(Photo: Tamimi Press / Mais Tamimi)
this is the game #NabiSaleh kids were playing yesterday..the one called #MustafaTamimi facebook.com/photo.php?fbid… it’s their fave from what i hear
— Linah Alsaafin (@LinahAlsaafin) January 21, 2012
Attacks on Protests Against Land Theft / Land, Property Theft & Destruction / Ethnic Cleansing / Apartheid
Violent attacks on peaceful marches in W. Bank continue
The IOF continued, in blatant violation of human rights, their violent attacks on peaceful weekly marches organized in West Bank villages against settlement activities and the segregation wall.Over 300 people from Kafr Qaddum were joined yesterday by a number of Israeli and International activists for their weekly Friday protest against settler encroachment on the village lands. Kafr Qaddum has seen its agricultural lands shrink since 1967, when the illegal settlement of Qedumin was established. In 2003 the army and settlers blocked the road that leads Kafr Qaddum directly to Nablus. The reason given by the army for the road closure was ‘security’. According to them, the security of the settlers was at risk due to the proximity of the road to some of Qeumim’s houses. In reality, Israel is looking to build a wall to surround the settlement of Qedumin. By cutting access to the road, it is paving the way for the Wall’s route. In the meantime, the road closure and forced re-route, has added 10 Km to the journey to Nablus from Kafr Qaddum and drastically limited farmers’ access to their lands.The mood was celebratory following the weekly protest this Friday in Kufr Qaddoum, after demonstrators succeeded in pushing back Israeli soldiers for the second week in a row. The goal of the protest was to open the main road to regional population center of Nablus, closed since 2003 by the Israeli Occupation Force in spite of international and Israeli courts demanding its reopening. Though the soldiers greeted unarmed protesters with scores of tear gas canisters–many at eye-level, an illegal tactic intended to severely injure and kill–no injuries were reported, and in the end soldiers, and not villagers, withdrew.Jerusalem Municipality demolishes a house under construction in Shufat
Under the pretext of illegal building, the Jerusalem Municipality bulldozed a house under construction in Shufat, Jerusalem on Monday, 16 January 2012. This house belongs to Shufat resident Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Khdair. Abu Khdair explained that he started building the family house in December 2011. Municipality staff came many times to photograph and measure construction of the building. The Municipality Court then issued a demolition order which was signed on 9 January 2012 and demanded that Abu Khdair demolish the construction within a week or face a 150,000 NIS fine. According to Abu Khdair, he did not receive the demolition order directly but rather found the papers on the ground in front of his front door. Abu Khdair made the decision to demolish his house himself to avoid the fine but was surprised on Monday, 16 January by the heavy machinery of the municipality intending to carry out the demolition order. Abu Khdair stated that he built the 78 square meter house to accommodate his family of four who are currently living in his father’s house.Israel confiscates more Palestinian land near Bethlehem
Israeli occupation authorities have confiscated more land belonging to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The latest land grab has taken place in the village of Alkahs, to the east of Bethlehem. The head of the Alkahs village council, Khader Hamdan, told Quds Press that the council “received a notice for the confiscation of 67 acres of the lands of Alkhas village, located behind the racist apartheid wall, adjacent to Bethlehem”. The land is owned by the Hamdan family. According to Mr. Hamdan, the Israelis have been preventing Palestinian villagers from accessing their land since 2007. Requests for special permits for agriculture and farming made by the council have been refused by the Israelis from the same year.Ten new demolition orders issued in Ein Aluzeh
A large contingent of Israeli forces accompanied employees of the Jerusalem Municipality while they delivered new demolition orders to house owners in Silwan. Ten demolition warnings were given in Ein Aluzeh.Mobile checkpoints and traffic tickets cause confrontations
On Wednesday, Israeli forces constructed multiple mobile checkpoints throughout Silwan, particularly targeting the Wadi Qadoom junction and the northern entrance of Wadi Hilweh. Israeli Forces issued traffic tickets, described by the Palestinian residents as arbitrary and discriminative as they were only issued to Palestinians. Confrontations broke out when one of the Israeli police officers issued an unfair ticket to a resident of Beer Ayoob. As a result, some youth attacked the police jeep breaking the windshield. According to residents, there were no injuries.In Jerusalem, national parks seen by Palestinians as a land grab (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor – An Israeli government plan to create a greenbelt around Jerusalem, preserving the ancient city’s natural beauty and archaeological wealth, is fueling opposition among Palestinians and their supporters as the project moves into a critical stage.ViolenceIsraeli army bombards Gaza; no injuries reported
The Israeli Air Force bombarded, Saturday, an area in the Gaza Strip leading to no injuries; an Israeli military spokesperson claimed that the attack targeted resistance fighters who fired a Qassam homemade shell into the Negev leading to no damage or injuries.
