Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Massive Israeli Racism, even against those Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship:

‘Marriage to an Arab is national treason’

'Recent poll reveals steep rise in racist views against Arabs in Israel; many participants feel hatred, fear when overhearing Arabic, 75 percent don’t approve of shared apartment buildings'

Article by Roee Nahmias
Published: 03.27.07, 19:55

On YNet at:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3381978,00.html


"Over half of the Jewish population in Israel believes the marriage of a Jewish woman to an Arab man is equal to national treason, according to a recent survey by the Geocartography Institute.


"The survey, which was conducted for the Center Against Racism, also found that over 75 percent of participants did not approve of apartment buildings being shared between Arabs and Jews. Sixty percent of participants said they would not allow an Arab to visit their home.


"Five hundred Jewish men and women participated in the poll, which was published Tuesday.


"According to the survey, racism against Arabs in Israel has seen a sharp rise since a similar survey was conducted two years ago.


"In 2006, 247 racist acts against Arabs were reported, as opposed to 225 one year prior.


"About 40 percent of participants agreed that 'Arabs should have their right to vote for Knesset revoked'. The number was 55 percent lower in the previous survey. Also, over half of the participants agreed that Israel should encourage its Arab citizens to immigrate from the country.


"Over half of the participants said they would not want to work under the direct management of an Arab, and 55 percent said 'Arabs and Jews should be separated at entertainment sites'.



‘Arab culture inferior’


"Participants were asked what they felt when they overheard someone speaking Arabic. Thirty-one percent said they felt hatred, while 50 percent said they felt fear.


"Over 56 percent of participants said they believed that Israel’s Arab citizens posed both a security and a demographic threat to the country.


"When asked what they thought of Arab culture, over 37 percent replied, 'The Arab culture is inferior....'

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Monday, July 7, 2008

Seattle: Stop Investing in the Israeli Occupation

Local News:

"Israel-advocacy groups take aim at divestment initiative"

by Leyna Krow • Assistant Editor, JTNews (Seattle, Washington)

Posted: May 30, 2008

On the Web at:

http://www.jtnews.net/index.php?/news/item/4433/C22/


Israel-advocacy organization StandWithUs Northwest is fighting the legality of a ballot initiative (I-97), which, if it passes, would bar the City of Seattle from investing employee pension funds in certain corporations that do business with Israel.

I-97, spearheaded by a group called Seattle Divest from War and Occupation, links divestment from Israel with divestment from companies involved in the war in Iraq, such as Halliburton. It stipulates that city employee retirement funds ought not to be invested in corporations involved in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories — including the Golan Heights. The initiative also states that, in the event that Israel were to attack Iran without U.N. authorization, the city would be required to divest from Israeli government bonds.

“I know a lot of groups out there are starting to think seriously about the ways they invest their money, and we’d like the city of Seattle to do the same. That’s basically what this is about,” said Judith Kolokoff, spokesperson for I-97. “There are plenty of places to invest, not just in companies that support wars.”

Kolokoff was quick to point out that the initiative specifically targets American and Israeli companies that profit from Israel’s “occupied and besieged territories.”
The initiative specifically includes the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. While the ownership of the Golan is disputed with Syria, the land itself is not occupied.

The measure would not require the city to divest from Israeli businesses entirely. However, Rob Jacobs, the regional director for StandWithUs Northwest, feels that the initiative paints an inaccurate picture of the situation in Israel by lumping it together with Iraq.

“They’re trying to vilify Israel and put it in the same camp with Iraq, and it doesn’t deserve to be there,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs worries that since I-97 pairs divestment from Israel with divestment from Iraq, voters may be signing the petition out of concern over the war, without taking into consideration the impact it would have on Israel.

Several supporters of StandWithUs who approached signature gatherers for the measure were told the initiative only had to do with Iraq, Jacobs said...


...At the time of the hearing, Seattle Divest from War and Occupation had collected around 10 percent of the required 18,000 signatures. Jacobs said his suit had not requested that the already-collected signatures be dropped.

