Israelske soldater nægter at gøre tjeneste i Gaza

Posted on July 27, 2010

Denne holdning kræver et mere end almindeligt mod. Gid der var mange flere af dem.

Læs også: Støt de israelske refuseniks.

“The Israeli army is second to none, elite, humanitarian, heroic. Just don’t tell the Somali pirates”

Posted on June 7, 2010

Robert Fisk om de vestlige mediers utrolige følgagtighed over for Israel (ja, jeg kigger blandt andet på jer, JP og Politiken!):

I wasn’t personally at all surprised at the killings on the Turkish ship. In Lebanon, I’ve seen this indisciplined rabble of an army – as “elite” as the average rabble of Arab armies – shooting at civilians. I saw them watching the Sabra and Shatila massacre of Palestinians on the morning of 18 September (the last day of the slaughter) by their vicious Lebanese militia allies. I was present at the Qana massacre by Israeli gunners in 1996 – “Arabushim” (the equivalent of the abusive term “Ayrab” in English), one of the gunners called the 106 dead civilians, more than half of them children, in the Israeli press. Then the Israeli government of Nobel laureate Shimon Peres said there were terrorists among the dead civilians – totally untrue, but who cares? – and then came the second Qana massacre in 2006 and then the 2008-09 Gaza slaughter of 1,300 Palestinians, most of them children, and then…

The amazing thing in all this is that so many Western journalists – and I’m including the BBC’s pusillanimous coverage of the Gaza aid ships – are writing like Israeli journalists, while many Israeli journalists are writing about the killings with the courage that Western journalists should demonstrate. And about the Israeli army itself. Take Amos Harel’s devastating report in Haaretz which analyses the make-up of the Israeli army’s officer corps. In the past, many of them came from the leftist kibbutzim tradition, from greater Tel Aviv or from the coastal plain of Sharon. In 1990, only 2 per cent of army cadets were religious Orthodox Jews. Today the figure is 30 per cent. Six of the seven lieutenant-colonels in the Golani Brigade are religious. More than 50 per cent of local commanders are “national” religious in some infantry brigades.

Link: The truth behind the Israeli propaganda

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Bagslag

Posted on June 1, 2010

Til dem, der mener, at alt er OK og Israel bare gør, hvad Israel nu må gøre, vil jeg citere Citizen:

Medmindre Israel kan godtgøre, at konvojen udgjorde en umiddelbar trussel mod staten Israels sikkerhed, alternativt befandt sig i israelsk territorialfarvand og gentagne gange havde nægtet at efterkomme ordrer fra den israelske flåde, så er det endog meget svært at se, hvordan angrebet ikke skulle være i strid med så godt som samtlige folkeretslige konventioner om international skibsfart.

Nuvel, Citizen er måske lidt moderat. Her er en israeler, der ikke spæger sine ord:

Gaza flotilla drives Israel into a sea of stupidity

The Israeli propaganda machine has reached new highs its hopeless frenzy. It has distributed menus from Gaza restaurants, along with false information. It embarrassed itself by entering a futile public relations battle, which it might have been better off never starting. They want to maintain the ineffective, illegal and unethical siege on Gaza and not let the “peace flotilla” dock off the Gaza coast?

We are all in the chorus saying there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We are all part of the chorus claiming the occupation of Gaza has ended, and that the flotilla is a violent attack on Israeli sovereignty - the cement is for building bunkers and the convoy is being funded by the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood. The Israeli siege of Gaza will topple Hamas and free Gilad Shalit. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levy, one of the most ridiculous of the propagandists, outdid himself when he unblinkingly proclaimed that the aid convoy headed toward Gaza was a violation of international law. Right. Exactly.

Five years ago, the noted Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who is a Jerusalem Prize laureate, after concluding his visit to Israel, said the Israeli occupation was approaching its grotesque phase. Over the weekend Vargas Llosa, who considers himself a friend of Israel, was present to see that that phase has since reached new heights of absurdity.

