Sabbah Report » Good News

Breaking Sex Taboos in Egypt

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:38:43 +0000

In last week's New York Times there is a great article about the movement gaining momentum in Egypt to end the brutal and senseless practice of female genital mutilation (a.k.a. circumcision). However, it is important to say that circumcision is an inaccurate term for it. Female genital mutilation is the preferred and more accurate term. It is in no way comparable or parallel to circumcision in men.

Genital mutilation is barbaric and no one should care how deeply rooted it is in certain societies. This is a huge issue at least in Egypt, Sudan and many other parts of Africa. It is unfortunate that genital mutilation is considered a cultural heritage in that part of the world, but respecting other cultures does not extend to allowing them to violate the basic rights humans and their bodies.

Having said that, people who justify this are people watched their parents and grandparents do it because it is part of their culture but this does nothing to change the fact that it is an assault on women and a violation of their human rights and bodies. We have to admit that this practice is a sick way to control women and their sexuality. In other words, it is that part of the society which does not respect women as equals, and this is nothing new in Africa in general and majority of Arab world. However, to say these people are backward and they just do not respect women in general is a bit shallow. It is that ignorant part from the uneducated Egyptians - and other societies - that let them do this act with women.

Anyway, it would be a victory for millions of women if the movement continues to gain influence.

Here are some of the key excerpts (full article here):

"Circumcision, or female genital mutilation, as some opponents refer to it, was suddenly a ferocious focus of debate in Egypt this summer. A nationwide campaign to stop the practice has become one of the most powerful social movements in Egypt in decades, uniting an unlikely alliance of government forces, official religious leaders and street-level activists.

Though Egypt's Health Ministry ordered an end to the practice in 1996, it allowed exceptions in cases of emergency, a loophole critics describe as so wide that it effectively rendered the ban meaningless. But now the government is trying to force a comprehensive ban.

For centuries Egyptian girls, usually between the ages of 7 and 13, have been taken to have the procedure done, sometimes by a doctor, sometimes by a barber or whoever else in the village would do it. As recently as 2005, a government health survey showed that 96 percent of the thousands of married, divorced or widowed women interviewed said they had undergone the procedure - a figure that astounds even many Egyptians. In the language of the survey, "The practice of female circumcision is virtually universal among women of reproductive age in Egypt."

The challenge rests in persuading people that their grandparents, parents and they themselves have harmed their daughters. Moreover, advocates must convince a skeptical public that men will marry a woman who has not undergone the procedure and that circumcision is not necessary to preserve family honor. It is a challenge to get men to give up some of their control over women."

Miss Bahrain, Miss Arab World 2007 and Stereotypes

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:49:39 +0000

I admit I have missed the news when it was announced end of last July, but better late than never.

Honored to be Bahraini by soul for living in Bahrain for the last four years, I am very happy to know that Wafaa Ganahi, a 23-year-old teacher from the Law Faculty of Bahrain University, won the title, while the first runner-up was Miss Egypt Shaimaa Mansour and Miss Lebanon Rula Bahij, 23, was the second runner-up. Out of seventeen women from 15 countries attended the final competition.

On the other hand, what does this contest and these photos tells us other than the general perceptions about such events? Well, for me they mean a lot.

First, let me congratulate Miss Arab World, Miss Bahrain. She deserved it, and this leads me to my first note. As you can see from the attached photos, Miss Bahrain is a veiled lady, which leads to the conclusion that Miss Arab World - as well miss world - does not need to be unveiled to win a beauty contest. At least in beauty standards if you agree with me that veil does not hide beauty. I know that bikini show in such beauty contests is suppose to be a standard event, which probably every male in this universe are looking for :-) but Miss Arab World, and Miss Bahrain broke this rule - if I may consider it as a rule - and won for her beauty, real beauty. Not only that, but she also received official tribute which reflects how open Bahrain is.

