they're dancing in Philly, for BDS

Creative folks in Philly put together a dance with BDS (Boycott-Divest-Sanction) movement lyrics then dropped into a local store to do their thing. This kind of enthusiastic demonstration could be catching. It's remarkable to me that it took place in Philadelphia and not in California.

Even the store employee who is supposed to be ejecting them is smiling. You just might too!

Hanin Zoabi speaks to Americans

Hanin Zoabi, seen above, is a Palestinian female member of the Israeli Knesset. Yesterday, she spoke at the University of Chicago to the public and I attended.

Having been on the Gaza Flotilla that was attacked by Israeli forces, she is reviled in the Knesset and, not surprisingly, has received death threats. Speaking of her membership in the Israeli parliament, she said it was difficult to appear before a group of people that hate her. They refuse to refer to her as either a Palestinian or an Arab, only as a "non-Jew". She says the Knesset should be a deliberative body, with any member free to bring up an issue for discussion, but there is no debate when she brings up an issue, only condemnation and verbal abuse.

A member of the audience asked if she is optimistic. She responded that she is neither optimistic or pessimistic. She keeps at her work because it is necessary work and she reminded listeners of the Arabic word samud (steadfastness). She feels that the chances for a two-state solution are now negligible but that the Palestinian people must continue to assert the facts - that they are indigenous people and that Zionism has, from the start, worked to take their land from them.

Asked if there might be any support from the Israeli left, she was dismissive, commenting that the representation of the leftist Meretz party had fallen to only three seats in the Knesset.

A feminist, she has no time for the views of Hamas and wishes to see a full democracy where all have equal rights regardless of ethnicity, religion or sex. One would think this stand would appeal to Americans more than the views of the Israeli government that is boarding on fascism in its denial of the rights of half of the people living in Palestine, but you can be sure there will be no mention of her appearance or what she said in either the Chicago news media, or national news sources in the U.S.

The audience appeared to me to be mostly favorable to her views, though there were a couple of questions challenging her position. One questioner asked how she could defend the violent attacks by the passengers on the Gaza Flotilla. Zoabi was almost incredulous that such a view could be held, seeing the Israeli forces as unjustifiably attacking a peaceful group in international waters. She is proud of the fact that she was aboard and believes her presence was necessary because of her position as a representative of the Palestinian people, her constituency. For this participation on the flotilla, the Knesset has acted against her. Another member of the Knesset, Anastasia Michaeli, had to be physically restrained from attacking Zoabi as she addressed the assembly. Former Knesset member Uri Avnery writes...

One could not imagine a greater contrast than that between the two MKs. While Haneen Zoabi belongs to a family whose roots in the Nazareth area go back centuries, perhaps to the time of Jesus, Anastasia Michaeli was born in (then) Leningrad. She was elected “Miss St. Petersburg” and then became a fashion model, married an Israeli, converted to Judaism, immigrated to Israel at age 24 but sticks to her very Russian first name. She has given birth to eight children. She may be a candidate for the Israeli Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifh Palin, who, after all, was also once a beauty queen..

As far as I could make out, not a single Jewish member raised a finger to defend Zoabi during the tumult. Nothing but some half-hearted protest from the Speaker, Reuven Rivlin, and a Meretz member, Chaim Oron.

In all the 61 years of its existence, the Knesset had not seen such a sight. Within a minute the sovereign assembly turned into a parliamentary lynch mob.

Passionately devoted to the cause of justice, she could have spoken for more time than was allowed. She had what appeared to me to be a couphttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifle of bodyguards, who looked Palestinian. I doubt the Knesset would provide her with any protection.

You may find this interview with Hanin Zoabi interesting, conducted right before I heard her speak.

Americans: how much longer will you remain indifferent to the contrast between the reality of Israel and the presentation of Israel carefully crafted for you of a "democracy just like the United States"?

madrassas and yeshivas

For years Americans have had the madrassa, or Islamic school, held out to them as the birthplace of terrorism. Pictures of very young boys chanting the Qur'an in chorus along with the knowledge that the intolerant Taliban are the product of such schooling is indeed upsetting - a rejection of our value on the individual and the use of rational judgment.

But the news from Israel is hardly reassuring. In that country, religious zealotry and right-wing fanaticism are growing and have been for many years. The yeshivas, or Jewish religious schools, are turning out fanatics with a very restricted view of the world and the state is in favor of it. Yeshiva students have their expenses paid by the state in contrast to secular schooling where students must come up with their tuition. Could there be anything more un-American?

Religious political parties hold power in the current government coalition. The leader of one of those parties, Shas, has declared that non-Jews are born to serve Jews. He has also said that Palestinians should "perish from the world".

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has noted the increasing proportion of officers in the IDF that are from the yeshivas, now almost a third of the total, and the population of settlers in the occupied territories is increasingly made up of the religious. I have also heard that the Israeli police are now seeking recruits in the settlements. We can confidently expect more such stories as this one reporting IDF recruits refusing to evacuate settlers.

