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January 2001 Jan 31 2001 From Ami Isserof of PeaceWatch: For those who are can read Hebrew, there is a Hebrew "yestopeace" web site. It has questions and answers about peace issues for Israelis and is thoughtfully done. http://www.go.to/yestopeace Jan 30 2001 Windows -- Channels for Communication announces February 2001 schedule Peace Now announces: March and Rally in Jerusalem: "EMIL IS NOT FORGOTTEN, UNNECESSARY WARS ARE NOT FORGIVEN" Jerusalem, Saturday Night 3 February 2001 18 years ago, following the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon, PEACE NOW activists marched in Jerusalem, calling for the resignation of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. A grenade was thrown at the demonstrators and Emil Grunzweig, an activist and student, was killed. Now, as the days darken once again, we will march the same route for peace and democracy. We will join hands against a return to the events of those dark days. We will call upon the leaders of both peoples: enough bloodshed; lead us to the only possible future - a future of peace. * 7:00PM beginning of march from Kikar Zion * 8:30PM rally opposite Prime Minister's Office (the spot where the grenade was thrown) Among the speakers: * Eli Geva: IDF brigade commander who resigned his command on the outskirts of Beirut. * Raya Harnik: Anti-war activist * Lulu Grunzsweig: Emil's brother Organized transport available from all over the country. More at: http://www.peace-now.org/emil/emileng.html Jan 29 2001 From Gila Svirsky End the Siege!!! The “closure” of the Palestinian population in the territories over the past 3 months is a flagrant violation of human rights: It constitutes collective punishment and virtually imprisons an entire community without due process. Closure has brought economic distress, hunger, and the death of the sick and injured who are detained at checkpoints. Closure increases outrage, frustration, and hatred – and diminishes hopes of peace. We invite women and men to join our demonstration against the closure: Sunday, February 4, ?2001? At 17:00 opposite the Defense Ministry, Kaplan Street – the Kirya (opp. David Gate), in Tel Aviv Please dress in black. This will be a silent and nonviolent action. The demonstration has one clear and uniform message – against the closure. All signs will be supplied by the organizers. Buses to the demonstration (contribution 20 shekel): From Jerusalem, at 15:30 from Gan HaPa’amon. From Haifa, at 15:00 from Kikar Solel Boneh, the end of Nevi’im Street. From Nazareth at 14:30 from Beit HaYedidut (this bus will make stops in Iksal, Afula, Tsomet Megiddo, and Givat Olga. Call Samira for details). The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace Bat Shalom; Mothers and Women for Peace (formerly Four Mothers); New Profile: Movement for the Civilization of Society in Israel; Neled; TANDI; Women Engendering Peace; Women in Black; and WILPF – Israel chapter. Our principles:
Jan 27 2001 The January-February 2001 issue of the Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories can be found at: http://www.fmep.org/reports/2001/v11n1.pdf Please note that this is an Acrobat Reader file. If you'd prefer the report in simple text, please send an email to The Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP). FMEP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to informing Americans about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and assisting in a peaceful solution that brings security for both peoples. The Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories, published bimonthly by FMEP, provides up-to-date information on Israel's settlement policies as well as the ongoing negotations with the Palestinians over the future of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem. Jan 25 2001 Jerome Segal, a veteran analyst of the Israel-Arab conflict, suggests in an insightful article that the argument about the right of return for Palestinians can be solved to the satisfaction of both Palestiniand and Israelis, if a distinction is made between the conceptual right of return and the pragmatics of its implementation. Not very long, not at all academic, and should be required reading for both sides negotiating now in Taba. End the Siege!!! -- From Gila Svirsky In recent weeks, the Israeli army bulldozed and destroyed all access roads to Palestinian towns and villages in the occupied territories. After the roads were destroyed -- the torn asphalt a jumble beside the new trenches -- the army