13 may 2014
Palestinian Orthodox Christians attending Palm Sunday mass at the Saint Porfirios church in Gaza City on April 13
By Yadin Elam
In an article published in Time magazine late last month, Finance Minister Yair Lapid explained why he supported Israel’s decision to suspend talks with the Palestinian Authority. One of the reasons Lapid lists is the character of the Hamas regime which rules Gaza.
Hamas “rules over Gaza in a reign of Islamic terror that has resulted in the murder of hundreds of Christians just because they are Christians, the oppression of women, and the public hanging of homosexuals from electricity poles,” wrote Lapid.
The claim that Hamas is responsible for the murder of hundreds of Christians surprised me.
I follow what is happening in the Gaza Strip and I did not remember a report on the murder of hundreds of Christians, whether because they are Christians or for any other reason. At first I thought there was a mistake in the Hebrew translation I read on Haaretz’s Hebrew website, but when I read the English original, I saw that was precisely what Lapid had written.
True, Lapid has already been accused a number of times in the past for not being precise. But these cases were mostly things he posted on Facebook, and I assumed he and his staff conducted a thorough examination of the facts before sending the article to be published in a respected international magazine like Time.
That is why I started checking the basis of the claim. I found numerous reports about the difficulties facing the Christian community in the Gaza Strip since Hamas took power there, and data showing the number of Christians in the Gaza Strip has fallen from some 3,000 people in 2007 to 1,400 in 2011 as a result of emigration, whether to the West Bank or elsewhere. But I found mention of only one Palestinian Christian who was killed in the Gaza Strip: Rami Ayyad, who owned the only Christian bookstore in the Gaza Strip, was accused of missionary activity, and was viciously murdered in October 2007.
Other than references to this case, I could not find any source indicating that Christians were being killed in Gaza, and certainly not that hundreds were being murdered.
Since at this stage I still assumed that Lapid’s claims had a factual basis, I posted the following message on his Facebook page on April 29, two days after his article was published: “Minister Lapid hello, you wrote in an article in Time magazine that Hamas rule in Gaza ‘resulted in the murder of hundreds of Christians just because they are Christians.’ I tried to find proof for the claim that hundreds of Christians were murdered in Gaza since Hamas took power and I did not succeed. Could you please refer me to the source you based [this claim] on?”
Even though my question was posted at 9:12 P.M., not even six minutes passed before Uri, a staff member for the Yesh Atid party headed by Lapid, answered me: “Hi Yadin, I am attaching an article on the matter, you are definitely invited to search for more articles on the issue.”
The article that Uri referred me to was that of Israeli journalist Enrique Zimmerman, which was broadcast on January 29, 2010, on Channel 2’s “Ulpan Shishi,” which at the time was hosted by none other than Yair Lapid. In fact, it was Lapid who introduced Zimmerman’s story. But what the report actually said was that the Muslims in the Gaza Strip were trying to conduct “ethnic cleansing” by encouraging the Christians to leave. The only case of murder mentioned in the story was that of Rami Ayyad. At the end of the report, Lapid told the viewers that Hamas denounced attacking Christians and claimed the attackers were religious fanatics.
I sat down and wrote to Uri: “The story from 2012 that you attached does speak of the difficult lives of Christians in Gaza, but it only mentions the murder of one man. So the question of what is the proof for the claim that ‘hundreds of Christians’ were murdered in Gaza still remains, and I would be happy to receive an answer to it.” In response, Uri quoted to me the headline of the report: “Christian schools, public and cultural institutions are burnt and blown up, and Christian public figures are being murdered.”
“The headline already says that Christian public ‘figures’ are being murdered,” Uri wrote. “Simple logic means this is more than one person, and therefore, in the story they gave the example of one person.”
To my great regret, this answer failed to make it clear how Lapid could have concluded from the story that “hundreds of Christians” were murdered in Gaza, and so I continued to question: “And you still have not brought a single bit of proof — and when hundreds of people are murdered there is a lot of proof — for the claim that hundreds of Christians have been murdered in Gaza since Hamas took power. After all, Minister Lapid based himself on sources and did not invent this claim, so why it is so hard to produce one piece of evidence?”
