Caterpillar bulldozer, occupied territories
Update:
The vote just happened and the motion to endorse divestment passed:
Vote results re 15-11 on #churchdivest: 36 yes, 11 no, 1 abstention. Divestment passes #c15. Yes!
— JewishVoiceForPeace (@jvplive) July 3, 2012
Update:
The debate is still going strong at the Presbyterian General Assembly. After a 12-hour session yesterday, the Middle East and Peacemaking committee did not vote on whether to endorse divestment, so the session continues this morning. Here’s the lede of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s report on yesterday’s proceedings:
The Committee on Middle East and Peacemaking Issues of the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly spent the day Monday locked in heated debate over a proposal to divest its funds from companies whose products are used by Israel to enforce occupation of the West Bank.
The committee listened to impassioned testimony from American Jews, Palestinian Christians and Presbyterians and waded through sometimes contentious disagreements over a proper way forward. PCUSA’s biannual meetings are being held Downtown this week at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Brian Ellison, chair of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment committee, introduced the topic by arguing that the church should not profit from investing its pension and charitable funds in companies whose actions conflict with church values.
He charged Hewlett-Packard with selling hardware used by Israel in its naval blockade of Gaza, Motorola with supplying surveillance technology to Israeli settlements, and Caterpillar with providing militarized machines that raze Palestinian homes.
“To not divest at this point would represent a substantial change to a 40-year history of socially responsible investing,” he said. “Divestment is a normal conclusion to a normal practice when engagement is not going to work. We’ve concluded that it will not.”
You can still follow the news live on the Twitter feed below.
Original Post
Today, the Middle East & Peacemaking committee of the Presbyterian General Assembly will be considering overtures regarding peace with Iran and divestment from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions and Hewlett-Packard due to their role in the Israeli occupation (for the purposes of the General Assembly the committee is also known as “committee 15″). The committee will decide whether or not to recommend divestment to the broader plenary which will be voting on Thursday and Friday. Today’s vote will provide an important indication of whether divestment stands a chance of passing. You can find relevant materials on committee 15 here.
Follow the debate and presentations to the committee live here over Twitter:
The vontz is back!
“Stuck in the mud“.
Many, many Palestinians are benefiting from the success of companies like Ahava. An attack on Ahava is an attack on them as well. Jordan, and the Palestinians in Jordan, have exactly the same access to the same type of mud that Ahava has. The equivalent companies in Jordan have nowhere the same international success that Ahava has. So if and when Ahava is forced to close, those jobs currently being taken up by Palestinians are not going to magically appear in another company. They are going to be lost.
Anyone, who has visited Israel recently, will see many Arabs in the shopping centers, and they are not just window shopping. Those who support BDS are adding their voices to the attack on Israel’s right to exist, because the attacks and the intentions are not limited to the West Bank. The ideology is stuck and so are the ideas to forge a true peace. By supporting BDS you are keeping the Palestinians from having to commit to living with a Jewish state in the Middle East and accepting that there needs to be a place in the holy land for Jews as well. Efforts would be better spent pressing the Palestinians to talk about sharing and not exclusivity and Jew free zones.
Where do the proceeds, net Palestinian “no-options” “no-unions” labor, from Ahava (and any other company that locates in the WB) sales go? Israel. What does that capital formation do in Israel. Supports continuing and expanding Occupation – politics and infrastructure.
A) Anyone that believes that Israel and the Occupation are somehow distinct and/or separable at this point is either a fool, ignorant (willfully or otherwise), or plain disingenuous.
B) This argument (“the status quo needs to be supported because it’s the status quo”) is completely absurd. It presumes without any justification whatsoever that Palestinians wouldn’t pour themselves into the economic vacuum that the Occupation creates and perpetuates. The per-capita GDP in the WB is half of what it is in Jordan and Egypt ($2900 vs. $6000). Even by that meager measure, the Palestinian economy would double if left to its own devices. Quickly, I suspect, given the education level of Palestinians.
Sans and post-Occupation, there are plenty of better agribiz, green energy, rebuilding (I hear there’s a well and housing shortage in the WB/Gaza), banking, etc. jobs to be had in a Palestinian economy unfettered by the imposed privilege for Jewish Israelis that currently exists. All this economic activity would benefit Palestine, not Israel. That’s the rub for Israel.
I remember when defenders of apartheid South Africa made the same argument.
Yeh, and unemployment is South Africa today is worse than what it was back then. There is a bigger Black middle class today but unemployment is over 40%.
