EDITOR: A great strike for BDS!
The TUC, the trades Union federation of Britain, has done what a year ago was unimaginable – it has voted today, unanimously, for a BDS campaign to free Palestine! This is the greatest victory the BDS movement had to date, with near 8 million workers represented by this federation, this is an enormously crucial move forward!
To our many friends abroad – it can be done! This is the result of hard work and many years of argument and information, to the point that this was the only move possible for the TUC; you can do this in other countries also! Help to isolate the military Zionist colonial state!
TUC votes for campaign of boycott and disinvestment to free Palestine: PSC
Britain’s unions have thrown their weight behind a campaign of disinvestment and boycott from companies which are profiting from Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
Trade unions voted unanimously today at the TUC’s annual conference for a motion put forward by the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), seconded by the GMB, and supported by UNSION, PCS (the Public and Commercial Services Union) and the FBU (Fire Brigades’ Union).
The motion called for the General Council to work closely with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to actively encourage affiliates, employers and pension funds to disinvest from, and boycott the goods of, companies who profit from illegal settlements, the Occupation and construction of the Apartheid Wall.
It condemned Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territories, in particular Gaza, and the Israeli military’s deadly assault on aid ships carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza in May. It also called for an immediate end to the siege on Gaza, and a full independent inquiry into the attack on the Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, which killed nine activists.
A separate General Council statement requires the TUC, which represents 6.5 million workers across the UK, to have a concrete programme for action in place by next month
Hugh Lanning, Chair of PSC, said: ‘This motion builds on that passed at last year’s conference to campaign for a boycott of goods from the illegal West Bank settlements. It is a massive step forward in the movement for justice for the Palestinian people, and reflects growing public anger at Israel’s aggression towards the Palestinians and those, such as the humanitarians on the Gaza aid flotilla, who try to help them.’
Mr Lanning added: ‘Trade unions were pivotal in helping to end Apartheid in South Africa and bring freedom to that country’s people. Today’s vote shows that Britain’s unions are prepared to stand up again in support of an oppressed people – this time the Palestinians – and help them to win their freedom. This is an historic moment for the union movement in the UK, and one that it can be proud of.’
British trade unions call for boycott of Israeli goods made in West Bank: Haaretz
A TUC meeting in the northern city of Manchester agreed to contact supermarkets and other retailers urging them to stop selling goods produced in the settlements, including herbs and beauty products.
Britain’s Trade Unions Congress (TUC) called Tuesday for a boycott of goods produced in West Bank settlements.
A TUC meeting in the northern city of Manchester agreed to contact supermarkets and other retailers urging them to stop selling goods produced in the settlements, including herbs and beauty products.
Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said unions should do more to help Palestinians than simply making speeches and agreeing conference resolutions.
Israeli rights group: Probe IDF soldiers over deaths of Palestinian civilians: Haaretz
B’Tselem report concludes no IDF soldier has been indicted for such deaths over the last four years.
A new report by the human rights group B’tselem concludes that during the past four years not a single IDF soldier was indicted for killing Palestinian civilians in the territories.
The report claims that between 2006 and2009, 617 Palestinian civilians not involved in combat operations were killed in the territories – a count that does not include those killed during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.
The rights group filed complaints with the IDF in half of the cases, but only 23 cases were deemed justified for investigation by the Military Police. In 42 other cases the Military Advocate General decided not to indict, and in the rest of the cases are still formally under investigation. In none of the cases were charges brought against the soldiers involved.
Prior to the start of the second intifada, the Military Police would investigate every incident in which an innocent Palestinian civilian was killed. However, in 2001 a decision was made to define violent incidents in the territory as “armed conflict,” and subsequently the IDF made do with an operational investigation of the unite involved and did not take the matter further.
B’tselem petitioned the High Court of Justice recently to alter the definition of violent incidents in the territories and set rules that would force the army to investigate cases in which civilians were killed.
The IDF spokesman said in response that “most of the issues and claims raised by the report are pending the petition to the High Court which was filed by the group. The state responded to the petition in detail and it would be appropriate to await the court’s decision.”
Israeli army admits three killed Gazans were civilians: BBC
The Israeli army has admitted that three Palestinian men it killed in Gaza on Sunday were civilians, and not terrorists, as previously claimed.
Brig Gen Ayal Eisenberg said one of the men had picked up a grenade launcher abandoned in a field, and Israeli troops mistakenly opened fire, thinking they were about to come under attack.
Among those killed were a 91-year-old farm worker and his grandson, aged 17.
Rocket fire from Gaza has increased in the past week. No casualties resulted.