But neither Lapid nor anyone else on his behalf has bothered to answer this simple question. Could it be that Lapid invented the claim of hundreds of Christians murdered in the Gaza Strip?
Let us take a brief detour. On October 28, 2009, Berlanty Azzam, a Christian student who was nearing the end of her studies at Bethlehem University, was expelled from the West Bank because her official address was in the Gaza Strip. During that period I served as the head of the legal department of Gisha, a legal advocacy group for freedom of movement, which, along with Azzam, petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow her to return to the West Bank to finish her degree.
On December 12, slightly more than a month before Zimmerman’s report on “Ulpan Shishi,” the High Court denied the petition. Several briefs on both sides were filed during the hearing, but not one of them said a word about any danger Azzam might face as a Christian living in Gaza.
I call on Lapid to reveal to Time magazine’s readers, to the readers of Haaretz and to the rest of the citizens of Israel — whom he represents — the basis of his claim that “hundreds of Christians” were murdered in Gaza. I have no doubt that if Lapid discovers there was a mistake in his article, he will not hesitate to correct it.
By Yadin Elam
In an article published in Time magazine late last month, Finance Minister Yair Lapid explained why he supported Israel’s decision to suspend talks with the Palestinian Authority. One of the reasons Lapid lists is the character of the Hamas regime which rules Gaza.
Hamas “rules over Gaza in a reign of Islamic terror that has resulted in the murder of hundreds of Christians just because they are Christians, the oppression of women, and the public hanging of homosexuals from electricity poles,” wrote Lapid.
The claim that Hamas is responsible for the murder of hundreds of Christians surprised me.
I follow what is happening in the Gaza Strip and I did not remember a report on the murder of hundreds of Christians, whether because they are Christians or for any other reason. At first I thought there was a mistake in the Hebrew translation I read on Haaretz’s Hebrew website, but when I read the English original, I saw that was precisely what Lapid had written.
True, Lapid has already been accused a number of times in the past for not being precise. But these cases were mostly things he posted on Facebook, and I assumed he and his staff conducted a thorough examination of the facts before sending the article to be published in a respected international magazine like Time.
That is why I started checking the basis of the claim. I found numerous reports about the difficulties facing the Christian community in the Gaza Strip since Hamas took power there, and data showing the number of Christians in the Gaza Strip has fallen from some 3,000 people in 2007 to 1,400 in 2011 as a result of emigration, whether to the West Bank or elsewhere. But I found mention of only one Palestinian Christian who was killed in the Gaza Strip: Rami Ayyad, who owned the only Christian bookstore in the Gaza Strip, was accused of missionary activity, and was viciously murdered in October 2007.
Other than references to this case, I could not find any source indicating that Christians were being killed in Gaza, and certainly not that hundreds were being murdered.
Since at this stage I still assumed that Lapid’s claims had a factual basis, I posted the following message on his Facebook page on April 29, two days after his article was published: “Minister Lapid hello, you wrote in an article in Time magazine that Hamas rule in Gaza ‘resulted in the murder of hundreds of Christians just because they are Christians.’ I tried to find proof for the claim that hundreds of Christians were murdered in Gaza since Hamas took power and I did not succeed. Could you please refer me to the source you based [this claim] on?”
Even though my question was posted at 9:12 P.M., not even six minutes passed before Uri, a staff member for the Yesh Atid party headed by Lapid, answered me: “Hi Yadin, I am attaching an article on the matter, you are definitely invited to search for more articles on the issue.”
The article that Uri referred me to was that of Israeli journalist Enrique Zimmerman, which was broadcast on January 29, 2010, on Channel 2’s “Ulpan Shishi,” which at the time was hosted by none other than Yair Lapid. In fact, it was Lapid who introduced Zimmerman’s story. But what the report actually said was that the Muslims in the Gaza Strip were trying to conduct “ethnic cleansing” by encouraging the Christians to leave. The only case of murder mentioned in the story was that of Rami Ayyad. At the end of the report, Lapid told the viewers that Hamas denounced attacking Christians and claimed the attackers were religious fanatics.
