Resistance to the Israeli Occupation –nonviolent solidarity among Palestinians and Israelis.
What has been happening, why, what have activists been doing -analysis and update from Palestine and the Global March on Jerusalem.

Maxine Kaufmann-Lacousta: Canadian and Israeli, activist and writer, Maxine has been involved in activism for justice in Palestine and Israel, either part-time or fulltime most of her life. She has visited the area regularly for extended periods since the 60’s and lived in Jerusalem in the 80’s and 90’s, working with the Alternative Information Center. She saw the error of Zionism after her first visit to Israel as a teenager with a Zionist youth organization in 1960. She was instrumental in bringing about international support for the Jahalin Bedouin, fighting their cause in the courts and practically by staying with them, as protector and witness to threats from Israeli bulldozers.

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Another day, another provocation. Yes, the US led GCC is carrying out War Games around disputed Isles in the Persian Gulf, Isles first seized by the Shah in 1971. Funnily enough the US had no objections to that. Yassamine Mather writes on this and May Day demonstrations in Iran. Full text at link.

However, then came news of another conflict in the Persian Gulf - this time between Iran on the one side and Saudi Arabia and Gulf Cooperation Council countries on the other. Arab and US media reported that the Peninsula Shield Force, the military coordinating army of the GCC, had been carrying out military manoeuvres to “test harmony and coordination among ground, air and naval forces and their readiness”. read full story / add a comment

VIDEO CHICAGO (2 mins) - Catholic Workers arrested in anti-NATO occupation of U.S. Prez Obama's campaign offices
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=8660928
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On May 9th. 4 London Catholic Workers were joined by 10 Swedish students on a day visit to Giuseppe Conlon House as we travelled into the South Korean Embassy. We went to the embassy to express solidarity with the people of Je Ju nonviolently resisting the destructon of their traditional lands & the construction of a new U.S. warfigting naval base.
London solidarity youtube (4 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-4_msp0ai0
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.The US military top brass has reacted with predictable feigned fury to the contents of documents leaked to Wire magazine last month that give an insight into US military thinking and planning . According to this article , US Army's Lt. Col. Matthew A. Dooley,a lecturer at the Defense Department’s Joint Forces Staff College , frequently invited civilian experts at the demonization of Muslims to address future leaders of the US military

“The U.S. military taught its future leaders that a “total war” against the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims would be necessary to protect America from Islamic terrorists, according to documents obtained by Danger Room. Among the options considered for that conflict: using the lessons of “Hiroshima” to wipe out whole cities at once, targeting the “civilian population wherever necessary.” read full story / add a comment

The imposition of Sanctions against Iran is War by other means. Majid Tamjidi writes on how the sanctions hit ordinary people and tghe nature of the Iranian Government. Full text at link

Over the last few years western governments have created an atmosphere of war against Iran and in the last few months severe sanctions have come into effect. In addition we face the threat of military attacks by Israel against Iran’s strategic centres, including nuclear facilities.

It is not difficult to rebuff western excuses for creating this atmosphere of war and sanctions. The west is Israel’s main ally in the region and that country is a nuclear power. The US and its allies have never questioned Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, nor have they threatened it militarily. The imperialist powers’ main interactions in the region are with Saudi Arabia, which must hold the gold medal (or at least silver) for human rights abuses. read full story / add a comment

Boycott Olympics London and its sponsors : McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Panasonic, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, Omega, Proctor & Gamble, Samsung, VISA and Nike. read full story / add a comment

Michael Copestake reports on HOPI's successful weekend school held in London. Speakers included John McDonnel MP, Donnacha DeLong NUJ, Moshe Machover and Iranian activists. Full text at url.

“The only thing that is certain is uncertainty,” said Labour MP John McDonnell in his talk at the April 21-22 weekend school organised by the Hands Off the People of Iran at the University of London Union.

Given the negotiations between the five members of the United Nations security council plus Germany and Iran that have just completed in Istanbul and are due to resume next month in May in Baghdad (of all the places to talk peace in the Middle East, could there be a more ironic one?) and the decline in the number of those mobilised on demonstrations and marches against war, the truth of this statement should be well noted by all. The continued threat of direct military action against Iran combined with factors such as the US electoral cycle constitute a heady and unpredictable brew. read full story / add a comment

Jeremy Scahill http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Scahill author of "Blackwater" is a former New York Catholic Worker now a writer for "The Nation" Magazine.

