Humanitarian Issues

[ninathedog]

New Rafah travel mechanisms form next week

Published today (updated) 24/06/2011 14:53
Ma'an News Agency

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- New travel mechanisms will be implemented at the Rafah crossing at the start of the week, Gaza Cabinet head Mohammad A'zqul said Thursday.

The Ministerial Council secretary did not elaborate on the new procedures approved by the government in Gaza, but said that they would give priority to patients seeking treatment abroad, students enrolled at universities abroad, residents with passports of residency status in foreign countries and emergency travelers.

The official announced the establishment of an internal monitoring committee to regulate the operations of the terminal on Gaza's southern border, the sole source of passage abroad for Gaza's 1.6 million inhabitants.

While the terminal was opened by Egyptian authorities on May 28 for visa-free passage of travelers, bar males between 18 and 40 and up to 5,000 individuals specified on a blacklist, Egypt has set a cap of around 300 to 400 travelers per day. A registration process to the Gaza Ministry of Interior has been overwhelmed by applicants and had been closed temporarily.

A'zqul visited the terminal on Thursday and noted "the state of overcrowding, waiting and suffering of Palestinians at the crossing amidst limited numbers of travelers who can pass through while the number of travelers is increasing."

He listened to complaints and demand of the travelers, A'zqul said, and promised to work with the crossing administration to resolve these issues.

A'zqul said the Egyptian authorities have a responsibility to Palestinians in Gaza, and he hoped they would continue to work to end the closure on the coastal strip by helping the crossing to function.

Shortly after the terminal was opened, Egyptian and Gaza authorities clashed over coordination and travel mechanisms, causing a temporary re-closure, before the sides agreed to limit travelers and other mechanisms.

The border had remained largely shut since June 2006 when Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza after militants snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

The opening of the terminal, more than three months after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned following 18 days of massive street protests against his rule, was warmly welcomed in the coastal strip and the Egyptian street, though Israel strongly criticized the move.

Rafah is Gaza's only border crossing not controlled by Israel.

www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=399319

[ninathedog]

Bil'in takes down gate of the Apartheid Wall
24.06.2011 By [e-mail]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N5TZt7tVzk

Bil'in takes down gate of the Apartheid Wall,
implementing international law

June 24, 2011

After the Israeli army began work to dismantle the Apartheid Wall earlier this week (see below for more), the villagers together with local, international and Israeli supporters as well as local politicians, took down the gate of the wall, neither trusting, nor willing to leave it to the Zionist authorities to implement international law and do justice.

Around 500 protestors marched to the Apartheid Wall, waving flags, and calling for the demolition of the wall, for freedom and justice in chants. In spite of the decision of even the Israeli Supreme Court, that ruled that the route of the Wall in Bil'in was illegal, the army began shooting tear gas at the protesters even before most made it to the Wall. Immediately, villagers destroyed the gate of the Wall with a tractor. The army chose to respond by shooting live ammunition at the tractor's wheels, just barely missing the driver, and shooting several volleys of tear gas canisters directly at the tractor, at protestors, and at journalists, leaving one journalist injured at her arm.

Simultaneously, the army began once again to shower the protestors and the tractor with a chemical liquid that protestors have termed "shi*t" or "skunk" because it smells in fact like sh*t and sticks to people's clothes and other surfaces for days. The protesters were prepared, however. A small group wearing plastic overalls and protective gear stayed right in front of the army, getting showered by the liquid, and raised their hands in signs of victory.

Seeing that the protesters weren't dispersing from their own soil, the army began targeting them directly with several rounds of tear gas.

One protestor crossed the gate and approached the army, insisting on the illegality of the wall and the legitimacy of the villagers to dismantle it. The army threatened to shoot him from less than a meter's distance and sprayed him with the "sh*t" directly in the face.

In spite of the immense repression and violence through the army, the protestors kept coming back and chanting, as they have done every week for over six years, determined to destroy the wall that illegally annexes 60% of their walls.

All in all, six demonstrators sustained injuries and many others suffered from tear gas inhalation. Today's demonstration took place without Ibrahim Burnat, who was beaten and arrested two days ago while collecting empty tear gas canisters near the Wall. He is currently held at the military prison at Ofer militarybase.


........


Background from popularstruggle.org —

Bil'in Demonstrators to
Take Down the Wall

PopularStruggle.org
22 Jun 2011

What: Mass demonstration in Bil'in
Where: Bil'in Village, West of Ramallah
When: Friday, June 24th at 12:30

The Bil'in Popular Committee has declared Friday the 24th to be the last day of the old path of the Barrier on village's lands, and the beginning of the struggle against the new path. A mass demonstration will march on the Barrier to dismantle it and access the lands sequestered behind it.

On Tuesday morning this week, army bulldozers began work to dismantle the Wall in Bil'in. As early as 2007, after two years of weekly protests in the village and following a petition filed by the residents, Israeli high court declared the path of the Barrier illegal. The court ruled that the route was not devised according to security standards, but rather for the purpose of settlement expansion. Despite the high court's ruling four more years of struggle had to elapse for the army to begin dismantlement. During these years two people were killed in the course of the weekly protests and many others injured.

Yet even according to the new path, sanctioned by the high court, 435 acres of village land will remain on the "Israeli" side of the Barrier.

On September 4th, 2007, the high court ordered the state to come up with an alternative path for the existing Barrier in Bil'in within a reasonable period of time. Despite the ruling, many months elapsed and no new plan was offered. On the May 29th, 2008, the residents of Bil'in filed a petition to hold the state in contempt of the court due to this delay. In response to the petition, the state offered an alternative path. However, the plan failed to comply with the high court's ruling as the proffered path left a large area designed for settlement expansion on the "Israeli" side of the Barrier. The only difference between the two paths being that the latter offered to award 40 acres of land back to the residents.

A second petition claiming the alternative path not in accordance with court ruling was then filed. On August 3rd, 2008, the court declared that the first alternative path indeed fails to adhere to the ruling. The court ordered the state to come up with another alternative path.

On September 16th, 2008, the state offered a second alternative path. This path also left a large area designed for settlement expansion on the "Israeli" side, offering to return a100 acres of village land to the residents. A lawyer for the residents asked that the state be held in contempt of the court for violating a court ruling for the second time.

On December 15th, 2008, the high court ruled that the second alternative path was not in accordance with the original court ruling.

In April 2009 the state offered a third alternative path which left most of the area destined for settlement expansion on the "Palestinian" side of the Barrier, thereby returning to the village 150 acres of 490 acres annexed by the original path.

popularstruggle.org/content/bilin-demonstrors-take-down-wall

(many thanks to Haitham K)

..........


A citizen was injured in addition to dozens of cases of
choking from poison gas on Friday as demonstrators
broke down the wall in the village of Bil'in.

Friday, June 24, 2011
Posted by Hamde at 11:13 AM

Samer Mohammed Burnat was wounded by a tear gas canister fired directly at his foot. This was in addition to dozens of cases of choking from poison gas in the weekly march organized by the Popular Committee Against the Wall and settlements, which issued calls to destroy the wall this Friday.

