Posts Tagged ‘UN’
Welcome once again to The Weekend Holyland Update. This is WHU flight 080711, taking off to utter hysteria, land theft, necrophilia, idolatry, a rare case of accountability. Please fasten your seatbelts and remember to lie about your destination at passport check, or you’ll be deported.
The “Flytilla” has been a resounding success. First, the organizers goaded Israel into new heights (or lows) of hysteria in the week or two preceding the stunt. I’m not talking just about the massive police and secret police mobilization (to a spot that’s already one of the most heavily secured in the country), but also about immensely stupid PR efforts such as this amazing piece of gobshite, in which Israel declares “We are a paranoid, traumatized people who see threats in every rorschach ink blot” – thereby validating one of the central claims of its critics, in a loud and horribly acted manner. (Read all about it here and in the links within that article. It’s hasbara alright, even if at first folks on our side were saying it just has to be satire. Since it isn’t, I’m beginning to think we goddamn lefties have a mole in the hasbara upper echelons causing them to release these things).
Then came the big day itself. Early in the day the headlines on Israeli websites were jubilant: “only two activists landed and were deported. Most Flytilla participants denied boarding at departure points”. The writers of these headlines, of course, gave ZERO thought to the cost of Israel having its European friends suffer the airport mayhem to enforce Israel’s policies.
But then came the afternoon arrivals and showed that like the old Jewish folk tale, Israel ate the stinking fish, took a whipping AND got kicked out of town. It imposed upon its European friends, and STILL had to deal with dozens of activists who arrived anyway.
The dealing was rather inept as usual. Oh sure, most of the terribly dangerous enemies were swiftly identified and detained, pending deportation (some were flown back immediately, others will spend the w/e in jail and be returned to their ports of departure on Sunday) – but that was the point of the exercise. The activists weren’t hoping to get in, they were hoping to be refused entry and thus expose the fact that more often than not, people arriving at Tel Aviv airport declaring that they intend to visit Palestinian cities or villages are turned away unless they can prove they have relatives or business there (and of course, sometimes having relatives is the reason to be turned away too). This is all contrary to international conventions and to the Oslo agreements, which require Israel to allow the PA to enjoy incoming tourism. Israel may deny entry to specific individuals, but not to everyone declaring their intent to visit the occupied territories.
So the genius State of Israel obliged them, arresting for deportation 50 and 60 year-old activists, many of whom it had previously admitted to the country with no problem – but that was when they lied and said they were going to Tel Aviv, rather than Ramallah. But proving the flytilla’s point was not enough for the defenders of the Jewish and Democratic State[TM]. So in addition, Israel’s police, aka the Jack Booted Thuggery, stood by as Israeli citizens in the terminal attacked humanitarian activists, cursing, spitting, and in some cases physically attacking as well. When Jerusalem Post journalist Larry Derfner attempted to defend some activists from such an attack, he himself was detained shortly by Israel “Finest” (they’re not even the country’s finest thugs, since if they were they’d be making more money as actual criminals).
To top it all off, some of the activists did manage to get past the border control and reach their destination in the verbotten West Bank. I have not been able to ascertain whether they truthfully declared their destination, which would indicate a modicum of Israeli brains, or if they lied – thereby conclusively proving the original point.
On a related matter, check out Dimi Reider’s article on the Israeli Airport Authority’s form for travelling Arabs.
Related matter 2: As part of the prep for the flytilla, Israel barred the entry of two Dutch journalists who actually wanted to tell its side of the story, scheduling interviews with anti-flytilla/flotilla subjects, and coverage of Israel bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza. Heckuva job, hasbara!
Update: The foreign airlines on which the activists flew in are now saying they will have a hard time deporting the 124 people Israel wants returned immediately to Europe. “It’s the height of the travel season and all the flights are fully booked,” one senior airline exec said. The amusing silver lining of all this is that there has been a stay in the roundup of “illegal” foreign workers and asylum seekers, since the detention facilities are filled with flytilla people.
Now we have to wait and see what means of letting Israel make a damn fool of itself its opponents will think of next.
