Jewish Peace News: Some Voices of Dissent

Dandelion Salad

Crossposted with permission from Jewish Peace News

Jewish Peace News
Jan. 3, 2008

**Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza today; Israeli defense minister Barak promised that the invasion “won’t be short” and called up thousands of reservists. (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052299.html, http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052316.html)**

This collection of articles and essays includes voices of dissent coming from inside of Israel and other places in the Jewish world. Some of the dissent is organized as demonstrations and petitions and some manifests on blogs and in more traditional publications.

1) One of the more moving voices of dissent is coming out of Sderot and other Israeli communities around Gaza. A group called “The Other Voice” has published a petition calling for the Israeli government to prevent escalation and restore calm to the area (the petition and an article on the group are included as the first items below). The petition was written in November and is gaining more publicity now, for obvious reasons. It states” We prefer an option of a cold war in which not a single rocket is fired to a hot war with tens of innocent victims and casualties from both sides.” So far more than 2,300 Israelis have signed it, including more than 500 people from Sderot.

Child killed by Israeli tank fire in Gaza + US blocks cease-fire, gives Israel carte blanche to continue killing

Dandelion Salad

AFP
1.3.09

A Palestinian child was killed by Israeli tank fire in the Gaza Strip late Saturday, becoming the first victim of a ground offensive against the Hamas stronghold, medics said.

[…]

via Child killed by Israeli tank fire in Gaza.

h/t: ICH

***

US blocks cease-fire, gives Israel carte blanche to continue killing in Gaza

By Barry Grey
http://www.wsws.org
3 January 2009

As the Israeli devastation of Gaza enters its second week and signs point to an imminent ground invasion of the densely populated and impoverished Palestinian territory, the US government is working to block diplomatic initiatives for a cease-fire in order to give Israel a free hand to intensify its assault on the defenseless population.

While Israeli planes, warships and missiles continued to level civilian buildings, mosques and homes, and thousands of Israeli troops with tanks, artillery and armored vehicles awaited the order to enter the Palestinian enclave, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared outside the White House Friday morning following a briefing on the Gaza crisis with President George W. Bush. In a terse statement, Rice once again placed the blame for the Israeli aggression on Hamas and underscored Washington’s support for Israel’s rejection of cease-fire proposals from France, the European Union and a number of Arab governments.

[…]

via US blocks cease-fire, gives Israel carte blanche to continue killing in Gaza.

see

Israel’s politics spill into Gaza

Israel sends troops into Gaza, raising stakes in Hamas fight

A week of Israel’s war on Gaza + Israeli bombardment of Gaza enters second week

Israel defies peacemakers and prepares for invasion

Rabbi Feldman: Zionism is “Illegitimate Political Movement” + Ibrahim Ramey

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Dean Baker on the Bailout, the Big 3 and Healthcare

Dandelion Salad

talkingsticktv

Interview with Dean Baker, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and author of “The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer”.

Israel’s politics spill into Gaza

Dandelion Salad

TheRealNews

Jesse Rosenfeld: Israel’s politicians electoral struggle spurs fight in Gaza

Israel sends troops into Gaza, raising stakes in Hamas fight

Dandelion Salad

By Dion Nissenbaum
McClatchy Newspapers
01/03/2009

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military sent its first ground troops into the Gaza Strip Saturday night as helicopters, tanks, artillery and soldiers launched the more dangerous phase of the nation’s attempt to destabilize the Hamas leaders.

Israeli military officials said the ground forces would try to sweep into the northern Gaza Strip to seize control of open fields, orchards and border areas that have been used regularly by Palestinian militants to fire rockets into southern Israel.

[…]

via McClatchy Washington Bureau | 01/03/2009 | Israel sends troops into Gaza, raising stakes in Hamas fight.

see

A week of Israel’s war on Gaza + Israeli bombardment of Gaza enters second week

Israel defies peacemakers and prepares for invasion

Rabbi Feldman: Zionism is “Illegitimate Political Movement” + Ibrahim Ramey

The Reality In Gaza

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond

Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

A week of Israel’s war on Gaza + Israeli bombardment of Gaza enters second week

Dandelion Salad

Warning

.