That’s right giladg, those black south Africans never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. I’m sure they regret the end of apartheid and the secure employment of the good ole days.
So you think it was wrong to dismantle apartheid?
Unemployment in South Africa is at about 25% (not 40%) which is above the average late apartheid era rate of roughly 15%. Roughly 60% of the unemployed have less than an equivalent high school education, which is one significant result of the severely limited black educational opportunities in the apartheid era. Also, unemployment rose immediately after 1994 (to the 30% range) because of a rapid influx of unskilled black labor, particularly women, into the South African labor market post-apartheid, coinciding with the global trend toward the need for more skilled labor and less unskilled labor. Much more unskilled labor supply, pared with less unskilled labor demand, pushed the unemployment figures up.
BTW, the fact that unskilled labor supply increased immediately after the end of apartheid clearly indicates that the apartheid era unemployment figures were artificially low because so many discouraged black workers were not in the labor market at that time.
link to blogs.cfr.org
link to nber.org
Israel strangles the economy in occupied Palestine to make life there as unpleasant as possible.
Are you really, seriously, suggesting life for Palestinians in Palestine will be worse AFTER the occupation ends?
Lulz.
Light, Tell that to those who are unable feed themselves or their families. What is happening in the West Bank has no resemblance to SA style apartheid. The main thing we hear about is there are roads for Israeli’s only. In South Africa there was never roads for whites and roads for blacks. Something must be different in the WB and it is the deadly violence that the Palestinians have carried out. They have also worked towards destroying the Jewish State. The Blacks in SA never did anything like this. Also the number of security roads is very small and are needed in the face of Palestinian violence, with their drive by shootings and rock throwing.
“Also the number of security roads is very small and are needed…”
No, they’re not needed. Get all of the Israelis, settlers and iof, alike, back behind the green line and there’s no need for any Jew-only roads.
“The Blacks in SA never did anything like this.”
Then why did Goldstone hang those poor boys! As I remember, White SA spent a lot of time telling us that the rebels and anti-apartheid folks were trying to do just that, destroy SA. But it turns out they weren’t doing that Giladg? So maybe we can take your kvetching about the Palestinians as coming from the same place?
Giladg, do you think maybe you could have Hasbara Central send over somebody who doesn’t shoot themselves in their rhetorical stinking foot so often? Sort of harrowing watching you limp around with self-inflicted wounds.
African National Congress:
“many Palestinians are benefiting from the success of companies like Ahava.”
You could argue that black slaves during Jim Crow had it pretty good living as a slave on a farm. Why bother changing what kinda works, right?
Changing the political nature of Israeli policies is something that the Palestinians, Israelis and the world will benefit from. Supporting the status quo Israeli policy is a deadbeat position.
How about this for a stat from South Africa. I am talking to all of you who are throwing the stats of 25% as if this number is not “that bad”.
For those under the age of 35, unemployment is a staggering 73%.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
It’s Jewish land as well Mr. Tanaka.
Blacks in SA never called to kill all the Whites or drive them into the sea.
Many Palestinians have and still do call to wipe Israel off the map and drive the Jews into the sea. Subtle or massive difference?
Under 35 Age Group Unemployment in South Africa 73 percent (watch video at about 1 min )
“tree”, you may want to update your sources and stats.
So when Palestinians lose their jobs because of bds, don’t forget to tell them how better things have become in South Africa and in the West Bank and that bds is a good thing.
“It’s Jewish land as well Mr. Tanaka.”
No, it’s not. The Palestinians have agreed to let the zionist keep 78% of the land they stole. It was, is and always will be Palestine
in response to light’s comment..tee hee
Please provide cited sources of Palestinians calling to kill all Israeli jews and/or drive them into the sea.
We know about Lieberman wanting to drown Palestinians in the Dead Sea.
And there we have it. He won’t admit it openly but giladg tells himself Palestinians will be worse-off after the occupation is over – he evidently thinks black South Africans are.
How’s that for hubris? Next we will hear how those crazy jews in the Warsaw Ghetto didn’t know when they were onto a good thing and they shoulda neva had that uprising.
Apartheid exists in Palestine/Israel regardless of what Palestinians say or do not say.
Israel’s goal since Day 1 has been to take over all of mandate Palestine and expel and many of the natives as possible. During 1948 Israelis actually drove Palestinians into the sea by the thousand in Jaffa. As always, the most melodramatic hasbara is an unconscious reflection of Israel’s actual behaviour towards Palestinians.
