[Reader-list] fwd: Israeli call for sanctions against Israel

[indersalim]

A Call from Within - signed by Israeli citizens

Thursday, 08 January 2009 19:10 Last Updated on Thursday, 08 January
2009 19:15 Written by 540 Israeli citizens

In support of the Palestinian Human Rights Community Call for
International Action

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. "

Signed by 540 Israeli citizens (first list):

Avital Aboody, Sami Abu Shehadeh, Moshe Adler, Haim Adri, Gali Agnon,
Bilha Aharoni, Hagit Aharoni, Saida Ahmed, Danny Aisner, Orna Akad,
Aviv Aldema, Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, Joseph Algazy, Omer Allon, Dan
Almagor, Orly Almi, Tali Almi, Tamar Almog, Udi Aloni, Yuli
Aloni-Primor, Colman Altman, Janina Altman, Ahmad Amara, Eitan Amiel,
Nitza Aminov, Gish Amit, Yossi Amitay, Naama Arbel, Tal Arbel, Rana
Asali, Maisoon Assadi, Keren Assaf, Zohar Atai, Najla Atamnah, Rutie
Atsmon, Michal Aviad, Hanna Aviram, Jasmin Avissar, Amira Bahat, Noam
Bahat, Daniela Bak, Abeer Baker, Saleh Bakri, Rim Banna, Oshra Bar,
Yoav Barak, Daphna Baram, Michal Bareket, Hila Bargiel, Ronny Bar-Gil,
Yoram Bar-Haim, Ronnie Barkan, Osnat Bar-Or, Racheli Bar-or, Yossi
Bartal, Raji Bathish, Dalit Baum, Shlomit Bauman, Esther Ben Chur,
Hagit Ben Yaacov, Tal Ben Zvi, Yael Ben-Zvi, Avner Ben-Amos, Ronnen
Ben-Arie, Ur Ben-Ari-Tishler, Ofra Ben-Artzi, Yotam Ben-David, Smadar
Ben-Natan, Shmuel Ben Yitzchak, Avi Berg, Daniel Berger, Tamar Berger,
Anat Biletzki, Itai Biran, Rotem Biran, Shany Birenboim, Rozeen
Bisharat, Yafit Gamilah Biso, Liran Bitton, Simone Bitton, Yahaacov
Bitton, Rani Bleier, Yempa Boleslavsky, Hagit Borer, Ido Bornstein,
Irith Bouman, Haim Bresheeth, Aya Breuer, Shlomit Breuer, Dror
Burstein, Smadar Bustan, Shai Carmeli-Pollak, Smadar Carmon, Zohar
Chamberlain-Regev, Sami Shalom Chetrit, Chassia Chomsky-Porat, Arie
Chupak, Isadora Cohen, Kfir Cohen, Matan Cohen, Nahoum Cohen, Raya
Cohen, Ron Cohen, Stan Cohen, Yifat Cohen, Alex Cohn, Scandar Copti,
Adi Dagan, Yael Dagan, Yasmeen Daher, Silan Dallal, Tamari Dallal,
Leena Dallasheh, Eyal Danon, Uri Davis, Hilla Dayan, Relli De Vries,
Maoz Degani, Ruti Divon, Diana Dolev, Yfat Doron, Ettie Dotan, Keren
Dotan, Ronit Dovrat, Daniel Dukarevich, Arnon Dunetz, Maya Dunietz,
Udi Edelman, Shai Efrati, Neta Efrony, Rani Einav, Asa Eitan, Danae
Elon, Ruth El-Raz, Noam Enbar, Amalia Escriva, Anat Even, Gilad Evron,
Ovadia Ezra, Basma Fahoum, Avner Faingulernt, Ghazi-Walid Falah, Naama
Farjoun, Yvonne Fattal, Dror Feiler, Pnina Feiler, Micky Fischer, Sara
Fischman, Nadav Franckovich, Ofer Frant, Ilil Friedman, Maya Galai,
Dafna Ganani, Gefen Ganani, Yael Gazit, Yoram Gelman, Yakov Gilad,
Amit Gilboa, Michal Ginach, Rachel Giora, Michal Givoni, Ednna
