twenty years or more. Be advised, Fred, that when I write in English I write in a foreign language, not my own. And here you should have empathy Fred, because the lowest of the low-lives in a French bistro would politely consider your command of the French language as "limite" (more often than not "penible").

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 15:16author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

Answer, Mary - No, my call for a cultural boycott is not support for Pryackin - but I do support a cultural boycott of Israel. But you can take it up with him yourself at the book-launch on the 26th in Dublin. Contact Scotus Press for an invite. No, Ooops! Sorry. That would require the courage to attend, and you haven't got that. Trevvy-Wevvy: I suspect it's a father-figure thing with you which you have transferred to me; the need to 'reduce,' as they call it. 'Pénible' does not mean what you say it means, and to boot you've left out an accent: it means 'painful,' or 'tiresome'. So get another dictionary and stop bothering your Mother. 'Limité', if it means anything in this case, means restricted, and I'm happy with that. In your case, for instance, your English could be described as 'limité', as could your knowledge of my time in Galway: perhaps you might list for our readers the number and title of arts' grants Galway city has given me. Nor can I help you with a language/identity crises which seems to simmer under your attack on my knowledge of French. You exude envy; a professionally successful older brother, perhaps? Your obvious dislike of the French comes back to that school trip to France you couldn't afford to go on. Now perhaps you should get in touch with Mary; you have much on common. There's, let's say, a certain feverishness about you both.

author by Trevorpublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 15:33author address author phone

No need to be over-pedantic Fred, but limite without an accent means "borderline", which would sum up your evident command of the French language.

author by Mary Waterspublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 16:39author address author phone

When you have to resort to throwing abuse at others, you've clearly lost the argument, Fred, and perhaps the plot as well.

It seems, from your lack of a denial, that you did welcome Pryackin's call for a boycott of Israel. It also seems that you're not now denying that he is some sort of neo-fascist.

Given what appear to be Pryackin's far right views, it was a mistake for you to have associated yourself with him in this way.

You should just admit your mistake and apologise publicly for making the pro-Pryackin comments anonymously on your site, when you have hammered Indymedia Ireland time and again for allowing anonymous comments on this site. You can't have it both ways.

So, once again I put the question: did you, or did you not, use your website to anonymously describe Pryackin's call for a boycott of Israel as "admirable". Yes, or no. Does this Anatoly guy have it right on the site below, or is he making up wild allegations?

Related Link: http://unwelcomevisitor.blogspot.com
author by Bobpublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 17:05author address author phone

Fred, let's get this sraight. Are you supporting a boycott of Israel just because Pryackin is supporting one?

author by Trevorpublication date Mon Mar 19, 2007 21:33author address author phone

Fred is basically OK, it's just that when he reaches for the top shelf that he starts speaking utter gibberish. The more incoherent he becomes, the funnier it gets; and then again I try to restrain myself from outright laughter because it must be, like with all clowns, a very tragic affair.. We ourselves could never imagine, but it must be a terribly stressful and humiliating affair spending one's life chasing down cultural subsidies and grants to keep oneself afloat.

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Tue Mar 20, 2007 13:23author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone 0872178138

Dear Mary - I think you are quite mad, frankly; you KNOW that I don't support Pryakhin and that our site presented both sides of the case. Are you taking your medication? Dear Trev: 'limite' means a 'boundary', so get a decent dictionary - and while you're at it, produce that list of grants Galway city has, according to you, offered me; Dear Bob - I have said (if you can read) that Pryakhin has nothing to do with my views on a cultural boycott of Israel, but if you don't want to read that, I can't help you. Now, folks, chatting is what it must have been like in the 18th century when it was possible to visit the inmates in Bedlam for amusement. Have work to do. But I may leave you, and other readers, with this thought.
For all your childish malice, even madness, you are stuck with one problem. You are cowards. None of the sly jibes, the smart remarks, take away from that. My phone number is below, as is my address - but, like many of your ilk, you are terrified of the person you attack. I'm too much for you, folks, too much like that successfully-married sister or the older brother. It's galling. But cowardice is your best feature. Now can you be comfortable with that?

