Musical Festival in Palestine/Israel is flagged as a Cover for Atrocity

by PaddyK Sat Oct 06, 2007 22:18

Bryan Adams is definitely pencilled into visit Occupied Jericho.

http://www.onemillionvoices.org/aboutonevoice/event_bry....html

A 2006 tourist's guide to Jericho.

++Within minutes of seeing the British monitors passing through the checkpoint on the road out of Jericho - usually the most peaceful of Palestinian towns - Col Blekin's troops had stormed the jail. The army blew through the prison's outer wall and demanded that about 200 Palestinian guards and prisoners surrender. Those who chose to leave were forced to strip to their underwear and a hard core of about 30 men remained under siege until finally surrendering after dark. The assault prompted the largest ever wave of kidnappings of foreigners in the occupied territories and the destruction of UK and EU buildings. ++

Does Bryan Adams know what happens in Jericho?

by Darren, Irish American Sun Oct 07, 2007 05:27 planet66 at att dot net USA

I am a bit miffed by your comments. Is Indymedia advocating the continuation of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians to the bitter end? If so, you are supporting the position of the most extreme factions in the Palestinian camp, presumably Hamas? I am reading in your paper about a common attempt by Jews and Arabs to find a negotiated solution to the 60 years of Israeli-Palestinian war, and all you do is attack the peacemakers.

by raymond Sun Oct 07, 2007 18:50

Darren, an Irish-American, uses all the standard propaganda language.

"The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians"... Sorry, this implies that it's a fight to the finish between two equal tribes. It's not: it's an oppressed people resisting occupation, disposession, and slow genocide (the latter with US/EU help).

"The most extreme factions in the Palestinian camp, presumably Hamas..." Hamas isn't particularly "extreme" (it's remarkable that the "extremists" are always on the side the West doesn't back) - it's not Al-Qaeda, and it's the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people (those allowed to vote, that is, and of course the result wasn't accepted by the "democratic" West).

The manifesto of this "common attempt by Jews and Arabs to find a negotiated solution" in fact pre-empts negotiation by prescribing what the result must be - an impossible "2-state solution" (made impossible by Israel with US/EU backing) that will in fact consist of disconnected Bantustans under de facto Israeli sovereignty but with Palestinian administration (probably by a dictatorship of the kind that the West likes in the Middle East). The pretence that this is the universally accepted solution is a convenient pretence for the West. to continue backing Zionism to the hilt.

Finally, the two words "Bryan Adams" say it all - a miserable has-been trying to jack up his career by catering to establishment opinion.

by Frank Adam - private citizen Mon Oct 08, 2007 22:28 FrrankAdam at aol dot com

Dear Sir,
I am delighted that One Voice want a two states solution to the Arab conflict with Israel which the Arabs gratuitously kicked off in 1947 when the Arabs junked the two state proposal then on the table and have persisted in making the same political mistake ever since with ever smaller offers on the table.
Whatever form of two states solution arrives, the Palestine and other Arabs will have to live with their Jewish neighbours, so the sooner they stop hyperinflating on hate and learn to at least love themselves, the better.
Further oil has peaked and by 20 20 if not before, the World will go alternative which will put the Arab World on political short commons and not many will be sorry. Whatever the great achievements of the medieval Arabs the 20th century Arabs have acheived nothing but violence, disruption and contempt.
Just look at their great Palestine programme with not a sausage about what they want or how to perfect ARAB society - only destroy non- Arab society - starting with Israel. Those who think the Arab Israel conflict has a simple solution should read the PLO and Hamas Charters.
Meanwhile note that the Saudis alone hold US equity equal to 10% the GDP of the US - now that is a lobby.

by David L - IPSC (pers cap) Tue Oct 09, 2007 16:19

I agree that One Voice is a semi-official Israeli propaganda exercise. It may be undertaken simply to try and derail the 40-years Nakba commemoration this year. After all the majority of Palestinians - the refugees - have no place in a solution founded on maintaining a race-based Israeli state, with its attendant Palestinian ghetto to the side.

However I don't know if boycotting it is the right idea - this allows the supporters of Israel to claim that Palestinians are not interested in peace. Perhaps a more creative approach could be found?

by Sceptic Tue Oct 09, 2007 19:52

IT'S THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE (THOSE ALLOWED TO VOTE, THAT IS, AND OF COURSE THE RESULT WASN'T ACCEPTED BY THE "DEMOCRATIC" WEST).