According to Ron Leibsohn, community services chair for the Jewish Federation, this month’s court appearance was only the first in several legal steps the organizations plan to take in an attempt to stop I-97 from making it to the ballot.

If the initiative cannot be blocked through legal channels, StandWithUs Northwest and the Jewish Federation intend to take their fight to the street. They have already begun fundraising efforts to cover future legal costs and an opposition campaign.

“There’s a lot of support for Israel in this community and we want to pull everyone together on this,” Leibsohn said.

Kolokoff, who is Jewish, said she was not surprised by the reaction of StandWithUs Northwest and other Israel-advocacy groups to the initiative.

“A lot of people feel to raise any question about Israel is tantamount to a crime,” she said. “We want to make it clear that this initiative is not about Israel, it’s about war and occupation and we’re targeting companies, not countries.”

Kolokoff remains optimistic that Seattle Divest from War and Occupation will get the signatures they need for I-97 to appear on the ballot. If they succeed, I-97 will be the first initiative of its kind to do so in a major U.S. city.

In 2005, a similar motion focusing exclusively on companies that do business with Israel failed to pass through the city council of Somerville, Mass.

Officials from the city retirement office did not return calls by press time concerning the economic impact and administrative ramifications the initiative would have on either employee pension funds or the companies from which those funds would be divested, were it to pass.

Still, it’s the spirit behind the initiative, rather than its practical implications that is truly worrisome to local Israel advocates.

Leibsohn said he feels it is important to stop the initiative from reaching the ballot not out of concern for the economic impact it could have on Israel, but because of the message Seattle’s divestment would send to the rest of the country.

“We wouldn’t want this to pass in Seattle and then spread to other communities,” he said. “That’s why we think it’s important to stop it here.”


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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Boycotting groceries from Apartheid Israel:

"Ethical consumers of all faiths ought to boycott Israeli goods..."



'Illicit' settler food sold in UK stores



Supermarkets accused of duping customers with 'West Bank' produce grown in Israeli settlements

by Paul Gallagher
The Observer (U.K.)
Sunday July 6, 2008

On the Web at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/06/israelandthepalestinians.supermarkets



Food grown on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is being sold in Britain, often to customers who assume they are buying goods from Palestinian-owned farms.

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Somerfield have all admitted sourcing produce from Israeli-owned farms on Palestinian territory but claimed that labelling the goods 'origin: West Bank' gave enough information for the customer to make an informed choice.

All the leading supermarkets claim they are complying with EU law, which states that the origin of a product on a food label can be given as a geographical region rather than a country - providing the meaning is clear to the consumer. Campaigners say customers are being duped into believing they are buying goods from Palestinian-owned farms, when in reality they are contributing to the economies of the illegal settlements.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband was concerned enough about the issue to raise it with British officials in Jerusalem during his visit there last November.

EU officials in Jerusalem are now checking whether any loopholes are being exploited by British companies.

British policy is clear, with the government's website stating the UN Security Council resolution that 'settlements are illegal under international law and settlement construction is an obstacle to peace'.

According to the UN Office for the Co-ordinator of Humanitarian Affairs, an extra 149 illegal settlements plus 96 'outposts' have been built this year alone. Despite this, British supermarkets appear to have discounted ethical considerations when selling produce grown on illegally occupied land.

Tesco said it sourced 'a number of products' from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, including avocados, herbs, grapes and stonefruit from farms in the West Bank and Golan Heights.

A spokesman said: 'All of these are clearly labelled as far as their origin is concerned. I think we have been working with farmers in the West Bank for some time. Without our business there would, in some areas, be little or no employment at all.

'The farms in the occupied territories will be a mixture of Israeli-owned and Palestinian-owned. We don't particularly look at the nationality of the farm owner, only the ethical standards under which it operates.'

