Dr. Hajo Meyer - "The Misuse of the Holocaust for Political Purposes"

Free Palestine

William Frazer / Alan McBride / Fair

So in recent days I have discussed this with various people and so I thought I’d post my thoughts. I have heard William Frazer talk before and decided to check out his website for the group FAIR, or Families acting for Innocent Relatives. I wasn’t shocked at what I saw which is unfortunate.

William Frazer’s father was a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, the replacement of the B Specials. They were eventually amalgamated with the RIR. His father died when he was shot by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the PIRA, on the 30^th of August 1975. Over the next ten years four members of William Frazer’s family were shot by the IRA. William Frazer after applying for a firearm was rejected, as he was “known to associate with Loyalist Paramilitaries”.

Having lost family in the war in Ireland, it is understandable that William Frazer is obviously very against the IRA. It is obvious that he would be anti Republican and a little bitter. However William Frazer is a sectarian, bigoted and racist man. He clearly is hateful of all things Catholic, Republican and Irish. William Frazer has said that Loyalist paramilitaries were necessary during the Troubles and defends and congratulates the RUC and the British army for colluding with Loyalist murder gangs. After the signing of the Good Friday Agreement William Frazer stated that the IRA prisoners should not be released and that the Loyalist prisoners should not have been locked up in the first place.

Now at this stage I wish to discuss FAIR. This is William Frazer’s campaign set up to represent victims of the IRA in South Armagh during the Troubles. However he does not provide representation for those who were slaughtered at the hands of the Loyalist gangs, the RUC and the British Army. The website reflects the extent of hatred that William Frazer is engulfed in.

The very top of the page has the very blatant image hyperlink that is titled “Attacks by Catholic Extremists”. This image takes you to a list of articles, with titles such as “…Armed Catholic Extremists on the street” and “Catholic Extremist Orange Hall attack” etc. There is even an article entitled the “Role and Responsibility of the Roman Catholic Community”, placing responsibility for those that died on the hands of any Catholic in the occupied counties.

Also on this site is a section entitled “The Hunger Strikers, The Truth”. Now the first thing that strikes me here is the complete irrelevance of this section on the site. This is merely a section of his site to paint those who died on hunger strike of being “Criminals, Murderers and thugs”.

As I said one can understand William Frazer’s bitterness towards the IRA but his blatant hatred of the Catholic and Irish communities is just so intense that I believe it clouds his ability to fairly represent anyone. The website FAIR blatantly harbours the kind of Sectarian hatred that has been tearing our society apart for years. I believe that it is ridiculous to consider his campaign when it comes to victim support. Not that it should be ignored, but taken lightly.

I am forced to compare his attitude with the commendable attitude of Alan McBride. Here is a man, whose wife, Sharon, lost her life in a Shankill Road fish shop when an IRA bomb exploded killing nine other people, including her father in 1993. This man, as to be expected, has no love for the IRA, but he is not a bigoted man. He has not be left with the same sectarian, racist and bigoted mindset as William Frazer.

Evidence of this can be found, in recent statement by Alan McBride, where he recognises Britain’s role in prolonging the violence; and calls for all governments, including the british, to compensate victims of their terror.

“Questions have to be asked about who was arming the loyalists,” he said. “Other nations, including the British state, were involved in supporting acts of terror and I think that they too should be held to account. I think that if nations were involved in supporting acts of terror, it’s only right that they should compensate the victims of that terror. I wouldn’t want this want this to be piecemeal, I want this to be right across the board, victims of violence on all sides should be compensated”.

This is a strong comparison to the bigoted mindset of William Frazer who never got over the awful events in his life, and let them turn in to anger, which of course leads only to hate. He is clearly so overcome with hatred that he has recently made calls so ridiculous that they could only delve Ireland back into serious day of dark violence.

On the FAIR Youtube page, in recent videos he calls for redeployment of the Army or SAS into South Armagh? It is hard to believe that a man who claims to support the victims of South Armagh is actually calling for the Army to return to its streets, inevitably causing more bloodshed.

I commend people such as Alan McBride, who though suffered terrible loss during the on going Irish Struggle and the War, are able to stand up and recognise the similarities between two communities and the importance of letting them come together, as opposed to William Frazer who is constantly trying to create divisions.

God Bless
Peace

Make up your own mind...

The following are exerpts from tesitmonials from IDF soldiers, in relation to Operation Castlead. You make up your own mind who you believe, the State controlled messages, or the fire from the dragons mouth

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Testimony 51: "We were told soldiers were to be secured by fire-power. The soldiers were made to understand that their lives were the most important, and that there was no way our soldiers would get killed for the sake of leaving civilians the benefit of the doubt… People were not instructed to shoot at everyone they see but they were told that from a certain distance when they approach a house, no matter who it is - even an old woman - take them down."

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - ROOFS, CELLULAR TELEPHONES, NIGHT TIME
Testimony 49: "Among other things, he strictly forbade us to climb up to roofs. He explained in fact that the air force has the 'go ahead' to fire at anyone seen on a roof."

Testimony 41: "You can't identify too much at night and anything that moves you engage in order not to take risks. It was not defined this way officially, but it was obvious. Any movement on the ground at night was doomed."

Testimonies 13 and 14: These describe an incident where an old man carrying a torch at night, walking towards an Israeli-held building, approached from about 150 metres - and was allowed to approach to 25 metres with no deterrent fire, before he was shot dead.