Og nu? Som modtræk til Israels angreb på nødhjælpskonvojen har Ægypten hævet blokaden og åbnet grænsen til Gaza:

Egypt opens Gaza border following IDF raid on aid flotilla

Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, letting Palestinians cross until further notice amid a storm of international criticism of Israel’s blockade of the enclave, officials in Egypt and Gaza said.

It is the only point on Gaza’s borders that is not fully controlled by Israel. Cairo, coordinating with Israel, has opened it only sparingly since Hamas Islamists, who are allied to Egypt’s opposition, seized control of Gaza three years ago.

Det forekommer rimeligt sikkert at konkludere, at uanset hvad, Israel har håbet på at opnå med denne aktion, er det ikke lykkedes for dem. Tværtimod. Og det er - midt i tragedien for de dræbte og deres familie - altid noget.

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Breaking the Silence

Posted on September 27, 2009

Breaking the Silence er en israelsk soldaterorganisation, der har sat sig for at bryde det israelske samfunds hårdnakkede og selvvalgte tavshed om de ting, deres egne soldater foretager sig i de besatte områder.

På Faklen.dk skriver Gry Waagner Falkenstrøm om et besøg i Hebron sammen med en soldat fra Breaking the Silence, der viser rundt i nutidens og fortidens forbrydelser:

Vi er på besøg hos Issa’ Amru, en palæstinensisk borger i Hebron og en af Ilans gode venner og samarbejdspartnere i oplysningsarbejdet, der ivrigt tegner et portræt af indbyggernes umulige hverdag. Der er nok af personlige historier til at underbygge med; den unge palæstinensiske mand, der blev tvunget af israelske soldater til at sidde på hug i solen, en 16-årig der blev banket. Den palæstinensiske kvinde der blev sparket af en soldat på gaden, en anden kvinde der blev nødt til at føde ved et checkpoint. Forskelsbehandling af palæstinensere og bosættere fra politiets side. Bosætternes daglige chikane af deres palæstinensiske naboer til de på et tidspunkt er tvunget til at flytte fra deres hjem. Den ødelæggende virkning, som checkpoints og muren har på almindelige palæstinenseres muligheder for at leve et normalt liv med landbrug, handel, uddannelse og job i andre dele af Vestbredden. “Folk skal vide, hvad der sker. Vi filmer de fleste konkrete episoder, og så håber vi på, at så mange som muligt ser de videoer, vi lægger ind på Youtube. Vi er desperate, men det er det eneste, vi kan gøre. Vi afleverer tit vores bånd til politiet, men jeg tager altid en kopi inden, for jeg ved godt, hvor de bånd havner”. [...]

En ung palæstinenser [gik] ud fra den port deroppe. Han havde et skarpt stykke glas bundet om hånden og prøvede at dræbe en soldat med det. Han blev lynhurtigt slået ned. En af de andre soldater skød ham på nært hold, mange gange. Jeg og nogle af mine venner kom løbende til, og vi prøvede at redde ham. Men så var det, at bosætterne havde fundet ud af, hvad der var sket, og de prøvede at få os væk fra ham og råbte, hvad fanden vi havde gang i. Da det ikke lykkedes, og vi stadig prøvede at redde fyren, angreb de os. De skubbede på os fra alle sider og maste os ned i ham, for på den måde at slå ham endeligt ihjel. Vi væltede rundt, og der var blod overalt. Efter lidt tid kom en ambulance og tog fyren med. Han var død for længst. Jeg kan huske, vi satte os under det træ og prøvede at vaske noget af blodet af os. Ude på vejen lå der en kæmpe blodpøl, og vi soldater, der havde prøvet at hjælpe, havde blod overalt. Efterfølgende hentede nogle af bosætterne musikanlægget fra festen, og så begyndte de hujende at danse rundt om blodpølen. Der tænkte jeg, hvad fanden laver du her. Hvordan kan virkeligheden være så sådan her?[...]