http://www.imemc.org/article/62874Resistance fighters survive Israeli raid
A group of Palestinian resistance fighters survived an Israeli air raid on their position to the east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Saturday, local sources said.Two Israeli laborers attempt to assault two childrenOn Sunday, 15 January 2012 while a work crew was laying concrete slabs to reinforce excavation around Wadi Hilweh Street in Silwan, two workers attempted to assault two children after one of the children spoke out. The child reportedly said to his friend, “the road isn’t safe and the workers don’t care if any of these concrete walls fall on you so be careful.” Upon hearing this, the workers cursed the children and one of them tried to physically assault one of the children. Silwan residents in the area prevented the assault. The excavation in Silwan reinforces settlement activities in the neighborhood and construction to support the excavation frequently shuts down Wadi Hilweh Street, a main access road in Silwan. On Monday, the street was closed suddenly in order to lay the concrete slabs which will be used to connect two tunnels between the land of the Al Qaraeen and Sumrain families, which has been taken from the palestinian families inorder to establish the City Of David Visitors Center settlement .On Sunday, the 16th of January, at approximately 2 AM, about fifty settlers, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, entered the Abu Haikal family’s field in the neighborhood of Tel Rumeideh in Hebron. After throwing stones at the family’s house, they savagely burnt the car of Hana Haikal, fifty-three years old.Political Detainees (Human Rights Activists, Elected Officials, Children…)Israeli occupation forces arrest Palestinian human rights team
Israeli occupation forces arrested a Palestinian human rights team in occupied Jerusalem while documenting the arrest of a Jerusalemite boy on Friday night.GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Senior Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan entered the 34th day of a hunger strike on Friday. Adnan was detained by Israeli forces on Dec. 17 from his Jenin home. He has been on a hunger strike since his arrest to protest against his treatment by prison authorities. The Islamic Jihad leader said that after being arrested an Israeli interrogator dragged him to the floor by his beard. The Israeli officer then used Adnan’s beard to polish his shoes, Adnan told a lawyer from the prisoners society.Al-Ashqar: “26 Elected Legislators Currently Imprisoned By Israel”
Palestinian Researcher, specialized in detainees’ affairs, Riyadh Al-Ashqar, reported that the number of elected Palestinian legislators currently imprisoned by Israel arrived to 26 after Israel kidnapped on Friday the head of the Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik, and Legislator Khaled Tafesh.Prosecution of Jawad Siyam, Director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center
A few days ago, the Magistrate Court unexpectedly summoned the director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Jawad Siyam, to a hearing held on Tuesday, 17 January. His private lawyer was informed that the charges against him would be compared with the charges filed against him in 2011 and considered accordingly, meaning that he would effectively be re-tried on the same charges. Siyam was arrested multiple times during the first four months of 2011 which he spent between house arrest and prison. Siyam was cleared of all charges in 2011.IOF soldiers round up 4 Palestinians in Al-Khalil
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested four Palestinians in Al-Khalil province at dawn Saturday including two brothers, local sources said.Confrontations break out in the neighborhood of Beer Ayoob
In the afternoon of Tuesday, 17 January, confrontations broke out as police carried out arrests in the neighborhood of Beer Ayoob, south of Silwan, after a short period of relative calm.Three youth released into house arrest
A Magistrate Court judge decided to release three youth, Abd Ateyah Qwaider, Abd Al Lateef Qaqoor, and Fuad Rwaidi who were arrested from inside a grocery shop 6 days ago accused of intending to throw Molotov cocktails at a military jeep. The Israeli General Prosecutor failed to prove the charges as the police claim of finding the Molotov cocktail near the grocery store was insufficient evidence for a conviction. Despite the lack of evidence, the judge did not dismiss the charges but rather placed the youth under house arrest.Verdict delayed for Islam Oudeh and Ahmad Al Ghoul
On Thursday, 17 January the Israeli Central Court delayed the verdict on the case against Ahmad Al Ghoul, 22, and Islam Oudeh, 19, to the 13th of February 2012. Al Ghoul and Oudeh were arrested and accused of throwing Molotov cocktails targeting settlers.Gaza18 Jan. ’12: Three years since Operation Cast Lead: Israeli military utterly failed to investigate itself
Three years after Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli military’s argument against independent investigation of its conduct during the operation has proven to be hollow. The military has completely failed to investigate itself, regarding both policy choices and the conduct of the forces in the field in particular cases.GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Two Palestinians were injured Saturday when a tunnel collapsed along the border between Gaza and Egypt, a medical official said. Adham Abu Salmiya said the workers were moderately injured. They were transferred to the Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, which borders Egypt.EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian Army forces arrested three Palestinians attempting to enter the Sinai peninsula via underground tunnels. Security sources in Egypt said the suspects confessed to trying to enter the peninsula via tunnels underneath Rafah.Gaza builders lead economic recovery – with some help from the black market
