It is disappointing to see that the representatives that we elect into legislative positions in the United States are opposed to equality for all, one of the basic principles this country stands for.
When George Mitchell was appointed as the Middle East Envoy, the response from some influential individuals were similar to the following:
"One prominent Jewish community leader objected to Mitchell because he would be too 'fair.'"
"Right-wing Christian Zionist Gary Bauer said Mitchell is too 'even-handed.'"
How can being fair be a bad thing? It ensures the optimal outcome for all parties. It is only bad when one party is being greedy or feels that its desires are unjustified and will not be supported by a majority of others. In the land of democracy and the country which wishes to spread democracy throughout the world, the majority rules. Americans who represent us should not be working against the system. This is an example of corruption in our government. However, corruption in the United States does not affect only the United States. Due to the global power of this country, corruption in the United States affects a majority of the countries in the world. Unfortunately, the majority does not get to rule in this case.
Take this as a reminder to be educated about the representatives you vote for. If you don't vote, get educated and then vote because I believe the majority of voters are uneducated about who they are electing. If democracy is worth anything to you, exercise your right and make the trouble of those who fight for democracy be not in vain.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Discussion of U.N. Report Regarding Israeli Offensive on Gaza
Stories have been relayed from U.N. officers like the Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict:
"In one, she said, Israeli soldiers shot a father after ordering him out of his house and then opened fire into the room where the rest of the family was sheltering, wounding the mother and three brothers and killing a fourth.
In another, on January 15, at Tal al Hawa south-west of Gaza City, Israeli soldiers forced an 11-year-old boy to walk in front of them for several hours as they moved through the town, even after they had been shot at."
The first story is one of torture and terrorism. What justification can there be for spraying bullets into a small room of a few unarmed family members? Why would they need to shoot a man who they detained? To have been removed from the situation and been outnumbered by soldiers, he could not have posed a significant threat to anyone. Even if accused of a crime, don't all people deserve the right to a trial and to defend themselves? This is an abuse of force. Imagine if police officers in America were allowed to shoot suspects after they are detained.
Regarding the second story, it is a crime to use human shields but it is elevated to another level of criminality when the human is merely a child. I dare anyone to defend this action to me.
"Palestinian officials say 1,434 people in Gaza -- 960 of them civilians -- were killed in the fighting, a figure Israel contests. The report from the nine gave the total as 1,440, saying of these 431 were children and 114 women.
The overall report was criticized in the 47-nation Council by Israel's ambassador Aharon Leshno Yar, who said it "wilfully ignores and downplays the terrorist and other threats we face," and the use by Hamas of human shields.
Leshno Yar said the 43-page document was part of a pattern of "demonizing Israel" in the Council -- where an informal bloc of Islamic and African nations usually backed by Russia, China and Cuba has a built-in majority."
So, Israel thinks the Palestinian death toll was inflated. The U.N. says it was slightly underestimated. Which of the three entities has the most non-biased opinion in the Palestine-Israeli conflict: Palestine, Israel, or the United Nations?
Israel is playing the victim again. "Yeah, we killed 1,440 people in three weeks but we had a reason. We were threatened." Threatened by homemade bombs that rarely strike populated areas and by defenseless refugees who are landlocked and deprived of food, healthcare, and even jobs? Even if a threat was present, it was not significant enough to warrant the actions of Israel's "Defense" Force. The death toll of Israelis during the conflict was close to only 1% of the number of Palestinians who lost their lives. Can you say disproportionate? However, since Israel and its "most moral army in the world" is being discredited, it is being "demonized" by a leading international organization. Yes, that's right, Israel, the whole world is out to get you. If you were really that afraid of it, then why not stop what you are being accused of? End the illegal occupation, the genocide, and the violation of scores of U.N. resolutions, and the world will let you be.
"Another report presented to the Council on Monday came from Robert Falk, a U.S. academic and the body's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Falk, whom Israel barred from entry last year after accusing him of bias and prejudice, said Israel had subjected civilians in Gaza to 'an inhuman form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm.'"
Israel and America are forever conjoined in foreign policy, right? Israel will criticize American officials, though; when the American criticizes Israel. So much for a professional, respectful relationship which exhibits maturity. This should signal to the U.S. that Israel can cause trouble for the U.S. if interests conflict. America is setting itself up for opposition and hatred around the world due, in part, to this government's undying devotion to an entity recognized worldwide as a racist nation (a.k.a. Israel, in reference to the U.N. statement that Zionism is racism). While America is sacrificing national security and good relations with other countries, Israel could cut ties at the first sight of disagreement. Most people familiar with the situation would contest that Israel would never do such a thing because it relies too heavily upon American support. However, most people are not familiar with the way American citizens are treated by the Israeli authority. I am not only referring to Palestinian Americans who go to visit their families, but I also mean non-Palestinian Americans who go to stand up for human rights in Palestine (like Rachel Corrie who I remembered as the sixth anniversary of her murder by the I."D".F. passed recently in a post below).