Separationspolitikken har aldrig hjulpet på palæstinensisk vold. Den medvirker tværtimod til at forværre situationen, så jeg tror det eneste, der kan hjælpe på spændingerne og sikkerheden her, er skridt for skridt at gøre en ende på denne apartheidstat og gøre det mere demokratisk. For som det ser ud nu, tror jeg kun, det er et spørgsmål om tid, inden den tredje intifada begynder.

Link: Breaking the Silence

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Abbas-regimets tortur

Posted on August 14, 2009

Hvad skal man mene om Mahmoud Abbas, den israelske regerings “fredspartner”, som efter balladen for nogle år siden vippede Hamas-regeringen af pinden på Vestbredden?

Vel, naboerne til et han hans fængsler klager nu over, at de ikke kan sove om natten på grund af skrigene fra fanger, der bliver torteret i det fængsel, Abbas’ styrker kører i kvarteret:

A number of residents of al-Jabryat neighborhood in Jenin complained that they can no longer bear hearing the cries of prisoners being tortured in a neighboring prison that is run by the General Intelligence of Mahmoud Abbas.

Local residents said that a number of residents have actually moved out of the neighborhood because they could not sleep at night hearing those cries, saying that as the prisoners were being physically tortured in the said prison, they were being psychologically tortured.

“We cannot sleep at night because of the cries of the Hamas detainees. We have been like this for the past two years and everyday we say this problem will end tomorrow, but it seems this story is going take long,” said one of the residents of the neighborhood.

He also pointed out that the prices of property in the area around the General Intelligence headquarters have plummeted as a result.

Jeg tror godt, vi kan blive enige om, at der er et problem. Palæstina kan føje sig til den meget lange liste af arabiske lande, der formelig skriger på forandringer i det politiske liv. I dette tilfælde ville en mere åben og demokratisk regering jo nok desværre betyde en præsident, der er mindre velvilligt underdanig overfor Israel, og som derfor vil være uspiselig for “verdenssamfundet”, der ikke synes på vej til at fravige princippet om, at Israel har carte blanche til alt.

Vel, måske med den nye regering i USA … men vi skal nok ikke holde vejret.

Link: Residents of al-Jbaryat: we cannot sleep because of the cries of prisoners in PA (via Angry Arab)

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Ezra Nawi - en israelsk helt (fortsat)

Posted on June 22, 2009

I forlængelse af dette indlæg fik jeg i dag et svar på min protest fra det israelske justitsministerium.

Den pågældende bureaukrat skriver blandt andet, at

1. Mr. Nawi arrives every week to southern mount Hebron area and recently also to
Etzion area and joins Palestinian residents there. Together with these Palestinian
residents he knowingly enters areas in close vicinity of Israeli settlements that are
closed military areas.
2. During these weekly occurrences, Mr. Nawi provokes the local residents.
Subsequently, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli Police arrive, and are
confronted by Mr. Nawi who has often uses insults and sometimes even force
against members of the security forces.
3. Mr. Nawi was detained, arrested and investigated several times for his behavior and on March 19, 2009 was convicted of participating in a riot and assaulting two Police officers (Cr.C. (Jerusalem) 3246/07 The State of Israel v. Ezra Nawi). His case is scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2009.

Problemet med flere af disse oplysninger er, ud over den simple omstændighed, at hverken bosætterne eller den israelske hær har noget som helst at gøre i Hebron-området, at de ganske enkelt ikke passer. Jeg har derfor sendt justitsministeriet dette svar, som også er sendt til Support Ezra-kampagnen og den israelske ambassade i Danmark:

Thanks for your response.

I note that Ezra Nawi has been arrested and behaving the way you describe while protesting the illegal harassment of Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the Hebron area.

I also note that the settlers´ presence in the area is illegal according to international law, as installing part of your own civilian population in an area that you occupy is a war crime.

I also note that we are talking about settlements in the West Bank of Jordan, an area that Israel is currently illegally occupying and in which the Israeli military has no business whatsoever.