I sat down and wrote to Uri: “The story from 2012 that you attached does speak of the difficult lives of Christians in Gaza, but it only mentions the murder of one man. So the question of what is the proof for the claim that ‘hundreds of Christians’ were murdered in Gaza still remains, and I would be happy to receive an answer to it.” In response, Uri quoted to me the headline of the report: “Christian schools, public and cultural institutions are burnt and blown up, and Christian public figures are being murdered.”
“The headline already says that Christian public ‘figures’ are being murdered,” Uri wrote. “Simple logic means this is more than one person, and therefore, in the story they gave the example of one person.”
To my great regret, this answer failed to make it clear how Lapid could have concluded from the story that “hundreds of Christians” were murdered in Gaza, and so I continued to question: “And you still have not brought a single bit of proof — and when hundreds of people are murdered there is a lot of proof — for the claim that hundreds of Christians have been murdered in Gaza since Hamas took power. After all, Minister Lapid based himself on sources and did not invent this claim, so why it is so hard to produce one piece of evidence?”
But neither Lapid nor anyone else on his behalf has bothered to answer this simple question. Could it be that Lapid invented the claim of hundreds of Christians murdered in the Gaza Strip?
Let us take a brief detour. On October 28, 2009, Berlanty Azzam, a Christian student who was nearing the end of her studies at Bethlehem University, was expelled from the West Bank because her official address was in the Gaza Strip. During that period I served as the head of the legal department of Gisha, a legal advocacy group for freedom of movement, which, along with Azzam, petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow her to return to the West Bank to finish her degree.
On December 12, slightly more than a month before Zimmerman’s report on “Ulpan Shishi,” the High Court denied the petition. Several briefs on both sides were filed during the hearing, but not one of them said a word about any danger Azzam might face as a Christian living in Gaza.
I call on Lapid to reveal to Time magazine’s readers, to the readers of Haaretz and to the rest of the citizens of Israel — whom he represents — the basis of his claim that “hundreds of Christians” were murdered in Gaza. I have no doubt that if Lapid discovers there was a mistake in his article, he will not hesitate to correct it.
4 mar 2014
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that his country will not allow turning the West Bank into another Gaza in any future agreement, adding, “any agreement will include a Palestinian recognition to a ( Jewish state).” He said last night during his speech to the IPAC , the Jewish lobby conference, “ the Jewish nature of Israel should be taken into consideration in the future agreements.”
Kerry explained, It is incumbent on both sides to take tough decisions, pointing out, the success of any Israeli-Palestinian agreement is based on many factors including: security, mutual recognition, agreeing on a final solution for the Palestinian refugees but without changing the Jewish nature of Israel and announcing the end of the conflict.
By referring to the Occupied Jerusalem, he said, it is in need for a solution that enables it to continue being a city of peace.
Kerry stressed the Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu’s commitment to peace and that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is intended to be a partner in the agreement but he has his own views towards any “equitable agreement” . “ Abbas is aware of the price of the failure of the peace talks,” Kerry added.
Israelis and Palestinians have been engaged in seven months of direct peace talks which are due to expire at the end of April.
Israeli occupation PM Benyamin Netanyahu visited Washington on Monday to meet with U.S president Barak Obama to discuss the peace talks and Iran issue.
During the talks with Netanyahu, Obama said that Israel needs to make some tough decisions in order to find peace with the Palestinians.
Kerry explained, It is incumbent on both sides to take tough decisions, pointing out, the success of any Israeli-Palestinian agreement is based on many factors including: security, mutual recognition, agreeing on a final solution for the Palestinian refugees but without changing the Jewish nature of Israel and announcing the end of the conflict.
By referring to the Occupied Jerusalem, he said, it is in need for a solution that enables it to continue being a city of peace.