The result was in fact accepted by the west. It is the United States and the European Union that funded the cost of running the PA. With the election of the Hamas Government the donors required assurances as to the ends to which the funding would be put, i.e. not for terrorism. Also that the PA Government would accept the existence of Israel as a step towards the completion of a two State solution. These conditions were not accepted by the Hamas administration. The money is from the taxpayers of Europe and the US and it is reasonable that their Governments, who have a fiduciary duty in respect of its spending, can impose fairly basic conditions on its use. At the very least it should not be used for terrorism.

by JohnHM Tue Oct 09, 2007 23:02

Yes Hamas is the elected govt - in the most open and democratic election in any Arab country

Yes the Nazis won the 1933 GERMAN election democratically

Thats why the Second World War took place

Just because the majority of Arabs showed their true colours and voted for Hamas
which wants to destroy Israel does not mean everyone has to kow tow to them

by David L Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:32

I agree with sceptic that the EU shouldn't be funding the PA, and in a perfect, or even slightly less outrageously biased world, it wouldn't. It's the occupier’s responsibility to provide the infrastructure etc of the area it’s occupying. Unfortunately Israel has never accepted its responsibilities and the EU, rather than censuring it, simply has picked up the tab.

However, the last year has shown that when the EU doesn't fund the PA, Israel is well happy to starve Palestinians, and deprive them of the basic necessities of civilised life, including - and I'm not kidding here - paper. Thus, I support EU funding as the least bad available option.

I assume sceptic, opposed as s/he is to the EU funding bodies that carry out terror attacks, agrees with me in opposing the way that EU gives, not only aid, but also favourable trade status to Israel.

by patc Wed Oct 10, 2007 13:24

>Yes the Nazis won the 1933 GERMAN election democratically

Nope. The 1933 election was after Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Through mass intimidation and by preventing opposition parties from campaigning the Naziswon.

"Just because the majority of Arabs showed their true colours and voted for Hamas "

42% of the Palestinians who voted supported Hamas. Not a majority.

by Ron Wed Oct 10, 2007 14:12

"42% of the Palestinians who voted supported Hamas. Not a majority."

Same for Israel.
Kadima, Olmert's party, won only 22% of the voices.
In the prevoius elections The Likud, Sharon's party, won only 29.4%.
Yet you keep blaming all Israelis.

by Nodin Wed Oct 10, 2007 21:56

That, Ron, is because they're the nuclear power building colonies outside its borders and seizing/ annexing land for the purpose. Theres no "two sides" in that equation except victim and attacker. And victims tend not to be the ones with the nuclear weapons, colonising away merrily......

by PaddyK Thu Oct 18, 2007 22:51

Bryan Adams was spotted washing his famous blondy floppy hair tonight in his bananmen pyjamas as it is revealed his Weird and Whacky (but also a tad scary) peace gig in the occupied Palestinian lands was cancelled.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2007/10/17/pacbi-fact...vent/

++The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and all its partners, individuals and organizations active in art, culture and human rights, regard the cancellation of the Jericho-Tel Aviv event, planned by “One Voice” to take place on October 18th, as a substantial accomplishment for the Palestinian boycott movement. ++

Some Irish genius was seen to get excited about the whole thing and produce this article.

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=23...5y8x8

++Bryan Adams has been forced to scrap his peace concert in Israel following a number of security alerts.++

This Modern Irish Hero reporter was claiming in his article that :

++ security scares led to the Jericho gig being called off last week, followed by the cancellation of the Tel Aviv concert on Sunday.++

But this seems to be just a case of another gullible tool allowing itself to be used by the Colonial propaganda machine. There apparently was not a security scare at all.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2007/10/13/another-vo...tion/

++OneVoice claims that the cancellation of their event was due to security issues. However, a source at the President’s Office affirmed that there were no problems regarding security arrangements. OneVoice founder Daniel Lubetzky also claims “threats of violence” by “extremists,” and that he did not want to “endanger people’s lives.” We are disturbed by this slander and challenge OneVoice to provide any evidence or information supporting these outrageous lies.++

OK Folks, it's official, nothing more to see here move along please. Bryan is washing his hair.

by Frank Adam - private citizen Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:57

The hypocrisy of those insulting Israel for its Jewish majority is that they want an Arabs only Palestine!

If ISPC really want a two state solution, unlike Hamas & the PLO Covenant who want a [racist Jews free] one state solution, there is nothing wrong with border fencing to keep out violent intruders and illegal immigration - in both directions. Such fences exist along the: Yemen / Saudi, Botswana/ Zambia and India/ Pakistan & Bangla Desh frontiers for starters.