Participating along with the people of Bil'in was Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad in addition to many other leaders. They included Mohamed Baraka, an Israeli parliament member, Saleh Ra'fat, a member of the political office of the Democratic Front, Hisham Abu Raya, a member of the political office of the Palestinian Liberation Front. There were also many people from different popular activities and political groups in addition to international and Israeli solidarity activists.

The march began after Friday prayers from the center of the village and moved towards the wall. Participants raised Palestinian flags and banners of the different national factions and chanted slogans of national calls to remove the wall, end the occupation and adhere to the national principles of Palestine. In a new phenomenon, participants used a bulldozer (JCP) in an attempt to root up and destroy the wall.

When participants reached the eastern gate of the wall, the soldiers showered tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets, as well as live bullets, at the bulldozer. The military used a machine to spray demonstrators with skunk and waste water. The soldiers fired teargas into the olive groves with the intent of setting fire to them. Many olive trees were burned as a result of this.

In a speech by the People's Committee delivered at the beginning of the march by Bassel Mansour, a member of the committee, he confirmed adherence to resistance as an option to stop the occupation in all its forms, and that victory is not impossible. He also stated that when you believe in destroying the occupation it becomes a reality to stop the building and construction of the wall. Mansour also noted that it is time to pull together the entire free world to put an end to this hateful occupation and free the people of Palestine, like the rest of the world's peoples. He emphasized that the victory of Bil'in against the wall and the occupation creates a basis for the liberation of Palestine. At the end of his speech, he remembered all those who have stood next to the people of Bil'in in their battle against the occupation and the walls. This victory is considered a gift to the spirit of the martyr Yasser Arafat and to the souls of the martyrs Bassem Abu Rahma, his sister Jawaher Abu Rahma, activists Rachel Corrie and Vittorio Arrigoni, and to all the martyrs.

hamdeabu.blogspot.com/2011/06/citizen-was-injured-in-addition-to.html

(many thanks to Hamde A)

[ninathedog]

(By Appearances) Hillary Clinton gives green light for
Israeli attack on Gaza flotilla

Submitted by Ali Abunimah
Fri, 06/24/2011 - 14:14
ElectronicIntifada.net

In comments yesterday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seemed to lay the ground – indeed almost provide a green light – for an Israeli military attack on the upcoming Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which will include the US Boat to Gaza.

Among the passengers aboard the American boat will be 87-year old Kindertransport survivor Hedy Epstein, and author and poet Alice Walker. In all it is expected that about 10 ships, carrying 1000 people from over 20 countries will take part.

Here’s what Clinton said in remarks at the State Department on 23 June:

Well, we do not believe that the flotilla is a necessary or useful effort to try to assist the people of Gaza. Just this week, the Israeli Government approved a significant commitment to housing in Gaza. There will be construction materials entering Gaza and we think that it’s not helpful for there to be flotillas that try to provoke actions by entering into Israeli waters and creating a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves.

Clinton must know that Gaza is not part of what any country recognizes as “sovereign” Israeli territory, and therefore neither are Gaza’s territorial waters. Any boats entering Gaza’s waters would not in fact be entering “Israeli waters” as Clinton claimed. Clinton also, presuming she is properly briefed rather than misled, must also know that last year Israel attacked the Gaza Freedom Flotilla when it was in international waters and GPS data showed that it was actually heading away from Israel.

By invoking Israel’s supposed “right to self-defense” against civilian boats trying to reach Gaza, we must understand that Clinton is (apparently) telling Israel the United States will not stand in the way of another military attack.

And by citing Israel allowing construction materials into Gaza to make the case that the flotilla is “unnecessary” because “aid” can reach the Palestinian people in Gaza, Clinton is engaging in the ultimate obfuscation.

People in Gaza have been reduced to penury and rendered dependent on aid by decades of Israeli occupation, siege and military attacks. The issue is not the delivery of aid but freeing the people by lifting the siege. It is an abhorrent position to suggest – as Clinton seems to – that if people in Gaza receive enough calories or a few building supplies then we should not be concerned about Israel’s siege. The Palestinian people of Gaza are not caged animals for whom sufficient care consists of shoving rations through the bars of their prison.

Israel’s siege is intended as a form of collective punishment and has been declared illegal by the ICRC.

Israel, as The Electronic Intifada reported, is engaging in military drills to intercept this unarmed civilian flotilla. In light of Clinton’s statements, if any blood is spilled it will not only be on Israeli, but also American hands.

Prosecuting flotilla passengers under “material support” laws

Not content with tacitly encouraging Israeli violence, in another alarming development, the State Department has apparently threatened that Americans who board boats to Gaza could be jailed or fined for supporting terrorism. Haaretz reports:

The U.S. State Department said Friday that attempts to break the blockade are “irresponsible and provocative” and that Israel has well-established means of delivering assistance to the Palestinian residents of Gaza. It noted that the territory is run by the militant Hamas group, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, and that Americans providing support to it are subject to fines and jail.

In effect, the US now seems to be defining any support for any Palestinians, including a besieged civilian population, as support for Hamas, and therefore support for “terrorism.”

This mirrors its use of such “material support” laws as a pretext to investigate and persecute Palestine solidarity, antiwar, and labor activists exercising their First Amendment rights at home.

electronicintifada.net/blog/ali-abunimah/hillary-clinton-gives-green-light-israeli-attack-gaza-flotilla

(many thanks to Electronic Intifada)

[ninathedog]

source: democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Gaza TV News
‎***Breaking News***

The French ship to Gaza, 'The Dignity', has just left Corsica in the last hour.

French MEP is on board, other VIPs TBC.

French Government did not block the boat.
This is 1st victory for the flotilla.

The flotilla has begun!



about an hour ago

(many thanks to Gaza TV News)

[ninathedog]

Pics from today's session of US BOAT TO GAZA passengers
as they prepare to sail to Gaza.






Added about an hour ago

(many thanks to US BOAT TO GAZA)


June 14, 2011

Dear GRAND COMMANDER OF THE CONSISTORY OF THE MAJESTIC,

We are writing to inform you that 50 unarmed Americans will soon be sailing in a U.S. flagged ship called The Audacity of Hope as part of an international flotilla to Gaza.

Our peaceful demonstration will challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which has effectively imprisoned 1.6 million civilians, almost half of whom are under the age of 16. The blockade has impoverished the people of Gaza, deprived them of needed materials and supplies to rebuild their lives after the Israeli attack of late 2008 – early 2009, impeded those who are ill or infirm from seeking outside medical aid, and prevented students from seeking education outside of Gaza. 45% of the working age population is unemployed.

In addition to 36 passengers, 4 crew, and 10 members of the press, our boat will carry thousands of letters of support and friendship from people throughout the U.S. to the women, children and men of Gaza. There will be no weapons of any sort on board. We will carry no goods of any kind for delivery in Gaza. Our mission is from American civil society to the civil society of Gaza. We do not serve the agenda of any political leadership, government or group. We are engaged solely in non-violent action in support of the Palestinian people and their human rights.