author by Gamallpublication date Fri Mar 23, 2007 18:15author address author phone

Your site presented both sides of the Pryakhin case granted. well booly for you. Is that some form of a cop out? Had it been Meing Kampf, would your site have presented both sides of the case as well?

author by Persecutedpublication date Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:41author address author phone

Thanks to mad Fred and his letter to the Irish Times, it looks like the motions have to be pulled from Aosdana

Cheers Mate!

author by for 'Persecuted'publication date Mon Mar 26, 2007 00:57author address author phone

Any more details on this? Who was proposing the resolution? And what in the letter to The Times led to its withdrawal?

author by Trevorpublication date Tue Mar 27, 2007 20:22author address author phone

Headlines are liable to read something like "Aosdana, the Irish Arts Acadamey, which awarded its highest honour to the unrepentent Nazi collobarator Francis Stuart, is now calling for a cultural boycott of Israel"

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Wed Mar 28, 2007 17:51author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

Ho hum! Sit down, children. Anyone wanting to know more about the proposals being put to Aosdána today (March 28th) can read Shane Hegarty's item on them in today's Irish Times - no, they weren't withdrawn, they were put. And for the other commentator who thinks putting both sides of an argument isn't fair, the word is 'Mein,' not 'Meing', and the English version (abbreviated) of that infamous book was reviewed favourably by The Irish Independent in a review in 1938, the year of the 'Anschluss.' Let's not be silly. Now sit down and eat your biscuits.

author by no platform for fascistspublication date Wed Mar 28, 2007 19:13author address author phone

So now Fred is in favour of giving fascists a fair hearing!

author by Johnpublication date Wed Mar 28, 2007 23:47author address author phone


This is what goes on in ISRAEL ----that home of Human Rights and Freedom
for all its citizens while you idiots are out protesting !

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JPost.com » Israel » Article

Mar. 28, 2007 21:07 | Updated Mar. 28, 2007 23:52
Arab lesbians hold conference in Haifa
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Arab lesbians gathered Wednesday in Haifa at a rare public event, quietly defying protests from Islamists and a taboo in their own society.

So strong is the antipathy toward homosexuality in their communities that only few of the Arab women in the crowd of about 250 were gay - a sign of how much Arab women feared being identified as lesbians, said Samira, 31, a conference organizer, who came with her Jewish Israeli girlfriend.

"We'd like all women to come out of the closet - that's our role. We work for them," said Samira, who battled her own family when they found out she was a lesbian.

Among Israel's Arab citizens, who make up 20 percent of the country's population, homosexuality is taboo to most.

Homosexuality is strictly forbidden by Islam, and a statement issued by a large Muslim group in Israel described it as a "cancer" in the Arab community.

Driven deep underground for the most part, only 10 to 20 Arab lesbians attended the conference, organizers said, and most blended in with their Israeli counterparts and Arab backers without making their presence known.

Poetry readings, music and Arab women rappers entertained the conference, called "Home and Exile in Queer Experience," organized by Aswat, an organization for Arab lesbians, with members in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"We are here to say they (Arab lesbians) are not alone," said Rawda Morcos, Aswat's spokeswoman, one of a tiny minority of Arab women who are openly gay.

Some related painful experiences.

Samira, who has a dozen brothers and sisters, said she told a sibling she was gay two years ago. The news quickly spread among the family, and her 70-year-old mother fell into a depression, begging her daughter to change her ways.

But she eventually accepted her daughter's homosexuality "in her own way," by packing large boxes of food for Samira whenever she came to visit.

"My mother said, 'take the food, for you and your girlfriend'," Samira recalled, agreeing to be identified only by her first name for fear of reprisals.

Some of her family never came around. A pregnant sister told Samira she would "never touch her children."

