17 May 2010By Mazin Qumsiyeh
In this digest:
Resumption of indirect negotiations a waste of time,
video of protest in Nabi Saleh, John Greyson calls on
Elton John to cancel appearance in Tel Aviv, Obama’s
wrong appointment to the Supreme Court, proposal for
an commemoration of Iraq Genocide, how an Israeli
general tried to cover-up the murder of Rachel Corrie,
and two Nakba articles.
"Every prophet has realized that nobody loves you for
being the enemy of their illusions. Every prophet has
realized that most of us want peace at any price as
long as the peace is ours and somebody else pays the
price. That is why the prophet Jeremiah said, "
'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace"
—William Sloane Coffin "Not to Bring Peace, But a
Sword"
The indirect negotiations between the most rightist
fascist government in Israel’s history and the
weakest, most divided and most unrepresentative
Palestinian leadership in history have started. Their
chance of ‘success’ is near zero. And in this case
success is giving us another Oslo like arrangement to
manage the conflict (as Israel always aimed for)
rather than address the injustice of occupation and
colonization and reach a win-win situation for the
people of the region. Repackaging occupation and
colonization in the terminology of a ‘two state
solution’ will be attempted once again. Meanwhile,
Israeli authorities delivered a fresh wave of orders
for home demolitions including here in my town of Beit
Sahour. I believe it is not worth paying attention to
political machinations and concentrate instead on
intensifying our struggle for example on the ground
with popular resistance and internationally with
boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (bdsmovement.net).
Video of Protest by Nabi Saleh last Friday: notice how
the soldiers did not let the protest proceed
peacefully and immediately attacked it with tear gas
which prompted stone throwing and escalation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFnaTMLrXSU
Palestinian civil society has called on Elton John to
respect their boycott call and cancel his June 17th
concert in Tel Aviv. If he does so, he'll be joining
Santana and Gil-Scott Heron, who recently cancelled
their spring concerts in Israel. This video from
Canadian filmmaker John Greyson suggests six reasons
why Elton should join the BDS (boycott, divestment,
sanctions) movement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HSClZbhB5g
Barack Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court of
Elena Kagan, like hisselection of Zionist racist Rahm
Emanuel to be his chief of staff proves yet again that
he is no progressive. Kagan was appointed dean at
Harvard by her mentor Larry Summers, another unabashed
Zionist who equated Israeli criticism with
anti-Semitism and is now also in Obama’s inner circle.
Kagan had called Aharon Barak “my judicial hero. He is
the judge who has best advanced democracy, human
rights, the rule of law, and justice.” And who is her
hero? Please read more about him in this brilliant
article: ‘The Legacy of Justice Aharon Barak: A
Critical Review’ by Nimer Sultany http://www.harvardilj.org/online/113
See also: U.S. Jews
'proud' of Obama Supreme Court nominee http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/u-s-jews-proud-of-obama-supreme-court-nominee-1.289494
When confirmed, there will be three Jewish Zionists
and three right-wing Christian Zionists on the Supreme
court (total two-thirds) when the US public is mostly
opposed to unfettered bias and support to Israeli
policies of destruction and discrimination.
Kagan said she loved the Federalist Society and
supported holding people without trial.
The center for constitutional rights and other groups
in the US voiced concern about nominating someone who
supports the premises and unconstitutional actions
accompanying the misnamed ‘war on terror’. But then
again it fits the agenda of ethnic cleansing of
Palestinians to advance fictions and notions
associated with an endless war on terror.
>From my friend Stanley Heller comes a rational
proposal: Mark May 12 as Iraq Genocide Memorial Day
http://www.counterpunch.org/heller05102010.html
http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2010/../opinion/doc4be4df9f99932692991250.txt
General 'Tried to Cover Up Truth About Death of Rachel
Corrie' Israeli war hero accused of suppressing
testimony that could reveal what really happened to
Gaza activist
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/05/07-1
Two relevant articles as we commemorate the Nakba (the
ethnic cleansing of Palestine):
A Tale of Lies, Deceit, and Terrorism: the Birth of
Israel by William A. Cook http://mwcnews.net/focus/editorial/2424-william-a-cook.html
The Ongoing Erasure of Palestine By Naseer Aruri
http://www.zcommunications.org/the-ongoing-erasure-of-palestine-by-naseer-aruri
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://www.qumsiyeh.org
Professor, Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities
©
EsinIslam.Com
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