Booming construction industry beats Israeli blockade as materials are smuggled in through tunnels. For three years, Wael Arabeed did not do a day’s work. He delved deep into his life savings, accrued over 25 years of working on construction projects in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt, to feed his family. He sold his car. He began to believe his working life was over. But now the construction engineer has more work than he can handle. Tossing yet another tender request on to his desk, he says: “I have so many offers, I can’t even look at them. I’m too busy.”At night I could not get to sleep. My body was trembling all over and no matter what I did to try to calm myself, I could not stop this trembling. I know now that baba was terribly worried about me, but then I was so lost in a gripping, paralyzing fear that everything and everyone seemed far away even when they were standing in the same room as I. I was in a jar with thick, distorting glass around me. Every time a bomb exploded, something in my head would go “pop” and all the people and things in our flat around me disappeared. Then I would be ‘awake’ again, watching baba’s and mama’s faces to look for some sign of relief in their eyes, but it wasn’t there, so the fear kept hold of me. I remember almost nothing about what I did to make the time pass during those days.Protests / ActivismResidents of Bustan hold Friday prayers in the protest tent
Dozens of residents of the Bustan neighbourhood of the Silwan suburb of occupied Jerusalem held the Friday prayers in their protest tent.BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Over 100 Palestinians demonstrated Saturday in the occupied West Bank urging their leaders to cease negotiations with Israel, in a second week of protests. Protesters had gathered a week earlier outside the presidential compound in Ramallah and urged an end to negotiations between Saeb Erekat and Yitzhak Molcho in Jordan. The PLO “retreated from its earlier position that they will not return to negotiations, until settlement expansion is halted and all the political prisoners were released,” organizers said earlier in the week.Protest by young activists against futile negotiations
The Muslim Youth Association in the West Bank called for a rally outside the Mukata’ to protest the PA’s decision to return to futile negotiations with the Israeli occupation.In a blatant demonstration of the Palestinian Authority’s colossal gap between the interests of itself and the people it claims to represent, unelected chief negotiator Saeb Erekat will meet up with his Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Molcho for the fourth round of talks in Amman, Jordan on January 25th. The announcement came barely a day after Palestinians protested against the farcical negotiations in front of the PA compound of al-Muqata’a in Ramallah.NABLUS (Ma’an) — Dozens of supporters of the Palestinian People’s Party rallied in Nablus on Saturday in protest of a recent increase in taxes by the Palestinian Authority. Several leaders from other Palestinian factions joined the demonstration in Shuhada square, a Ma’an reporter said. Protesters waved flags and banged empty cooking pans to symbolize how they say the tax hike will affect their ability to provide food for their families.Palestinian Activists Play Football During Protest Against Israeli Checkpoint
On Saturday January 21, 2012, the Popular Committee in Beit Ommar organized its weekly protest in coordination and cooperation with the Popular Committee of Yatta, the Palestine Women’s Struggle Committee, and supported by Israeli and international solidarity activists. The demonstration was held for the first time in from of the Tunnel checkpoint, along the road connecting the city of Hebron with Jerusalem. Tunnel and connecting road is prohibited for use by Palestinians, and is part of Israel’s wider apartheid infrastructure in the West Bank. About 90 people, a large number of them Palestinian women, arrived at the entrance to the tunnel and began playing football.Solidarity / BDSNow Is the Time to #OccupyAIPAC
Ever since the Occupy movement burst on to our political landscape last fall and reinjected energy into the movement to make government serve the 99 percent instead of the elites,we’ve enthusiastically joined forces by doing teach-ins at Occupy protests across the country and sending hundreds oforganizing packets to empower local activists to end military aid to Israel.US-led normalization efforts are taking a toll on the Jordanian potato farmers as Israeli potatoes have flooded the market, threatening local farmers’ livelihoods.Our MartyrsIn the line of fire: Tom Hurndall
I don’t know if I met Tom Hurndall. He was one of a bunch of ‘human shields’ who turned up in Baghdad just before the Anglo-American invasion in 2003, the kind of folk we professional reporters make fun of. Tree huggers, that kind of thing. Now I wish I had met him because – looking back over the history of that terrible war – Hurndall’s journals show a remarkable man of remarkable principle. “I may not be a human shield,” he wrote on 17 March from his Amman hotel. “And I may not adhere to the beliefs of those I have travelled with, but the way Britain and America plan to take Iraq is unnecessary and puts soldiers’ lives above those of civilians. For that I hope that Bush and Blair stand trial for war crimes.”Racism / DiscriminationNotice that Israel is not using the same language to describe Jewish MKs that assisted settler attacks on soldiers: MKs: Zoabi should be tried for treasonKnesset members furious with Balad MK for meeting with Hamas officials. National Union demands House revoke her parliamentary immunity; urges AG to file treason charges.