In a two state solution the Palestine Arabs will have their own state and all Arab negotiating demands make clear: without a single Jewish citizen - Arab exclusivity ???

Israel has always had an Arab minority with full rights that would be easier to apply if it were not for the suspicions flowing from the vindictive vendetta the Arabs have waged on Israel since 1948 if not before.

The Arab attack on Israel in defiance of UN 181 made plenty of 1948 Jewish refugees in Jerusalem, Haifa and the Tel Aviv /Jaffa seam. If you can not take the bruises do not get onto a rugby pitch. That is why the 12 million ethnic German refugees of 1945 have never "gone home;" ditto the Ionian Greeks of the 1920's. If you start a shindig and lose, that is it; and there is no hereditary refugee status - ever.

The Zionists BOUGHT their holdings, as Abraham BOUGHT the Cave of Machpelah as a tomb for Sarah, and David BOUGHT the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite for a sanctuary. Arab buccaneering by theft and the sword will lose by it as in Spain and the Balkans and India where mirabile dictu - remarkable to relate - the Raj enabled the Hindu majority to escape Moslem imperialism. FDA

by PaddyK Wed Oct 24, 2007 13:38

Dear Frank,

Besides the fact that your post above is the standard half-Bible, half-Boloni rant of anti-Palestinian facsist extreme, it only serves to reinforce the message of this thread.
Which is, that it is in the interest of the extremists,and not the moderates, to try to normalise what is going on in Palestine today. "One Voice" tried to suck in an unsuspecting public into a charade that was nothing but a smokescreen for a continued ethnic cleansing operation in the region, but thankfully failed.

Incidentally more on that here :

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9053.shtml

++This interpretation of the situation in Palestine/Israel is only possible through a heavy airbrushing of history and a fundamental misreading of the present. Strikingly, the Tel Aviv concert was scheduled to take place in Hayarkon Park -- the same location where, almost 60 years ago, the Palestinian village of Jarisha was wiped off the map by Jewish armed forces.++

Hmmm... Airbrushing history...Sound familiar, Frank?

But amidst all the dishonest hackneyed rubbish you spouted there was a funny twist in the tale.You said that :

++ Arab buccaneering by theft and the sword will lose by it as in Spain and the Balkans and India ++

I'm presuming this to relate to the historically proven inevitible rise and fall of all military empires. By this criterion we can expect, and indeed most likely are currently seeing, the crumbling of the thieving, buccaneering US military empire. When the Americans have decided to cut their losses in the Middle East and run then the Israeli extremists who have done everything possible to stir up the hatred of all their neighbours,(from ethnic cleansing in Palestine to levelling Lebanon to bombing Syria to screaming for a war on Iran) will wake up and find themselves in a very lonely neighbourhood without their number 1 sponsor and arms dealer to prop up their massive military monster.

If you were a true friend of Israel you would be pleading with the people to elect a moderate government and sue for peace. Not bandying lies and anti- Arab racist slogans around like a hate-enraged settler with your bible in one hand and your American M16 in the other.

by MichaelY - iawm/ipsc - per cap Wed Oct 24, 2007 14:21

*A United Front for Peace*
"December 2007- May 2008 *

We, the National Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (hereafter the National Committee), have adopted the initiative of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme to launch an international campaign for breaking the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since June 2007.
The aim of this humanitarian, non-political campaign is to put pressure on the Israeli government in order to lift the siege imposed on the population of Gaza. By raising the awareness of the international community on the deteriorating life conditions resulting from the siege, we aim at other governments to stop the boycott of Gaza. We are pleased to note here that the European Parliament has recently adopted a resolution calling on the Israeli government to end the siege.

It is important to declare that this campaign is not affiliated or endorsed by any political party. The National Committee is composed of representatives of the civil society, business community, intellectuals and advocates for human rights and peace from the West Bank and Gaza. We are all guided by our commitment to peace and our respect to human dignity. We believe that it is a moral and ethical duty to rescue the lives of human souls living under bitter circumstances that sabotage their right to exist.

People in Gaza are deprived of the simplest requirements for a decent life. We are determined to move hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with all people who believe in freedom, human dignity and peace.The National Committee needs the support of all people, who believe in humanity all over the world, and in particular Arab people and governments,to contribute to the success of this campaign. We also call upon all Palestinians, whether in Gaza, the West Bank or anywhere else to support our efforts and join our activities. It is a genuine call to rescue people not governments or political parties. It is time to put aside any partisan conflicts and unite people in the pursuit of freedom, justice, and peace. We particularly call upon Jews whose history of trauma, discrimination and suffering should guide them to stand up today against the suffering of others.

