America:
a Beacon, not an EmpireIsrael-Palestine-Crisis
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a Beacon, not an Empire |
Israel-Palestine-Crisis |
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America's stunning victory and the welcomes from Iraqis could have changed America's image in the whole Middle East, IF, and that is the big "if", Washington had followed through on Israeli-Palestinian peace. But Bush instead caved in to Sharon's Likud Lobby and the Armageddon Lobby in Congress, the two giants which petrify most Congressmen. Indeed Republican Congressional leader Tom Delay, in visiting Israel, openly declared himself a Likud settler at heart, a "Christian Zionist, as they call themselves.
"Israel simply ignored or trampled what was the unspoken premise of Oslo, that the process that was to follow would produce a viable Palestinian state. I think that Arafat and company were extremely poor negotiators not to insist on some explicit undertaking by Israel to stop the settlements....But even without the explicit statement, everybody understood that was the game. And Israel simply destroyed it." Anthony Lewis, NY Times 12/16/01 (Settlements continued all during Barak's tenure as well, Ed) See also A Clean Break, the Netanyahu/Neocon plan to end the Oslo process
See also Israel Issues for more updates
4/28/08 Jimmy Carter on Negotiating With Enemies on negotiating with Hamas, grounds for Mid-East peace possibilities. NY Times
3/28/08 Turkish Hospitals Accept Wounded Palestinian Children --60 seriously injured Palestinians arrive in Istanbul for medical treatment - Islamic solidarity with Palestinians not usually reported by U.S. media
4/20/07 Excellent analysis of why the attack on Iraq -- ousting of Saddam as a means to transform the balance of power in the Middle East in such a way that Israel could ignore pressure to trade land for peace with the Palestinians or Syria.
3/25/07 Lunch with Tony Judt FINANCIAL TIMES "We are now passing through a period of America's simultaneous withdrawal and resentment at the world."
3/13/07 Cheney Gets Thin Welcome at AIPAC thin applause, limited support for war agenda
3/09/07 Israeli soldiers used children as 'human shields' Christian Science Monitor -- not the first report--common brutality of settlers and Army
2/27/07 Among Religious Groups, Jewish Americans Most Strongly Oppose War 77% of Jews agree "US made Mistake in Invading Iraq" For more details see FORWARD newspaper analysis http://www.forward.com/articles/groups-mum-on-iraq-despite-antiwar-tide/
2/17/07 Israeli Lobby Under Pressure -- more questioning by other Jews of minority who push Likud settler agenda
2/5/07 Main Anti-War Group Plans Demonstration against Israeli Policies
2/1/07 Israel Strangles Palestinian Economy by Withholding Tax Receipts throttles economy and leaves Palestinians almost starving
12/27/06 Early Zionism During World War 11 "In the US, a powerful Zionist lobby scuttled efforts to bring Jewish refugees from WWII; this is documented in books by Jewish leaders and intellectuals like Alfred Lilienthal and Morris Ernst." Palestine Chronicle - Mazin Qumsiyeh Holocaust Deniers and the Iraq Study Group
12/09/06 "I'm Ashamed To Be Israel's Friend," Mario Vargas Llosa criticizes Israeli killing and destruction in Gaza
11/23/06 How Bush Could Start Settling the Whole Middle East NEWSWEEK column-- start settling Palestine problem
11/21/06 Large Tracts of Israeli Settlements Built on Arabs' Private Lands Peace Now reveals occupation authority data and New York Times report
11/20/06 Israeli (Likud) Lobby Takes Over Latino TV UNIVISION, largest Hispanic TV network, taken over by private equity (Likudnik) firm. Object to eliminate pro-Arab views, promote Likud objectives, e.g. attacking Iran.
11/11/06 US Vetoes Condemnation of Israel for Killing Gaza Civilians
10/09/06 Anti-Zionist Jews Prevented from Speaking by Zionist Lobby Two major American Jewish organizations helped block a prominent New York University historian from speaking at the Polish consulate here last week, saying the academic was too critical of Israel and American Jewry. The historian, Tony Judt, is Jewish and directs New York University's Remarque Institute.......
9/5/06 In Pro-Israel Circles, Doubts Grow Over US Policy loss of any role as promoter of peace and control of Washington by neo-cons weakens U.S.
