Kobi Snitz is a secular Israeli and an Anarchist Against the Wall.

Yesterday he created a Petition from WITHIN Israel in support of the Palestinian human rights community to call for international action. There are already over 1,500 signatures.


As if the occupation was not enough, the brutal ongoing repression of the Palestinian population, the construction of settlements and the siege of Gaza- now comes the bombardment of the civilian population: men, women, old folks and children. Hundreds of dead, hundreds of injured, overwhelmed hospitals, and the central medicine depot of Gaza bombed. The ship Dignity of the Free Gaza movement which brought emergency medical supplies and a number of physicians was also attacked. Israel has returned to openly committing war crimes, worse than what we have seen in a long time.

Israeli media do not expose their viewers to the horrors and to the voices of severe criticism of these crimes. The story told is uniform. Israeli dissidents are denounced as traitors. Public opinion including that of the Zionist left supports the Israeli policy uncritically and without reservation.

Israel's destructive criminal policy will not cease without a massive intervention by the international community. However, except for some rather weak official condemnation, the international community is reluctant to intervene,. The United States openly supports the Israeli violence and Europe, although voicing some condemnation, is unwilling to seriously consider withdrawing the ?gift? it handed Israel by upgrading its relations with the European Union.

In the past the world knew how to fight criminal policies. The boycott on South Africa was effective, but Israel is handled with kid gloves: its trade relations are flourishing, academic and cultural cooperation continue and intensify with diplomatic support.

This international backing must stop. That is the only way to stop the insatiable Israeli violence.

We are calling on the world to stop Israeli violence and not allow the continuation of the brutal occupation. We call on the world to Condemn and not become an accomplice in Israel's crimes.

In light of the above, we call on the world to implement the call by Palestinian human rights organizations which urges:

The UN Security Council to call an emergency session and adopt concrete measures, including the imposition of sanctions, in order to ensure Israel's fulfillment of its obligations under international humanitarian law.

The High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligation under common Article 1 to ensure respect for the provisions of the Conventions, taking appropriate measures to compel Israel to abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular placing pivotal importance on the respect and protection of civilians from the effects of the hostilities.

The High Contracting Parties to fulfil their legal obligation under Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to prosecute those responsible for grave breaches of the Convention.

 EU institutions and member states to make effective use of the European Union Guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law (2005/C 327/04) to ensure Israel complies with international humanitarian law under paragraph 16 (b), (c) and (d) of these guidelines, including the adoption of immediate restrictive measures and sanctions, as well as cessation of all upgrade dialogue with Israel.

To Sign:
http://www.petitiononline.com/freegaza/petition.html

by Eileen Fleming (172 articles, 101 quicklinks, 274 diaries, 650 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 7:37:31 AM

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"Israeli media do not expose their viewers to the horrors and to the voices of severe criticism of these crimes."

Uh, excuse me? Do any of the (ad hominem name deleted by editor) behind this statement speak Hebrew or monitor Israeli television and radio and newspapers?

What a load of self-serving bullshit! 

Israel media is known as some of the most self-critical in the world. No, we don't have cameras in Gaza, but we're certainly seeing pictures from the other networks that are shown here.

What a bunch of hateful, lying propagandists you are!

It's not like you don't even know Arabic and haven't even bothered to read the Hamas charter in English (it calls for war and genocide, but that obviously is of no interest to you), but to post such a blatant falsehood makes me think that you guys are part of some loony-tune lets-find-a-cause group with nothing better to do.

Wow - Eilene's post is one pathetic load of lies and mistruths that represents the fringe 0.01% .

by Joe Ben Avraham (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 2:10:19 PM

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One such individual interests us today. It seems that dangerous moves are afoot which threaten the safety of the entire planet, and that he plays a key role. At present, it is very clear that the global psychopathic manoeuvres gravitate significantly around the state of Israel, which takes its place at the centre of an horrific downward-spiral of violence, blood, despair and devastation almost beyond human imagining, which spews forth across the surrounding areas, and threatens to envelope the entire earth in its darkness.

A significant part of this phenomenon is the astounding ability of denial, to insist that reality is not represented by the evidence, but instead reality must conform to how "I say it is". When a whole society becomes infected with pathological influence then this affliction of denial becomes endemic throughout the general population. But essentially, this is the 'skill' of the psychopath.

Amos Gunsburg clearly describes this:

They make pronouncements without substantiation. To them, these pronouncements represent what reality is ... pronouncement by pronouncement. The present pronouncement may contradict what they said a moment ago. This means nothing to them. They make no attempt to deal with the contradiction.

