June 2010

Strip Israel of UN membership

from the free gaza media list

Sign petition:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/is050110/petition.html

To: UN General Assembly
Dear UN General Assembly Members:

We, the undersigned citizens of the world, call on the United Nations General Assembly to rescind Israel’s membership in the UN, as a step toward ending Zionist apartheid.

Israel’s attack on a humanitarian aid fleet on Monday June 31, 2010, its murder of 19 human rights activists in international waters and wounding 50 others demonstrate that Israel rejects the structural tenets of our shared humanity, manifested in a global moral consensus and international law.

Countless UN resolutions call on Israel to respect international law. It abides by none of them. It should therefore lose its place among the global family of nations.

Israel has been violating international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention in its building of settlements, displacement of the indigenous population of Palestine, invasion of surrounding countries, killing and ethnically cleansing civilians systematically through the use of massacres. Israel has never been held accountable for the massacres of Deir Yassin, Qibya, Sabra and Shatilla, Qana, Gaza, and Jenin, for murdering Rachel Corrie, nor, as of today, for its massacre on the flotilla of international peace activists hoping to break Israel’s siege on the Palestinian people. As of 2007, Gaza has been turned into an open air prison housing 1.5 million people. Since 1948, Palestinians who carry Israeli citizenship do not enjoy equal protection or rights under Israeli law for not being classified as “Jewish Nationals.” Palestinian survivors of ethnic cleansing are denied the right to return.

We, the citizens of the world, call upon you to shape the 21st century with a new ethic, already enshrined in the United Nations. We call upon you to end Zionist apartheid and racial injustice by stripping Israel of its UN membership.
Sincerely,
—
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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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~Nuha

—
Gael Murphy
CODEPINK
202 412 6700
http://www.gazafreedommarch.org

June 3, 2010 0

Turkish Warships to protect from israeli TERRORIST

June 3, 2010 0

Translation of Knesset ‘debate’ (when MK Haneen came under attack)

Here are some extracts from the Knesset channel on TV, on YouTube.

Miri Weingarten translated the main things:

From podium:
– we need to vomit her from this Knesset, she’s here to represent Hamas, Jihad (MK Eli Aflalu, Kadima opposition)
voiceover: knesset security people escorted MK Zuabi before and after the debate in the Knesset for fear of someone trying to beat her

– the blood of those who died – you are the one who murdered them (MK Julia Shamalov-Berkowitz, Kadima opposition)
– I will say this in Arabic if I can: go to Gaza traitor (in Arabic), a traitor, that what she is, we don’t need traitors here in the knesset (MK Miri Regev, Likud coalition)
Voiceover: not only about the flotilla, also beneath the belt:

– one week in gaza we will see what will happen to you, a single 38-year-old woman woman in gaza we will see how they treat you (MK Yohanan Plessner Likud coalition)

Tall woman trying to attack Zuabi and evicted is Anastasia Michaeli of Israel Beiteinu (Lieberman’s party, coalition)

to camera:
-Anastasia Michaeli to camera: we should not let a traitor talk in the knesset. we are a democratic country but there is a limit and we must not let a traitor talk and present the position of the terrorist organisations

the people restrained and taken out of the knesset after this bit are Arab MKs Jamal Zakhalka (Balad) and Muhammad Barakeh (Hadash/socialists)
voiceover: today we reached a new climax in the Israel-Palestinian conflict: we almost came to blows in the knesset assembly.

next to be evicted Jewish MK Hasson of Kadima (later in the hall again)

more from podium:
– gilad shalit is in the hands of those you (plural) represent and you didn’t do a thing – bastards (MK Rotem of Israel Beiteinu)
– Jewish MK Ilan Gil’on of Left party Meretz against the right wing crowd: you are crazy you’ve gone out of your minds, irresponsible
voiceover: the Arab MKs defended Zuabi and the mood got even hotter

from podium
– Arab MK Zahalka: listen to me well: MK Zuabi deserves a (military) decoration for two reasons. one that she fulfilled her moral and political duty (interruption from jewish MK Ben Ari: she will get Hamas award) against the siege on Gaza. (interruption by jewish MK Shamalov-Berkowitz).

voiceover: when MK Zuabi got on the podium to talk, the MKs simply didn’t let her do so.
-Zuabi: I will say every word that I want to say.
-Rivlin, chair of knesset: from this moment no interjections. let her talk. the power of democracy is in our ability to hear. believe me, i have been in this house for longer than you. this is an emergency hour for the knesset. the knesset must be able to complete its debates.
voiceover: one after the other the MKs were evicted from the hall.
5 MKs evicted.
Rivlin: go outside, calm down, show them where the coffee is outside. take your time to calm down.