In our country’s great tradition of citizen activists taking nonviolent action to stand up to injustice, we sail in the hope that our voyage will show the people in Gaza that they are not alone, and that it will call attention to the morally and legally indefensible collective punishment of a population of civilians.

GRAND COMMANDER, you have noted the unsustainability of the Gaza blockade. And you have spoken boldly in support of peaceful demonstrations throughout this “Arab Spring.”

As U.S. citizens we expect our country and its leaders to help ensure the Flotilla’s safe passage to Gaza — as our country should support our humanitarian demand that the Gaza blockade be lifted. This should begin by notifying the Israeli government in clear and certain terms that it may not physically interfere with the up-coming Flotilla of which the U.S. boat — The Audacity of Hope — is part. We — authors, builders, firefighters, lawyers, social workers, retirees, Holocaust survivors, former government employees and more — expect no less from the Grand Commander and the Consistory of the Majestic.

Our boat will sail from the eastern Mediterranean in the last week of June. We shall be grateful to you for acting promptly and decisively to uphold the rights of civilians to safe passage on the seas.

Sincerely,

The passengers of The Audacity of Hope —



Nic Abramson, Hagit Borer, Linda Durham,
Ridgely Fuller, Libor Koznar, Richard Lopez,
Carol Murry, Gabe Schivone, Len Tsou,
Johnny Barber, Regina Carey, Debra Ellis,
Megan Horan, Melissa Lane, Ken Mayers,
Robert Naiman, Kathy Sheetz, Alice Walker,
Medea Benjamin, Gale Courey Toensing, Hedy Epstein,
Kathy Kelly, G. Kaleo Larson, Ray McGovern,
Henry Norr, Max Suchan, Paki Wieland,
Greta Berlin, Erin DeRamus, Steve Fake,
Kit Kittredge, Richard Levy, Gail Miller,
Ann Petter, Brad Taylor, Ann Wright[/color]

cc:

* President Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States
* The Honorable Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary General
* The Honorable Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
* The Honorable Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State
* The Honorable Susan E. Rice, Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations
* The Honorable James B. Cunningham, U.S. Ambassador to Israel
* The Honorable John F. Kerry, Chairman U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
* The Honorable Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
* The Honorable Robert P. Casey, Chairman Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
* The Honorable James E. Rish, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs
* The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
* The Honorable Howard L. Berman, Ranking Member U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
* The Honorable Steve Chabot, Chairman Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia
* The Honorable Gary L. Ackerman, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia[/blockquote]

ustogaza.org/latest/letter-to-obam/

[ninathedog]

Gaza TV News —
June 25, 2011

The final countdown to the departure of Africa’s first ever overland aid convoy from Durban to Gaza has begun. It will culminate in a grand send off ceremony for the South African Relief Agency’s road convoy at the Durban City Hall tomorrow at 9am

Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy is ready to hit the road! The vehicles have had final checks, are packed, and are being 'spruced' for the big 'reveal' tomorrow at the send-off ceremony.



(many thanks to Gaza TV News and AFRICA TO GAZA AID CONVOY)

[ninathedog]

Jun 24, 2011 23:42:30 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Bil'in takes down gate of the Apartheid Wall
24.06.2011 By [e-mail]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N5TZt7tVzk

Bil'in takes down gate of the Apartheid Wall,
implementing international law

June 24, 2011

After the Israeli army began work to dismantle the Apartheid Wall earlier this week (see below for more), the villagers together with local, international and Israeli supporters as well as local politicians, took down the gate of the wall, neither trusting, nor willing to leave it to the Zionist authorities to implement international law and do justice.

>> edited for length

(many thanks to Hamde A)

Protest against the wall, Bil'in, Palestine, 24/6/2011.

An Israeli security force vehicle fires a water cannon containing a foul smelling substance at a bulldozer, driven by a Palestinian protester, during the weekly protest against the Israeli wall in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah, June 24, 2011.

Israeli troops on Wednesday began taking down parts of the separation barrier around the West Bank village of Bilin and completing the barrier in its new location closer to the Jewish settlement of Modiin Illit, in conformity with a 2007 Supreme Court ruling.

Photo by: oren Ziv/ Activestills.org

www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/5866156137/

(many thanks to...)

[emeraldsun]

Jun 25, 2011 19:41:59 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

source: democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Gaza TV News
‎***Breaking News***

The French ship to Gaza, 'The Dignity', has just left Corsica in the last hour.

French MEP is on board, other VIPs TBC.

French Government did not block the boat.
This is 1st victory for the flotilla.

The flotilla has begun!



about an hour ago

(many thanks to Gaza TV News)

Prayers for their safe journey.

[ninathedog]

Factsheets:
Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip

Institute for Middle East Understanding
Jun 25, 2011

As Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip enters its fifth year, a civil society flotilla - Freedom Flotilla II - made up of ten ships with civilians from 22 countries is setting sail for the Gaza Strip. Last May, Israel attacked Freedom Flotilla I, killing nine civilians including one U.S. citizen. While this flotilla will be carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, the stated goal of the flotilla organizers is to challenge the illegality of the blockade itself. What is the situation in Gaza such that hundreds of civilians from tens of countries are risking their lives on the high seas to challenge Israel's blockade?

The IMEU offers the following facts and figures on Israel's blockade and how, after more than four years, it has affected life for the roughly 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.

1. Is Israel's blockade of Gaza legal?

No. The stated aim¹ of Israel's blockade is to apply "pressure" or "sanctions" to weaken the economy of Gaza and decrease support for Hamas. This amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's civilians, and as such is a violation of international humanitarian law under Article 33² of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Further, as an occupying power, Israel is required under Articles 55,³ 59⁴ and 60⁵ of the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure free, unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief and is prohibited from impeding the full realization of the occupied people's human rights. Israel's blockade impedes Gazans' rights to food, to an adequate standard of living, to work, and to the highest attainable standard of health, and therefore is a violation of international law.