9/04/06 Israel Begins New Settlements Construction
9/03/06 "Errors in the War on Terror" by George Soros -- on Israel, Lebanon, and Palestinians
7/31/06 AIPAC Still Rules House total support for Israel invasion of Lebanon, removes from Senate version condition urging "all sides to protect innocent civilian life and infrastructure,"
7/28/06 "Pander and Run" by Peter Beinart --Democrats pander to Israeli lobby over Iraq -- little hope for sensible policies
7/22/06 Sunni-Shiite Split on Hezbollah leaders hate each other more than Israel or America, but common Arab "street" admires Hezbollah, only militants ever to defeat Israelis
7/17/06 Amazingly, Pentagon Imposes Loyalty test on Some American Jews with families or money connections to Israel, security clearances removed
4/1/06 Vital Study Questions Israeli Lobby Control over U.S. Foreign Policy Univ. of Chicago & Harvard's Kennedy School of Government leaders- very unusual to dare to do so Wash Post publishes commentaries and more ----many American Jews opposed to war & empire Iran Showdown Tests Power of Israeli Lobby earlier succeeded in scuttling direct negotiations with Iran No, It's Not Anti-Semitic by Richard Cohen -- how the smears ard done
3/25/06 Abramoff & Likud Connection
3/22/06 Vital Study Questions Israeli Lobby Control over U.S. Foreign Policy Univ. of Chicago & Harvard's Kennedy School of Government leaders- very unusual to dare to do so Wash Post publishes commentaries and more ----so many American Jews opposed to war & empire
3/9/06 AIPAC Cheers Cheney Likudnik organization still dominant in Washington
2/6/06 Why Hamas Won and what U.S. should do
1/08/06 Axis of Fanatics – Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad feeding off each other
12/05/05 
Israel and Armageddon colorful site including "Sampson Option"
11/30/05 Storm Clouds Ahead -- Problems with American Support for Israel -- particularly on college campuses
8/05/05 A Typical Report on Israeli Destruction of Palestinian Livelihoods Barely reported in America, but known all over the Muslim world --all paid for by America
7/12/05 Anti-terror War Depends upon Solving Palestine says Tony Blair
7/11/05 Israeli Barrier in Jerusalem Will Cut Off 55,000 Arabs in Jerusalem from jobs, schools, friends
7/6/05 Mideast divestment movement picks up steam -- United Church of Christ votes to use 'economic leverage' to promote peace between Israel and Palestinians
5/25/05 Israel sensing shifts in U.S. relationship Washington finally affected by isolation from world
5/5/05 Restrictions in Congress on Aid to Palestinians much to pay Israelis to make check points more humane -- other money goes to Isrealis
4/18/05 Jerusalem Christians Get Walled Off Israelis blame it on Arabs --tell Congressman Hyde they will be "compensated", Novak column
3/22/05 Toward a Sensible Israel Policy by "Anonymous" author Scheuer
120,000 Israelis Demonstrate Against Sharon-Likud
3/10/05 Israel Admits to Funding Illegal Settlements Gov. violates own laws and international law
2/20/05 Europe's Jews Seek Solace on the Right -- moving away from tradional Leftist Parties to Rightist ones
2/20/05 How Israel Is Once Again Redefining the Terms of Peace supposedly 'successful' Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt on February 8 was anything but a triumph, as far as Palestinians
1/30/05 Europeans See Israel as Greatest Threat to World Peace Many equate treatment of Palestinians to that of Nazis towards Jews -- Euros see U.S. as second greatest threat to world peace
1/24/05 Israeli Government Secretly Approves Plan to Seize Palestinian lands -- builds wall to prevent Palestinian access to own lands, than declares land abandoned and available for seizure
Traditional Jews Appalled by Connection to Zionism --full page ads
12/7/04 Zionists Threaten Presbyterian Church for urging South Africa type disvestiture of stocks of companies benefitting from West Bank war/occupation
11/04 Excellent Essay on rise of religious fundamentalism & fanatacism what would Jefferson do? --several books reviewed also on Jewish situation today in the world--by Robert Kuttner
11/29/04 Brutality at Checkpoints Furthers Hatred of Israel in whole Muslim world
11/10/04 Israel Questioned Attack on Iraq little benefit, bogging down U.S., causing Americans to question war and Mideast policies, saw Iran as main threat
10/20/04 Israeli Demolitions Deemed Excessive Hundreds of homes in Gaza, thousands homeless
10/08/04 Unending Arab War with America Unless Resolution of Palestine Charley Reese
10/07/04 Sharon Aide Says Goal of Gaza Withdrawal Plan Was to Kill Roadmap and that Washington agreed
9/06/04 Israeli Supreme Court Calls for End to Using Palestinians as Human Shields
8/30/04 Slander of George Soros by Republicans & Likud Operatives after he argued that Sharon policies (supported by George Bush) mainly responsible for new anti-Semitism around the world.