Second, I'm not surprised to see some unveiled beauties from the last place one can expect, such as Saudi Arabia. The girl is gorgeous, but I bet that she is on the 'top wanted list' by Saudi religious men now, not for anything related to terrorism, no, but for her unveiled beauty and daring to show up. In my terms, Miss Saudi Arabia won Miss Arab World for her braveness to participate with all what we know about how she was perceived in her home country. Most probably she lives outside Saudi and her dreams to visit her homeland vanished forever.

Third, I'm really surprised and happy to see beauties from other conservative Arab countries such as Miss Yemen and Miss Sudan. They are setting new standards along with Miss Saudi Arabia and breaking all the stereotypes that we hear day and night by the Western media. Yes, behind the Hijab's, Niqab's and Burqa's we have very pretty ladies and we are not ashamed of showing them, in a modest way. A new generation will always fight the taboos for better life.

Last but not least, as a Palestinian, I'm proud to see Miss Palestine participating in this event despite all what Palestinians and the occupied lands are going through day and night by the Israeli terrorist occupation. Unlike Miss Israel, just imagine how many crosscheck she had to pass to reach an Israeli occupied port to be able to travel to Cairo for the event. Even if she lives in Israel, her journey will be under the same rules that govern the travel all Arab and Palestinian from Israel (more humiliating example).

Alright, enough blah blah... back to business, here are some photos I gathered from different sources around the web. In no particular order, take a look at Miss Bahrain, Miss Libya, Miss Saudi Arabia, Miss Lebanon, Miss Tunisia, Miss Egypt, Miss Morocco, Miss Kuwait, Miss Iraq, Miss Jordan, Miss Syria and Miss Algeria.

(Click thumbnail to enlarge)

Bilin Victory

Haitham Sabbah — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:49:24 +0000

[Image by Ben Heine]

ISM Media Alerts

Victory for the residents of Bil'in village
4th September 2007:

Following popular non-violent resistance through joint struggle between Palestinian, Israeli and international activists, a court decision has been made in favor of the petition by Bilin village to change the current route of the Apartheid Wall.

The court decision dictates that the military are obliged to plan and implement a new route for the wall. It has been ordered that the new path will allow for all Palestinian agricultural land to be on the Palestinian side. Furthermore, the court has ordered that the state should not take into consideration the area earmarked for Stage B of the planned expansion of Matityahu East.

During the proceedings, it was of note that the court made a rarely heard reference to military considerations and security. The court stated that in respect of security considerations, the current route of the wall runs in a topographically inferior path thus indicating that the original route had been planned with the prime consideration being the planned expansion of the settlement rather than of security.

The Supreme Court decision comes after years of continued struggle and resistance to the illegal confiscation of village lands. It is seen as a victory for the path of non-violent resistance and joint initiative from both the Palestinian and Israeli participants.

Although today's decision is seen a victory in the struggle against oppressive consequences of the Israeli Occupation and a victory for the villagers of Bilin, it is important to recognize that the route of the wall still deviates from internationally recognized armistice lines and is still in violation of international law, resolutions and advisories made within the International Court of Justice and within the UN Security Council.

ADL giving ‘The Free Gaza Movement’ free publicity!

Haitham Sabbah — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:27:19 +0000

Thanks to the Zionist 'Anti-Defamation League' (ADL), the 'Free Gaza Movement' is getting a free publicity by the coverage here.

I already covered the story of Free Gaza few months ago, but the more, the better.

Project Description

This movement is an international nonviolent resistance project to challenge Israelâ€™s siege of Gaza. Israel claims that Gaza is no longer occupied, yet Israeli forces control Gaza by land, sea and air. Weâ€™ll enter Gaza from international waters at the invitation of Palestinian NGOs but without Israeli authorization, thereby recognizing Palestinian control over their own borders.

The Mission

1. To open Gaza to unrestricted international access, i.e. Palestinian sovereignty
2. To demonstrate that Israel still occupies Gaza, despite its claims to the contrary
3. To show international solidarity with the people of Gaza and the rest of Palestine
4. To demonstrate the potential of nonviolent resistance methods

The Plan

Up to 100 international volunteers will sail from Cyprus to Gaza in 2 to 6 seagoing vessels of 12 to 60 passengers each. The prospective date is August 15, but will depend upon funding, logistics, weather and other factors. The journey will take approximately 24 hours.