Kerry stressed the Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu’s commitment to peace and that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is intended to be a partner in the agreement but he has his own views towards any “equitable agreement” . “ Abbas is aware of the price of the failure of the peace talks,” Kerry added.
Israelis and Palestinians have been engaged in seven months of direct peace talks which are due to expire at the end of April.
Israeli occupation PM Benyamin Netanyahu visited Washington on Monday to meet with U.S president Barak Obama to discuss the peace talks and Iran issue.
During the talks with Netanyahu, Obama said that Israel needs to make some tough decisions in order to find peace with the Palestinians.
1 mar 2014
Codepink protests against AIPAC
As thousands of protesters prepare to gather in Washington DC, on Sunday, March 2nd, to stand up against the policies promoted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a satirical video promoting the protest has raised the ire of AIPAC officials, who have threatened to sue the peace group ‘Codepink’.
The video portrays the annual AIPAC gathering in Washington as a place where Israel lobbyists can brush shoulders with the most powerful people in Washington politics, and push an agenda that is harmful to U.S. interests.
It uses video footage from the official AIPAC video promoting the gathering, with sarcastic voiceover recordings.
In one part of the video, a shot of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu speaking to the crowd is voiced over with the words, “I thank you for your zealotry, I thank you for your prejudice, and I thank you for standing up for the apartheid state of Israel.”
In another segment, a commentator asks, “Where else can you find so many elected officials willing to forgive and forget Israel’s defiance of international law?”
Codepink co-founder Medea Benjamin said in response to the threatened lawsuit, “It is absurd for AIPAC to threaten legal action over such an obviously satirical video. It is interesting that they are reacting so strongly to the clip, though. Perhaps it’s because the content is really an accurate reflection of AIPAC’s dangerous foreign policies. AIPAC does, in fact, advocate for bombing countries such as Iran and Syria; it fails to condemn Israel’s continued building of settlements and its human rights abuses against Palestinians; and, it lobbies Congress to send billions of taxpayer dollars to Israel to continue the occupation of Palestine.” She added, “What are they trying to hide by silencing this video?”
Protest organizers say that the purpose of the protest is to raise awareness of the disproportionate influence that AIPAC has over U.S. policymakers. In their organizing materials, they write, “We want to wean U.S. policy away from AIPAC’s grip towards an even-handed position that respects international law and the human rights of all people.”
Among the critiques that the protesters have of AIPAC is that “AIPAC’s call for unconditional support for the Israeli government undermines a possible negotiated solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. AIPAC promotes Israeli policies that are in direct opposition to international law, including the establishment of settlements in the Occupied West Bank, and the confiscation of Palestinian land, in its construction of the 26-foot high concrete “separation barrier” running through the West Bank.
On February 27, Amnesty International published a report called Trigger Happy providing chilling detail of Israel’s use of excessive force in the West Bank. AIPAC’s support of these illegal practices is in direct opposition to a negotiated solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. AIPAC has also been pressuring Secretary of State John Kerry to keep the political representatives of Palestinians in Gaza -- Hamas -- completely out of the peace talks. How can you come to a negotiated solution if 40 percent of all Palestinians are not represented?”
The protesters will be gathering Sunday, March 2nd, from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm across from the Convention Center in Washington DC, where the AIPAC annual meeting is taking place. This year, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will not be attending the AIPAC convention -- a fact which protesters claim is a sign of AIPAC’s waning influence in Washington.
As thousands of protesters prepare to gather in Washington DC, on Sunday, March 2nd, to stand up against the policies promoted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a satirical video promoting the protest has raised the ire of AIPAC officials, who have threatened to sue the peace group ‘Codepink’.
The video portrays the annual AIPAC gathering in Washington as a place where Israel lobbyists can brush shoulders with the most powerful people in Washington politics, and push an agenda that is harmful to U.S. interests.
It uses video footage from the official AIPAC video promoting the gathering, with sarcastic voiceover recordings.
In one part of the video, a shot of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu speaking to the crowd is voiced over with the words, “I thank you for your zealotry, I thank you for your prejudice, and I thank you for standing up for the apartheid state of Israel.”