8/04/04 50,000 Russian Jews Return to Russia from Israel --more opportunity, better life in Russia
8/03/04 Israelis concerned About Growing Corruption influence of money in campaigns too, especially from abroad
7/25/04 New Israeli Settlements Expanding Rapidly including in Gaza
7/13/04 UN to Rebuild Homes of Palestinians Destroyed by Israel --Saudi and Kuwaiti money --"In late May, Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid, a Holocaust survivor, compared the demolition of Palestinian homes to Nazi atrocities against the Jews during the second world war's Final Solution. "I saw on television an old woman picking through the rubble of her house in Rafah, looking for her medicine, and she reminded me of my grandmother who was expelled from her home during the Holocaust," he was quoted as saying
7/11/04 Israel's Convoluted Internal Politics very good analysis of religious parties strengths and what they care about--settler parties-- old socialist Zionists -- new secular immigrants, etc, etc
7/09/04 "Tear Down That Wall" World Court Judges Israel Violations of Geneva Convention, etc, etc.
7/06/04 American Jews Divided About Israel
7/01/04 Secrets Of Unit 1391---Uncovering an Israeli jail that specializes in nightmares -NEWSWEEK
6/30/04 Michael Moore Ignores Israel Influence and Power Movie Fahrenheit 9/11
6/24/04 Former Israeli Soldiers Tell of Harassment and Torture of Palestinians
6/23/04 Little Squeaks from U.S. Criticize Settlements BBC --U.S. Ambassador's Rare Criticism NYT
6/21/04 Israel Investing in Kurdish Forces Barak warned U.S. the occupation would fail
6/16/04 Saudi Rulers Blame Israel for Terrorist Events Against Foreigners
6/15/04 Israel Extending Wall Even Deeper into West Bank all paid for by American taxpayers
6/11/04 Homeless in Gaza - Israeli Atrocities Continue interesting links, history, etc.
5/26/04 Bush Kerry Agree on Kissing Sharon -- Gen. Zinni "Sove Mide East Peace Process and you'd be surprised at what other problems work themselves out."
5/25/04 Christian Groups Say Ties with Israel "worst" Ever but Evangelicals Glorify Sharon and help send billions of dollars from U.S. government
5/23/04 Israelis Wantonly Destroy only zoo for kids in Gaza
5/23/04 Key Israeli
Condemns Offensive In Gaza
Deputy Premier Says Images
Evoke Holocaust Memories
5/22/04 Destruction in Gaza Stuns Residents 1200 houses, 11,000 homeless from Israel's (American paid for) Bulldozers
5/18/04 Forgotten Christians in Palestine
5/10/04 Israel Quietly Helps U.S. in Iraq Also Search Google for more info Israelis Training Americans in Iraq
4/30/04 50 U.S. Ambassadors' Joint Letter to Bush on putting Americans in danger all over Muslim world
3/08/04 De Borchgrave on Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism
3/08/04 Israel Refuses to Return Enriched Uranium Received from U.S. Haaretz
2/20/04 Award Winning Cartoon Riles Likudniks Sharon Creating New anti-Semitism in Europe--MP compares Gaza to Warsaw
2/15/04 Award Winning Cartoon Riles Likudniks Sharon Creating New anti-Semitism in Europe
12/12/03 More Israelis Question Occupation and Want Peace long term looks bleak
12/11/03 Unexpected Consequence of Iraq War --Pressure on Israel to Get Out of Occupied Lands
11/19 Attendees at American Zionist & Christian Zionist Conference in Jerusalem ---By Helen Freedman, Executive Director, Americans For a Safe Israel What a privilege it was to be at the First Annual Jerusalem Summit held at the King David Hotel on the first days of Sukkot, Oct. 12-14. The focus of the Summit was BUILDING PEACE ON TRUTH, and the organizers, led by the Michael Cherney Foundation, had brought together many of the most distinguished writers, thinkers, politicians, professors, statesmen and activists in order to arrive at a consensus on uncovering the thousands of lies that had permeated the Israeli/Arab conflict. The treacherous Oslo accord, followed by the Road Map, had allowed Arab terrorism to grow into a militant Islamic threat menacing the entire world.Speakers at the Summit, who had traveled from all over the world, included