Hours after the general’s statement, at least two Palestinians were wounded in Israeli shelling east of Gaza City, a medic and another witness said.
The two were wounded when Israel fired four tank shells near the village of Juhr al-Dik, close to the heavily-guarded border, the witness said.
The Israeli army said it had returned fire after militants approached the border and fired a rocket propelled grenade at a patrol.
Our soldiers identified a civilian who was picking up a [rocket] and, thinking he was going to fire at them, opened fire”
Brig Gen Ayal Eisenberg
Israeli army’s Gaza division head
Two of those killed were named as Ibrahim Abu Saeed and his grandson Husam. The third victim, a 20-year-old man, has not been named.
At the time, Israeli army radio described the men as “terrorists”, but Gen Ayal Eisenberg now says the soldiers made a mistake.
“The civilians killed by our soldiers’ fire… were not involved in any terrorist operation,” he told army radio.
“Our soldiers identified a civilian who was picking up an RPG [rocket propelled grenade] and, thinking he was going to fire at them, opened fire” in his direction, he added.
The incident occurred shortly after militants in Gaza fired several rockets and mortar rounds across the border into southern Israel. The attacks did not result in any injuries or damage.
‘Trigger-happy attitude’
Separately, a report published by an Israeli human rights group found that Israeli soldiers who kill Palestinians were rarely punished.
The B’Tselem report released on Tuesday said that the military investigated only 22 of 148 cases submitted by the group.
No criminal charges were brought in any of the cases, which involved the killing of 288 Palestinian civilians between 2006 and 2009, it said.
“This policy permits soldiers and officers to act in violation of the law, encourages a trigger-happy attitude and shows a flagrant disregard for human life,” the report said.
One Thai farm worker in Israel has been killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the past 18 months, while scores of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed over the same period.
Peace Now: 2,066 settlement homes to be built as soon as freeze ends: Haaretz
New report indicates an overall of 13,000 previously authorized West Bank housing units, construction sites could be built after the Sept. 26 freeze expiration date.
2,066 new homes would be ready for continued West Bank construction as soon as a moratorium on settlement building is lifted later this month, a report by the Israeli left-wing NGO Peace Now said Sunday, adding that work on another 11,000 potential units could hypothetically start as well.
The Peace Now reports came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting earlier Sunday that while Israel wouldn’t necessarily continue its freeze on settlement construction, it was possible that a compromise could be reached in which construction would resume at a slower pace.
“I don’t know if there will be a comprehensive freeze,” he said. “But I also don’t know if it is necessary to construct all of the 20,000 housing units waiting to be built. In any case, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
The Peace Now report released Sunday indicated that work could proceed on 2,066 housing units, spread out over 42 different settlements since those building projects had already received the required permits and have preliminary foundations.
The report’s figures corresponded with previously released data on the subject, which alleged that between 2,000 and 2,500 homes were okayed for continued construction as soon as the settlement freeze expires in September 26.
In July, a Haaretz probe indicated that at least 2,700 new housing units were scheduled to be built in the West Bank as soon as the current settlement freeze ended.
Peace Now, in the report released Sunday, said the units were dispersed over, among other locations, settlements such as Talmon, Modi’in Ilit, Kiryat Arba, Givat Ze’ev, and Kfar Tapuach.
In addition to the 2,066 units, Peace Now also claimed Sunday that there were an additional 11,000 potential houses which could be built, in places where general outlines had been approved.
Those potential units were located in Avnei Hefetz, Karnei Shomron, Ma’ale Efraim, Revava, Tekoa, Talmon, Kedumim, Immanuel, Mevo Dotan, and Beit Aryeh. However the fact that these units can be built doesn’t necessarily mean they will be built in the near future.
Referring to the upcoming expiration date of the settlement building moratorium, Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika warned that “an announcement of a continuation of the building freeze will be considered an announcement of the end of term for the Netanyahu government.”
Netanyahu’s “government… was elected with the votes of the nationalist camp but is trying to implement the policies of Balad,” Mesika added.
Extend the settlement freeze, U.S. urges Israel at Egypt summit: Haaretz
Aides to Netanyahu call day’s meetings ‘positive and productive’; U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell pushes Israel to keep peace process alive by agreeing to stretch moratorium on building in the West Bank.
SHARM EL-SHEIKH – The United States called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, as Israeli and Palestinian leaders met on Tuesday for a second round of face-to-face peace talks.
“We think it makes sense to extend the moratorium,” said U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell following the summit in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu convened later in the day for an unexpected set of talks, this time with top aides present, after the first session broke for lunch.
Asides to the prime minister said the day’s meetings were “positive and productive” and dealt with issues pertaining to the settlement freeze and to a permanent agreement with the Palestinians.
