|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 18:28:18 GMT 4
First Freedom Flotilla German-Swiss Ship
to Set Sail to Besieged Gaza, June 20, 201130/05/2011 - 05:14 PM aljazeerah.info The first ship of the Freedom Flotilla 2 will set sail to the Gaza Strip on 20 June and will be followed by 11 more European vessels, the European campaign to end the siege on Gaza (ECESG) has announced. “The first ship of the Freedom Flotilla, which is a German and Swiss ship, will set sail from the German Hamburg port on the Elbe River, and then the North Sea to join the rest of the fleet,” said Anwar al-Gharbi, a member of the ESECG, one of the largest partners in the humanitarian flotilla. The ship will carry on board 40 Swiss public figures, including government legislators, politicians, media, and rights activists, as well as ten activists from Germany.Separately, the ECESG has strongly condemned Canada's stance on the flotilla set to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, and emphasized that the position ”in no way reflects the government's interest in human rights and dignity”. Earlier, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon urged European states to thwart efforts for the ships setting sail from their ports. Gharbi confirmed that the flotilla has agreed that it would not turn back on the mission due to the depth of the crisis in the Gaza Strip. The ECESG emphasized that European states must protect the ships against a possible Israeli attack, given that the passengers include a number of government officials and citizens from Europe.Nine activists were shot dead and scores injured after Israel attacked the first Freedom Flotilla mission in May 2010. www.aljazeerah.info/News/2011/June/1%20n/First%20Freedom%20Flotilla%20German-Swiss%20Ship%20to%20Set%20Sail%20to%20Besieged%20Gaza,%20June%2020,%202011.htm also: www.moi.gov.ps/en/news/26743/First-Freedom-Flotilla-ship-to-set-sail-on-20-June
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 18:46:03 GMT 4
100 countries ‘staying human’ – but will Israel?Thursday, 9 June 2011, 2:16 pm
Article: Julie Webb-PullmanA year after Israeli Defence Force personnel massacred nine humanitarian aid volunteers on the Mavi Marmara in international waters, preparations are well underway for another 1500 to take their place, to confront the root cause of Gazan’s dependence on humanitarian aid – the illegal naval blockade of Gaza. (1)  Memorial to the “Martyrs of the Mavi Marmara”
unveiled at Gaza Port on 31 MayLike Hydra’s heads, for every boat that Israel attacked in 2010,(2) at least another two have appeared, to take up the challenge to bring justice to Gaza, and hold Israel accountable for its breaches of international law. 2010’s six boats carrying over 600 people from 37 countries, have swelled to an expected 15 boats carrying 1500 passengers from 100 countries. To give an idea of the magnitude of international civil support for the 2011 flotilla, Turkish relief agency The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) reports it has already had some 300,000 applications for the 500 places available on its repaired Mavi Marmara. First to leave for Gaza will be Freedom Flotilla II, a German ship departing Hamburg on June 19, with journalist Peter Wolter and Swiss writer Henning Mankell aboard.They plan to meet up in the Mediterranean in late June with boats from Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland (Saoirse), Italy (Stefano Chiarini), Norway, Scotland (Discovery II), Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkey (Mavi Marmara), the U.S.A. (The Audacity of Hope) and Canada (Tahrir). All are then expected to sail to Gaza with their cargoes of humanitarian aid, including medicines, educational materials, and even letters and cards with messages of solidarity and hope for Gaza’s beleaguered population. Parliamentarians from several countries are preparing to join the peaceful activists from all walks of life – professionals, labourers, even sportspeople such as recently-retired Irish rugby star Trevor Hogan – setting sail for Gaza, despite threats by the Israeli armed forces to use attack dogs and snipers against them. Threats of physical violence have been accompanied by diplomatic pressure from the Israeli government on the governments of flotilla participants, and an Israeli law centre is even threatening the satellite navigation company providing services to the boats.(3)The greatest peril facing those taking up the Herculean task of breaking Israel’s illegal blockade is not the stench of Hydra’s breath, but that of Israel’s brutality and mendacity. As the flotilla participants prepare for their hazardous journey in the coming weeks, I will be talking to Gazans about their perceptions of this dangerous trip - and why is so important, and so necessary for civil society to take the lead, when international organs have failed them so miserably. Stay tuned. And to donate online, go to: kiaoragaza.net/(1) Ceren Mutus, in An International Law Analysis Of The Flotilla Crisis Between Turkey And Israel, noted that Israel remains the occupier of Gaza, and because states are not allowed to impose a blockade on the territories they occupy, the naval blockade itself is illegal. Thus the subsequent interception of the flotilla based on the illegal blockade is also unlawful in itself. www.turkishweekly.net/article/401/an-international-law-analysis-of-the-flotilla-crisis-between-turkey-and-israel.html(2) Huwaida Arraf, human rights activist and lawyer on board the Mavi Marmara, gives a brief history of the flotilla movement here www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=3382&ed=193&edid=193(3) www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=278915ENDS www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1106/S00027/webb-pullman-100-countries-staying-human-will-israel.htm
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 18:59:58 GMT 4
Dundee Marmalade
Heads To PalestinePosted by ali on May 24, 2011
Scotland to Gaza Scottish singer Michael MarraOn Saturday (14 May), at Dundee City Square, Scottish singer/songwriter Michael Marra, lent his support to the campaign to send an aid ship from Scotland to Gaza next month. Michael is a proud Dundonian and a proud Scot. His quirky sense of humour is legend throughout Scotland, so it was no surprise when he produced a jar of his home-made marmalade to Edith Constable, from Tayside for Justice in Palestine (TJP) along with instructions that it must make the journey to the people of Gaza as a goodwill gesture from the people of Dundee – the city of Jute, Jam and Journalism. At the gathering, he announced his commitment to the Palestinians and the aid ship appeal, in his typical understatement, “because they need help.” Michael, is a man of his word. In 2009, he was the main attraction at a charity concert organised by TJP, that raised £2,000 for Medical Aid for Palestinians when 1400 Palestinians were killed in the besieged Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.  Launch of TJP bookletTayside for Justice in Palestine organised a Commemoration of the Palestinian Catastrophe (Nakba) in 1948 when 13,000 Palestinians were killed and 750,000 were driven from their land in order to create the State of Israel. The Commemoration also saw the launch of a photo booklet of the work of Tayside for Justice in Palestine, which chronicles all its activities in Dundee since establishing itself in 2008. Over 50 well known people throughout Scotland have been sent a copy of the booklet; part of the campaign asking for help for the Scottish Ship to Gaza Appeal. Michael Marra, a “weel kent” face round these parts, was proud to be presented with a copy of the booklet. www.scotlandtogaza.com/2011/05/24/dundee-marmalade-heads-to-palestine/ Download photo booklet of the work of Tayside for Justice in Palestine:www.scotlandtogaza.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Booklet-1.pdf
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 19:09:47 GMT 4
LOOK AT ALL THE
BEAUTIFUL HUMANS!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 19:27:20 GMT 4
Freedom Flotilla—Stay HumanPress Release from Istanbul Info & news - Freedom Flotilla Coalition Announcements
