Politics

November 29, 2011December 11, 2020

Barbra Streisand: Don’t Sing for Israel’s Injustices

Dear Barbra Streisand,

It has come to our attention that you have plans to perform in support of Israeli Soldiers on 8 December. Right now Israeli soldiers are committing with impunity countless well-documented war crimes against the indigenous population of Palestine.

We are calling on you now to heed the Palestinian call to boycott the only apartheid regime in the world, one which holds the population of Gaza in virtual imprisonment.[1] The IDF troops maintain what main-stream human rights organizations have called the largest open air prison in modern history, they enforce Israel’s five-year blockade, 63 years of dispossession and ethnic cleansing. Palestinians rely on people of conscience, including artists and musicians, to take a stand and refuse to entertain Israel. In Gaza, over two thirds of the population are UN registered refugees, ethnically cleansed from their homes by Israeli soldiers in 1948 to live the rest of their lives in the Gaza prison camp.

Barbra Streisand Millions more refugees, living in exile, remain and are denied their right to return home to see their loved ones thanks to Israel’s policy of restriction of movement and its refusal to abide by international law. Your performance for the “IDF Troops” will encourage the Israeli state to believe that is does not have to be accountable to international law, that it can continue to act with impunity.

The ongoing siege of Gaza, has made existence for the approximately 1.2 million Palestinians there intolerable, cutting off the main life-line of goods and people coming into Gaza, resulting in severe shortages of food supplies, basic goods and crucially important items like cement which is vital to rebuild the 17,000+ homes that have been destroyed by Israeli attacks. Injured and ill people are not allowed to travel abroad to receive all manner of medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. Over 600 sick patients have died because they had no solution but to stay in the besieged Gaza Strip where they spent their dying days, to the despair of their families.

Most recently, Israel has instituted a ‘punitive policy’, more collective punishment, a crime against humanity, toward the people of Gaza, by cutting off their electricity. The north of Gaza has had no power for the past 9 days. [2]

For musicians with a passionate heritage of music and dance, the Israeli siege of Gaza bans importation of instruments, the possibility of receiving international performances and taking their music abroad. Israel’s air, land and sea blockade of all their borders has meant that for years musical instruments were banned from entry to Gaza [3]

Do you really want to perform to support Israel’s soldiers given that in the winter of 2008-9, they attacked Gaza, committing war crimes and human rights violations against a population of which over half -an estimated 800,000- are children. During this merciless 23-day assault, 1,417 people were killed including hundreds of children, with over 5500 injured. These heinous crimes have been recounted in detail in the United Nations Fact Finding Mission report. [4]

In the face of an international conspiracy of silence, Palestinian Civil Society, almost unanimously, called for international artists to refuse to perform in Israel as part of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign which is a non-violent method of holding Israel accountable to standards of equality and human rights that modern nations are accustomed to.

A host of internationally renowned musicians have already joined this call by refusing to perform in Israel including Carlos Santana, Annie Lennox, Faithless, Elvis Costello, the Pixies, Gil Scott Heron, Massive Attack, Leftfield, Gorillaz Sound System, Snoop Dogg, Jean Luc Godard, and Devendra Banhart. Roger Waters, wrote a letter announcing his support of a cultural boycott of Israel. He said that in his view,

“..the abhorrent and draconian control that Israel wields over the besieged Palestinians in Gaza, and the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, coupled with its denial of the rights of refugees to return to their homes in Israel, demands that fair minded people around the world support the Palestinians in their civil, nonviolent resistance.” [5]

We ask you to join their fight, a fight for basic human rights, equality and justice. It is time for the world to take real action to stop Israel’s war crimes against children, women and men; it is time for conscientious individuals to stand on the right side of history by refusing to condone the war crimes of the Israeli state.