Testimony 14: "Everyone is shooting and shooting and the guy's screaming. The commander comes downstairs, glowing. 'Here's an opener for tonight'. He was asked why he wouldn't confirm deterrent fire. He said, "It's night time and this is a terrorist."

HUMAN SHIELDS
Some testimonies described the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, for example by making neighbours enter suspect houses ahead of troops. The use of human shields is prohibited under article 51.7 of the Geneva Conventions.

Testimony 1 "To every house we close in on, we send the neighbour in, 'the Johnnie'… Sometimes the force would enter while placing rifle barrels on a civilian's shoulder, advancing into a house and using him as a human shield. Commanders said these were the instructions and we had to do it…"

BUILDING DEMOLITIONS
Testimony 2: "Part of the concept of razing was what the Israeli army calls 'the day after' consideration. Obviously this campaign would end at some point… The question was in what condition we'd leave the area, whether more exposed, a state that would afford us better firing and observation conditions, and far greater control. This was the principle behind all that razing - namely razing for our benefit.

Testimony 52: "Most of the destruction that went on there was not necessary.

AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE
Testimony 43 : "One guy said he just couldn't finish this operation without killing someone… [describes the shooting of a man "apparently some sort of lookout"] … I can definitely say he was not armed. I can definitely say the soldier regarded this as some children's game and was delighted and laughing after this. I think that a normal person, even having killed an armed terrorist, would not be amused."

Testimony 50: "The atmosphere was not one of fear but rather people too eager to shoot other people."

VANDALISM OF PALESTINIAN PROPERTY
Testimony 39: "The guys would simply break stuff. Some were out to destroy and trash the whole time. They drew a disgusting drawing on the wall. They threw out sofas. They took down a picture from the wall just to shatter it."

Testimony 52:
Q: Was there boredom at any point during these two weeks?
A: Much boredom.
Q: So what does one do to relieve this boredom?
A: I told you, fire at water tanks, I don't know, out of boredom. When there's nothing else to shoot at, you fire at water tanks."

WHITE PHOSPHORUS
Testimony 8:
Q: Why fire phosphorus?
A: Because it's fun. Cool… I don't know what it's used for… I don't understand what it's even doing in our supplies if we're not supposed to use such ammo. It's ridiculous.

Testimony 11: "There was an area of about 200-300 square meters of glazed sand.... We understood this resulted from white phosphorus, and it was upsetting… in training you learn that white phosphorus is not used, and you're taught that it's not humane. You watch films and see what it does to people who are hit, and you say, 'There, we're doing it too.' That's not what I expected to see. Until that moment I had thought I belonged to the most humane army in the world."

RELIGIOUS RHETORIC
Testimony 15 [describing a talk by a military rabbi]: "Lots of pathos, the kind of religious discourse I'm a bit familiar with: war of choice, holy war - differing rules. He spoke less in religious terminology… and was much more into militant faith. He aimed at inspiring the men with courage, cruelty, aggressiveness, expressions such as 'no pity, God protects you, everything you do is sanctified'. The gist of these statements was perhaps to bring things into agreement with religion, with God and whoever this man was supposed to represent, that everything or nearly everything is permissible. "

Leonard Cohen Legitimises the Nakba

Protests at the Leonard Cohen concerts in Dublin and Belfast have been organised by various organisations such as the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://www.ipsc.ie) to protest against the musicians intention to play later this year in Tel Aviv, Israeli contolled Palestine.

In July 2005 almost 200 Palestinian civil society organisations called for a "Boycott, Divesment and Sanctions against Israel until it complies with international Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights". Since 2005 Israels regime has become even more hateful and cruel, with the Seige on Gaza still not being lifted. The aparthied wall has been condemned as illegal by the UN and yet Arabs are still unhoused for its continued construction. More people are being unhoused for building developments in the West Bank. More and more checkpoints have been set up, breaking human rights laws. 2009 began with another slaughter of Palestinain civilians by Israeli armed forces, backed by the USA finacially and with weapons, that left 1,300 murdered, 0ver 400 of whom where women or Children and 86% o whom were declared civilians. News later revealed that innocents has been slaughtered intentionally. During this slaughter houses, hospitals, schools and mosques where attack with phospherous gas, which is illegal.

It is based on this that Leonard Cohen has been called upon to cancel his Tel Aviv appearence. At nearly every performance this year, different organisations have organised protests outside his shows, as letters from many orgainsations where ignored. To further add insult to the cause of Palestinian human rights, Leonard Cohen cancelled his Palestinian date instead.

A letter signed by 4 Jewish academics wrote

"You will perform for a public that by a very large majority had no qualms about its military forces' onslaught on Gaza... You will perform in a state whose propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence... And you are telling the Palestinians ...that their suffering doesn't matter."

IPSC echoes that call.

In further news, as we already know in the latest elections Israel elected a Right Wing, more so anti Palestinian party. The education minister in this regime has decided that the word Nakba should be dropped from text books. Despite the fact that the word only appears in the book aimed at Arab Israeli citizens.

The passage in question, which occurs in one textbook aimed at Arab children aged around eight or nine, describes the 1948 war, which resulted in Israel's creation, in the following terms: "The Arabs call the war the Nakba - a war of catastrophe, loss and humiliation - and the Jews call it the Independence War.