In another segment, a commentator asks, “Where else can you find so many elected officials willing to forgive and forget Israel’s defiance of international law?”
Codepink co-founder Medea Benjamin said in response to the threatened lawsuit, “It is absurd for AIPAC to threaten legal action over such an obviously satirical video. It is interesting that they are reacting so strongly to the clip, though. Perhaps it’s because the content is really an accurate reflection of AIPAC’s dangerous foreign policies. AIPAC does, in fact, advocate for bombing countries such as Iran and Syria; it fails to condemn Israel’s continued building of settlements and its human rights abuses against Palestinians; and, it lobbies Congress to send billions of taxpayer dollars to Israel to continue the occupation of Palestine.” She added, “What are they trying to hide by silencing this video?”
Protest organizers say that the purpose of the protest is to raise awareness of the disproportionate influence that AIPAC has over U.S. policymakers. In their organizing materials, they write, “We want to wean U.S. policy away from AIPAC’s grip towards an even-handed position that respects international law and the human rights of all people.”
Among the critiques that the protesters have of AIPAC is that “AIPAC’s call for unconditional support for the Israeli government undermines a possible negotiated solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. AIPAC promotes Israeli policies that are in direct opposition to international law, including the establishment of settlements in the Occupied West Bank, and the confiscation of Palestinian land, in its construction of the 26-foot high concrete “separation barrier” running through the West Bank.
On February 27, Amnesty International published a report called Trigger Happy providing chilling detail of Israel’s use of excessive force in the West Bank. AIPAC’s support of these illegal practices is in direct opposition to a negotiated solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. AIPAC has also been pressuring Secretary of State John Kerry to keep the political representatives of Palestinians in Gaza -- Hamas -- completely out of the peace talks. How can you come to a negotiated solution if 40 percent of all Palestinians are not represented?”
The protesters will be gathering Sunday, March 2nd, from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm across from the Convention Center in Washington DC, where the AIPAC annual meeting is taking place. This year, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will not be attending the AIPAC convention -- a fact which protesters claim is a sign of AIPAC’s waning influence in Washington.
28 feb 2014
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A new copy of a satirical version of an AIPAC policy conference promotional video has been posted online after YouTube shut down the account that posted the original video.
The parody video was posted on YouTube prior to the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference, which is to be held from March 2 to 4. The video contains real footage of several US and Israeli officials at previous AIPAC policy conferences but their voices are dubbed over. “It’s exciting to see so many people together who understand that sometimes you have to violate other people’s human rights if you want to take their land,” a voiceover from a supposed conference-attendee says. |
“Where else can you find so many compassionate elected officials willing to forgive and forget Israel’s defiance of international law?” says another voice.
“Our job is to prevent the third Palestinian Intifada, ensure a nuclear-armed Israel and an Israel that always gets American taxpayers’ money,” the voice dubbed over US Vice President Joe Biden says.
“I thank you for your zealotry, I thank you for your prejudice, and I thank you for standing up for the apartheid state of Israel,” says the voice dubbed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AIPAC, which is the most powerful pro-Israel lobby group in the US, has threatened CODEPINK, a peace and social justice movement working to end US-funded wars and occupations, with legal action over the controversial video clip that it alleged was made by the peace group activists.
After the account that posted the original video was shut down by YouTube, CODEPINK tweeted a new copy has been posted, saying it “looks like someone put back up that AIPAC video!”
“Our job is to prevent the third Palestinian Intifada, ensure a nuclear-armed Israel and an Israel that always gets American taxpayers’ money,” the voice dubbed over US Vice President Joe Biden says.
“I thank you for your zealotry, I thank you for your prejudice, and I thank you for standing up for the apartheid state of Israel,” says the voice dubbed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AIPAC, which is the most powerful pro-Israel lobby group in the US, has threatened CODEPINK, a peace and social justice movement working to end US-funded wars and occupations, with legal action over the controversial video clip that it alleged was made by the peace group activists.
