“Occupy Melbourne, not Palestine!”
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Dealing to Zionist Smears of the Occupy Wall Street Movement
In contrast to a hedge fund-bankrolled Emergency Committee For Israel scraping the bottom of the barrel to smear Occupy Wall Street as antisemitic, Jewish people are joining the protests in an indication that policies beloved of zionist and neoliberal elites are not for them.
#OccupyWallStreet: Yom Kippur Celebration in Support of Occupy Wall Street
Kol Nidre @ Occupy Wall St.
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On Charges of “antisemitism” at Occupy Wall Street
“But then I see one Daniel Sieradski, whose primary purpose in life seems to be commoditizing his dissent, suggesting that a sign which reads, “End financial aid to Israel, end occupation of Gaza,” is going to scare off the “7 million” [sic] Jewish New Yorkers who support murdering Palestinian children. According to this line of thinking, if the Occupy Wall Street Protests are going to attract a broader base – like the mostly middle class or working class Arab communities in Bay Ridge, the Iraqi cab drivers, the Yemeni and Egyptian deli operators and the Moroccan kebab-stand proprietors of Manhattan and Brooklyn, the mostly poor or working Afghan, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities on Coney Island Avenue and Queens, all of whom hate the occupation, let alone the broader white, black, and Puerto Rican working classes whose tax dollars go, in yearly three billion dollar chunks, to Israeli Aircraft Industries in the holy land or straight to Raytheon and Boeing in America, in the process chopping up some Lebanese and Palestinian children into pieces – they have to drop issues like the occupation and military aid to Israel.”
‘Commentary’ smear of Occupy Wall St. doesn’t bother to get basic facts right
Palestinian BDS National Committee supports Wall Street protests
Occupy Brisbane begins | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM
RT @billybragg: The time has come. Midday Saturday, St Pauls. Occupy the London Stock Exchange bit.ly/qCNF6s #OccupyLSX I’ll be there
Silencing Occupy Wall Street and criticism of Israel through demonization
Israel plans expulsion of some 60,000 Bedouin Palestinians
Israel Blackmails Palestinian Patients
‘Besides the blackmail, Hamad further pointed out that patients were always insulted and sometimes, are forced to take their clothes off under the pretext of Israeli security.
“Israeli intelligence told me, ‘If you do not agree to cooperate with us, you will never recover and you will die in Gaza’.
“They also asked me to provide them with information about Palestinian militants,”‘
Palestine / Israel Links
EU ‘regrets’ Israel mosque demolition : While Israel ethnically cleanses 60,000 Bedouins and builds more illegal settlements, 95% of Palestinian building permits are rejected.
Report: Turkish prosecutor seeks Interpol notice for flotilla attackers ‘The ?stanbul Prosecutor’s Office … said the list of Israelis — reportedly prepared as a result of a Facebook search — was drawn up by the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (?HH), the Turkish charity that owned the raided ship.’
Some Palestinian prisoners to be released to Turkey
‘Breaking News! University of London Union has passed a motion of support for the campaign against KCL’s involvement in a research project with Ahava!’
Justice eludes activist, father of Palestinian child killed by IDF
Engelbert Humperdinck : Please Don’t Play for Apartheid Israel
Why isn’t UNESCO doing something about this? “In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it had destroyed the structure “because it was built without permission in an area that is used for army training.” On Palestinian land.
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Australian FM Kevvie Rudd on Australia’s direction in a dual super-power world.Rudd starts at 19.00. This ‘Labor leader’ applauds corporate leaders as ‘the wheels that keep our Australian economy turning’. #classtraitor ?”China & Australia are experiencing a fantastic mutual orgasm” @KRuddMP enthuses at 25.00 Rudd has said this before!
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Another BDS Success : John Michael McDonagh Cancels His Attendance at the Haifa International Film Festival
John Michael McDonagh has contacted the Cultural Boycott Officer of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), Raymond Deane to say that he has pulled out of attending the screening of his film The Guard at the Haifa International Film Festival “in view of the political situation”.
Although the film will still be screened, such victories are significant and illustrative of how appearing at Israeli cultural events is becoming increasingly unattractive to artists, filmmakers etc as the BDS campaign goes from strength to strength.
I’m sure the PACBI, IPSC, DPAI calls, the Haifa International Film Festival: A Call to Boycott Facebook page and everyone’s great efforts, helped to persuade John Michael McDonagh that “the political situation” of apartheid is not something anyone should endorse.
Let’s hope McDonagh also withdraws the film and others follow his principled lead.
Palestine / Israel Links
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IMEU: Palestine in Photos: A Palestinian mayor says Israeli army starves his little village of water
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Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it, strike a pose, there’s nothing to it
http://www.inminds.com/img/mohomed-abou-trika-gaza-t-shirt2.jpg
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Letters from Jews and Israelis in the Islington Tribune deploring the Board of Deputies disgusting attack on the Palestinian Literary Festival.