*The Impacts of the Siege on Gaza:*

The Gaza Strip has two main crossings that connect it to the whole world, i.e. Rafah in the south and Erez in the north. There are three other crossings that are used to exchange goods and bring in food to the Gaza Strip; Today all are closed partially or completely.Since the winning of Hamas in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in 2006, the Israeli government, with the support of the US administration, has imposed a siege on all the Palestinian occupied Territories, declared its boycott on the new Palestinian government, and refused to transfer customs revenues to the Palestinian government. After taking these
measures, several donor countries, including major donors like Europe, have severely cut off their development assistance offered to the Palestinian people. The result of that form of collective punishment was a gradual deterioration of life in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

Following the Hamas military take-over of thwe Gaza strip in June 2007, the siege imposed by Israel was tightened to an unprecedented level. Citing the continuing rocket attacks from inside Gaza, the Israeli government has recently declared Gaza as a *hostile entity* and threatened to cut electrical power, fuel supply to Gaza and to substantially decrease the number of people allowed in and out; as well as, the amounts of goods and food supplies, and the money needed for the daily life of people of Gaza.

The Israeli policy of unlawful collective punishment has always had its serious impact on the lives of the Palestinian civilians. Collective punishment is expressly forbidden under international humanitarian law. According to this principle, persons cannot be punished for offences that they have not personally committed. In its authoritative commentary on Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the International Committee of the Red Cross has clarified that the prohibition on collective punishment does not just refer to criminal penalties, "but penalties of any kind inflicted on persons or entire groups of persons, in defiance of the most elementary principles of humanity, for acts that these persons have not committed."

The siege that was imposed on the Gaza Strip has created excessive loss and damage in the different aspects of Palestinian life. The Gaza Strip has turned into a huge prison with no access to the outside world. The health sector has been dramatically affected by the siege. According to the latest Humanitarian Situation Report of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released on October 9th, 2007, fewer than five patients crossed into Israel/West Bank each day for medical treatment compared to an average of 40 patients per day in July. World Health Organization has indicated, though, that an average of 1000 patients used to leave Gaza for treatment each month prior to the mid-June closures. As a result of the continuous closures, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has reported significant increases in the costs of some food items. The price of 1 KG of fresh meat has increased form NIS 32 to NIS 40 (20%) while the price of chicken rose from NIS 8 to NIS 12 (33%). According to OCHA's report of October, 9th, during the month of September, a total of
1508 truckloads of goods crossed into Gaza. This compares to 2468 truckloads in the month of August and 3190 in July. There are no food stocks anymore and that contributes to the rising of prices.

The educational system in Gaza has also been affected by the siege. With the start of the new school year, there has been a serious lack of books and a shortage of the raw materials needed for printing. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), one third of the students started the school year without the needed text books. The closures also deprived thousands of students from reaching their universities outside the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Civil Affairs Department has declared that more than 5000 people, half of which are students, have applied to leave Gaza via Israel and have not yet been able to leave.

On the industrial level, preventing the import of raw materials essential for Gaza businesses and industry, and the export of final goods, resulted in the shut down of many manufacturing businesses. According to Paltrade's assessment on 12 September 2007, over 75,000 private sector employees have been laid off during the last three months.

The agricultural sector is also at risk. According to ACHA's report, the export season for Gaza's cash crops (strawberries, carnation flowers and cherry tomatoes) is expected to begin in mid-November. This year, 2,500 dunums of strawberries have been planted with an expected production of approximately 6,250 tons of strawberries including 2,500 destined for European markets. 490 tons of cherry tomatoes are also expected to be produced. If exports are not allowed by this time, farmers will be exposed to tremendous losses in terms of production cost and potential sales.

The WFP reported that poverty now affects 80 percent of the Gaza population. Since human beings are the products of the environment in which they live, the Palestinian environment today is a combination of deprivation, poverty, anger, feelings of powerlessness and despair. Such feelings will inevitably lead to simmering anger which will eventually brew into more violence and defiance. Palestinians have gone through repeated traumas of death and destruction of home and life over the past few decades. The current siege provokes the
previous traumas making people re-experience the negative feelings that they have previously encountered and passed through. It is only to be expected that in such an environment extremist ideologies will flourish. This will impact on the Palestinian society internally as well as the political environment in the whole region, destroying the possibilities of peace and security.

