Pinkerton's Daily Risk Assessment for the Middle East June 1998

June 29 1998 BluesForPeace was set up by John Mayer in Israel to honor the roots of blues music and promote peace and understanding that ALL peoples have had their share of the blues.   As you browse this site you'll ask yourself, "Isn't it time people stopped fighting and learned to play 12 bar shuffles instead?"  

June 29 From Adam, Teva U'Din -- the leading Israeli ecology outfit an "EcoNews Flash" -- The High Court of Justice ruled in their favor against an apartment tower on the Haifa beach.

June 29 1998 Announcement of an International Protest against the continued Imprisonment of MORDECHAI VANUNU

June 26 1998 The National Boycott Gathers Momentum More than a hundred thousand Israelis are already boycotting the products of the settlements. They know that the settlements are fatal land-mines blocking the way to peace.... The real fight is not between Jews and Arabs, but between the peace forces of both peoples against the war-mongers and peddlers of hate of both peoples. Get the settlers out of East Jerusalem! Gush Shalom ad, Haaretz, June 26, 1998.

June 25 1998 The Palestine Israel Journal cordially invites you to an open discussion on: US POLICY TOWARDS THE CONFLICT with Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, PNA Minister of Higher Education and Dr. Uri Savir, Director, Peres Institute for Peace Sunday, June 28th, at 18:00 p.m. The event will be held at the East Jerusalem YMCA (Nablus Road, near the US Consulate) For further information, please contact 02-6282115/159 or write to clench@netvision.net.il Or, you might be interested in EcoPeace in Eilat

June 24 1998 For something spiritual, see The Rabbi and I -- a dialogue between a rabbi and a Muslim predicated on the assumption that the domain name, www.equalsouls.org, is what it says.

June 22 In 1992, due to a tragic combination of error, oversight, neglect, and personal/political interests, a group of 3000 Jews from Quara, Ethiopia were left behind as the rest of their community made aliyah to Israel. These Jews have been waiting 6 years, in deteriorating economic and social conditions, to come to Israel.  Many sold their homes and left their villages in response to Israeli invitations to make aliyah, and now live in rented homes, with no work and little food.  The government of Israel has systematically ignored the issue, in favor of concentrating on the highly publicized group of Christianized Jews in the capital city waiting to come to Israel. The Ministry of Interior has been charged by the Knesset to detail his plan for dealing with the Quara issue.  On Wednesday, June 24, he is expected to tell the Knesset that he will send a representative to the area in which the Quara people are waiting, on a temporary, infrequent basis.  THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING 6 YEARS TO COME TO ISRAEL!  UNDER THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR'S PLAN, IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER 3 YEARS FOR THEM TO COME! Every day, more die of disease and malnutrition.  Jewish girls are taken by force by Christian men hoping their marriage will enable the Christians to come to Israel.  Despite the way they have been treated by the Israeli government, the community remains very Zionistic.  A Quara Jew told me quite simply that, "If I make it to Israel today, I don't care if I die tomorrow.  That is my will.  That is my home." ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, AT 11:00 AM, WE WILL DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE THE KNESSET TO PRESSURE ISRAEL TO BRING THE QUARA JEWS TO ISRAEL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!  ONLY A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF SUPPORT FOR THE QUARA JEWS CAN HELP THEM COME HERE! PLEASE COME TO THE KNESSET BUILDING AT 11 AM ON WEDNESDAY, OR MEET OUTSIDE THE MASHBIR AT 10:15 SO THAT WE MAY TRAVEL TOGETHER BY BUS.  YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED! For further information, please call Sari at 624-1277 or e-mail at ossari@spinach.mscc.huji.ac.il. Thank you in advance for your help!

June 21 1998 The Government that Cried Wolf by Ami Isserhof -- at PeaceWatch, heir to the BibiWatch column.

June 20 1998 Recommended Site: Childrens Drawings for Peace a site devoted to uploading childrens drawings about peace from all over the world.

June 19 1998 "A PRACTICAL JOKE" Two youngsters from the educational institution in Bet Haggai settlement have murdered an Arab passer-by for fun. The two young "Goldsteins" appeared in court shrouded in prayer shawls. The settlers, and the police officers allied with them, went out of their way to describe the crime as a "practical joke," in which the Palestinian "lost his life..." See the Gush Shalom ad for this week explaining this insanity.

June 16 1998 Several new items: A report on how Israel might be doing business with the Taleban regime in Afghanistan,, and an item on how there are some closer aid victims in need than the Afghan hills more on how Netanyahu's calls for "the Palestinisn to live up to their side of the bargain" are just a cover for how he hasn't lived up to Israel's, and a firsthand report of what it's like in Silwan/City of David -- the neighborhood just south of the Old City walls where settlers -- in collusion with the government -- have been using straw tenants and, according local reports, some occasional falsification of documents -- to "reclaim" that part of Jerusalem. Sadly, they act in the name of religion, and it's as if they don't understand the simple fact that no commandment can be worth a transgression -- in this case, driving someone out of their home in order to claim it. Here are some examples of what we're talking about. However, if all this is depressing, and you want to feel a little cheered up, try an open letter from Gershon Baskin and Zakaria al Qaq, the joint directors of the Israel/Palestine Committe for Research and Information. It's all about how cooperation is possible.