Furthermore, despite the fact that Israel celebrates this every year, the new regime is trying to pass a bill that will make it illegal for the Arab Israelis to mourn this day in commemeration of the Nakba every May 15th. More Racist rule from Binyamin Netanyahu's regime.

Also, I have been trying to follow the story in Honduras, which is something I will blog about if I can educate myself further. However one thing that does bear mentioning is All EU countries pulled out their diplomats from Honduras within days or weeks apppearently. However when Israel was slaughtering the people of Gaza Hugo Chavez was the only leader with the testicular fortitude to remove his Israeli ambassador. That is a bit dissapointing.

God Bless
Peace

In Defence of Smaller Nations... Western White Nations

The World vowed never again, after the horriffic events of WWII. However yesterday the nations of the world turned their back on that very promise, allowing the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine to continue, cause sometimes the truth is just to financially damaging.

The United States, Australia, The Netherlands, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Poland and Israel amoung others boycotted a United Nations conference on Racism, in South Africa. The basis of their boycott, was that Zionism was a topic that was to be addressed. I personally am completely for this Conference.

Navi Pallay, a UN Human Rights Chief, say she is disappointed at the boycott. The Pope spoke out in favour of the conference, saying it was an opportunity to fight discrimination and intolerance.

"A handful of states have permitted one or two issues to dominate their approach to this issue, allowing them to outweigh the concerns of numerous groups of people that suffer racism and similar forms of intolerance to a pernicious and life-damaging degree on a daily basis all across the world..." - Navi Pallay

"We ask for firm and consistent action, at national and international level, to prevent and eliminate any form of discrimination and of intolerance," - Pope Benidict XVI

Many of the Western Nations that did not boycott the conference, including France, Spain and Britain, walked out once the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began to speak. These Nations chose to walk out on the many in the world suffering under Racial oppression. They walked out on the Palestinian people, the Tibetian People, the Burmese people and the Sri Lankan People. I have no shame in saying I agreed with alot of what Ahmadinejad said. The following, are quotes from the speech, that I agreed with.

"Peace be upon them all who are the harbingers of monotheism, fraternity, love, human dignity and justice...Over the last centuries, humanity has gone through tremendous suffering and pain. In the middle ages, thinkers and scientists were sentenced to death. It was then followed by a period of slavery and slave trade, when innocent people in millions were captivated and separated from their families and loved ones, to be taken to Europe and America under worse conditions; the dark period that also experienced occupations, lootings, and massacres of innocent people... It did not take long that the coercive powers imposed two wars in Europe which also plagued a part of Asia and Africa. Those horrific wars claimed about 100 million lives and left behind massive devastation. Had lessons been learned from the occupations, horrors, and crimes of those wars, there would have been a ray of hope for the future...The victorious powers [of the world wars] call themselves the conquerors of the world, while ignoring or down-treading the rights of other nations by the imposition of oppressive laws and international arrangements... Following World War Two, they resorted to making an entire nation homeless on the pretext of Jewish suffering. They sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine. In compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive, racist regime in Palestine... It is all the more regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States have committed themselves to defending those racist perpetrators of genocide, whilst the awakened consciences and free-minded people of the world condemn aggression, brutality and the bombardment of civilians of Gaza... the word Zionism personifies racism, that falsely resorts to religion and abuses religious sentiments to hide hatred... It should be recognised that boycotting such a session is a true indication of supporting the blatant example of racism." - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The nations of the world, too afraid to lose out financially, walked out on the truth and chose to ignore the suffering of small nations. "In defence of small nations" seems to mean nothing when that small nation is both eastern and Arab. The fact that many chose to Boycott the conference, just because Ahmadinejad was addressing, shows racism against small Arab Nations.

Ahmadinejad had the courage to stand up and say, what the general people of the west said, and have been saying, since Operation Cast Lead and even before. However the Governments of the western world are too afraid to make such statements, cause they are afraid of being called anti semitic. Being pro Palestinian and anti Zionist is not the same as being anti semetic, as many Jews throughout the world will agree. It is not Jewish to remove Arabs from their land and replace them in their homes with foreign settlers. It is not Jewish to Build a wall through Palestinain territory, housing them all in, and stopping their travel with illegal checkpoints and putting them under military occupation. It is not anti semetic to support Palestinian rights.

At least some of the nations leaders returned after Ahmadinejad's speech, however, the Czechs refused to return as a result. His presence there was too much, for this White Western nation, and they refused to share the rest of the day with him. The response of many of the worlds nations should be addressed. The Czech Foriegn Ministry, and current President of the EU, refused to return and said;

"We cannot allow, through our presence, the legitimisation of absolutely unacceptable anti-Israeli attacks. The Czech delegation will not return to the conference at all, as a consequence to Ahmadinejad's speech." - Czech Foriegn Ministry

To this I say, why can you not allow your presence to legitimise the "attacks". Infact I believe that your presence should and Must legitimise these "verbal attacks". Your walking out Legitimised 1,300 dead, 400 of whom where Children and women, and 86% were confirmed to be civilians. It legitimises the recent confessions that innocent civilians were shot intentionally. That the homes of Civilians where vandalised and their faith insulted by crude sexual diagrams. It legitimises the tshirts worn by Israeli soldiers that showed Arab women in the crosshairs. Your walking out legitimised Phosphuros attacks on Schools, Hospitals, mosques and homes. Your walking out legitimised Racism.