As Zuabi leaves the podium, calls: traitor, traitor.
voiceover: the debate was cut short. Zuabi, who kept her cool (‘facon’) throughout the debate, could even be seen to shed a small tear. a rift was torn between the Arab and Jewish MKs. it is doubtful if anyone will say hello in the corridors of the knesset when he next sees her.

From podium:
-Arieh Eldad (National Union): The blue and white flag is yours. You are in the Jewish state even if your bowels turn. the hatikva is your national anthem even if your heart twists/is aghast. And if you don’t like it – drink the sea of Gaza.

—
Miri Weingarten, Director
JNews
60 Farringdon Road
London EC1R 3GA
Tel. 0207 324 2575
Fax 0207 749 0566
Mob 0753 1719159
Skype: miri.weingarten

June 3, 2010 0

Israel ‘underestimated reactions’

June 3, 2010 0

updates on the massacre

There is something unspeakable about the Israeli attempts to explain away their horrible attack on a peace ship at dawn Monday, something offensive and rotten about their claims that the soldiers, armed with “paint-ball guns,” suddenly had to switch to assault rifles or Uzis or sidearms and murder a bunch of innocent human beings on a ship loaded with supplies for a struggling people. The army has now published a video of what are supposed to be caches of arms secreted in the hold of the Mavi Marmara—one Molotov cocktail, a pile of metal pipes, a pile of wrenches, slingshots, gas-masks—justifying the violent takeover. A “lynch” armed with deadly weapons. Over in reality, the arguments about the presence of firearms have completely deteriorated. Almost no one will accept the claims. Does the Israeli government believe them? Some do, some don’t, although they’ll present a united front. Anyone in the commentariat? For sure. Seth Freedman does, and I think his defense must be a sanitized version of majority opinion within Israel—signs in Ashdod read col hacavod, Hebrew for well-done. Col hacavod, chaverim–assaulting peace activists and destroying the eye of an art student on the same day by squashing it with a propelled tear-gas grenade (Freedman, demonstrating close touch with reality, thinks Huwaida Arraf is male).

The latest video shows Israeli soldiers attacking the ship. They continued attacking after the activists ran up a white flag, surrendering. Every independent data-point—and I have to use ridiculous technical jargon because the observers’ video evidence is hidden or has been destroyed—suggests that Israel kept firing for a long time. Everyone knows that Netanyahu and Lieberman approved this assault. Everyone knows that some sort of approving signal came out of the Obama administration, perhaps—to ensure plausible deniability—through the State Department, perhaps a quiet huddle between under-secretaries accompanied by freighted vacuity like, “We understand the Israeli government’s position on this.” The government didn’t expect Israel to slaughter innocents on the high seas, though. Why didn’t they predict it? Simple. They don’t quite get that the Israeli government is run by thugs, perhaps seeking to see how far they can push their boundaries, perhaps simply because they are incompetent. Who knows. In a way, who cares. What matters is that American support will not waver–not yet. Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations, said at the United Nations: “mechanisms exist for the transfer of humanitarian assistance to Gaza by member states and groups that want to do so. These non-provocative and non-confrontational mechanisms should be the ones used for the benefit of all those in Gaza. Direct delivery by sea is neither appropriate nor responsible, and certainly not effective, under the circumstances.”

Meanwhile, even Israeli Zionists are commenting, “The damage that Israel has caused itself internationally can hardly be exaggerated.” While the Lobby covers for it. That’s the Zionist lobby again? Odd thing, because it doesn’t seem to be doing much for Zionism nor for the Jews nor for Israel.

source

June 3, 2010 0

MV Rachel Corrie avoided capture during flotilla raid but Israeli lieutenant says ‘we will be ready’

“Medical supplies being loaded into the MV Rachel Corrie, which was named after a 23-year-old American killed in Gaza in 2003. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA”

The final boat in the Gaza aid flotilla was sailing at full speed towards the territory’s coast tonight despite warnings that it would be intercepted by Israeli forces.

