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Subject: [TOI_Billboard] Isolation, liquidation, denial - February12, 2006

Isolation, liquidation, denial

TOI-Billboard, February 11, 2006
The Other Israel's weekly email updates

-While the world is caught up in the controversy over the infamous cartoons, in our region it is just one ingredient of the ongoing turmoil. Meanwhile, the cycle of bloodshed escalated with Israeli helicopter gunships carrying out ten "targeted killings" (the media called it simply "liquidations") in retaliation for the wounding of an Israeli child by a Qassam rocket which for a change did not fall in an open field.

-The government's diplomatic campaign of isolating the Hamas, started immediately after their elections victory, but suffered this week a blow when Vladimir Putin of Russia invited a Hamas delegation to Moscow, with France applauding.

-The medical situation of Ariel Sharon, after more than a month in a coma, once again made headlines. Officially he is still Israel's Prime Minister, but power went securely into the hands of Ehud Olmert, who is regarded by polls and commentators as the certain new Prime Minister after the March 28 elections.

-Last week, there was the mediagenic confrontation with the settlers. Immediately afterwards, Olmert made territorial claims amounting to more than half of the West Bank. As Sharon's lieutenant he seemed ready to go further, but standing at the pinnacle he has become his comatose master's voice.

Anarchists call for donations to their legal fund

Of all Israeli groups it is in the first place the Anarchists Against The Wall who week after week support the Palestinian popular resistance to the "separation wall". You probably know that this wall constitutes a theft of much of the land that Israel had not yet taken away from Palestinians and will create a situation where Palestinians are effectively enclosed in small unlivable cantons.

AATW insists on a joint struggle of Palestinians and Israeli and its contribution to the struggle has been recognized by all those involved in the struggle. The group's work has also been recognized by the Israeli authorities which have rewarded it with violent repression, hundreds of arrests and dozens of indictments. The legal costs of defending against these charges are around $20,000 and counting. AATW is now calling for donations to its legal fund in order to fight back against the legal persecution and continue its part in the fight against the wall.

For more details and for instructions on how to donate (through Paypal for example) please see http://www.awalls.org/

For more information please contact ksnitz@gmail.com

Nuri el_Okbi in America

The Bedouins of the Negev are more and more pushed into a corner. While governmental committees are planning how to take away their lands and concentrate them in townships where they will only be able to survive as under-class laborours Nuri el-Okbi went to the United States and met with Native American leader Winona LaDuke learning about their similar plight - only to get an urgent phonecall from his son about the government meanwhile destroying his crops. Nuri el-Okbi is the founder of the Association for Support and Defense of Bedouin Rights in Israel, and has fought for equal rights during more than 30 years. Read his statement, and the press release of a group of Minnesota Jewish peace and human rights activists.

http://www.geocities.com/toi_billboard/Nuri.htm

Islam's holocaust denial trap
John Bunzl

(...) It was the late Edward Said who thought differently. He argued convincingly that recognizing the Holocaust for what it was (a genocide of the Jewish people) would increase the moral validity and legitimacy to demand recognition of the (very different) Palestinian Nakba ('catastrophe' of 1948), and that such recognition would make it easier to understand some features of Israeli society that genuinely reflect consequences of trauma and can not be reduced to effects of political instrumentalization. (...)

Here follow today's titles in "Occupation Magazine"

A border for war
Gush Shalom ad in Ha`aretz, Feb. 10, 2006

UN Blames Israel for Palestinian Impoverishment
IMEMC & Agencies - "In a report released late Thursday, the United Nations Special Coordinator (UNSCO)`s office revealed that Palestinian poverty and unemployment have skyrocketed due to Israeli occupation and closure."

On targeted assassinations
PCHHR: During the week 2-8.2.06 IOF committed 5 extra-judicial executions, including 4 in the Gaza Strip. Eleven Palestinians, including a civilian bystander, were killed, and 5 others, including 3 children, were injured. Saed Bannoura- IMEMC & Agencies - "Saturday morning, Israeli soldiers invaded the Jenin refugee camp an attempted to assassinate Ashraf Al Saadi, leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad.". And an Open Letter by human rights groups: The policy of targeted assassination "not only circumvents the fundamental right to due process but also risks the further destabilisation of an already volatile political situation."

Si ngling out the Palestinians? Reciprocal demands are the key to peace
Moshe Behar - The Electronic Intifada - "Even entering students in Sderot understand that any political tango takes two to succeed and that singling out Hamas for special treatment is certain to benefit neither Israelis nor Palestinians in this troubled land. Why, therefore, has the Quartet never declared that "Israel must be committed to nonviolence, recognize a Palestinian state and accept the previous agreements and commitments"? "

Deja Vu All Over Again for Mordechai Vanunu - Parts I (Jan. 26) and II (Feb. 11)
Jerry Levin - CPT - From The Inside Looking Out. ""Ranking all the significant trials of your career," Feldman was asked, "where would you rank this one?" "It is one of most significant," h e replied, "because it involves important issues about the Israeli government producing weapons of mass destruction and Vanunu`s right to let the people know about that. So it is a very important issue." "

Not David but Samson. On the book `Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy` by Shlomo Ben-Ami
Ian Black - the Guardian.

Hamas, the peace party
Aluf Benn - the Guardian - "Would he [Khalid Mesh`al] and his colleagues shelve their unacceptable ideology in return for political legitimacy? The past year has shown that Hamas is highly disciplined and adept at realpolitik. If pursued earnestly, this policy could be the kernel of the next stage of Middle East diplomacy."

Church votes to sell off shares in Caterpillar
Stephen Bates - the Guardian - on February 6-th the Church of England`s general synod - including the Archbishop of Canterbury - voted last night to disinvest church funds from companies profiting from Israel`s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. [The Editor (VB): May there be more such decent decisions all over the world.]

A Muslim Call From Europe For Faith in Civility
Tariq Ramadan - "To those o f you who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and who understand the necessity of opening constructive and critical debate, I say this: If you are not ready to stand up, speak out and be more committed to resisting the dangerous currents of our times, we can only expect sad and painful tomorrows."

Friday demonstrations against the Annexation Wall
Anarchists against the Wall reporting from Bili`in; Saed Bannoura - IMEMC - on the Aboud protest