Contingencies

If Israel respects Palestinian sovereignty, weâ€™ll arrive without incident. Some of us will fish at sea with Palestinian fishermen, while others will travel back and forth to test the passage for as long as permitted. If stopped, weâ€™ll nonviolently resist. We are prepared to stay at sea if necessary, and/or resist arrest and confiscation of our vessels. We doubt that Israel will attack, but we will be equipped with medical personnel and equipment, life rafts and flotation vests. More likely, Israel will prefer sabotage. Weâ€™re prepared with alternate vessels and plans.

The Passengers

Aboard will be Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, Europeans, Africans and Asians. There will be rabbis, imams, Christian and Buddhist clerics, British MPs, entertainment celebrities, and internationally known journalists. Nakba and Holocaust survivors are also joining the project. All will undergo a training program and be selected according to the interests of the mission, such as the mix of persons and expertise; no one is assured of a place on board. Others will form the Cyprus support team and may board later vessels.

The Organizers

We are experienced human rights volunteers and organizers, including Huwaida Arraf, Greta Berlin, Sylvia Cattori, Uri Davis, Hedy Epstein, Kathy Kelly, Paul Larudee, Alison Weir, and more than 30 others from 13 countries. We have consulted with other organizations such as Greenpeace, who have experience with such projects, especially with encounters at sea.

The Vessels

Commercial fishing boats and cruise vessels powered by diesel and sail will be used. Volunteer vessels are also welcome. All will have standard GPS, plus radio and communications equipment for international navigation. Theyâ€™ll also have refrigeration and cooking facilities for their size and passenger load. The larger vessels will carry fuel for both the voyage and an extended period at sea.

Security

If Israel wishes to harm our mission, we expect them to try to plant arms on board. Therefore, before boarding, all participants, vessels and supplies will undergo a security check by qualified personnel from an internationally recognized NGO to verify that no dangerous items are brought aboard. Since we will not be entering Israeli territory, we will not allow Israeli authorities to perform such inspections.

Supplies and equipment

Passengers will take basic necessities and electronic devices. Journalists, technicians and crew may also bring tools and equipment. Larger vessels will have at least one satellite phone with high-speed data transfer. Provisions, including food, water and medical supplies, will be laid aboard for an extended period at sea. We will also carry relief supplies to the people of Gaza, but this isnâ€™t a primary part of our mission.

Captains and crew

Although we prefer competent volunteers who take principled risks, we are unlikely to recruit the personnel we need by such means. We will therefore hire captains and crew, to whom we will fully disclose the risks involved, so they understand and consent to the mission. Engineers will also be required to inspect and prepare the vessels.

Costs

We have considered vessel donation, lease and purchase. However, we prefer purchase, to have complete control and avoid cancellation by others. Terms are a down payment plus installments to be made either by reselling the vessels after the mission or by using them for nonprofit revenue. Other costs will be crew, equipment, supplies, fuel, docking and agent fees. The estimated cost is $300K, half from donations and half from loans. We can succeed on a smaller scale for as little as $150K, but it entails fewer backups and greater risk.

Further information

Organizational endorsements and financial support are needed and highly appreciated. Weâ€™re also available to speak to interested groups. Tax-exempt donations may be sent to our fiscal sponsor, the Palestinian Childrenâ€™s Welfare Fund at PCWF â€“ Gaza Human Rights, 201 W. Stassney #201, Austin, TX 78745, USA. Non-exempt donations may be made to our PayPal account through our website at www.freegaza.org.

[Via: ISM and Free Gaza]

Dutch gov’t warns company to stop work on W. Bank “fence”

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 11:20:12 +0000

Via Haaretz:

The Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, recently warned a construction company from the Rotterdam area to terminate its involvement in work on the separation fence in the West Bank.