2. Israel claims that it allows necessary humanitarian provisions to enter Gaza.
Is this true?

No. The amount of goods allowed into Gaza by Israel falls far short of the minimum required to avoid malnutrition, poverty, and prevent or treat a variety of illnesses. The United Nations' fact-finding mission regarding Israel's attack on the 2010 humanitarian flotilla found⁶ that "a deplorable situation exists in Gaza" that "is totally intolerable and unacceptable in the twenty-first century. It is amazing that anyone could characterize the condition of the people there as satisfying the most basic standards." Consider the following statistics:

* 54 percent of households face food insecurity,⁷ defined as inadequate physical, social or economic access to food. An additional 12 percent are considered vulnerable to food insecurity. Only 20 percent of Gazan households are food secure.
* 38 percent of the population⁸ lives below the poverty line.
* Since the blockade began, the number of Palestinian refugees completely unable to secure access to food and lacking the means to purchase even the most basic items, such as soap, school stationery and safe drinking water ('abject poverty') has tripled to 300,000.⁹
* 75 percent of households¹⁰ polled by the World Food Programme in the Gaza Strip received outside aid.
* Gaza's hospitals are at "zero stock levels" for 178 of 480 essential medications, with another 69 at low stock. Of 700 essential medical supplies, 190 are at "zero stock levels"¹¹ and another 70 at low stock.
* Due to lack of fuel,¹² the Gaza Power Plant runs at 45 percent capacity, leading to daily blackouts of eight to twelve hours. Given this fuel shortage, 90 percent of private cars are no longer driven and of public services, only 15 percent are operational. (Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, The Illegal Closure of the Gaza Strip: Collective Punishment of the Civilian Population, December 10, 2010)
* The Gaza aquifer¹³ provides 90 percent of Gaza's water. Only ten percent of that water meets the standards of being suitable for consumption. Water-borne diseases cause 26 percent of illnesses in Gaza.
* Because of lack of treatment capacity and electricity,¹⁴ Gaza authorities must release around 80,000 cubic meters of sewage into the Mediterranean Sea on a daily basis.
* The construction of 86,000 houses is required¹⁵ to meet natural growth and recover from previous Israeli invasions.

3. Does the blockade prevent the functioning of Gaza's economy?

Yes. Export of Palestinian goods, the import of raw materials and access to Gaza's natural resources have been severely restricted, devastating Gazan businesses and the ability of the region to be self-sufficient, thereby rendering it dependent on international aid. For example:

* Economic output per capita has fallen by 40 percent¹⁶ of 1994 levels.
* 95 percent of Gaza's 3,900 industrial businesses¹⁷ are closed or have suspended work. The other five percent are operating at 20 to 50 percent of capacity. This has cost between 100,000 and 120,000 jobs.
* Israeli restrictions block access¹⁸ to 35 percent of Gaza's agricultural land and fishermen are forbidden to fish beyond 3 nautical miles from the shore. In 2010, employment in agriculture fell¹⁹ from 14,900 to 10,100.
* While Gaza needs 670,000 truckloads²⁰ of construction material, an average of 715 enter per month, at 11% of pre-blockade levels. The construction industry now has 10,000 workers, 42 percent of pre-blockade levels.²¹
* Unemployment is at 45.2 percent,²² with only 40.3 percent of working-age Gazans in the labor force. Youth unemployment²³ is at more than 47 percent.
* 290 truckloads of exports²⁴ were allowed out of Gaza between November 2010 and May 2011. Before the siege, more than 960 truckloads a month exited Gaza. This is only five percent of pre-blockade levels.²⁵
* In 2011, a weekly average of 900 truckloads²⁶ of goods entered Gaza. Before the siege, 2,807 truckloads entered weekly.
* On March 2, 2011, Israel closed the Karni crossing,²⁷ forcing importers and exporters to use the Kerem Shalom crossing. For wheat exporters, this increased transport costs by 235 percent and for wheat importers by 30 percent.
* Between June 2010 and March 2011,²⁸ the cost of wheat flour increased by 50 percent and vegetable oil increased by 40 percent. Meanwhile, the average wage has decreased by more than 25 percent since 2007.
* Gazan households spend 56 percent²⁹ of their expenditures on food, with 52.5 percent eating lower quality food and 67 percent buying food on credit as a result of high food costs.

REFERENCES:

1. gisha.org/UserFiles/File/publications/Obstruction_and_obfuscation.doc
2. www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebART/380-600038?OpenDocument
3. www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebART/380-600062?OpenDocument
4. www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebART/380-600066?OpenDocument
5. www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebART/380-600067?OpenDocument
6. www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf
7. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
8. ibid.
9. www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=1007
10. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
11. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1309.pdf
12. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/FF3AEFC4C9AD7028C125780000493B4A-Full_Report.pdf
13. ibid.
14. ibid.
15. ibid.
16. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/EDCCECE68720DF55852577EA005A33D5-Full_Report.pdf
17. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/FF3AEFC4C9AD7028C125780000493B4A-Full_Report.pdf
18. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/56FBF954BBF11847C125785B003AD632-Full_Report.pdf
19. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
20. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/EDCCECE68720DF55852577EA005A33D5-Full_Report.pdf
21. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
22. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/201106083557.pdf
23. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
24. www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2011_06_03_english.pdf
25. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
26. www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2011_06_03_english.pdf
27. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Full_Report_1389.pdf
28. ibid.
29. ibid.

The Institute for Middle East Understanding offers journalists and editors quick access to information about Palestine and the Palestinians, as well as expert sources — both in the U.S. and in the Middle East. Read our Background Briefings. Contact us for story assistance. Sign up for e-briefings.

imeu.net/news/article0019136.shtml

(many thanks to US BOAT TO GAZA)

[ninathedog]

Jun 25, 2011 22:04:19 GMT 4 @emeraldsun said:

Jun 25, 2011 19:41:59 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

source: democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Gaza TV News
‎***Breaking News***

The French ship to Gaza, 'The Dignity', has just left Corsica in the last hour.

French MEP is on board, other VIPs TBC.

French Government did not block the boat.
This is 1st victory for the flotilla.

The flotilla has begun!



about an hour ago

(many thanks to Gaza TV News)

Prayers for their safe journey.

and one from me:

Thank you, EmeraldSun!

[ninathedog]

Arab ship to participate in
Gaza Freedom Flotilla II

Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
6/25/2011 8:36:00 PM

AMMAN, June 25 (KUNA) -- In spite of the deadly end of the first trip and the Israeli warning of military intervention to stop it, the international movement for breaking Gaza siege's plans to send a new freedom flotilla to Gaza is gaining momentum everyday.

The participation in the Freedom Flotilla II is widening and diversifying day after a day despite the pro-Israeli lobby efforts to scare international activists away from joining it.

The latest of these gains is the announcement of the Jordanian Lifeline Committee on Saturday that an Arab-owned ship would participate in the second flotilla.

In statements to reporters, Head of JLC Wael Sakka said that the Committee has signed an agreement to purchase a ship worth 560,000 euros to participate in the flotilla II expected to sail to Gaza Strip from several European ports late this month.

Sakka noted that the ship, which can accommodate about 200 passengers, was bought by Nour Company, founded by Arab shareholders who met in Amman two months ago to discuss the Arab participation in the flotilla to which about activists from 26 Arab and foreign countries will contribute.

The Arab ship will be one of eight ships participating in the fleet, which will also include a cargo ship.

Sakka said that so far 70 Arab activists from five Arab countries confirmed their participation in the risk trip.

"I will participate in the meeting of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza Strip to be held in Turkey Sunday to discuss the preparations for the fleet launch and review the international community stance of the trip," he said.

Hundreds of people on as many as nine vessels from countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Denmark and Germany (and the United Kingdom and Ireland) are expected to form the flotilla II.

At least nine Turkish activists were killed and scores wounded when Israeli commandos stormed an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip May 2010.

