Reuters Video: Israel opens crossing, Palestinians storm Egyptian border

If you ask someone in the news business in Israel what it is like. They are likely to answer: it is always the same drumbeat. There is no variety. Year in, Year out. more about “Reuters Video: Israel opens crossing,…“, posted with vodpod       Jul 2 - As Israel opens Gaza border crossing, Palestinians attempt to breach Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, clash with Egyptian forces. Israel opened the Gaza crossings for the shipment of supplies, including cement for the first time in a year, after Gaza militants halted rocket attacks on southern Israel. At the same time clashes erupted at the Rafah crossing into Egypt as Palestinians hurled stones at the Egyptian security forces positioned on the other side of the crossing and tried to force their way through. Egyptian forces used water cannon on the crowds. Penny Tweedie reports. http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=85713

Hizbollah demanding Palestinians released in prisoner swap

Haaretz is reporting that Israel will likely be including Palestinian prisoners in its exchange with Hizbollah. Until recently Israel always tried to keep its enemies apart. Witness the seperate peace deals with Egypt and Jordan. But now Hizbollah have punctured that balloon. It also seems to confirm that Hizbollah attacked in 2006 out of support for the Palestinians, as opposed to its own agenda, Israel had been pummeling the Gaza strip for about a month earlier. And while I have never seen it publicised it would seem to suggest a united armed front is in support of the Palestinians. Or put another way, if Israel attacked Gaza, might it expect retaliation from Hizbollah. Being the nieve soul I am, I don’t understand why Res 242 does not promise peace for everyone. Had the War on Terror not rebounded then maybe Israel wouldn’t feel so vulnerable. But the War on terror has crippled the Bush Administration. And united its enemies. And if it has done so in the South, why not vis-a-vis Hezbollah as well? After all, the prime minister boasted to Nasrallah that the kidnapping of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser was one kidnapping too many. But with such demonstrations of fortitude on the part of both the government and the citizens, is it any wonder that on the verge of completing the deal, Nasrallah added Palestinian terrorists to the list of those to be released? Haaretz

Times: Israeli ’suicide cop’: family refute claims that he killed himself

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4209639.ece

Israeli ’suicide cop’: family refute claims that he killed himself My best guess is that he was shot, some commenters state there were reports of multiple shots. In the world of VIP security, if ones loyalties were compromised, assassination would be the preferred punishment. Possibly he was against Olmert or Peres, who knows? Security would have let the whole saga unfold with the music playing as it was. We are unlikely to ever know the truth. Or he had shown intent to enact a guilty choice. A fictitious coup? If security want to find out what you are made of, they have ways and means. So I am saying, entrapment, setup, foreknowledge of his activities etc. In an era of McCarthyism it is all very dangerous. Maybe he knew too much?

Apart from the Times article above, there are also commenters who start wondering what really happened in the following article:

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/06/q-why-cant-american-politicians-emulate-sarkozys-straight-talk-in-israel.html#comments

H/T whatreallyhappened

Iranians in Israeli prison for 25 years

The Israeli peace statement with everyone. An addition to Avnery’s ‘An apology’

Some additions for Avnery’s ‘An Apology’. The idea to do this is really from Critique of Avnery s Apology  by Henry Lowi This I realize would need to be rewritten: To the Lebanese we say: We are releasing all Lebanese prisoners. The shebaa farms you can have. We’d love to buy some of your water. And all Lebanese are welcome to visit Israeel without a visa, yes even Nasrallah. Now we also have a lot of excess cement which you are welcome to have for free for rebuilding, and we’d like to help locate the cluster bombs. Now to Syria: please, here, take all the Golan heights, maybe some of the settlers would like to stay under Syrian jurisdiction, that is up to them. We’d like to buy some of your oil! And Syrians are welcome without a Visa, maybe we can do some student exchanges. Now to Iran, your Nuclear issues are no longer a pivotal concern for Israel. We want to make an unconditional peace with you. And we are frankly exhausted from hating you, and formenting more of it. And yes we’d like to buy some of your oil. And visas will be available online. And that’s it, end of wars. Iran will help America go home from Iraq at least. Rumor was there were some sad faces in DC.