More Arab MKs met with Hamas official
MK Hanin Zoabi is not alone: new images show United Arab List-Ta’al MKs Msud Ganaim and Ibrahim Sarsur visiting Hamas official Aziz Dwaik days prior to Zoabi’s visit.‘MKs who met with Hamas should move to Gaza’
Knesset members up in arms over report on meeting between Arab MKs, Hamas figures. ‘Revoke their immunity and wages. We must act firmly against those who betray Israel,’ says MK Michaeli.Law’s preamble quotes Shin Bet security service assessment that Palestinians applying for family unification constitute ‘a heightened potential security risk.’‘Curse of racism rampant in Israel’
Thousands have attended protests in Jerusalem over racial discrimination within Israeli law and society against mainly the Jewish Ethiopian community.If this happened in Iran, the world would be mocking: Photo of Ruti Fogel blurred for modesty
Religious Zionism center Meir Institute publishes weekly bulletin with photo slain family, but blurs face of mother due to policy forbidding publication of women’s photos. ‘Mistake caused by human error, our apologizes,’ states center.Political Developments / DiplomacyBETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal confirmed on Saturday that he does not seek renomination as head of the party’s politburo in upcoming elections. A statement from Mashaal’s office said the leader-in-exile told the Hamas Shura Council that he will not stand again, but will continue to serve his people, his movement, and the Palestinian people.JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh will run to replace Khalid Mashaal as head of Hamas in upcoming party elections, according to press reports. Haniyeh’s recent international tour intends to raise his profile among leaders in the region before elections, Italian news agency AKI reported, quoting Hamas sources. The prime minister in the Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip met leaders in Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey in recent weeks, and will travel to Qatar, Bahrain and Iran in February.GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that his Hamas-led government will allow the return of 80 Fatah supporters who left the Gaza Strip when his Hamas party took power. Fatah affiliates fled Gaza after fierce clashes between forces from the rival factions in mid-2007, which led to the establishment of separate administrations and security forces in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.A delegation of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council travelled to Switzerland to attend a meeting on parliamentarians under threat.Sarkozy calls Mideast peace Quartet ‘a failure’ (AP)
AP – French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the so-called Quartet of Mideast negotiators is a failure and a new method for finding peace is needed.Obama begins push for Jewish support in 2012 by touting the ‘unbreakable bond’ between Israel and the US, Adam Horowitz
Still thinking of voting for Barack Obama? This video certainly serves as a useful compendium of the ways he has disappointed those who hoped he would bring “change” to US foreign policy. The JTA reports that David Axelrod “e-blasted” this video out today as Obama’s Jewish campaign began in earnest.Other NewsUS general in Israel as France warns against Iran strike
America’s top general flew into Israel on Friday for talks that observers believe are aimed at restraining the Jewish state from a unilateral strike against Iran. In a visit set to last a few hours, General Martin Dempsey is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant-General Benny Ganz, and President Shimon Peres. The general urged greater cooperation between the two states regarding Iran’s nuclear program, which both fear is covertly developing weapons capability despite Tehran’s strong objections.Israeli sources have revealed that the United States has called upon the King of Jordan to appoint a new ambassador in Tel Aviv. According to a radio report on Thursday, the chair of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee touched upon the issue of bilateral relations between Israel and Jordan in her meeting with King Abdullah II during his visit to Washington. