Boycott israHell!
Бойкот на израел и печелещите от окупацията! Boycott israHell and those who profit from occupation!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Валери Петров на 90...Да е жив и здрав
Блога е насочен към Палестина, но Валери Петров не мога да го подмина ей така и тук пускам няколко нови негови басни от неизлязлата още негова книга "От иглу до кюнец". Надявам се да мога да си я купя, щом излезе. Басните му са невероятни...
Чаршаф и Щипка за пране
- Ах, как боли! Недей ме стиска!
Защо тъй злобна си по нрав? -
към Щипката изписка
простреният Чаршаф.
Дочула неговата вопла,
смили се Щипката и - хоп-ла! -
по своя стар адет,
от вятъра подет,
Чаршафът литна от въже и прът...
Сега ще трябва пак да го перат!
Четецо, тъй е: съвестта ни щипе,
но всеки, който има малко пипе,
разбира, че, макар да ни боли,
тя прави го, нали,
за да не литнем - фъррр! - във ветрен час
към локвата, очакваща сал нас!
Поет и прасе
Един Поет, минавайки край кочина*,
чу таз молба, към хората насочена:
- Любезни хора, тоз ден “Коледа”
навярно празник ваш любим е,
но свинският ни род ви моли да
го назовете с друго име,
понеже коренът му "коле"
сред нас отколе
поражда мисли - кви-кви-кви! -
сами се сещате какви! -
Поетът, чул я, трогнат беше,
ала пържола му се ядеше...
* За биографите ще разкрия, че случката се разви през коледната ваканция на 1992 г. край село Пасарел, близо до радиоантената... Там именно, минавайки край една селска кочина (която скоро щеше да бъде приватизирана), чух грухтенето на затвореното в нея ядивно домашно животно и ето, като мълния...
Кинорежисьор и дама
Веднъж Акира Куросава
със пояс учил се да плава.
(Глаголът "плава" вместо "плува",
е сложен, за да се римува.)
В миг гледа: Дама във морето
се дави! Както е прието,
макар и сам
плувец едвам,
Акира хвърля се към нея
със благородната идея
да я спаси. Но мигом нашта
удавница така го хваща
за гушата, че той едва
изрекъл следните слова
(въртейки зъркели към Дамата):
- Отиваме на кино двамата!
Слон под тропически дъжд
Самотен африкански Слон,
загубил се в дъждовно време,
нахлул с надежда за подслон
във селото на местно племе
със няколко колибки примитивни.
Хобот и бивни
във първата успял да вмъкне той,
но при гигантския си бой,
като натикал тяло,
тя рухнала изцяло,
за ужас на стопаните!...
Поети, напразно вие храните
надежда да живеете в контакт
със смъртните - разказаният факт
доказва без съмнение,
че с тях тоз, който гений е,
не може близост да намери
поради своите размери!
Лив и Ингмар
Веднъж Ингмар Бергман, пътувайки в пулман
на снимки с Лив Улман,
й казал с усмивка: Послушай ме, Лив,
до днеска с играта ти бях много щастлив,
но чувствам във тебе вече ред недостат'ци:
първо, поостаряла си; второ, пълна отзад си;
и трето, таз роличка, такваз проста и малка,
вчера направи ми я като неандерталка... И тук тя го прекъснала: Ама много си мил! но той продължил:
А сюжетът на филмите е при мен или брачен, или извънбрачен, и сто пъти забрави ли? досега сме я правили, направи я бе, жено, по познатия начин!
От три дена горим с периода снимачен,
а какво бе това твое мoтане снощи?
Както от куче, което се пощи,
бълхите хвърчат, така точно от мен
хвърчат хиляди крони зарад теб всеки ден, така че опичай акъла си, драга, инак друга за ролята ще потърся веднага!
Тъй заплашил я той и к'во рекла му Лив? Тя му рекла: Да скъсаме, нямам нищо против, idiot със idiot! И без друго да чака, си събрала багажа и слязла от влака.
Атой? Той получил от това нервен тик, зарад който, по думите на 'дин кинокритик, оттогава актьорите не могат разбра дали казва им Браво!, или Пак се посра!, а пък и филмите му, и те въобще, макар винаги брачни или извънбрачни,от ден на ден ставали все по-мрачни и мрачни.
Поуката тука е, че когато падне лустрото на добрите обности (най-често защото са се намесили финансови отношения), кинозвездите се псуват на общо основание...
Чаршаф и Щипка за пране
- Ах, как боли! Недей ме стиска!
Защо тъй злобна си по нрав? -
към Щипката изписка
простреният Чаршаф.
Дочула неговата вопла,
смили се Щипката и - хоп-ла! -
по своя стар адет,
от вятъра подет,
Чаршафът литна от въже и прът...
Сега ще трябва пак да го перат!
Четецо, тъй е: съвестта ни щипе,
но всеки, който има малко пипе,
разбира, че, макар да ни боли,
тя прави го, нали,
за да не литнем - фъррр! - във ветрен час
към локвата, очакваща сал нас!
Поет и прасе
Един Поет, минавайки край кочина*,
чу таз молба, към хората насочена:
- Любезни хора, тоз ден “Коледа”
навярно празник ваш любим е,
но свинският ни род ви моли да
го назовете с друго име,
понеже коренът му "коле"
сред нас отколе
поражда мисли - кви-кви-кви! -
сами се сещате какви! -
Поетът, чул я, трогнат беше,
ала пържола му се ядеше...
* За биографите ще разкрия, че случката се разви през коледната ваканция на 1992 г. край село Пасарел, близо до радиоантената... Там именно, минавайки край една селска кочина (която скоро щеше да бъде приватизирана), чух грухтенето на затвореното в нея ядивно домашно животно и ето, като мълния...
Кинорежисьор и дама
Веднъж Акира Куросава
със пояс учил се да плава.
(Глаголът "плава" вместо "плува",
е сложен, за да се римува.)
В миг гледа: Дама във морето
се дави! Както е прието,
макар и сам
плувец едвам,
Акира хвърля се към нея
със благородната идея
да я спаси. Но мигом нашта
удавница така го хваща
за гушата, че той едва
изрекъл следните слова
(въртейки зъркели към Дамата):
- Отиваме на кино двамата!
Слон под тропически дъжд
Самотен африкански Слон,
загубил се в дъждовно време,
нахлул с надежда за подслон
във селото на местно племе
със няколко колибки примитивни.
Хобот и бивни
във първата успял да вмъкне той,
но при гигантския си бой,
като натикал тяло,
тя рухнала изцяло,
за ужас на стопаните!...
Поети, напразно вие храните
надежда да живеете в контакт
със смъртните - разказаният факт
доказва без съмнение,
че с тях тоз, който гений е,
не може близост да намери
поради своите размери!
Лив и Ингмар
Веднъж Ингмар Бергман, пътувайки в пулман
на снимки с Лив Улман,
й казал с усмивка: Послушай ме, Лив,
до днеска с играта ти бях много щастлив,
но чувствам във тебе вече ред недостат'ци:
първо, поостаряла си; второ, пълна отзад си;
и трето, таз роличка, такваз проста и малка,
вчера направи ми я като неандерталка... И тук тя го прекъснала: Ама много си мил! но той продължил:
А сюжетът на филмите е при мен или брачен, или извънбрачен, и сто пъти забрави ли? досега сме я правили, направи я бе, жено, по познатия начин!
От три дена горим с периода снимачен,
а какво бе това твое мoтане снощи?
Както от куче, което се пощи,
бълхите хвърчат, така точно от мен
хвърчат хиляди крони зарад теб всеки ден, така че опичай акъла си, драга, инак друга за ролята ще потърся веднага!
Тъй заплашил я той и к'во рекла му Лив? Тя му рекла: Да скъсаме, нямам нищо против, idiot със idiot! И без друго да чака, си събрала багажа и слязла от влака.
Атой? Той получил от това нервен тик, зарад който, по думите на 'дин кинокритик, оттогава актьорите не могат разбра дали казва им Браво!, или Пак се посра!, а пък и филмите му, и те въобще, макар винаги брачни или извънбрачни,от ден на ден ставали все по-мрачни и мрачни.
Поуката тука е, че когато падне лустрото на добрите обности (най-често защото са се намесили финансови отношения), кинозвездите се псуват на общо основание...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Да пишем писма за спасяването на Аревик!
Благодаря на Давид за предоставянето на няколко снимки на Аревик и него. От всички избрах да постна тези две, защото първата по много чаровен начин разкрива тяхната скайп любов, а на втората са щастливи и свободни заедно.
Различни хора ме питаха - какво конкретно би могло да се направи, за да спасим Аревик. Вярвам, че ако гражданското общество се организира, ще имаме успех. Междувременно научих, че преди две години бежанецът Саид Кадзоев е бил спасен от депортиране в резултат на стотиците писма, изпратени до различни институции. На Аверик е наложена заповед за депортиране от Областна дирекция на РДВР - Монтана. Затова написах и преди малко изпратих, използвайки тази форма, писмо до директора на тази дирекция, като преди това се постарах да разбера юридическите измерения на казуса. Озаглавих го: "Моля, освободете Аревик Шмавонян!" Ето го текстът на писмото:
До
Комисар Валери Димитров
Директор на ОД на РДВР - Монтана
Уважаеми комисар Димитров,
В резултат на разпореждане на РДВР - Монтана, вече повече от месец арменската гражданка Аревик Шмавонян пребивава в СДВНЧ - Бусманци. Известно Ви е, че понастоящем Аревик е в третия месец на бременността си и в много тежко здравословно състояние, не е в състояние нито да се храни, нито да спи, непрекъснато има гадене и повръщане, откарвана е два пъти в болница в безсъзнание. Въпреки състоянието си, тя продължава да бъде затворена в "дома" в Бусманци в стая с още десетина жени, без адекватна медицинска, а и всякаква, грижа.