The shipment was an effort by the rights activists to break a stifling Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory, home to 1.6 million people.

The deadly attack has badly harmed relations between Israel and Turkey, which stipulates an Israeli apology for the assault.

Sakka revealed the pro-Israel Zionist lobby in Europe has tried to derail the ships purchase agreements.

"They have also tried to prevent peace activists from participating in the fleet through pressuring their governments which refused to restrict the movement of its citizens," Sakka disclosed.

He stressed the importance of the fleet in drawing world attention to the issue of the inhumane blockade imposed on 1.6 million Palestinians who are imprisoned the Gaza.

Israel has clamped a siege on the Palestinian coastal enclave since its arch-foe Hamas was voted to power in the 2006 legislative elections.

It further tightened the blockade after Hamas assumed full control of the Strip in 2007, blocking humanitarian aid into the strip.

(end)

ab.ibi KUNA 252036 Jun 11NNNN

www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2176268&Language=en

(many thanks to Gaza TV News)

[ninathedog]

Ireland Warns Israel Against Attacking
Second Gaza Flotilla

Malaysian News Agency (Bernama)
June 25, 2011 15:57 PM

LONDON, June 25 (Bernama) -- Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore has warned Israel against any repeat of last year's massacre of nine human rights activists aboard the Gaza Freedom flotilla when the second convoy of 10 boats sets sail this weekend, reports Iran's IRNA news agency.

"Israel must exercise all possible restraint and avoid any use of military force if attempting to uphold their naval blockade," said Gilmore, who also holds the post of deputy prime minister.

"In particular, I would expect that any interception of ships is conducted in a peaceful manner and does not endanger the safety of our citizens or other participants," he said after holding talks with Israeli Ambassador to Dublin Boaz Moda on Thursday.

He reiterated that Israel's four-year siege of Gaza was "unjust and counterproductive", warning against a repetition of last year's attack which he described as "completely unacceptable and unjustified".

The warning comes after Gilmore was urged by Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) to seek safe passage for the second flotilla, which includes Irish boat MV Saoirse.

"It is our belief that the member states of the European Union, including Ireland, have failed in their responsibility towards the protected people of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and in particular towards the people of Gaza," said IPSC chair Freda Hughes.

Some 25 Irish participants, including former Fianna Fail MP Chris Andrews, Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy, Sinn Fein councillor Gerry MacLochlain, Siptu trade union official Mags O'Brien and former Irish rugby international Trevor Hogan are among the passengers on the Saoirse.

They are being joined by ships from Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Canada, the United States, Germany/Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands (et cetera) carrying medical supplies and other essential equipment in the latest attempt to break the siege.

Ten Malaysians, including two media representatives, are also joining this second humanitarian flotilla to Gaza.

-- BERNAMA

www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=596700

[ninathedog]

Yonatan Shapira, U.S. Boat to Gaza Crew

www.youtube.com/watch?v=efLbthGLggM&feature=BFa

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 25, 2011

Crew member Yonatan Shapira talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

I was a captain in the Israeli Air Force and a Black-Hawk Pilot until 2003 when together with other pilots I initiated the pilots' letter and refused to take part in the crimes of the occupation. Today I am a member of Boycott, a group of Israeli citizens who are actively supporting the Palestinian call for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions from within. I have a Master degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, I facilitate dialogue groups and volunteer as a sailing instructor for children with disabilities. I've been sailing since I was a child and in September of 2010 I was a crew member on the Jewish boat to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli Navy. I work as a commercial pilot in the US and am still dreaming to be a musician.

.........

G. Kaleo Larson, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXY8ELVR3Hc

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 22, 2011

Passenger Kaleo Larson talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: Garrett "Kaleo" Irving Hjalmar Larson is a social activist and a musician. He has played with the Sierra Symphony, the Ukiah Symphony, and numerous R&B, funk and jazz bands. He currently plays with the Symphony of the Redwoods in Mendocino, California. Born in Hawaii, Kaleo was educated in public school in San Francisco. Kaleo attended City College and Skyline Community College before being drafted into the Vietnam War. After returning from the war, Kaleo became a journeyman plumber with Local 38 Union in San Francisco and later worked as an Emergency Medical Technician in Santa Rosa; he currently serves as assistant to Alice Walker. Mr. Larson's work with Ms. Walker in support of human rights has taken him to places such as Gaza, Thailand, Burma, Jordan, Egypt, India, South Africa and Iceland, as well as throughout the United States and Mexico.

.........

Alice Walker, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W_mzsjYelQ

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 22, 2011

Passenger Alice Walker talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: Alice Walker is an internationally celebrated author, poet and activist whose books include seven novels, four collections of short stories, four children's books, and volumes of essays and poetry. She's best known for The Color Purple, the 1983 novel for which she won the Pulitzer Prize—the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction—and the National Book Award. The award-winning novel served as the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's 1985 film and was adapted for the stage, opening at New York City's Broadway Theatre in 2005, and capturing a Tony Award for best leading actress in a musical in 2006.Walker has written many additional best sellers; among them, Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992), which detailed the devastating effects of female genital mutilation and led to the 1993 documentary "Warrior Marks," a collaboration with the British-Indian filmmaker Pratibha Parmar, and We are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness. (2009). Her work has been translated into more than two dozen languages, and her books have sold more than fifteen million copies. Along with the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Walker's awards and fellowships include a Guggenheim Fellowship and a residency at Yaddo. In 2006, she was honored as one of the inaugural inductees into the California Hall of Fame. In 2007, her archives were opened to the public at Emory University. In 2010 she presented the key note address at The 11th Annual Steve Biko Lecture at the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, and was awarded the Lennon/Ono Peace Grant in Reykjavik, Iceland. (Walker donated this latter award to an orphanage for the children of AIDS victims in East Africa.)

Walker's most recent works are: Overcoming Speechlessness: A Poet Encounters the Horror in Rwanda, Eastern Congo and Palestine/Israel; Hard Times Require Furious Dancing; The World Has Changed: Conversations with Alice Walker; and The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting With the Angels Who Have Returned With My Memories, a Memoir. She also writes regularly on her blog site at www.alicewalkersgarden.com

Walker has been an activist all of her adult life, and believes that learning to extend the range of our compassion is activity and work available to all. She is a staunch defender not only of human rights, but of the rights of all living beings. She is one of the world's most prolific writers, yet tirelessly continues to travel the world to literally stand on the side of the poor, and the economically, spiritually and politically oppressed. She also stands, however, on the side of the revolutionaries, teachers and leaders who seek change and transformation of the world. Upon returning from Gaza in 2008, Walker said, "Going to Gaza was our opportunity to remind the people of Gaza and ourselves that we belong to the same world: the world where grief is not only acknowledged, but shared; where we see injustice and call it by its name; where we see suffering and know the one who stands and sees is also harmed, but not nearly so much as the one who stands and sees and says and does nothing."

.........