Glukman, Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, Bilha Golan, Neta Golan, Shayi
Golan, Tsilli Goldenberg, Vardit Goldner, Tamar Goldschmidt, Lymor
Goldstein, Dina Goor, Shelley Goral, Joel Gordon, Ester Gould, Inbal
Gozes, Inbal Gozes-Sharvit, Erella Grassiani, Adar Grayevsky, Gill
Green, David Greenberg, Ela Greenberg, Dani Grimblat, Lev Grinberg,
Yosef Grodzinsky, Hilik Gurfinkel, Galia Gur-Zeev, Anat Guthmann, Amos
Gvirtz, Maya Gzn-Zvi, Yoav Haas, Iman Habibi, Connie Hackbarth, Uri
Hadar, Mirjam Hadar Meerschwam, Rayya Haddad, Osnat Hadid, Dalia
Hager, Tami Hager, Hava Halevi, Yasmine Halevi, Jeff Halper, Yuval
Halperin, Rula Hamdan-Atamneh, Rania Hamed, Rola Hamed, Anat
Hammermann Schuldiner, Doron Hammermann-Schuldiner, Ben Handler, Tal
Haran, Elad Harel, Nir Harel, Shuli Hartman, Lihi Hasson, Amir Havkin,
Shira Havkin, Amani Hawari, Areen Hawari, Iris Hefets, Ada Heilbronn,
Ayelet Heller, Sara Helman, Ben Hendler, Aref Herbawi, Tamara Herman,
Avi Hershkovitz, Yael Hersonski, Galit Hess, Hannan Hever, Ala Hlehel,
Gil Hochberg, Tikva Honig-Parnass, Tikva Honig-Parnass, Inbar Horesh,
Veronique Inbar, Rachel Leah Jones, Noga Kadaman, Ari Kahana, Dafna
Kaminer, Aya Kaniuk, Ruti Kantor, Liad Kantorowicz, Dalia Karpel,
Rabia Kassim, Amira Katz, Shai Katz, Uri Katz, Giora Katzin, Dror
Kaufman, Adam Keller, Yehudit Keshet, Lana Khaskia, Efraim Kidron,
Alisa Klein, Sylvia Klingberg, Yana Knopova, Ofra Koffman, Yael Korin,
Alina Korn, Rinat Kotler, Meira Kowalsky, Noa Kram, Miki Kratsman,
Rotem Kuehnberg, Assia Ladizhinskaya, Michal Lahav, Roni Lahav, Idan
Landau, Yitzhak Laor, Orna Lavi, Ruti Lavi, Shaheen Lavie-Rouse, Yigal
Laviv, Tamar Lehahn, Ronen Leibman, Miki Lentin, Ronit Lentin, Yael
Lerer, Chava Lerman, Noa Lerner, Yair Lev, Yudith Levin, Abigail
Levine, Eyal Levinson, Dana Levy, Inbal Lily-Koliner, Moran Livnat,
Omri Livne, Amir Locker-Biletzki, Yael Locker-Biletzki, Yossi Loss,
Yael Lotan, Guy Lougashi, Irit Lourie, Orly Lubin, Joseph Lubovsky,
Aim Deuelle Luski, Naomi Lyth, Moshe Machover, Aryeh Magal, Liz
Magnes, Noa Man, Ya'acov Manor, Arabiya Mansour, Roi Maor, Adi Maoz,
Eilat Maoz, Yossi Marchaim, Alon Marcus, Esti Marpet, Ruchama Marton,
Nur Masalha, Anat Matar, Doron Matar, Haggai Matar, Oren Matar, Samy
Matar, Rela Mazali, Naama Meishar, Rachel Meketon, Yitzhak Y. Melamed,
Remy Mendelzweig, Racheli Merhav, Yael Meron, Juliano Merr-Khamis,
Esti Micenmacher, Maya Michaeli, Avraham Milgrom, Jeremy Milgrom,
Elisheva Milikowski, Erez Miller, Katya Miller, Limor Mintz-Manor,
Ariel Mioduser, Dror Mishani, Eedo Mizrahi, Avi Mograbi, Liron Mor,
Magi Mor, Susan Mordechay, Susanne Moses, Haidi Motola, Ahuva Mu'alem,