Saturday, 18 June 2011 14:49Istanbul, 17.6.2011 — This is a rainbow coalition of human rights defenders. It does not only concern Muslims, but everyone, be they Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, secular or whatever. This is world citizenry united, Our destination is Gaza. Our means are non-violent. Our goal is to lift the illegal siege, completely and permanently and freedom for the Palestinian people. With national campaigns in over 20 countries and around 10 ships being readied, Freedom Flotilla 2—Stay Human is on track to sail to Gaza to break the illegal Israeli blockade. The Turkish aid organization IHH remains part of the flotilla, even though the Mavi Marmara is unable to sail. There is no doubt about the need for the flotilla. Israel’s policy of collective punishment remains intact. The so-called “established channels” for delivering aid to Gaza, referred to by global leaders seeking to stop our mission, do not allow for the needs of the people of Gaza to be met due to Israel’s many restrictions, nor do they permit freedom for Palestinians.Nowhere else in the world are people required by the international community to accept humanitarian aid instead of freedom. And even that humanitarian aid is not forthcoming, owing to Israel’s blockade. This month, the health authority in Gaza proclaimed a state of emergency due to an acute shortage of vital medicines. Approximately 178 types of medications and 123 types of medical supplies have run out, and an additional 69 types of medications and 70 types of medical supplies are expected to run out within the next three months. A few days ago, 46 Palestinian civil society organizations announced their full support of the Freedom Flotilla 2. The fact that the Mavi Marmara will not participate in the FF2, means that the misinformation put forward by the Israeli government and its supporters that the flotilla is a “Turkish” and “Islamist” effort will be completely exposed. Hundreds of people from around the world are sailing to break the blockade on Gaza.Freedom Flotilla 2 will include more ships than the first flotilla, even without the Mavi Marmara. Moreover, the coalition consists of significantly more member organizations this time, from all over Europe, North America, the Middle East and North Africa. Our destination is Gaza. Our means are non-violent. Our goal is to lift the illegal siege, completely and permanently. The International Coalition of Freedom Flotilla II Last Updated on Saturday, 18 June 2011 15:01 www.freedomflotilla.eu/en/information/3-freedomflotilla-announcements/129-press-release-from-istanbul
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 21:24:29 GMT 4
Balfour's legacy:
Creating Israel from empire's needs>>edited for length...ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 1
The Early Zionist Attitude to Anti-Semitism>> edited for length ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 2
The Common Ground Between Zionism and Nazism [/size] >> edited for length[/quote] ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 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] ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 4
The 1938 Emigration AccordsThe year 1938 was to prove a triumphant one for Hitler. Its highlights included... >> edited for length ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 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... ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBY FARIS GLUBB © 1979Chapter 6
Zionist Policy on the HolocaustThe 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... Chapter 7
Kastner and the Hungarian JewsThe agreements between the Zionist movement and Nazi Germany were a well-kept secret for many years. But once the scandal known as the Kastner case broke in 1953, the details began to come to light gradually. >>edited for length...
The Concealment of EvidenceAs one Israeli newspaper commented on the Kastner case: "The public wants to know the real facts about Kastner, and not about him alone. The only way to find out the truth is to put all the Rescue Committee on trial and give them a chance to offer their defence." (88)  Dr. Rudolph Kastner
www.tabletmag.com/tag/kurt-becher/The Israeli authorities, however, showed no eagerness to satisfy their public's desire to learn the truth. From the time that the Kastner scandal first broke, they in fact went out of their way to exonerate him, even going to the length of appointing the Attorney General Chaim Cohen to present his case. This led Greenwald's lawyer Shmuel Tamir to raise a number of questions: "Who is this Attorney General representing — the citizens of our state or the private interests of some officials of the state? It is not too difficult a question to answer. The Attorney General is not alone in covering up for Kastner. Many institutions have done the same covering-up before him. In 1946 the Zionist Congress in Basel, the Haganah trial in the case of the parachutists, and the Israeli police in 1951, all took a look at Kastner's activities — and covered up what they saw. And when all the Jewish leaders and all the powers of government had covered up for Kastner, one old man (Greenwald) steps forward to reveal the truth...  Malchiel Greenwald
Gruenwald (front) in the Supreme Court of Israel.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malchiel_Gruenwald"...A government and all its leaders did not act towards this man, Kastner, as any decent society would have done. After seven days of cross-examination, Kastner's lies and villainies were clear to all. Instead of abandoning the protection of such a creature and handing him over to the court saying, 'Let's look into this nightmare ourselves', they throw all their great authority, all the prestige and cunning of their officials into the case to save him. And all these Israeli government officials came here, one pulling the other, all conspiring to conceal from this court and from the nation the truth of how the catastrophe befell the Jews of Hungary." (89)  Hungarian Jews
respect-discussion.blogspot.com/2010/09/nazis-and-zionists.htmlHowever, the attempts at concealment in the libel case failed, and it ended with strong doubts in the Israeli public's minds, with the prospect of the Israeli Government's reputation being further tarnished by future revelations if Kastner went on trial for collaboration. This danger faded with Kastner's assassination, as well as the strange death of the over-inquisitive journalist Dr. Moshe Keren. Yet one very important actor in the whole drama was still alive and at large, a potentially dangerous witness: Adolf Eichmann, who had the liason officer in some of the most sensitive Zionist-Nazi agreements. Eichmann's eventual capture and trial aroused particularly heated debates in Jewish circles. "Fundamentally, Ben Gurion, the architect of the Eichmann trial in Israel, wanted to exploit it to serve his 'Jewish' political ends.  Adolf Eichmann, Germany 1940
Photo Courtesy United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Photo Archives.
www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/e/eichmann-adolf/
"No one will dispute that the demoniac and sadistic cannibal Adolf Eichmann, plus the bigger and smaller Eichmanns still at large in Germany and in hiding elsewhere, should have been apprehended and subjected to a nonpolitical and dispassionate tribunal, in order to expose to the German people themselves their utter depravity during the Hitler era, and thus have mankind, civilisation and international law profit by it — that was torpeded by the tribalistic and politically narrow-minded 'Jewish' nationalist Ben Gurion and his junta." (90)  David Ben Gurion, Israel's First Prime Minister
israel2010.ucb.com.au/2010/10/david-ben-gurion/The weight of evidence concerning Eichmann's guilt was immense, and it is beyond doubt that he deserved to be tried and punished. The questions which are legitimately raised do not concern that, but other matters, notably: why did the Israelis insist that this particular war criminal, Eichmann, must be tried by an Israeli court and not, for instance, by an international tribunal like that of Nuremberg which tried other Nazi criminals? Why did the Israelis go to such tremendous pains to catch this particular war criminal when others, no less guilty, could have been captured far more easily but still have not been brought to justice? Why did the Israelis kidnap him from Argentina when they could have certainly arranged for his extradition? These questions can legitimately be asked.  Adolf Eichmann in the witness box during his trial in Jerusalem in 1961.