Mitchell said negotiations would continue Wednesday in Jerusalem with Clinton’s participation and Israeli and Palestinians teams would meet again “in the coming days” ahead of further talks at the leadership level.
“Today the parties have begun a serious discussion on core issues,” Mitchell said. “President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu also reiterated their intent to approach these negotiations in good faith and with a seriousness of purpose.”
Under international pressure, Israel in late 2009 declared a 10-month freeze on settlement building – excluding East Jerusalem. But that is due to expire in late September and the Palestinians have repeatedly vowed to walk out if building resumes.
“Choosing to continue with settlements in any form means destroying the negotiations,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said ahead of the day’s first meeting.
Palestinians say the settlements, built on land they want for a state, would deny them a viable and contiguous country. “We are all striving to bring the message to Netanyahu that the settlements issue is important to negotiations and for us there cannot be any talks on ending occupation while occupation is deepening,” another Palestinian negotiator, Nabil Shaath, said.
At a post-summit press conference, Mitchell acknowledged that it would be hard for Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition opposes the freeze, to compromise, but said he had also urged the Palestinians to take steps to reassure the Israelis.
Mitchell said the leaders’ conversation had touched on the “core issues” – borders, Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital.
Echoing U.S. President Barack Obama’s position, Mitchell said: “We think it makes sense to extend the moratorium especially given that the talks are moving in a constructive direction.”
Mitchell said Washington was aware “this is a politically sensitive issue in Israel” and the United States also had called on Abbas to “take steps that help, encourage and facilitate this [peace] process.”
Before Tuesday’s talks, set to continue on Wednesday in Jerusalem, there had been tension over the content of negotiations, with Israel pushing for an initial focus on security and a formal end to the decades-old conflict through mutual recognition, but with the Palestinians insisting on moving to the core issues immediately.
Mitchell said that despite their disagreements, both Netanyahu and Abbas remained committed to the year-long timetable for a peace deal laid out when talks began in Washington in early September.
The sides “negotiated in good faith” and confirmed their vision of the end goal of “two states for two peoples”, Mitchell said.
Yet as Netanyahu and Abbas negotiated behind closed doors, it emerged in Israel that Jerusalem city planners would in the coming weeks discuss a scheme to build over a thousand Jewish housing units beyond the Green Line.
On October 7, the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Committee will discuss plans for 1,362 new homes in Givat Hamatos, between the suburbs of Talpiot and Gilo.
Although Givat Hamatos is not covered by the freeze, which excludes East Jerusalem, the timing of the debate could have significant diplomatic consequences.
In April, an Israeli announcement of plans for 1,600 housing units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo coincided with a visit to the country by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, leading to a high-profile row between Israel and the United States.
EDITOR: Matreial for anti-semites…
Isn’t it interesting – a Jewish Billionaire paying of war criminals (who are also just criminals in the lesser, civil sense) in Israel. His list of payees reads like the who is who of Israeli politics
Schlaff and his beneficiaries: Haaretz Editorial
The attorney general must act quickly to clarify suspicions of links between the Austrian businessman and Avigdor Lieberman’s party.
Austrian businessman Martin Schlaff does not suffer from loneliness. He has many friends who enjoy his company and wealth. The detailed and thorough investigative report by Gidi Weitz in Haaretz last week exposed the extensive network of Schlaff’s connections – from East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Palestinian Authority in the corrupt days of Yasser Arafat, and to Israel, which seems to be managed from Vienna by remote control.
The list of Schlaff’s beneficiaries, collaborators and favorites includes at least three prime minsters and could comprise a whole cabinet, with a few senior officials left over. It crosses party lines and includes senior people in Likud, Shas, Labor, Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu – religious and secular alike. Schlaff is the real melting pot of Israeli society, uniting all parts of the nation. His activities range from the lofty to the populist, from charities to casinos. Schlaff very much improved our balance of payments, especially of needy Israeli leaders, first and foremost Ariel Sharon.
Schlaff’s proteges sought to repay his favors, as is the norm in the third world, and apparently also in the remnants of Franz Josef’s Austro-Hungarian Empire. In Israel, too, there are many – and their numbers increase the higher up the ladder you go – who see nothing wrong with this.
Unfortunately, officials in the police and the State Prosecutor’s Office do not agree and insist on rummaging through the actions of the politicians and officials whose wheels have been oiled by Schlaff’s money.