Hagit Borer, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=unm1nzYWiT0

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 21, 2011
Passenger Hagit Borer talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: "I was born in Israel in 1952. That is where I grew up and where I lived until 1977, when I came to the U.S. to study. In 1992 I became an American citizen and am now a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Southern California."The 1967 war found in me a rebellious high school student, but neither my education nor my upbringing would have allowed me to question the official presentation of the events or the motivation behind that war. I believed Israel wanted peace, and I believed it would trade its 1967 victories for peace For me, what Israel came to control in the wake of the 1967 war has never been real estate. It was, and continues to be, people. My foremost and lasting impression of the occupation was formed by the expression of numbed shock in the eyes of the residents of East Jerusalem some three weeks after the war. Several years went by before I realized that Israel is not interested in a just peace. It was only then that I was able to challenge the official narratives of a Jewish state. By the mid-seventies I became an activist, and since then worked with a variety of groups in Israel, the UK and the U.S. I have lectured extensively on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, primarily throughout the US to community and academic audiences, but also in other countries, and have written and published on the topic.

"In the many years that I have been an activist there has been little to make me optimistic. Israel has become progressively more oppressive and brazen, both within and without the 67 borders, while the situation in the Occupied Territories has become considerably worse.

"Nonetheless, in the past few years, two initiatives have emerged which have made me audacious enough to hope. One is the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign, and the second is the campaign of sending boats to Gaza to break the Israeli Blockade. Being part of The Audacity of Hope is an opportunity to express both my support for the occupied people of Palestine, and my rage at the actions of a government that pretends to speak on my behalf. I look forward to it as a means of bolstering my own belief in the possibility of change, as well as enhancing my ability to be an effective activist."

.........

Libor Kožnar, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjio64VGyZQ

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 21, 2011Passenger Libor Kožnar talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: Libor grew up as an artist/activist in the Czech Republic where, in1992, he joined a range of solidarity groups, including environmental-indigenous-feminist-animal rights groups as well as groups that opposed war, racism, sexism, globalization, homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia. He also became a vegetarian as part of his work towards a more just and equitable world. After receiving his diploma in Operational Engineering, Libor refused to serve in the Czech military and became a conscientious objector.He received a degree in International Marketing from Central Connecticut State University and is co-founder of Art And Struggle (artist & activist collective) and Vice-chair of Middle East Crisis Committee, which runs a weekly TV program called The Struggle -- a grassroots media production covering human rights issues in the Middle East and beyond.

A multi-media artist-activist, Libor has been exhibiting, participating and organizing social justice events and exhibits with like-minded artist/activists, including Far From Ordinary, Uprising, Anti-Imperialist-People's Soccer Tournament, Israeli Apartheid Week Art Festival and many others. In the fall 2010 he won a 5k Run Race for Tarek Mehana & Leonard Peltier.

.........

Steve Fake, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn1m56GO7UM&NR=1

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 21, 2011Passenger Steve Fake talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: Steve Fake is coauthor of The Scramble For Africa: Darfur -- Intervention and the USA, (2009). He has written extensively on foreign policy and been active in organizing around social justice issues for many years. In 2007, he participated in a program of international peace observation and accompaniment in an autonomous indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico through the Fray Bartolome Center for Human Rights. He is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Amnesty International USA, and Workers Solidarity Alliance."I feel compelled to contribute to the Freedom Flotilla II as a means of mitigating the destructive violence perpetuated by the tax dollars of U.S. citizens. For many years, U.S. government policy has been the principal road block to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It is a moral imperative for Americans to aid in the work of projects like Gaza-bound vessel, The Audacity of Hope. For me, the principal attraction of the Free Gaza Movement is its demonstrated effectiveness at dramatizing the unjust policies of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people. The first Freedom Flotilla proved to be a highly efficacious tool for raising global awareness about the U.S.-Israeli siege on Gaza and the IDF's willingness to perpetrate violence upon unarmed civilians."

.........

Kit Kittredge, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_O1vroN-ZI

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 21, 2011Passenger Kit Kittredge talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: I am a 53-year-old mother, grandmother, and peace advocate working with CodePink, Seattle MidEast Awareness Campaign, VFP, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolence. I have helped lead six delegations to Gaza in the last two years. We made it five times! I work as a massage therapist, volunteer as an EMT/Firefighter and have an organic garden where I play with my grandkids. I am passionate about peace and work in different schools and communities to help educate and promote social justice. I look forward to continuing this process aboard The Audacity of Hope and firmly believe that all of our efforts contribute to justice and peace for Palestine and the world.

.........

Nic Abramson, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0N38iAi738

Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 20, 2011Passenger Nic Abramson talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.

Bio: Nic, age 69, is a long-time resident of Woodstock, NY, and has been involved in anti-war, peace, and solidarity activities since the 1960s. He was active in Vietnam protests and draft counseling, and in Central American solidarity work, especially Nicaragua, where he traveled with an international delegation in 1984. He is currently active in Palestine solidarity work with Jews Say No! and Middle East Crisis Response (MECR). He traveled to Cairo in 2008-2009 with the Gaza Freedom March and also visited the West Bank at that time. He is currently a board member of ICAHD (USA), and active with Vets for Peace. He is a member of a 4-person collective that publishes The Woodstock International, a bi-monthly left newspaper. He has been happily married for 36 years, and has 2 sons (40 and 21) and two grandchildren.

.........

Len Tsou Going on the U.S. Boat to Gaza

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_cNilbi_3U

Uploaded by strugglevideomedia on Jun 7, 2011
Len Tsou of New York state will be a passanger on the "Audacity of Hope" on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II. Interviewed by Stanley Heller of "The Struggle" TV News

.........

Melissa Lane is Going on the U.S. Boat to Gaza

www.youtube.com/watch?v=__1Orc36MhM

Uploaded by strugglevideomedia on Jun 21, 2011
Interview with Melissa Lane of Washington D.C. on why she is going on the U.S. boat, the "Audacity of Hope". June 20, 2011 in New York City

.........

Gaza flotilla: freedom sailor Regina Carey interviewed

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnBPa8F2eVQ

Uploaded by PalestineWillBe on Jun 21, 2011
Regina Carey, from San Rafael CA, is a passenger onboard The Audacity of Hope, the U.S. boat joining the Freedom Flotilla 2 - Stay Human to break the illegal Israeli siege on Gaza. She was interviewed before she left the U.S.

[ninathedog]

Complaint against US boat
threatens Gaza voyage

By Mya Guarnieri
25/06/2011 20:01
Ma'an News Agency


Palestinian fishermen at the port in Gaza City [MaanImages, File]

ATHENS, Greece (Ma'an) -- Organizers of the second Freedom Flotilla say that an administrative complaint has been filed against the US Boat to Gaza, claiming that the vessel is not seaworthy.

This could delay or altogether prevent the "Audacity of Hope" from leaving Athens.

The harbor master received notification of the complaint Thursday afternoon, two days after a group of suspicious persons showed up at the ship and began asking questions[/color] of the crew members, at one point offering money for the members to leave the ship unattended.