Ben Tzion Munitz, Norma Musih, Dorit Naaman, Michal Naaman, Gil
Naamati, Haneen Naamnih, Naama Nagar, Dorothy Naor, Regev Nathansohn,
Shelly Nativ, Salman Natour, Judd Ne'eman, Dana Negev, Smadar Nehab,
Shlomit Lola Nehama, Ofer Neiman, David Nir, Eyal Nir, Tali Nir, Alex
Nissen, Tal Nitzan, Joshua Nouriel, Yasmine Novak, Nira Nuriely, David
Ofek, Tal Omer, Adi Ophir, Anat Or, Yael Oren Kahn, Norah Orlow, Gal
Oron, Akiva Orr, Dorit Ortal, Noam Paiola, Il'il Paz-el, Michal Peer,
Miko Peled, Nirit Peled, Nurit Peled-elhanan, Leiser Peles, Orna
Pelleg, Tamar Pelleg-Sryck, Sigal Perelman, Amit Perelson, Nadav
Pertzelan, Erez Pery, Tom Pessah, Dani Peter, Shira Pinhas, Yossi
Pollak, Gil Porat, Dror Post, Eyal Pundik, Yisrael Puterman, Ilya Ram,
Nery Ramati, Amit Ramon, Avi Raz, Ayala Raz, Hili Razinsky, Amnon
Raz-Krakotzkin, David Reeb, Hadas Refaeli, Shlomo Regev, Dimi Reider,
Noa Reshef, Amit Ron, Roee Rosen, Illit Rosenblum, Maya Rosenfeld,
Danny Rosin, Yehoshua Rosin, Ilana Rossoff, Ilani Rotem, Natalie
Rothman, Areej Sabbagh, Ahmad Sa'di, Sidki Sadik, Walid Sadik, Hannah
Safran, Hiba Salah, Sana Salame-Daqa, Galit Saporta, Sima Sason, Sagi
Schaefer, Tali Schaefer, Oded Schechter, Agur Schiff, Nava Schreiber,
Idit Schwartz, Michal Schwartz, Noa Schwartz, Eran Segal, Keren Segal,
Irit Segoli, Irit Sela, Dan Seltzer, Yael Serry, Shaul Setter, Meir
Shabat, Aharon Shabtai, Michal Shabtay, Itamar Shachar, Erella Shadmi,
Ilan Shalif, Hanna Shammas, Ayala Shani, Uri Shani, Arik Shapira,
Bat-Sheva Shapira, Yonatan Shapira, Omer Sharir, Yael Shavit, Noa
Shay, Fadi Shbita, Adi Shechter, Oz Shelach, Adi Shelesnyak, Mati
Shemoelof, Ehud Shem-Tov, Yehouda Shenhav, Nufar Shimony, Khen Shish,
Hagith Shlonsky, Tom Shoval, Sivan Shtang, Tal Shuval, Ivy Sichel,
Ayman Sikseck, Shelly Silver, Inbal Sinai, Eyal Sivan, Ora Slonim,
Kobi Snitz, Maja Solomon, Gideon Spiro, Neta Stahl, Talila Stan,
Michal Stoler, Ali Suliman, Dored Suliman, Marcelo Svirsky, Yousef
Sweid, Ula Tabari, Yael Tal, Lana Tatour, Doron Tavory, Ruth Tenne,
Idan Toledano, Eran Torbiner, Osnat Trabelsi, Lily Traubmann, Naama
Tsal, Lea Tsemel, Ruth Tsoffar, Ehud Uziel, Ivan Vanney, Sahar Vardi,
Roman Vater, Ruth Victor, Yaeli Vishnizki-Levi, Roey Vollman, Roy
Wagner, Michael Warschawski, Michal Warshavsky, Ruthy Weil, Sharon
Weill, Shirly Weill, Elian Weizman, Eyal Weizman, Einat Weizman
Diamond, Elana Wesley, Etty Wieseltier, Yossi Wolfson, Oded Wolkstein,
Ayelet Yaari, Smadar Yaaron, Roni Yaddor, Sarah Yafai, Galia Yahav,
Sergio Yahni, Niza Yanay, Amnon Yaron, Tamar Yaron, Mahmoud Yazbak,
Oren Yiftachel, Sarit Yitzhak, Sharon Zack, Uri Zackhem, Jamal
Zahalka, Sawsan Zaher, Adva Zakai, Edna Zaretsky, Beate Zilversmidt,
Amal Zoabi, Haneen Zoubi, Himmat Zu'bi, Mati Zuckerman