Комисар Димитров, не бих искала да се съмнявам във Вашата добросъвестност. Вероятно сте решили, че по този начин се придържате към закона. Но придържането само към едни точки от закона и пренебрегването на други не означава спазване на закона. Знаете освен това, комисар Димитров, че международното законодателство е с приоритет пред българското.
Според Директива 2008/115/ЕО, принудителното задържане е крайна мярка, която се прилага, когато са изчерпани по-леките мерки, например подписка. Аревик не е извършила престъпление, не е заплаха за националната сигурност, не се е опитала да се укрие. Нещо повече - семейството на нейния приятел и е осигурило издръжка и адрес на пребиваване, а бащата на приятеля ѝ е подписал нотариална декларация, че е неин гарант. Кое, тогава, налага задържането ѝ? И то по време, когато тя е била с разрешение за две седмици да се движи свободно в страната от Агенцията за бежанците?
Това не е всичко - според решение на Съда на Европейския съюз в Люксембург от 30.11.2009г. по дело С-357/09 PPU (случаят "Саид Кадзоев"), принудителното настаняване на чужденци може да бъде единствено с цел депортиране. Аревик обаче не може да бъде депортирана, по няколко причини:
- чл.67, ал.1 от Закона за убежището и бежанците ясно показва, че до влизането в сила на съдебно решение процедурата по депортиране не може да се приложи
- Чл. 3 на Европейската конвенция за защита правата на човека и основните свободи, по коята България е страна, гласи: "Никой не може да бъде подложен на изтезания или нечовешко или унизително отношение или наказание." Да се държи затворена и без достъп до медицинска помощ една бременна жена в тежко здравословно състояние определено е нечовешко отношение, а също и наказание. Освен това е и унизително.
- депортирането на Аревик в този момент също би бил нарушение на чл. 3 от ЕКПЧ - би било изтезание, ако тя бъде принудена да пътува в това тежко състояние
- чл. 8 от ЕКПЧ и чл. 5, ал.4 от Конституцията на Република България защитават правото на неприкосновеност на личния и семейния живот. Технически Аревик не може да сключи брак с бащата на детето си, тъй като той е без документи за самоличност, но принудителното й отделяне от него грубо би нарушило правото й на личен живот. А и семеен живот, тъй като тя има връзка с Давид Арутюнян, бащата на детето, от пет години, и откакто е в България, е живяла с него на семейни начала. В перспектива биха се нарушили и правата на детето, понеже принудително ще бъде разделено от баща му.
Поради гореизложените причини Ви призовавам приложите закона, като незабавно издадете заповед за отлагане на депортирането и за освобождаване на Аревик Шмавонян от СДВНЧ - Бусманци.
Комисар Димитров, от интернет страницата на РДВР - Монтана научих, че сте баща на две деца. Моля Ви, не рискувайте други два човешки живота - на Аревик Шмавонян и на нероденото й дете.
С уважение, (името ви)
Ако и вие намирате идеята за изпращане на писма за добра, чувствайте се свободни да копирате този текст и да го подпишете с вашето име, или да го модифицирате според собствения си вкус. С общи усилия бяха установени три начина да се изпрати писмото - чрез тази форма и на адреси rdvrmon@net-surf.net и police@net-surf.net. За по-сигурно използвах и трите. РДВР - Монтана са оставили и адрес (ако предпочитате да пратите на хартия) и телефон (ако искате лично да ги попитате защо държат Аревик в Бусманци):
ОД"Полиция"- Монтана
пощ.код 3400
гр.Монтана
бул."Александър Стамболийски"№2
тел.: 096/ 396 396
Това е първата стъпка. Ако нямаме успех, предлагам после да пишем и до други институции.
--------------------------------------------------------
За тези, които имат Фейсбук - има създадена и група, наречена Да спасим Аревик! -- Save Arevik! -- Helft Arevik! - присъединете се и към нея! Но най-важното е пращането на мейли с горния текст, а още по-добре, писма на хартиен носител.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Russia's encounter with Islam
Russia's encounter with Islam
by Paul B. Henze and S. Enders Wimbush
The Wall Street Journal
When bombs killed 40 people in Moscow's metro in late March, Russians received another poignant reminder of an increasingly likely future. These bombings were preceded by at least six similar outrages since 1996, all targeted at public transportation. All have been blamed on or claimed by Islamic militants. After the latest bombings, President Dmitry Medvedev promised that "We will find and destroy them all," echoing similarly empty promises by his predecessor Vladimir Putin, now Russia's prime minister.
But whereas finding and destroying terrorists who profess to operate in the service of Islam was once focused mostly on the independence-minded Chechens on Russia's southern flank, today Islamic awareness has spread throughout the North Caucasus and increasingly into the more populous Muslim regions of Russia along the upper Volga River. It will not be contained easily, least of all by bombastic threats from Moscow, which itself is home to more than 2.5 million Muslims, likely making it Europe's largest Muslim city.
Estimates of the number of Muslims in Russia vary greatly, but their natural growth far outstrips that of Russians, who are in a demographic death spiral. Within a decade, nominally Muslim peoples could comprise as much as 20% of Russia's population. Not every Muslim is a radical or potential terrorist, of course. That said, Russia's policies, like its brutal assault on Chechens and other North Caucasians in recent years, has unquestionably tipped the scales for many Muslims against easy reconciliation with Russian rule.
How different things might have been. In the 19th century, the Russian empire was home to Islamic modernist movements that were the most progressive in the world. But in 1918 the Bolsheviks came to power fearing competition from any force challenging their drive to build a new Russian empire on the ashes of the one they had just destroyed. In virtually every Muslim region of this vast territory Muslim nationalists--many of whom were professed Bolsheviks--sought to escape Russia's grasp on the basis of the Bolsheviks' own insistence that all nations of the empire had a right to self-determination.
by Paul B. Henze and S. Enders Wimbush
The Wall Street Journal
When bombs killed 40 people in Moscow's metro in late March, Russians received another poignant reminder of an increasingly likely future. These bombings were preceded by at least six similar outrages since 1996, all targeted at public transportation. All have been blamed on or claimed by Islamic militants. After the latest bombings, President Dmitry Medvedev promised that "We will find and destroy them all," echoing similarly empty promises by his predecessor Vladimir Putin, now Russia's prime minister.
But whereas finding and destroying terrorists who profess to operate in the service of Islam was once focused mostly on the independence-minded Chechens on Russia's southern flank, today Islamic awareness has spread throughout the North Caucasus and increasingly into the more populous Muslim regions of Russia along the upper Volga River. It will not be contained easily, least of all by bombastic threats from Moscow, which itself is home to more than 2.5 million Muslims, likely making it Europe's largest Muslim city.
Estimates of the number of Muslims in Russia vary greatly, but their natural growth far outstrips that of Russians, who are in a demographic death spiral. Within a decade, nominally Muslim peoples could comprise as much as 20% of Russia's population. Not every Muslim is a radical or potential terrorist, of course. That said, Russia's policies, like its brutal assault on Chechens and other North Caucasians in recent years, has unquestionably tipped the scales for many Muslims against easy reconciliation with Russian rule.
How different things might have been. In the 19th century, the Russian empire was home to Islamic modernist movements that were the most progressive in the world. But in 1918 the Bolsheviks came to power fearing competition from any force challenging their drive to build a new Russian empire on the ashes of the one they had just destroyed. In virtually every Muslim region of this vast territory Muslim nationalists--many of whom were professed Bolsheviks--sought to escape Russia's grasp on the basis of the Bolsheviks' own insistence that all nations of the empire had a right to self-determination.
Islam, Christianity and Africa: A beacon of faiths
April 15, 2010
Islam, Christianity and Africa: A beacon of faiths
by
The Economist
In almost any discussion of religion and Africa, stereotypes recur. Depending on where they have been, outsiders portray the continent either as an arena of looming conflict between rival faiths--or else as a happy-go-lucky world where different beliefs can easily co-exist, sometimes in the same person's head.
Neither notion is completely true nor completely false, according to a survey of religion in sub-Saharan Africa by the Pew Research Centre, a polling outfit based in Washington, DC. After interviewing 25,000 people in 19 countries, the pollsters found that in certain ways Africa's Christians and Muslims view one another with respect. Most Muslims saw Christians as tolerant, honest, and decent to women; in most countries, a majority of Christians returned the compliment. But many Christians (among the countries surveyed, the median level was 43%) saw in Islam a potential for violence; fewer Muslims (the median was 20%) saw Christianity in a similar light. In almost all countries where Muslims are at least 10% of the population they seem more concerned about extremism among their co-religionists than among Christians. In a few mainly Christian countries, including South Africa, people were worried by Christian extremism.