The complainant is unknown and a Greek lawyer representing the flotilla is working to obtain more details.

Israel has been open about its intentions to stop the flotilla using any means possible -- including diplomatic avenues, lawsuits, and a media smear campaign.

Also Thursday, Greek port authorities made the unusual move of advising ship captains to steer clear of the coordinates that correspond with Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

The advisory included the warning, “Continuous electronic surveillance of the region of East Mediterranean will also take place in order to record, wherever possible, the movements of ships that will possibly participate in such an action.”

Both moves came in the wake of a US Department of State travel warning, issued Wednesday, which appeared designed to dissuade American activists from challenging Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

“U.S. citizens are advised against traveling to Gaza by any means, including via sea,” the travel warning reads. “Previous attempts to enter Gaza by sea have been stopped by Israeli naval vessels and resulted in the injury, death, arrest, and deportation of U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens participating in any effort to reach Gaza by sea should understand that they may face arrest, prosecution, and deportation by the Government of Israel.”

Speaking to reporters Thursday, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton remarked that the American leaders do not consider the flotilla “a necessary or useful effort to try to assist the people of Gaza.”

She added that the flotilla creates “a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves.”

The one-two punch of the US government’s attempts to distance itself from its citizens, and the administrative complaint filed against the US Boat to Gaza, spurred American participants to pay a visit to their embassy in Athens on Thursday afternoon.

As the group made their way through the city to the metro, Medea Benjamin -- the Jewish-American co-founder of the anti-war group Code Pink -- discussed the change of events with Ma'an.

“The statements that have come out of the State Department and Hillary Clinton’s statement have been atrocious because it assumes that Israel has the right to attack unarmed civilians who are on a humanitarian mission and that US has no control over Israel.”

Benjamin, a petite blonde with large brown eyes said the US had "no influence over this country that is our 'best' ally and that [America gives] $3 billion a year to? In addition to that that Israel says it has a right to protect itself from us? From us? I mean we’re taking letters, for God’s sake. And look at us -- we are no threat to Israel’s security.”

More than half of the activists on the Audacity of Hope are women. Nearly 30 percent of the group is Jewish. Many of the participants are middle-aged or elderly. And the only cargo on the US Boat to Gaza is letters of support written to the Palestinian people.

“We are traveling on a mission that is seen in the eyes of most of the world as something that is worthy of the legacy of Martin Luther King,” Benjamin commented. “We are the freedom riders of this era.”

She called on the US government to put the safe passage of American citizens over the perceived interests of Israel, adding that it is Israeli policies that endanger Israel’s security.

Once inside the US embassy, the 36 American citizens sat in plastic chairs in a large waiting area of the visa section. It was off-hours and the clerks’ windows were empty.

One by one, participants gave their name, hometown, and asked the two US officials standing before them for their unequivocal support.

When an activist remarked that she didn’t expect the US government to help, an embassy official laughed and responded, “That’s a good expectation.”

Alice Walker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet, commented, “I grew up in the South under segregation, under the state terrorism of apartheid. When I was in the West Bank and Gaza recently, it was like stepping back into that.”

Walker added that she didn’t want Palestinian children “to grow up feeling inferior.”

“Humanity cannot bear this,” she said, adding that Israel’s policies are harmful to the Jewish people and that she viewed the attempt to break the blockade as a move that benefits both the Israelis and Palestinians.

Speaking to US officials, Hedy Epstein, an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor, remarked, “I want to talk to you on a compassionate level. I’m Jewish, I was born in Germany, I left when I was 14 years old. My parents perished in the Holocaust.”

The Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade, Epstein continued, “is the largest open air prison in the world.” She mentioned the students who are unable to reach their universities and the residents who can’t get adequate medical care.

“Israel says it’s out of Gaza but it controls the air, land, and sea,” Epstein said. “And what are we bringing? Letters. So let us go.”

www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=399764

[ninathedog]

May 31, 2011 22:04:49 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

Balfour's legacy:
Creating Israel from empire's needs

>>edited for length...
ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 1
The Early Zionist Attitude to Anti-Semitism

>> edited for length

Jun 2, 2011 3:03:05 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 2
The Common Ground Between Zionism and Nazism

[/size]

>> edited for length[/quote]

Jun 4, 2011 8:33:14 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 3
The Ha'avara Agreements

[/size]

The relationship between Zionism and Nazism was soon formalised in an agreement, the first of a series.

"Jews emigrating to Palestine were given a special opportunity to remove their capital by the so-called Ha'avara agreement...
>> edited for length[/quote]

Jun 7, 2011 21:13:43 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 4
The 1938 Emigration Accords

The year 1938 was to prove a triumphant one for Hitler. Its highlights included...

>> edited for length

Jun 10, 2011 19:47:36 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 5
The Ghetto Revolts

History records no proclamation of revolt by the Zionist movement against Nazism in Europe. It is relevant to ask why.

>>edited for length...

Jun 15, 2011 5:31:14 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 6
Zionist Policy on the Holocaust

The accounts by Jewish historians of the ordeal of East European Jews under Nazi occupation contain a two-sided story of the heroism of resistance and the shame of collaboration....

>>edited for length...

Jun 17, 2011 19:33:46 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 7
Kastner and the Hungarian Jews

The agreements between the Zionist movement and Nazi Germany were a well-kept secret for many years...

>>edited for length...

Jun 20, 2011 21:24:29 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 8
The Concealment of Evidence

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY
BY FARIS GLUBB © 1979

Chapter 9
The Irgun and Nazism........

Irgun |irˈgoōn|
a right-wing Zionist organization founded in 1931. During the period when it was active (1937–48), it carried out violent attacks on Arabs and Britons in its campaign to establish a Jewish state; it was disbanded after the creation of Israel in 1948.
ORIGIN from modern Hebrew ‛irgūn (ṣĕ b ā'ī lĕ'ummī) [(national military) organization.]

........

In May 1977, as a result of a general election, the rightwing extremist group Likud bloc emerged as the strongest Zionist political grouping, and led the new Israeli coalition cabinet. Its Prime Minister was Menachem Begin, who had formerly headed the Irgun Zvai Leumi terrorist organisation.




Menachem Begin

During the period of the Kastner trial, Begin's Herut party, the most important component party of the Lukud, pointed an accusing finger at the leaders of its rival, the ruling Mapai party, for their collaboration with Nazism. The lawyer Shmuel Tamir was a Herut man (later he joined the Democratic Movement for Change), and veteran Irgun supporter Ben Hecht played a vital role in drawing public attention to the Kastner story. Many people thus inferred that the Irgun/Herut leaders had a cleaner record than their Mapai counterparts as far as dealings with Nazism were concerned, despite the cases of people like Jacob Gens and Salek Desler.