Rawda Morcos, Aswat's spokeswoman, said she had her car smashed up regularly for months and received threatening phone calls at her family home when her village in northern Israel found out she was a lesbian.

Many of the attendees said they were sad that the only place safe enough to hold a conference for gay Arab women was in a Jewish area of Haifa, which has a mixed Arab-Jewish population.

"This conference is being held, somehow, in exile, even though it's our country ... but it's not being held in Nazareth or Umm el-Fahm (two large Israeli Arab towns)," said Yussef Abu Warda, a playwright.

Outside the conference hall, 20 women protesters in headscarves and long, loose robes held up signs reading, "God, we ask you to guide these lesbians to the true path." Khadijeh Daher, 35, described lesbianism as a "sickness."

Security was tight. Attendance was by invitation only, and reporters were not allowed to take photographs, use tape recorders or identify people.

Even rapper Nahwa Abdul Aal, who performed for the gathering, didn't support the gays. "Being at this conference hasn't changed my mind," she said. "I still think it's wrong."

author by Trevorpublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:35author address author phone

Fred, I fear that was a typo with Gamall above and somewhat typical of the English language keyboard operator - the "ng" type of thing. However, I notice you have a fixation on that type of of trivia (spelling mistakes, typos, etc.) - when it comes to others of course; but perhaps you should also pay a little more atttention to your own writing and as to the reason why nobody bothers to buy or read it. But good luck with the motion anyway, you're well set to make yourselves a laughing stock like the last time round with Francis Stuart. Interestingly though,, you believe that Pyrakhin (or whatever his name is) and Hitler should be given an equal hearing, but Israeli artists should be boycotted outright. What exactly is your agenda Fred? It sounds rather suspect. In any case, spare the insults and condescension if you do attempt to put forward an explanation.

author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 14:26author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

Spare the insults and the rest to a man so lacking in balls he won't attach his address or contact to his e-mails, nor his real name? Leave down that lads' mag, you gobshite! Anyway, you'll need all the comfort you can get since the Aosdána motion was passed - you may not be able to read, but perhaps you can buy The Irish Independent, that newspaper which was so kind to 'Mein Kampf' back in 1938. The motion at AOSDÁNA WAS PASSED, TREVVY-WEVVY! PASSED! So, increase your medication, you idiot, and stop playing with yourself. Spare the insults indeed! You cannot insult someone who does not exist.

author by Tariqpublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 17:44author address author phone

Correction: the resolution calling for an outright cultural boycott of Israel - the one proposed by Raymond Dean - was defeated by nineteen votes to thirty odd, with a pile of abstentions.

Get your facts right.

The D'Arcy resolution was passed precisely because it is so vague as to be almost meaningless.

author by Malachypublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:24author address author phone

Fred, I really don’t see why the amount of medication (lithium) I take and fact that I can’t cease playing with myself should be relevant to this exchange. As is the fact as to whether or not I’m a gobshite, which I fear I am. But the real issue remains the same. Of all the countries in the world, why single out Israel for a cultural boycott? There are some other pretty nasty countries out there! By the same logic, Ireland too could have been targeted in the past by other self-righteous countries for its laws on censorship, corporal punishment and its institutionalized spree of child abuse. In your case, such a boycott would have meant fewer trips to France.
But what differentiates Israel from other countries and for the Israelis to warrant special treatment? Well they’re Jews I suppose. Like they were in the Venice ghetto, the Warsaw ghetto and in Limerick in days gone by.

author by dpublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 20:12author address author phone

While some anti-zionists are also anti-semitic, it's not the case that we all are.

I oppose Israeli (and U.S.) treatment of Arabs because I also oppose terrorism. Hardline hawks, Zionists, etc create the conditions that give rise to violent resistance. Heavy-handed tactics always lead to anger and frustration among the general population, which plays into the hands of violent groups, e.g. how many "Óglaigh" were motivated by the actions of Loyalists and then the British Army in the North in the 60s?
Unfortunately the victims on both sides are often innocent civilians.