Putting it all in a nutshell, with this immoral siege, Gaza is meant to be the city of death where everything is destroyed. It is our duty to rescue life.

*Planned activities of the campaign:*

The campaign is planned to take place from December 2007-May 2008. It is proposed that the National Committee will start the campaign with a *press conference*, announcing the launching of the campaign and asking friends at the local and international level for their contributions and participation in the activities of the campaign. An international petition to break the siege on Gaza will be disseminated worldwide.

The first major event of the campaign will be organizing an *international symposium entitled "Breaking the Siege on Gaza: Together for a United Front for Peace".* The campaign will also include a variety of activities including inviting international visitors from around the world for an on-going individual or group visits to Gaza. The visitors will have first hand information on the Palestinian life in order to disseminate such information in their own
country. Visitors will be hosted in Palestinian homes in order to closely get acquainted with the Palestinian hardship realities and their living conditions. Media coverage of the activities in Gaza will be documented.

We will also rely on our Israeli friends to host and help our friends from abroad who, if not allowed to enter Gaza, are expected to make media coverage of such incidents in order to expose the Israeli policies. We will arrange for a peaceful march to Erez checkpoint from both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the borders. It will include peace activists from all over the world. As part of the campaign, solidarity meetings, cultural activities, and discussion will take place.

Internationally, we seek to mobilize people for the campaign in all parts of the world, particularly in the US, Europe and Israel using printed and media materials documenting the effects of the siege. The campaign will be concluded in May by a major event, which is the arrival of 120 human rights activists including Noble Prize winners to Gaza via sea coming from Cyprus. This event will be titled "Free Gaza Movement Day" and is planned by a solidarity group in USA.

The campaign will have special posters as well as a website where all relevant materials will be published. The site will give special opportunities for people to exchange information, ask questions, and have their comments on the planned activities. Throughout the campaign, close contact with the media will be maintained with regular feeding of information and news and updates.

For more info please contact ferro.enrique@gmail.com>

by Ron Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:18

"Strikingly, the Tel Aviv concert was scheduled to take place in Hayarkon Park -- the same location where, almost 60 years ago, the Palestinian village of Jarisha was wiped off the map by Jewish armed forces".

Jarish was on the spot called "7 mills". The show was to take place where shows usually take place - at the stadium. The place were the stadium is used to be a natural winter pool, and no man's land.

Question is, even if it was the place, why whould it matter? Is it a fair excuse for cancelling an event that calls for peace? How will it help the Palestinians to gain freedom and independance? Or do you support a Palestinian state INSTEAD Israel and not alongside?

by PaddyK Tue Oct 30, 2007 13:57

I dont know what the relevance of your " gig in the stadium, stadium in a pool, pool in the park, park in no man's land" tune is. The point relating to the gig's proposed location is quite simple. In the tried and tested system for conflict resolution there is a process of reconciliation with the facts of the past. A point where people face up the reality of the historical roots of the problem. In this case the Nakba of 1948 and the ethnic cleansing that that entailed needs to be addressed. You don't do that by having a rock concert on , or immediately adjacent to the location of a terrible deed without first, at the very least, recognising that terrible historical fact and making some effort to address the legitimate grievances of those affected by it. To do so is called whitewashing or in this case "Normalisation".

I have absolutely no problem with the idea of music gigs to promote peace but the available commentary makes it quite clear that this concert was not about promoting peace between two people, but more about promoting a view of the conflict which presents this whole occupation as a two-sided war with each side equally responsible. It completely ignored the historical facts and the demands of International law which go unheeded by the Occupier and instead provokes people with the usual "with us or against us" ultimatum to sign up to a mandate which enshrines a distorted picture of parity between equal protagonists.

The effect of this would be to allow the Occupier off the hook of all it's internationally recognised responsibilities i.e. to provide protection of the occupied, to withdraw from occupied territory,to quit the building of illegal housing in occupied land and to stop collectively punishing the People who are occupied.

Now unless Bryan Adams had planned to get up and highlight these facts (and we know he hadnt) the gig was a human rights whitewash and not a peace effort. Same as the Peace Road Map, a whitewash which is enabling ethnic cleansing of Palestine to continue under the international spotlight with the appearance of a conflict that is being dealt with by the decent men in suits and is being hampered by "terrorists".

It is a complete distortion of truth and reality.

And to answer your question : I support a Palestinian State either beside or instead of the current Israel / Occupied Palestine disaster. Whichever option will ensure equal rights for all people in the land and will address the crazy imbalance of power in the region funded and supported and manipulated by the US.