Recently, a document for long kept secret and finally revealed by German writer Klaus Polkehn shed light on the real attitude of the Irgun towards Nazism in 1941. In this document, the Stern faction of the Irgun proposed the following:

"It is often stated in the speeches and utterances of the leading statesmen of National Socialist Germany that a New Order in Europe requires as a prerequisite the radical solution of the Jewish question through evacuation ('Judenreines Europa').

"The evacuation of the Jewish masses from Europe is a precondition for solving the Jewish question; but this can only be made possible and complete through the settlement of these masses in the home of the Jewish people, Palestine, and through the establishment of a Jewish state in its historic boundaries.

"The solving in this manner of the Jewish problem and thus the bringing about with it of the liberation of the Jewish people once and for all is the objective of the political activist and the years long struggle of the Jewish freedom movement; the National Military Organisation (Irgun Zvai Leumi) in Palestine.

"The NMO, which is well-acquainted with the goodwill of the German Reich government and its authorities towards Zionist activity inside Germany and towards Zionist emigration plans, is of the opinion that:

1) Common interests could exist between the establishment of a new order in Europe in conformity with the German concept, and the true national aspirations of the Jewish people as they are embodied by the National Military Organisation.

2) Co-operation between the new Germany and a renewed Hebrew nation (völkisch-nationalen-Hebräuertum) would be possible and

3) The establishment of the historical Jewish state on a national and totalitarian basis and bound by a treaty with the German Reich would be in the interest of maintaining and strengthening the future German position of power in the Near East.

"Proceeding from these considerations, the NMO in Palestine offers to take an active part in the war on Germany's side, provided the abovementioned national aspirations of the Jewish liberation movement are recognised by the German Reich government.

"This offer by the NMO, whose validity extends over the military, political and information levels, inside and also according to certain organisational preparations outside Palestine, would be bound to the military training and organising of Jewish manpower in Europe, under the leadership and command of the NMO. These military units would take part in the fighting to conquer Palestine, in case such a front is formed.

"The indirect participation of the Israeli freedom movement in the drawing up of the New Order in Europe, a positively radical solution of the European Jewish problem in conformity with the above-mentioned national aspirations of the Jewish people. This would strengthen to an uncommon degree the moral basis of the New Order in the eyes of the entire world.

"The co-operation of the Israeli freedom movement would also be in line with one of the recent speeches of the German Reich Chancellor in in which Herr Hitler stressed that any combination and any alliance would be entered into in order to isolate England and defeat it." 100

A split occurred within the Irgun in relation to this issue. The faction led by Abraham Stern, which became known as the Stern Gang, launched immediate warfare against the British in Palestine.


Stern, as pictured on a 1978 Israeli stamp.
www.executedtoday.com/2008/02/12/1942-avraham-stern/

The other faction, which Begin was to lead, delayed, and some of its members sided with the British for a time. The main reason for the delay seems to have been the Irgun's temporary disarray after the split. In 1943, Begin became the top man in the Irgun High Command, and the organisation was rearmed and its whole structure was reorganised. Once this period of preparation was completed, Begin's Irgun launched its military and terrorist campaign against the British in Palestine in January 1944, when World War Two was still at its height. Thus the difference between the two wings of the Irgun, which divided to become the mainstream Irgun and the Stern Gang, was essentially a matter of timing rather than principle.


www.jewishmag.com/66mag/irgun/irgun.htm

Indeed, before the split, the Irgun and the Revisionist Zionist party with which it joined forces firmly regarded Britain as the enemy and the "anti-Semitic" governments as allies. As the Union of Communal Settlements did with Nazi Germany, the Revisionist-Irgunists established co-operation arrangements, including training camps for Zionist pioneers, with the rabidly anti-Jewish regime in Poland. Abraham Stern negotiated this co-operation in 1937, and it included a Polish pledge of arms supplies for the Irgun.

The Irgun, in co-operation with the Revisionist youth movement Betar, planned to organise an uprising in Palestine by Zionist immigrants from Europe in October 1939, the month after World War Two was declared. The plan was to seize as many government buildings as possible and declare a Zionist "provisional government". The plan was foiled when the British arrested all the Irgun High Command's members. Even had it been carried out it would nevertheless have undermined the British war effort against Nazism. 101


www.betar.org/

Stern was killed in 1942 in a clash with British police. At the end of 1943, his followers established a separate organisation, Lohamei Herut Israel or "Lehi", which co-operated closely with Begin's Irgun. In 1948 Lehi members murdered the UN Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish humanitarian who had played an important role in World War Two rescuing Jews from Nazi rule and securing them refuge in Sweden.


Count Folke Bernadotte
www.associatepublisher.com/e/l/le/lehi_%28group%29.htm


AP/TOPFOTO
Brief honour: the body of Folke Bernadotte,
assassinated in Jerusalem on 17 September 1948,
begins the journey back to Sweden
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-forgotten-hero-the-assassination-of-count-bernadotte--and-the-death-of-peace-934094.html





REFERENCES for CHAPTER NINE

100. Memorandum dated 11 January 1941 submitted in report of German Naval Attache in Turkey, quoted by Klaus Polkehn, The Secret Contacts: Zionist-Nazi relations, 1933–1941 (article in Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. V, Nos. 3 & 4, Spring/Summer 1976).

101. See Joseph Schechtman, Fighter and Prophet (New York, 1961) pp. 483–484 and Gerold Frank The Deed (New York, 1963) p. 79.


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ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY

By Faris Glubb
© 1979


www.amazon.com/Zionist-Relations-Germany-Faris-Glubb/dp/0911026118


These are links to each corresponding chapter:

ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY

Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One — The Early Zionist Attitude to Anti-Semitism
Chapter Two — The Common Ground Between Zionism and Nazism
Chapter Three — The Ha'avara Agreements
Chapter Four — The 1938 Emigration Accords
Chapter Five — The Ghetto Revolts
Chapter Six — Zionist Policy on the Holocaust
Chapter Seven — Kastner and the Hungarian Jews
Chapter Eight — The Concealment of Evidence
Chapter Nine — The Irgun and Nazism
Chapter Ten — Assessment of Zionist Policy towards Nazism

Introduction

Despite the appearance of large numbers of books on Nazi Germany's barbaric treatment of the European Jews, there is widespread public ignorance on one important aspect of this question: the relationship between the Zionist movement and Nazi Germany. The information on this subject is available, but has not yet been gathered together in a single comprehensive study.

(Note: You may also refer to 51 Documents of Zionist Collaboration With The Nazis edited by Lenni Brenner and A Threat From Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism by Yakov M. Rabkin.) This study is intended, at least partially, to remedy this deficiency.

Owing to the delicate nature of this subject, and the Zionist tendency to brand any non-Zionist or anti-Zionist viewpoint as "anti-Semitic", all the material on Zionist-Nazi relations in this study is taken from exclusively Jewish sources. The writers quoted cover a wide spectrum of views, from extreme Zionist to anti-Zionist, with various shades in between. The reader will thus be able to form an accurate and objective opinion on the basis of evidence presented by leading Jewish historians.

—Faris Glubb in his Introduction to ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANY[/blockquote][/b]

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