In contrast to the depiction of madrassas, I haven't seen any of the foregoing information on the religious Jews in Israel prominent in the U.S. news. This is remarkable because the founders of the United States were very concerned about mixing religion and politics and took care to keep church and state separate. Religion, of whatever kind, lends itself to extremism and intolerance simply out of the refusal to accept other views than its own.

Israel was quite secular in early years but now it is heading toward intolerance with a will as a detailed article on legislation before the Knesset reveals.

All of this is reason for concern, but it has not stopped one dollar of American money or one item of American weaponry, or one pause in protection for Israel by the U.S. in the U.N. from proceeding. We still heard continually of how much Israel has in common with America.

I was frightened by Joe Biden's remark that there is "no daylight between American and Israel". It prompted the start of this blog. Biden is not stupid, nor is he a right-wing ideologue. He is, however, keenly aware of the layout of political power so speaks as he does. The vice-president of the United States unable to speak truthfully about a foreign country. This sobering thought should get you and I moving to reduce the power of the Israel lobby ASAP.

A concerned Israeli acts for justice

Last night I attended a talk by Gal Lugassi, seen below, a young Israeli who spoke of her participation in anti-wall protests in the occupied territories.


Why does she do it? Anyone can see that the Palestinians are being oppressed but Gal participates because she knows that as an Israeli Jew she will not suffer the dire consequences that the Palestinians do if they are held by the IDF. While Gal might be detained for a few hours and interviewed after demonstrating, Palestinians can be put in prison without a hearing and for an indefinite period of time. In other words, Gal understands how apartheid works from real experience and uses her knowledge to help those who are suffering. She is also aware that while she lives in comfort, they continue to know the daily losses and deprivations that have been ongoing for decades.

I ask you - how can we Americans stand by in the face of this courage and support the very government in Israel that is causing the suffering?

Gal showed part of a gripping video of Palestinians losing their olive trees to make room for the separation wall. I hope to discover it online so I can present it to you.

She told of the mass of indifference in Israel and repeatedly told us that she thought 95% of Israelis don't care what happens to the Palestinians, viewing them as sub-human. The behavior of the IDF that I have seen would bear this attitude out.

She said that she and her fellow activist Israelis never go to a demonstration unless they are asked to do so by the Palestinians, again for the reason that it is the Palestinians who suffer the consequences so it is for them to decide what to do and what it is that they want to see in the future as a result of the protests.

Gal is a passionate advocate for justice. I know from the Vietnam War days that there is a tremendous inertia that will prevent activism by the public but without those like Gal to put their beliefs on the line, injustice continues indefinitely. It takes courage to do something when there are no great number of people acting with you. It's often lonely work but while not in the least humorous, the saying is true - someone has to do it. How about you?

Gal is a member of the group Anarchists Against the Wall. Click on "Videos" in the right-hand column of their website for some very revealing views of the protests.

Another member of Anarchists Against the Wall, Joseph Dana, presents a video talk about the history and methods of peaceful demonstrations by Palestinians and their supporters since the Second Intifada, mentioning the techniques used to counter the demonstrators by the IDF.

MUST WATCH: CIA analyst gives remarkably straight talk

The CIA has a bad name for all the dirty work it does throughout the world. That doesn't mean that there aren't skilled employees who are well versed in their areas of expertise.

I was impressed by CIA analyst Kathleen Christison's talk on CSPAN about Israel and the United States. She speaks clearly, comprehensively and persuasively about the lock that the Israel lobby holds on United States policy and the incapacity of the Obama administration to act justly. She describes the long accomplished capture of American public opinion by the Zionist/Israeli narrative that portrays Israel as almost a part of the United States. It runs about 17 minutes.

It's very encouraging that this information is coming out from higher and higher places in the U.S. government.

This screen grab of Christison speaking is not active - use the link above.

posters appear in Chicago

While traveling on public transportation in Chicago, riders may see the sign shown below, just as I did yesterday in the subway at the Chicago and State stop on the Red Line. Due to a limited budget, the signs are not in the most prominent positions - this one was the very last one opposite the end of the platform - but the word is out. The organization behind these signs is just getting started. Why not contribute to this worthy publicity effort?

what no Palestinian can do

I just returned from a week of vacation travel, covering 1500 miles. I was not stopped at any checkpoint, my identity was not required to move across state lines, the police and the military, though seen, had no interest in me. There were no roads I could not take, no places I was forbidden to visit. When I returned, my home was as I left it.

This simple act of travel is forbidden to Palestinians, though they have a lineage in Palestine far, far deeper than I have in the United States. They cannot leave where they live for any period of time for fear that their property will be taken from them and they must take round-about routes since there are roads they may not take. A visit outside the occupied territories is very risky because there is no guarantee they will be allowed back home.

When I did get home, I found a political flyer in my mail. A candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois was condemned for having contributed to Palestinian relief. The title of the flyer: A TROUBLING PATTERN OF FUNDING ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS.

This shows how far Americans are from any connection with events in Palestine, and how little they know about their own unwitting support for the denial of the freedoms they hold dear.