One bit of conventional wisdom does hold water. Whatever their affiliation, Africans have a deep sense of the spiritual. The share of people who described religion as "very important" in their lives ranged from 98% in Senegal to 69% in Botswana. That compares with 57% of Americans, 25% of Germans and 8% of Swedes. In countries with a substantial Christian presence, at least half the Christians thought Jesus Christ would return in their lifetime. The share of Muslims hoping to see the caliphate--a global Islamic realm--restored in their lifetime was almost as high.
But for all the fervour that these answers suggest, belief in a world religion does not exclude nostalgia for older ways. Many people in both main monotheistic camps felt they could combine their faith with elements of traditional African religions. In Mali, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania more than half the respondents believed that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits could ward off harm. Meanwhile, switching between Islam and Christianity seems rare--bar in Uganda, where a third of respondents who were raised Muslim are now Christian.
Islam, Christianity and Africa: A beacon of faiths
by
The Economist
In almost any discussion of religion and Africa, stereotypes recur. Depending on where they have been, outsiders portray the continent either as an arena of looming conflict between rival faiths--or else as a happy-go-lucky world where different beliefs can easily co-exist, sometimes in the same person's head.
Neither notion is completely true nor completely false, according to a survey of religion in sub-Saharan Africa by the Pew Research Centre, a polling outfit based in Washington, DC. After interviewing 25,000 people in 19 countries, the pollsters found that in certain ways Africa's Christians and Muslims view one another with respect. Most Muslims saw Christians as tolerant, honest, and decent to women; in most countries, a majority of Christians returned the compliment. But many Christians (among the countries surveyed, the median level was 43%) saw in Islam a potential for violence; fewer Muslims (the median was 20%) saw Christianity in a similar light. In almost all countries where Muslims are at least 10% of the population they seem more concerned about extremism among their co-religionists than among Christians. In a few mainly Christian countries, including South Africa, people were worried by Christian extremism.
One bit of conventional wisdom does hold water. Whatever their affiliation, Africans have a deep sense of the spiritual. The share of people who described religion as "very important" in their lives ranged from 98% in Senegal to 69% in Botswana. That compares with 57% of Americans, 25% of Germans and 8% of Swedes. In countries with a substantial Christian presence, at least half the Christians thought Jesus Christ would return in their lifetime. The share of Muslims hoping to see the caliphate--a global Islamic realm--restored in their lifetime was almost as high.
But for all the fervour that these answers suggest, belief in a world religion does not exclude nostalgia for older ways. Many people in both main monotheistic camps felt they could combine their faith with elements of traditional African religions. In Mali, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania more than half the respondents believed that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits could ward off harm. Meanwhile, switching between Islam and Christianity seems rare--bar in Uganda, where a third of respondents who were raised Muslim are now Christian.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Салям Файяд призовава международната общност да поеме своята отговорност
Палестинска национална власт
Кабинет на Министър-председателя
12 април 2010
Министър-председателят д-р Салям Файяд осъди израелската военна „Заповед №1650 срещу проникването, влизаща в сила от 13 април 2010”. Тя заплашва с депортиране десетки хиляди граждани от районите, където живеят, в други райони на окупираните палестински територии или извън тях. Нещо повече, поради мъглявостта си тя отваря вратите пред израелските военни окупационни власти за обезлюдяване на цели райони и масово изселване на тяхното население под предлог получаване на разрешително, като целта е да бъде закрепена и задълбочена властта на окупацията, да се улесни завладяването на земите на това население, да се разрасне колонизационната дейност върху тях и особено в Източен Ерусалим, в районите, намиращи се зад стената, и в района на поречието на Йордан, квалифицирани в повечето случаи от окупационните власти като затворени военни райони. Също така заповедта крие рискове от разделяне и депортиране на хиляди ерусалимски семейства, на които окупационните власти не предоставят законното им право на пребиваване в Източен Ерусалим, забраняват на ерусалимци достъпа до останалите райони на Западния бряг и ги изолират от тях. Риск от депортиране съществува също за хиляди жители на Ивицата Газа, които живеят и работят в провинциите на Западния бряг. Към това съществува възможност хиляди палестинци да бъдат депортирани от отечеството си под предлог незавършена процедура за пребиваване, а също и чужденци, живеещи на Западния бряг по различни причини, включително на основание брак с палестинци.
Файяд посочи, че тази заповед противоречи на международното право, в това число на резолюциите на Съвета за сигурност, които осъждат експулсирането, и на международното хуманитарно право, включително Четвъртата Женевска конвенция. Заповедта е в противоречие също така с договореностите, сключени с Организацията за освобождение на Палестина, и представлява опасно посегателство срещу целостта на окупираните палестински територии като единна формация. Също така заповедта накърнява прерогативите на Палестинската национална власт по силата на посочените договорености относно нейната пълна отговорност за нейните граждани и организацията на гражданския регистър – нещо повече, заповедта отменя тези прерогативи, тъй като обявява многобройни групи от тези граждани за „проникнали” в собствената им страна, като между тях се включват и официално регистрирани от Палестинската власт лица. С всичко това се цели да бъде вменено задължение за предварително получаване на разрешително, да се даде възможност за обявяване на всеки район за закрита зона, достъпът в която подлежи на получаване на предварително разрешение – стъпка, която предоставя абсолютна свобода на командването на окупационните сили да ограничава свободата на придвижване на палестинците и да им забранява достъпа до съответните райони като подготовка за тяхното конфискуване и колонизиране, което е в явно противоречие с международната законност и легитимността на политическия процес.
Министър-председателят призова международната общност и членовете на Четворката, в частност САЩ, да обърнат внимание на рисковете, които се крият в тези нарушения и незаконни мерки, и да поемат своята политическа, юридическа и морална отговорност, да заемат решителна позиция спрямо споменатата заповед и да задължат израелското правителство да се придържа към нормите на международното право, да спазва международното хуманитарно право и в частност Четвъртата Женевска конвенция и свободата на придвижване на палестинските граждани, да приложи Споразумението за достъп и движение, да спре да взривява усилията на Палестинската власт за изграждане на силни институции, способни да изпълняват своите задължения спрямо гражданите й и да се грижат за техните права.
Файяд подчерта, че Палестинската национална власт работи с всички международни партньори, за да гарантира, че тази заповед ще бъде отменена и няма да бъде приложена.
Превод на оригиналното съобщение-Мая Ценова
източник Интидар
Кабинет на Министър-председателя
12 април 2010
Министър-председателят д-р Салям Файяд осъди израелската военна „Заповед №1650 срещу проникването, влизаща в сила от 13 април 2010”. Тя заплашва с депортиране десетки хиляди граждани от районите, където живеят, в други райони на окупираните палестински територии или извън тях. Нещо повече, поради мъглявостта си тя отваря вратите пред израелските военни окупационни власти за обезлюдяване на цели райони и масово изселване на тяхното население под предлог получаване на разрешително, като целта е да бъде закрепена и задълбочена властта на окупацията, да се улесни завладяването на земите на това население, да се разрасне колонизационната дейност върху тях и особено в Източен Ерусалим, в районите, намиращи се зад стената, и в района на поречието на Йордан, квалифицирани в повечето случаи от окупационните власти като затворени военни райони. Също така заповедта крие рискове от разделяне и депортиране на хиляди ерусалимски семейства, на които окупационните власти не предоставят законното им право на пребиваване в Източен Ерусалим, забраняват на ерусалимци достъпа до останалите райони на Западния бряг и ги изолират от тях. Риск от депортиране съществува също за хиляди жители на Ивицата Газа, които живеят и работят в провинциите на Западния бряг. Към това съществува възможност хиляди палестинци да бъдат депортирани от отечеството си под предлог незавършена процедура за пребиваване, а също и чужденци, живеещи на Западния бряг по различни причини, включително на основание брак с палестинци.
Файяд посочи, че тази заповед противоречи на международното право, в това число на резолюциите на Съвета за сигурност, които осъждат експулсирането, и на международното хуманитарно право, включително Четвъртата Женевска конвенция. Заповедта е в противоречие също така с договореностите, сключени с Организацията за освобождение на Палестина, и представлява опасно посегателство срещу целостта на окупираните палестински територии като единна формация. Също така заповедта накърнява прерогативите на Палестинската национална власт по силата на посочените договорености относно нейната пълна отговорност за нейните граждани и организацията на гражданския регистър – нещо повече, заповедта отменя тези прерогативи, тъй като обявява многобройни групи от тези граждани за „проникнали” в собствената им страна, като между тях се включват и официално регистрирани от Палестинската власт лица. С всичко това се цели да бъде вменено задължение за предварително получаване на разрешително, да се даде възможност за обявяване на всеки район за закрита зона, достъпът в която подлежи на получаване на предварително разрешение – стъпка, която предоставя абсолютна свобода на командването на окупационните сили да ограничава свободата на придвижване на палестинците и да им забранява достъпа до съответните райони като подготовка за тяхното конфискуване и колонизиране, което е в явно противоречие с международната законност и легитимността на политическия процес.