To David Miliband, the British Foriegn secretary, after claiming "President Ahmadinejad's remarks... were offensive, inflammatory and utterly unacceptable", I say this. Yes they where offensive, cause sometimes the truth hurts, and you are offended because you refuse to stand up and be held to account, and to stand for what you know is true and right.

As for Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norwegian Foreign Minister, you were completely naive when you claimed "Norway will not accept that the odd-man-out hijacks the collective efforts of the many". Odd Man Out?? Tell that to the thousands of civilians who took to the streets across Europe, America and the rest of the world. Tell that to the thousands of people, that you and your collective Nation leaders chose to Ignore. Tell that to the Jews For Justice, Anarchists against the Wall, the Anti War Movement and the Ireland Palestinian Solidarity Campaign. Just because you chose to ignore the calls for justice from the civilians across the world, does not mean they do not exsist, and this man is no odd man out.

Ban Ki Moon has disappointed me before and makes no exception here. "I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian president to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve." This conference seeked to achieve what then exactly? Was it not to fight Racism?? So if a Racist regime gets shaken in the process is this not part of what you set out to do. Or is it now Racist to disagree with Racists??

Furthermore, not only do I agree with the statement during the conference, but the attempt to justify himself afterwards.

"The main issue of the conference was racism. Are they supporting racism?... So why shouldn't they participate in a conference which is aimed at discussing and eleminating racism. The second point is, that the United Nations should be Civil Manifestation of Democracy and freedom of expression. Everybody should enjoy the right to freely express his or her own opinions. In turn we should not be intolerant to listening." - Ahamdinejad

The United Nations may as well join the League of Nations in the grave as it died of a lack of exercise, and the United Nations seems fit to follow.

I do not claim to know enough about Iran to fully support Ahmadinejad's rule, but I agree with what he said at Durban II, and I think the nations that Boycotted the Racism conference in Durban, are the ones that need to do the Soul Searching. They need to step back and take alook at themselves.

The United States is a Nation that is built on Slaughter and Slavery. A nation of people, that when they arrived on the shores, attempted to genocide, to rid the land of its indigenous people. A nation that while writing "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...", enslaved the African people based purely on skin colour. Are still a nation that spend more on War and weaponry than Education, and provide more aid to Israel than they do to the rest of the world combined. Now they Boycott a Racism conference, cause they don't like one of the sub-issues.

The British Empire, built off the spoils of poorer nations, when they plundered and pilaged and colonised Africa, India, Asia and America. A nation that has ravaged the history of Ireland with Bloodshed, opression and left it a divided nation amoung a divided people.

Let us take a look at this world we live in. Ravaged with Inequality, Opression, Occupation and Poverty. United Nations?? Our Nations are far from United. Very Very Far.

God Bless
Peace

"A Good Arab is an Arab in the Grave"

So this has been a bad week for the IDF and the Israeli Government. Apart from admital to the vandalisation of Palestinian homes, the truth behind the murder of innocent, unarmed civilians, including women and children has been revealed in testimonies from Soldiers. They have made claims that they were both allowed and on some cases even ordered to do so!!

I need not saying anything more than the words of the Soliders themselves:

"What's great about Gaza; You See a person on a path, he doesn't have to be armed, you can simply shoot him. In our case it was an old person on whom I did not see any weaon when I looked. The order was to take down the person, this Women, the minute you see her. There are always the saying, 'Maybe he's a Terrorist.' What I felt was, there was a lot of thirst for blood"

"The atmosphere in general; How should I say this? The Life of Palestinians is much less important than the life of our soliders"

"At the beginning the directive was to enter a house with an armoured vehicle, to break the door down, to start shooting inside and to ascend floor by floor and – I call it murder – to go from floor to floor and to shoot at everyone we identify. In the beginning I asked myself how could this make sense? Higher-ups said it is permissible because everyone left in the city [Gaza City] is culpable because they didn't run away. This frightened me a bit. I tried to influence it as much as possible, despite my low rank, to change it. In the end the directive was to go into a house, switch on loudspeakers and tell them 'you have five minutes to run away and whoever doesn't will be killed'." (Note: That is Ethnic Cleansing Philosophy)

What more do I need to say on the matter. Surely this is all the evidence the ICC needs to at least begin an investigation? I do not have much faith left in the ICC. Much like the UN and the EU, these organisations semm to fail to look after the most vunarable people of the World. Time and time again positions of power have corrupted the purpose behind these organisations.

After incidents of Trauma, one of the methods of recovery is to find sanctuary. For many, returning home after these traumatic expeirences is exactly the sanctuary the people need. After all many fond memories revolve around ones home. The return brings the feeling of safety and security. Not always the case, but for many it is.

Palestinans have always been denied this right. For many Palestinians, once they leave their home, there is no return. Bulldozers, F-16's and Tank Shells usually make sure of that. However for those that have been luck enough to return to their homes after Operation Cast Lead, they are not granted the feelings Peace, Safety and Security. They are returning to find their Homes vandalised and defaced.

The squad leader said: "To write 'death to the Arabs' on walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics." - Squad Leader Aviv

Crude sexual diagrams, Racist drawings of Mosques urinated upon and Hate slogans have been left all over the remaining homes, or ruins of homes.