“Light, Tell that to those who are unable feed themselves or their families. What is happening in the West Bank has no resemblance to SA style apartheid…”
Oh I wouldn’t go that far. Israel and the occupation are far worse than South African apartheid was in a number of respects, but there are similarities.
Giladg,
You misunderstood what your own source was saying. What the gentlemen is saying is that seventy three percent of those people in South Africa who are unemployed are below the age of 35. He is NOT saying that 73% of the people under 35 are unemployed. Your own source clearly says the same thing that my two sources above said, which is that the unemployment rate is around 24%, and that roughly three quarters of that 24% are people under the age of 35. Here is the very same point being made, from a transcript of an NPR program from May 28th, 2012 (a little over a month ago):
link to npr.org
As you’ll note, the NPR source makes the same point that my other sources above made, which is that some of the reasons for the current high unemployment are due to the legacy of the apartheid-era, rather than because of the end of apartheid. Your argument is essentially a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy, which is also causing you to misinterpret and distort things you read or hear as if they were supporting your fallacy, when they clearly aren’t.
And BTW, I’ve now provided you with two sources that are more current than the video you misunderstood.
And one more BTW, since you seem to be out of your league in understanding this kind of information, “youth unemployment” usually refers to those age 15-24. In most countries it is usually higher than overall unemployment. In South Africa it is around 50% at present. None of these figures are good, but your mistaken insistence on the 73% number is not really doing much for your argument.
In 300 years time they are still going to blame all all the problems on that 40 year period of apartheid. In 3 years and in 30 years and in 300 years, and in 3000 years time, the Arabs will still be blaming the Jews for all their own homegrown problems.
I acknowledge the mistake on the 73%.
Ahem giladg:
“Please provide cited sources of Palestinians calling to kill all Israeli jews and/or drive them into the sea.”
Planning to respond? You know your online credibility rests with being able to support the statements and claims you make.
Good to see you smoking your pipe, giladg. And in 300 years will the Zionist Israelis still be claiming they are the victims and that the problems are all the fault of the Arabs who refused to go quietly?
Israel is the state that bans the indigenous people of its land from living in it, Palestine has not. No major Palestinian political entity has ever demanded “Jew free zones.” Come back with less hasbara b.s. when Israel recognizes Palestinian rights to live in their land of origin or even to a Palestinian state.
P.S. As far as Ahava, what percent of their management are Palestinians from the occupied territories, or refugee camps? I just want to know if they’re an equal-opportunity employer, or like so many Israeli companies, a racist one
“No major Palestinian political entity has ever demanded “Jew free zones.” Come back with less hasbara b.s. when Israel recognizes Palestinian rights to live in their land of origin or even to a Palestinian state.”
Is this really a statement you want to stand behind? Makes me wonder if you are familiar with the certain documents of certain major Palestinian political entities. Or certain Jordanian laws that apply to the West Bank related to the ability of Jews to buy property.
I’m not arguing about the significance of such things, but you are on shaky ground asserting that they don’t exist. Palestinians have a long history of not wanting Jews to live nearby, and there are quite valid reasons for that desire. I’m inclined to honor it, at least to a certain extent, which is why dismantling all the post-67 settlements feels like a moral demand.
Conflating jews and zionism AGAIN, newclench – a very boring hasbara trick.
Zionists have earn the disrespect of sane and moral people the world over. Typically self-centred of a zionist to demand the very people they are victimising adore them.
It’s a LEGAL demand under treaties Israel has agreed to abide by. That little thing called the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Or certain Jordanian laws that apply to the West Bank related to the ability of Jews to buy property.
Good lord, we’ve covered this innumerable times. Jordanian law does not prohibit Jews from buying property in Jordan. Jordanian law prohibits Israelis from buying land in Jordan. The actual law allows any foreign citizen of a country, regardless of the citizen’s religion, to purchase land in Jordan IF their home country allows Jordanian nationals to purchase land there. Israel doesn’t allow Jordanians to purchase land in Israel, therefore Israelis are not allowed to purchase land in Jordan.
link to mondoweiss.net
link to thehasbarabuster.blogspot.com
We all owe “Newclench” and “wondering Jew” and “Tokyobk”and their ilk a sincere thank-you! A hundred articles on Mondoweiss couldn’t prove that there are no liberal or conservative Zionists, but merely Zionists, as well as their comments can.