Министър-председателят призова международната общност и членовете на Четворката, в частност САЩ, да обърнат внимание на рисковете, които се крият в тези нарушения и незаконни мерки, и да поемат своята политическа, юридическа и морална отговорност, да заемат решителна позиция спрямо споменатата заповед и да задължат израелското правителство да се придържа към нормите на международното право, да спазва международното хуманитарно право и в частност Четвъртата Женевска конвенция и свободата на придвижване на палестинските граждани, да приложи Споразумението за достъп и движение, да спре да взривява усилията на Палестинската власт за изграждане на силни институции, способни да изпълняват своите задължения спрямо гражданите й и да се грижат за техните права.
Файяд подчерта, че Палестинската национална власт работи с всички международни партньори, за да гарантира, че тази заповед ще бъде отменена и няма да бъде приложена.
Превод на оригиналното съобщение-Мая Ценова
източник Интидар
израелски закон предвижда изгонването на хиляди палестинци от окупирания Западен бряг
израелски закон предвижда изгонването на хиляди палестинци от окупирания Западен бряг
Палестинската национална власт и арабски и израелски правозащитни организации осъдиха вчера решението на Израел за изгонване на десетки хиляди палестинци, които живеят на окупирания Западен бряг на р. Йордан без разрешително за пребиваване.
Завеждащият отдел „Въпроси на преговорите” в Организацията за освобождение на Палестина г-н Саеб Урейкат заяви: „Категорично осъждаме израелското решение за етническо прочистване чрез експулсирането на десетки хиляди палестинци, за които Израел твърди, че живеят на окупирания Западен бряг без разрешителни.”
„Решението съдържа – продължи той – етническо прочистване по отношение на жители на Ерусалим и Газа, живеещи на Западния бряг.” Урейкат посочи още, че решението „има за цел да ликвидира всяко международно усилие за съживяване на мирния процес.”
Десет израелски правозащитни групи осъдиха издадените заповеди, като в декларация посочиха, че от преобладаващото мнозинство от палестинците на Западния бряг, който е окупиран от 1967 г. насам, изобщо не е било изисквано да получат разрешително за пребиваване, издадено от Израел. (…)
В декларацията се казва още: „Армията ще има възможност да екстрадира или да започне съдебно преследване срещу всеки палестинец, който бъде обявен за незаконно проникнал, а това е открито нарушаване на Женевската конвенция.”
(Тъй като е окупационна сила, съгласно чл. 49 от ІV Женевска конвенция, ратифицирана от Израел през 1951 г., Израел няма право да извършва подобни действия с населението на окупираната територия. Целият чл. 49 от Женевската конвенция относно закрилата на гражданските лица по време на война (по-известна като ІV Женевска конвенция) буквално гласи: „Принудителните премествания, масови или индивидуални, както и депортирането на закриляни лица извън окупираната територия на територията на държавата окупаторка и на територията на която и да е друга държава, окупирана или не, са забранени независимо от мотивите.
Държавата окупаторка обаче може да предприеме цялостна или частична евакуация от определена окупирана област, ако сигурността на населението или повелителни съображения от военен характер налагат това. Такава евакуация не може да включва разместване на закриляни лица извън границите на окупираната територия освен ако поради причини от материален характер това разместване не може да се избегне. Така евакуираните лица ще бъдат върнати обратно по домовете им веднага щом военните действия в тази област приключат.
Държавата окупаторка, предприемайки тези премествания или тези евакуации, ще осигури в рамките на практически възможното закриляните лица да бъдат подходящо настанявани, разместванията да стават при задоволителни условия на здравословност, хигиена, безопасност и прехрана и членовете на едно и също семейство да не бъдат разделяни.
Държавата покровителка ще бъде уведомявана за преместванията и евакуациите веднага щом те бъдат извършени.
Държавата окупаторка няма да задържа закриляните лица в някоя област, особено изложена на опасностите на войната, освен ако сигурността на населението или повелителни военни съображения не изискват това.
Държавата окупаторка няма да депортира или премества част от своето гражданско население на завзета от нея територия.” – бел. моя, М. Карагьозов)
Нарушителите на тези заповеди могат да бъдат наказани със затвор най-малко 7 години.
Вчера израелският в. „Аарец” спомена, че израелската армия е издала нова заповед, която може да доведе до изгонване на десетки хиляди палестинци, живеещи на окупирания Западен бряг без разрешителни или до подвеждането им под съдебна отговорност за углавно престъпление. Израелската армия потвърди, че е разпространила „поправки на заповедта, целяща да се попречи на процесите на незаконно проникване”, но подчерта, че целта е да се придаде законност на вече съществуващи механизми, а не да се оправдаят мащабни операции по експулсиране.
По магтериали от в. „Ал-Хаят”; превод - Мая Ценова
Палестинската национална власт и арабски и израелски правозащитни организации осъдиха вчера решението на Израел за изгонване на десетки хиляди палестинци, които живеят на окупирания Западен бряг на р. Йордан без разрешително за пребиваване.
Завеждащият отдел „Въпроси на преговорите” в Организацията за освобождение на Палестина г-н Саеб Урейкат заяви: „Категорично осъждаме израелското решение за етническо прочистване чрез експулсирането на десетки хиляди палестинци, за които Израел твърди, че живеят на окупирания Западен бряг без разрешителни.”
„Решението съдържа – продължи той – етническо прочистване по отношение на жители на Ерусалим и Газа, живеещи на Западния бряг.” Урейкат посочи още, че решението „има за цел да ликвидира всяко международно усилие за съживяване на мирния процес.”
Десет израелски правозащитни групи осъдиха издадените заповеди, като в декларация посочиха, че от преобладаващото мнозинство от палестинците на Западния бряг, който е окупиран от 1967 г. насам, изобщо не е било изисквано да получат разрешително за пребиваване, издадено от Израел. (…)
В декларацията се казва още: „Армията ще има възможност да екстрадира или да започне съдебно преследване срещу всеки палестинец, който бъде обявен за незаконно проникнал, а това е открито нарушаване на Женевската конвенция.”
(Тъй като е окупационна сила, съгласно чл. 49 от ІV Женевска конвенция, ратифицирана от Израел през 1951 г., Израел няма право да извършва подобни действия с населението на окупираната територия. Целият чл. 49 от Женевската конвенция относно закрилата на гражданските лица по време на война (по-известна като ІV Женевска конвенция) буквално гласи: „Принудителните премествания, масови или индивидуални, както и депортирането на закриляни лица извън окупираната територия на територията на държавата окупаторка и на територията на която и да е друга държава, окупирана или не, са забранени независимо от мотивите.
Държавата окупаторка обаче може да предприеме цялостна или частична евакуация от определена окупирана област, ако сигурността на населението или повелителни съображения от военен характер налагат това. Такава евакуация не може да включва разместване на закриляни лица извън границите на окупираната територия освен ако поради причини от материален характер това разместване не може да се избегне. Така евакуираните лица ще бъдат върнати обратно по домовете им веднага щом военните действия в тази област приключат.
Държавата окупаторка, предприемайки тези премествания или тези евакуации, ще осигури в рамките на практически възможното закриляните лица да бъдат подходящо настанявани, разместванията да стават при задоволителни условия на здравословност, хигиена, безопасност и прехрана и членовете на едно и също семейство да не бъдат разделяни.
Държавата покровителка ще бъде уведомявана за преместванията и евакуациите веднага щом те бъдат извършени.
Държавата окупаторка няма да задържа закриляните лица в някоя област, особено изложена на опасностите на войната, освен ако сигурността на населението или повелителни военни съображения не изискват това.
Държавата окупаторка няма да депортира или премества част от своето гражданско население на завзета от нея територия.” – бел. моя, М. Карагьозов)
Нарушителите на тези заповеди могат да бъдат наказани със затвор най-малко 7 години.
Вчера израелският в. „Аарец” спомена, че израелската армия е издала нова заповед, която може да доведе до изгонване на десетки хиляди палестинци, живеещи на окупирания Западен бряг без разрешителни или до подвеждането им под съдебна отговорност за углавно престъпление. Израелската армия потвърди, че е разпространила „поправки на заповедта, целяща да се попречи на процесите на незаконно проникване”, но подчерта, че целта е да се придаде законност на вече съществуващи механизми, а не да се оправдаят мащабни операции по експулсиране.
По магтериали от в. „Ал-Хаят”; превод - Мая Ценова
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Gaza students to Margaret Atwood: reject Tel Aviv U. prize
Open letter, Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel, 6 April 2010
The following open letter to Canadian author Margaret Atwood was issued by the Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel on 4 April 2010:
Dear Ms. Atwood,
We are students from Gaza representing more than 10 academic institutions therein. Our grandparents are refugees who were expelled from their homes in the 1948 Nakba. They still have their keys locked up in their closets and will pass them on to their children, our parents. Many of us have lost our fathers, some of us have lost our mothers, and some of us lost both in the last Israeli aggression against civilians in Gaza. Others still lost a body part from the flesh-burning white phosphorous that Israel used, and are now permanently physically challenged. Most of us lost our homes, and are now living in tents, as Israel refuses to allow basic construction materials into Gaza. And most of all, we are all still living in what has come to be a festering sore on humanity's conscience -- the brutal, hermetic, medieval siege that Israel is perpetrating against us, the 1.5 million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
Many of us have encountered your writing during our university studies. Although your books are not available in Gaza - -because Israel does not allow books, paper and other stationary in -- we are familiar with your leftist, feminist, overtly political writing. And most of all, we are aware of your strong stance against apartheid. You admirably supported sanctions against apartheid South Africa and called for resistance against all forms of oppression.