They demonstrate a total lack of understanding what we mean by a "fact." In their writings and in their speech, they do not use that word.

We humans find this hard to believe. The use of facts is such a basic part of our lives. We base our conclusions and our actions on them. We go on from there to test things and establish more facts. When we debate, we present facts, and show how we derive our observations and our positions from them.

Without facts, all we have is what we call "fantasy."

Since these creatures have a human appearance, we assume they must think like us ... be aware of what we are aware. We think they MUST know what facts are. When they don't address the facts, we say they are playing a game. We think they do know what the facts are, but don't want to admit it.

Not so! They DON'T know what a fact is. When we speak of facts and ask them to address the facts, they look at us with vacant eyes. They don't know what we're talking about.

They study us because their strategy is to pass as human. They hear us use the words - facts, evidence, substantiation. They lack the human capacity to understand what we mean. What they do is ignore our reference to facts, ignore our requests for them to supply facts, and hope we won't notice it's due to their lack of comprehension.

From "Beyond Insanity" - Amos M. Gunsberg

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 6:07:53 PM

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Rabbi waskow has it mostly right.A good start would be to end the blockade and have a temporary cease fire.The One thing rabbi Waskow didn"t mention is that peace talks should start in earnest about giving the Palastians their soverign homeland with guarentees of full liberty.This can only take place if israel stops trying to steal more Palastinan land with illegal settlements.this is the real basis of peace and something even most liberal jews fail to recognize.

by liberalsrock (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 256 comments [53 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 8:01:41 AM

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I think you're a dupe for Palestinian propaganda. Phony "liberals" like you sound like idiot neo-cons, who simply don't bother doing any homework and learning the facts for yourselves.

You bleat out the standard slogans of "occupation" and "settlement", but have absolutely nothing to say about Palestinian war crimes (read the Amesty report for yourself ).

And, of course, you wouldn't dream of coming to Israel and spending a few weeks in Sderot working at a daycare center where you can grab the kids and get your sorry ass and their tiny butts into a shelter within 15 seconds when the alert goes off. 

Eight years and almost ten thousand anti-personnel missiles fired at civilians, and you sit in your easy chair and are god-all-mightier? Did you even know that there was no blockade and they were shooting at us? Did you know that the borders were open and they were shooting at us? 

Naw, you're just a pseudo-libearl dupe for palestinian propaganda.

by Joe Ben Avraham (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 1:59:02 PM

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Nowhere does this mindset have more of a stranglehold, than in Ehud Olmert's Israeli Zionist administration, with its insistent and increasingly hysterical denial of the worsening Palestinian holocaust.

The war of words against Iran has also definitely intensified lately. And there are other things going on at the same time, so perhaps all these things are linked.

"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 6:11:07 PM

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I'm the publisher of OEN. I'm Jewish. YOu have some valid points to make. But with all the name calling you are doing, instead of being persuasive, you are looking like a jerk. So cut out the name calling. I've cleaned up a few of your comments. I won't do it any more. If you call any names-- ie., engage in ad hominem personal attacks-- your comments will be hidden. Do it a lot and you will lose posting privileges.

Look, if you have good arguments and positions, name calling only makes you seem weak and unsure. Stick with your positions and stop excreting your anger all over the place. There's enough of that already.

by Rob Kall (952 articles, 4177 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 9:05:35 PM

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It certainly seems that you have given a lot of leeway to our friend, Mr. Avraham, however.

If you will read the post I was answering you will see that he is accusing us of being dupes. I only answered him in his own language.

But I will certainly follow your advice. I do not want to come off like a jerk!

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 11:54:51 PM

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and I totally support what you are saying. I hope that everyone that posts here will stop calling each other idiots, imbeciles, dupes, etc.  It doesn't add anything useful to the conversation and after awhile, it makes me want to ignore your comments completely.

I know the language of fear when I hear it; I have used it myself. Nobody is perfect. Fear paralyzes, so we have to get beyond the fear. 

What I find most rare in the world today is listening. We all need to start listening; to ourselves as well as each other.

Thanks for keeping it on the up and up Rob!

by Paula Sayles (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 204 comments [78 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 1:09:36 PM

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The orthodox settlers are among the biggest causes of problems. And don't be so sure that liberal Jews don't know about this.

by Rob Kall (952 articles, 4177 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 9:08:48 PM

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defense of Rabbi Michael Lerner's apologia for Israel's atrocities, but my computer started messing up and I lost 24 hours wrestling with it.