Joel Brand told the court his story (which is worth taking a few moments to read).
svr225.stepx.com:3388/joel-brandLet us first examine the official answers put forward by Israeli spokesmen. The Israeli court which tried Eichmann claimed: "The connection between the Jewish people and the State of Israel constitutes an integral part of the laws of nations...The connection between the State of Israel and the Jewish people needs no explanation...this is the sovereign state of the Jewish people." In Ben-Gurion's words, "only a Jewish state can try him; from a moral point of view Israel is the only inheritor." The Israeli prosecutor, Attorney General Gideon Hausner, went even further by claiming that "it is not an individual that is in the dock in this historic trial and not the Nazi regime alone, but anti-Semitism throughout history." (91) Thus the purpose of the Eichmann trial, according to these Zionist spokesmen, was to stage a propaganda stunt for Zionist allegations that the Jews are a nation owing allegiance to the Israeli state, and to repeat the argument that so-called eternal anti-Semitism justifies the existence of that state. This was certainly one of the reasons for trying Eichmann in an Israeli court, as it clear from the fact that the Israelis made considerable propaganda use of it. Such indulgence in propaganda is understandable and to be expected; any ideology tries to propagate its ideas. However, this reason does not answer all the questions. It explains why the Israelis insisted on trying Eichmann themselves but not why they chose to kidnap rather than extradite him, nor why they had to have him, in particular, for this unique big trial. Why, for instance, did they not kidnap and try General Becher, who had been superior to Eichmann and no less responsible for the slaughter of Jews?  SS General Kurt Becher
www.redcap70.net/A%20History%20of%20the%20SS%20Organisation%201924-1945.html/B/
A vital point to realise in connection with the Eichmann trial is the role that Kastner and other Zionists played in their relationship with Eichmann. "Hovering over the courtroom...was the ghost of Dr. Israel (sic) Kastner...Kastner had been the central figure in a sensational trial in Israel in 1953. The Attorney general at the time, Hausner's predecessor, had initiated a prosecution for criminal libel against a man who had alleged that Kastner's contacts with the SS in Budapest, in which he had sought to mitigate the lot of the Jews, had in fact amounted to collaboration." (92) In view of the way the Kastner trial had gone, the Eichmann trial had to be handled very smoothly to prevent embarrassing revelations. On the whole, it did go smoothly, although there was one incident during the testimony of Pinhas Freudiger, formerly a member of the Hungarian Central Jewish Council which had collaborated with the Nazis. "There was a disturbance in the court during Freudiger's testimony which brought to everyone's mind the issues of the Kastner case. A spectator in the hall suddenly got to his feet and managed, before he was hustled out, to scream to the witness in Hungarian, 'You duped us so you could save yourselves and your families. But our families were killed.' He was apparently attacking Freudiger not personally but as a representative of the Central Jewish Council, for he added, referring to another representative, 'He gave us injections to numb our minds. But he took his own parents out...and left mine there to die'." (93)  Dr. Rudolf Kastner and daughter Zsuzsi in the 30s in Budapest
www.juedische-allgemeine.de/article/view/id/3150
Israeli police in the courtroom were constantly on the alert in case they had to "hustle out" anyone who threatened to bring the wrong note into this carefully stage-managed trial. However, Freudiger was accidentally allowed to reveal the spirit of defeatism spread by Zionism among European Jews, whom it encouraged not to resist Nazism. Freudiger blurted out: "But what could we do? What could we do? Today, some Hungarian Jews complain that we did not tell them to escape. But 50 percent of the people who escaped were captured and killed." (94) Needless to say, the proportion of those killed because they had been captured and did not try to escape was nearly 100 percent. The records of the Kastner case provide a vital clue on why the Israelis had to get hold fo Eichmann and execute him themselves. For the Kastner case had also brought out the details of a deal which had come at the conclusion of the long Zionist collaboration with Nazism, and specifically Kastner's collaboration in Hungary with General Becher (then a Colonel) and three other SS Colonels, Krumey, Wisliczeny — and Eichmann. "The four SS Colonels and Jewish Agency chief Kastner arranged their escape plot during the time of Jew-killing. "Not precisely as one arranges a bank merger. There were too many unforeseeable blot turns. But arranged it as an overall modus operandi. Three of the Colonels would return to Germany and take their chances on facing arrest and trial as war criminals. Dr. Kastner would then ride to the rescue of these three and plead for them as a rescuer of Jews, as an official high in the councils of Jewish officialdom; and his pleading would gain freedom for the three exterminators. "All three, and Kastner also, would dump the guilt of the Budapest quartet on the missing member, after helping the scapegoat achieve invisibility. The Quartet member who went into hiding, to become the sole symbol of Nazi evil Hungary, was Adolf Eichmann." (95) After these facts had been made public, Kastner was assassinated. Becher, with his prosperous trade with the Israeli Government, and Krumey, whom Kastner had also saved from trial at Nuremberg, could be relied on to say nothing. Wisliczeny was dead. But Eichmann was still at large, and had to be prevented from ever telling his story to the public. At his trial, Eichmann pleaded that he had helped the Zionist cause but, in the emotional atmosphere stirred up by the Zionists in an astute public relations campaign, few people listened to him.  Kurt Becher
www.holocaustresearchproject.org/nazioccupation/kastner.html Hermann Krumey
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Krumey SS-Obersturmfuehrer Dieter Wisliceny, served on Eichmann's staff.
collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/1059_14372.html
 Adolf Eichmann during his imprisonment, 1961.
collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/5890876_6055579.html
The Eichmann trial offered the Israeli leaders a chance of burying once again all the unpleasant things which the Kastner case had brought to light. As an American Jewish writer has observed: "When you consider that most Israelis knew about Kastner and his link to Israeli officialdom...then you begin to recognise another reason for Ben Gurion's insistence that the Eichmann trial be held in Israel. This trial was saying in effect, 'You see, here is your devil—he did it,'" (96) Witnesses at the Eichmann trial were carefully selected. Abba Kovner testified, but Chaim Lazar, who exposed Kovner's relationship with the Nazis, was not invited to testify.(97) Nor was Andre Biss, despite the important role he had played as Kastner's assistant. According to him, the reason for this was that he wanted to try to rehabilitate Kastner, and by then the Zionist leadership wanted to prevent anything that might remind the public of the Kastner trial or even bring new facts to light. Biss nevertheless revealed some interesting facts about those who were called as witnesses; "Aharon Karie, charged by the public prosecutor's department to conduct investigations in Europe concerning Eichmann, assured me that I was the best informed witness about Eichmann of all those whose existence he knew of. He was convinced I would be a capital witness for the prosecution at the trial and he begged me not to wait for an official invitation before going to Jerusalem. Therefore I left for Israel on April 9, 1961. "At the Eichmann trial 102 witnesses for the prosecution were heard. At least ninety of them had not only never met Eichmann, but until the end of the war had never even heard his name. I myself had seen the prisoner a greater number of times than all the other witnesses together. No one knew him as closely as I did. "The date of my appearing before the court was fixed, yet finally I was not heard officially. The public prosecutor, Gideon Hausner, had asked me to omit from my evidence any mention of our action in Budapest, and especially to pass over in silence what was then in Israel the 'Kastner affair'. Furthermore I should not speak of Becher' activities in favour of the Jews. Hausner absolutely refused to believe in these. I told him I could not give evidence unless I was free to tell the whole truth Hausner finally preferred to dispense with me as a witness." (98) At the time of Eichmann's capture, Israel's senior Judge was Benjamin Halevi, whose exemplary honesty in his handling of the Kastner libel case had lead to extreme embarrassment for the Israeli Government. In order to prevent a repetition of this, Israeli Justice Minister Pinhas Rosen and Attorney General Hausner acted in an unprecedented manner by pushing a special law through the Knesset to deprive Judge Halevei of the right to preside over the Eichmann trial. Rosen organised a pressure campaign designed to exclude Halevi from the trial altogether, although in the end he was allowed to be one member of a panel of judges who tried Eichmann. Hausner, as we noted, was the prosecutor at the trial. Apart from being an interesting illustration of how Israeli justice works, the Government's treatment of Halevi shows that the Zionist leadership intended the Eichmann trial to be a propaganda stunt rather than a fair and honest attempt to establish the whole truth about Eichmann's crimes. (99) As a central figure in some of the important deals of co-operation between the Zionists and the Nazis, Eichmann, while not the most senior surviving Nazi war criminal, was probably the Nazi with the most detailed knowledge of the Zionist movement's relationship with the Nazi regime. All that knowledge died with him.  www.youtube.com/user/EichmannTrialENReferences for Chapter Eight88. H aboker, 32 June 1955. 89. Protocol C.C. 124/53, Jerusalem District Court. 90. Menuhin, op. cit., p. 473. 91. Alfred LIlienthal, The Other Side of the Coin (New York, 1965) p. 109; New York Times, 16 December 1960; Arendt, op. cit., p. 16. 92. Moshe Pearlmann, The Capture and Trial of Adolf Eichmann (New York, 1963) p 534. 93. Ibid., p. 358. 94. Ibid., p. 359. 95. Hecht, op. cit., p. 200. 96. Leanard Sussman, Analysis of Perfidy (American Council for Judaism) quoted by Menuhin, op. cit., p. 484. 97. Shonfeld, op. cit., p. 30. 98. Biss, op. cit., p. 191. 99. Hecht, op. cit., p. 267, note 148. ................ ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYBy Faris Glubb