"The writing left by Israeli soldiers in the homes in Gaza provides an insight into the disturbing culture of hatred and racism towards Palestinians and Arabs which exists among parts of Israeli society,"- Hamdi Shaqqura (The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights' (PCHR) director of democratic development)

In light of the evidence PCHR has gathered of the willful and wanton killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, this graffiti is even more disturbing.

A stairwell, includes the following sentences written in chalk:

"There will be a day when we kill all the Arabs."

"Bad for the Arabs is good for me."

"A good Arab is an Arab in the grave."

"Peace now, but between Jews and Jews, not Jews and Arabs."

I don't even know where to go from here. Will we never see a world where people do not hate. Where people are not constantly trying to one up the other??

In other news, an article I read in the Gaurdian, by Seth Freedman, he reports upon threats of a third Intifada. The article is entitled "Trouble Brewing in Jerusalem". I would suggest reading it. Its very interesting.

I think I will end here, with my request as usual. Boycott Israel, Economically and Academically.

God Bless
Peace

Gaza shakes under Israeli Terrorism

By now I'm fed up highlighting the ProIsraeli stance of the BBC. Once again the BBC failed to report an Inncedent, which Israeli spokes people have commented on. This is because of the antipalestinian roots to the inncedent. Israeli shells hit a target in Palestine, killing one person. The Israeli armed forces cliamed that they did not know about the shells, and that they would carry out a full investigation into why it happened. However this afternoon the BBC have a report on the recent Gaza attacks, following rockets on Israel.

These rockets where once again not connected to Hamas, and yet Israel have chose to punish Hamas and the Palestinians, by bombing the only source of Food and Fuel that is available to them; The Smuggling Tunnels bordering with Egypt. The responsibility for the Rockets was cliamed by "Hezbollah Brigades, Palestine". The rockets resulted in no injuries, and Israel responded by bombing the southern Gazan town of Rafah.

This comes following recent announcements from Hamas and Israeli spokespersons regarding the Peace talks. Hamas spokespersons made an announce ment, saying that they expected results soon, resulting in at least a year long Ceasefire. However an Israeli spokeperson later denied this.

Israel have demanded the release of an Israeli Soldier, Gilad Shalit, held prisioner by Hamas since 2006. According to Hamas this had not been brought up during the Egyptian Peace talks, and is now appeared as a truce was beginning to look positive. The release of said prisioner was appearently part of other talks, involving the release of Palestinian POWs. As for the Peace talks Hamas want the borders opened and the Siege to end.

Whatever the future holds for these people, it does not seem peaceful, especially since a more Right Wing party is likley to aggrovate the situation.

God Bless
Peace

Palestine Update

Well due to headaches and such this week I've failed to post again, so here's just a wee update on what has been going on and why we must continue to boycott Israel, and demand the re-opening of the Borders.

The BBC once again does not come out looking to good in this blog. Now maybe the BBC in this situation just don't see the Palestinian story important, but the way they report only makes me feel they are just Pro-Israeli. At the beginning of the week reports announced that Israel had fired on a Lebanon Ship, bringing aid to Gaza. The BBC reported this as a side story online with the headline "Israel 'attack' Gaza aid ship", insinuating that this is only an alleged incident. Al Jazeera had the story as breaking news.

Now the truth is a little hazy to me, however Palestinians on the ship say Israel fired, and Israel have denied it. Either way the BBC has failed to report the story effectively. Israel however did admit to boarding the boat. The Aid and the Activists were expelled, but blood products were brought by road. Reports claim that men on the boats were beaten and kicked, though once again Israel denies this.

Also following the seizure of aid, by HAMAS, the UN has decided to cease sending Aid. Hamas has said the seizure of the Aid was a mistake, and that the aid will be returned. The UN are currently still waiting.

In the early hours of Friday morning, Israeli forces fired four missiles on to the Gazan smuggling tunnels. The attacks came following two rockets fired onto southern Israel from Gaza.

Also Israeli forces killed a man in the West Bank, but I will not claim to have enough knowledge of the situation to make any statements about it.

The world can not seriously believe that there is still a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has broken that ceasefire, and is still forcing Palestinians to live in abject poverty. The Siege of Gaza must end, and it must end now. The only way to make a lasting effect on Israel is to boycott their goods. The EU governments must urge for an end to Israeli - EU trade.

Does the world want to see Israel successfully complete their Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People? If they refuse to recognise the crimes of the Israeli state, and recognise the plight of the Palestinian people then that is exactly what will happen. The World vowed "Never Again", and yet they stand by and ignore this Ethnic Cleansing. Disgraceful.

God Bless
Peace

The World Vowed Never Again. Why then did it happen?

"On occasions such as this, rhetoric comes easily. We rightly say 'never again.' But action is much harder. Since the Holocaust the world has, to its shame, failed more than once to prevent or halt genocide." - Kofi Annan

After the truely horrific events, now known as the Holocaust, became common knowledge the world vowed that this would never happen again; that the world could not let this happen again. However the world has systematically failed time and time again to prevent history repeating itself.

On many occasions, the suposed, powers of the world have wasted time discussing "Is the term Genocide applicable?" or that the Rules of intervention are not clear and thus they do not know if they can act. Whatever the excuse the world has failed.