U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel; Ambassador Dr. Alan Keyes; Hon. Richard Perle, Resident Fellow at American Enterprise Institute and Member of the Defense Policy Board; Morrie Amitay, Vice-Chairman, JINSA; Clarence Wagner, International Director of Bridges for Peace; Michael D. Evans, minister and founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team; Herbert Zweibon, Chairman Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI; Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, American Center for Democracy; Morton Klein, President, ZOA; Prof. Daniel Pipes, Director, Middle East Forum; John Batchelor, ABC Radio; John Loftus, author; Frank Gaffney, Pres. Center for Security Policy; Cal Thomas, Syndicated Columnist, Fox News Host; and representatives from Sweden, the European Union Parliament, India, Paris, Slovenia, and Serbia.
11/12 More Israelis Want Peace --Sharonits Losing Majorities as Israelis Tire of Unending War --compromise may be possible Israeli Pilots who won't bomb civilians Israeli Chief of Staff Says Sharon policies only breed hatred & more resistance, prevent peace
11/03 Harretz editor wrote in the Washington
Post how most Israelis want peace, not settlements. He
urged
11/03 Israel Destroys Water Wells and Sewage Built by U.S. in Gaza --Washington complains (quietly)
10/28 Abbas About Talks with Bush -- "God Told me to Strike Al Qaida"
10/27 "Israel" Bombs Residential Buildings, Thousands Forced to Evacuate
10/17 "Arabs Should Learn from Jews," says Malaysian President Mahathir use brains and education to survive instead of making hopeless wars
10/15 Last Jews Leaving Baghdad Iraqis see them as Sharon agents
9/12 Google Search for Mossad in Iraq What are they doing there? Is Chaos in Iraq helpful to Sharon? Iranians say Israel planned Mosque bombing--spread message in Muslim world
9/09/04 Dean Calls for Even Handed Policy with Israel to resolve Mid-East conflicts --only Dem not dependent on Israeli lobby
9/7 Ditch the Roadmap-- Go Right There--Only Solution
9/6 Likud Expands Settlements Again Violating Road Map and BBC Report on Settlers
8/12 The Israeli Wall pictures- plans- wall cuts off 60% of Palestinian lands- cutting Palestinian farmers off from towns NY TIMES on Wall taking more lands
8/12 80% of U.S. Jews Support Roadmap but Congress terrorized by AIPAC Likud Lobby (& Armageddonites)
7/31 "Ich bin ein Likud Settler" says Tom Delay -- blames it all on Palestinians
7/1 Israeli Army Leaves Ruins in Gaza uprooted orange groves, bulldozed factories, more human misery
6/28 Israel’s lethal weapon of choice Assassinations bring concerns to many Israelis
6/1 Sharon Laments "Occupation" Significance of word's Meaning
5/29
4/18 White House Pressuring Israel to limit Settlements
4/14 Moslems Save Baghdad's Jewish Community Center from Looters
3/27 Rachel's Last E-mails Rachel Corrie and Home Demolitions by Israelis
4/1 Israeli Lobby Tries to be Discreet in backing war but not AIPAC --half of Senate goes to Israel First dinner
3/11 Is It (War) Good for the Jews? Bill Keller NY TIMES Congressman triggers news reports on Jewish support for war with Iraq
2/9/03 Bush and Sharon Nearly Identical On Mideast Policy WASH. POST
1/09/03 Sharon Corruption --money from foreign Jews to promote and pay for settlements, help LIKUD win elections --millions & Sharon's War by Robert Novak
1/9/02 It's the Occupation, Stupid Why the Pro-Occupation Right is Running Scare- COUNTERPUNCH
1/06/03 Israel's Nuclear and Chemical Weapons also used chem. weapons in past
12/18 Israel Aid costs Breakdown by Charley Reese
-- How AIPAC Rules Washington AMERICAN PROSPECT
11/16 A Typical Israeli Seizure of Palestinain Lands
11/02 Thank God for Israeli Press where real freedom reigns by Robert Fisk
10/28 Totals of aid to Israel $1.6 Trillion ----Christian Science Monitor
10/3 Manufacturing Anti-Semites ----excerpt ---"The practical upshot: not only does Israel not protect the Jews from anti-Semitism, but quite on the contrary - Israel manufactures and exports the anti-Semitism that threatens Jews around the world.