IsraelNews: Ilan Pappe: I am not a traitor (an Israeli harrassed)

This is just the first paragraph, the link below will go to the full article. It is the fact of being harrassed that made me post the link to his web site. Because there is not widespread dissidence in Israel, might be out of fear of harrassment. Last summer, the Pappe family packed its belongings, rented out its spacious house in Israel and moved to Britain. Ever since his support of an academic boycott on Israel’s universities became public, historian Ilan Pappe, 54, has felt like public enemy number one. Pappe says he had received death threats by phone almost on a daily basis. http://ilanpappe.com/?p=60#more-60 Afterthought; Ilan teaching in the UK is good for Israel vis-a-vis the threatened UK academic boycott.

If Iran is attacked, what can it do?

If Iran is attacked, what can it do? It could down every sea going vessel within a few hundred miles. It has sunburn missiles to which NATO admits there is no defense. They did have a range of 250 kilometres, either landbased or airborne launched. And their range may have been extended. This is the type of missile that Hizbollah successfully used on the Israeli navy in 2006. Iran would be obliged to destroy US (and UK & French?) bases nearby. Iraq Bahrain Turkey Oman (and many others). And Iran most most probably does have more than a million missiles. Dependency on Syria could not be taken for certain, but at this time it is most likely that Syria would assist in attacking Israel, and of course Hizbollah would assist. It has been written that Iran purchased ICBM’s from Ukraine (5 or more). Iran has launched its own satellite. Which means it has rocket technology. And western intelligence speak of 600 hundred kilometres of tunnels. Iran will without doubt see the source of its adversarial problem as Israel, and will surely strike Israel. Now what does the US (and Israel) have? The US has failed in all attempts at warfare. It has rarely faced an organised Army, anyway not without bleeding it dry for ten years with sanctions. Israel did fight an effective war in 73. That was 35 years ago…. There are still thousands of Russians in Iran, assisting in the development of Nuclear power. Russia is firmly allied with Iran, even though it has supported non violent UN resolutions. And China’s trade with Iran is also huge. If we are depending for advice on the Israelis, who are reputed to be the most clever and valiant fighters, and who got is so completely wrong two years ago in Lebanon. And who have supported the US’ wars. What will happen with Iran? It will all go wrong like everything else under Bush II has. The moral to the story: the Zionist fervour was functional and successful until they got too much power. Presumably Iran has particularly good intelligence gathering in the countries near it and will know when the US is priming its missile launchers. And what do the clever Israelis, and Anglo Saxons do? They work for defence, instead of inventing ways of helping people and thereby enriching their nations, they are consumed by considering ways of killing and distracting those that might have noble aspirations.

Why isn’t Israel making a peace agreement? Because of security!

Why isn’t Israel making a peace agreement? Because security has not said the time is right, they still see threats to the security of Israel. Well maybe they can’t see the wood for the trees, especially with all the intelligence gathering. The Israelis are buried in information. In the future there could be a sense of a missed opportunity. In the year of 2008 what were they doing? They were talking about talking about peace. With no attempt to alleviate the daily suffering. In the end there was more war, because security was not satisfied. With faulty policies, security will never be satisfied. Even with a whole nation of policemen eavesdropping and following and surveilling all perceived threats. The only security solution is to have a guard at every public place, and to listen in on everyone in the world. Or change tack, compromise, seems to me more attractive than war and every one being a policeman. I think there has been some kind of earthquake at the very top, perhaps in the intelligence agencies, and the Pentagon. As if a lot has been decided in advance, like: Diminished NeoCon/Zionist influence. The US will not start a war with Iran. Of course agreements can change and can be broken. These are just some of the newsitems that made me wonder: McCellan paved the way for Bush to accept guilt. An Israeli in the US charged with espionage he did decades ago. Top USAF personel replaced. Israeli in S. Africa says she was spying. And it would seem that Bush’s visit to the UK is highlighting Britains desire to leave Iraq. Amidst the vaccuous Bush presidency Israel cannot find its center, it doesn’t know how to deapartheid its policies. Nor how to cope with seeming dethronement (some will say it is only seeming). To repeat this Blogs theme: The internet has rapidly altered the worlds consciousness, this trend will strengthen. …If you can’t beat em join them… Anyway this weeks subject of Uri Avnery’s weekly piece is: An Apology, he writes a script for a Prime Minister to say to the Israeli parliament: On behalf of the State of Israel and all its citizens, I address today the sons and daughters of the Palestinian people, wherever they are. We recognize the fact that we have committed against you a historic injustice, and we humbly ask your forgiveness. [...] We shall evacuate the Israeli settlements, which have caused so much suffering and iniquities to you, and bring the settlers home, Read it all here: An Apology