Please stand on the right side of history and refrain from entertaining a regime that has committed and continues to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sincerely,

Don’t Play Apartheid Israel

We are a group, of over 800 members, representing many nations around the globe, who believe that it is essential for musicians & other artists to heed the call of the PACBI, and join in the boycott of Israel. This is essential in order to work towards justice for the Palestinian people under occupation, and also in refugee camps and in the diaspora throughout the world.

NOTES:
[1] http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=869
[2] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=440158
[3] http://www.gazagateway.org/tag/musical-instruments/
[4] http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/docs/MediaSummaryReport_English.doc
[5] http://www.bdsmovement.net/2011/waters-endorses-5484#.TsRUWsMr2so

SOURCE

Related Links

By playing nuclear-armed Israel and for the oppressors of the Palestinian minority, Streisand would be going against her causes. Streisand said,

“The Democrats have always been the party of working people and minorities. I’ve always identified with the minorities.”
….
Streisand has personally raised $25 million [52] for organizations through her live performances. The Streisand Foundation,[53] established in 1986, has contributed over $16 million through nearly 1,000 grants to “national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues [54] and nuclear disarmament”.

Palestine / Israel Links

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People – 29 November
Oi Va Voi : Please Don’t Be Complicit with Apartheid Israel
Video: Chicago activists tell shoppers to boycott Israel on Black Friday
Video: French BDS activists de-shelve huge amounts of Israeli produce at Carrefour
PCHR Strongly Condemns WHOs Decision to Conduct a Conference in Jerusalem – International Middle Ea.
Video: Israeli occupation forces demolish homes and mosque, arrests girls near Hebron :

Israel’s foul acts of ethnic cleansing continue: ‘At 10 am two bulldozers arrived in the village, escorted by five military vehicles. Without showing any demolition order, the army demolished two houses, a mosque, a barn and a structure containing the generator.’

Army To Demolish A Palestinian Home In Jerusalem
Liberal Zionists and the Palestinian right of return
Official: Israel deliberately disconnects Gaza electricity :

Israel, another word for collective punishment – the apartheid ziocolonial entity uses ‘punitive policy’ against the people in the north of Gaza. Electricity had been cut off to the north for nine days.

End of the Argument

Gareth Evans blithers about Responsibility to Protect, omits ongoing zionist ethnic cleansing project. Gareth should rename policy as Responsibility to Protect But Not From Us, as it doesn’t apply to western settler colonial genocidalists.

Times Photographer Complains of Israeli Soldiers’ ‘Cruelty’ at Border Crossing
From The Lancet :

‘10% of pregnant Palestinian women were delayed at checkpoints every year from 2000 to 2007, while travelling to give birth in hospital. These delays resulted in 69 births, and 35 infant and five maternal deaths at the checkpoints. Generally, the type and severity of the delay-related morbidity are not recorded.’

John Lyons describes Israel’s villainous treatment of Palestinian children destined for military court. ‘After September 11 I’d seen images of alleged terrorists walking like this but I’d never seen children treated this way. It’s not surprising that Israel doesn’t want this image out there – it would look uncomfortably like a Guantanamo Bay for kids.’

Other Links

Egypt imports 21 tons of tear gas from the US, port staff refuses to sign for it – Bikya Masr
Northern Territory intervention has brought hatred, says Arnhem elder
‘Intervention mark II’ a new whitewash
The price of siting US ‘defence’ installations: Turkey threatened by Iran if US or Israel attacks – there’s a lesson for Australia there.

November 26, 2011December 11, 2020

Chomsky Lecture at Deakin University 4 November 2011

Professor Noam Chomsky presented a lecture ‘Changing Contours of Global Order’ a look at our drastically changing world, and the implications for domestic and world order on 4 November 2011.

Noam Chomsky – 7th Edward Said Memorial Lecture on November 5, 2011

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Australia/US MOU Links

Palantir, the War On Terror’s Secret Weapon
From the left, Gillard marches to Uncle Sam’s beat
Sweden vs. Assange

Australia Selling Uranium to India Links

What’s the harm in selling uranium to India?