"I expect Riwal to stop providing cranes for the wall. I hope this will be the last we hear of it," Verhagen said in a media statement late last month, adding that "the government will keep a close watch" on the company's actions.

The Dutch foreign ministry called the company's work on the barrier "undesirable," citing the 2004 ruling by the Hague-based International Court of Justice that the fence was illegal.

Is it a Fence?

Israel's Separation Barrier, dubbed the "Apartheid Wall" or "Berlin Wall" by Palestinians, has increasingly attracted international media attention, largely due to the hard-to-ignore scale of the project.

The most obvious historical parallel to the barrier is the Berlin Wall, which was 96 miles long (155 kilometers). Israel's barrier, still under construction, is expected to reach at least 403 miles in length (650 kilometers). The average height of the Berlin Wall was 11.8 feet (3.6 metres), compared with the maximum* current height of Israel's Wall -- 25 feet (8 metres).

[*it is not clear whether the shorter fence sections, about 6 meters in height, are first or final stages in Israel's construction of the barrier.]

Israel's barrier is therefore planned to be four times as long and in places twice as high as the Berlin Wall. More details about the Apartheid Wall here.

…more boycott

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:43:07 +0000

South Africa's largest trade union seeks to boycott Israel

South Africa's largest trade union federation will launch a campaign against "the Israeli occupation of Arab lands" this week, demanding that Pretoria impose a boycott on all Israeli goods and break diplomatic relations. South African Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils, who is Jewish, told Haaretz that he actively supported the initiative - which contradicts the policy of his own cabinet.

The president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Willy Madisha, announced the launching of the campaign last week in Johannesburg, calling on the government to cease all diplomatic relations with Israel after its attacks on Palestinian leaders.

"The best way to have Israel comply with United Nations resolutions is to pressure it by a diplomatic boycott such as the one imposed on apartheid South Africa," Madisha said. Cosatu belongs to a recently-formed coalition of organizations operating under the banner "End The Occupation."

Breaking: UK professors’ union votes to boycott Israel

Haitham Sabbah — Thu, 31 May 2007 07:06:09 +0000

I'm speechless, but happy. Unlike any other Western country, boycotting Israel seems to be a healthy-contagious among UK organizations these days. After the journalists, doctors and couple of days ago, the top UK architects, UK professors' union votes to boycott Israel.

The general secretary Sally Hunt urged delegates not to support the boycott call because she did not believe the majority of UCU members supported an academic boycott of Israel. But she was wrong:

Academics have backed calls for a wide-ranging debate on a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

The University and College Union (UCU) was urged, at its annual conference, to consider the "moral implications" of links with Israeli universities.

The motion condemned Israel for its "denial of educational rights" for the Palestinian people.

The union heard that "universities were to Israel what the Springboks were to South Africa".

'Barbaric'

Philosophy lecturer at Brighton University Tom Hickey, who proposed the motion, described the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as "barbaric".

"What are we to do with this? Are we to look away? If we do we make ourselves complicit in it."

He claimed that only a "handful of academics had separated themselves from collusion with the occupation", adding that justice must not be limited to home.

[..snip..]

While the Israeli university was functioning well, the Palestinian university he saw had been closed for 51 consecutive weeks because of arrests and incursions by Israeli forces, he claimed.

"Israeli academic freedom comes at the cost of the denial of the most basic of academic freedoms of Palestinian students," he added.

[..snip..]

Delegates backed the motion in a card vote by 158 votes to 99, with 17 abstentions.

A full debate on the issue is now expected within UCU branches throughout the country, with the hope that a vote on a formal boycott may be held at the union's conference next year.

If a boycott was to be agreed upon it might mean UCU members being urged not to attend conferences at Israeli universities or submit articles to their journals, he said. (Source: BBC)

As I mentioned yesterday, Zionists are very upset by this chain of planned U.K. boycott of Israeli labor unions. An Israeli Professor of Haifa University called the people who organized this boycott as "working for the forces of evil."

UK top architects slams Israel

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 28 May 2007 18:15:45 +0000

After UK's Journalists and doctors call for boycotting of Israel, the top UK architects accused Israelis of oppression.