Re: lesbians etc.

Allowing their own citizens some freedoms while routinely and systematically carrying out war crimes on the citizens of another state hardly makes Israel a "home of Human Rights and Freedom". (and before you start screaming: collective punishment - eg the seperation barrier, the routine curfews, etc - is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention)

While in Israel I encountered far more religious conservatism in than I did in Palestine. Also, Israel's actions in the area over the last few decades is causing a rise in Islamic conservativism. The older intifada types I met were by and large very Westernised - a lot of atheists/agnostics/secularists and a lot of moderate Muslims - while the younger generations were much more religious. Hardly surprising really, when there's not much hope people tend to clutch at whatever straws they can find.

So, those who defend Israel on the grounds of opposing terrorism and religious fundamentalism should really take a look at what they're supporting.

author by Malachypublication date Thu Mar 29, 2007 20:33author address author phone

Granted D, while you say that some anti-zionists are also anti-semitic, it would be more to the point to say that whereas not all anti-zonists are anti-semitiic, all anti-semites definetly are anti-zionist, hence the suspicion that arises when Israel is singled out for its wrongdoings. Palestine is a basket case just like other Arab countries. You can't and they can't put down all their failings to Israel.

author by Babspublication date Sun May 20, 2007 21:52author address author phone

The 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War, which began on June 5, 1967, is around the corner. As Israel’s adversaries gear up for a new public campaign, including demonstrations and advertisements, it’s important to sort out fact from fiction. History matters.

First, after the 1956 Suez War, Israel warned that any further Egyptian attempt to block the Straits of Tiran, which provide the vital sea link between Eilat and the world, would be a casus belli. Lo and behold, Egypt’s dictator, Gamal Abdel Nasser, on May 22, 1967, once again announced a blockade of the Straits, as had been the case between 1948 and 1956 (and in direct breach of international law).
Second, in the same month, Egypt unilaterally demanded that the UN Emergency Force in the Sinai and Gaza, in place since 1956, be removed. UN Secretary-General U Thant, cravenly agreed, thus removing a protective barrier between Egypt and Israel.

Third, prior to the ’67 war, Israel wasn’t in possession of any “occupied territories,” just the small sliver of land that constituted the state itself. Thus, the Golan Heights, West Bank, eastern half of Jerusalem, Gaza Strip and Sinai were all in Arab, not Israeli hands.
Fourth, until the 1967 war, there was no attempt to create a Palestinian state. At the time, it could have happened easily. After all, Gaza was in Egyptian hands, and the West Bank was under Jordanian control. Instead, Jordan annexed the West Bank, while Egypt imposed a military administration on Gaza.

Fifth, the PLO wasn’t created after the Six-Day War to regain territories lost to Israel in the war. Rather, it was founded in 1964, three years before the war. Its aim, expressed repeatedly in its charter, was Israel’s elimination. With support from Egypt and Syria, terrorism early on became its modus operandi.
Sixth, in brazen violation of the Armistice Agreements, Jordan denied access to Judaism’s holiest sites in Jerusalem that were under its control. Indeed, the Jordanians desecrated and destroyed many of those sites that were under its jurisdiction.

Seventh, in the weeks leading up to the war, there was one blood-curdling statement against Israel after another coming out of the Arab world.
For example, on May 19, Cairo Radio declared: “This is our chance, Arabs, to deal Israel a mortal blow of annihilation....” On May 27, Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser stated that “our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel.” On June 1, Iraq’s leader chimed in: “We are resolved, determined, and united to achieve our clear aim of wiping Israel off the map.”

The fiery rhetoric was matched by major troop deployments, an Egyptian-Syrian military alliance joined by Jordan, and other Arab countries’ declared willingness to contribute soldiers to the anticipated battle to destroy Israel.
It was against this ominous backdrop that Israel, a diminutive nation the size of New Jersey or Wales, and thus lacking any serious margin for error, launched its preemptive strike. In the ensuing six days, Israel achieved one of the most astonishing victories in military history.