Now, we have heard that you are to receive a prize this spring at Tel Aviv University. We, the students of besieged Gaza, urge you not to go. As our professors, teachers and anti-apartheid comrades used to tell us, there was no negotiation with the brutal racist regime of South Africa. Nor was there much communication. Just one word: BOYCOTT. You must be aware that Israel was a sister state to the apartheid regime before 1994. Many South African anti-apartheid heroes, including Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have described Israel's oppression as apartheid. Some describe Israeli settler-colonialism and occupation as surpassing apartheid's evil. F-16s, F-15s, F-35s, Apache helicopters, Merkava tanks and white phosphorous were not used against black townships.
Ms. Atwood, in the Gaza concentration camp, students who have been awarded scholarships to universities abroad are prevented every year from pursuing their hard-earned opportunity for academic achievement. Within the Gaza Strip, those seeking an education are limited by increasing poverty rates and a scarcity of fuel for transportation, both of which are direct results of Israel's medieval siege. What is Tel Aviv University's position vis-a-vis this form of illegal collective punishment, described by Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, as a "prelude to genocide?" Not a single word of condemnation has been heard from any Israeli academic institution!
Participating in normal relations with Tel Aviv University is giving tacit approval to its racially exclusive policy towards Palestinian citizens of Israel. We are certain you would hate to support an institution that upholds so faithfully the apartheid system of its state.
Tel Aviv University has a long and well-documented history of collaboration with the Israeli military and intelligence services. This is particularly shameful after Israel's bloody military assault against the occupied Gaza Strip, which, according to leading international and local human rights organizations, left over 1,440 Palestinians dead and 5,380 injured. We are certain you would hate to support an institution that supports a military apparatus that murdered over 430 children.
By accepting the prize at Tel Aviv University, you will be indirectly giving a slight and inadvertent nod to Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. This university has refused to commemorate the destroyed Palestinian village on which it was built. That village is called Sheikh Muwanis, and it no longer exists as a result of Israel's confiscation. Its people have been expelled.
Let us remember the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "If you choose to be neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." As such, we call upon you to say no to neutrality, no to being on the fence, no to normalization with apartheid Israel, not after the blood of more than 400 children has been spilt! No to occupation, repression, settler colonialism, settlement expansion, home demolition, land expropriation and the system of discrimination against the indigenous population of Palestine, and no to the formation of Bantustans in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip!
Just as every citizen knew that she or he had a moral responsibility to boycott apartheid in South Africa after the Sharpeville massacre, Gaza 2009 was the world's wake-up call. All of Israel's academic institutions are state-run and state-funded. To partake of any of their prizes or to accept any of their blandishments is to uphold their heinous political actions. Israel has continually violated international law in defiance of the world. It is illegally occupying Palestinian land. It continues its aggression against the Palestinian people. Israel denies Palestinians all of the democratic liberties it so proudly, fictitiously flaunts. Israel is an apartheid regime that denies Palestinian refugees their right of return as sanctioned by UN resolution 194.
Attending the symposium would violate the unanimously-endorsed Palestinian civil society call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. This call is also directed towards international activists, artists and academics of conscience, such as you. We are certain that you would love to be a part of the noble struggle against the apartheid, colonization and occupation that the Palestinian people have been subjected to for the past 61 years, a struggle that is ongoing.
Ms. Atwood, we consider you to be what the late Edward Said called an "oppositional intellectual." As such, and given our veneration of your work, we would be both emotionally and psychologically wounded to see you attend the symposium. You are a great woman of words, of that we have no doubt. But we think you would agree, too, that actions speak louder than words. We all await your decision.
The following open letter to Canadian author Margaret Atwood was issued by the Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel on 4 April 2010:
Dear Ms. Atwood,
We are students from Gaza representing more than 10 academic institutions therein. Our grandparents are refugees who were expelled from their homes in the 1948 Nakba. They still have their keys locked up in their closets and will pass them on to their children, our parents. Many of us have lost our fathers, some of us have lost our mothers, and some of us lost both in the last Israeli aggression against civilians in Gaza. Others still lost a body part from the flesh-burning white phosphorous that Israel used, and are now permanently physically challenged. Most of us lost our homes, and are now living in tents, as Israel refuses to allow basic construction materials into Gaza. And most of all, we are all still living in what has come to be a festering sore on humanity's conscience -- the brutal, hermetic, medieval siege that Israel is perpetrating against us, the 1.5 million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
Many of us have encountered your writing during our university studies. Although your books are not available in Gaza - -because Israel does not allow books, paper and other stationary in -- we are familiar with your leftist, feminist, overtly political writing. And most of all, we are aware of your strong stance against apartheid. You admirably supported sanctions against apartheid South Africa and called for resistance against all forms of oppression.
Now, we have heard that you are to receive a prize this spring at Tel Aviv University. We, the students of besieged Gaza, urge you not to go. As our professors, teachers and anti-apartheid comrades used to tell us, there was no negotiation with the brutal racist regime of South Africa. Nor was there much communication. Just one word: BOYCOTT. You must be aware that Israel was a sister state to the apartheid regime before 1994. Many South African anti-apartheid heroes, including Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have described Israel's oppression as apartheid. Some describe Israeli settler-colonialism and occupation as surpassing apartheid's evil. F-16s, F-15s, F-35s, Apache helicopters, Merkava tanks and white phosphorous were not used against black townships.
Ms. Atwood, in the Gaza concentration camp, students who have been awarded scholarships to universities abroad are prevented every year from pursuing their hard-earned opportunity for academic achievement. Within the Gaza Strip, those seeking an education are limited by increasing poverty rates and a scarcity of fuel for transportation, both of which are direct results of Israel's medieval siege. What is Tel Aviv University's position vis-a-vis this form of illegal collective punishment, described by Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, as a "prelude to genocide?" Not a single word of condemnation has been heard from any Israeli academic institution!
Participating in normal relations with Tel Aviv University is giving tacit approval to its racially exclusive policy towards Palestinian citizens of Israel. We are certain you would hate to support an institution that upholds so faithfully the apartheid system of its state.
Tel Aviv University has a long and well-documented history of collaboration with the Israeli military and intelligence services. This is particularly shameful after Israel's bloody military assault against the occupied Gaza Strip, which, according to leading international and local human rights organizations, left over 1,440 Palestinians dead and 5,380 injured. We are certain you would hate to support an institution that supports a military apparatus that murdered over 430 children.
By accepting the prize at Tel Aviv University, you will be indirectly giving a slight and inadvertent nod to Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. This university has refused to commemorate the destroyed Palestinian village on which it was built. That village is called Sheikh Muwanis, and it no longer exists as a result of Israel's confiscation. Its people have been expelled.
Let us remember the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "If you choose to be neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." As such, we call upon you to say no to neutrality, no to being on the fence, no to normalization with apartheid Israel, not after the blood of more than 400 children has been spilt! No to occupation, repression, settler colonialism, settlement expansion, home demolition, land expropriation and the system of discrimination against the indigenous population of Palestine, and no to the formation of Bantustans in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip!
Just as every citizen knew that she or he had a moral responsibility to boycott apartheid in South Africa after the Sharpeville massacre, Gaza 2009 was the world's wake-up call. All of Israel's academic institutions are state-run and state-funded. To partake of any of their prizes or to accept any of their blandishments is to uphold their heinous political actions. Israel has continually violated international law in defiance of the world. It is illegally occupying Palestinian land. It continues its aggression against the Palestinian people. Israel denies Palestinians all of the democratic liberties it so proudly, fictitiously flaunts. Israel is an apartheid regime that denies Palestinian refugees their right of return as sanctioned by UN resolution 194.
Attending the symposium would violate the unanimously-endorsed Palestinian civil society call for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. This call is also directed towards international activists, artists and academics of conscience, such as you. We are certain that you would love to be a part of the noble struggle against the apartheid, colonization and occupation that the Palestinian people have been subjected to for the past 61 years, a struggle that is ongoing.
Ms. Atwood, we consider you to be what the late Edward Said called an "oppositional intellectual." As such, and given our veneration of your work, we would be both emotionally and psychologically wounded to see you attend the symposium. You are a great woman of words, of that we have no doubt. But we think you would agree, too, that actions speak louder than words. We all await your decision.
US military aid to Israel violates domestic, international law
US military aid to Israel violates domestic, international law
Nahida H Gordon, The Electronic Intifada, 7 April 2010
Should the US government, based on international and domestic law, cut military aid and cease the transfer of weapons to Israel? (Luay Sababa/MaanImages)
The Middle East Study Committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has published "Breaking Down the Walls", a report to be submitted to the church's 219th General Assembly this July.
Some of the report's 39 recommendations have drawn harsh criticism. The Simon Wiesenthal Center declared in a 22 February action alert that "adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters" ("Presbyterian Church USA Ready to Declare War Against Israel: Take Action Now").