1. Bangladesh 1971: 10 months of fighting led to the slaughter of 500,000 Hindus. No one was ever held to account.
2. Burundi 1972: the Tutsi tribe slaughtered 80,000 Hutus.
3. East Timor 1975: 200,000 East Timorese were slaughtered. Violence continued in 1999. UN took no action.
4. Guatemala 1981-83: 200,000 Mayan victims were slaughtered.
5. Bosnia 1992-1995: 200,000 Muslims slaughtered. UN Troops did nothing.
6. Rawanda 1994: 100 days of Genocide leave 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead at the hands of the Hutu. UN troops where ordered to withdraw once violence started.
7. Darfur 2003-Present Day: Janjaweed and Sudan Government Have slaughtered 300,000 in Darfur.
8. Palestine 1948: Since 1948 Israeli forces have taken part in an ethnic cleasing of Palestinian Arabs. In 22 Days of terrorism, 1,300 Palestinians were Slaughtered, 400 of them Children. The UN did nothing.

Some experts are known to have said that 37 incidents have occured, where the world have not acted, and allowed the slaughters and Genocides to continue, under the disguise of a single word... War.

What about Tibet? Burma? Iraq? Afghanistan? Ireland? The list goes on and on.

I don't really know what point to end on here. Its a sad realistion that the world has let this happen. Furthermore rich countries ignore starvation and disease, in developing countries.

We must not let the world fail again. This is why we must urge the UN, the EU and our own nations to begin a boycott of Israel. They need to cut down on the money wasted on weaponry, and help the poor and the starving and the opressed. The world can be a better place, if only enough people want it to be.

In the words of Frank Turner "Come on Old Friends to the Streets". Stand up for what you believe in, and shout if you have too.

God Bless
Peace

Violent Unrest continues...

As stated in my last blog, Palestinian militants fired rockets on the south of Israel, and in response Israel promised isproportionate response. Well within a few hours of making this promise, the Israeli Airforce carried out raids on the South of Gaza. At this stage Hamas had not yet ended their ceasefire. Israel broke first.

However last night more rockets where fired on southern Israel, and no Palestinian group has accepted responsibility.

This again highlights to me the Pro-Israeli Stance of the BBC. When the rockets where fired on Israel, it was quickly reported. The airraids carried out by Israel reported by Al Jazeera, however the BBC left their reports until after it had been revealed that only one person had been killed. To me this shows that the BBC were waiting for an excuse to downplay the action. Rather than report the news as it happened, as the BBC cliam they do.

Where does this leave Palestine? After Israel's attack of the Gaza strip the people on both sides of the divide, have been left in the same place they were beforehand, echoing the worries of an Israeli civilian interviewed by the BBC.

On a terrible note, for the Palestinian People, Tzipi Livni has hopes to be appointed Primeminister. She has already ruled out any suggestions of negotiation with the rulers in the Gaza region. Livni has said "Terror must be fought with force, and lots of force". Throughout history one has seen that force against Freedom Fighters has only proved to be an incentive to keep fighting. This is clearly an attempt to justify her use of extreme terror and murder, against the Palestinian people. She has insisted continuing action against Palestine, "until they get the message". This is clearly not the mentality of a state leader. It is the same mentality of a playground bully. She is a murderer, and she is a terrorist.

Another candidate for the Priministerial office is Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said the only discussions between Israel and Palestine should be for economic reasons.

What hope do the Palestinian people have. They should erect a plaque above all border entries stating in German, "Work Shall Set You Free". Anyone educated in WWII history should get that reference

What gets me about this whole thing, is why the Israeli terrorist forces continue to make hate speeches against Hamas and refuse to talk to them. The recent attack on the South of Israel was cliamed by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, whom is currently involved in the Egyptian talks with the Israeli people.

This leds me to believe that the attacks on Gaza, are not only racially based, but also economic. There is a rather large Oil reserve of the Gaza coast and clearly Israel are looking to cliam it. This of course is a biased niave cliam, and so I will merely mention it and move on.

Lets Continue our Boycott, let us not help fuel Israeli Terrorism!

God Bless
Peace

A promise for the future...

Well I've just returned from a few days in the Free State, and now back in the Occupied Territory I decided to immediately read up on the going ons in Palestine. Its heart breaking to see that News Channel, such as the Biased and uncaring BBC, no longer see the event's there suitable for frontpage news. The News one finds after surfing to the Middle East Specific page, strenghtens my belief that the BBC are Anti-Palestine.

The headline read "Israel Vows Tough Rocket Response". This is a promise, that the Israeli state will intentionally act violently and strongly against the people of Gaza. How is this not worthy of a frontpage story?

The speech made by Ehud Olmert, to his Cabinet, promises a "severe and disproportionate response". For many this was what brought attention to the crisis. People, not completely agreeing with Palestine's cause, still believed that Israel were wrong for their disproportionate action. This is a promise that admits they will not be acting as a responsible government, but will take revenge. It is almost an admittal that more Civilians will die.

Now it is clear that Rockets have been fired onto the south of the Israeli state. Responsibility for these rockets have been cliamed by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs, according to Al Jazeera. This means that Hamas have not broken the ceasefire. Why then does Israel continue to make threats against Hamas, and the Palestinian people that elected them? The words of Taher al-Nunu seem to make sense to me.