Crimes and Corruptions: Gaza’s imminent Explosion

Also see Reuters: Egypt deploys hundreds of policemen on Gaza border

Dear Vanunu

There is a letter from you circulating on the alternative internet press, asking for support in your legal bid to live in Norway. I wish you well in your efforts, not because I support what you did, just because you are a fellow suffering human. Whether you revealed nuclear secrets to the London Times for financial profit or not, I have no idea, very likely is the possibility that you in fact never agreed to any payment or were a part of an entrapment. We are all, after all a victim to what is orchestrated news. But this is not why I write. The sobering news is when and if you are allowed to live abroad, do not expect freedom, instead expect 24 hour surveillance, this will no doubt be more motivated by revenge than justice. Do not expect to ever share a spontanious meeting again. There will be a phone call or some other interference. You will never again be allowed to confide in another. The truth these days is irrelevant. Expect that if you sit down for a coffee or a rest, that an 8 or 9 year old girl will come to your company. Clearly after many of these experiences being photographed, it will be clear you are a sex pervert. It will be grown men (behind the scenes) who will manipulate your life so that you can continue a form of solitary confinement outside in the free world. These grown men could have been artists and creators and inventors, instead they have been dealt cards that say they must interfere in peoples private lives, in order to uphold their belief in God, Nation and belief system. Should you become rebellious and wish to enjoy your freedom, you will discover that you can trust no one, and every encounter turns into a betrayal. This I guess is a life sentence. Mail, Internet, telephone is as controlled as I imagine it is in prison. This post is a little negative, wish you well in a new life, time in solitary is the worst of punishments. Letting you go would give a little of a human face to israel.

Barak incredulous that Hezbollah fortifying

Barak yesterday stated that Hizbollah are fortifying their positions. Actually every armed force in the world is fortifying their positions. Baraks incredulity is a bad omen for Israel. Hamas is also fortifying, and the US is fortifying the PA. So let us try and understand what he is saying: Everyone hate this out of control enemy. Or it is impossible for an enemy of Gods chosen people to arm themselves. Or prepare for war. Or my world has gone upside down.. It is hard to understand what he is trying to say. It is the same belief system that ordered the Israelis to go to the Litani river. And the same indomitable sense that complained the Syrians are arming Hizbollah. The answer is “Get real”. Or forget about the childhood triumphs.

www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=58724&sectionid=351020202

Tikun; Avram Burg’s ‘Holocaust is over’, ‘end of zionism nigh’

Avraham Burg, former Knesset speaker and former head of the Jewish Agency From Tikun Olam, A movement for universal spirituality, and quite critical of Israel’s policies. http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/

Israel one state solution: allow Christians to immigrate

There is a debate going on about whether the solution for Israel is a one or two state solution. Both Avnery and Olmert (just a few days ago) have said this. One state might mean not having to withdraw the settlements. This is what Rabin Peres were doing 15 years ago. But with the clear realisation that the majority population would soon be Arab, something would need to be done to insure an ethnic western majority (or as in the South African situation, the colonisers remain in charge of business). Allowing non Jews to immigrate is an option, it would also be a way for Israel to say thank you to its US non Jewish friends that have been loyal. There is a risk of Israel and the US going in different directions anyway. Think of it like when the US left Vietnam or Iran, natives that were loyal to the US also went to the US. so now those that were loyal to Israel would also be allowed to immigrate to Israel. It would take care of the demography problem (too many Arabs) It would cater to so-called Christian Zionists, it would revitalize the empty immigration to Israel. Finally it would prevent a massive anti Israeli backlash from the recession headed US. Because there would be so many US citizens in Israel too. With regard to allowing non Jews: How many of Israels population is anyway assimilated. Even if they think they are not. Put them next to a Lubavitcher and they look assimilated. This would also prevent Israel being hijacked by the large Russian community, which in the absence of US support is a possibility. If such a radical rethink is going on, we could also get some pleasant surprises in the way of social and family law reforms.