Contact: gazabfw at gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from
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Palestine's Guernica and the Myths of Israeli Victimhood by Mustafa Barghouthi

This is a guest post written by Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General
of the Palestinian National Initiative. Barghouti is a former secular
candidate for President of Palestine and has been a strong advocate of
non-violent responses to Israeli occupation. Barghouti is thought by
many to be a leading contender in the next Palestinian presidential
election. Perspectives have also been solicited from various national
leaders and incumbent Knesset leaders in Israel.

Here is a link to an interview that Steve Clemons did with Barghouti
in July 2008 regarding Barack Obama's trip to Israel and Palestine.

Palestine's Guernica and the Myths of Israeli Victimhood

The Israeli campaign of 'death from above' began around 11 am, on
Saturday morning, the 27th of December, and stretched straight through
the night into this morning. The massacre continues Sunday as I write
these words.

The bloodiest single day in Palestine since the War of 1967 is far
from over following on Israel's promised that this is 'only the
beginning' of their campaign of state terror. At least 290 people have
been murdered thus far, but the body count continues to rise at a
dramatic pace as more mutilated bodies are pulled from the rubble,
previous victims succumb to their wounds and new casualties are
created by the minute.

What has and is occurring is nothing short of a war crime, yet the
Israeli public relations machine is in full-swing, churning out lies
by the minute.

Once and for all it is time to expose the myths that they have created.

1. Israelis have claimed to have ended the occupation of the Gaza Strip in 2005.

While Israel has indeed removed the settlements from the tiny coastal
Strip, they have in no way ended the occupation. They remained in
control of the borders, the airspace and the waterways of Gaza, and
have carried out frequent raids and targeted assassinations since the
disengagement.

Furthermore, since 2006 Israel has imposed a comprehensive siege on
the Strip. For over two years, Gazans have lived on the edge of
starvation and without the most basic necessities of human life, such
as cooking or heating oil and basic medications. This siege has
already caused a humanitarian catastrophe which has only been
exacerbated by the dramatic increase in Israeli military aggression.

2. Israel claims that Hamas violated the cease-fire and pulled out of
it unilaterally.

Hamas indeed respected their side of the ceasefire, except on those
occasions early on when Israel carried out major offensives in the
West Bank. In the last two months, the ceasefire broke down with
Israelis killing several Palestinians and resulting in the response of
Hamas. In other words, Hamas has not carried out an unprovoked attack
throughout the period of the cease-fire.

Israel, however, did not live up to any of its obligations of ending
the siege and allowing vital humanitarian aid to resume in Gaza.
Rather than the average of 450 trucks per day being allowed across the
border, on the best days, only eighty have been allowed in - with the
border remaining hermetically sealed 70% of the time. Throughout the
supposed 'cease-fire' Gazans have been forced to live like animals,
with a total of 262 dying due to the inaccessibility of proper medical
care.

Now after hundreds dead and counting, it is Israel who refuses to
re-enter talks over a cease-fire. They are not intent on securing
peace as they claim; it is more and more clear that they are seeking
regime change - whatever the cost.

3. Israel claims to be pursuing peace with 'peaceful Palestinians'.

Before the on-going massacre in the Gaza Strip, and throughout the
entirety of the Annapolis Peace Process, Israel has continued and even
intensified its occupation of the West Bank. In 2008, settlement
expansion increased by a factor of 38, a further 4,950 Palestinians
were arrested - mostly from the West Bank, and checkpoints rose from
521 to 699.

Furthermore, since the onset of the peace talks, Israel has killed 546
Palestinians, among them 76 children. These gruesome statistics are
set to rise dramatically now, but previous Israeli transgressions
should not be forgotten amidst this most recent horror.

Only this morning, Israel shot and killed a young peaceful protester
in the West Bank village of Nihlin, and has injured dozens more over
the last few hours. It is certain that they will continue to employ
deadly force at non-violent demonstrations and we expect a sizable
body count in the West Bank as a result. If Israel is in fact pursuing
peace with 'good Palestinians', who are they talking about?