On to other matters. Last week I forgot to touch upon the case of Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, who was allowed into the UK only to be arrested very shortly afterwards on grounds that he was banned from the country. Apparently he managed to sneak in during the very short time-frame between the signing of the ban order and its arrival at passport control in Heathrow. Now Salah is no angel, as he is reportedly not above using classical antisemitic imagery (“We are not the ones who allowed themselves to eat a meal of bread and cheese in children’s blood”, for example…”you are monkeys, the virii of all times” for another). However, it’s kind of funny that GB would find it necessary to arrest him when even Israel allows him to be free. Also funny is the fact that the UK isn’t deporting him, but is insisting on holding him in custody. Without some solid evidence to the contrary, I really can’t blame people who see this as another case of Israel getting others to do its dirty work for it – since Israel would love to lock Salah in jail (and throw away the key) but fears the consequences.
In a rare case of accountability, a Border Police officer was convicted of abuse after she threatened a minor, whom she arrested for having three detonators in his pocket (these, while having terrorist associations, can also be used as a sort of fire cracker), with death, shoved one of the detonators in his pocket and pretended to light it, pointed a loaded and cocked gun at him, and showered racist abuse on him. In an even more heartening development, the perpetrator herself fully accepted responsibility for her acts and stated flatly that she acknowledges deserving punishment, while explaining that the pressure of dealing daily with a hostile population (not only arabs but also ultra-orthodox Jews) eventually caused her to snap as she did. This in contrast to incidents such as the two soldiers who used a 9 year-old as a bomb detector during Cast Lead. In that case the two thugs and their families went on the offensive upon conviction, screaming bloody murder and whining that the army was throwing its oh-so brave warriors under the bus. So even if Shani Sevilia is just saying what she said in hope of a lenient sentence, it would be petty and uncharitable to necessarily assume so, given the culture of opposite behavior surrounding her. So Ms. Sevilia, while you did very a bad thing, please accept a measure of respect for your subsequent behavior, and I hope you only have to serve a short amount of time in prison. Then again, since the scumbags who used a kid as a bomb detector and showed zero remorse got three months suspended sentence, it would be cruel irony if she does serve any time.
The UN has found that during the Nakba Day events, in which some (stupid) people tried to enter Israel from the Syrian border and were shot, Israel reacted with excessive and unnecessary force. Israel? Unnecessary force? Surely you jest!
Remember the rabid rabbi Dov Lior, who wrote a supportive introduction for the nazi-like tract “The King’s Torah”? The one who was summoned to answer to the police on suspicion of incitement, flouted the summons for months, was finally detained for an hour and this caused his supporters to throw a tantrum? Well, a day or two after this incident, he gave a lecture in which he stated that democracy is “the idolatry of our times”. He repeated this twice, lest anyone miss it, and compared himself to biblical Abraham, who according to Jewish legend was thrown into a furnace for breaking the idols in his father’s idol shop. To most of you this might sound as just more religious fulmination, but if you’re a religious Jew, you know that Idolatry is one of only three sins (along with incest and bloodshed) which a Jew is commanded to die rather than commit. Furthermore, a Jew is supposed to kill those who try to force it upon him (think about the story of Hannukah). That’s not even a dog-whistle. That’s plain Hebrew.
In a connected event, rabbi Yaacov Yosef, son of Shas leader Ovadiah Yosef, was also detained for questioning in the same case, after also flouting the summons to report voluntarily for months. His supporters also rioted, setting fire to the butt-ugly “string bridge” at the entrance to Jerusalem, which unfortunately did not cause the costly eyesore’s demise. His father reacted by saying that he was “stupid” and that he should have just gone when summoned and prevented the whole affair.
Israel, which in the past few years has proved itself terrified of coriander and clowns, among other things, has added necrophobia to the list of things that scare it. Israel was scheduled to return a bunch of corpses of dead terrorists to the PA. When it turned out that the list included some Hamas terrorists as well, families of terror victims got up in arms and forced Minister of the (In)defens(ible) Ehud Barak to reverse course and cancel the corpse transfer. And the fact that letting the PA take credit for getting Hamas cadavers back would give it a minor win? Doesn’t matter, because although the PA fights Hamas for Israel (yes, even after the “reconciliation”), Israel doesn’t actually want to strengthen it.
Finally, just in case you were concerned that Israel As An Occupying Entity was going soft, fear not: Israel’s government has ordered the “civil administration” in the occupied territories to steal some 45 acres of land belonging to the Palestinian village of Qaryot, in order to “legitimize” the illegal (illegal even according to Israel) oupost of HaYovel, which is part of the settlement if Eli (which is only illegal according to everyone in the world but Israel). Now, lest you get any notions about the “settlement blocks” which Israel is supposed to keep under putative future agreements, Eli is nowhere near there. It is closer to the Jordan river than it is to the Green Line. In short, despite any crap you might hear from Bibi about how he’s willing to make painful sacrifices, the truth is that the theft of Palestinian land will never stop as long as he or anyone like him is in power.