The architects, including Will Alsop, Terry Farrell, Richard MacCormac, Royal Institute of British Architects president Jack Pringle and president-elect Sunand Prasad, have signed a petition organised by the group Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine.

"APJP asserts that the actions of our fellow professionals working with these enterprises are clearly unethical, immoral and contravene universally recognised professional codes of conduct," a spokesman said. "We ask the Israeli Association of United Architects (IAUA) to meet their professional obligations to declare their opposition to this inhuman occupation." (source: Guardian)

The complete statement of the Architects & Planners For Justice In Palestine (APJP) can be found on their website here!

We’re taking a ship

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 28 May 2007 16:10:06 +0000

9 June 2007 is the international day of action to mark the 40th anniverary of the Six Day War and Israel's military occupation of Palestine. The following is one of the very interesting actions to watch and see how it will turn up.

The front page of www.freegaza.org reads:

2007: Forty years on

"2007 marks the 40-year anniversary of the Six Day War, in which the Israeli army took military control of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem...This situation has continued to the current day despite Israel being in violation of international humanitarian law and over 60 UN resolutions." -Enough! Occupation

Mission Statement

We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation. We want to uphold Palestine's right to welcome internationals as visitors, human rights observers, humanitarian aid workers, journalists, or otherwise.

Who are we?

We are these human rights observers, aid workers, and journalists. We have years of experience volunteering in Gaza and the West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians. But now, because of the increasing stranglehold of Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, many of us find it almost impossible to enter Gaza, and an increasing number have been refused entry to Israel and the West Bank as well. Despite the great need for our work, the Israeli Government will not allow us in to do it.

We are of all ages and backgrounds. Back home, we are teachers, medics, musicians, secretaries, parents, grandparents, lawyers, students, activists, actors, playwrites, politicians, singer-songwriters, web designers, international training consultants, and even a former Hollywood film industry worker and an aviator. We are South African, Australian, American, English, Israeli, Palestinian, and more.

What are we going to do?

We've tried to enter Palestine by land. We've tried to arrive by air. Now we're getting serious. We're taking a ship.

(Hat tip: Robin)

Dan Halutz WANTED for war crimes by Harvard University community

Haitham Sabbah — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:41:26 +0000

Quoting this blog:

Help us look for Dan Halutz!

minals and human rights abusers. Also be sure to ask if THEY have seen the elusive Dan Halutz and could help locate him!

Thank you for your support and remember to keep your eyes peeled!

Please address your correspondence to these administrators and cc messages to ajmeharvard at gmail dot com:

Ralph M. James
Executive Director, Executive Education
Harvard Business School

Phone: 1 617 495 6023
Email: rjames@hbs.edu

Harvard Business School
Glass Hall
660 Soldiers Field Rd
Boston MA 02163

--------------------

Jay Light
Dean
Harvard Business School

Phone: 1 617 495 6550
Email: jlight@hbs.edu

Harvard Business School
Morgan Hall, Rm 125
15 Harvard Way
Boston MA 02163

--------------------

Derek Bok
Interim President
Harvard University

Phone: 1 617 495 1502
Fax: 1 617 495 8550
Email: derek_bok@harvard.edu

Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138

Action please!

The Israeli occupation through artists’ eyes

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:24:10 +0000

This is quoted from Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project:

For the last three years, community members in Olympia, WA, and Rafah, Palestine, have been working together to create a lasting, sincere partnership to better foster understanding between people who have not traditionally had a chance to get to know one another. It is our belief that by forming such bonds between communities, misunderstandings can be overcome and distances and differences - whether they be cultural, linguistic or political - can be bridged. We believe these sorts of humanistic, people-to-people connections are vital to creating a world in which all people are treated with respect.

That is why it is called the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project.