For many years, Israel enjoyed the sympathy of most people. It was seen as the state of the holocaust survivors, a small and courageous country defending itself against the repeated assaults of murderous Arabs. Slowly, this image has been replaced by another: a cruel, brutal and colonizing state, oppressing a small and helpless people. The persecuted has become the persecutor, David has turned onto Goliath..........
10/3 Likud Party Platform for Palestinian Bantustans
100 Nations Demand Israel Stop "Grave Breaches" of Geneva Convention -- in occupied Palestine
7/26 Most Settlers would withdraw if asked or subsidies stopped --68%
7/23 Did Israeli Settlers "Set Up" Palestinians with Guns to Create Useless Resistance strange that they had no REG's (rocket propelled grenadea)
Catastrophe of U.S. Inaction --Wash. Post. "each period Palestinian restraint greeted with Israeli assassinations, home demolitions or (new) incursions.."
7/23 Most Israelis want to abandon settlements 63% favor unilateral withdrawal
7/22 Sharon Rushing New Settlements --Washington Post
7/14 More American Jews moving to Israel --fearing backlash from 9/11 American Students now only 35% to 25% pro-Israel --but in Northeastern colleges 38% favor Palestinians to 23% for Israel
7/7 Christian Emigration from Palestine
7/4 Mideast needs new mediator by Jimmy Carter
7/3 What's Wrong with Arab World --the intellectual and economic dessert caused by dictatorships, repression. NY TIMES Tom Friedman
6/27 What's Wrong with Israeli Democracy too--not just Palestinian
6/26 How Israel helped HAMAS get started --wanted as counter to PLO
6/20 Israel--One of the Most Socialist States on Earth
6/12 Misery in Gaza --all to "protect" 5,000 American settlers
6/09 Evangelicals for Israel --"Christian AIPAC" formed by Ralph Reed --NY Times
5/27 Distorting U.S. Foreign Policy: The Israel Lobby land American Power --Eye-opening report from England PROSPECT magazine--just out
5/23 Israel Blockades Each Palestinian Area with Limited travel & goods transfer Int. Herald Tribune
5/15 Is U.S. Responsible for Israel Policies by Georgie Anne Geyer (Chicago Tribune op-ed)
5/14 Polling--41% sympathize with Israel, American view of Israel, Palestine State, and Mid-East
5/13 A Congressional Staffer Details Israel's Stranglehold on Congress
5/11 Why I Refuse to Fight for Sharon's Settlements by Israeli officer--Wash.Post
5/4 Congress Vote for Israel --White House got mention of humanitarian aid for Palestinians Roll Call Vote won by Israeli Lobby + Armageddon Lobby
4/24 Israeli Army destroys school & civilian records ---WASH. POST editorial
4/24 Palestinian girls School in Gaza prepares for Israeli attack--WASH. POST Style on conditions, desperation
4/23 Tom DeLay
says "Judea and Sumaria" (West Bank) Belongs to Israel --calls for no
evacuation of conquered lands
4/18 American Jew in Ramallah helps Palestinians --betrothed to American Palestinian
4/16 Israelis or destroy school children grade records, land and municipal records, payroll records, put civilian infrastructure in ruin
4/15 Israeli Dairy --How Israelis Suffer a thoughtful writer
4/10 The Weapons Shipment --Was it a set up??