Rob's article stressed the point, and his first post to the article underlined it, that the Hamas leader (now dead?) who sent his 10-year old son into militant-Israeli-land as a suicide bomber was a despicable individual, implying that good persons like us would never have even contemplated such an act.

In this regard, I've been exchanging internal OEN emails with a crtain John Bessa, who has developed a whole approach to dealing with our fellow humans based on empathy.  John calls it something like The Empathic Approach, and he argues from archaeology and genetics that it is the only viable approach to politics in this day and age.

Rob's utter failure to note what dire straits any father would have to be in to send his 10-year old son on a suicide bomber mission seems to me to demonstrate non-empathic thinking taken to the ultimate degree.

PS.  The furor over Israel's attacks on Gaza has revised my nomenclature regarding the evil ones over there.  I no longer just condemn "Israelis".  I now condemn "militant Israelis."  This shift does not reflect a new appreciation of the fact that many Israelis are not warlike vis-a-vis Palestinians; it reflects the fact that most American Jews almost certainly make that distinction, and I do not want them to think that I do not make it also.

by GLloyd Rowsey (104 articles, 65 quicklinks, 60 diaries, 828 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 8:30:50 AM

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You actually think "dire straits" make these guys do it?

You absolute ignorant dupe! The do it because they think it is the holy and right thing to do!

They have well educated, well-off people volunteering to blow themselves up and kill as many Israelis or Americans as they can. And you think they're in "dire straits"?

Wow, are you stupid!

Here it is for you, since you haven't bothered to learn the facts:

"The attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups are widespread, systematic and in pursuit of an explicit policy to attack civilians. They therefore constitute crimes against humanity under international law. They may also constitute war crimes"

This current war was brought on by Hamas, which has an official policy of refusing to negotiate peace and to kill civilians. Go educate yourself, read their charter, read what their leaders say (in Arabic, don't bother with the media spin they spout in English).

But then, the truth doesn't appear to interest you.

by Joe Ben Avraham (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 2:21:05 PM

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Avraham you wouldn't recognize the "truth" if it bit you in the ass.

You are on here to rage, with foaming spittle covering every comment thread on this subject at OEN.

I wouldn't censor you for the whole world! You make your case in such vivid lunatic manner as to illustrate to anyone one with more than two neurons firing, that you have been traumatized to the point of insanity.

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 6:19:20 PM

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Israel's response to Hamas' attacks on defenseless civilians is an act of legitimate self-defense, and surely there should be protests against the slaughter of Jewish civilians, as there should be protests against the slaughter of human beings anywhere. An immediate cease fire would help, as well as comprehensive responsibility for all horrors committed by all sides, especially against defenseless individuals.

The Quran itself so states, and what is conceivably most tragic in this situation is the murder of merciful Islam by fanatics who seem to worship death and not Allah.

The burgeoning tragedy in the Middle East is essentially a tragedy of the world's refusal to accept the Jewish people as legitimate, worthy of existence. It is a monstrous failure of empathy, of generations of failure by European, Middle Eastern and American powers that either turned their backs to the slaughter or promulgated it.

Please see my article, "Terror is Not Islam", to see the light which is being betrayed, perhaps extinguished by fanatics.
click here grief is personal and profound, and encompasses all involved.

Dr. Kari Ann Owen, Ph.D.

For biographical information, please see www.kariannowen.com

by Kari Ann Owen (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 12:20:22 PM

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The United States through the United Nations is responsible for the authorization of the taking of Palestine Land and giving it to the Terrorists that rose up against the British Mandate of Israel. It is therefore the responsibility of the United States to Terminate the Rouge State of Israel since it has never abided by the conditions of the United Nations resolutions which authorized the taking of the Palestine land.

Everyone must be treated the same under International Law, National Laws, and Local Laws, NO EXCEPTIONS!

You cannot have a set of International rules which says that one Nation can be outside the rules, and all other Nations have to be within them. International laws are there for everybody.

There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Nations Standup and demand that all people abide by International Laws and United Nations Resolutions.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait, Iraq's violations of International Law and United Nations Resolutions were used to justify invading Iraq and forcing them back to their International Boundaries.
 
When the Nazis Terrorists continued to violate International Law after Land was taken from Czechoslovakia and given to them, they were forced to accept unconditional surrender. Land was taken from Palestine and given to the Zionist Terrorists and they continue to violate International Law, therefore, they should be forced to accept unconditional surrender.

Saying that we are a Nation of Laws is being a Hypocrite when the laws are not enforced the same on all people and States.

There is still an uproar about the destruction of Jewish property in Nazi Europe, but hardly a whimper about the destruction of Palestine Homes and lives in the Middle East.