4. Israel is acting in self-defense.

It is difficult to claim self defense in a confrontation which they
themselves have sparked, but they are doing it anyway. Self-defense is
reactionary, while the actions of Israel over the last two days have
been clearly premeditated. Not only did the Israeli press widely
report the ongoing public relations campaign being undertaken by
Israel to prepare Israeli and international public opinion for the
attack, but Israel has also reportedly tried to convince the
Palestinians that an attack was not coming by briefly opening
crossings and reporting future meetings on the topic. They did so to
insure that casualties would be maximized and that the citizens of
Gaza would be unprepared for their impending slaughter.

It is also misleading to claim self-defense in a conflict with such an
overwhelming asymmetry of power. Israel is the largest military force
in the region, and the fifth largest in the world. Furthermore, they
are the fourth largest exporter of arms and have a military industrial
complex rivaling that of the United States. In other words, Israel has
always had a comprehensive monopoly over the use of force, and much
like its super power ally, Israel uses war as an advertising showcase
of its many instruments of death.

5. Israel claims to have struck military targets only.

Even while image after image of dead and mutilated women and children
flash across our televisions, Israel brazenly claims that their
munitions expertly struck only military installations. We know this to
be false as many other civilian sites have been hit by airstrikes
including a hospital and mosque.

In the most densely populated area on the planet, tons upon tons of
explosives have been dropped. The first estimates of injured are in
the thousands. Israel will claim that these are merely 'collateral
damage' or accidental deaths. The sheer ridiculousness and inhumanity
of such a claim should sicken the world community.

6. Israel claims that it is attacking Hamas and not the Palestinian people.

First and foremost, missiles do not differentiate people by their
political affiliation; they simply kill everyone in their path. Israel
knows this, and so do Palestinians. What Israel also knows, but is not
saying public ally, is how much their recent actions will actually
strengthen Hamas - whose message of resistance and revenge is being
echoed by the angry and grieving.

The targets of the strike, police and not Hamas militants, give us
some clue as to Israel's mistaken intention. They are hoping to create
anarchy in the Strip by removing the pillar of law and order.

7. Israel claims that Palestinians are the source of violence.

Let us be clear and unequivocal. The occupation of Palestine since the
War of 1967 has been and remains the root of violence between Israelis
and Palestinians. Violence can be ended with the occupation and the
granting of Palestine's national and human rights. Hamas does not
control the West Bank and yet we remain occupied, our rights violated
and our children killed.

With these myths understood, let us ponder the real reasons behind
these airstrikes; what we find may be even more disgusting than the
act itself.

The leaders Israel are holding press conferences, dressed in black,
with sleeves rolled up.

'It's time to fight', they say, 'but it won't be easy.'

To prove just how hard it is, Livni, Olmert and Barak did not even
wear make-up to the press conference, and Barak has ended his
presidential campaign to focus on the Gaza campaign. What
heroes...what leaders...

We all know the truth: the suspension of the electioneering is exactly
that - electioneering.

Like John McCain's suspension of his presidential campaign to return
to Washington to 'deal with' the financial crisis, this act is little
more than a publicity stunt.

The candidates have to appear 'tough enough to lead', and there is
seemingly no better way of doing that than bathing in Palestinian
blood.

'Look at me,' Livni says in her black suit and unkempt hair, 'I am a
warrior. I am strong enough to pull the trigger. Don't you feel more
confident about voting for me, now that you know I am as ruthless as
Bibi Netanyahu?'

I do not know which is more disturbing, her and Barak, or the
constituency they are trying to please.

In the end, this will in no way improve the security of the average
Israeli; in fact it can be expected to get much worse in the coming
days as the massacre could presumably provoke a new generation of
suicide bombers.

It will not undermine Hamas either, and it will not result in the
three fools, Barak, Livni and Olmert, looking 'tough'. Their misguided
political venture will likely blow up in their faces as did the
brutally similar 2006 invasion of Lebanon.

In closing, there is another reason - beyond the internal politics of
Israel - why this attack has been allowed to occur: the complicity and
silence of the international community.

Israel cannot and would not act against the will of its economic
allies in Europe or its military allies in the US. Israel may be
pulling the trigger ending hundreds, perhaps even thousands of lives
this week, but it is the apathy of the world and the inhumane
tolerance of Palestinian suffering which allows this to occur.

'The evil only exists because the good remain silent'

>From Occupied Palestine. . .

-- Dr. Mustafa Baghouthi