Waitrose sells organic cut herbs from the West Bank, an area it refers to as 'disputed territory'. In a letter to one concerned customer, Waitrose said: 'Whatever our own views may be about Israeli products, we do not think it is right to ask our buyers to base their choice of products on any other criteria than the commercial ones of quality and value for money.'

Waitrose said it labelled these products 'West Bank, as per the guidelines from the EU'. The farms Waitrose uses are near the villages of Mehola, Argaman and Roi, all in the West Bank.

Waitrose tells its customers 'the farms are located in disputed territories in the West Bank. As there is no international agreement as to who actually owns the land, West Bank gives the customer a bit more information.'.

Somerfield also sells herbs from the West Bank. A spokesperson said: 'On occasion our herb suppliers will supplement produce grown in Israel with product from the West Bank to maintain good availability. This represents a small proportion of the herbs we sell. We share the same suppliers with other large UK supermarkets and take a similar stance to identify the product as country of origin West Bank at these times. We have not taken a political stance on this issue.'

Sainsbury's sells dried dates from the occupied territories which are labelled as grown in the West Bank. A spokeswoman said: 'We don't give out the level of detail whether the farm owners are Israeli or Palestinian.' She said Sainsbury's complied with EU law by labelling produce either Gaza, Israel or West Bank whenever it sourced from those areas.

'In ensuring that we follow these regulations, we try to offer an informed choice to our customers and will continue to do so. We do not feel it is right for us to tell our customers what they should or should not buy.'

Another concerned customer was told by Sainsbury's that 'there will always be some products that we source from the West Bank as they are either only grown in the region, there are supplier shortages from other countries or because of quality'.

The EU states that the control of correct labelling is the task of member states' national control authorities such as food inspection bodies or market surveillance authorities. An EU official said: 'For most agricultural goods, the EU does not require any obligatory labelling of the country of origin, except where failure to give such particulars might mislead the consumer to a material degree as to the true origin or provenance of the foodstuff.'

Ruth Tenne, an Israeli peace activist and member of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods, said: 'Ethical consumers of all faiths ought to boycott Israeli goods, especially those produced by the Jewish illegal settlements in the West Bank as well as campaigning for divestment from companies which profit from Israel's illegal occupation and for suspending the EU Association Agreement which grants Israel a privileged access to the European market.'

None of the supermarkets approached by The Observer said they would be reviewing their policy.


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Friday, July 4, 2008

"Since its inception, Israel has been maintained through the constant oppression of the Palestinian people, in particular through ethnic cleansing."




Demonstrations against Zionist celebrations--


"No Salute to Israel,
"60 Years of Apartheid is Nothing to Celebrate"


July 1, 2008

On UK Indymedia at:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/402326.html





Click on image to enlarge it.



Click on image to enlarge it.



Click on image to enlarge it.

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July 1, 2008


Today, a series of non-violent protest actions disrupted the 'Salute to Israel' parade. The parade celebrated 60 years since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Activists wished to remind the public that since its inception, Israel has been maintained through the constant oppression of the Palestinian people, in particular through ethnic cleansing.


The 'Salute to Israel' parade was a shameful show of support to a government engaged in war crimes. Sponsors included the Jewish National Fund, an organisation deeply involved in the colonisation of Palestinian land as well in anti-Palestinian discrimination within Israel. Activists wish to stress that the British government's authorisation, protection and support of this event is entirely unacceptable.


En route, the parade was greeted by activists with red dye on their hands to symbolise the blood of Palestinians killed by the Israeli government. In Trafalgar Square, both fountains were turned red after activists poured dye into the water and a Palestinian flag was unfurled at the entrance of the National Gallery. An activist climbed up a big screen which had to be turned off for most of the event. Also, another group attempted to get onto the roof of the National Gallery in order to unfurl a banner but were arrested in the process.


Police responded by making a series of ridiculous arrests, assaulting and detaining a woman for singing anti-zionist songs and deploying Forward Intelligence Teams to monitor and follow those attending the counter demonstrations.