I also note that the events which led to Ezra Nawi´s conviction are described thus on Wikipedia, citing a considerable number of reliable sources:

“During the incident for which Nawi was charged, which was filmed and broadcast on Israel´s Channel 1, he can be seen non-violently resisting the demolition of the home before being taken into custody by members of the border police. Despite the video, which does not show Nawi violently resisting the police, he was found guilty on March 19, 2009 by an Israeli court of assaulting a police officer and participating in a riot, which scheduled sentencing for July 1.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Nawi)

I hereby conclude that Mr. Nawi´s conviction seems to be unfair, and if so he deserves a complete exoneration.

And the Palestinian population on the West Bank deserve that the Israeli army once and for all withdraws from an area where the have no business at all, and whose continued occupation is a crime against international law for which I hope all responsible Israeli leaders will one day stand
trial.

In the meantime, Mr. Ezra Nawi should be set free and, as I said, exonerated.

best regards,
…

For slet ikke at tale om, at de burde give ham en medalje for at påtale, hvad alt for mange af hans medborgere tier stille med.

Link: Free Ezra!

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Ezra, en israelsk helt - opråb fra Noam Chomsky og Naomi Klein

Posted on June 10, 2009

Jeg har modtaget denne kampagnemail fra Jewish Voice for Peace:

Every so often someone comes along who is so brave and so inspiring that you just can’t sit by and remain silent when you learn they need your help.

We’re writing to you today about one of these rare people.

His name is Ezra Nawi.

You’ve probably never heard of him, but because you may know our names, now you will know his name.

Ezra Nawi is one of Israel’s most courageous human rights activists and without your help, he will likely go to jail in less than 30 days.

His crime? He tried to stop a military bulldozer from destroying the homes of Palestinian Bedouins in the South Hebron region. These homes and the families who live in them have been under Israeli occupation for 42 years. They still live without electricity, running water and other basic services. They are continuously harassed by Jewish settlers and the military.

Nawi’s friends have launched a campaign to generate tens of thousands of letters to Israeli embassies all over the world before he is due to be sentenced in July. They’ve asked for your help.

His name is Ezra Nawi

His name is Ezra Nawi.

We keep saying his name because we believe that the more people know him and know his name, the harder it will be for the Israeli military to send him quietly to jail.

And Ezra Nawi is anything but quiet.

He is a Jewish Israeli of Iraqi descent who speaks fluent Arabic.

He is a gay man in his fifties and a plumber by trade.

He has dedicated his life to helping those who are trampled on. He has stood by Jewish single mothers who pitched tents in front of the Knesset while struggling for a living wage, and by Palestinians threatened with expulsion from their homes.

He is loved by those with little power, to whom he dedicates his life, and hated by the Jewish settlers, military and police.

Now that you know Ezra, you have a chance to stand up for him, and for everything that he represents. Especially now, as Israel escalates its crackdown on human rights and pro-democracy activists.

He needs you. His friends need you. Those he helps every day need you. So please send a letter to the Consulate, to the media, to your family and friends.

Take just a moment to write your letter. Do it now. And then share his name with a friend. Do it for Ezra Nawi.

Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Neve Gordon

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Sammenhængskraft

Posted on May 1, 2009

Israel har netop fejret sin uafhængighedsdag, og i den anledning funderer Gideon Levy i Ha’aretz over den jødiske stats sammenhængskraft, eller rettere sagt, han fremmaner billedet af et nærmest på alle måder splittet samfund:

One-quarter of the Jewish state’s population is not Jewish, and one-fifth are members of the Arab nation. The language of the Arabs in Israel, their world, culture and viewpoints certainly do not allow them to be part of “the Israeli people.” Excluded, discriminated against, ostracized, alienated, and secluded in their towns and villages, they certainly are not part of the tribal campfire.