November 26, 2011December 11, 2020

Turkey’s Requirements of Israel Remain Non-Negotiable

Turkey continues to remain firm in its stance against Israel’s criminality.

Davutoglu told reporters on Friday that Israel should apologize, pay compensation to families of the Turkish citizens killed during the boarding of the aid ship and end the embargo on Gaza. Otherwise, the minister stated, relations between Turkey and Israel will not be normalized.

Additionally Davutoglu extended Turkey’s criticism of the apartheid land-thieving entity:

“Israel should decide to be a part of either the problem or the solution,” Davutoglu told reporters. The minister also spoke out against other aspects of Israeli policy, criticizing Israel to for continuing its settlement policy. The minister concluded by emphasizing that Turkey would react positively if Israel pursued a less hawkish foreign policy.

From @leventbasturk: If it doesn’t remain firm on this issue, the new course of Turkish Frgn Pol in ME will be under great suspicion. #

In the US press, Davutoglu’s comments were under-reported, omitting the need for Israel to end its embargo on Gaza.

Palestine / Israel Links

Nutanyahoo newspeak reveals his narcissist delusional extremism – his blitherings are straight out of Animal Farm
Pinkwashing, 2008-2011: Obituary for a hasbara strategy
Palestinian freed in prisoner swap is persecuted by Israel’s maniacal illegal settlers in Hebron
Haaretz publisher and owner Schocken identifies Israel’s ‘strategy of territorial seizure and apartheid’
Old Palestinian man in front of his house demolished by Israel

Occupy

Occupy Everywhere: Michael Moore, Naomi Klein on Next Steps for the Movement Against Corporate Power

November 24, 2011December 11, 2020

Solidarity with the Uprising of the People of Egypt

While the US hedges its bets and makes appropriate tut tuts, the SCAF in Egypt refuses to relinquish power. The Egyptian police have killed 38 protesters, for which deaths the ruling junta have apologised, with 3,256 people injured. Protesters have been targeted viciously by the military with tear gas courtesy from US suppliers, although the US denies it was purchased with aid money, well, not recently, at any rate, so its spokespeople say.

Medics have been overwhelmed with casualties from the tear gas, with canisters landing in the clinic in this Reuters story at least once a day.

“We get two to three to casualties per minute,” said Salem. “Sixty to 70 percent are suffocation, the rest are pellets or bullets,”
…
“We are seeing serious convulsions,” said Salem. Behind him, a casualty displayed just the symptoms he was describing. From his pocket, Salem pulled a handwritten note detailing the ingredients of “CS gas”, one of the types being used.

Many of the gas canisters collected by the activists are unmarked, fuelling speculation that more sinister weapons have been used. The military council on Wednesday denied the security forces had used anything poisonous.

Will the SCAF and most specifically Tantawi, step down and permit presidential elections not just parliamentary elections?

Raafat Fouda, constitutional law professor at Cairo University, agreed saying that it was against the constitutional decree announced by SCAF in March.

“SCAF didn’t rule Egypt through a referendum, then they shouldn’t leave through a referendum either,” Fouda said.

“The people who accepted SCAF as their ruler during the transitional period can make it step down without a referendum,” he added.

However, Fouda favored the scenario where SCAF hands over power to the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC).

Fouda said that according to all the constitutions around the world, when the president fails to perform his duties and the parliament fails as well, the head of the SCC takes over.

“The head of the SCC doesn’t have the right to run for president and he is a respected member of the judiciary,” Fouda said.

The head of the SCC would then be responsible for appointing an interim government to draft the new constitution and hold the parliamentary elections.

Fouda also recommended handing over power to a presidential council.

“As long as the members of the presidential council include people with no specific political affiliation like presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei for example,” he said.

Some protesters in Tahrir suggested that all prominent presidential hopefuls including ElBaradei, Adel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, Hazem Salah Abou Ismail and Amr Moussa be part of the council.