© 1979 www.amazon.com/Zionist-Relations-Germany-Faris-Glubb/dp/0911026118These are links to each corresponding chapter:ZIONIST RELATIONS WITH NAZI GERMANYTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter One — The Early Zionist Attitude to Anti-SemitismChapter Two — The Common Ground Between Zionism and NazismChapter Three — The Ha'avara AgreementsChapter Four — The 1938 Emigration AccordsChapter Five — The Ghetto RevoltsChapter Six — Zionist Policy on the HolocaustChapter Seven — Kastner and the Hungarian JewsChapter Eight — The Concealment of EvidenceChapter Nine — The Irgun and NazismChapter Ten — Assessment of Zionist Policy towards NazismIntroduction
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] FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit. |
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 21:48:42 GMT 4
Richard Levy, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_zk2s1S0fygUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 17, 2011
Passenger Richard Levy talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Richard Levy had his bar mitzvah in 1955 at the Genesis Hebrew Center in Yonkers, New York. Richard is the former president of the North East District of the B'nai Brith Youth Organization. A graduate of Cornell U. and the NYU School of Law, he has practiced labor and civil rights law for more than 40 years. Richard was one of the attorneys challenging the destruction--by the Weisenthal Center and the Israeli government--of the ancient landmark Mamilla (Muslim) Cemetery in West Jerusalem. He is a senior partner at the Levy Ratner, censored . law firm in NYC. Richard is married to Jane Hirschmann (author, therapist, activist) and has 3 daughters: Kate, 31 (med student UCSF), Nell, 31 (union organizer, teacher, law student), Leta, 24 (actor, dancer, activist). He boards the boat believing that Israel's victimization of the Palestinian people has not only violated human rights and international laws but has proven the least effective path to peace and security for both peoples.......... Linda Durham, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=zh2eY5_XhpMUploaded by lindalavega on Jun 18, 2011
Passenger Linda Durham talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
For most of her sixty-eight years, Linda Durham has been (by her own description) "a freelance cultural explorer" She is the founder and director of Linda Durham Contemporary Art—a top gallery in the West for more than thirty years. Durham is a writer and frequent lecturer on topics including art, travel, business and women's issues. She is an adjunct professor at Santa Fe Community College; a founding board member of the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum; a member of Another Jewish Voice, and the Executive Director of The Wonder Institute—a new and private "think tank" for the exploration and development of ideas that promote peace and understanding among all peoples. An independent traveler, Durham has visited some of the most off-the-beaten-path countries and regions in the world. At age sixty, she successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. As a member of two Code Pink Delegations, Durham traveled to Baghdad in 2004 and to Gaza in 2009. In April of this year, she returned from her ninth trip to Myanmar where she has operated as a cultural advocate and liaison between the artists of that country and the United States. Durham is a collector of art and fine books. She is the mother of two children: a daughter who is a history professor and a son who is a 'celebrity chef.' She has one granddaughter (a budding ballerina).(many thanks to US Boat to Gaza)......... Brad Taylor, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKm1L9rVCIIUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Brad Taylor talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: A construction contractor with a small business in New York City, Brad is a dad, a social justice activist, and a volunteer radio producer with the LGBT radio show Out-FM on WBAI. Brad's focus on the intersection between queer politics and other freedom struggles has brought him to concentrate on the urgency of a free Palestine. "In Palestine, as elsewhere in the Middle East, the spirit of the Arab Spring is rising. Now is the time for Americans to stand up -- in real life -- for the freedom and democracy that we talk about."
 ......... U.S. Boat to Gaza – Emergency Response PlansIn late June, a U.S. flagged ship called The Audacity of Hope will join the 2nd Freedom Flotilla – Stay Human as people from 22 nations set sail to Gaza challenging the Israeli naval blockade. Though the flotilla has the right under international law to do exactly what it is doing and has made abundantly clear its commitment to nonviolence, the government of Israel has publicly stated that they are prepared to act illegally and violently and take severe, even potentially life-threatening, action against the boats and their passengers. The U.S. Boat to Gaza organizing committee urges people throughout this country to plan now for Emergency Response actions. The power of such actions will be the number of cities they are held in and the numbers of people who participate. Now is the time to start planning. Once you have your local plans in place be sure to contact the U.S. Boat to Gaza organizing committee. We will add your information to our website, and provide a link to your site. Send your information to us at ustogaza@gmail.com First step: Now is the time to encourage people to sign onto the U.S. Boat to Gaza email alert list, as well as our Twitter and Facebook accounts, so they can receive the most up-to-date information directly. Elements of your emergency response plans 1) Public protest activities * The goal is to be as visible as possible – both to the public generally and to the media. * As a local organizer you will know the best place to ask people to gather. Possible places include: - Israeli consulate or other agencyU.S. federal building - well-trafficked, major intersection - major transportation hub * Think about what time of day will be easiest for large numbers of people to come out, to get media coverage and for the largest number of people to see your activity. 2) Media work * Be sure to have a list of media outlets and reporters in your area ready ahead of time. * Inform the media of any public activities and protests you are planning. * Monitor your local media to see if they are covering the story, and if so how. If they are not covering it, or not covering it well, call them! * Ask people to write letters to the editor and to call into radio talk shows. * The aim is to make sure the story is being covered, and being covered accurately! 3) Pressure on the Israeli and U.S. government * It will be important that both the Israeli government and the U.S. government hear from as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. * Calls, email messages and faxes should go to the U.S. government: the State Department, the White and to your own Senators and House Representatives. * Calls, email messages and faxes should also go directly to the Israeli government. * By Saturday, June 18th we will have more detailed contact information posted on our website….please be sure to check back then. ustogaza.org/......... Audacity of Hope — U.S. Boat to Gaza —
Interview with Chris Hedges www.youtube.com/watch?v=orE27ysrzxI
Uploaded by ustogaza1 on Aug 11, 2010
Interview with Chris Hedges, author, journalist and former New York Times Middle East Bureau Chief. During fundraising cruise in the New York City harbor on August 5th to raise funds for a U.S. ship to join the next International Flotilla to break the blockade of Gaza.......... Ken Mayers, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger www.youtube.com/watch?v=-25FAiVk4rg
Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Ken Mayers talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: Ken Mayers was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps upon his graduation from Princeton in 1958.