set down heavy concrete slabs to ensure that no vehicles could pass. These acts serve to completely isolate the Palestinian towns and villages -- cutting off access to medical care, jobs, schools, family, normalcy. Recent human rights reports (by B'Tselem and others) have documented this in cold statistics, but I think the eye-witness account by Rabbi Arthur Waskow gives a vivid sense of what the reality must be like for the residents. The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace plans to stage a rally opposite the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel-Aviv on Sunday, February 4th -- 2 days before election day -- in hopes of ending -- or at least easing -- this so-called "closure". We will be dressed in black, wear sandwich boards with our message on it, and lay siege to the Ministry itself. We could use your help. 1) First read the account by Rabbi Waskow. 2) Then please write to President Bush (president@whitehouse.gov), Vice-president Cheney (vice.president@whitehouse.gov), Colin Powell (secretary@state.gov), and/or Ehud Barak (barak@pmo.gov.il). Just say "End its closure of the Palestinian towns and villages." Remember -- a simple message gets counted and reported the same as an eloquent one. 3) If you live in Israel or Palestine, please come to our demonstration: Sunday, February 4, at 5:00 p.m. at the Ministry of Defense (the "Kirya" opposite David's Gate on Kaplan Street). Dress in black. 4) If you can, we would appreciate a donation for the Coalition, especially to cover the costs of ads and buses to bring women and men from all parts of Israel to the demonstration. In the US, you can make a tax-deductible contribution by writing a check to the New Israel Fund, with a memo "For the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace", and mailing it to: New Israel Fund, 1625 K Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006-1604. Please let me know if you're doing this, so I can follow up on it. (Or you can also send a check to the Coalition of Women at P.O. Box 8083, Jerusalem 91080, Israel.) THANK YOU! Gila Svirsky The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace: Bat Shalom of The Jerusalem Link; Mothers and Women for Peace (formerly Four Mothers); New Profile: Movement for the Civil-ization of Society in Israel; Neled: Women for Coexistence; TANDI; Women Engendering Peace; Women in Black; and WILPF – Israel chapter. "PEACE BOAT" TO SAIL TOMORROW FROM EILAT TO TABA Peace Now activists from Eilat and central Israel, together with a group of pro-peace Arab-Israeli leaders will be present on the boat. The Arab-Israeli group is a recently formed organization. Among its members participating in tomorrow’s event are writer Mohammad Ali Taha, director Mahmud Subuh, journalist Tuhama Naji, Yousouf Haider, mayor of Eiblin and businessman Ataf Haj Miari, Moria Shlomot, Director of Peace Now: “While we harshly condemn the murder in Tul-Karem, we cannot let extremists determine out future. The goal of the perpetrators of terror is to halt negotiations and our leadership must make a courageous decision not to reward them. A clear majority of Israelis support the continuation of the peace process and realize that violence can only be stopped through dialog.” Mohammad Ali Taha: “We hope that the Taba talks will prove fruitful. Both our peoples urgently need an agreement that will enable coexistence, through mutual recognition of national rights. Our leaders must grasp this opportunity, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. We condemn the murder of civilians, but feel that it would be a mistake to award a prize to the enemies of peace by stopping the negotiations.” The boat will sail from the Eilat marina tomorrow, Thursday, January 25th, at 14:00, arrival off Taba is expected around 14:30 Jan 24 2001 The Other Israel reports on upcoming pro-peace actions by various groups. 1) Protest of the Nahum Korman Verdict 2) Women's demonstration against the closure 3) Human rights reports and judicial appeals 4) Ongoing Friday vigils 5) Blank Ballot debate - Aloni vs Laor 6) Relief actions for the Palestinian population P.S. Refuser's unexpected release leads to Yesh Gvul demo cancellation 1) The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Nahum Korman who had been convicted of killing the child Hilmi Shusha to 6 months community service. On Wednesday, 24.1 a protest is planned against this racist sentence that discriminates between Jewish blood and Palestinian blood and totally disregards the value of Palestinian life. The rpotest will be held in front of the Jerusalem District Court on Salah-a- Din street at 17:00. (bus no. 23 from the Jerusalem central bus station) Your presence is vital. Come and bring signs with you. For details call: Keren Assaf, tel. 054-688101 (The demonstration will take place under any weather conditions.) 