Such attacks make exaggerated claims and misrepresent the recommendations. The Committee's intent is not to make war but rather peace.
One factually misleading claim is the Simon Wiesenthal Center's assertion that "the report calls for the US to withhold financial and military aid to Israel." In fact, the report "calls on the US government to exercise strategically its international influence, including the possible withholding of military aid as a means of bringing Israel to compliance with international law and peacemaking efforts" (p.53).
As one can easily see, the Committee's recommendation is nuanced and calls on withholding military aid as a last resort.
Within this context it is appropriate to consider whether the US government, based on international and domestic law, should cut military aid and cease the transfer of weapons to Israel.
According to the International Law Commission (ILC), the official UN body that codifies customary international law, "A State which aids or assists another State in the commission of an internationally wrongful act by the latter is internationally responsible for doing so if: (a) that State does so with knowledge of the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act; and (b) the act would be internationally wrongful if committed by that State" (Article 16 of the International Law Commission, "Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts," (2001) which were commended by the General Assembly, A/RES/56/83).
In other words, if you knowingly help someone commit a crime, you are also liable for that crime. The ILC states that international law also "prohibits conduct that involves patterns of blatant abuse and complicity in such a pattern of blatant abuse."
According to Amnesty International, since 2001, the US has been by far the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel. Also since 2001, Israel launched military invasions of Lebanon and Gaza, causing extensive loss of civilian human life and destruction of property, including homes ("Fueling conflict: foreign arms supplies to Israel/Gaza," Amnesty International, February 2009, p.21).
Section 502B of the US Foreign Assistance Act stipulates that "no security assistance may be provided to any country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" and section 4 of the Arms Export Control Act authorizes the supply of US military equipment and training only for lawful purposes of internal security, "legitimate self-defense," or participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations or other operations consistent with the UN Charter.
Since the US government gives no military assistance to any of the Palestinian resistance groups, the question with regard to US military aid and transfer of weapons applies only to Israel.
And with regard to Israel, the UN-commissioned Goldstone report found that the Israeli forces in Gaza committed grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention which included willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, extensive destruction of property and use of human shields. Other findings were that the Israeli forces committed a series of acts that deprive Palestinians of their means of subsistence, employment, housing and water, that deny their freedom of movement and their right to leave and enter their own country, that limit their rights to access a court of law and an effective remedy and that these findings could lead a competent court to find that the crime against humanity were committed.
A particularly abhorrent use by Israel of weapons provided to it by the US government is the use of white phosphorous which when it comes into contact with skin burns deeply through muscle and bone, continuing to burn until deprived of oxygen. It can contaminate other parts of the victim's body or even those treating the injuries, as documented by Amnesty International. Moreover its use in civilian areas is prohibited under international law.
Based on international and domestic US laws, and the Goldstone report's finding that Israel committed grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the US government, in providing military aid and the transfer of arms to Israel, has violated its responsibility not to participate in the internationally wrongful acts of another state.
With these observations in mind, I personally believe that the recommendation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Middle East Study Committee to withhold military aid to Israel as a last resort -- in attempting to enforce international law vis-a-vis the occupation of Palestinian territories and the human rights violations against the Palestinians -- is a mild statement, indeed. Particularly so in light of Amnesty International's "calling on the UN, notably the Security Council, to impose an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict, and on all states to take action individually to impose national embargoes on any arms or weapons transfers to the parties to the conflict until there is no longer a substantial risk that such arms or weapons could be used to commit serious violations of international law."
As the Middle East Study Committee states, "We deeply value our relationships with Jews and Muslims in the United States, Israel and the predominantly Muslim countries of the Middle East. Yet the bonds of friendship must neither prevent us from speaking nor limit our empathy for the suffering of others. Inaction and silence on our part enable actions we oppose and consequences we grieve."
N H Gordon is a professor of statistics and member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Middle East Study Committee. Professor Gordon, a life-long Presbyterian and currently a church Elder, is a Palestinian-American who experienced, first hand, the 1948 Palestinian Nakba as a child.
Nahida H Gordon, The Electronic Intifada, 7 April 2010
Should the US government, based on international and domestic law, cut military aid and cease the transfer of weapons to Israel? (Luay Sababa/MaanImages)
The Middle East Study Committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has published "Breaking Down the Walls", a report to be submitted to the church's 219th General Assembly this July.
Some of the report's 39 recommendations have drawn harsh criticism. The Simon Wiesenthal Center declared in a 22 February action alert that "adoption of this poisonous document by the Presbyterian Church will be nothing short of a declaration of war on Israel and her supporters" ("Presbyterian Church USA Ready to Declare War Against Israel: Take Action Now").
Such attacks make exaggerated claims and misrepresent the recommendations. The Committee's intent is not to make war but rather peace.
One factually misleading claim is the Simon Wiesenthal Center's assertion that "the report calls for the US to withhold financial and military aid to Israel." In fact, the report "calls on the US government to exercise strategically its international influence, including the possible withholding of military aid as a means of bringing Israel to compliance with international law and peacemaking efforts" (p.53).
As one can easily see, the Committee's recommendation is nuanced and calls on withholding military aid as a last resort.
Within this context it is appropriate to consider whether the US government, based on international and domestic law, should cut military aid and cease the transfer of weapons to Israel.
According to the International Law Commission (ILC), the official UN body that codifies customary international law, "A State which aids or assists another State in the commission of an internationally wrongful act by the latter is internationally responsible for doing so if: (a) that State does so with knowledge of the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act; and (b) the act would be internationally wrongful if committed by that State" (Article 16 of the International Law Commission, "Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts," (2001) which were commended by the General Assembly, A/RES/56/83).
In other words, if you knowingly help someone commit a crime, you are also liable for that crime. The ILC states that international law also "prohibits conduct that involves patterns of blatant abuse and complicity in such a pattern of blatant abuse."
According to Amnesty International, since 2001, the US has been by far the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel. Also since 2001, Israel launched military invasions of Lebanon and Gaza, causing extensive loss of civilian human life and destruction of property, including homes ("Fueling conflict: foreign arms supplies to Israel/Gaza," Amnesty International, February 2009, p.21).
Section 502B of the US Foreign Assistance Act stipulates that "no security assistance may be provided to any country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" and section 4 of the Arms Export Control Act authorizes the supply of US military equipment and training only for lawful purposes of internal security, "legitimate self-defense," or participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations or other operations consistent with the UN Charter.
Since the US government gives no military assistance to any of the Palestinian resistance groups, the question with regard to US military aid and transfer of weapons applies only to Israel.
And with regard to Israel, the UN-commissioned Goldstone report found that the Israeli forces in Gaza committed grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention which included willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, extensive destruction of property and use of human shields. Other findings were that the Israeli forces committed a series of acts that deprive Palestinians of their means of subsistence, employment, housing and water, that deny their freedom of movement and their right to leave and enter their own country, that limit their rights to access a court of law and an effective remedy and that these findings could lead a competent court to find that the crime against humanity were committed.
A particularly abhorrent use by Israel of weapons provided to it by the US government is the use of white phosphorous which when it comes into contact with skin burns deeply through muscle and bone, continuing to burn until deprived of oxygen. It can contaminate other parts of the victim's body or even those treating the injuries, as documented by Amnesty International. Moreover its use in civilian areas is prohibited under international law.
Based on international and domestic US laws, and the Goldstone report's finding that Israel committed grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the US government, in providing military aid and the transfer of arms to Israel, has violated its responsibility not to participate in the internationally wrongful acts of another state.
With these observations in mind, I personally believe that the recommendation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Middle East Study Committee to withhold military aid to Israel as a last resort -- in attempting to enforce international law vis-a-vis the occupation of Palestinian territories and the human rights violations against the Palestinians -- is a mild statement, indeed. Particularly so in light of Amnesty International's "calling on the UN, notably the Security Council, to impose an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict, and on all states to take action individually to impose national embargoes on any arms or weapons transfers to the parties to the conflict until there is no longer a substantial risk that such arms or weapons could be used to commit serious violations of international law."
As the Middle East Study Committee states, "We deeply value our relationships with Jews and Muslims in the United States, Israel and the predominantly Muslim countries of the Middle East. Yet the bonds of friendship must neither prevent us from speaking nor limit our empathy for the suffering of others. Inaction and silence on our part enable actions we oppose and consequences we grieve."
N H Gordon is a professor of statistics and member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Middle East Study Committee. Professor Gordon, a life-long Presbyterian and currently a church Elder, is a Palestinian-American who experienced, first hand, the 1948 Palestinian Nakba as a child.
One last plea before we sail - from Gaza Friends
Our four boats are purchased or refurbished, flagged and registered. The cargo ship is now named the MV Rachel Corrie with the blessing of the Corrie family. Children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank will name the other two boats, and we will let you know what they chose.
We are hard at work collecting the cargo… cement, books for children and universities, paper for printing books, water filtration equipment, and medical equipment, all being denied the people of Gaza by Israel’s brutal blockade.
So we ask one last time for a $25.00-$100.00 donation from each of you, a donation that will be used for our operating costs. It is not enough to buy, register and insure the boats. We need fuel for all vessles, crew expenses, supplies for all four boats, a crane to add to the cargo ship to offload the cargo, and miscellaneous expenses that always appear at the last minute.
