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Sorry son, we cannot let the terrorists win.
The illegal and unjust occupation of Palestine continues on as usual. The Israelis, under the pretense, of security are withhold vital supplies and services from the people of the Gaza Strip. However, and aid convey dispatched from Turkey aims to break the illegal siege with a shipment of humanitarian aid. Al Jazeera reports:
“The biggest attempt by international aid groups to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip has gotten underway.
Nine ships under the banner, Freedom Flotilla, began their journey to Gaza on Saturday, despite warnings from Israel that they will be stopped for “breaching Israeli law”.
The vessels are carrying 5,000 tonnes of reconstruction materials, school supplies and medical equipment.”
Despite the virtual news blackout about the atrocities being perpetuated in Gaza people still know about the injustice and are making bold moves to stop it.
“Mohammad Sawalha, the vice president of the international committee to break the siege of Gaza, one of the organisers of the mission, told Al Jazeera that a global movement, made up of people who want to send the message that the situation in Gaza is unacceptable, was growing.
“We are trying to send a message to everybody that the situation in Gaza will not go on,” Sawalha said.
“No one can accept what is going on now in Gaza – preventing people from having the food and medicine they need. This is a crime.”
The convoy is from the UK, Ireland, Algeria, Kuwait, Greece and Turkey, and is comprised of 800 people from 50 nationalities. It is made up of three cargo ships and five passengers boats.”
The response from Israel is predictable:
“Naor Gilon, a deputy director general at the foreign ministry, said the action would be a “provocation and breach of Israeli law”.
Ah yes, law and order becomes a priority only when it serves Israeli interests. Like the US and international law, which is followed only when it mirrors imperial policy.
“Israel should not be under any illusion whatsoever that their threats or intimidation will stop us or even that their violence against us will stop us,” Huwaida Arraf, from the Free Gaza Movement, said.
Kahel Mazen, from EGESG, added: “If they [the Israelis] choose to resort to destruction and death, our mission is to try to open a window of hope for the people of Gaza.”
Quite the pickle indeed for the Israelis. Blowing up Turkish and European ships with aid for civilians will most definitely put them back on the negative press radar. What is galling is that it takes this dramatic action to evoke even the smallest of ripples in the Western media.
From the fat file of addressing effects rather than causes in the Middle East:
“Barack Obama, the US president, has asked Congress for $205m to help Israel speed up construction of a new short-range anti-missile defence system, White House aides have said.
Another 'pillar' of the Peace Process
The so-called “Iron Dome” project is designed to intercept rockets and artillery shells from the Gaza Strip and neighbouring Lebanon.”
Rather than addressing the root causes of why Israel needs a missile shield, lets just build a slapdash system give it a sexy name and throw a couple billion into developing and deploying it. The amount of US peaceable hand-waving in the Middle East is increasing as of late as well as the threat of military action.
“As the president has repeatedly said, our commitment to Israel’s security is unshakable and our defence relationship is stronger than ever,” Vietor said.”
An equitable two state solution would solidify Israel’s security concerns without lining the pockets of the defense industries.
“A senior department of defence official tells me that recently, US officials saw a test of the project and were very impressed by it, and decided to give the money to help speed up production.”
The move comes after ties between Israel and the US were strained by an announcement of more illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem made during a visit to Israel by Joe Biden, the US vice-president.”
Oh well; it is kiss and make up time as the frothy pro-Israeli lobby in the US once again dictates foreign policy. “Oh hey, don’t worry about breaking international law and the whole illegal settlement thing. Here is a couple million for your troubles we caused you by daring to call you on your anti-Palestinian colonization program.”
“According to the US state department, US military aid to Israel in 2009 totalled $2.55bn. This will increase to $3bn in 2012, and will total $3.15bn a year from 2013 to 2018.”
Will there be peace in the Middle East? I have 3.15 billion reasons to think that the answer for the foreseeable future will be ‘No’.
Update: Watch the Pro-Israeli Flak machine in action at Think Progress, sickening.
I never write posts during the week, but I saw this and had to get it up it is Robert Fowler’s speech to the Canada 150 conference. What he says is what most people want to have happen in the middle east; at least until politics happens
Robert Fowler’s speech to the Canada 150 conference.
This story will not make very many people happy. If you happen to believe in left-wing media bias and that Israel is an undeserving oppressed nation (and other farcical notions), please stop reading now. Things will only get worse for you the farther you read into the article.
The story of the Canadian NGO Rights and Democracy has recently received media attention for the firing of three new appointees to the board of directors. As the CBC says:
“Three senior managers at the federal government’s human rights agency who were suspended for publicly declaring their lack of confidence in three Conservative appointees to their organization’s board of directors earlier this year have been fired.”
To understand the how and why this is so particularly egregious requires a fair amount of back story.
“Rights & Democracy, created under Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government to encourage democracy and monitor human rights around the world, has been in turmoil since the Harper government appointed new board members [the ones mentioned in the first quote] last year.
The new members challenged grants being made to three human rights organizations known to be critical of Israel’s human rights record.”
One of things that you do NOT do is criticize Israel (despite the country’s atrocious human rights record), especially if you are in a government funded organization. It appears that these firings stem from this defacto political axiom. Furthermore, if you do have the temerity to question Israeli policy you may be hounded into an early grave:
“Federal opposition politicians and the family of former president Rémy Beauregard, who died in January, are calling for an independent inquiry into the organization. […] Beauregard bore the brunt of the new board members’ outrage over the grants. He died of a heart attack after a stormy board meeting.”
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