2) The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace asks you to save the date of Sunday, Feb. 4. On that date, at 5.00 PM, there will be a demonstration outside the Ministry of Defence, on Kaplan St., Tel-Aviv, demanding an immediate end to the inhuman "seger" which is imposed upon the Occupied Territories as a whole, and upon individual towns and villages - a collective punishment against the Palestinian people that is a blatant violation of their human rights. "We will not remain silent - we will not remain passive witnesses" states the organizers' communique. Transportation from: Jerusalem: 3:30 PM from Gan HaPa'amon and Haifa: 3:00 Kikar Solel Boneh (end of Hanevi'im St.) Further details: Gila Svirsky (02) 672-5293 3) Supreme Court appeals against the closure and its devastating effect on the Palestinian population were presented both by the Civil Rights Association, (02-6521218, acri@actcom.co.il) and Physicians for Human Rights (03-5664526 phr@netvision.net.il). A comprehensive report on the closure and its effects was produced by B'Tselem (050-387230 mail@btselem.org), which is also maintaining an ongoing ad campaign in the Israeli press on this issue. The full report is available at http://www.btselem.org. 4)The Women in Black vigils against the occupation are going on every Friday. At Jerusalem (Paris Square), Tel- Aviv (Tnuva Junction, corner of Namir, Petach Tikva and Shaul Hamelech Roads), Haifa and Nazereth it is between 1.00 PM and 2:00 PM; at Acre (Straus Junction on the Acre-Zefat Road) between 2:30 PM-3:30 PM); at Nachson Junction (on the old road to Jerusalem) 1:30 PM- 2:30 PM. - There is an initiative to set up a new Friday vigil in Be'er Sheba area (not specifically for women - and indeed, there are men participating also in many of the aforementioned vigil). - A joint Israeli-Palestinian prayer vigil is held every Friday in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Jerusalem,opposite Temple Mount/Haram A-Sharif. They are sitting together in solidarity with the families of the fallen - Israeli and Palestinian - praying for peace in a shared Jerusalem and in the whole Middle East, and for an end to the barbaric cycle of fear, hate, and revenge, of which military occupation can provide no solution. Directions: From the Jewish Quarter, on the corner of Rechov Misgav Ladach and Shoneh Ha'halachot, facing the Temple Mount/Haram A Sharif, turn right onto the small stairway. After a few meters, on your left side, you will see the group, every Friday at 10:30AM-1:00PM. 5) On Sunday, Jan. 28, a public meeting will be held on whether or not to cast a blank ballot ("petek lavan") in the upcoming elections for Prime Minister. The meeting, held under auspices of Gush Shalom, will feature ex-minister Shulamit Aloni and poet Yitzchak Laor and will be moderated by Uri Avnery. It will take place at 8.00 PM, in the Klatchkin Hall of the Eretz-Yisrael Museum, Ramat Aviv (corner of Namir Road and Haim Levanon St.). Entrance fee: 20 Shekels, students and pensioners 15 Shekel. 6) Different individuals and groups continue their efforts to provide some relief efforts - for the Palestinian population in general, or for particular areas with whom they have previous personal and/or political contact. Support and contributions (in money or kind) would be welcome. Here are those we know of: * Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership, 054-675337 dafnahir@post.tau.ac.il (food convoys to Hares and other villages and towns in the Salfit area of the West Bank). Checks to the order of "Ta'ayush" to Dr. Gadi Algazi, Dept. of General History, Tel Aviv University, POB 39040, Tel Aviv 69978; or money transfers ('swift') to Poalilita (that's the bank code), 12-606-396608 (HaPo'alim Bank, Ramat Aviv Branch). . * Abdullah 'Abid from Kafr Yasuf and Ada Gorni from Jerusalem, 02-6711551 (food for needy families at Yasuf and surrounding villages in the Nablus District). Checks can be sent to Gorni, 17 Kfar Etzion Street, Arnona, Jerusalem 93392, made out to the order of the Hitkarvoot Association and earmarked "Food for Kafr Yasuf". * Popular Committee of the Haifa Arabs, 050-404085 or 050-609790 (trucks with shipments of rice, flour, sugar, oil, tea etc. to various parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip). Checks payable to hava'ad ha'amami shel arviyey Haifa (earmarked "food trucks" to P.O.B. 4454, Haifa. * Amit Leshem 02-6428079, 050-420410, amitl@vanleer.org.i (basic food packages for residents of the El Am'ari Refugee Camp). * Avivit Ish-Am 052-288844 (clothes in general, and winter clothes for children in particular, for needy people in the Gaza Strip). * Keren Assaf 054-688101, email (buying the stocks of olive oil of besieged Palestinian villagers; for 300 NIS, about $75, you can get a can of 17 litres of high-quality olive oil - checks to Keren Assaf, 12-B Zeitlin St., Tel-Aviv 64956). * Hagar Garti, 03-5231682 (collecting clothing for villages and selling Palestinian olive oil to neighborhood shops and individuals). * Hagar Kolman, 04-9831157, 052-365426 (one-woman relief action of food to villages in the Jenin Area) checks to the order of Hagar Kolman to 66 Keren Kayemet St., Tivon 36082, Israel. * Windows (Israeli-Palestinian Friendship Center), 03-6208324 winpeace@netvision.net.il (collection of money for the purchase of food, in cooperation with Window's members in Nablus; collecting toys and games for the children of Asira A-shamalia). Donations to POB 56096, Tel Aviv 61560. (Windows Tel-Aviv is also a center for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and discussion every Tuesday and Friday.) P.S.This message was originally to include an invitation to Saturday's Yesh Gvul demonstration at Military Prison-6 - in solidarity with Reserve Lieutenant Noam Livneh who got 56 days for his refusal to serve in the occupied territories. But, suddenly and unexpectedly, we got the news that Livneh was released. This of course made unnecessary the Yesh Gvul demonstration which - from the number of calls which they got - was going to be quite big. Could it be that the higher echelons had their reasons to get this off the agenda? The Other Israel Subscribe/unsubscribe requests to otherisr@actcom.co.il Jan 23 2000 Added USAJEWISH.COM ticker to news page at Ariga. Jan 22 2000 Palestinian Life Continues to be Cheap (from B'Tselem) B’Tselem protests the Jerusalem District Court’s decision today to sentence Nachum Korman, convicted of manslaughter in the death of 12-year old Hilmi Shusha, to the ridiculous sentence of six months community service and compensation of NIS 70,000. At a time when violence by Israeli civilians against Palestinians is increasing, the Court’s decision sends the message that Palestinian life is cheap, and that Israeli civilians in the Occupied Territories can continue to abuse Palestinians without impunity. The Court’s decision to accept the plea bargain is a direct continuation of the policy of all Israeli law enforcement agencies - from the police and the IDF, to the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Courts, and including the Presidency. Throughout the years, all these institutions have turned a blind eye to cases where Israelis injure innocent Palestinians, and have even supported them. This policy stands in blatant contradiction to the authorities’ treatment of cases where Palestinians injure Israelis. In the latter cases, the justice system is suddenly highly efficient and employs all means at its disposal, including measures that violate human rights. From the testimony of Ibrahim Shusha, cousin of Hilmi and an eye witness to the incident: "… the settler went, looked toward the house and saw that no one was there, came back and grabbed Hilmi and immediately kicked him in the head. The settler was wearing army boots. Hilmi, my cousin, stood 3 meters from me… After the kick, Hilmi fell to the ground and lost consciousness. The settler kicked Hilmi in the neck and hit him once on the head with the butt of his pistol." This incident is one of dozens in which Israeli civilians killed Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. B’Tselem conducts a comparative study of all these cases, which paints a disturbing picture: many cases are never even investigated by the Police; others that are investigated, the State’s Attorney’s Office decides not to file indictments; the few cases that do reach the courts end in acquittal or in light sentences. In those isolated incidents where a serious sentence is imposed, the President commuted the sentence. B'Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories is the leading Israeli organization monitoring, documenting and advocating to improve human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Founded in 1989, B'Tselem publishes