Time for rescue, time for Carter

Carter was just the only one to present, there wasn’t any alternative. When it became clear the white house was but a lot of banditos, and that they don’t have a clue. The only ‘elder’ to offer sanity was Carter. Whatever he is doing is measured, he is not trying to scupper anything, just to do some healing. When he mentions Israel’s arsenal, it is with intention (either to calm them, or to bring them to the negotiating table). Let’s be grateful for Carter’s presence. We at least know he wants peace.

Summary of last 7 days posts

The power of religion in politics The power of religion is rarely discussed openly, save for gossipy comments of the wealth of the Vatican. Or the wealth of the British throne which is head of the Church of England. Or looking at pictures of Presidents and Prime Ministers with Rabbis. Clearly there is a power there, so any insight into how they think would be useful. What follows is an excerpt of a review of just what life and death meant in the Bible times. How to restart society When business, politics, private life are all rolled into one. Then we have judge jury and prosecutor all rolled into one. When power revolves around a knowledge of people’s private lives, then that is authoritarian. If it is highly effective, then we must ask: ‘what has gone wrong?’. (see post for more) Dear Israel: Change tack! (if anyone is listening) You are blessed with being quick on your feet. When everything is changing, you can alter course in a ‘concerted’ way. Now is the time. Hush hush and damage limitation will no longer work. When the tide is changing due to an unforeseen enemy (the internet). (see post for more) Guardian: Carter hints that Bush might face war crime prosecutions After Bush leaves office there will be a clamour for prosecuting him & his colleagues for war crimes. Also the US will be in the midst of a recession and there will be a cry for justice there. Olmert: Hallucinations to keep post 67 border, Hamas, Olmert says only those hallucinating can think of keeping post 67 territories. (Haaretz later changed the word hallucinating to delusional) It seems everything is up for grabs. (see post for more) wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com weather picture of the day wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com Picture of the day 9/11 Israeli minister offers to lease Golan: Presstv “I propose leasing the Golan from the Syrians for 25 years. If they are serious about peace they have nothing to lose,” Israeli interior minister Meir Sheetrit said on Sunday” Maybe he should be put on the front line. see post for more Being watched (and framed) 24 hours a day The people with the real power keep themselves well out of sight. And until you speak nicely about them, you are watched 24 hours a day. Essentially framed to be involved in some form of criminal or perverse activity everyday. We made the rules and lost the game. Now we find ourselves in a consesus of doom. Everyone is anticipating an end to the era we are in. Those in power might fret about calls for justice, but they are still in power, every minute of every day right now. The whole shabang is creeking, weather, resourses and wars. Increasingly debates on internet forums focus on the Industrialists, on the multinationals. The speculators (read: financiers) are singled out as responsible for rising food and oil costs. Well none of the above are going to relinquish… Gold, the best guarantee against inflation. see post for picture and text DU More veterans die after they come home than in war http://www.naturalnews.com/023274.html Depleted Uranium Shells Used by U.S. Military Worse Than Nuclear Weapons Tuesday, May 20, 2008 by: David Gutierrez Since the first Gulf War, the rate of birth defects and childhood cancer in Iraq has increased by seven times. More than 35 percent (251,000) of U.S. Gulf War veterans are dead or on permanent medical disability, compared with [...] Israel couldn’t leave settlers in Golan in a peace agreement. Israel couldn’t leave settlers in Golan in a peace agreement. They would report back that living under Arab rule has its advantages. This would be anathema to the Israeli establishment. For this reason any withdrawal will be staged over years, and generous compensation will be given. Any settlers allowed to remain would be cherry picked for [...] The Liberal economy, money as religion The free west, sex for sale, drugs for sale, money is the religion. And everyone can be made to play the game, very simply, by honing in on a person’s weakness or prejudice. It is possible to drive a person crazy. After all when money is the only legal tender, anything goes. All under the illusion of being liberal. Ron Paul, Che Guevara, & more doctors as revolutionaries Maybe being a Doctor, apart from an obvious desire to help others, also gives one the self confidence to oppose the mediocre mainstream, to be a pioneer. ~Ron Paul~ Before Congress May 22, 2007 nderstanding the magnificent rewards of a free society makes us unbashful in its promotion, fully realizing that maximum wealth is created