From Pamela Olson’s blog, Fast Times in Palestine:
South African [-American] Jewish journalist named Tony Karon, who supported the Gaza Freedom March, recently posted this encouraging message on Facebook:
“In South Africa in 1988, if you’d asked any of us how long our struggle was going to last, the honest answer would have been twenty years. We couldn’t destroy the regime and they couldn’t destroy us; looked like a bloody stalemate. And then, barely a year later, a changing international balance of forces that none of us could have foreseen prompted a dramatic change of course. The darkest hour is just before dawn and all that… Happy New Year, and keep up the great work!”
Hopefully things will change quickly.
I don’t believe that it will happen through BDS, but through some other sobering process.
Keep living in dream land, Witty. BDS worked for South Africa and it’s going to happen to Israel.
Witty, which “other sobering process” do you have in mind? BDS is a nonviolent movement. What other is there? Are you banking on Obama–Rahm I & H Clinton, and the current Israeli leaders? Pray tell. What and who do you place your faith in?
“‘I don’t believe that it will happen through BDS, but through some other sobering process. “‘
Yes, sobering as in givng them more of what they want a snothering Israel with kisses. That will surely bring about change won’t it Witty?
The full article that I wrote is an overview of the Gaza Freedom March and reasons to draw some hope from it. You can find it here:
link to fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress.com
You neglected to mention Howard Berman’s response to Goldstone.
I don’t think Goldstone will respond to this:
link to washingtonindependent.com
After the unmitigated disaster of the Gaza Freedom March it’s not surprising you want to put out some feel good spin.
Why should Goldstone waste his time on this nobody?
As for the Gaza Freedom March, it will surely hasten the demise of the Mubarak government, as George Galloway predicts will happen. That would be an outstanding success.
You’re scared aren”t you Julian? You can see the writing on the wall.
Howard Berman’s response clearly shows that he never read the damn thing. It is a quick talking point provided him by either AIPAC or ADL operatives.
If Berman read it, and that was his response, he has no business being a US Congressman, because what Goldstone objects to and records in the report is in keeping with American constitutional values, and for Berman to denounce them shows he is ill-equipped to represent Americans in Congress.
The real question is Julian, why would Goldstone respond to such tripe? It is like getting a hate letter from an infant. Than again, it does reveal you mental acumen for continuously posting this nonsense.
For those of you that hope for Mubarak to lose power in some radical upheaval, please note that that will be a disaster for Gazan Palestinians, in that Israel will then much more intently restrict access to Israeli trade or connection to West Bank.
There will be a much higher prospect of active war on the borders, of which Gaza would be the first frontier.
Please, take a step back from wishing for war there. Please, pursue the reform based on confidence and rationality approach.
Why would the removal of a vile and corrupt tyrant on the US payroll be a disaster for Gazan Palestinians? If Mubarak were to be removed, the Muslim Brotherhood would be the likely successors and the Rafah crossing would be openened.
If there is a prospect of active war on the borders, Israel would be vulnerable on two fronts, not just one.
It’s only a disaster for Israel Witty, and the statu quo, which is why it alarms you.
The danger for Palestinian civilians, Gazan civilians, is to get caught in the middle of a bigger fight.
Its happened dozens of times.
Its a tragedy in the making, driven by zeal rather than reason, when reason and mutual consideration are the needed theme, even if there are compromises involved.
“‘The danger for Palestinian civilians, Gazan civilians, is to get caught in the middle of a bigger fight.”‘
How coudl that be any more dangerous than what they experienced at the hands of Israel a year ago?
At least with the Rafah crossing open, they would stand a chance of escaping.
It would be a tragedy for Israel’s siege, blockade and agenda to maintain Gaza as an open air prison, yes.
What part of reason and mutual consideration are we witnessing with the illgeal Israeli blockade and massacre of civiolians in Gaza? That might seem lile reason and mutual consideration to you, but to the rest of the world, it is a tragedy.