“The political scenarios are many, but the problem lies with whether SCAF is willing to heed to the people’s demands and leave power as soon as possible,” Fouda said.

UPDATE

Parliamentary elections to proceed? “Scaf also said elections would start as scheduled on Monday. There had been speculation that they might be delayed.”

Related Links

Egyptians Have Lost Their Fear. There’s No Going Back Now.
20 November 2011 – Revolution continues in Tahrir Square, Cairo.
Atomic Truth Bomb Dropped on FOX News
US widely distrusted (with very good reason) in arab world, while ‘Turkey is viewed as having played the “most constructive” role in the past year’s events and its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emerged as the most admired leader by far in the region’
I don’t know that SCaF was hailed as saviour of the Egyptian uprising, but still.
RT @asma_akram: Egyptians protesters shouting “if you want to turn this into Syria, we will turn it into Libya” #Egypt #Tahrir #Jan25

Other Links

UN member states, the ICRC and human rights groups reject a flawed US-backed plan for new regulations on cluster bombs

November 24, 2011December 11, 2020

Children of Palestine Tormented by Israel

Moammar Mashni from Australians for Palestine makes some excellent points on Israel’s heinous treatment of Palestinian children under the illegal Occupation at The Drum:

Thus the prospects of peace could be fleeting or imminent, depending on which Israel decides to turn up to any future negotiations. In what can only be described as a blatant act of aggression, Israel has approved more settlement construction in September and October, thus the future of an independent Palestinians state is all but out the window upon examination of any map, particularly this most recent one from the UN.

Contrary to the often regurgitated myth that Palestinians use their children as human shields, it has never been proven – not once. Yet in October 2010, two Israeli soldiers were convicted of using a 9-year-old boy as a human shield during the infamous Operation Cast Lead of 2008/9. There are at least 15 other documented cases of children being used as human shields since 2004, with only the aforementioned case of the 9-year-old ever having been investigated.

Analysing the statistical data of child mistreatment by Israel is a horrific mission. The average number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention over the last 12 months is 212 – that is children aged 12 to 18 locked up on for the most minor indiscretion as Israel creates specific military orders that criminalise any form of opposition to the occupation.

Without doubt though, the statistic that should trouble any person of good conscience is the data relating to child fatalities. From 2000 to 2009, 1,329 children were killed by Israel. In real terms that means a Palestinian child was killed every three days, of every week, of every month, of every year, for 10 long years. How can this possibly be justified?

The international community has a moral obligation to hold Israel accountable for these crimes. Without the rule of law, and in this case we are talking about International Law and International Humanitarian Law, how can we possibly expect that the state of play will ever change?

Whether we like it or not, it is an undisputable fact that every single one of the 12 or so million people living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (historic Palestine) are under Israel’s rule. Is it therefore acceptable, that in the 2011 we still have a system that deliberately privileges one people over another in the same land? Or should this current spawn of apartheid be also discarded to the annals of history in the same way it was for South Africa in 1989.

Israel’s use of Palestinian children as human shields is highlighted. The comments following the post which support zionism nearly all blame Palestinian children for their own incarceration. Yet are Israeli children who throw stones at Palestinians and others collectively punished or incarcerated by the Israeli state? No.

Palestine / Israel Links

Announcing the Official Launch of Punks Against Apartheid!
Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat talked with Aaron David Miller about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the current state of the negotiations, U.S. policy, and future prospects for Arab-Israeli peace.

Aaron David Miller asks Erekat 10 questions about the peace negotiations back in November 2010, followed by questions from the audience.

Erekat reveals lots of interesting points from behind the scenes, including Hamas position that they have never challenged the authority of the PLO.

Most negative thing for negotiating for Palestinians was the US insisting on Palestinians recognise Israel without it defining its borders.

Do we have someone in Israel willing to engage in decisions?

“The state of Israel was recognised by us [in September 1993] … then they changed the wording to recognise Israel as the Jewish state. I will not become zionist, I will not.”