Is ‘deeply concerned’ more significant than ‘deeply disappointed’ @UN_Spokesperson? what about some action, like sanctions?
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at continued efforts to advance planning for new Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Recent developments in this regard have been unacceptable, particularly as efforts are ongoing to resume negotiations, and run contrary to the Quartet’s call
‘Israel’s Apartheid regime over the Palestinian people is a system that separates and discriminates against the Indigenous people. It is a system that is institutionalised by laws and military force.
Artists Against Apartheid in Australia is part of an international alliance committed to human rights and justice, and to the elimination of Apartheid in our world, including in Australia. ‘
New four part documentary: ‘featuring the accounts of a Palestinian teenager forced to share his house with settlers, an American-born Israeli mother who gets drawn into the demonstrations after her children’s arrest, a Palestinian community organizer who brings local women to the forefront of the struggle, and a veteran of the Israeli army who becomes one of the campaign’s leaders, Home Front chronicles the resolve of a neighborhood, and the support it receives from the most unexpected of places.’
Declaration of a Bantustan in Palestine
‘Ultimately, what this intended “declaration of independence” offers the Palestinian people is a mirage, an “independent homeland” that is a Bantustan-in-disguise. Although it is recognised by so many friendly countries, it stops short of providing Palestinians freedom and liberation.’
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Collateral Repair Project – Helping you help Iraqi refugees
Werrity and Liam Fox
Fox resignation leaves too many questions unanswered
Rightwing Tories rally to Liam Fox’s side
‘A not-for-profit company linked to a friend and employee of Michael Hintze, the Tory party donor and multimillionaire hedge fund boss, is alleged to have bankrolled the jet-set lifestyle of Werritty.
Oliver Hylton, an employee of Hintze’s CQS hedge fund, is the only director of a company called Pargav Ltd which, according to financial records obtained by the Times, paid thousands of pounds to companies linked to Werritty. Hylton told the paper he had not had any role in running the company and had been “naive” in helping Werritty to set it up.
The paper reported that G3 Good Governance Group, a strategic advisory company, Tamares Real Estate, an investment company owned by Poju Zabludowicz – the chairman of Bicom, a pro-Israeli lobbying firm which has already been shown to pay for some of Werritty’s trips to Israel – all paid up to £35,000 into the fund.
Records at Companies House show Hylton, who runs Hintze’s charitable foundation, is the only director of Pargav, which is registered at 60 Goswell Road, London. The company has yet to file any accounts.
Hylton has already been linked to Werritty via their directorships of Security Futures, a global risk consultancy that was dissolved last year. The company secretary of Security Futures was Iain Aitken Stewart, the Tory MP for Milton Keynes and a close friend of Fox and Werritty.
Hylton is also the manager of Hintze’s charitable foundation that has donated £51,000 to the Atlantic Bridge, a charity set up by Fox and run by Werritty.
Critics claim Fox has been conducting what a senior Whitehall source called a “maverick foreign policy” and it is this which will ultimately decide his political fate, according to government officials. ‘
?’The answer is that Werritty is paid by representatives of far right US and Israeli sources to influence the British defence secretary. It has been discussed within the MOD whether Werritty is being – knowingly or otherwise – run as an agent of influence by the CIA or Mossad. That is why the chiefs of the armed forces are so concerned, and why there is today much gagging at the stitch up within the Cabinet Office.
This has parallels to the Christine Keeler case but is much, much worse.
That the British Defence Minister holds frequent unrecorded meetings in the Ministry and abroad with somebody promoting the interests of foreign powers is much, much worse than a little cash-grubbing. That the person representing the foreign powers is actually present, apparently to all as a ministerial adviser, at meetings of Fox with important representatives of foreign nations is simply appalling. ‘
‘A mainstream media source has finally plucked up the courage to publish the widespread concern among MOD, Cabinet Office and FCO officials and military that the Werritty operation was linked to, and perhaps controlled by, Mossad – something which agitated officials have been desperately signaling for some days.’
Werritty attended talks about arms deal with Israel and China
Phillip van Niekerk is a founder & North American head of G3, the Good Governance Group is.gd/vVP2Jl #werrity
G3 chaired by Chester Crocker, former US polly under Ronald Reagan, also on US board of Bell Pottinger Communications. is.gd/Jor888
Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon is advisor to the G3 Good Governance Group is.gd/88erQx #werrity #dominoes
‘Proven’ is the sister company of strategic intel firm G3 Good Governance Group is.gd/v43Mxl
Zabludowicz, chairman of Bicom, has a stake in a shopping centre in Ma’ale Adumim is.gd/hrNbYG #werrity
Zabludowicz, major donator to Tories, is said to own 40 per cent of downtown Las Vegas including half-a-dozen casinos is.gd/hrNbYG
How the UK Tories are bought and paid for by the Conservative Friends of Israel is.gd/FfuQB2
Report : EU and the Palestinian Arab Minority in Israel
Open Letter to Roxette : Don’t Play Apartheid Israel
Dear Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle of Roxette,
It came to our attention recently that you had recorded a video, for Israeli press “Ynet” stating that you “just want to say ‘hi’ to all your fans in Israel, see you very soon in Tel Aviv.”