4/8 Moral Duty, National Interest --NY Times--Zbigniew Brzezinski "nearly unanimous global consensus that United States policy has become one-sided and morally hypocritical" (needs log in to get NYT articles)
4/9 Settlement Map & Settlements & International Law
3/22 International Peacekeepers Necessary Gen. Cordesman NY Times--Sharon a disaster in Lebanon and now West Bank--time for U.S. even handedness
3/20 US and NATO as a Peace Buffer by Thomas Friedman-NY Times
3/15 Myth of Israel’s ‘generous offer’ damages truth, peace National Catholic Reporter--Another Big Lie--Barak never offered to end settlements, offer left Palestine like a cheeze cake Bantustan with Likud settlements and private highways crisscrossing Arab areas.
3/1 Israel is Losing --2nd strongest Army in the World--Daily Telegraph
2/28 Peace Rabbi Threatened in California --Michael Lerner of TIKKUN
2/19/02 Israeli Generals Defy Sharon --Join Call for end of Settlement
2/18/02 Hell in Gaza F-16's & Helicopter Gunships Against Stones and Rifles
2/12/02 Israeli Soldiers Declaration against Occupation Killings & Expulsions
1/16/02 Security for Isreal?? End the Occupation Wash Post publishes Palestinian view (what you'd never see in the Wall "War" Street Journal op-ed)
1/15/02 Israeli Government Lies About new Settlements in Gaza Haaretz, Israel's largest newspaper --news you won't read or hear in Conservative Media
1/7/02 Soothing Israel's Fears NY Times - Passive Resistance as the way for Palestinians to reach land and peace
Israel's Assassination Policy Not Effective -Haaretz Report-Creates new, more effective terrorism
1/1/02 Israel Supplying India with Advanced Weaponry --may replace Russia as largest
12/18 Israeli Intelligence Ops in America Penetrated by Criminals
12/9 UN Chief Accuses Israel of Terrorizing Palestinians
11/28 Sharon being tried as War Criminal in Belgium --for earlier massacres
11/21 Muslims and Democracy -- Successes in India, Bangladesh, etc. Democracy as the Answer to Terrorism --Anywhere living with freedom by Thomas Friedman, NY Times
11/18 Why the War Party May Fail by Pat Buchanan
11/13 Most American Jews support Palestinian state opposed by WarParty
10/30 Rep. McKinney Challenges U.S. Israel Policies supported by Jews for Peace in Israel and Palestine
10/28 Anti-Arab Advocates Risk U.S. Interests Georgie Anne Geyer
10/20 Farrakhan Condemns U.S. Bombing --says 1.5 million dead Iraqis from UN Sanctions
10/20 Scott Ritter on Iraq WMD--details of inspections
10/16 Israel Palestine Conflict Inflames Entire Middle East Georgie Anne Geyer
10/15 Washington Plans New Radio-VOA expansion, to combat growing hatred of America in Arab world; Senator Helms opposed
10/15 Blair Calls for Palestinian State --to diffuse Anti-West sentiment in Arab World
10/15 Parallel Propaganda ---Sharon and Putin want their enemies to be America's enemies by Jackson Diehl, WASH. POST
10/12 America Should Support Liberty, not Settlements by Tom Friedman, NY TIMES
10/5 U.S. Jews Split on Palestine Peace --many leaders join Bush/Powell plan
10/5 White House Rebukes Sharon
9/25 Stating the Obvious by Mickey Kaus in SLATE --a real breakthrough--sensibile dialogue
9/20 Extremists don't Give an Inch by Richard Cohen, WP, "retention, even extension of Israeli settlements (on West Bank), are abominations."
9/15 Facing Reality in Middle East by Richard Cohen, Washington Post (Also See below for quotes from Arab press about American policies)
9/4 Use NATO to Police/Protect Palestinians--Thomas Friedman NY Times
9/3 Palestinians Are Winning "But Sharon must be the last Israeli leader to understand that old kibbutz Israel is gone, replaced by a rich, high-tech worldly and mostly secular society that will never accept years of suicide bombing with no hope of a permanent settlement," Jackson Diehl, WASHINGTON POST
8/24 Israeli Hawks at a Dead End --Thomas Friedman NY Times on solutions
10/03 Rabbis ask for Vanunu Release --Israeli who told of Nuclear Weapons
8/19 U.S. F-16 SpyPlane Over Syria --preparing for more war
8/10 Washington says OK for Israel to
use F-16's, helicopters against Palestinians --doesn't
violate Arms Export Control Act, which says US
weapons are sold only for legitimate self-defence.