Several Counter demonstrations were held by Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Action Palestine and Friends of Al Aqsa while Palestine Solidarity Campaign and others drove three double decker buses draped with Palestinian flags and black balloons around the square and Rhythms of Resistance tried to drown out the Pro-Zionist hip hop gig.



Newswire Posts Action Reports and photos of fountains and screen Climber | Report and Photos|

Press Releases
Autonomous Actions For Palestine Disrupt Zionist Parade| 60 Years of Israeli War Crimes - Nothing To Celebrate |

Links
Israel at 60 Protest Site| Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign | Jews for Justice for Palestinians | Action Palestine| Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods | Friends of Al Aqsa | Palestine-UK Twinning Network |

Corporate Media Coverage of the Protests
Al Jazeera Report |
Video Buses and Critical Mass | Woman assaulted by police for Singing|


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Another boycott against Israel: "Israel's architects are helping the Israeli government advance a policy similar to South Africa's past apartheid"

"International Architects' Union to boycott Israel?


"World Architecture Congress in Turine may adopt proposal to expel Israeli architects from organization over their involvement in settlement construction"

by Itamar Eichner


July 4, 2008


Published on YNet at:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3563988,00.html



The International Architects' Union (UIA) may adopt a proposal Saturday to boycott Israeli architects and expel them from the organization over their involvement in the construction of settlements in the territories.

The union, comprised of more than 1 million architects from 116 countries worldwide, is holding its annual World Architecture Congress in Turine, Italy, with 8,500 participants from across the world.


The boycott was initiated by a group of architects, mostly British, as well as several Israeli, Palestinian and Arab architects.

The group submitted a proposal to expel Israel from the UIA, stating that the Israeli architects are lending a hand to violations of international law by helping build residential units in the settlements and on confiscated Palestinian lands.


According to the proposal, which will be discussed by the organization's general assembly on Saturday, "These activities constitute a violation of professional ethics and of the organization's treaty. Through the (settlement) construction, Israeli architects are serving the occupation and perpetuating it."

The proposal goes on to say that Israel's architects are helping the Israeli government advance a policy similar to South Africa's past apartheid policy, and are "building" the infrastructure of occupation.

Architect Yitzhak Lipovetzky-Lir, the Israel Architects Association's representative at the conference, has been working vigorously over the past few days to thwart the boycott initiative.


Lipovetzky said that the Israeli association was extremely worried by the proposal, fearing it would eventually be adopted by the congress....

__________________________________


Another Boycott

UNICEF cuts ties to Israeli billionaire Leviev / Reuters

UN children's fund decides to review its relationship with financial backer after finding 'at least a reasonable grounds for suspecting his companies are building settlements in occupied territory'
Full story



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Boycott of Israeli products:

A Pennsylvania Food Co-op debates boycott for 5 months.


Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.


The Co-op newsletter is on the Web at:
http://weaversway.coop/uploads/shuttle/2005-07SHUTTLE.qxd.pdf

Here is an excerpt from that Co-op newsletter:



"...Linda Hanna then stepped to the
podium to present the arguments for the
boycott.

"A 25-year Co-op member, Hanna said the boycott of products made or
grown in the illegal Israeli settlements in
the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan
Heights was being proposed because 'the
settlements are a core injustice.'

"She said the organizers of the campaign against
settlement products are Arab-Americans
and Jewish Americans. Like a majority of
Israelis, they see the settlements as the
major obstacle to peace in the region."






Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.

Click on Co-op newsletter to enlarge it.


___________________________________


"Despite distaste for settlements, Philadelphia’s Jews shun boycott"


"THE NEW STANDARD:
"Central Ohio's Largest Circulation Jewish Newspaper"

Thursday, 23 June 2005

Full article on the Web at:

http://www.tnscolumbus.com/index.php?Itemid=26&id=1402&option=com_content&task=view


Brief excerpts:


"You would be hard-pressed to find many members of northwest Philadelphia’s vibrant Jewish community fully in favor of the presence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.


"Still, many members of an area co-op refused to go from there to boycotting produce grown in the territories.