The operative phrase is “No major Palestinian political entity.” Tree has already responded to your misrepresentation of Jordanian Laws. A few other points can be made:
1) The PLO Charter has always recognized descendents of the Old Jewish Community as Palestinians, consequently, those Jewish Palestinians have just as much right to be considered Palestinians as Christian, Druze, Muslim or Secular Palestinians.
2) Palestinians object to Israeli Settlers stealing and vandalizing property in Palestine as well as killing and injuring Palestinian people and their livestock. Palestinians object to the Israeli government settling its citizens in Occupied Territory in violation of international law. (For example, the Settlers in Hebron claim that they are retaking “Jewish property.” However, they are not descendents of the Old Jewish Community. Some of the Old families from Hebron who live in Israel strongly object to settlers taking over their family’s property and treatment of Palestinians.)
3) Palestine is crowded as it is, especially in its access to vital resources. 22% of historic Palestine has had to absorb many of the Palestinian refugees from Israel Proper since 1948, causing crowding in many of its cities, especially in the Gaza Strip. Since 1967, GOI has limited Palestinians’ ability to build, expand or repair their housing, especially in areas B and C and East Jerusalem, while destroying tens of thousands of Palestinian homes.
4) Palestinians have been welcoming of Jews who are willing to live as Palestinians, even if they are not connected to the Old Jewish Community. The residents of Beit Ummar welcomed Bekah Wolf, an American peace activist, to their community even before she married a Palestinian. She was one of the speakers before committee 15:
Settlements are on about 5% of the land in the West Bank, taking into account land swaps Israel has already offered the Palestinians. This 5% is causing the Palestinians to stop the show and insist that they be evacuated. If this does not translate to “Jew free zone”, then you had better have your head read.
If 95% is not enough to go back to the negotiating table, then something else is afoot in the Palestinian camp, and it has nothing to do with true peace with Israel.
It translates to “Occupation-Free Zone.” And it includes highways, infrastructure and water-use.
“Settlements are on about 5% of the land in the West Bank, taking into account land swaps Israel has already offered the Palestinians.”
Baloney. First of all, you have to take into consideration all of the land outside of that 5% that is confiscated by the Jews to service the lunatics in the settlements. Second of all, who said that Palestinians would agree to any land swaps. Get the israeli behind the green line and then propose swaps.
“This 5% is causing the Palestinians to stop the show and insist that they be evacuated.”
Yes, it’s called a “good will gesture.” Given the evil way you bastards have been treating them over the last three generations, anyone who wouldn’t simply assume that you people are up to something would be a fool. No one can ever trust an israeli about anything.
“If this does not translate to ‘Jew free zone’, then you had better have your head read.”
No, it translates into “israeli free zone.”
“If 95% is not enough to go back to the negotiating table, then something else is afoot in the Palestinian camp, and it has nothing to do with true peace with Israel.”
And if that 5% is such a big deal that the israeli can’t just push those people back behind the green line, then there’s something else afoot (and that is that you people have never negotiated in good faith, probably don’t know what that expression means and you are planning to do nothing more than drag out the negotiations forever.)
Actually… some of this is new information for me. I always thought the Jordanian laws applied to Jews, not Israelis. I’m glad to hear that this isn’t the case.
But then reading the links above, I see it’s not entirely correct. The intent of the Jordanian laws, and the Palestinian national movement all through the mandate years, was to stop the purchasing of land by Zionist Jews, to stop the immigration of Zionist Jews, to stop the settlement of Palestine by Zionist Jews.
I think it’s funny that respecting this impulse puts me in the category of a hasbarist for some folks. Obviously, Palestinians don’t want Zionists or Jews living among them, which explains what happened in Hebron during the mandate and in Jerusalem during the Jordanian occupation.
It explains why the word for “Israeli” in colloquial Arabic in the West Bank and Gaza is “yahoodi”. And it’s fine, really. There is no recognized community in 2012 of “Palestinian Arab Jews” though good folks like Haim Hanegbi certainly qualify.
It’s fine because… in a venn diagram of the conflict, the circle representing “Zionist in Israel” very nearly covers the circle “Jew living in Israel”. As it happpens, I’m not a Zionist. But it’s seems pretty silly to somehow deny that there is a conflict with “Jews” on one side and “Arabs who are Palestinian” on the other. And that the latter seek distance from the former, as opposed to proximity. Again, a perfectly reasonable impulse under the circumstances.