The people of Rafah - and all Palestinians in the territories of Gaza and the West Bank, for that matter - live under Israeli military occupation. They are not citizens of Israel or of any state, and have no rights of protest or redress. The occupation is a violent daily reality, in which Israeli soldiers, checkpoints, tanks, helicopter gunships, and F-16 fighter jets control every aspect of Palestinian lives, and have brought social, family and economic life to a virtual halt. What we often hear described simply as "the violence" in the Middle East cannot be understood without an understanding of what military occupation means.

The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project is now offering a series of pastel works created by artists in Rafah though the Palestinian Artists Association. These works represent what it means for a people to live for decades and decades under Israeli military occupation. The feelings of imprisonment while watching your land being taken from you must be unbearable.

Let the artists speak for themselves:

Title: The Palestinian Flag
Artist: Yusuf Subeh

Title: Waiting
Artist: Bisan Umar Atteya

Title: Right of Return
Artist: Hiba Ibrahim Al Jazzar

Title: The Prisoner
Artist: Hamza Jamal Mansur

Title: Freedom is Executed in Palestine
Artist: Bashir Hemeid Qishtta

For information on showing or purchasing the art seen here, write to art@orscp.org or visit:
http://orscp.org/art_under_occupation/

40th anniversary: Say NO to Israel’s occupation

Haitham Sabbah — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:25:59 +0000

June 2007 marks the 40-year anniversary of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights.

The ICNP (International Coordination Network on Palestine) has launched during last year's annual UN civil society conference on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people a global Call for Action Days on June 9-10, 2007, under the banner, "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation."

The call demands an end to occupation and the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, the right to return and the right to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.

Global Day of Action - June 9-10, 2007
The World Says NO to Israeli Occupation!

June 2007 marks the 40-year anniversary of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights. On June 9-10, 2007, the people of Palestine and people of the world will join together to say NO! to Israeli occupation.

For 40 years Israel has constructed illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land. For 40 years Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians, demolished 12,000 Palestinian homes, arrested 650,000 Palestinians, destroyed more than a million Palestinian olive trees.

Since 2002 the Apartheid Wall built on occupied Palestinian territory aims to encircle the Palestinian population, squeezing Palestinians into truncated Bantustans and cementing Israeli expansionism. The Wall divides farmers from their land, students from their schools, workers from their jobs, and people from their communities. Despite the International Court of Justice ruling it illegal, the Wall now encircles Palestinian towns and cities in the most massive land-grab in 40 years. In its recent war against Lebanon, Israel's unilateralism and militarism have been exposed to the world. Israel continues to establish "facts on the ground" to maintain strategic control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to annex land and get rid of the non-Jewish population.

For 40 years of occupation Israel has continued to deny Palestinians in the occupied territories their internationally guaranteed human rights to food, water, education, livelihood, and health care; imposes a system of checkpoints, closures, military fences, sieges and curfews that deny Palestinians freedom of movement within and between their own communities; and, again in violation of the Geneva Conventions, Israel imposes collective punishments on the entire Palestinian population. Mass arrests have included dozens of democratically elected Palestinian parliamentarians and government ministers. Since the year 2000, Israel's "targeted" killings, often carried out by U.S.-provided F-16 bombers or Hellfire missiles have resulted in more than 337 dead Palestinians; 129 of them were not the "target" at all, and many of those killed were children.

In Jerusalem and inside Israel, Palestinians since 1948 face institutionalized discrimination and are denied equality and their full rights as citizens. And Israel continues to deny Palestinian refugees, who were forcibly exiled from their homeland in the 1947-48 war, their internationally guaranteed right of return.

Thirty years ago, the United Nations recognized, condemned and committed itself to oppose the international crime of apartheid wherever it appeared. Today, 12 years after the end of apartheid in South Africa, Israel continues to practice a system of apartheid. We call on the United Nations once again to join with us to identify, condemn and commit ourselves to opposing these heinous crimes. As we were in the past, we are again determined that the perpetrators of that crime be brought to justice.

Throughout its years of occupation, Israel continues to stand in violation of dozens of international laws and scores of UN resolutions. And the international community bears much of the responsibility for those violations. Led by the United States, many governments around the world have actively collaborated in providing support for Israel's occupation and its denial of Palestinian rights. Others have stood mute, or spoken too quietly, failing to mobilize a serious global challenge to Israel's global violations.