YOUTUBE - Jeremy Scahill Speech on Obama Administration and the Use of Drones in a Policy of Assassination

Excellent viewing.... http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2012/04/29/obamas-deat...ideo/

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****If you can't make it to the tribunal at Ft. Meade or the U.S. embassy in London, consider making a public stand for Bradley Manning on April 24th., 25th. or 26th. wherever you are - as he stands before a military tribunal that wishes to bury him alive!
Bradley has now been in military custody for over 700 days!
There are solidarity actions presently planned in Cardiff/ Wales, Fairford Base/ England, the gates of Ft. Meade /USA and 14 cities world wide
http://tinyurl.com/cxpedl5
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A21 REPORT - 40th. anniversary of the Anniversary of Harrisburg 7 Trial - F.B.I. attempt to destroy Catholic Resistance to Vietnam War
http://tinyurl.com/873szz8
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Being Black in Libya, under the NTC régime, means being subjected to racially motivated torture and lynching. read full story / add a comment

On Saturday April 14, Iran attended talks on its nuclear programme with six world powers in Istanbul. In the end, this ‘summit’ was little more than talks about talks - to take place in May in Baghdad. The uneasy stand-off continues and the strong possibility remains of an attack on Iran within months. Indeed, the outcome of the meeting has provoked a degree of cynicism, with press outlets in the US, the UK and Israel pointing out that Syria now seems to have learned the ‘Iran method’ - that is, agree to talks simply to buy time and postpone intervention. read full story / add a comment

Veterans for Peace UK held its inaugural meeting on Easter Sunday. 11 veterans attended the meeting. The meeting was started with the reading of The Statement of Purpose. We then had an extended check in where there was a good exchange of experiences.
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RSVP - 5 pm Tuesday April 24th. *"Free Bradley Manning" Vigil at U.S. Embassy, London
*Please RSVP if you can - helps us organise the event!
** If you can't make it to London or Ft. Meade, consider standing publicly whereever you are in solidarity with Bradley Manning!
*** Bradley was shipped trhough Shannon Airport to the war in Iraq. His maternal grandfather came from Dublin.
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The UN deploy monitors but the US is preparing for a military intervention in Syria. The Fundamentalist opposition have little support within Syria and have publicly boasted of their intent to Ethnically Cleanse Christians and Alawis, this doesn't seem to bother their Western backers. Full text of article by Niall Green at link.

Despite the claims of the United States and its allies that they are seeking a peace deal and humanitarian relief in Syria, the Annan mission and the presence of foreign observers constitute a political fraud. They are a smokescreen behind which the imperialist powers and their regional proxies are advancing their agenda of regime-change in Damascus. read full story / add a comment

In reaction to press reports of violence during the protests at the Labour Party conference at NUI Galway, Galway’s local peace group, the Galway Alliance Against War, has issued the following statement. read full story / add a comment

Its not just a rogue attack from the Israeli Terrorist State thats on the agenda: Obama and his minions are deliberately psyching up the US people with their bellicose statements. Preconditions which cannot be met are being set for negotiations. Israel is being supplied with enhanced missile capability. Yassamine Mather deals with these points in the article below. Full text at link.

On Saturday April 14 Iran will attend talks with six world powers. The US has indicated this is Iran’s “last chance” to avoid military intervention and the Obama administration is taking very specific demands to the talks as preconditions for further negotiations: for example, Iran “must immediately close” a large nuclear facility allegedly built underneath a mountain if it wants to avoid a devastating strike. read full story / add a comment

Hi Folks,
Today, I'll be joining British SAS Iraq War Veteran Ben Griffin http://veteransforpeace.org.uk/ , his family and other activists in deploying to rural Wales for a series of events around the Welsh National Theatre's performances of Tim Price's new play "The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning".
http://tinyurl.com/82wo88w read full story / add a comment

Gunter Grass published a poem on Wednesday of this week in which he said that Israel's nuclear program and not Iran’s is a threat to world peace. The poem calls for Germany to stop supplying Israel with submarines, and warns against an Israeli strike on Iran. The following is a translation of it; read full story / add a comment