Settlement are deliberately built over the West Bank aquifer – a 5% land swap is never going to happen because Israel can’t offer a 5% with the same access to water. Over half of Israel’s fresh water is stolen from West Bank Palestinians – a war crime in which YOU are participating giladg.
There’s nothing anti-semitic about not wanting to accept worthless desert land in exchange for land with a water resource underneath. These constant accusations of anti-semitism are intellectually lazy. Time to grow a pair and confront Israel’s criminal behaviour.
Besides – we all know what Israel’s “generous offers” really consist of: an opportunity for Israel to impose Gaza-like conditions on the West Bank with slightly less siege. It’s not an independent state and sadly for Israel Palestinians aren’t as dumb as they’d like.
Classic colonialism. Maybe offer some coloured beads and blankets instead? Or iPhones.
95% sounds like enough to me. It’s the 22% offer that seems unreasonable.
Which 5% of Palestine did the Zionists want to keep?
There they go again, rejecting Jewish history and the historic connection Jews have to the land, including the West Bank. Ever heard of Abraham? He lived in the what is now referred to as the west bank. It hurts even more when ignorant Jews join the Palestinian propaganda circus.
“But then reading the links above, I see it’s not entirely correct. The intent of the Jordanian laws, and the Palestinian national movement all through the mandate years, was to stop the purchasing of land by Zionist Jews, to stop the immigration of Zionist Jews, to stop the settlement of Palestine by Zionist Jews.”
Right, because Zionist were trying to take over the country from its owners and to destroy or ethnically cleanse those people. Of course they wanted to stop Zionist. That did not mean that they were opposed to Jews, it just means that the Jews who were interested in going there were Zionists.
“Obviously, Palestinians don’t want Zionists or Jews living among them,”
Wrong, wrong, wrong. It’s obvious that they didn’t want Zionists living among them, because the Zionists were/are the enemy who were seeking to ethnically cleanse them and perhaps genocide them. History has shown them 100% right. That these zios were primarily, if not exclusively Jews had nothing to do with what the Palestinians wanted, but had to do with self-selection among the Jews.
“There they go again, rejecting Jewish history and the historic connection Jews have to the land, including the West Bank.”
No. Everyone understands that Jews are fond of myths and fairy tales which were set in that area of the world. Greek myth was set in Greece; the myths of the ancient Hebrews was set in the Levant.
What YOU don’t seem to get is simply because you are crazy nuts over those myths and stories does not give you any right to the possession of that land, superior to — or even in addition to — the right of the people who were living there: the Palestinians. That is the second original sin of zionism, in addition to its inherent racism.
“Ever heard of Abraham? He lived in the what is now referred to as the west bank.”
LMAO. No, he was almost certainly fictional. He no more lived in the West Bank than did Darth Vader.
“It hurts even more when ignorant Jews join the Palestinian propaganda circus.”
Yeah, I understand that bigots like you are often hurt by the existence of people they deem “race traitors.”
PFO Gilad
When Ahava pays for the mud it can be readmitted to decent society.
Manufacturing Zyklon B created jobs too, you know.
And how many Gazans have gone shopping in Israel recently?
@Gilad:
Your conflations really are quite staggering. This is a real gem:
‘By supporting BDS you are keeping the Palestinians from having to commit to living with a Jewish state in the Middle East and accepting that there needs to be a place in the holy land for Jews as well.’
Are you arguing here for a one state solution?
Personally I am okay with the one state solution. Those who fear it are secular Israeli’s who know that once a one state solution evolves, they will have to vote for a Jewish party, and just like the self-hating Jews on this website, who are living in a bubble, the bubble will burst for them, and the realities of the Middle East will begin to set in. Also those who fear the one state solution are the West Bank Palestinians. They know that the numbers of refugees has been blown way out of proportion. I believe that they believe Jews will remain a clear majority for at least 100 years.
“They know that the numbers of refugees has been blown way out of proportion. I believe that they believe Jews will remain a clear majority for at least 100 years.”
You overlook the fact that the one state solution will almost certainly be accompanied by chaos and economic collapse.
Since Palestine isn’t actually their country, the bulk of the Jews will leave, while it will never occur to most Palestinians to move elsewhere. In fairly short order, Palestine will have a clear Arab majority.
It is our country Colin. It is also the country of the local Arab population. Jews are willing to share. The Arabs are not. The country is 60 miles wide, let me remind you. It’s all one thing on top of the other. Open up the Bible and start reading.