Conditions of Palestinians' Lives --described in Ha'aretz (main Israeli Newspaper)--Why They Fight with so Little to Lose More on Palestinian Conditions and Settler Abuses from Ha'aretz
7/25 Polls in Arab Nations about conflict
8/18 Noam Chomsky Explains Oslo Agreement and Settlements
War Drums Beating --Like World War I --hunger for war --conservatives argue desirable & inevitable Saudi Crown Prince Warns of War --Israeli settlements are the fuse
Norman Podhoretz & Scott McConnell on Israeli Settlers
6/25 Nuclear Weapons Proliferation --Israel and Iran views--Voice of America report
7/18 Clinton Privately Blamed Barak for Collapse of Camp David talks Israel had not performed on earlier promises, but then publicly blamed Arafat
NATO Fears Turkey-Israel alliance
6/7 Cruelty in Moslem Lands --And for the most part unless it happens to involve Saddam the Americans and British and French, stay silent.by Robert Fisk
AMERICAN POLITICS --Bush Elected by Muslim vote - "Natural Conservatives by Grover Norquist. Also Zionist leader warns that new Latin & Asian immigrants' voting will erode Washington support for Israeli hawks (by Elliot Abrams, Wall Street Journal 3/8/01)
6/1 Mitchell-Rudman (former Senators) Plan for Middle East is Very Good by Scott McConnell
5/30 Isreali Use of American Weapons Against Civilians --rare U.S. criticism, BALTIMORE SUN
5/29 Sharon Isolates Israel from Europe by Eric Margolis
5/12 Settlements are the Reason for Intifada --by Anthony Lewis, N.Y. TIMES
5/11 Israel-Palestine War Made (and Paid) in Washington --the (daring) Charley Reese
4/23 How American Big Media Lies and Covers-up Middle East News --Chicago Tribune op-ed
Major Weapons Transfers to Israel since 1993 Federation of American Scientists
Bias & Fear Tilt Middle East Coverage by Norman Solomon
Growing Hatred of America in the Arab and Moslem Worlds
Total U.S. Government Aid to Israel $91 Billion +
The Oslo Agreement what it was and where it was broken, by Thomas Friedman NY TIMES
Shooting the 12 year old boy--Who did it? Explaining Israeli Views, Pictures that inflamed the Arab world, Mohammd Aldura.
European Union offers Palestinians Loans to Compensate for Israeli Blockade
America's whole Mid-East strategic position is unwinding as Arab rulers fear showing any cooperation with Washington. Palestinian teenagers stoning tanks show nightly on new satellite TV's, inflaming whole Moslem world. For good analysis see also Stratfor.com
Jimmy Carter on Solving Palestinian Problem--Wash. Post
Ron Paul on America's War in the Middle East
Counterpunch--Cockburn on torture and snipers + links for information
Ha'aretz on Compromise Most Isrealis Want Peace (but not the settlers and America's WarParty.com) One finds more truth and understanding in Israeli press than American one. See Media Distortions for criticism of U.S. coverage.
Anti-Zionist Jewish Rabbis --views rarely published in America--Israel could be a peaceful sectarian state
Skandinavian Compromise Proposals
Catholics and Christians in Palestine
Amnesty International Criticizes Israeli Police Tactics Yahoo News
Stones vs. Guns & Settlers --Analysis by William Rasberry & Tikkun
Robert Fisk in Gaza --Independent Report
Sobran on Cole and America's Enemies
Arab Dictators Washington Likes
Understanding Turkey and Kurds Washington Post
Dispensationalists Americans who support war and chaos in the Middle East as God's will--so good Christians (and Jews who convert) can go to Heaven--wanting Armageddon --by Theologian Gary North
The Unsettling Truth
About Those Israeli Settlements --Los Angeles times, June 22, 2001
The
"historic offer" is a bizarre deception.