reports, engages in advocacy and serves as a resource center. http://www.btselem.org Jan 21 2000 URGENT ACTION - Increased Land Confiscation in Hebron from CPT Hebron has maintained a violence reduction presence in Hebron since June of 1995 at the invitation of the Hebron Municipality. In the last weeks, while the eyes of the world have been on the more visually sensational forms of Israeli oppression and Palestinian resistance, Israel has intensified its policy of land confiscation in the Hebron district. Israeli bulldozers have been at work razing orchards, and plowing land in preparation to build new settlements. Many of our closest contacts have been affected. In particular, the family of Atta Jaber has had all of their land confiscated with the exception of the land on which their house is built. Other contacts report that settlements in the North, South, and East of the district are expanding at an increased rate. In the past, we have seen that letters to the U.S. State Department have been effective when sent in sufficient numbers. Now is the time to let the incoming Bush administration know that this is an issue that he and his staff will have to deal with, this is an issue about which North Americans are concerned. We ask all of our supporters, Canadians and U.S. citizens, to send letters and faxes to the U.S. State Department demanding that the Bush administration use its influence to halt all land confiscations and seizures by Israel in the Occupied Territories. Talking Points for Letters: Israel has already confiscated more than one third of the land in the Hebron district. The confiscation of land deprives farming families of their only means of supporting themselves. International law and Human Rights accords outlaw the confiscation of land by an occupying power, and land confiscation creates "facts on the ground" that prejudice negotiations in Israel's favor. Many of the families whose land has recently been confiscated have deeds proving their ownership that go back to the Ottoman Empire. The U.S. must use its influence to insure that international law is observed and justice is administered in Israel/Palestine. Addresses: President George Bush Jr. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington DC 20500 e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov Tel. 202-456-1414 US Secretary of State Colin Powell 2201 C St. NW Washington DC 20520 (State Dept. Tel switchboard 202-647-4000) fax: 202-736 4461 e-mail:secretary@state.gov CPT Hebron has maintained a violence reduction presence in Hebron since June of 1995 at the invitation of the Hebron Municipality. Jan 18 2001 Vigil in Jerusalem: No Future with the Settlements Following the publication today of the Sharon plan for the future of the settlements, activists, youth and adults, will protest tomorrow, January 19th, at 13:00, in Zion Square, Jerusalem. A huge map of Israel, in its 1967 borders, where alternative locations for various settlements, will be displayed. Noam Hoffshteter, Peace Now: "Israel has no future as a Jewish and Democratic state with the settlements. It is incredible that there are still politicians who will not face up to reality and seek to continue leading us on a suicidal path. A continued occupation is a recipe for either our destruction or a future as an Apartheid state." (Please note that the above link will last only 24 hours and then will be archived at the Ha'aretz English language site.) Jan 14 2001 Ariga recommends: USAJEWISH.COM: The Internet's daily Jewish tabloid. Yori Yanover is the Matt Drudge of Jewish Internet -- except he's not a Republican, even though he's Orthodox, but much more universal than most of the Orthodox nationalists in Israel. He's a genuine pioneer of the Jewish Internet as one of the founders of the late great www.jcn18.com. USAJewish.com is much more than a blog -- he covers the wires and the Jewish press, and finds Jewish angles with wit and knowledge in the kinds of news stories that may not be showing the finger of God, but definitely make clear the Jews have their own history on the planet. His commentary is in the headlines he chooses for the stories he culls -- and it's funny and sad and thought-provoking and, well, click here for an example of his newsletter. Added new poetry by Ward Kelley to Visions, the Ariga poetry magazine Added The Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development to the Human Rights and Peace Groups section. Mideastweb announces a new newsletter about the Middle East: MewNews E-Journal "We have decided to create a new