Please go to http://www.freegaza.org/de/donate and help us raise the final 20%. You can donate in the U.S. by writing a tax-deductible check to our fiscal sponsor in DC, donate through our two PayPal accounts, one in Cyprus and one in the U.S. or wire an amount into our Free Gaza account in Cyprus. The website provides all of the detail for you.
With your help, our final $100,000 can be raised in the next month as we get ready to leave Europe on May 3 and begin our voyage to Gaza. More than 5000 of you now follow our voyages; you have signed up for our TWITTER account, you have joined our newsletter, and you are members of many Free Gaza lists. Please donate, send our plea to your own lists, then watch our journey as we make our way across the sea to Gaza.
Thank you from all of us at Free Gaza. Every one of you has made this flotilla a reality.
We are hard at work collecting the cargo… cement, books for children and universities, paper for printing books, water filtration equipment, and medical equipment, all being denied the people of Gaza by Israel’s brutal blockade.
So we ask one last time for a $25.00-$100.00 donation from each of you, a donation that will be used for our operating costs. It is not enough to buy, register and insure the boats. We need fuel for all vessles, crew expenses, supplies for all four boats, a crane to add to the cargo ship to offload the cargo, and miscellaneous expenses that always appear at the last minute.
Please go to http://www.freegaza.org/de/donate and help us raise the final 20%. You can donate in the U.S. by writing a tax-deductible check to our fiscal sponsor in DC, donate through our two PayPal accounts, one in Cyprus and one in the U.S. or wire an amount into our Free Gaza account in Cyprus. The website provides all of the detail for you.
With your help, our final $100,000 can be raised in the next month as we get ready to leave Europe on May 3 and begin our voyage to Gaza. More than 5000 of you now follow our voyages; you have signed up for our TWITTER account, you have joined our newsletter, and you are members of many Free Gaza lists. Please donate, send our plea to your own lists, then watch our journey as we make our way across the sea to Gaza.
Thank you from all of us at Free Gaza. Every one of you has made this flotilla a reality.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Mayada's mime gives expression to Gaza youth
Rami Almeghari writing from Nuseirat refugee camp, the occupied Gaza Strip, Live from Palestine, 30 March 2010
Mayada al-Hallaj with her team of mimers in Gaza. (Rami Almeghari)
In the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, an ordinary family has raised a talented daughter. Her talent is not something widespread in Gaza or even elsewhere in the world. Mayada al-Hallaj, 25, currently studying sociology at university, has also been a mime artist and teacher for the last few years.
"Right after I finished high school, I began to have a great interest in mime so I started to watch TV and surf the Internet for mime shows," al-Hallaj explained as she prepared to begin a show at the al-Karmel Association, a nongovernmental organization that promotes Palestinian folkloric culture, in Nusierat camp. "At the beginning I found myself doing some movements that expressed what I felt inside, when I realized that this what was called mime."
Nine youths with painted faces aged 15 to 21 prepared to perform the show, called Good and Evil, with al-Hallaj, while Egyptian symphony music played in the background.
Wearing a traditional face-covering known as a niqab, al-Hallaj leads the seven-minute-long show, steering the movements of her team. "I wear the niqab because in the mime tradition, the performer wears a mask," al-Hallaj had explained. The niqab, she added, "represents for me the conservative community of the refugee camp. However, I am pleased that we can do our performances without impediments."
Noura Abu Ayyash, 15, plays a character called "the butterfly" who sweeps around the stage between those representing good, and those representing evil -- all of whom are finally united at the end of the piece.
"As you noticed through this performance," al-Hallaj explained, "we wanted to send out a message of peace, harmony and reconciliation among the community. Evil and good always encounter eachother, but evil cannot truimph over good. We hope that Palestinians will be united."
Abu Ayyash says she was originally interested in ballet but learned about al-Hallaj's mime work and decided to join. "Through performing, I feel that I can express my inner feelings," Abu Ayyash said, "I do look forward to this art becoming more widespread in the country."
Muhammad al-Najjar, another member of the troupe, said he discovered mime when he started dancing at home: "I found these movements as a sort of relief for many things inside me. I found them expressing myself. Then I got to know Mayada through the al-Karmel Association."
Mayada Al-Hallaj says she has performed three major shows in Gaza at the invitation of local organizations. The shows, she said, were designed to reflect on current social problems.
Her troupe faces challenges however, including a lack of costumes as well as space to practice. Because of the Israeli blockade, there are no opportunities for team members to travel or train abroad. Al-Hallaj explains she has never had any training, but learned mime only by reading about it and through practice.
Ayman al-Hour, director general of the al-Karmel Association in Nusierat, agreed that there is a lack of cultural activities in Gaza due to the Israeli siege as well as the division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"Young people have lots of energy that needs to be released in a better way," said al-Hour. "They need those who can back them the way we are doing at this association, within our own capabilities. However, the cultural scene in Gaza needs more work in order to improve it."
At her family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Mayada al-Hallaj's father Hammad and mother Umm Ahmad expressed their satisfaction with their daughter's unorthodox art.
"I have always given my children the freedom to choose whatever they like without interference from my part," said Hammad al-Hallaj, "Yet their choices should respect the social and religious traditions of our Palestinian community. I have found that my daughter has a great interest in this art, so I have allowed her to continue. I do believe that this art does not contradict our traditions and habits in the community."
Umm Ahmad also expressed encouragement for her daughter. "In the beginning, when I first saw Mayada performing, I was surprised. I had not known this art before, yet after I attended one of her performances somewhere in Gaza, I really liked what she does," Umm Ahmad said with a smile.
"I do hope that I become a star in the world of mime in Gaza. I look forward to spreading this art as widely as I can. This is a fine art that releases lots of energy and reflects the society in a unique way," Mayada al-Hallaj said after wrapping up the show.
Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.
Mayada al-Hallaj with her team of mimers in Gaza. (Rami Almeghari)
In the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, an ordinary family has raised a talented daughter. Her talent is not something widespread in Gaza or even elsewhere in the world. Mayada al-Hallaj, 25, currently studying sociology at university, has also been a mime artist and teacher for the last few years.
"Right after I finished high school, I began to have a great interest in mime so I started to watch TV and surf the Internet for mime shows," al-Hallaj explained as she prepared to begin a show at the al-Karmel Association, a nongovernmental organization that promotes Palestinian folkloric culture, in Nusierat camp. "At the beginning I found myself doing some movements that expressed what I felt inside, when I realized that this what was called mime."
Nine youths with painted faces aged 15 to 21 prepared to perform the show, called Good and Evil, with al-Hallaj, while Egyptian symphony music played in the background.
Wearing a traditional face-covering known as a niqab, al-Hallaj leads the seven-minute-long show, steering the movements of her team. "I wear the niqab because in the mime tradition, the performer wears a mask," al-Hallaj had explained. The niqab, she added, "represents for me the conservative community of the refugee camp. However, I am pleased that we can do our performances without impediments."
Noura Abu Ayyash, 15, plays a character called "the butterfly" who sweeps around the stage between those representing good, and those representing evil -- all of whom are finally united at the end of the piece.
"As you noticed through this performance," al-Hallaj explained, "we wanted to send out a message of peace, harmony and reconciliation among the community. Evil and good always encounter eachother, but evil cannot truimph over good. We hope that Palestinians will be united."
Abu Ayyash says she was originally interested in ballet but learned about al-Hallaj's mime work and decided to join. "Through performing, I feel that I can express my inner feelings," Abu Ayyash said, "I do look forward to this art becoming more widespread in the country."
Muhammad al-Najjar, another member of the troupe, said he discovered mime when he started dancing at home: "I found these movements as a sort of relief for many things inside me. I found them expressing myself. Then I got to know Mayada through the al-Karmel Association."
Mayada Al-Hallaj says she has performed three major shows in Gaza at the invitation of local organizations. The shows, she said, were designed to reflect on current social problems.
Her troupe faces challenges however, including a lack of costumes as well as space to practice. Because of the Israeli blockade, there are no opportunities for team members to travel or train abroad. Al-Hallaj explains she has never had any training, but learned mime only by reading about it and through practice.
Ayman al-Hour, director general of the al-Karmel Association in Nusierat, agreed that there is a lack of cultural activities in Gaza due to the Israeli siege as well as the division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"Young people have lots of energy that needs to be released in a better way," said al-Hour. "They need those who can back them the way we are doing at this association, within our own capabilities. However, the cultural scene in Gaza needs more work in order to improve it."
At her family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Mayada al-Hallaj's father Hammad and mother Umm Ahmad expressed their satisfaction with their daughter's unorthodox art.
"I have always given my children the freedom to choose whatever they like without interference from my part," said Hammad al-Hallaj, "Yet their choices should respect the social and religious traditions of our Palestinian community. I have found that my daughter has a great interest in this art, so I have allowed her to continue. I do believe that this art does not contradict our traditions and habits in the community."
Umm Ahmad also expressed encouragement for her daughter. "In the beginning, when I first saw Mayada performing, I was surprised. I had not known this art before, yet after I attended one of her performances somewhere in Gaza, I really liked what she does," Umm Ahmad said with a smile.