"The controversy began in January, when a small group within Weavers Way Co-op, a food store owned and operated by its members, threatened to boycott produce from Israeli territories they consider illegally occupied. Working under the title Campaign Against Settlement Products, the group, with both Arab-American and Jewish members, claimed that buying the products supports the degradation of water resources in the area.


Image
www.weaversway.coop

Weavers Way is a member-owned retail cooperative in Philadelphia’s West Mt. Airy section.

"The boycott proposal was brought to a vote in mid-May at the co-op’s biannual member’s meeting. It was overwhelmingly rejected, losing by at least 100 votes. But that victory materialized only after nearly five months of argument.


"Mount Airy, the neighborhood that is home to the co-op, prides itself on being a comfortable community for Jews to live in, Rachel Falkove, president of Germantown Jewish Centre, said. She voted against the boycott. 'We couldn’t be silent, couldn’t just let it happen [or] ignore it,' she said.


"The issue was first raised back in January by co-op member Linda Hanna, an Arab-American. She and the five members who make up the campaign learned where Israeli imported products originate. At the same time, members of local Jewish organizations — the Germantown Jewish Centre, Congregation Mishkan Shalom, P’nai Or Religious Fellowship of Philadelphia, the Jewish Children’s Folkshul, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom and the Tikkun Community — banded together to fight against the boycott.


" 'Initially we were very nervous about it,' Stuart Katz said. Katz, a Weavers Way board member, worked with leaders of those Jewish groups to form an organized response against the boycott.


"There were many points of view on Israel and the settlements, and what the best way to support a cause might be, but no one in the Jewish groups supported a total boycott of Israel products. Instead, the Jewish groups — some of whose members are found on Friday afternoons across the street from the Israeli Consulate in downtown Philadelphia, protesting the government’s continuing to build settlements — offered alternative solutions to the boycott.


"In literature handed out at the recent meeting, opponents of an outright ban suggested buying olive oil produced by Palestinian firms or goods grown or made by Israeli-Palestinian joint ventures...


"...The co-op rarely has boycotted products, Katz said. In the 1970s, California grapes were targeted because growers used pesticide. More recently, the co-op banned the sale of Nestle chocolate because of alleged child-labor violations. The chocolate boycott is still in place..."


______________________________________


Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Israel threatens to bomb Iran.

Israel has hundreds of nuclear weapons. Israel constantly invades and bombs the Muslim world.


"Isaac Ben-Israel says Israel is ready to bomb Iran 'today' if necessary."

_________________________________________________





The image “http://kaleika.dwdl.de/images/1166611500.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.


‘Israel Will Not Stand By While Iran Builds the Bomb'

Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli Air Force general and now member of the ruling Kadima party, spoke with SPIEGEL about the limits of sanctions in dealing with Iran's nuclear program. He says Israel is prepared to mount a military strike against the mullah regime if diplomacy fails.


July 1, 2008

On the Web at:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,562968,00.html


...SPIEGEL: Do you think the international community can convince Tehran to make concessions?


Ben-Israel: I still have not given up hope. If Russia and China endorse the sanctions, the United Nations may be able to achieve their goal. One thing is certain: Israel will not stand by idly while Iran builds a nuclear bomb. If necessary, we will use force.


SPIEGEL: You took part in the planning of the 1981 air strikes on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. An air raid on the Iranian nuclear facilities will be considerably more difficult because they are spread out over a number of different locations and some of them are underground.


Ben-Israel: It may be more difficult, but it is possible. We could do it today. There is only one thing that keeps us from acting: The problem can still be solved another way. Only once the critical point is reached will we choose the final option.


SPIEGEL: When will the critical point be reached?


Ben-Israel: The intelligence services will make sure that we know.


SPIEGEL: Iran would not let a military strike go unanswered.


Ben-Israel: Of course they will react, they will launch a few dozen rockets at us, but that’s not so bad. And of course they can set the Lebanese Hezbollah on us. They are better armed than two years ago…


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