Today’s pro-Palestine protest was joined by a few of the Zionist Federation regulars plus a contingent of their new allies: the Jewish Division of the EDL.
Jason Ditz, September 24, 2010
While most of the attention in yesterday’s UN speeches was centered around the US delegation’s faux-impromptu walkout on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s talk, President Barack Obama’s own talk had a notably absent delegation, the Israeli one.
Officially the Israeli government denies that this was an organized boycott and insists the absence of their delegation was planned well in advance, and was related to the relatively minor Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The weeklong holiday does not appear to have traditionally meant Israeli officially snubbing major international events, however.
Moreover President Obama’s speech sparked no small level of outrage among top Israeli officials, and a number of Israel’s ruling coalition MPs made public comments in condemnation of the president and the speech late last night. This is only adding fuel to the belief by many that the snub was about the speech and not the holiday.
AIPAC spokesmen angrily denied this belief, however, and insisted that it was a “malicious” lie against Israel. The empty chairs seem to remain an issue for many, however.
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The issue of Israeli settlements has captured attention far beyond the arena of international politics.
Several celebrities have now thrown their weight behind what is being termed a “cultural boycott” against further building on Palestinian land.
But with Israel’s construction freeze due to expire at the end of the month, there are doubts that these efforts will make any impact.
Al Jazeera’s Sherine Tadros reports.
Hewlett Packard sells the Basel system technology to the Israeli military, so activists targeted stores in California asking back to school shoppers not to buy HP products.
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Journalist Lauren Booth was on the first Free Gaza voyage and stayed to work in Gaza after the boats left. Her heartfelt letter to the people of Israel should be read by everyone who hopes for peace in the Middle East. This stunning video tribute to her words was designed and produced by the Free Gaza movement.
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