He resigned that commission at the end of 1966 in disgust with American foreign policy and returned to the University of California at Berkeley where he earned his Ph.D. in Political Science. His doctoral dissertation was a policy analysis of minority business enterprise.
He has been a peace and justice activist ever since, at the same time progressing through four successive careers. He taught political economy at Bennington College for six years, then worked in an interdisciplinary "skunk works" at Digital Equipment Corporation for 13 years followed by eight years as an independent consultant.
For the past 12 years he has been the director of member relations for two international professional alliances. In the early 1980′s he and his late wife founded the Bennington VT chapter of the Beyond War Movement. In 1986 he joined Veterans for Peace (VFP) and in 2002 he founded the Santa Fe Chapter of VFP. He served on VFP's national board of directors from 2004 to 2009, including five years as national treasurer.
In December of 2009, Ken was part of the international Gaza Freedom March that got stuck in Cairo and protested in Tahrir Square and other Cairo locations for a week. He is currently a member of VFP's Israel-Palestine Working Group.
Ken is a fourth generation American of Jewish descent (non-practicing). His mother's extended family lost at least 17 members in the holocaust.
Ken is convinced that the Israeli government has learned the wrong lessons from those tragic years. He wants to demonstrate to his Palestinian brothers and sisters that even someone in his situation supports their desire for freedom. Since the government of Egypt turned him back from Gaza a year ago, he is determined to try again now.......... Ray McGovern, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_A4sZTNiU4Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Ray McGovern talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: An Army infantry/intelligence officer in the early 60s, Ray McGovern then served as a CIA analyst from the administration of John F. Kennedy to that of George H. W. Bush. Under President Ronald Reagan, McGovern briefed the President's Daily Brief and other intelligence one-on-one to Vice President Bush and other senior officials.
Ray now works with Tell the Word, a faith-based ministry in inner-city Washington.
Born before WW-II, he experienced what happens when intimidated majorities shield their eyes from injustices like the illegal blockade of Gaza and the internment of 1.5 million Palestinians.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," wrote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was, of course, right.
And so was Gen. David Petraeus in warning Congress last year that the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians "foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel" [and that] "militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support."......... Hedy Epstein, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=FLZx5NULSzoUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Hedy Epstein talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: Hedy Epstein was born in Germany in 1924. She was 8 years old when Hitler came to power in 1933.
In 1939, she left on a Kindertransport (children's transport) for England. Her parents and other family members perished during the Holocaust.
After World War II she returned to Germany and worked as a research analyst at the Nuremberg trial of the Nazi doctors who performed medical experiments on concentration camp inmates.
Epstein came to the U.S. in 1948, and quickly became involved in civil rights, human rights and peace related issues, both professionally and in her personal life.
In 1989, she visited Guatemala, Nicaragua and Cambodia as a peace delegate.
Since 2003, she has visited the Israeli occupied West Bank five times, and has made four attempts to visit Gaza by land and sea.
She has written and traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe to speak about social justice issues, with an emphasis on the Israel/Palestine issue. In 1999, her autobiography -- "Erinnern ist nicht genug" (Remembering is Not Enough) was published in German, in Germany.
Epstein will be on the U.S. Boat to Gaza, part of Flotilla 2, her fifth attempt to reach Gaza.......... Henry Norr, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=OWoZV-uIvesUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Henry Norr talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: Henry Norr, 65, is a retired journalist and activist.
As a child going to Hebrew school and Sunday school at a Conservative Jewish temple in northern Massachusetts, he collected nickels and dimes for the Jewish National Fund -- money he now realizes was used largely to cover up the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.
Since 2002, he has spent a total of six months as a human-rights volunteer in the occupied Palestinian territories, including stints with the International Solidarity Movement in the Gaza Strip, in the Wall-divided West Bank village of Jayyous, and in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, where Jewish settlers daily terrorize Palestinian residents.
He was fired from his job as a technology columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle in 2003 in response to his support for Palestinian rights and his arrest in a demonstration opposing the U.S. attack on Iraq.......... Medea Benjamin, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passenger www.youtube.com/watch?v=gocIAQAh2jUUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 13, 2011
Passenger Medea Benjamin talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: Medea Benjamin is a cofounder of both CODEPINK and the international human rights organization Global Exchange.
She has been an advocate for social justice for more than 30 years. Described as "one of America's most committed — and most effective — fighters for human rights" by New York Newsday, and called "one of the high profile leaders of the peace movement" by the Los Angeles Times, Medea was one of 1,000 exemplary women from 140 countries nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the millions of women who do the essential work of peace worldwide.
In 2010 she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize from the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Since the September 11, 2001 tragedy, Medea has been working to promote a U.S. foreign policy that would respect human rights and gain us allies instead of contributing to violence and undermining our international reputation.
She has traveled and written extensively about Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel and Palestine.
She has led five delegations to Gaza, bringing humanitarian aid.
A former economist and nutritionist with the United Nations and World Health Organization, Benjamin is the author/editor of eight books. Her articles appear regularly in outlets such as The Huffington Post, CommonDreams, Alternet, TruthOut, the Daily Kos and OpEd News.......... Ridgely Fuller, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=hGceK7aE-ooUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Ridgely Fuller talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: During my first significant trip to Gaza, John Ging, former head of the UN refugee aid effort in Gaza reflected that citizens of the world need to step in when their governments fail to resolve critical international issues. The Second Freedom Flotilla with thousands of world citizens representing some 22 countries represent that effort: coming together to insist that Israel ends its illegal blockade of Gaza and to demand that international law and human rights be applied equally to all people.
I am a social worker with an additional master's degree in international relations whose passion for Palestine developed during my first trip to the area in 2002.
This study trip was inspired by my questioning the Jewish narrative deeply ingrained into my persona as the result of living in Germany and Holland as a child.
I simply couldn't believe that a people who had suffered so much could condone the massive violations of Palestinian human rights that had begun to appear in the media: the theft of land, the bulldozing of homes and the breaking of Palestinian children's' arms.
My first witness trip was then followed by others: an International Women's Human Rights marched organized by Israeli and Palestinian women in 2003 and 2.5 months in the West Bank of Palestine in 2008.
As a social worker interested in children I also traveled with Code Pink to witness the effect of the Israeli invasion on Gaza youth in 2009 and returned in 2010 to work with mental health workers and young adults building resiliency in the Gaza youth.
On a personal note, I am proud to be a member of the Freedom Flotilla and sail on the US The Audacity of Hope in the name of equality for all people; for the young adults of Gaza who, living in a virtual prison, have given up their own dreams to cheerfully rebuild their people with incredible inner resources and for the many, many Americans whose demands of justice for Palestine are ignored by our own government.......... Kathy Kelly, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=h4b8qY-B840
Uploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Kathy Kelly talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
Bio: Kathy Kelly, 58, co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence, (www.vcnv.org) a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare.