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen invited the King to name a new ambassador from his country to the Zionist state. The Jordanian ambassador’s position in Tel Aviv has been vacant for nearly two and a half years. The government in Amman has refrained from naming a new ambassador to replace Ali Ayed because of what it describes as a “negative policy” adopted by its Israeli counterpart in the political process for the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.AMMAN (Ma’an) — Jordan’s foreign minister has summoned the Israeli ambassador over a letter sent by Israel’s parliament head to his Jordanian counterpart, which Jordan says breaches diplomatic rules, the country’s media reported. Al-Masri, who was born in Nablus, notified Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh of the private correspondence, which he said broke rules governing diplomatic channels between the countries. He also objected to the letters’ content, al-Ghad noted, saying it contained “fallacies and political claims that contradicted Jordan and the international community’s attitude towards the question of Palestine.”EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian security forces in the northern Sinai say they have thwarted an attempt to bomb a natural gas line in the northern Sinai leading to Israel. A group of unknown armed men targeted the line in Rommana village near Beir al-Abed, placing explosive devices underneath the pipes, security officials told Ma’an on Saturday. Security forces opened fire toward the suspects who fled the scene. Army and police forces searched the area for other bombs and used search dogs to track the suspects.CAIRO (Reuters) — Egypt’s deposed leader Hosni Mubarak played no part in drawing up a deal to export Egyptian gas to Israel that prosecutors say helped line the pockets of one of his associates, Mubarak’s lawyer said Saturday. Mubarak, ousted last February in a street revolt, is on trial over the killing of protesters during the uprising as well as corruption and abuse of power during his three-decade tenure. He is charged with approving the gas agreement with Israel. Prosecutors say it was a bad deal for Egypt and allowed businessman Hussein Salem to make illegal profits.US considers closing embassy in Syria
Warning follows deterioration of security, US official tells Al Jazeera, as Syrians rally in support of detainees.Deadly bus explosion hits Syria’s Idlib
Vehicle carrying prisoners attacked near Turkish border, day ahead of Arab League meeting to decide on observer mission.At least 20 Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in a series of small but deadly attacks. Politicians, meanwhile, continued to stoke political tension by engaging in mass arrests.
Top Iraqi Shiite cleric urges end to crisis (AP)
AP – Iraqi authorities detained a senior Sunni official on terrorism charges Friday, even as an aide to the country’s most prominent Shiite cleric urged politicians on both sides of the sectarian divide to end an escalating political crisis.Bahraini child killed in crackdown
An 11-year-old Bahraini boy has died from asphyxia after regime forces fired toxic tear gas to disperse an anti-government protest.Bahraini killed in regime toxic gas attack
A 25-year-old Bahraini man has died due to inhalation of toxic gas during an attack by regime forces, Press TVreports.Bahraini Forces Attack Funeral with Tear Gas
Regime forces attack funeral of martyr Mohammad Khamis who was killed by toxic tear gas earlier.Bahraini forces attack protesters
Bahraini regime forces have attacked protesters in several villages across the kingdom as anti-government protests continue despite a Saudi-backed crackdown.Bahrain Shia cleric warns troops
The leading Shia Muslim cleric in Bahrain tells his followers in a sermon to retaliate if women are attacked.Protesters try to disrupt showpiece Bahrain Air show
Reuters – Anti-government protesters tried to disrupt the Bahrain airshow on Thursday, burning tires which sent up columns of smoke as the authorities attempt to show life is returning to normal in the troubled Gulf kingdom.Saudis protest against Al Saud
Anti-government protesters in Saudi Arabia have once again taken to the streets of the eastern city of Awamiyah, calling for the downfall of the Al Saud regime.Afghan night raid sparks anti-U.S. protest
KABUL — Hundreds of people took to the streets in a town in northeastern Afghanistan Thursday in protest over a night raid by Afghan and NATO forces that allegedly killed six civilians, an official said. A woman and a child were among the dead in the air and ground raid on Dewa Gul Vally, a Taliban stronghold in the Chawki district of Kunar province, on Monday night, provincial governor Fazlullah Wahidi told AFP. “The raid was not coordinated with us. Those killed were civilians, among them a woman and a child,” Wahidi said. “Now the people are demanding justice.” Angry protesters in Chawki chanted slogans condemning both NATO forces and the Afghan government as they marched through the centre of the district, he added.America’s favorite poodles censor Iranian press: Britain Revokes License of Iran Network Press TVThe British media regulator said the network Press TV had failed to address concerns over its editorial independence and had not paid a fine.