Eighth, the historical record amply documents Israel’s efforts, through UN and US channels, to persuade Jordan’s King Hussein to stay out of the war. Had he listened, Jordan, not Israel, would have remained in control of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. But the Jordanian monarch, choosing to believe Egypt’s false claims of early military success, joined in the battle.
Ninth, after the war, Israel signaled a willingness to exchange land for peace. According to British historian Martin Gilbert, “Hardly had the war ended when, on 16 June 1967, the Israeli government conveyed far-reaching peace proposals to Egypt and Syria through the good offices of the United States. These proposals included a readiness to withdraw from most of the West Bank, with only minor adjustments in the border.”

The Arab response? On September 1, the Arab summit, held in Khartoum, Sudan, declared: “No peace, no recognition, and no negotiation” with Israel.
Tenth, often overlooked in discussion of the Six-Day War, indeed of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was the fate of Jewish communities in Arab lands.

In the wake of the Six-Day War, for instance, the Jewish community in Libya came to an end. Members of the community, which dated back to the Roman period (i.e., centuries before Arab conquest and occupation), either fled the country or were killed, the target of hatred and intolerance. It was all too typical of the tragic fate of ancient Jewish communities in most of the Arab world – the “forgotten refugees” of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Eleventh, in November 1967, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 242. To this day, it remains a key reference point for conflict resolution. At least two essential elements need underscoring.

The resolution called for “withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict” as part of any agreement. As confirmed by both the American and British ambassadors at the time, however, it didn’t seek withdrawal from “the territories,” thereby implying that border adjustments could be part of the final accord.
Moreover, it provided for “...acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.” At the risk of stating the obvious, that, of course, included Israel.

Twelfth, when Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat was ready to strike a deal with Israel, he found a willing partner. In 1979, a landmark treaty was signed. Israel demonstrated its yearning for peace by withdrawing from the Sinai Peninsula. In doing so, it forfeited the strategic depth of an area three times its own size, the oil fields it discovered and the air force bases it constructed.
Lastly, with the Palestinians, it’s been an altogether different story. A proposed autonomy plan, to be followed after five years by a “permanent settlement,” was agreed to by Egypt and Israel in the framework of the 1978 Camp David Accords, but was rejected out of hand by the Palestinians.

That pattern of rejection has continued to the present. The 1993 Oslo Accords once again held out hope, this time with Chairman Arafat’s signature. But hardly had the ink dried then the Palestinian leadership made a mockery of the provisions by fomenting incitement, exceeding limits on security services, and, in Arabic, asserting that this was all only a tactical maneuver to gain advantage at Israel’s expense.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton, with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak by his side, gave it his all, but Arafat once again undermined the peace effort, a fact attested to by Clinton on several occasions.

And following that failed attempt, two successive Israeli leaders, Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state settlement, as did US President George W. Bush, but to no avail. Indeed, Sharon withdrew Israel’s armed forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but rather than seize this chance for peaceful development, Gaza witnessed an arms build-up aimed at Israel and internecine fighting among Palestinians. The mounting death toll from intra-Palestinian clashes, and the firing of Kassam rockets at Sderot and other southern Israeli towns and villages, offer ample evidence of the deteriorating situation.
So, when Israel’s critics next ask, “When will 40 years of Israeli occupation end?” the question back ought to be, “When will 60 years of Israel’s quest to achieve peace with its neighbors, some of whom continue to deny its legitimacy and seek its destruction, finally be realized?”

author by Kelvinpublication date Wed May 30, 2007 00:11author email kelvin.bland at talk21 dot comauthor address author phone

There seems to be a lot of argument over history here but what is needed is harmony over the future. I have read a lot of negativity but what is needed is a positive way forward out of the existing mess.