Since May of 2010, she traveled to Afghanistan four times, with delegations intent on learning more about conditions faced by ordinary people in Afghanistan, a country afflicted by three decades of warfare. Voices for Creative Nonviolence has been working closely with the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers in search of non-military solutions to end the war.
In 2009, she lived in Gaza during the Operation Cast Lead bombing. She was also in Lebanon during and after the 2006 Israeli assaults on southern Lebanon.
From 1996 -- 2003, Voices activists formed 70 delegations that openly defied economic sanctions by bringing medicines to children and families in Iraq. Kathy and her companions lived in Baghdad throughout the 2003 "Shock and Awe" bombing. She was sentenced to one year in federal prison for planting corn on nuclear missile silo sites (1988-89) and spent three months in prison, in 2004, for crossing the line at Fort Benning's military training school.
She and her companions at the Voices home/office in Chicago believe that non-violence necessarily involves simplicity, service, sharing of resources and non-violent direct action in resistance to war and oppression.
......... Gail Miller, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=SgQQdAYyLUYUploaded by gailfrommyphone on Jun 17, 2011
Passenger Gail Miller talks about why she is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
......... Robert Neiman, U.S. Boat to Gaza Passengerwww.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WvSqf-OEONMUploaded by USBOATTOGAZA on Jun 14, 2011
Passenger Robert Neiman talks about why he is going aboard the US Boat to Gaza with the Stay Human Flotilla at the end of the month.
"I am the Policy Director of Just Foreign Policy (www.justforeignpolicy.org), which works to reform U.S. foreign policy to reflect the values and interests of the majority of Americans so the U.S. complies fully with international law and supports peace, diplomacy, and negotiated resolutions of conflict..
The blockade of Gaza violates international laws and norms in regards to collective punishment against a civilian population—a crime in which the U.S. is complicit.
Furthermore, the U.S.-led diplomatic embargo of Hamas is an obstacle to Palestinian self-determination as well as a just and lasting negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
I'm also concerned that the present U.S. policy could lead to yet another war in the region. I'm participating in this mission to call attention to the suffering faced by the civilians in Gaza under the blockade and to press for change in U.S. policy on the conflict."The following letter was originally addressed to the President of the United States of America. I have modified it slightly to address the GRAND COMMANDER OF THE CONSISTORY OF THE MAJESTIC: 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
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 ustogaza.org/latest/letter-to-obam/
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 22:19:09 GMT 4
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 22:31:29 GMT 4
Miles of Smiles aid convoy enters Gaza www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xIdlG2PLR0The European humanitarian aid convoy “miles of smiles 3” entered Gaza on Sunday via the Rafah border crossing. The convoy, consisting of 15 vehicles, carries about 30 tons of medicine, medical supplies and milk powder. —Yousef Al-Helou (many thanks to Yousef Al-H and Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy)
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 23:32:57 GMT 4
AFRICA TO GAZA AID CONVOY
OVERLAND VEHICLESFINALl preparations for our departure from Durban on Sunday 26 June 2011 Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy is "ready to roll" We need YOUR support for our mission to aid the people of Gaza. Please "like" our page, and get daily updates of the "first ever" overland journey through Africa to Gaza   This is the route the Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy will be taking through
Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt,
to reach its final destination - GAZA.
We need your support to endure this very challenging 10 000km 25 day historic journey.
Please "like" our page www.facebook.com/africa.to.gaza.aid.convoy www.facebook.com/africa.to.gaza.aid.convoy(many thanks to Africa to Gaza Aid Convoy)
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 23:48:28 GMT 4
French Rally in Support of Freedom Flotilla 2www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ozxkJc9jcwUploaded by PressTVGlobalNews on Jun 19, 2011
Thousands rallied in the Mediterranean port of Marseilles, France, to support their nation's efforts in the up-coming Freedom Flotilla 2, which will attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.Nerves were a bit high, as technical issues prevented the boat from being present, but protesters involved say they are determined to sail as early as next weekend.
Press TV's Ramin Mazaheri reports from Marseilles
(many thanks to Gaza TV News)
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 20, 2011 23:56:34 GMT 4
The Audacity of Hope:
U.S. Peace Activists to Sail to Gaza in
Humanitarian FlotillaDemocracyNow.org
June 20, 2011Dozens of Americans hope to set sail this week on a U.S.-flagged ship, “The Audacity of Hope,” as part of an international flotilla which aims to challenge Israel’s embargo of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian solidarity activists are setting sail from a number of ports just over a year after Israeli forces killed nine activists on an aid boat called the Mavi Marmara, which was part of the first such international flotilla. Israel says it will again use force to stop the aid flotilla from reaching Gaza. We speak with passengers of the U.S. boat, New York labor attorney Richard Levy and peace activist Kathy Kelly. Levy says the flotilla’s challenge to Israel’s embargo is legal and that it is the blockade that is illegal. “It’s a violation of the Geneva Accords to occupy a country, as has been done here through the control of all its borders, and then block supplies, block people from moving in and out,” says Levy. [includes rush transcript] Richard Levy & Kathy Kelly Join US Peace Activists to
Sail to Gaza In Humanitarian Flotilla www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbZ_OX_bM9AUploaded by democracynow on Jun 20, 2011
DemocracyNow.org - Dozens of Americans hope to set sail this week on a U.S.-flagged ship, "The Audacity of Hope," as part of an international flotilla which aims to challenge Israel's embargo of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian solidarity activists are setting sail from a number of ports just over a year after Israeli forces killed nine activists on an aid boat called the Mavi Marmara, which was part of the first such international flotilla. Democracy Now! interviews passengers of the U.S. boat, New York labor attorney Richard Levy and peace activist, Kathy Kelly. Israel says it will again use force to stop the aid flotilla from reaching Gaza. Levy says the flotilla's challenge to Israel's embargo is legal, and that it is the blockade that is illegal. "It is a violation of the Geneva accords to occupy a country as has been done here through the control of all its borders, and then block supplies, block people from moving in and out," Levy says.