(For the full call in English, Spanish and Portuguese, please go to http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/1393.shtml)

Please, join the hundreds organizations, networks and groups worldwide that are mobilizing for June 9/10 and coordinate your actions with others. (See below.)

In the US, look at the work being done for a massive rally in Washington DC with the US Campaign to End the Occupation (http://endtheoccupation.org)

Action:

We are building nonviolent global campaigns of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions, and we will work on a wide range of educational and cultural campaigns, all culminating in a

Global Day of Action on June 9-10, 2007,
held under the banner, "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation."

People across the globe will come together on those days to demand an end to occupation and the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and the right to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem. We will insist that our own governments stop providing military, economic, diplomatic and corporate support for Israel's illegal occupation, and instead create new foreign policies that will support an end to occupation, equal rights for all, and a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

In order to ensure that the local, regional and national actions will have the necessary global impact, we need your contribution and feedback.

1. If you plan actions, please send the following details to
ICNPcall@gmail.com:

Country:
City and Location:
Time:
Type of initiative:
Other details:
Organizers:
Supporters:
Contact details (to be published):

2. If you have prepared any activist and info material (posters, stickers, leaflets etc.) that want to share with others so that they can adjust them to their local circumstances, please send them to ICNPcall@gmail.com. We will prepare a selection of material that we will publish and disseminate.

Please circulate this as widely as possible.

Thank you for your support to Justice in Palestine!

http://www.stopthewall.org/

Council for National Interest Ad that appeared in NY Times

Haitham Sabbah — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:48:53 +0000

[Source: CNI]

Speaker Pelosi: After Damascus... Tehran?

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NANCY PELOSI should be applauded for taking a bipartisan group of Congressmen to Damascus to talk with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Her visit, which was sharply criticized by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, was clearly in the national interest.

Taking a tip from the Iraq Study Group Report, Speaker Pelosi acted responsibly to encourage change in the U.S. foreign policy dynamic in the Middle East. For the last six years, the region has reeled under the impact of war and counterinsurgency in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and more recently Lebanon. Talking to the head of state of Syria marks a promising beginning of greater realism, less ideology in the conduct of foreign policy.

Opening up a congressional dialogue with the Iranians is the next logical step. Only by talking to all parties concerned can solutions be found to the difficult and complex issues in Iraq and elsewhere in the region.

Continuing on to Riyadh, Speaker Pelosi gave important and needed recognition by the American people to King Abdullah's extraordinary effort to reopen the moribund Arab-Israeli peace process, so crudely ignored by Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and President Bush. To try to end the callous suffering of the Palestinian people, the king successfully intervened earlier in the year to resolve the differences between Hamas and Fatah and to bring about a unity government. This should have allowed the resumption of foreign aid.

That has not happened. During her entire Middle East tour, Speaker Pelosi never once called for a clear start of negotiations for resolving the core issue confronting Middle East peace - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the Iraq Study Group Report states, "The United States does its ally Israel no favors in avoiding direct involvement to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict." The Israelis continue to undermine prospects for peace by constructing the separation or Apartheid wall, expanding Jewish colonies in the West Bank, annexing Palestinian land around Jerusalem, and destroying Palestinian homes in the occupied territories.

Can we have any hope that the Speaker will now show as much courage on the Palestinian issue as she has shown in going to Damascus?

But First Deal With Israeli Apartheid in Palestine!

PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER caused an uproar by daring to title his recent bestseller about Israeli policy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid." Before the book was even published, Speaker Pelosi joined other Democrats in condemning Carter's use of the word Apartheid, which he defined as the "forced separation of two peoples in the same territory with one of the groups dominating or controlling the other."

As former Israeli Minister of Education Shulamit Aloni argues, "The U.S. Jewish establishment's onslaught on former President Jimmy Carter is based on him daring to tell the truth which is known to all: through its army, the government of Israel practices a brutal form of Apartheid in the occupied territories. Its army has turned every Palestinian village and town into a fenced-in, or blocked-in, detention camp."