These videos may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

AlJazeeraEnglish

Israel’s aerial assault on Gaza continues for a seventh day.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “A week of Israel’s war on Gaza“, posted with vodpod

***

Palestinians brave Israeli assault to return home – 2 Jan 08

Israel defies peacemakers and prepares for invasion

Dandelion Salad

By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem and Anne Penketh
The Independent
Thursday, 1 January 2009

Security cabinet rejects EU-backed peace proposal as tanks mass on the border with Gaza

Israel has defied a formidable international consensus in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza by opting to continue its unprecedentedly fierce air attacks on Hamas targets and stepping up preparations for a possible ground offensive.

As the security cabinet rejected an EU-backed French proposal for a 48-hour humanitarian halt to the bombing, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: “We did not begin the Gaza operation in order to finish it with rocket fire continuing like it did before. Israel has restrained [itself] for years and given plenty of chances for a calm.”

[…]

via Israel defies peacemakers and prepares for invasion – Middle East, World – The Independent.

h/t: CLG

see

Rabbi Feldman: Zionism is “Illegitimate Political Movement”

The Reality In Gaza

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond

Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Rabbi Feldman: Zionism is “Illegitimate Political Movement” + Ibrahim Ramey

Dandelion Salad

liamh2

On Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, Human Rights activists staged a demonstration and march, in Washington, D.C., in solidarity with the beleaguered Palestinian people of Israeli-Occupied Gaza. The rally began at the Israeli Embassy. One of the speakers was Orthodox Rabbi Dovid Feldman. He is associated with “Jews United Against Zionism,” and is a member of “Neturei Karta International.” For background, please see, http://www.nkusa.org/. In his remarks, Rabbi Feldman was sharply critical of the ideology of Zionism. He labeled it an “illegitimate political movement”. For a related video on the demonstration at the Israeli Embassy, check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788fxH…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Rabbi Feldman: Zionism is “Illegitima…“, posted with vodpod

***

Ibrahim Ramey: Stand Up for the People of Gaza

On Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, Human Rights activists staged a demonstration and march, in Washington, D.C., in solidarity with the beleaguered Palestinian people of Israeli-Occupied Gaza. The rally began at the Israeli Embassy. One of the speakers was Ibrahim Ramey. He is the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation’s Civil and Human Rights Director. For background, please see, http://www.masnet.org/news.asp?id=3729 and http://masnet.org/. In his remarks, Mr. Ramey urged the large crowd of activists to “stand up” for the suffering people of Gaza and to work “by nonviolent means” for peace and justice. He directed some of his remarks to President-Elect Barack Obama. For related videos on the demonstration at the Israeli Embassy, check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788fxH… and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWRX_O… and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUtMFy…

For the latest updates on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, please see:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/;
http://www.phrmg.org/;
http://www.wrmea.com/;
http://justiceandaccountability.org/H… and, http://www.endtheoccupation.org/.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Ibrahim Ramey: Stand Up for the Peopl…“, posted with vodpod

see

Israel defies peacemakers and prepares for invasion

The Reality In Gaza

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

The Wall Street Ponzi Scheme called Fractional Reserve Banking Borrowing from Peter to Pay Paul by Ellen Brown

by Dr. Ellen Hodgson Brown
featured writer
Dandelion Salad
Ellen’s post
Jan 3, 2009
webofdebt.com

Cartoon in the New Yorker:
A gun-toting man with large dark glasses, large hat pulled down, stands in front of a bank teller, who is reading a demand note. It says, “Give me all the money in my account.”

Bernie Madoff showed us how it was done: you induce many investors to invest their money, promising steady above-market returns; and you deliver – at least on paper. When your clients check their accounts, they see that their investments have indeed increased by the promised amount. Anyone who opts to pull out of the game is paid promptly and in full. You can afford to pay because most players stay in, and new players are constantly coming in to replace those who drop out. The players who drop out are simply paid with the money coming in from new recruits. The scheme works until the market turns and many players want their money back at once. Then it’s game over: you have to admit that you don’t have the funds, and you are probably looking at jail time.