We know that you are aware that Shuki Weiss works tirelessly to promote musical events in Israel. Shuki has also persuaded Marianne Faithfull to record a video similar to yours. In fact, there are at least seven artists who appear to have been willing to vocalize, in videos, that they indeed WILL play in Israel.[1]
In one sense, we are pleased to see that cultural boycott campaigns are recognized as potentially effective in getting artists such as yourself to cancel. We have never seen any other nation except Israel, persuade artists to record videos such as these, and for good reason. No other nation has seen so many artists cancel their concerts, as a response to the rational and humanitarian call for a cultural boycott.
But, on the other hand, we want to remind you both, Marie and Per, that you each still possess the right to refrain playing in Israel. If even one of your duo feels that playing in Israel is indeed the wrong thing, then we urge that one to have the courage to refrain.
Please know that you are planning to play in Israel in violation of a boycott called for in 2005. This boycott was further intensified in 2009, after Israel’s many violations of international law and documented war crimes in Gaza. [2]
Israel’s illegal and violent actions on humanitarian aid volunteers in the summer of 2010 led to nine deaths on the Freedom Flotilla. Executions took place at close range, and multiple bullets were fired directly at the heads of these unarmed civilians, whose aim was solely humanitarian in nature, all by well-trained and armed Israeli commandos.
Did you know that the Israeli Navy acted as pirates, in international waters? Perhaps you have read the Kurt Wallander detective books. Did you know Swedish author Mankell fearlessly joined the flotilla in 2010? Afterwards he said “Israel has never before been so condemned. Israel has painted itself into a corner. The world does not look the same as it did a week ago.” Upon his return to Sweden, Mankell charged that “all the ships (in the flotilla) were hijacked, and this was really piracy.” [3]
Have you heard of Tove Johansson from Stockholm? Tove could very well be one of your fans. In November of 2006, Tove was brutally attacked by Israeli colonists resulting in a broken cheekbone, a fractured skull and damage to her eye muscles. Tove knows that Palestinians undergo this violence on a daily basis. She was attempting to walk small children to their homes from their school. She was spit at, then kicked, then attacked with a glass bottle. In a statement from the Swedish government :
“The Swedish government is dissatisfied with Israel’s investigation of an attack in the contentious West Bank city of Hebron that left a Swedish activist with a broken cheekbone, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. “We’re concerned that this hasn’t been followed up, and we intend to speak to the relevant authorities and ask for more information about the incident,” said Petra Hansson, a spokeswoman for the Swedish Foreign Ministry. ” [4]
Shuki wants you to think you are “playing for people, not for governments.” It would be utterly ridiculous for you to agree to play a concert for colonists in Ariel, and invite Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert.
Some Israelis are boycotting products made in the settlements. Some of your Israeli fans may disagree with their own government. Some of your Israeli fans may have even attended protests against the wall.
The small sacrifice your Israeli fans would have to make by not hearing you perform live is equivalent to nothing compared to the aims and goals of the boycott. Musicians who refrain from playing Israel are very humanitarian focused, and they usually agree that:
- Racial discrimination and segregation against the Palestinian citizens of Israel is wrong, and it resembles the defunct apartheid system in South Africa.
- Military occupation and colonization of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza is wrong and it violates international law and multiple UN resolutions.
- The Palestinian Nakba is a fact. Israel is responsible for the Nakba — in particular the waves of ethnic cleansing and dispossession that created the Palestinian refugee problem — and Israel continues to refuse to accept the inalienable rights of the refugees and displaced. International law stipulates that they have a right to reparations or to return to their homes.
Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, don’t you also agree that international law should be upheld and that the Palestinian people’s rights are as valid as any other people’s?
We hope you will refrain, as you put it so well, “Listen to your heart,” not to pressure from musical contracts.
Don’t Play Apartheid Israel
We are a group, of over 760 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.
[1] After a months long BDS campaign, the group August Burns Red, decided to cancel their concert in Israel. Their video still remains on Shuki Weiss’s youtube channel at the time of this publishing.
[2] See the Goldstone Report http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/docs/UNFFMGC_Report.pdf
[3] See Wallander – writer may bar Hebrew Version of books http://hello.news352.lu/edito-46181-wallender-writer-may-bar-hebrew-version-of-books.html
[4] ISM Report: Swedish Human Rights Worker Viciously Attacked by Jewish Extremists in Hebron. http://palsolidarity.org/2006/11/1726/