The MV Rachel Corrie, a 40-year-old cargo ship bought by the Irish arm of the Free Gaza Movement, was delayed and avoided capture during Monday night’s assault. Tonight it was still in international waters about two days from Gaza, carrying a consignment of aid and 19 activists and crew, among them five Irish nationals, the organisation said.

The Irish taoiseach, Brian Cowen, warned Israel tonight that he expected no violence against those on the Rachel Corrie.

“If any harm comes to any of our citizens it will have the most serious consequences,” he said, calling on Israel to guarantee the vessel safe passage through the military blockade of Gaza.

The ship, named after the 23-year-old American killed in Gaza in 2003 while trying to prevent an Israeli bulldozer demolishing a Palestinian home, had halted in the Mediterranean following the assault while those on board – among them the Nobel peace laureate Máiread Maguire and Denis Halliday, a retired senior UN diplomat – discussed whether they should continue.

It was now carrying as a “second wave” of the flotilla, said Niamh Moloughney, who organised the sailing in Ireland.

“I’d say the mood on board is resilient and steadfast. When people signed up to this they knew what might happen,” said Moloughney. “We expected we would be confronted and there would be a stand-off, but no one expected this. But there’s never really been a question of the boat turning back.”

As well as the Irish nationals, the 1,200-tonne boat is carrying six Malaysians and eight crew of varying nationalities.

All those on board had received training in non-violent resistance before the sailing and had pledged not to fight back if the boat was boarded, Moloughney added.

Speaking on the boat’s satellite phone, Maguire said she was determined the boat should continue on its course.

“We’re not frightened, no, we hope the Israeli government will allow us to go freely in and we know the international community are calling for our safe passage,” she said.

Halliday said he had spoken to Ireland’s foreign minister, Micheál Martin. “He was very reassuring that the government was behind us and he gave us a complete green light to do what we’re doing and he’ll protect us as much as he can,” Halliday said.

Martin himself told parliament: “We will be watching this situation very closely – as indeed will the world – and it is imperative that Israel avoid any action which leads to further bloodshed.”

It appeared clear, however, that Israel planned to stop the ship.

The country’s military was carrying out “professional investigations” into what happened in Monday’s raid, an Israeli marine lieutenant, who was not identified, told Israel’s Army Radio. He added: “And we will also be ready for the Rachel Corrie.”The boat, which was bought at auction by the Free Gaza Movement after being impounded a year before in Dundalk, is carrying a consignment including medical equipment, wheelchairs, school supplies and cement, according to the organisation.

source

June 3, 2010 0

MV Rachel Corrie continues en route to Gaza

* MV Rachel Corrie continues en route to Gaza as all-party motion Dail motion calls for its safe passage

* Two Irish deported, three remain in detention, including one wounded

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Press Release – 1st June 2010, 3pm

Yesterday’s Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in which up to 19 human rights activists were murdered in international waters has not deterred the Irish cargo ship the M.V. Rachel Corrie which is currently en route to Gaza and hopes to arrive this Saturday. Meanwhile the fall-out from the attack has pressured Egypt into opening the Rafah Crossing.

In the Dail, an all party motion which calls upon the government to ensure the safe passage of the MV Rachel Corrie and calls for the blockade of Gaza to be lifted is expected to be passed at around 7pm this evening. The IPSC welcomes this motion and hopes the Israeli government will heed it.

The Rachel Corrie was slightly behind the rest of the flotilla due to having to dock in Malta to undergo some engine repairs. The crew and passengers – which include 5 Irish people – made the decision to continue their journey to deliver supplies and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza despite further threats from the Israeli military. The Irish on board are Denis Halliday, Mariead Maguire, Fiona Hamilton, Derek and Jenny Graham (bios below).