June 15 1998 If you're a reform Jew -- or just plain interested in religious pluralism in Israel, you'll find this interesting: "As you may be aware, the UAHC posted a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu about the conversion bill on the UAHC website and encouraged Reform Jews to send it to the prime minister. Almost 700 e-mails have been sent as of this morning. In addition, the United Association of Hebrew Congregations (The American Reform Judaism Organizationof Synagogues) distributed the letter through their synagogues and hundreds of people have been coping and mailing and faxing the letter directly. If you'd like to see the letter, it is here -- and if you belong to Reform synagogue -- or are an Israeli citizen -- should feel free to sign.

June 13 1998 The Gush Shalom weekly Messages now appear at http://www.ariga.com/gush.htm. Please adjust your bookmarks. This week: "Cleansing in Action"

June 12 1998 We're proud to announce Ariga's Fully Automated Interactive International Pop Chart Vote for your favorite song, nominate your favorite artist.

June 7 1998 Netanyahu, the con-man, Agent of the settlers, Gambles with the peace, Creating false hopes, Producing phony plans. Nobody, either here or abroad, believes a word he utters. A dangerous person. When all of us will be engulfed by the bloodbath, neither the Prime Minister nor anyone of his ministers will be able to wash his hands in innocence. They will bear the responsibility. The National Boycott of the Products of the Settlements goes on. Every Shekel for the settlements is a shekel against peace! Previous Gush Shalom ads ad, Haaretz, June 5, 1998. Gush Shalom's web site

June 7 1998 If there's one thing it will be difficult to forgive Netantyahu, even if he does agree to the US initiative, it is that he did everything in his power to remove good will from the peace process. Ironically, by doing so he opened the door to such person to person groups as groups as the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group and now, ViewPoints, to take responsibility for maintaining human warmth in the process and therefore proving that peace is possible. Since Ariga's inception in 1995, we have tried to use the level playing field of the Internet to help such people bypass political and governmental strictures, break free of corporate media stereotyping of each other, and perhaps most importantly, help create friendships in place of enmity. We have always believed the peace process is a much larger historical event than any individual politician, no matter how important personal bravery might be. The process is driven by globalization, by the need to evolve as quickly as the new technologies being created by people all over the world, and by the understanding that markets, make much better competitive grounds than battlefields. But most of all it is based on the idea that it is up to each one of us to make some effort, some how, to help move it forward, if not for our sake, than for the sake of our children. With the departure of Eric Lee from BibiWatch, ViewPoints becomes doubly important, especially since they plan to keep up Eric's tradition through a regular posting of what they're calling "PeaceWatch." Highly recommended for both the diversity of views from both Israelis and Palestinians, and its insistence that contributors make an effort to be as thoughtful as they are passionate. It is from these small efforts that the real revolution that the Internet is bringing to the human endeavor everywhere, is being made.

June 5 1998 "From Somewhere in the Mediterranean -- this is the Voice of Peace" or "Drink Water, cool refreshing water" -- if you knew the Voice of Peace, you miss the Voice of Peace, Abie Nathan's pirate radio ship that for 20 years was often the lone voice of reason in the Muddled East. Abie had a stroke a while ago, and is in a wheelchair, but he's still Abie, every Friday afternoon showing up at the Rabin Memorial, still believing -- no, knowing -- that peace is the only way to go. We're pleased to report that Jonas Quastel has opened a web site devoted to Abie and his efforts. It's a new site, still under construction, but already carrying pictures and texts -- and some of those great soundbytes -- "From somewhere in the Mediterranean..." http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/2587/

June 5 1998

Recommended site http://www.middle-east-pages.com is a Yahoo-like site for the Arab wotrld (though they've just opened an Israel secton). Up 2.5 years, it's extremely comprehensive for Arab world sites, and a useful bookmark.

June 5 1998 31 years to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. A reminder of what that means, from Gila Svirsky

June 2 1998 A litle touchy-feely for my taste, but nonetheless worth thinking about: "Lightwork or active prayer, is an expression of spiritual/political synthesis, which may be described as consciousness activism. If you would like to read more about Lightwork you are welcome to visit http://freespace.virgin.net/shlomo.dowen/lworking.htm Join with fellow Lightworkers focusing on Middle East peace.

June 2 1998 Five new poems from veteran Ariga contributor Charles Kormos and Six Poems from Maryann Hazen, new to Ariga's poetry section

June 1 1998 A Press release from EcoPeace about a joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian Project to save the Dead Sea.

June 1 1998 Sadly, we announce the last issue of Eric Lee's BibiWatch. Not that we're giving up our efforts to expose Bibism for what it is: the dangerous combination of tv talk show host hubris with the worst of xenophobic religious nationalism. Click here to find out more.

June 1 1998 Time to End the Silence -- A message to US Jews: "Yitzhak Rabin courageously pursued a course of peace through the Oslo Peace Accords. The current policy of the Netanyahu government is wrong. It reverses years of progress between the people of Israel, her Arab neighbors, and the Palestinian people." If you are a US citizen, click here for more info about the message -- and how you can sign it as a petition to the Clinton Administration The Time for Silence is Over.

June 1 1998 Highly recommended: http://www.dfg-vk.de/english/bookmark.htm Norbert's Bookmarks for Active People is an amazing collection of nearly 5,000 links to social, political, ecological, peace -- name the cause and you'll find links to information resources about it. Pretty well organized, the site is very clear about its goals: "Make a contribution towards a better world -- Bring like-minded people and NGOs from all over the world together -- Provide a forum for the peace, human rights, ecological and social movements of all nations -- Provide an independent database of relevant NGOs and information -- Help people working for global change -- Encourage citizens to become active -- Promote peace, human rights, 3rd world issues, democracy, social justice, ecological sustainability, spiritual resources -- Expose violence, abuse of power, violation of human rights, pollution -- Counterbalance isolation, ignorance, propaganda

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