Schlaff’s fluent Hebrew got stuck in his throat after police investigators asked him to provide his version of events; since then he has preferred to stay away from Israel, which he loves so much. He doesn’t care that the wheels of justice move slowly, and it turns out that many top political and legal figures in Austria share that attitude. The obstacles in the way of the Israeli authorities ostensibly contributed to a miscarriage of justice at the expense of people under investigation, mainly Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. But it seems that there is no miscarriage here.
The Lieberman file is on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein’s desk with the police recommendation to indict the foreign minister. The attorney general must decide quickly to end this intolerable situation in which an unresolved cloud of suspicion hovers over a leading politician.
From the Horse’s Mouth: Voice of the Israeli Unhinged
EDITOR: it has to be read to be believed!
This is the supposedly ironic writing of an officer in the Imperial Army. Could one be more deluded than he? Enjoy!
How I became an evil settler: Haaretz
I am the ‘other,’ the archetype of Israeli evil. Otherness is the darling of people who love to hate. It allows people from any camp, left, right or center, to isolate themselves from certain people, turn them into an inhuman group and hate them without guilt or torment.
By Avinoam Sharon
I am a “settler.” Because I am a settler, artists and members of the academic community – some of whom are my close friends – have decided to boycott my home. I am a settler, the archetypical Other of Israeli evil.
Otherness is the darling of people who hate. It allows people of every stripe, left, right and center, to dissociate from certain people as a dehumanized class without thought or regret, and to hate without pangs of guilt. Throughout history, Jews have played the role of Other. In the world community today, Israel itself often plays the role of Other. Now I am the Other. I am the Other because I am a “settler,” and in the eyes of some, that is what defines me.
How did I become this embodiment of all that is wrong and unjust?
When I married, I had hoped to continue to live in Jerusalem, to raise my family in the city in which I had grown up. But the Israeli Government had different ideas. By the time I married, successive Israeli Governments – left and right – had pursued a policy of discouraging young couples from purchasing homes in the major cities, and of directing them to development towns and to the Territories. It was a policy that, for example, made it necessary for a young couple to put up as much as 60 percent of the purchase price of an apartment in cash in order to qualify for a mortgage or other housing loans, while providing free land and subsidized housing assistance of 85 percent and more of the cost of a home in “areas of national priority.”
My wife and I did not want to live in an area of national priority. We didn’t want to leave Jerusalem. But after moving from one rented flat to another four times in five years, I wrote to the Minister of Housing. He replied. He advised me that generous incentives were available to those who moved to rural communities and to the Territories.
Like many in our situation, we began to look. We found a small community near the Green Line, overlooking Ben-Gurion Airport – a settlement “in the national consensus.” It was a community that had been built after the Government had convinced the Supreme Court that it was absolutely needed to serve vital interests of national security.
Despite the high-sounding pronouncements of the politically correct, greater legal minds than Oded Kotler, Zeev Sternhell, Cynthia Nixon and Mandy Patinkin (among them, the Israeli Supreme Court and the legal advisors of the U.S. Department of State and of the United Nations) had determined that there was nothing illegal about building my home. And even after the Government of the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin announced a policy of “drying up” the settlements, my community continued to receive preferential loans, grants and generous incentives from his Government.
But things have changed. Negotiations for the establishment of a Palestinian state have turned me and my neighbors into political pawns. The security barrier now separates us physically from the State of Israel. The two policies have contributed to rendering my home a valueless asset, an economic trap – a prison. Yet, no Israeli government, left, right or center, has been willing to state what will become of me or of my neighbors.
Like most settlers, I am a Zionist. I believe that settling the Land of Israel is about national self-determination. I believe – in true Zionist tradition – that Zionism is about Jewish national sovereignty in the Jewish homeland, not about its specific borders. I believe that the so-called “settler leaders” who declare their determination to remain in their communities even if they become part of a Palestinian state, represent a misguided minority that puts the Land of Israel before Jewish sovereignty. Their messianic view is not Zionism at all. It is a betrayal of Zionism.
A Zionist, by virtue of his ideals, must say that if the duly elected Government of the State of Israel has decided that a particular piece of territory is to be relinquished to another sovereign, or that a particular community does not serve the national interest, then he will move to a place where the Jewish national interest will be realized. The opposite statement is anti-Zionist.
Nevertheless, I am now dismissed as an irredeemable Other – unworthy of education, of culture and of support. I am condemned for my choices by those who have robbed me of choice. The signatories of the various petitions and supporters of the boycotts might bear in mind why I have become the object of their anger, hate and condemnation. It is because, like them, I dreamt and continue to dream of a better Israel. It is because, by and large, we value the same ideals. So, when they accuse me, they should bear in mind that I am guilty only by association with them.
Avinoam Sharon is a retired IDF lieutenant colonel, a lawyer and a resident of Nili.