CIA Chief George Tenet has brokered a fragile cease-fire
that may bring temporary calm to the Middle East. But, as the recently released Mitchell
Commission report made clear, "a cessation of Palestinian-Israeli violence will be
politically hard to sustain unless the government of Israel freezes all settlement
activity ... including 'natural growth' of existing settlements."
It was, therefore, not surprising to find Israeli press
reports last week claiming that Israel was close to reaching a "historic
agreement" with the U.S. regarding such a settlement freeze.
What was disturbing, however, was the reported content of
this "freeze." According to press accounts, this so-called agreement provides
that: Only construction beyond current built-up areas will be frozen; no new settlements
will be created; no additional land will be expropriated for the purpose of construction.
Exceptions will be allowed for new roads and "natural growth" within existing
settlements.
The reality is that this is no freeze at all. This
"historic agreement" is nothing more than a repetition of past Israeli
commitments that have been more often breached than observed.
To even be discussing a settlement freeze in 2001 is
bizarre. In fact, it was about a decade ago that Secretary of State James Baker achieved
his own historic compromise. In an effort to build confidence and coax Arabs and Israelis
toward peace, Baker convinced Arab governments to suspend a key component of their
economic boycott of Israel in exchange for Israel's agreement to a settlement freeze.
Since that time, Israel's settlement presence in the
occupied territories has doubled. While the Israelis continue to claim that they have not
built new settlements and have only allowed for natural growth of existing settlements,
their claims are patently false. Today, what Israel calls "Greater Jerusalem" is
virtually surrounded by a "Great Wall" of new settlements, which Israel claims
are mere "extensions" of existing neighborhoods. These settlements spread from
hill to hill, ringing the city. Eighteen Palestinian villages have been trapped within
these Israeli compounds and strangled. And while the Israelis continue to claim that they
will not confiscate "new land" on which to build these extensions, this too is
an artful fabrication. Large areas of Palestinian land surrounding settlements have
already been seized by Israel and are defined as "state" lands.
As damaging as this cancerous growth of settlements has been
to the Palestinians, the dramatic expansion of the network of "Jewish only"
security roads--in reality, superhighways connecting the settlements to Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv--has been even worse. Large swatches of Palestinian land have been confiscated and
declared off-limits to create these roads. Their impact has been to cut the occupied
territories into pieces.
All of this has been in direct fulfillment of the original
Likud plan for the occupied territories first defined in an October 1978 World Zionist
Organization's "White Paper." The paper lays out a detailed plan to construct
"settlements and roads around the settlements of the minorities [i.e. the
Palestinians], but also in between them," so that the West Bank would never again
form a contiguous land mass.
All of this was opposed by successive U.S. presidents, from
Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton. Whether decrying the settlements as "illegal,"
"obstacles to peace," "unhelpful unilateral act,"
"provocative" or "impediments," opposition was clear, but no forceful
or definitive action was taken to halt in their growth.
In violation of international law, 400,000 Israelis have
been allowed to move into settlements that now carve the West Bank and Gaza into pieces.
More than that, tens of thousands of these settlers are a hostile and dangerous vigilante
presence, armed not only with weapons but an uncompromising theologically based ideology
of entitlement and conquest.
Many Israelis understand the dangers posed by this
situation. They know that despite the rhetoric of a new "freeze," the intent of
the government remains the same.
As Yossi Sarid, a leader of the Meretz Party, noted:
"When you build new settlements or expand existing settlements, it means that you
want to persist with the occupation and deepen it."
So excuse me if I remain unconvinced by this latest
"settlement freeze," full, as it is, of loopholes and exceptions.
This so-called "historic agreement" in the works
is a dramatic step back from the Mitchell report's recommendation and, as such, an
accommodation to Israel's intent to continue and deepen its presence in the occupied
territories.
It is a deception that undercuts the very peacemaking
efforts that U.S. policymakers are working hard to promote. - - -
James J. Zogby Is President of the Arab American Institute in Washington
Copyright Los Angeles Times, 2001. All Rights Reserved
Quotes from Arab Press about America from a pro-Israeli source
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