After the account that posted the original video was shut down by YouTube, CODEPINK tweeted a new copy has been posted, saying it “looks like someone put back up that AIPAC video!”
25 jan 2014
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s attack against the Florida congresswoman over Iran sanctions legislation shows its “open revolt against the White House's Iran diplomacy,” a report says.
In a letter, the AIPAC strongly lashed out at Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is known as a staunch Israel supporter, for being silent over the legislation, Foreign Policy’s The Cable reported.
According to the report, the harsh criticism that one of Congress’s most pro-Israel lawmakers is not pro-Israel enough for the lobbying group “raised eyebrows among some current and former AIPAC officials.”
AIPAC’s former chief lobbyist Doug Bloomfield said that after 40 years working with the group, the campaign against the congresswoman is “the first time [he's] seen such a blatant departure from bipartisanship.”
“Debbie cannot poke a stick in the eye of the president,” Bloomfield said. “She’s the head of the DNC for God’s sake.”
Wasserman Schultz refuses to declare her position on the bill introduced by Senators Mark Kirk and Robert Menendez last month.
The AIPAC is working hard to build support for the Senate bill that is set to impose fresh sanction on Iran if nuclear talks break down.
The White House says President Barack Obama would veto the legislation if it is passed, adding that Tehran will walk away from the negotiations. However, 59 senators have already signed on in support.
Meanwhile, AIPAC's campaign in South Florida slammed the group’s stance.
"AIPAC has really over-reached on this one and alienated key allies on the Hill over what really boils down to a small tactical difference over sanctions timing," said a congressional aide. "It's hard to come to any other conclusion that they aren't deliberately flaming the partisan flames for their own political benefit."
Under intense pressure from hawkish American lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Iran with military action if Tehran does not live up to its commitments under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last November.
“Now yes, okay, if they [Iranians] broke out and decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure they can turn around. But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do," Kerry said in Switzerland on Thursday.
In response, Iranian commander Brigadier General Seyyed Masoud Jazayeri said the United States knows the military option is not practical.
The general added that all American interests in the Middle East would be completely destroyed in the event of an attack against Iran.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s attack against the Florida congresswoman over Iran sanctions legislation shows its “open revolt against the White House's Iran diplomacy,” a report says.
In a letter, the AIPAC strongly lashed out at Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is known as a staunch Israel supporter, for being silent over the legislation, Foreign Policy’s The Cable reported.
According to the report, the harsh criticism that one of Congress’s most pro-Israel lawmakers is not pro-Israel enough for the lobbying group “raised eyebrows among some current and former AIPAC officials.”
AIPAC’s former chief lobbyist Doug Bloomfield said that after 40 years working with the group, the campaign against the congresswoman is “the first time [he's] seen such a blatant departure from bipartisanship.”
“Debbie cannot poke a stick in the eye of the president,” Bloomfield said. “She’s the head of the DNC for God’s sake.”
Wasserman Schultz refuses to declare her position on the bill introduced by Senators Mark Kirk and Robert Menendez last month.
The AIPAC is working hard to build support for the Senate bill that is set to impose fresh sanction on Iran if nuclear talks break down.
The White House says President Barack Obama would veto the legislation if it is passed, adding that Tehran will walk away from the negotiations. However, 59 senators have already signed on in support.
Meanwhile, AIPAC's campaign in South Florida slammed the group’s stance.
"AIPAC has really over-reached on this one and alienated key allies on the Hill over what really boils down to a small tactical difference over sanctions timing," said a congressional aide. "It's hard to come to any other conclusion that they aren't deliberately flaming the partisan flames for their own political benefit."
Under intense pressure from hawkish American lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Iran with military action if Tehran does not live up to its commitments under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last November.
“Now yes, okay, if they [Iranians] broke out and decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure they can turn around. But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do," Kerry said in Switzerland on Thursday.
In response, Iranian commander Brigadier General Seyyed Masoud Jazayeri said the United States knows the military option is not practical.
The general added that all American interests in the Middle East would be completely destroyed in the event of an attack against Iran.