Let only God enforce the laws created by God and let Humans only enforce the laws created by Humans.

by Anton Grambihler (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 314 comments [7 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 12:23:53 PM

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What kind of idiot lies are you trying to feed us? Man, you must really hate Jews and/or democracy and/or yourself.

Here's the truth about the criminals and about our legal defense of our civilians:

"The attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups are widespread, systematic and in pursuit of an explicit policy to attack civilians. They therefore constitute crimes against humanity under international law. They may also constitute war crimes"

Or maybe you think that Amnesty is some Jewish conspiracy?

You're a jerk, and worse, buddy boy. Give up and go back to school and learn about history and diplomacy. We're not going to let the real criminals slit our throats because morons like you don't know what's really going on.

by Joe Ben Avraham (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 1:45:48 PM

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"Rouge? Naw, we're kinda social capitalists...."--Paz

No, you are "kinda" nuts.

And you keep posting that UN statement which has nothing what-so-ever to do with the current situation but was issues in 2002 over a suicide bombing. It has nothing to do with the current situation in Gaza.

The 'state' of Israel was born of terrorism and has used state terrorism for the past 60 years to attempt to drive the last Palestinians off of their land. That is the correct history, and your revisionist crap is just that, only the word starts with an "S" followed by an "H".

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 5:57:40 PM

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The best can one do is coming up with the proposed solution instead of criticizing Israelis or Palestinians. The people’s fighting each other is the one really suffering in the holly lands. They need help to solve the problem facing them. We submit our proposal for peaceful solution and hope both Israelis and Palestinians will look at it and accept this kind of solutions instead of fighting each others for ever.

Let Hope first that the OEN publications will publish it. And then the scholars, readers will modify the plan for best solution and ask both community acceptances to end this nonsense conflict.

by Jaff Sassani (19 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 138 comments) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 1:24:06 PM

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Very noble of you, Rabbi.

Very useless too. Have you ever read the Hamas charter? Ever listened to their leaders who say killing civilians is a good thing and how they will "never" make peace with Israel?

And what did you do the last 8 years to get the bastards to stop shooting at us? What demonstrations did you organize outside the Iranian embassy in Washington (who are bankrolling Hamas)?

The answer is - it appears that you have done nothing except jump on the anti-Israel bandwagon.

I invite you again to get your butt on a plane and come to Israel tomorrow - I'll arrange for you to stay in Sderot for a month.

It would have given you a smidgen of credibility if you had come sometime during the past 8 years and spent a month in Sderot dodging kassams, and if you had spent 1/2 the time you spend writing against Israeli policies to do the same against Hamas and Islamic Jihad and Iran and Hezbollah.

But that's not politically correct and it doesn't go over well at cocktail parties.

by Joe Ben Avraham (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 1:50:54 PM

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"Very useless too. Have you ever read the Hamas charter? Ever listened to their leaders who say killing civilians is a good thing and how they will "never" make peace with Israel?"--Avraham

Do you seriously doubt that the good Rabbi hasn't read their charter?

Do you seriously think that a scholar such as he doesn't understand the history involved here?

Do you ever really think? The boiling rage coming from your fevered mind has no evidence of actual critical thought, where Jewish scholars such as Waskow in interpreted by you as a "Self Hating Jew", and comments such as mine are interpreted as "Antisemitic".

Keep eating the poison, and you will keep puking in public like this.

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1686 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Sunday, Jan 4, 2009 at 6:28:10 PM

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Jews are human beings. Jews have the right to the fruits of our toil and to the joys of our religion. The ways of the Torah are sweet. We have a right to live in tranquility unmolested.

We have the duty to guard the Sabbath and to guide our children to obey the Commandments. If one of our brothers suffers oppression, we must invite him to the Holy Land to share our blessings. Whenever we see evil anywhere, we have the duty to confront it. My sons have gone to Gaza to confront the evil Hamas that bombs the 1.2 millions Jews in the south.

Frankly, this is a matter between Palestinians and Israelis. Residents of other nations should mind their own business and stay out of our countries. We neither want or need your advice and assistance. You only put us in harm's way.

by Jason Paz (68 articles, 88 quicklinks, 112 diaries, 1385 comments [97 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 6:56:10 AM

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I insist that my country no longer provide the weapons that you are using to defend yourself? 

Of course you are right that we should stay out of it; if only we WOULD stay out of it. 

And if all foreign nationals would stay out of it, where would the weapons of destruction come from?  Maybe then you would stop slaughtering each other.

If only...

by Paula Sayles (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 204 comments [78 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 5, 2009 at 1:22:09 PM

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