Analysis / Op-edAndrew Adler, the owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, a weekly newspaper serving Atlanta’s Jewish community, devoted his January 13, 2012 column to the thorny problem of the U.S. and Israel’s diverging views on the threat posed by Iran. Basically Israel has three options, he wrote: Strike Hezbollah and Hamas, strike Iran, or “order a hit” on Barack Obama. Either way, problem solved!The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) consults with the Obama administration on issues of anti-Semitism and has prompted a White House official to say that comments criticizing Israel from staffers at the Center for American Progress (CAP) were “troubling.” The trouble with that, though, is that the center has no business policing discourse on bigotry when SWC’s actions and discourse are anti-Muslim.Not only does Newt Gingrich believe there’s no such thing as a Palestinian people, the Republican National Committee does as well. That mean that 20 years of bipartisan agreement between political parties and the foreign policy of presidents both Republican and Democratic, has been overturned by a resolution passed by the RNC last week. Mitchell Plitnick reports that a nice, blond-haired white Christian Republican lady from South Carolina has dipped her toe in the deep waters of U.S. Middle East policy and suddenly become expert enough at it to topple long-term consensus.Earlier this week, Brookings Institution scholar Bruce Riedel spoke (listen to audio here) at an Atlantic Council Iran symposium. He made some very incisive comments which are worth mentioning. First, he began his remarks with the colorful phrase which fittingly integrated the world political situation with the U.S. presidential elections…
Heart rending stuff. Poor Kids. Poor Palestine.
Kids happy to pretend to be dead. Or martyrs. Or famous! Who knows. But they are getting a good training. Israel is very thorough.
Wish this picture were on display in the UN and every world capital. with perhaps a word of explanation.
From the TIP List:
Now Is the Time to #OccupyAIPAC
Join Us in Washington, D.C., March 2-6, to #OccupyAIPAC
by Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director
“Ever since the Occupy movement burst on to our political landscape last fall and reinjected energy into the movement to make government serve the 99 percent instead of the elites, we’ve enthusiastically joined forces by doing teach-ins at Occupy protests across the country and sending hundreds of organizing packets to empower local activists to end military aid to Israel.
Now we’re ready to Occupy AIPAC. We’ll be joining with member group Code Pink and more than 100 other endorsing organizations for five days of film screenings, teach-ins, performing arts, direct actions, trainings and grassroots advocacy during AIPAC’s annual policy conference.
Join us from March 2-6 in Washington, D.C. Register today to hold your place.
In our struggle to change U.S. policy toward Palestine/Israel to support human rights, international law and equality, perhaps no organization better epitomizes everything that is wrong with our political system and current policies of support for Israeli occupation and apartheid than AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The time has come to #OccupyAIPAC!
Here are just a few of the many reasons to #OccupyAIPAC:
An AIPAC front group skirts Congressional ethics guidelines to send Members of Congress on lavish trips to Israel where they are lobbied intensively to provide more taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel.
Political action committees and individuals aligned with AIPAC’s agenda dump millions of dollars into elections to ensure that politicians applaud Israel’s human rights abuses of Palestinians.
And, AIPAC lobbies for ever-expanding sanctions and never-ending wars against other peoples and countries, with Iran now the focus of their efforts.
Who benefits from the policies that AIPAC is pushing? Certainly not Palestinians, who bear the brunt of U.S. weapons transfers to Israel and unconditional diplomatic support for Israel and live under brutal Israeli military occupation and apartheid. Certainly not the millions of ordinary Iraqis, Syrians and Iranians who have suffered harm as a result of AIPAC-backed sanctions and wars. And certainly not us, whose taxpayer dollars are diverted from funding unmet community needs to giving Israel–a country with greater per capita wealth than New Zealand and Saudi Arabia–$30 billion in military aid from 2009 to 2018.
It seems that the people benefiting from AIPAC policies are those in Israel and their supporters in the United States who work to ensure that Israel continues to subjugate Palestinians, to deny their fundamental human rights, and to try unsuccessfully to strip them of their humanity. And, of course, also benefiting are the U.S. weapons manufacturers, who literally make a killing by joining with AIPAC to lobby for more taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel to injure and kill Palestinians by the thousands.”
http://blog.endtheoccupation.org/2012/01/now-is-time-to-occupyaipac.html
I’m sure the Zionists blame the Palestinian media for this.