Jews are beginning to share? Well first let’s get what you intended to say right. I guess you mean “Zionists are willing to share”? I think we can provide you very significant evidence from the pens and mouths of Zionists to the contrary going back to well before the partition. Indeed I am sure you have read this evidence many times on this site so there is little point in rehearsing it. I would like to see similar evidence to support your assertion.
As to the Bible – I read it a long time ago. Enjoyed some of the stories but on the whole the heroes were a pretty bloodthirsty crowd. I put it on a par with the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and with Homer. I’m thinking of writing my own book in which I document my family’s right – going back 3000 years – to the whole of New England.
I have trouble using the application on this page to tweet back
@ Gilad. I’m not sure what you are stuck in, but it isn’t mud.
Yay! (Update) On to Step 2.
Woo Hoo!!!!
The Chinese will pickup the shares at bargain prices.
great news!
Fer Gad’s sakes, read quickly, people! Don’t you know that Shmuel and MJRosenberg can veto a Mondoweiss article any time they want? And it’ll get pulled, as if cached copies don’t exist. And the on-line comment section editorial conference will make you sick to your stomach.
Mooser,
That’s hilarious. ;)
It was, without a doubt, the most sickening thing I’ve ever seen here, on several levels. Man, if any guy should know how to spell “Et Tu” it should be Phil Weiss. Than again, it’s sometimes a good tactic to let your enemies think you are much weaker than you are.
””Divestment is a normal conclusion to a normal practice when engagement is not going to work. We’ve concluded that it will not.”
Well that is the crux isn’t it?
Engagement with zionist and Israel has never worked.
So after divestment what next…?
Now that churches are getting more involved the zionist will probably resurrect their accusations against Christians, Catholics, etc. as holocaust enabling anti semites to use against them.
However I don’t see the Christian churches, or the Catholics either, as willing to take this smear a second time around so a whole other can of worms might be added to the Israel issue for churches.
Delegitimizing Israel is the least of the zios worries with the churches, the deligitimizing of the ‘guilt of christians’ meme for the Jewish holocaust should be their worry. The world’s, and particulary christian’s guilt, for the Jewish holocaust is about the only thing the zios have left, always been their ace in the hole. If that ever gets deconstructed then its curtains for the zionist.
If they do drag up the Shoah again I think many people will just ignore them.
The Germans have paid enough already. And it was 3 generations ago.
zionism has had a spell over the West for long enough but it’s beginning to wear off.
It is all part of g-d’s plan , of course.
The chosen ones are in His remedial class.
“The chosen ones are in His remedial class.”
Yeah, call me when they pass Sex Ed.
thanks Adam. Clearly the Presbyterians have more of a commitment to social justice and guts than the Methodist…
Methodists have a lot of commitment and guts. Presbyterians have a structure (including national paid staff who were assigned to work through this process eight years ago, more frequent national gatherings and a strong tradition of procedure — doing things “decently and in order”) that consumes a lot of time and energy, but eventually pushes toward justice. The MRTI committee has crossed its Ts and dotted its Is. If the GA doesn’t pass the MRTI’s recommendation, it will not be acting “decently and in order.”
“Methodists have…/… acting “decently and in order.”
Call me back when those small timers, those pikers, have a country and and army and atom bombs with crosses on them. Makes me sick. Christians used to know what to do about infidels who did what they didn’t like. One smart crack and you got a Crusade, bam, right in the kisser! But these days? All they do is talk.
As a Presbyterian myself, I wonder where the Quakers and Unitarian/Universalists are on this. I often have admired them as having a greater commitment to social justice than us.
This piece from the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle east had this to say about Palestinians access to the dead sea ….3. Israeli authorities are denying Palestinians access to the
Dead Sea, although it is located in Palestinian territory
Although the majority of the Dead Sea’s western
shoreline is located in the West Bank—Occupied
Palestinian Territory—Palestinians are denied access to
the beaches of the Dead Sea. The Almog Checkpoint is
located at the Beit Ha’arava intersection and controls
movement to and from the northern Dead Sea. Since
May 2007, not even Palestinians with permits to enter
Israel have been allowed to cross the checkpoint and
enjoy the beaches on the shores of the Dead Sea.8 9 As
noted by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, such
restrictions violate international humanitarian law.10 It
thus adds insult to injury that Israeli companies are
appropriating the resources of the Dead Sea to which
Palestinians are illegally denied access.