A Ponzi scheme is a form of pyramid scheme in which earlier investors are paid with the money of later investors rather than from real profits. The perpetuation of the scheme requires an ever-increasing flow of money from investors in order to keep it going. Charles Ponzi was an engaging Boston ex-convict who defrauded investors out of $6 million in the 1920s by promising them a 400 percent return on redeemed postal reply coupons. When he finally could not pay, the scam earned him ten years in jail; and Bernie Madoff is likely to wind up there as well.

The question that may never go away: Who really is Barack Obama? by William Blum

Dandelion Salad

by William Blum
www.killinghope.org
Jan. 3, 2009

The Anti-Empire Report

Read this or George W. Bush will be president the rest of your life

America’s other glorious war

The Pentagon pushes hard for a large increase in troops for Afghanistan.  Barack Obama has been calling for the same since well before the November election.  Listen to the drumbeats telling us that the security of the United States and the Free World necessitates increased action in this place called Afghanistan.  As urgent as Iraq 2003, it is.  Why?  What is there about this backward, reactionary, woman-hating, failed state that warrants hundreds of deaths of American and NATO soldiers?  That justifies tens of thousands of Afghan deaths since the first US bombing attacks in October 2001?

In early December, reports the Washington Post, “standing at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the United States is making a ‘sustained commitment’ to that country, one that will last ‘some protracted period of time’.”  The story goes on to discuss $300 million in construction projects at this one base to house additional American forces, erecting guard stations and towers and perimeter fencing around the barracks area, putting in vehicle inspection areas, administration offices, cold-storage warehouse, a new power plant, electrical and water distribution systems, communications lines, housing for 1,500 personnel who sustain the systems, maintenance shops, warehouses[1] …  America’s wealth bleeds out endlessly.

The Reality In Gaza

Dandelion Salad

AshSheikh786

12.31.08

This is an aid worker from Norway he is also a doctor explaining the reality in Gaza and what is happening to the Palestinians.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “The Reality In Gaza “, posted with vodpod

h/t: ICH

see

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond

Israel Attacks Gaza, Silence from Mainstream Media about Israeli Violations of International Law

Rafah – report from the ground

Emergency Conference Call & More Action to Take on Gaza

Do we live on the same planet? by William Bowles

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation

Top 5 Lies About Israel’s Assault on Gaza By Jeremy R. Hammond

By Jeremy R. Hammond
featured writer
Dandelion Salad
Foreign Policy Journal
January 3, 2009

Crossposted on Foreign Policy Journal

Lie #1) Israel is only targeting legitimate military sites and is seeking to protect innocent lives. Israel never targets civilians.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of militants within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting militants is, in fact, a war crime.

Moreover, the people Israel claims are legitimate targets are members of Hamas, which Israel says is a terrorist organization. Hamas has been responsible for firing rockets into Israel. These rockets are extremely inaccurate and thus, even if Hamas intended to hit military targets within Israel, are indiscriminate by nature. When rockets from Gaza kill Israeli civilians, it is a war crime.

Punk Patriot: Leave Obama Alone!

Dandelion Salad

trichenosis

The Punk Patriot examines Obama’s new appointees.

Note: It is way too easy to find silly pictures of Tom Vilsack

[retitled: Obama Goggles]

see

Obama, Warren, and the Mythical ‘Middle Ground’ by Steven Jonas, MD

Time travelling or does Obama have any kind of deal let alone a new ‘New Deal’? by William Bowles

Guns, Butter, and Obama By Conn Hallinan

Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza

Dandelion Salad

James Hider on the Gaza border, and Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem
From Times Online
January 2, 2009

Israel is poised to launch a major ground offensive into Gaza tonight after allowing hundreds of foreigners living in the devastated territory to evacuate.

After a week of air strikes that have killed at least 420 Palestinians and left scores of buildings in rubble, the Israeli army was set to fling hundreds of troops and tanks into a blitz to stamp out Hamas’s military wing, The Times understands.

Despite the looming onslaught, more Hamas rockets – which have so far killed four Israelis – were fired into southern Israel today.

[…]

via Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza – Times Online.

h/t: CLG

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see

Israel Attacks Gaza, Silence from Mainstream Media about Israeli Violations of International Law

Rafah – report from the ground

Emergency Conference Call & More Action to Take on Gaza

Do we live on the same planet? by William Bowles

Israel-Palestine-Gaza-Occupation