and the greatest chance for peace comes from a society respectful of individual liberty. ” [ ... ] Nationalise the oil industry, make Sovereign funds Western sovereign funds needed. Even if the oil industry were nationalised. The state could continue to invest overseas. No country refuses this, not Burma nor Iran. With a nationalised oil industry, there would be less calls for war, we wouldn’t be dependent so much on the vanity of private shareholders. The wealth would come to the Government. And the western Governments could operate their sovereign funds, just like the Sheiks do. A dissident for Israel? This is the attention We have a dissident, he is concerned about the Palestinians. He says not in his name. Where does he live? And who are his family? Where does his family work? (see post for more) Israel deports Jewish activists 2004 and 2005 Jamie Spector, 32, a social worker with the San Francisco Unified School District, has been held in detention at Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv since she landed Saturday Kate Raphael Bender was arrested Dec. 14 during a protest against Israel’s controversial security barrier at the village of Bil’in, near Ramallah in the West Bank. She has spent the last month in a detention center awaiting a hearing and preparing her appeal against deportation. (see post for more) An Israeli is an Israeli, ‘mission accomplished’ No matter what happens from now on, the Israeli character has been established. Whether the diaspora supports it or not, whether Israel loses allies or not. Israel deports a Jew Finkelstein is known as one of the most prominent academic critics of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Individual’s rights eroding It seems we are in a time of vacuum and inertia. No real direction. But a good sprinkling of fear and erosion of rights. Corruption here there and everywhere We will fizzle from corruption, and then lose the values we are proud of like womens rights, and a host of other western freedoms. As we all know, the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger and bigger. Do the Jews cheat the Jews? Judaism without political and economic power must be amazing. Now we are at the zenith of Judaic power, I just wonder if Jews themselves are feeling a divide, as if they are not a part of the ruling elite. And that decisions being taken are not in their best interests.A feeling that a secretive group of people would happily dupe another Jew into a false sense of identity, by appealing to a base nationalistic instinct. There is a human craving ‘to belong’. Maybe it needs to be recognised as exactly… Food quiz: 10 questions (and answers) Food quiz: 10 questions (and answers) … Marx, end of capitalism, and on Jewishness And I have also been thinking our capitalist system seems and feels Jewish, then I discovered Marx had written an essay ‘on the Jewish question’, what follows are two extracts, the first from an Israeli website, the second extract from Wikipedia. Do the extracts relate to capitalism? At least a little they do. Israel without America Frankly it means no world war. As long as there was an alliance between the Anglo Saxons: The US, Australia, the UK. It meant war after war. The relics of the Bush administration as in Condi Rice still bemoan when peaceful agreements are reached, like the one in Lebanon now. Unfortunately, the Israelis think only the right can make peace, So all eyes are on a successor to Olmert, and people will think the Likud types are the answer.They say Begin made the peace with Egypt, well Avnery points out Egypt had… Americans help European Post World War 1 Jews NYT 1920 New York Times May 7, 1920, p. 11 Is this North Korea or the free west? Vanunu got sentenced to solitary confinement. I have read there are noticeable effects on his speech and behaviour from all the time he spent incarcerated alone. Also I think I read he is going to be able to go to Norway. Well anyway the point of this post is with modern surveillance it is not always necessary [...] Golan Heights to go back to Syria from Israel Would Israel be clever enough to take a diminished Middle East role? To be just another small nation in the Middle East. Or will it accept nothing less than an economic hegemony. Trade is the cement for peace agreements, we all know Israel would like oil flowing from Iraq. In the Camp David agreements with Egypt, Israel secured guarantees for Egyptian oil. Harrasing the politically incorrect. Being undesirable: Having undesirable politics, leads to being watched 24 hours a day, and any and all relationships broken and corrupted. The local police are always available to join in. The human is a social animal. So ultimately the victim obligingly enters into conversation with whomever is receptive. However this receptive third party is surely involved in some underhand activities, or is known for some form of perversion. It is not for nothing that dark times … (more in post)

This summary created using
http://internetducttape.com/2007/07/13/wordpress-tip-create-a-digest-post-in-3-seconds/

Dear Israel: Change tack! (if anyone is listening)