Speaking in support of the mission, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) spokesperson Freda Hughes said: “We commend this brave direct action taken by international activists, an action who’s significance has increased exponentially in both humanitarian and political terms since Israel committed yet another act of state terrorism by murdering 19 passengers on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and hijacking their aid flotilla, “

Ms Hughes continued: “The IPSC has been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs urging them to take all measures necessary to ensure that Israel does not attack this ship and that it lets them bring their independently checked humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. The government of Ireland has a clear duty to protect Irish citizens, uphold international law and help bring an end to the siege of Gaza. We welcome the the all-party Dail motion calling for the Rachel Corrie’s safe passge.”

Meanwhile, Shane Dillion, the kidnapped first mate of the Challenger II is on his way home after being deported from Israel. He will arrive in Ireland later today, but his family are asking that the media do not go to the airport. According to family, he will hopefully be available for media interviews sometime tomorrow. Isam Bin Ali, a Libyan-Irish citizen is also due to be deported.

Al Mahdi Al Harati, a wounded Libyan-Irish citizen remains in Israeli detention, as do Dr Fintan Lane of the IPSC and Fiachra O Luain.

Mr Al Harati’s wife Eftaima Al Najar today said: “I lost all contact with my husband four days ago and have been telling my four that he is on holiday. I have just got news that he is in an Israeli detention centre but have no news on if and when he will be released. We are of course, all extremely worried.”

The Irish Ambassador to Israel was due to meet with all the detainees this afternoon.

Speaking yesterday, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Martin, said: “These people did not enter Israel illegally. They were essentially kidnapped from international waters, taken into Israel. And now they are being asked to sign a document almost confirming that they entered illegally. And we think that is unacceptable”.

Last night over 3,000 people attended a demonstration in Dublin against the unprovoked attacks by Israel where they heard from speakers Jack O’Connor (ICTU President), Aengus O Snodaigh TD, Chris Andrews TD, Senator Mark Daly, Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello, Dr David Landy and Freda Hughes of the IPSC.

Addressing the rally at the Spire, Ms Hughes took Israel to task for its portrayal of events: “For the Israel PR machine to now attempt to brand a humanitarian mission to Gaza as an act of provocative violence is abhorrent. The irony is that for the Israeli state to sanction and carry out the murder of 19 international aid activists in international waters itself constitutes an act of state terrorism. This is not a conflict of equals and we must not believe the Israeli propaganda that would have us believe that the unarmed civilians on the Flotilla set out with the aim of attacking the fourth biggest military power in the world, namely Israel.”

Over the past two days there have been protests around the country in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Sligo, Kilkenny and Galway and further protests will occur over the coming days in Dublin, Wexford, New Ross, Kilkenny and Castlebar.

Bios for Irish on Board Rachel Corrie

Mairead Maguire (66) [Belfast, Ireland]

A Nobel Peace Laureate (l976) and Co-founder of Peace People, Northern Ireland, She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for peace and a nonviolent solution to the Ethnic/political conflict in Northern Ireland. Mairead has travelled many times to the occupied territories of Palestine to support the nonviolent peoples’ movement for Human Rights, International Law, and Self Determination of the Palestinian people. Maguire was shot with a plastic bullet whilst participating with Palestinians/Israelis/Internationals in a peaceful protest March to the Wall in Bilin, in April, 2007. Mairead went on the maiden Voyage of Dignity in October, 2008, the second successful voyage for the Free Gaza Movement. She was also on Board ‘Spirit’ when Israel hijacked the Boat in International Waters, taking all 2l humanitarian passengers to Israel, where they were arrested, detained for a week in an Israeli prison and then deported.

Denis Halliday [Manhattan, NYC and Connemara, Ireland]

UN Assistant Secretary-General from 1994-98. Appointed by SG Boutros Ghali, he served as ASG UN Human Resources Management in New York and in mid 1997 to end 1998 as Head, Humanitarian Programme in Iraq to support the Iraqi people struggling under the genocidal impact of UN Sanctions. Prior to that, as a development manager, Halliday served UNDP from 1964-94 in Iran, New York Hqts, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Samoa, New York again and finally as head of the UNDP Regional Office in Thailand. Since resigning from the UN in 1998, Halliday has delivered numerous parliamentary briefings, provided extensive media inputs and has given public/university lectures on Iraq, human rights, and the UN, in particular its reform. He was a visiting professor at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and teaches/speaks at universities in Ireland, Canada, UK and USA. Halliday is a graduate of TCD, has an honorary PhD, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the UK Gandhi Peace Prize.