The same is true, but to a lesser extent, of the 1 million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Among them, too, one can see trends of seclusion and sometimes even arrogance, alongside a measured integration by the second generation. They are all “Russians” rather than Israelis, and it’s doubtful whether this will change in the near future. Fact - even the “Mizrahim”, most of whom have lived here for around 50 years, are still a separate tribe. Possibly due to discrimination and other reasons, they have not found a respectable place in the country’s elite/

Don’t mention the exceptions, don’t talk about the two presidents, the two foreign ministers and the two chiefs of staff - the Jews of eastern origin, and in particular those from North Africa, have not made it here. They have not secured a place of equality two generations after arriving. Most of them live on the outskirts of large cities or in outlying development towns, and a there are still a great many more immigrants from North Africa in prison than in the top echelons.

Every Ashkenazi reader should ask himself how many of his friends are Mizrahim, and every Mizrahi Jew, how many of his friends are Ashkenazi. Let each of us examine whether it’s a matter of chance that we have not had a prime minister of Mizrahi origin. And how many members of the economic, defense, scientific, legal, media and cultural elites are Mizrahim?

The ultra-Orthodox Jews live in their own world, more so now than 50 years ago. You will barely see ultra-Orthodox families today in a secular environment. They have less in common with secular Jews than the secular Jews have with members of other peoples. A visit by a secular person to Mea She’arim is like an anthropological tour. The language, newspapers, customs, dress, culture and even the morals are different.

Levys konlusion? Perhaps not yet lost, but still 10 tribes.

Link: The 10 tribes

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Israelske soldater: Vi dræbte ubevæbnede civile i Gaza

Posted on March 20, 2009

To israelske aviser kunne i går bringe en række øjenvidneberetninger fra soldater om årsskiftets aktion mod Gaza, hvor de fortæller om, hvordan de igen og igen og med fuldt overlæg dræbte ubevæbnede og uskadelige civile - ofte på direkte ordre fra deres officerer.

The Guardian fortæller:

One soldier described how an Israeli sniper shot dead a Palestinian mother and her children, adding that troops believed Palestinian lives were “very, very, less important than the lives of our soldiers”.

The accounts, published in two Israeli newspapers yesterday, gives rare insight into how the soldiers acted. It reinforces Palestinian accounts of disproportionate Israeli force and contradicts the Israeli military’s official version of events.

The accounts come from unnamed soldiers who were graduates of a pre-military course at Oranim Academic college, in Tivon, near Haifa. Their testimony was given in mid-February, and the transcript of the session was published this week.

Ha’aretz newspaper printed one infantry squad leader’s description of the shooting of unarmed civilians: “There was a house with a family inside … We put them in a room … a few days after there was an order to release [them]. There was a sniper position on the roof. The platoon commander let the family go and told them to go to the right. One mother and her two children didn’t understand and went to the left, but they forgot to tell the sharpshooter on the roof they had let them go and it was OK, and he should hold his fire and he … he did what he was supposed to, like he was following his orders.

“The sharpshooter saw a woman and children approaching him, closer than the lines he was told no one should pass. He shot them … In any case, what happened is that in the end he killed them.”

Link: Israeli troops describe shooting Gaza civilians

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Israel-Gaza: Blokade, hvilken blokade?

Posted on February 26, 2009

KABOBfest skriver i et indlæg om den amerikanske regerings nyfundne tendens til somme tider at kritisere Israel for manglende velvilje lidt om, hvor hårdt blokaden mod Gaza egentlig håndhæves:

Israel is letting in fewer than 200 trucks daily, which is double how many it was allowing a month ago. The U.S., the EU and the UN are demanding that at least 500 trucks carrying aid be allowed into the Strip daily, while some aid groups were calling for 900.

Israel’s absurd restrictions on what constitutes aid led to the bizarre banning of pasta from Gaza.

When Senator John Kerry visited, he learned that many trucks loaded with pasta were not permitted in. When the chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee inquired as to the reason for the delay, he was told by United Nations aid officials that “Israel does not define pasta as part of humanitarian aid - only rice shipments.”

The embargo is being upheld even to the detriment of basic needs because of the predominance of rightists in Israel who see Palestinian survival as “concessions” to Hamas.