To download the podcast, read the transcript, and for more reports on last year's Gaza aid flotilla on Democracy Now!, visit www.democracynow.org/2011/6/20/the_audacity_of_hope_us_peace
FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/democracynow
Twitter: @democracynow
Daily Email News Digest: www.democracynow.org/subscribe
Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit www.democracynow.org/donate/YT
TRANSCRIPT:AMY GOODMAN: About 50 Americans are set to sail this week in a U.S.-flagged ship called The Audacity of Hope as part of an international flotilla which aims to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian solidarity activists are setting sail from a number of ports just over a year after Israeli forces killed nine activists on an aid boat called the Mavi Marmara that was part of the first such international flotilla. Organizers say the Mavi Marmara, still undergoing repairs from the Israeli raid, will not be part of the flotilla this year. DROR FEILER: The fact that the Mavi Marmara will not participate in the Freedom Flotilla 2 means that the misinformation put forward by the Israeli government and its supporters that the flotilla is a so-called Turkish flotilla or an Islamist flotilla effort will be completely exposed. Hundreds of people from around the world are sailing to break the blockade on Gaza. AMY GOODMAN: Israel is vowing to again use armed force to stop the second international aid flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip. An Israeli navy commander, Rani Ben-Yehuda, warned flotilla organizers to hand over their aid if they want it to reach Gaza. RANI BEN-YEHUDA: Supplies are getting into Gaza on a daily basis. The reason of the maritime security blockade is to prevent from terrorists and weapons to get into the hands of terrorist organizations in Gaza. And like we said before, I’m saying it again: we are inviting all the organizers of the flotilla to come to Ashdod and to transfer their cargo in the legal way into Gaza. AMY GOODMAN: We’re joined now by two of the passengers on the U.S. boat, The Audacity of Hope. Richard Levy is senior partner in the law firm Levy Ratner, and Kathy Kelly is co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare. We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Kathy, why are you going on this trip? You’re leaving. You’re having a news conference at the U.N. today, and then you fly off. KATHY KELLY: Yeah, Amy, I was in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, and at one point I remember a doctor putting his head in his hands and saying, “For 22 days, the world watched, and no nation intervened.” And it’s true that, really, most nations are not significantly intervening to end the suffering of Gazans. But civil society, internationally—and that’s what this flotilla represents—have said, “We will intervene.” And I’m very, very excited and pleased to join that grouping. AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking about, what, roughly a thousand people on 10 ships. Richard Levy, usually you’re representing a union in New York. Why are you going on this voyage? RICHARD LEVY: Well, I think it’s very, very important that we speak up, and particularly Americans, and in my case, Jews. I think most people are aware that America supports Israel and Israel’s conduct and refused to speak up against Cast Lead and has refused, really openly, to speak up against this terrible blockade that’s affected so many people’s lives. But I also think it’s important for Jewish people—and about 25 percent of the U.S. boat, I believe, are people who identify as Jews—to make it very clear that AIPAC and the right-wing supporters, the uncritical supporters of Israel, are not the only voice of the Jewish people in this country, because, as you know, they have basically silenced our politicians, who seem to believe that they are the only voice. AMY GOODMAN: You’ve been in Washington recently? RICHARD LEVY: Yeah, we were in Washington about three weeks ago or a month ago to meet with the State Department and to tell them very clearly that this is a peaceful mission. There will be no arms on board this boat. This is really an exercise in free speech. This is people, United States citizens, all United States citizens, on a boat sailing to a country with a very dangerous cargo of letters. We will have about 3,000 letters on board from Americans across this country saying to the people of Gaza, “We support you. We understand that you are being maliciously treated and oppressed, and we know your conditions, and we send a message of love.” AMY GOODMAN: You heard the representative of the Israeli military saying, “If you give us the cargo, we’ll get it into Gaza.” Kathy Kelly? KATHY KELLY: It isn’t just a matter of humanitarian cargo being brought into Gaza. It’s a matter of people having been subjected to a state of siege, isolated, 45 percent unemployment, inability to reconstruct after the terrible assaults in Operation Cast Lead, people being trapped, young people not being able to get out to avail themselves of education. There are so many reasons why this siege is wrongful. And so, I think it’s misleading to think that we’re people that are trying to be charitable. We’re people who are trying to say that it’s wrong to impose collective punishment on a civilian population because you want to affect their governance. AMY GOODMAN: Richard Levy, why did the Mavi Marmara actually pull out? I mean, there’s going to be a flotilla, you believe, of about 10 ships. Perhaps a thousand people will be on these ships from countries all over the world, that will somehow meet up to challenge the embargo. But Turkey has pulled out. RICHARD LEVY: Yeah. Well, there are, as you probably know, different stories floating around. But one thing we do know is that Israel has put enormous diplomatic pressure on countries, many countries—in fact, even on the U.N. They met with Ban Ki-moon, and they asked him to put pressure on various constituent members to stop this flotilla from going forward. One of the countries where we know they put an extreme amount of pressure was Turkey. And whether or not that pressure was the reason why this boat is not sailing is—I can’t verify, but it certainly is a question of concern. We also know that right now they’re putting pressure on Greece to try and stop any boat leaving from Greece. So— AMY GOODMAN: Hadn’t Netanyahu recently visited with Prime Minister Papandreou? RICHARD LEVY: Yes, yes. And I’m sure this was on the agenda. It’s kind of remarkable how—how much visibility this has had in the offices of the leadership of Israel, because they have been very, very active and very forceful in trying to stop this flotilla from going forward, which really is an exercise in trying to stop a peaceful demonstration. I guess the so-called Arab Spring doesn’t extend to actions that involve Israel, where we support peaceful, democratic demonstrations. This one, I guess, falls outside that sphere of support. AMY GOODMAN: Kathy Kelly, can you talk about who’s on your ship alone, about 50 people—Alice Walker, the well-known writer, author of Color Purple, Ray McGovern, former CIA top briefer for President George H.W. Bush when he was vice president at the time—who else? KATHY KELLY: Well, I’ve certainly been impressed with the work of Ann Wright. She’s criss-crossed the country since having been involved with previous efforts to enter Gaza, and has entered Gaza in the past, along with Medea Benjamin. And there’s been a tremendous effort on the part of many organizers. AMY GOODMAN: Ann Wright, the colonel, who quit over the wars, and Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink. KATHY KELLY: That’s right. And then, from Illinois, where I’m from, Robert Naiman, who coordinates Just Foreign Policy. Hedy Epstein, who has repeatedly gone over to Gaza, and her parents had been killed during the Holocaust. I think the makeup of people on the ship represents a broad sector of the U.S. peace movement. One of my close friends, just graduated from Beloit College, Max Suchan, he’ll also be on the boat. But we want the focus to be on people in Gaza. We’re very, very conscious of how people in Gaza have been subjected to privation, to an inability to move on with their lives. You’ve got a younger generation that’s never known anything other than being trapped inside of a punitive situation. So the focus should most especially be on our Gazan friends. AMY GOODMAN: And Richard Levy, you’re a lawyer. What is the legality of this challenge? RICHARD LEVY: Well, I think the challenge is completely legal. The blockade, I think, is completely illegal. You know, it’s a violation of the Geneva Accords to occupy a country, as has been done here through the control of all its borders, and then block supplies, block people from moving in and out. In Gaza, it’s meant food. It’s meant medical care. It’s meant educational opportunities. It’s meant, of course, as Kathy said, the rebuilding of a country that was smashed by Israelis using a lot of U.S. weaponry. AMY GOODMAN: What’s happened with the previous attempts? For example, a few weeks ago a Malaysian boat, the Israeli military shot across the bow? RICHARD LEVY: Yeah, the Malaysian boat, also carrying very dangerous material—in this case, it was sewer pipe, because the Israelis had bombed out a sewage treatment plant in Gaza, and the Malaysians were attempting to bring materials to help fix that situation, because the water in Gaza is not drinkable in almost any part of the country. What the Israelis did in that case was they did fire across the bow. They froze—basically froze the boat in its place in the Mediterranean and kept it there for days until there was really an issue of food and water running out, and so on and so forth. And finally, the boat was allowed to move forward into Egypt. But it demonstrates just the willful, what can I say, nastiness. I mean, why would you not allow sewage pipe to fix a broken sewage treatment plant into a country? Why would you do it? AMY GOODMAN: But it also says that it’s dangerous to do this. Why are you going? RICHARD LEVY: Well, I guess maybe there’s some denial, you know, about the possibilities of danger. But really, I think it’s just essential that people speak up. I mean, we sometimes look for a model in the folks who went on the Freedom Rides, the people who have stepped forward in a lot of situations and said someone has to challenge this. And if there were legal means to do it, if I could do it in a courtroom, I would do it in a courtroom. But I don’t think those means are available. AMY GOODMAN: Israel has—says it’s imposed the blockade to prevent weapon smuggling into Gaza and that benign goods are welcome, as long as they’re offloaded in an Israeli port for inspection. RICHARD LEVY: Yeah, well, you know, it’s just not true. All of the boats, as far as I know—and certainly the U.S. boat—has made it clear that it will cause an inspection to be done before it leaves port. It will not be carrying anything of any danger to Israel. That can be verified at any time by any international body or any neutral body. This boat is carrying, as I said, enough food for the people on board and thousands and thousands of letters from Americans to the people of Gaza. AMY GOODMAN: Finally, Kathy Kelly, you’ve been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize twice. You have been in dangerous situations repeatedly, putting your body on the front line in Iraq, in Afghanistan. This clearly is a very difficult situation. Why are you doing this again? KATHY KELLY: You know, youngsters that I’ve gotten to know in Afghanistan asked me to wear this blue scarf and to bring many blue scarves with me. And I asked them, “Why the color blue?” And they said, “Well, because there’s one blue sky above us.” People really are interdependent, and I think this boat is a representation of that. And it’s so appropriate for people from the U.S., because it’s the U.S. that has supplied Israel with so many weapons, that if you were to construct a tunnel to accommodate the weaponry that we’ve supplied, it would have to be the size of the Grand Canyon. AMY GOODMAN: Well, we are going to continue to follow The Audacity of Hope. And the name, The Audacity of Hope, Richard? RICHARD LEVY: Well, I think it’s a name that we all know, but really it’s to express the idea of hope. It’s to say to the people of Gaza, who have asked us to join this mission, there is hope, and we will help support your hope. AMY GOODMAN: New York labor lawyer Richard Levy and Kathy Kelly, peace activist, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. www.democracynow.org/2011/6/20/the_audacity_of_hope_us_peace(many thanks to US BOAT TO GAZA via Democracy Now!)