Derek Graham [Ballina, County Mayo]

Derek has been a qualified electrician for 20 years. He was a member of the reserve defence forces in Ireland for 21 years and was the first member of the reserves to make the Army sailing team. He has been sailing all of his life and is a crew member on the MV Rachel Corrie. He has participated in many previous Free Gaza boat trips to Gaza and has been on four of the five voyages that landed in Gaza. He is married to Jenny, who is also on the MV Rachel Corrie.

Jenny Graham [County Mayo]

A member of the Free Gaza Movement, Jenny has participated in previous boat trips to Gaza and is a member of the crew of the MV Rachel Corrie. She is married to Derek Graham.

Fiona Thompson [ Dundalk] Film maker

ENDS

Contacts:

Family Members and MV Rachel Corrie passengers

Eftaima Al Najar (wife of Al Mahdi Al Harati): 087 9703605
Jim Lane (father of Fintan Lane): 087 2872374 / 021 4962993
Elanor Lamb (mother of Fiachra O Luain): 089 4185445
Denis Halliday (on board teh MV Rachel Corrie): 085 215 9477
Mairead Maguire (on board the MV Rachel Corrie): 0044 7736147713

IPSC Contacts

IPSC Office: 01 6770253
Freda Hughes (IPSC): 086 1260359
Kevin Squires (IPSC): 087 7413580
John Dorman (IPSC): 087 2208560
Mark McDonnell (IPSC): 086 841 6297

June 2, 2010 0

Ambassador Edward Peck

ABC’s Lisa Chinn reports:

Ambassador Edward Peck, 80 years old, and the former Chief of Mission in Baghdad decided to take the trip to Gaza because they were trying to get materials to “Gazans need and are denied.” Peck, who returned from his mission by way of Israel – who ‘deported’ him remains “disappointed that Israel” chose to respond the way it has to what he calls a humanitarian mission.

Abc_edward_peck_100601_wmain

Peck, a retired career diplomat and no stranger to controversy these past few years – he was a bold and loud opponent to Bush Administration’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003, maintains that the bulk of material that was being brought to Gaza was “hospital equipment, building materials, and prefabricated housing.”

Peck saw no serious violence when the Israelis boarded the ship, and in fact, slept through most of it, saying it occurred in the early morning hours, around 4 a.m, and that by the time he got above board, the siege, which was peaceful, was over.

“I jumped out of bed fully clothed because there are no facilities on the ship. No shower, no wash, no nothin’ and went upstairs and there I encountered a group of Israeli commandos who said, ‘sit down,’ we heard that a lot, ‘sit down.’ They were by that time in control of the ship and fine. You know, they didn’t harm anybody after that. They harmed some folks in getting on board as people tried to block them from taking over. “

The ship he was on was far from the main, larger ship that may have seen the most violent action. Peck said they had been told Israelis might attempt to block the flotilla, and that those aboard his smaller ship had discussed in advance how they would handle such an event. After being taken, they were “incommunicado” in the words of Peck, and were unaware of what had happened to others in the flotilla. Peck said he had “concern that it might have been much rougher on some of the other ships. It was. People were tasered. People were shot. You know, people died on some of the other ships because they resisted. We didn’t . We had already talked amongst ourselves as to what we were going to do. I got there too late to lock arms around the wheelhouse because it was all over by that time.”

Ambassador Peck, who was deported from Israel and flown into the U.S. this morning, returning to his Chevy Chase, MD home the way so many Washingtonians do after a long flight – by Metro. Peck returned with only the clothes on his back and the hat on his head, and his take on being ‘deported’ from Israel is bit humorous, given the difficulties he experienced, telling ABC NEWS that the Israelis told him, “You’ve broken Israeli law, I said ‘which one?’ They said you have entered the country illegally. I said I’m sorry. But if I’m brought into the country under armed escort that is not entering the country illegally. Forcibly. We’ll they don’t agree with that. I was deported so I suppose that goes on my record. “

For his part, Peck believes this will be a “major political flap” for Israel and that “bad things have happened, are happening and will happen as long as what’s going on in Palestine and what isn’t going on in Palestine continues, that’s a dead end street, as several of Israel’s leaders have said.”

June 1, 2010 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (25)

June 2, 2010 0