You are blessed with being quick on your feet. When everything is changing, you can alter course in a ‘concerted’ way. Now is the time. Hush hush and damage limitation will no longer work. When the tide is changing due to an unforeseen enemy (the internet). All those enemies are actually just truthseekers, they must be young at heart. They had no preemptive desire for prejudice. I get so much flak for what I write and say. But people like me are harmless, rather like the politicians of today. Israel if you can move fast you can avoid a lot of back wash. The forecast is: from the top down there will be a sinking, in all directions. I speak not so much of the internal situation in Israel, but of the international situation, with, as usual, the US at the frontline. It is time to cede the supporters, perhaps severe the connection is better phraseology. It is time to make the peace with the neighbours. They were grown men who did so much wrong, they are not your problem, (even if some were your own, they were delusional). Why I am so cryptic? It would be destructive to be any other way. But there is a swell of explicitness circulating on the web. No amount of directives and harassments or inducements can stop a hoard. Here finishes this rant. Hope it is clear. And p l e a s e don’t think more war is a solution. The Cabal didn’t help ….

Olmert: Hallucinations to keep post 67 border, Hamas, 1 country or two

Olmert says only those hallucinating can think of keeping post 67 territories. (Haaretz later changed the word hallucinating to delusional) It seems everything is up for grabs. Inner circles so often look so organised from the outside. Now this one does not. In the same Haaretz article Olmert said one democratic country where everyone has equal rights is also gaining credibility amongst the US elite. So while compromise appears to be on the table, no one is sure in which way. But there is a consensus that time is not on Israel’s side. Olmert says with the passage of time Hamas’ influence on the West Bank is increasing. Irrespective of his denials, it is common knowledge that Egypt is trying to broker a truce. Well apart from saying that Hamas’ strength is merely a product from the treatment of the Palestinians. It is also closer to the israeli political system where it is religious interpretations that rule. I can’t help think Islam is getting a voice in how the final outcome will look. So I looked for Hamas’ web site: http://www.alqassam.ps/english/ Given the 06 Lebanon war it might be correct to think Hamas is coordinated with Hizbollah and Syria. The timing of Hizbollah’s preliminary action seemed in concert with Israels actions in Gaza. Anyway that is a digression, but might explain the fuller force of Hamas. While thinking how they make peace, the truth commission of South Africa seemed relevant: http://breakingthesilence.org.il/index_e.asp is a site dedicated to Israeli soldiers speaking out about atrocities etcetera.

Israeli minister offers to lease Golan: Presstv

Israel can lease Golan from Syria’ Sun, 25 May 2008 18:58:42 “I propose leasing the Golan from the Syrians for 25 years. If they are serious about peace they have nothing to lose,” Israeli interior minister Meir Sheetrit said on Sunday” www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=57304&sectionid=351020202 If this is for domestic consumption, then allow us to dismiss the comment. Assign the statement to the general dumbing down of society, just to reinforce the contempt that leadership shows for its citizens. If on the other hand the statement is designed to enhance the peace negotiations. Then we must enquire about his IQ, and from where did he develop such arrogance. Maybe he should be put on the front line. He can treat his own with contempt, but to imagine the Arabs or anyone else to take this seriously is a mistake. Bombs away is what this statement brings, another missile placed at the Israeli population, that’s all Mr Interior Minister got today.

Israel couldn’t leave settlers in Golan in a peace agreement.

They would report back that living under Arab rule has its advantages. This would be anathema to the Israeli establishment. For this reason any withdrawal will be staged over years, and generous compensation will be given. Any settlers allowed to remain would be cherry picked for their loyalty. After all the notion of freely intermingling is not part of the current Israeli psyche. Anyone doing so, needs to be on a mission for the government. So deep is the embedded racism.

Israel deports Jewish activists 2004 and 2005

Israel deports Jewish activists 2004 and 2005
Love it or leave it!
There arms stretch wide as well!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/17/MNG9NARFJT1.DTL

Kate Raphael Bender was arrested Dec. 14 during a protest against Israel’s controversial security barrier at the village of Bil’in, near Ramallah in the West Bank. She has spent the last month in a detention center awaiting a hearing and preparing her appeal against deportation.