And on that grand larceny alert, the pilot will now bring her in for landing. WHU Airlines is not responsible for any illusions, sympathies or misconceptions that may have been misplaced on our tours. Please collect your senses and check your comments* (and donations, if you’ve a mind) where appropriate. Thank you for flying the crazy skies.
* Please do comment. I write for feedback. Thanks!
- In: apartheid | Israeli politics | Jewish supremacism | Occupation | racism
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Welcome, one and all, step aboard upon the magic carpet, taking you on a fascinating journey to the land of the untenable. Today on the menu we have a pot calling a kettle black, pigs being pigs, a Jehovah patient coming home to roost, a superpower doubling down on a losing investment, a deluded liar being stupider than usual, a laughably obvious pinkwashing attempt, a minor environmental disaster that happened and a major one waiting to. Buckle up your seatbelts and for heaven’s sake, put out your cigarettes, for reasons of clear and present danger.
We start today with Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of our PM, Binyamin Netanyahu, aka “Nutanyahoo” and “The Baron von Bibhausen”. Turns out that Junior (who is currently serving in the IDF spokesman’s international media division, where he enjoys an unusual amount of leave) has a Facebook account, where he unburdens himself of highly nuanced political opinions couched in elegant and erudite prose (yes, that was sarcasm).
All of Nutanyahoo Junior’s deep thoughts (written under the aliases “Jesse Natan” and “Yair Natan”) have been taken down following the discovery of his page, but here’s what we know:
2.5 years ago, an Arab driver in the mixed city of Acco (Acre of Crusader fame to y’all) took a wrong turn and entered a Jewish neighborhood. Sadly for him, this happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day to Jews and the single day in the year when even secular Israeli Jews don’t drive (it’s known to the kids as “the bicycle holiday”, due to the streets being motor-free). Anyway, the Arab driver was lynched within an inch of his life and some of the city’s Jews rioted for two days, burning Arabs’ cars and shit.
Following this, the apple of our PM’s eye started a facebook group called “Following the Acre Pogrom – I too am boycotting Arab businesses!”. Where to start? With the victim-at-all-costs use of “pogrom” for an incident where all the bodily harm and property damage happened to Arabs by Jews? The notion of boycotting a population of over a million because of something one person did and not even on purpose? Or the fact that he ended his screed with “besides, I was boycotting those shits even before”?
Another noteworthy gem is to be found in an argument with a Muslim woman, in which Nutanyahoo the younger – the grandson of a highly acclaimed historian – trots out the stupid trope that “The Palestinians are Arab settlers in the middle of our country, who immigrated here from Arab countries only 100 years ago!”. Other gems include the inaccurate statement that “all terrorists are Muslims” and the breath-taking lie that “when we accidently kill a child in Gaza the whole country mourns for the enemy’s child!” (I guess Junior doesn’t read much talkbacks on all of Israel’s news sites, where such incidents are routinely justified and celebrated with defiance). Another post reads “staying (at the base) for the weekend because of the cursed Palestinians”.
The one about the Palestinians being recent immigrants needs answering, since it’s a favorite lie of judonazis and their abbettors, popularized by the ignorant and mendacious Joan Peters. Facts: The absolute lowest estimate for the Arab population of Palestine 100 years ago is around 500,000 people. The absolute highest, most generous estimate of the Jewish population here at the same time is 60,000 people. By 1948, there were 1.2 million Arabs and 600,000 Jews here – a 140% increase for Arabs and a 900% percent increase for Jews. I think it’s clear who the immigrants are and who are the ones who have been here continuously for hundreds of years. I do not see this as an argument against my right and that of my people to be here, but the facts are what they are.
Anyway, the reason I am spending time on the ignorant and ineloquent rantings of a teenager is that if the reverse was written by the son of Abu Mazen? This would be front page news and Nutanyahoo Senior would NEVER shut up about how the Palestinians simply MUST stop teaching their children to hate us if there’s ever going to be any peace. Therefore, I think it’s relevant to wonder about the hatred his son sucks with his mother’s milk. So Bibster, take the beam from thine own damn eye and have a nice big cup of STFU.