"This is an attempt to find a false excuse to escalate the aggression against the Palestinians, to destroy the egyptian efforts to improve the calm and to use the pressure against the Plaestinian people to accept Israeli conditions in those talks"

I can only hope that the Israeli elections, taking place on the 10th of February, can produce a governing body, lest racist than that of Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni the "Foreign" minister. I unfortunately can't see this happening, as many candidates have already stated their intention to continue the illegal siege and the threat of illegal military action.

On a positive note, the UN has called for an independant body to carry out War Crimes. I'm not a fan of the United Nations. Is it not up to them to defend the people of the world? Can they not do more than make a suggestion? Well appearently they can. The United Nations have announced that an investigation will take place into the attacks of the UN Headquarters. Not a perfect solution, but it is a start.

I am suprised to read of Ban Ki-moon's statement, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Over the past several weeks, unacceptable and terrible situations have taken place against the civilian people and against particularly the United Nations compounds, where many civilians were sheltered"

Ban Ki-moon also launch an appeal to raise money to help the rebuild of Gaza, and to provie aid to the 50,800 left homeless and the 400,000 left with out clean drinking water. However he stated that his aim for $613 Million would only cover the next six months of required aid. I'm may be one of only a few, but I don't see Egypt as innocent parties in this whole conflict, however I am please to hear that they intend to raise $2 Billion for Gaza.

However the United States, another nation that seems these days to be anti Islam and anti Palestinian has tried to throw yet another spanner in the works. Even with the new Leadership for whom so many held hope. Susan Rice, the new US ambassador to the Security Council has suggested that any Investigations should be carried out by the Israeli Government. She said

"We expect Israel will meet its international obligations to investigate and we also call upon all members of the international community to refrain from politicising these important issues"

How ridiculous it is, to actually try and convince the people of the World, that a State that indiscriminately destroyed the lifes of at least 1,000 families, by killing 1,300 people including men women and children, will carry out fair investigations into its own crime and punish itself. That is not only ridiculous, but an insult to the intellegance of the public, worldwide.

The 53 member body of the African Union has also called for investigations into the series of "massive, idiscriminate and disproportionate raids", and condemned Israeli action. The Irish Times has printed a full page of names for the IPSC, calling for justice. Over 350 people signed, and the add was paid for by the signatories.

To close here I would like to make a very harsh set of statements. Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni are murderers. They are two of a vast amount of Israelis who are. I am not calling Israelis murderers, but the men and women that helped to murder innocent civilians.

The United States, Sky TV, BBC, Dead Sea Spa, Marks and Spenser, Starbucks amoung many many more are sponsers of the murders, and are infac accessory to murder.

So people I urge you, for the cause of innocent people, to support the continuing Boycott of Israel, and their trade, which by International law, is actually illegal. I urge you to call on the governing bodies of your countries and states to condemn the Israeli treatment of Palestinian people, and to stop there trade with Israel and expel the Israeli ambassadors, just like Chavez. If you believe in Prayer, then pray for justice.

God Bless
Peace

Unseen Gaza

Well I know that the "War" that Israel raged for 3 weeks has come to a ceasefire, but we must not let the humanitarian, and war, crimes go unaccounted for. Anyway one of the ways that Israel have tried to get away with their unlawful acts, was to ban international reporters from entering the Gaza Strip under the disguise of "Security".

Now my first problem with this is that Israel have absoluely no right to stop anyone enter Gaza, as they have no right to stop Palestinians from leaving and reentering.

My second problem is that this stopped the western world from recieving facts,information and footage of what was really going on. Everything had to be reported from rumours they tried to extract from Gazan reporters. Any way this showed aired during the week. I have hosted the first part, but there are six parts on YouTube.



Part Two can be found here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wod2ycln0AQ

Please watch. I won't tell you to enjoy.

God Bless
Peace

What now for Palestine...

Israeli Troops have pulled out off Gaza and the Seige continues. Borders remain closed, and many remain ill and/or dying. The facist BBC have refused to air an emergency crisis appeal from DEC, calling for help for Gaza, cliaming it does not want to seem impartial, regardless off the 50,800 Homeless and the 400,000 left without water. The BBC chooses to sponser thier death. And thats what YOU pay a TV License for. Palestinians must now feel so alone.

Furthermore Israel are making threats against the people of Gaza once more because they have begun to smuggle using the tunnels once more, and many suggest they may have never stopped. As a result many Palestinian civilians may be lost in those tunnels never to be recognised. Anyway I ask this one question; Do Israel really expect us to think that they honestly believed smuggling would stop? Of course they didn't and why should it. Infact now more than ever the people must smuggle.

50,800 people have been left homeless, 400,000 are without water and countless numbers are serverly injured, literally at deaths door, yet the Israeli and Egyptian controls refuse to open the blockade and allow the required aid, water or even food into the people. If the Palestinain people of Gaza are going to be left to starve, then they mut use the tunnels to smuggle food. If as a result weapons are smuggled to Hamas then Israel are architects of their own downfall. Open the borders to the people, allow them the right of travel, and allow them the right to feed thier people, and there will be no need for smuggling tunnels.

However on that note why should the elected representatives of Palestine not have weaponry? If Israel havebombs then why not Palestine? Is an Arab not as equal as a Jewish man? The Palestinians are an opressed people, and this is recognised by international bodies. If Israel where not occupying, and oppressing the people of Palestine then their weapons would not be used against them. To demand the unarming of Palestines Elected Body is to disregard Palestine as a state and a nation. This proves to me that Israel have no intention of supporting a two state coexsistence.