service - a newsletter e-group. Why? To have a convenient way to send news items about the Middle East to people around the world - run automatically through a list server - much easier than sending these mails. To give you a balanced source of news about the Middle East. "There are (at present) four editors for this list - three professional journalists - Adel Darwish, Benjamin Pogrund and Diane Balay, in addition to Ami Isseroff, founder and editor of PeaceWatch What will be in MewNews: Summaries of the best of other News letters (Israeli and Palestinian). Bulletins as they happen and we catch them. Links to articles on the Web - in other journals. Analyses and Opinion - Clearly Labelled - as editors are moved to write. FAQs About MewNews E-Journal: Why do we need yet another Mideast News e-mail news service? Because the ones that exist are run by governments or political partisans, and are not likely to be objective. Because we think lots of people will be interested in getting the news without being told how to think about it. And because the lists that exist focus only on "Jewish News" or "Arab News" or the Israel-Palestinian Conflict. The Middle East is pretty big. Will there be lots of propaganda and announcements of demonstrations? Not on this list. Will it tell me anything I can't find in the newspapers? Sometimes - we hope often - and it will put all the news in one place. Will there be human interest stories, news about dialog? If it is news. Can I send letters to this group? Not directly, unless you become an editor - but if you have an important news item, you can send it to us - marked "for MewNews." Will PeaceWatch continue? Yes - though there is not much peace to watch. But PeaceWatch is an opinion column, not a new service - and it is just about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (mostly). The Middle East is a big place... How do I join? Send mail to mewnews-subscribe@egroups.com Jan 8 2000 A Bijou Middle East Report. New York attorney Leon Bijou is a specialist in trans-border development, with an added specialty in the Middle East. He writes occasional reports on the Middle East, dubbed the Bijou Middle East report. Here's his most recent which gives some reason for optimisim, even if it is titled "Protectionism in Jordan" Added poems by Yosh and Jay Seth Guberman Jan 7 2000 Diane and Ada's new CD Jacob's Ladder Music Festival Announces Web Site Added Israel Interfaith Association to the Human Rights and Peace Groups Section at Ariga Jan 4 2000 Peace Now to Barak: Cease this Policy of Double Standard, Remove the New Settlements Immediately Peace Now calls upon the Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak immediately to dismantle the new settlements recently established in the West Bank. Two new settlement outposts were established in the Ramallah district this week, one near Ofra (Monday) and another near Beit-El (today.) Approving such illegal actions, which actually change the map of the occupied territories, will cripple any chance for a peace agreement. Inaction on the part of the government regarding these settlements means that even if a peace agreement is reached, its implementation will be impossible. Professor Amiram Goldblum, head of Peace Now's Settlement Watch Team: "It is impossible to conduct negotiations in Washington for a peace agreement, and, at the same time permit the blocking of such an agreement by the right-wing. The establishment of settlements is an act of violence, producing violent reaction and bloodshed." Note that the Barak government decided to dismantle only 8 of the 42 outposts established under Netanyahu. The Settlement Watch Team has found that only 4 have in fact been actually dismantled. Added the Israel Interfaith Association to Human Rights and Peace Organizations section at Ariga EHUD BARAK - This is your last chance. You can declare that you are ready for a peace that will bring the end of the occupation, the establishment of the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem at its capital and its border based on the Green Line, bringing the settlers back home and ending the tragedy of the refugees in a manner decided by negotiations and agreement. If not, you will be defeated in the elections. Your term in office will become a passing episode. In a few days, it will be over. (Gush Shalom Message for this week) Jan 3 2000 Food donations to Palestinians under closure Jan 1 2001 Time for a Palestinian Peace Initiative By Gershon Baskin, Ph.D.
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