I understand the call to boycott Israeli products but perhaps it would be better to purchase Palestinian ones or help them to produce them. Maybe it is better to buy products that are produced by joint Israeli - Palestinian companies. The miracle of Peace that has been achieved in Ireland and I suggest that this knowledge and experience be made available for those locked in this conflict. Let's see some positive suggestions on bringing people together.

author by MichaelY - iawm/ipscpublication date Wed May 30, 2007 11:47author address author phone

Check out an IPSC organised debate in Dublin on Thursday June 7th in the EVENTS calendar.
All comments welcome

author by observerpublication date Fri Jul 06, 2007 03:13author address author phone

Simply not true. Balfour, Churchill and Hitler were all anti-Semites but also ardent zionists - they all wanted to rid Europe of its jews and hence favoured the creation of a national homeland for Jews in Palestine.

To understand how the zionists worked hand in hand with the nazis please see work of Jewish historian Leni Brenner:

http://www.inminds.co.uk/jews-against-zionism.html

(he's the last speaker)

author by JohnHMpublication date Wed Jul 11, 2007 22:31author email johnthemyers at googlemail dot comauthor address author phone

Anti Zonist Jews are as mentally handicapped as Flat Earth believers

The unholy combination of Leni Brenner and his cohorts - mostly ex Communists or the children of Communists whose dream has failed , with the very very religious Orthodox Neturei Karta crowd
is ironic to all those who know anything about Jews and /or their History .

For 2000 years Jews especailly the religious ones have prayed at least 3 times each day [that is 2,136,000 times ] for the return of Jews to the Land of Israel .

For 150 years the non religious secular Jews mostly communists have prayed for the building of Jerusalem in any country OTHER than the Land of Israel .

strange bedfellows indeed

author by Marlinspikepublication date Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:42author address author phone

Antwerp is a Belgian city, and what nationality are most of the diamond traders in Antwerp?

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I think the IPSC's campaign is deliberately misleading and purposely makes ample use of anti-Semitic cliches.

The report above and the posters used in the campaign gives the impression that Israel alone is involved in the blood diamond industry. What it fails to mention is that 80% of all rough diamonds, 50% of all cut diamonds and more than 50% of all rough, cut and industrial diamonds combined are handled though Antwerp, making this Dutch/EU city the de facto 'world diamond capital'. (http://www.hrd.be/index.php?id=20)

At present, 95 percent of the world's rough diamonds are marketed by the De Beers Group (registered in Luxembourg), which has become known by its marketing arm DTC (registered in London). De Baers supplies the Israeli diamond industry.

The trade in blood diamonds is clearly a EU problem rather than an Isaeli one.

These facts contrast with the blatent lie in contained at the top of the report: "Israel's domination of the diamond business, diamonds crafted in Israel are on sale in all Irish jewellery shops and Irish consumers are unwittingly supporting the Israeli economy and Israel's illegal occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people."

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author by Fred Johnstonpublication date Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:52author email sylfredcar at iolfree dot ieauthor address author phone

The conflation of anti-semitism with opposition to the Israeli government's policy towards the Palestinians continues; a quick snap through some of the above posts still amazes me. I do not know quite what the remark about the late Francis Stuart was supposed to indicate. Israel has recently been given a massive US military aid package to give it advantage over its 'opponents,' who are supposedly all the countries of the Middle East. Rubbish, of course; Israel is a US base, same as we are becoming by stealth, and hence the cash in-flow. And someone mentions the notion of some Israelis being 'anti-semitic'? What utter, utter nonsense! Presumably the statement implies that there are Israelis opposed to the policies of the Israeli State. This, of course, is the fundamentalist language of George W. Bush and his ilk: you are for me or against me, my friend or enemy. Logic doesn't come in to it. All dissent is treason. As such it is Old Testament stuff. Language itself is distorted in order the better to protect Israeli interests and to paint this massive nuclear power State as a victim. (Have we forgotten Vanunu?) When language loses its meaning, then communication without lies is impossible.


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