To read the full article from Reuters on Yahoo! News, follow this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090323/wl_nm/us_un_rights_israel_1
"In one, she said, Israeli soldiers shot a father after ordering him out of his house and then opened fire into the room where the rest of the family was sheltering, wounding the mother and three brothers and killing a fourth.
In another, on January 15, at Tal al Hawa south-west of Gaza City, Israeli soldiers forced an 11-year-old boy to walk in front of them for several hours as they moved through the town, even after they had been shot at."
The first story is one of torture and terrorism. What justification can there be for spraying bullets into a small room of a few unarmed family members? Why would they need to shoot a man who they detained? To have been removed from the situation and been outnumbered by soldiers, he could not have posed a significant threat to anyone. Even if accused of a crime, don't all people deserve the right to a trial and to defend themselves? This is an abuse of force. Imagine if police officers in America were allowed to shoot suspects after they are detained.
Regarding the second story, it is a crime to use human shields but it is elevated to another level of criminality when the human is merely a child. I dare anyone to defend this action to me.
"Palestinian officials say 1,434 people in Gaza -- 960 of them civilians -- were killed in the fighting, a figure Israel contests. The report from the nine gave the total as 1,440, saying of these 431 were children and 114 women.
The overall report was criticized in the 47-nation Council by Israel's ambassador Aharon Leshno Yar, who said it "wilfully ignores and downplays the terrorist and other threats we face," and the use by Hamas of human shields.
Leshno Yar said the 43-page document was part of a pattern of "demonizing Israel" in the Council -- where an informal bloc of Islamic and African nations usually backed by Russia, China and Cuba has a built-in majority."
So, Israel thinks the Palestinian death toll was inflated. The U.N. says it was slightly underestimated. Which of the three entities has the most non-biased opinion in the Palestine-Israeli conflict: Palestine, Israel, or the United Nations?
Israel is playing the victim again. "Yeah, we killed 1,440 people in three weeks but we had a reason. We were threatened." Threatened by homemade bombs that rarely strike populated areas and by defenseless refugees who are landlocked and deprived of food, healthcare, and even jobs? Even if a threat was present, it was not significant enough to warrant the actions of Israel's "Defense" Force. The death toll of Israelis during the conflict was close to only 1% of the number of Palestinians who lost their lives. Can you say disproportionate? However, since Israel and its "most moral army in the world" is being discredited, it is being "demonized" by a leading international organization. Yes, that's right, Israel, the whole world is out to get you. If you were really that afraid of it, then why not stop what you are being accused of? End the illegal occupation, the genocide, and the violation of scores of U.N. resolutions, and the world will let you be.
"Another report presented to the Council on Monday came from Robert Falk, a U.S. academic and the body's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Falk, whom Israel barred from entry last year after accusing him of bias and prejudice, said Israel had subjected civilians in Gaza to 'an inhuman form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm.'"
Israel and America are forever conjoined in foreign policy, right? Israel will criticize American officials, though; when the American criticizes Israel. So much for a professional, respectful relationship which exhibits maturity. This should signal to the U.S. that Israel can cause trouble for the U.S. if interests conflict. America is setting itself up for opposition and hatred around the world due, in part, to this government's undying devotion to an entity recognized worldwide as a racist nation (a.k.a. Israel, in reference to the U.N. statement that Zionism is racism). While America is sacrificing national security and good relations with other countries, Israel could cut ties at the first sight of disagreement. Most people familiar with the situation would contest that Israel would never do such a thing because it relies too heavily upon American support. However, most people are not familiar with the way American citizens are treated by the Israeli authority. I am not only referring to Palestinian Americans who go to visit their families, but I also mean non-Palestinian Americans who go to stand up for human rights in Palestine (like Rachel Corrie who I remembered as the sixth anniversary of her murder by the I."D".F. passed recently in a post below).
To read the full article from Reuters on Yahoo! News, follow this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090323/wl_nm/us_un_rights_israel_1
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Israel even pops the balloons of Palestinian children?