On June 9th the world will mark the 40th anniversary of Israel's oppressive military occupation of Palestine - the longest occupation in modern history. Yet the U.S. government continues to fund, support and even encourage Israel's policy of colonization, Apartheid, and imprisonment of the Palestinians.

Israel has turned Gaza and the West Bank into open-air prisons. Only Jewish people are allowed to live in Israeli settlements in the West Bank - housing that is highly subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer, at the rate of $500 million per year. Israel's intimidating wall, built on Palestinian land, separates Palestinians and their goods from Israelis, from the outside world, and, most perversely, from 100,000 other Palestinians living on the "wrong" side of the wall.

Among a population of 2.5 million Palestinians on the West Bank, Israel has strategically placed nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers, supported by a vast network of settler-only bypass roads and military checkpoints that crisscross the territory, making a two-state solution to the conflict impossible. It is a simple grab for land and water.

The military and political domination of Palestinian Muslims and Christians by Israel's Jewish population could not continue without U.S. support, including $3 billion in annual military aid from U.S. taxpayers. Meanwhile, U.S.-imposed sanctions on the Palestinians have led to skyrocketing unemployment in the occupied territories. More than two-thirds of Palestinians now live in poverty. Such senseless sanctions on an entire people are a violation by the U.S. and Israel of the Geneva Convention's prohibition on collective punishment.

Speaker Pelosi must make the step that the Bush Administration has so far been unwilling to take and insist that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be a central component of our foreign policy. That would be an honest step towards ending our quagmire in the Middle East.

[Images: bendib.com]

US Campaign advertisements in Washington metro is drawing Zionist ire

Haitham Sabbah — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 18:45:19 +0000

On the 40th anniversary of Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, join the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and United for Peace and Justice in Washington, DC, June 10-11, 2007 for a protest, teach-in, and lobby day.

The campaign starts underground - into the Washington subway system, to be exact. Beginning May 13, some 20 downtown Metro stations will be decorate with 46-by-60-inch ad posters and will appear for one month advertising a June 10 rally and march in Washington protesting "Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem."

The event is being organized by "End the Israeli Occupation", and 250 member organizations around the USA.

Of course such a campaign can't pass without the hidden hand poking its nose in it. The campaign's effort to publicize the rally already ran into an roadblocks that escalated into a 'freedom of speech' issue that eventually involved the American Civil Liberties Union.

The saga began when CBS (the New York-based company that handles in-station advertising for the Washington Metropolitan Area) refused to place the organization's ad, claiming that it was "too offensive to be displayed in a public place." The ad is same as appears in the image above. I wonder who is offensive to who? The child challenging the tank on his way to school, or the tank that killed and still kills thousands of innocents in the occupied Palestine every year?!

CBS vice president rejected the ad, saying it appeared to violate company policy. "The ad," she explained in an interview, "included a picture that I felt was inflammatory and was exploitative of children."

Senese said the ad was not turned down because of its political stance. "I'm Jewish," she added, "and I didn't want to be seen as making a political statement."

The ad is dominated by a photograph of a child who is facing a giant tank that looms menacingly in the near distance. The accompanying text reads in part: "Imagine if this were your child's daily path to school. Palestinians don't have to imagine." In larger, bold letters, it also reads: "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation!"

Within days of CBS rejection, campaign official obtained orders from higher authorities instructing CBS to place the ad as is.

Action: If you are in U.S. join the campaign to "End the Israeli Occupation."

Note: You can download a full size poster from here!

[Hat tip: Robin]

Israel’s AG decides to add another rape count to draft indictment against Katsav

Haitham Sabbah — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:39:15 +0000

That's President Katzav, accused of sexual harassment and rape by 8, and now more, women... but still in office. Doesn't seem to bother those Righteous Christians who were out for Clinton's hide, nor the women in the US Congress, nor Mrs. Merkel, not to mention the Israeli women... what's a little rape among friends??

Read the story here!