On Friday, the estimated 35,000 refugees* from Africa living in Israel were supposed to have a rare moment of grace with a lively music/arts and crafts festival marking International Refugee Day. However, on Thursday the jack booted thuggery known as the Israel PD reneged on previous agreements and came up with impossible and unlawful “security” requirements that were obviously meant to cancel the event. To remove any doubt, the pigs offered the refugees and their activist allies to hold an “event” at the tiny park known as Lewinski Garden**, but only if it was limited to 1,000 people, with no stage, PA system, speakers or music. Earlier this week, two corporate entities staged a music concert at the same venue (with a stage and PA system) attended by 3,000 people.
Ironically, this year’s Refugee Day marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Refugees, of which the infant State of Israel was one of the main sponsors. Now Israel hounds its refugees, locks them up, sends them back to harm’s way and won’t even let them dance in the sun one day a year. Fuck Tha Po-lice.
* The 35,000 number is those eligible for refugee status according to every relevant agency and international standard. Israel itself, in all its history, has granted refugee asylum status to a grand total of 200 people. “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt,” anyone?
** no, not named after THAT Lewinsky, you perverts…
Anyone who thought that under the Obama administration the US would be any less in the pocket of Israel should check this out. US Ambassador to the UN, the righteous-fronting Susan Rice, spoke somewhere (not sure where, since the video was taken down, wonder why) and said that if the UN recognizes Palestinian statehood at the assembly general (where unlike the security council, the new Rome has no veto power): “this would be exceedingly politically damaging in our domestic context, as you can well imagine. And I cannot frankly think of a greater threat to our ability to maintain financial and political support for the United Nations in congress than such an outcome.” So depsite administrations of both parties professing to support the creation of a Palestinian state, the US would be so offended by the UN doing just that, that it would not be able to continue funding or participating in the organization. Gotcha, Ambassador.
This attitude becomes more understandable when one realizes that the US regards Israel as not merely an ally, but an extension of itself. Did you know that anyone contemplating an attack on your home anywhere in the world, they can use Google Earth to see your house down to the windows and the shape of the cornices? Well of course you knew that, but I meant to say “anywhere but Israel”. The 2007 National Security Authorization Act includes an amendment, known as the Kyl-Bingaman, which explicitly prohibits the collection and distribution of high-resolution images from Israel. When my Palestinian tweet-buddies began passing this tidbit along, I said “what ARE you talking about? I’ve seen my house here in Israel on Google Earth.” But then I realized what the point was and compared the resolutions, and whaddaya know.
2100 years ago, another super-power used its military might to guarantee the interests of a Jewish state. It threatened any would-be invaders not to even think of it, forbade them from trying to evade its customs, and the Hasmonean Kingdom enjoyed the fruits of this deferred check. Eventually, though, Rome collected. Just a lil’ something to ponder. (for more highly relevant historical parallels, or rhymes as Mark Twain would have it, buy my book “Jewcy Story, Volume 1: The unofficial, unorthodox, unabashed story of an unusual tribe” and get 500 years of Jewish history for only $5. And remember – Kindle works on smartphones and PC’s as well!).
Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) is trying to pull a fast one. In 2002, the Supreme Court ordered him to register Conservative and Reform converts under “Nationality: Jewish” in their ID cards. Yishai, who as an Orthodox Jew is loathe to do anything that would remotely acknowledge the conversions sanctioned by rival denominations, simply canceled the “nationality” category (but retained a way of distinguishing Jewish citizens from uncircumsized dogs by marking the Jews with a Hebrew date of birth). Now, says Yishai, poor holocaust survivors who for whatever reason need to be re-issued an ID card are complaining bitterly about not being marked as Jews, so he’s putting the category back – but only for those who want it. So the ID card, whose sole supposed purpose is to distinguish citizens from non-citizens, not only continues to distinguish between different classes of citizens, but is now to become an “as you like it” rag.
Yishai, btw, has bigger worries. Legendary former Shas leader Aryeh Deri is making a comeback to politics, and may be eyeing a return to the top spot in his old home. I’m not sure what’s worse for Yishai – to be ousted from the driver’s seat by his old nemesis, or for Deri to form his own party (which unlike Shas promises to be more moderate and peace-oriented) and get more seats than Shas in the next election as a poll published this weekend predicts.