I urge the continuation of, or the beginning of, your boycott against Israel. Also to those of financial ability in this time of crisis, please visit UNRWA to help by making a donation.

http://www.un.org/unrwa/

God Bless
Peace

Gaza "War" Video

Okay so YouTube won't let me put this up. SO a little late but I thought I'd finally post this video here. Its a selection of Photograph of the recent "War" in Gaza. All the photographs came off the BBC News Channel. Hopefully this will be enough to encourage you to continue, or start, the Boycott:




Please note that this video contains images of suffering on both sides, and off Hamas rockets also.

God Bless
Peace

That is not a Ceasefire... Its a Military Technique!!

I went to bed last night, comforted by the fact that a Ceasefire was to be called at 12:00 last night. However this morning I rose and switched on the News and what I saw annoyed me to a rather deep level.

This "ceasefire" seems to me to be no more than a tatic of war, and propagandha. The "terms" of the cease of bombing in Gaza are set out in such a way that Hamas can not stop fighting, and thus world view will hopefully change to support the Israeli action in Gaza.

"Today from 2 O'Clock this evening, we will stop are action in Gaza, and we will continue to maintain our postion there. Hamas is not part of the arrangements we have made. The Terror group Hamas can not be part of these arrangements " - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

That statement clearly goes against the two terms that Hamas wanted, and disregards Palestine, and the Plaestinian people as non entities. Hamas are legally elected, and the seige on Gaza forced them to fight for their country. If you choke a man hard enough, he will fight back with everything he has. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the Rockets into southern Israel, but the people of Palestine were so desperate that they elected an extreme group. But that is going off topic.

My point here is by disregarding the terms Hamas asked for, they are leaving Hamas with no other option but to continue their fighting. Hamas have called a ceasefire in the strip however, despite this obvious farce. However this Hamas statement makes clear to me that violence will return within a week.

"In the Name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. This is a statement in the name of the Palestinian resistance factions.

The Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip which has gone on for more than three weeks has failed, and with God's blessing it failed to impose its conditions on the resistance and on our people.

We, the Palestinian resistance factions announce a ceasefire of our factions in the Gaza Strip and we stress that our demand is the withdrawal of the enemy forces from the Gaza Strip within a week, along with the opening of all the crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid, food and other necessities for our people in the Gaza Strip." - Hamas Statement

Until Israeli soldiers pull out of the Gaza strip, they know as well as I do, the violencewill not end. They are tempting fate, putting peoples lives on the line and are doing it quite deliberately.

So I urge any readers to continue, or to start, boycotting Israel. If not indefinitely, then at least until the Gaza strip is freed from the illegal preseance of Israeli Soldiers and tanks. Over 1,200 people are dead. Over 40 of those people are Women and Children. 86% of them all have been civilians.

Support Peace, Boycott Israel!

God Bless
Peace

Israel's country prefix is 729

You can tell Israeli Products by the barcode... Israel's country prefix is 729.

No idea what I'm talking about, PLEASE READ MY LAST POST

God Bless
Peace

Boycott Israeli Goods

When White Aparthied Governments racially discriminated againt the Black population of South Africa, the boycott off South African Goods helped to end the problem. Currently the Israeli State is oppressing the Palestinian people. Most people in Gaza, are not Gazan, or living in Gaza by choice. The majority off these people are there seeking refuge from Beersheba, Ashkelon and other Cities, since they were driven out by the Israeli Army in 1948. The Gaza Strip is a refugee camp.

In 1994 the Israeli state begun the construction off of the first sixty kilometre barrier wall, an aparthied wall, around the Palestinian area's of Gaza and the west Bank. In June of 2007 the Israeli and Egyptian States began a siege of the Gaza strip and refused to allow food or resources to enter. This created a Humanitarian crisis that the Israeli State denied, and thus refused to let Humanitarian Aid enter the strip.

On December 27th 2008, two days after Christmas was celebrated worldwide, the Israeli army began a Bombing campaignof the Strip, and eventually sent foot soldiers and tanks into the strip. To date near 1,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered, over 40% of whom have been Children. A UN school has been bombed, killing 40 people. A UN Aid worker has been murdered, when Israeli tanks opened fire on their Convoy. An Israeli rocket demolished a Clinic destroying millions of pounds worth of Health/Hospital equipment. The Israeli army have the exact co-ordinates of UN structures, provided by the UN

The Israeli state insist that this is defense against Hamas "Terrorists" whom are constantly firing Rockets on Israel. These bombs have killed 28 people since 2001, as an attempt to fight for their Freedom. The killing of innocence in these attacks is wrong, but Israels response is unproportionate and unacceptable. It is mere revenge, not defense. The Israeli army can not carry out precise and effective military action on an area of land 45 km (25 miles) long and at most 10 km (6 miles) wide, where the population is 1,500,000, 50% of that population being under the age of 18.

This action has already went against the Geneva Convention, The Charter on The United Nations, The Declaration of Human Rights, The Rights of the Child, EU regulations set out by the Euro-Mediterranean agreement and Global Public Outcry.

As stated in my last blog this shares incredible similarities with the Nazi Holocaust carried out on Jews, Soviets, Catholics, Homosexuals, Twin etc.

Stop the Slaughter, Boycott Israeli Goods!