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 21, 2011 0:06:56 GMT 4
Freedom for Palestine - OneWorld www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V28HnPTYz-I
Uploaded by FreedomOneWorld on May 23, 2011
Stand up for Palestine - PRE-ORDER NOW FROM ITUNES + HMV DIGITAL NOW!
www.hmvdigital.com/artist/oneworld/freedom-for-palestine
itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/freedom-for-palestine/id439588627
www.freedomoneworld.com
www.facebook.com/freedomoneworld www.twitter.com/freedomoneworld
International musicians release historic UK single Freedom for Palestine. Release 3 July 2011.
Feat: Maxi Jazz (Faithless), Dave Randall (Slovo/Faithless), LSK, the Durban Gospel Choir, Jamie Catto (1 Giant Leap), Andrea Britton, Harry Collier, Sudha Kheterpal, Andy Treacy, Attab Haddad, Joelle Barker and Tony Reed.
Music video features comedian Mark Thomas, rapper Lowkey and poet Michael Rosen. Dance by Roxy.
Song written and produced by Dave Randall. Video produced by Andy Marlow. Filming by Alex Forster, Andy Marlow & Henna Malik (UK), Dave Randall (UK & West Bank), Jen Marlowe (Gaza) and Amehlo Video Productions (South Africa). Animation by the Moth Collective.
(many thanks to Jeff H)
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 21, 2011 18:28:03 GMT 4
Limerick send-off for Freedom Flotilla 2—Stay Human,
Irish Ship to Gaza 20-06-2011
part onewww.youtube.com/watch?v=DkAdnpbE8Hwpart twowww.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXedGV1w4sUploaded by planxtysumoud on Jun 20, 2011
Twenty-five passengers and crew are scheduled to sail on the Irish-owned MV Saoirse from its point of departure in the Mediterranean on Saturday, 25th June 2011 and join the flotilla on Monday.
National co-ordinator of the Irish Ship to Gaza campaign Fintan Lane said yesterday that Israel had no legal or moral right to stop the flotilla. "Threats of violence, we believe, should be condemned by all right-thinking people and certainly by governments believing in the rule of law,'' he added. "We have taken a very definite decision that Israeli troops are not welcome on our ships, largely because they killed our colleagues last year, but also because they have no legal right to search the ships in international waters under those conditions," he added. "We will have the ships searched at the ports of departure by the local authorities."
Mr Lane said that while they would not offer any violent resistance to an Israeli boarding party, they would make it clear they were not interested in having them on their ships.
He said the project was a non-violent act of solidarity and empathy between the ordinary people of Ireland and Gaza. Money had been collected across the State to buy a ship, he added.
The passengers and crew will include former Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews, Dublin Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy, Derry Sinn Féin councillor Gerry Mac Lochlainn, former international rugby player Trevor Hogan, trade union official Mags O'Brien and skipper Shane Dillon.
www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0621/1224299312335.html(many thanks to Hamde A)
piracy |ˈpīrəsē|
noun
the practice of attacking and robbing ships at sea.
|
|
|
|
Post by ninathedog on Jun 21, 2011 21:06:11 GMT 4
Malaysian, French ships join
'Freedom Flotilla' to GazaMonday June 20, 2011 13:01
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News Report post
International Middle East Media CenterThe Prime Minister of Malaysia voiced his support for the up-coming 'Freedom Flotilla' of aid ships and 500 supporters from around the world who plan to enter Gaza by sea on June 27th. A ship from Malaysia joins two new French ships added to the roster of a dozen ships set to sail to Gaza next week.  Malaysian Prime Minister at send-off ceremony for
Malaysian aid ship (Malaysia Times photo)Israeli commandoes have been preparing for the flotilla with war games and new weaponry, including a high-powered water cannon which they plan to fire at the aid ships to prevent them from entering Gaza. Although Israel faced criticism worldwide for its attack on the aid flotilla last year which killed nine aid workers, no changes have been made in Israeli policy and no one has faced charges for the killings. The two French boats, announced on Sunday, will carry around 40 passengers, including legislators, entertainers and sports stars from France. The flotilla will include ships from the US, England, Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Portugal, Australia, Kuwait and Portugal, in addition to the French and Malaysian ships. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told a crowd of flotilla supporters in a stadium in Kuala Lampur, “As long as the Palestinian people are oppressed, we will take it upon ourselves to fight for them. We should, even if the world does not.” He said that he will look into a request by the flotilla participants to have the United Nations examine the contents of the ships on the flotilla prior to their departure from Gaza, to pre-empt any claims by the Israeli government that the ships are carrying anything other than their inventoried and inspected loads of humanitarian aid and workers. The Freedom Flotilla aims to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, imposed four years ago in June 2007. According to the organizers of the Flotilla, “Nowhere else in the world are people required by the international community to accept humanitarian aid instead of freedom. And even that humanitarian aid is not forthcoming, owing to Israel’s blockade. This month, the health authority in Gaza proclaimed a state of emergency due to an acute shortage of vital medicines. Approximately 178 types of medications and 123 types of medical supplies have run out, and an additional 69 types of medications and 70 types of medical supplies are expected to run out within the next three months.” 46 Palestinian aid organizations reiterated their support for the flotilla in a signed statement made earlier this week. www.imemc.org/article/61497
|
|