Bibi has decided to “get tough” with Hamas over the stalled negotiations for a prisoner swap to bring Gilad Shalit home. Said toughness involves reducing the amenities enjoyed by the thousands of Hamas prisoners in Israel – stuff like being able to complete university degrees by correspondence and such. I can just see Ahmad Jaabari and Muhammad Dif, leaders of the Hamas military wing: “Oh no, brother Mustafa won’t be able to get his B.A.! And they won’t let him play ping-pong! Nothing to be done, gotta let Shalit go….”
The truth is that the leadership of Hamas, particularly the military wing and the political leadership in Damascus, who control the fate of Shalit, don’t really give a rat’s ass about the suffering of their people, or about 1,000 families who could have had their loved ones back many months ago. And for whatever reason (I don’t believe it’s the threat of the German mediator to quit), Nutanyahoo isn’t doing the obvious and publishing the names of those whom Israel has agreed to release, so their (extended) families would know what’s at stake.
Speaking of the scum that is Hamas, it is hilarious to hear them greet Netanyahu’s announcement that he will toughen the incarcerations of their prisoners with screams of “violation of international law!!!”. This from an organization that has been keeping a POW underground without even visits by the Red Cross for 5 years.
Israel’s propaganda machine, known as “Hasbara” (a Hebrew word meaning “explaining” that has become a derisive derogatory), has pulled an especially lame one. They released a video, showing a person calling himself “Mark”, who claimed he was not allowed to join the new Gaza flotilla due to being gay. The vid was suspicious from the get-go, since the person who posted it had zero documented online activity prior to doing so. Ali Abu-Nimah and his crew at The Electronic Intifada did some sleuthing (fresh off their success in unmasking the vile Tom MacMaster, aka “Amina, the Gay Girl in Damascus”), found that the vid was posted from an IP at the Israeli PM’s office, and then discovered that “Mark” is actually an Israeli club promoter named Omer Gershon. This is what they call “Pinkwashing”, and much as I am proud that gays aren’t treated as poorly here as they are virtually everywhere else in the Middle East (although things are far from perfect), this is pathetic.
A couple of Israelis were arrested and convicted in Poland of stealing “mementos” from Auschwitz. Curiously, not only were they let off with a fine and a suspended sentence, but their names were withheld – not just here in Israel but in the Polish press as well. Gotta wonder if Israel’s Foreign Ministry went to bat for them. If so, that is totally wrong. It should be in Israel’s interest that ANYONE desecrating Auschwitz be punished harshly, Israeli or not.
Speaking of the Foreign Ministry – a couple of fascist Knesset members put a bill forward that would tax foreign donations for “left wing” NGO’s at 45%. Of course they didn’t really mean it to pass since you can’t specify that only left wing orgs get taxed and the Judonazi orgs would starve without fundie and Brooklyn Hassidic money. However, they met with an unexpected objection from the Foreign Ministry, which explained that such a law would only further the criticism of Israel’s fading democracy.
I almost forgot – read this for a view on some of the least publicized crimes of the occupation, in the Jordan Valley which a shocking 63% of Israelis seem to think is under Israeli sovereignty (it isn’t. It’s as illegally occupied as Nablus).
Finally, in another chapter of “Israel and its catastrophic infrastructure”, the world-famous coral reef preserve of Eilat is in danger to a crude oil spill of 1-2 tons. The perpetrators are yet to be identified, much less apprehended. Our EPA claims that cleanup is progressing successfully and that by tomorrow the waters will be clean – which I find suspiciously optimistic, and even so no-one knows what the irreversible damage to the reef will be.
That has already happened. What hasn’t yet is an immense explosion at the Kiryat Atta “gas farm” just north of Haifa, which unlawfully holds many thousands of cooking gas containers above ground, rather than in re-inforced underground pens as required. Next time there’s a war with Hizballah, if those fucks get lucky enough, they’ll hit that and tens of thousands will lose their homes and lives. So it goes in the land of the half-assed “it’ll be ok” mentality.
That’ll do it for this week. WHU Airlines is not responsible for any illusions, sympathies or misconceptions that may have been misplaced on our tours. Please collect your senses and check your comments* (and donations, if you’ve a mind) where appropriate. Thank you for flying the crazy skies.
* Please do comment. I write for feedback. Thanks!
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