There is no negotiation by Israelis with Palestinians. It is clear that Israelis will simply use force to get what they want. Israelis undermine the hope for peace with every chance they get. Israelis are even trying to take Arab culture away and say that it is not allowed. Know that you can not take a people's culture from them. Actions like this inspire the rest of a people to celebrate their culture more. If trying to illegitimize every aspect of a people is not a sign of genocide or ethnic cleansing, I don't know what is. Read the excerpt of the report from an AP writer: (The link to read the rest of the story is also below.)
"Israeli authorities broke up a series of Palestinian cultural events in Jerusalem on Saturday, disrupting a children's march and bursting balloons at a schoolyard celebration in a crackdown that underscored the emotional battle over control of the disputed holy city.
Elsewhere in Jerusalem, hundreds of Israelis gathered outside the residence of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to mark the 1,000th day in captivity of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The demonstration took place at a protest tent set up by the soldier's family, and many in the crowd quietly waved yellow glow sticks in a show of solidarity.
Palestinian activists called for Saturday's celebrations to mark the Arab League's designation of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009. The 23-nation group chooses a different city for the honor each year.
But Israel said the events violated a ban on Palestinian political activity in Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the crackdown.
Announcing the ban on Saturday's events, Israel's internal security minister, Avi Dichter, accused Abbas' Palestinian Authority of being behind the activities. Israel does not allow the Palestinian government to have a presence in Jerusalem, saying it undercuts Israel's claim to the city."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians_18
"Israeli authorities broke up a series of Palestinian cultural events in Jerusalem on Saturday, disrupting a children's march and bursting balloons at a schoolyard celebration in a crackdown that underscored the emotional battle over control of the disputed holy city.
Elsewhere in Jerusalem, hundreds of Israelis gathered outside the residence of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to mark the 1,000th day in captivity of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The demonstration took place at a protest tent set up by the soldier's family, and many in the crowd quietly waved yellow glow sticks in a show of solidarity.
Palestinian activists called for Saturday's celebrations to mark the Arab League's designation of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009. The 23-nation group chooses a different city for the honor each year.
But Israel said the events violated a ban on Palestinian political activity in Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the crackdown.
Announcing the ban on Saturday's events, Israel's internal security minister, Avi Dichter, accused Abbas' Palestinian Authority of being behind the activities. Israel does not allow the Palestinian government to have a presence in Jerusalem, saying it undercuts Israel's claim to the city."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians_18
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Wisdom of Ghandi
"Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French. It is wrong and in-human to impose the Jews on the Arabs. What is going on in Palestine today cannot be justified by any moral code of conduct. The mandates have no sanction but that of the last war. Surely it would be a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home. The nobler course would be to insist on a just treatment of the Jews wherever they are born and bred. The Jews born in France are French in precisely the same sense that Christians born in France are French. If the Jews have no home but Palestine, will they relish the idea of being forced to leave the other parts of the world in which they are settled? Or do they want a double home where they can remain at will? This cry for the national home affords a colourable justification for the German expulsion of the Jews.....And now a word to the Jews in Palestine. I have no doubt that they are going about it the wrong way. The Palestine of the Biblical conception is not a geographical tract. It is in their hearts. But if they must look to the Palestine of geography as their national home, it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the bomb. They can settle in Palestine only by the goodwill of the Arabs. They should seek to convert the Arab heart...." Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi (November 1938)
Action is the best antidote to despair. Action is the best tool for a healthy living in unjust circumstances.
Taken from a letter by Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh in Palestine.
Action is the best antidote to despair. Action is the best tool for a healthy living in unjust circumstances.
Taken from a letter by Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh in Palestine.
Celebrate and Remember Rachel Corrie
Did you know that the Israeli military ran an American student over and killed her with a bulldozer?
A young American girl became known around the world while standing for what was right.
March 16th, 2009 is the 6th anniversary of Rachel Corrie's death. She was murdered by an Israeli soldier driving a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer while nonviolently trying to protect the home of a Palestinian doctor in 2003. Learn more about Rachel's life and how you can get involved in keeping her legacy alive by clicking the following link: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=270. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the life of this beautiful, young, U.S. peace activist.
A young American girl became known around the world while standing for what was right.
March 16th, 2009 is the 6th anniversary of Rachel Corrie's death. She was murdered by an Israeli soldier driving a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer while nonviolently trying to protect the home of a Palestinian doctor in 2003. Learn more about Rachel's life and how you can get involved in keeping her legacy alive by clicking the following link: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=270. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the life of this beautiful, young, U.S. peace activist.
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