"I do hope that I become a star in the world of mime in Gaza. I look forward to spreading this art as widely as I can. This is a fine art that releases lots of energy and reflects the society in a unique way," Mayada al-Hallaj said after wrapping up the show.
Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.
Health workers and advocates support call for U of Arizona to divest
Press release, UA Health for Human Rights, 30 March 2010
The following press release was issued on 30 March 2010 by UA Health for Human Rights, an ad hoc group formed by the broader University Community for Human Rights, a student-led board leading divestment initiatives at the University of Arizona:
A joint group of more than 50 Jewish, Christian, Muslim and agnostic medical and health advocates of the Tucson and surrounding region, following student initiative, are calling on the University of Arizona to divest from corporations benefiting from the global health and humanitarian crisis in Palestine caused by Israel's military occupation, supported by the United States.
In recent weeks the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the daily newspaper of the University of Arizona, exposed the business relationship between companies Motorola, Caterpillar and the University of Arizona, prompting the numerous health advocates to act. UA President Robert Shelton, for several months, refuses to seriously address the issue thereby dismissing students' concerns and those of the broader Tucson human rights community. Since August of last year, students in University Community for Human Rights (UCHR), the group leading the campus call for divestment, have requested meetings with President Shelton; to date he has not granted their requests nor answered alternative requests for him to send representation on his behalf to meet with students about the issue.
Following through with an open letter released on Friday [26 March], 52 signers ranging from local physicians, medical professors, public health professionals, students and humanitarian aid workers have demanded an end to these contracts and relationships which violate University of Arizona's own Policy on Corporate Relations and which contradict the UA's overall mission, particularly that of its College of Medicine.
The signers endorsed the statement foremost as individuals of the University of Arizona/regional medical and health community, although many of them also represent participation in a diverse spectrum of prestigious medical and human rights activities. Some of the signers include Joyceen Boyle (PhD), former Associate Dean of the University of Arizona Nursing School and current Country Specialist on Amnesty International USA's Central American Coordination Group; Barbara Warren (MD), National Board of Directors member of Physicians for Social Responsibility; Carolyn Trowbridge (RN), member of the University of Arizona's University Committee for Monitoring Labor and Human Rights Issues; also numerous aid workers of local humanitarian organizations No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes and Tucson Samaritans: Hannah Hafter, Nancy Murphy, Sarah Roberts, Annie Swanson, Maryada Vallet, Jim Walsh; as well as student leaders Natasha Bhuyan and Allison Lowe (med students) of progressive University of Arizona group Medical Students for Choice; and Enas Tamimi, officer of University of Arizona Students for Justice in Palestine (undergraduate, Nutritional Sciences).
According to students Gabriel Matthew Schivone and Hali Nurnberg, co-directors of University of Arizona Community for Human Rights: "The actions of these courageous doctors and health advocates demonstrate the uncontroversial human rights consensus on the US/Israel-Palestine conflict; they suggest how to help attain a peaceful resolution, that is to say, implementing the sort of international nonviolent divestment activism that helped end apartheid South Africa's acts of regional aggression and occupation throughout the latter half of the 20th century ... When all the Israeli human rights groups, all the Palestinian human rights groups, all the international human rights groups are saying the same thing, namely, that Israel regularly violates the rights of Palestinians under occupation, suggesting that the occupation is detrimental to the health and safety of everyone it touches -- both Palestinian and Israeli -- the world is compelled to listen."
This initiative follows the historic resolution recently passed on Thursday, 18 March by the Associated Students of the University of California, Berkeley, in support of financial divestment from two companies associated with their university for the companies' connection to human rights abuses committed by Israel in its US-backed military occupation of Palestine. On 25 February 2010 a similar bill was passed by the student government of the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus. Last year, Hampshire College became the first college or university to financially divest from the occupation. This past September, Norway became the first state to obey the July 2004 ruling by the United Nations International Court of Justice which proclaimed upon the entire international community "not to render aid or assistance in maintaining" the "illegal situation created" by Israel's separation wall which cuts and divides Palestinian lands and communities. Divestment movements led by students, trade unions, private sector firms and other members of civil society are active in dozens of countries throughout the world.
All of the above actions occur following the 2005 call by a consensus of more than 170 Palestinian civil society organizations for initiatives of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law. On Tuesday, 30 March 2010, Palestinian civil society is calling on people of conscience throughout the world for a Global BDS Day of Action.
In Tucson, numerous groups, both on and off campus, have joined together to issue their calls on the University of Arizona to divest, including University of Arizona National Lawyers Guild, Social Justice League, Students for Justice in Palestine, Muslim Students Association, Tucson Women in Black, Jobs With Justice (Tucson chapter), Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Tucson chapter), Tierra Y Libertad Organization, Casa Maria Catholic Worker House/Soup Kitchen, Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, International Solidarity Movement (Arizona Chapter) and many others.
The following press release was issued on 30 March 2010 by UA Health for Human Rights, an ad hoc group formed by the broader University Community for Human Rights, a student-led board leading divestment initiatives at the University of Arizona:
A joint group of more than 50 Jewish, Christian, Muslim and agnostic medical and health advocates of the Tucson and surrounding region, following student initiative, are calling on the University of Arizona to divest from corporations benefiting from the global health and humanitarian crisis in Palestine caused by Israel's military occupation, supported by the United States.
In recent weeks the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the daily newspaper of the University of Arizona, exposed the business relationship between companies Motorola, Caterpillar and the University of Arizona, prompting the numerous health advocates to act. UA President Robert Shelton, for several months, refuses to seriously address the issue thereby dismissing students' concerns and those of the broader Tucson human rights community. Since August of last year, students in University Community for Human Rights (UCHR), the group leading the campus call for divestment, have requested meetings with President Shelton; to date he has not granted their requests nor answered alternative requests for him to send representation on his behalf to meet with students about the issue.
Following through with an open letter released on Friday [26 March], 52 signers ranging from local physicians, medical professors, public health professionals, students and humanitarian aid workers have demanded an end to these contracts and relationships which violate University of Arizona's own Policy on Corporate Relations and which contradict the UA's overall mission, particularly that of its College of Medicine.
The signers endorsed the statement foremost as individuals of the University of Arizona/regional medical and health community, although many of them also represent participation in a diverse spectrum of prestigious medical and human rights activities. Some of the signers include Joyceen Boyle (PhD), former Associate Dean of the University of Arizona Nursing School and current Country Specialist on Amnesty International USA's Central American Coordination Group; Barbara Warren (MD), National Board of Directors member of Physicians for Social Responsibility; Carolyn Trowbridge (RN), member of the University of Arizona's University Committee for Monitoring Labor and Human Rights Issues; also numerous aid workers of local humanitarian organizations No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes and Tucson Samaritans: Hannah Hafter, Nancy Murphy, Sarah Roberts, Annie Swanson, Maryada Vallet, Jim Walsh; as well as student leaders Natasha Bhuyan and Allison Lowe (med students) of progressive University of Arizona group Medical Students for Choice; and Enas Tamimi, officer of University of Arizona Students for Justice in Palestine (undergraduate, Nutritional Sciences).
According to students Gabriel Matthew Schivone and Hali Nurnberg, co-directors of University of Arizona Community for Human Rights: "The actions of these courageous doctors and health advocates demonstrate the uncontroversial human rights consensus on the US/Israel-Palestine conflict; they suggest how to help attain a peaceful resolution, that is to say, implementing the sort of international nonviolent divestment activism that helped end apartheid South Africa's acts of regional aggression and occupation throughout the latter half of the 20th century ... When all the Israeli human rights groups, all the Palestinian human rights groups, all the international human rights groups are saying the same thing, namely, that Israel regularly violates the rights of Palestinians under occupation, suggesting that the occupation is detrimental to the health and safety of everyone it touches -- both Palestinian and Israeli -- the world is compelled to listen."
This initiative follows the historic resolution recently passed on Thursday, 18 March by the Associated Students of the University of California, Berkeley, in support of financial divestment from two companies associated with their university for the companies' connection to human rights abuses committed by Israel in its US-backed military occupation of Palestine. On 25 February 2010 a similar bill was passed by the student government of the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus. Last year, Hampshire College became the first college or university to financially divest from the occupation. This past September, Norway became the first state to obey the July 2004 ruling by the United Nations International Court of Justice which proclaimed upon the entire international community "not to render aid or assistance in maintaining" the "illegal situation created" by Israel's separation wall which cuts and divides Palestinian lands and communities. Divestment movements led by students, trade unions, private sector firms and other members of civil society are active in dozens of countries throughout the world.
All of the above actions occur following the 2005 call by a consensus of more than 170 Palestinian civil society organizations for initiatives of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law. On Tuesday, 30 March 2010, Palestinian civil society is calling on people of conscience throughout the world for a Global BDS Day of Action.
In Tucson, numerous groups, both on and off campus, have joined together to issue their calls on the University of Arizona to divest, including University of Arizona National Lawyers Guild, Social Justice League, Students for Justice in Palestine, Muslim Students Association, Tucson Women in Black, Jobs With Justice (Tucson chapter), Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Tucson chapter), Tierra Y Libertad Organization, Casa Maria Catholic Worker House/Soup Kitchen, Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, International Solidarity Movement (Arizona Chapter) and many others.
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