Raphael Bender, who is Jewish, expects to leave Israel within days. It is the second time she has been deported as a result of her protest activities against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

……

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/07/14/MNGBS7L5V71.DTL

S.F. Jewish activist held as security threat in Israel
Social worker appeals deportation order — colleagues tie it to crackdown on protesters

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

A Jewish activist from San Francisco who was barred from entering Israel said Tuesday that her arrest has strengthened her resolve to fight for Palestinian rights, and Bay Area colleagues said her detention is part of a campaign to crack down on a group undertaking a summerlong protest of Israeli policies.

Jamie Spector, 32, a social worker with the San Francisco Unified School District, has been held in detention at Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv since she landed Saturday. She is appealing a deportation order from the Israeli Interior Ministry, which says she is a security threat. Spector’s deportation has been frozen by the Tel Aviv District Court, and a hearing is expected this week.

An Israeli is an Israeli, ‘mission accomplished’

No matter what happens from now on, the Israeli character has been established. Whether the diaspora supports it or not, whether Israel loses allies or not.
No doubt the religion can take most of the credit for this. The average Israeli will reference God and their mother, probably within the first few sentences. This is also a form of radar, to ascertain your reliability. If you fail, well –> to the cesspit. Which doesn’t mean you won’t be spoken to, it just means you have been relegated to substandard.
Anyway like most nationals one is patriotic to their own country first. There are some sympathies extended to the politically misfortunate; Burmese, Tibetans and Zimbabweans for example.
But apart from that, the poor of England or the United States are not really a concern.
An English or American Jew might have some sympathy for their country, (probably most of them, but not all).
There are now a million Russians that have gone to Israel, I know nothing about them, I think they are mostly on the political right, it will be interesting to see their power grow in Israel particularly as the American glow is faltering. Israelis can cope with change they are quick on their feet.
Some will say America died for Israel. Now we are in the post Zionist era, just awaiting a redefining and reinventing of Zionism. America will likely go off fighting Pakistani militants, even though it is in its death throws.
The English went around the world building railroads and teaching English. The Americans made Israel.
It would be good to see the Israelis care about some other people, apart from the Burmese, Tibetans and Zimbabweans. Anyway what the Zimbabweans have done that is wrong is they have kicked the white farmers off of their farm land. Presumably the Burmese haven’t sold themselves out enough, and the Tibetans, well it is hard to make sense of that one. Oh ya and there is the Kurds.
Now - all together now - sing together now - …..

Israel deports a Jew

Finkelstein is known as one of the most prominent academic critics of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/norman-finkelstein-arrested-in-israel/

 http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/index.php for updates

 

Israel without America

Bush himself said in his address to the Israeli parliament that there are those that call for distancing the US from Israel. http://morris108.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/bush-says-us-not-break-ties-with-israel/
Three major Israeli writers have just written the same thing:
Uri Avneri http://morris108.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/israels-billionaires-backers-avnery/
Gideon Levy http://morris108.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/haaretz-to-us-lets-part-as-friends/
Nahum Barnea of Yediot Ahronot http://www.prospectsforpeace.com/2008/05/mr_adelson_goes_to_israel.html
Today Rootless Cosmopolitan is also writing it is everyones go your own way time: ” Bush, like Bin Laden, on the Sidelines “
And I wrote about it a month ago. http://morris108.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/dear-israel-its-goodbye-america-time/
Frankly it means no world war. As long as there was an alliance between the Anglo Saxons: The US, Australia, the UK and Israel. It meant war after war. The relics of the Bush administration as in Condi Rice still bemoan when peaceful agreements are reached, like the one in Lebanon now.
Unfortunately, the Israelis think only the right can make peace, So all eyes are on a successor to Olmert, and people will think the Likud types are the answer.
They say Begin made the peace with Egypt, well Avnery points out Egypt had offered the peace before there was a war with Egypt.
Israel needs a humanist government that genuinely recognises the Arabs as fellow humans. Not as objects for manipulation and exploitation. To which most Israelis say, “thanks but no thanks” in other words that would take effort on everybodies part. Well that is what is needed.
And did Sharon make the peace? No he withdrew and built walls.
Of course the right can deal with the settlers better than the left. But that is no reason to make distasteful peace agreements.

Golan Heights to go back to Syria from Israel

Syria to get the Golan heights back? Here are some snippets of articles all saying the same thing.

It wouldn’t be wise to make a bet either way. Assuming everything stays the same, perhaps it is possible. What could change a plan for peace? Gaza or Lebanon flaring up would change things. Syria has also stated a ju