tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51288147312659702252024-03-13T02:28:24.007-05:00Facing FactsFacing Facts is a conversation, a diary, an incentive to think beyond oneself.
Life is a journey that packs all our experiences into who we become, sort of a suitcase full of our best selves, packed tightly with all the little sundris that make us who we are. Facing Facts is just my little valise.Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-26843154268269519422011-10-07T16:36:00.006-05:002011-10-07T16:45:21.009-05:00Let's give Obama the public pressure he needs.I just started a petition on the White House Petitions site, We the People.<br />Will you sign it? Take a look, please,at http://wh.gov/2BEFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-82151408190192805732010-09-30T22:10:00.000-05:002010-09-30T22:10:13.711-05:00How Our Core Beliefs Can Help Bring Peace to Israel/Palestine<object style="background-image:url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/ohzMX0ZafGw/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ohzMX0ZafGw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ohzMX0ZafGw?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="480" height="295" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-23654107969313209212010-06-08T15:22:00.001-05:002010-06-08T15:24:15.036-05:00MSNBC: Disappointing Shill ReportingDuplicity on the airwaves<br /><br />Published: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 10:45 AM CDT<br />On June 2, Chris Mathews interviewed Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank on MSNBC about the recent Israeli-Gaza-flotilla incident. Both men gave unbalanced, cleverly skewed and dishonest assessments of the occurrence including calling peace activists terrorists, changing the subject to North Korea, bringing Iran into a conflict which involved Turkey and misrepresenting Israel’s wrongdoing in militarily attacking an unarmed civilian ship in international waters.<br /><br /> The duplicity of this kind of press commentary is evident because it was based entirely on Israel’s press statements and public relations spin. Getting the other side of the story would have taken a lot of work because as soon as the incident happened, Israel imposed a blackout on any reporting about it except their own.<br /><br /> What do Americans who have not studied the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict think when they turn on mainstream media and get a blather of public relations spin instead of balanced news? Frank and Mathews are no more than shills for the Israeli government, a government which appears to have taken over our own.<br /><br /> Frank does not sit on the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee and is a self-admitted staunch friend of Israel. Yet, MSNBC chose him to be the primary commentator about the Israeli diplomatic blunder on the high seas. Mathews owes his job to a pro-Zionist television network that, in the past, has been silent about Israel’s misdeeds. Silence influences American thought through omission that belies the importance of information we need to know.<br /><br /> How difficult would it have been for MSNBC to interview a less biased member, say, from the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee. So much for balance in reporting. So much for MSNBC, liberal in all ways but one. People, check the Internet to get the real story.<br /><br />Elizabeth S Mayfield<br />AmesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-20606846474638506812010-06-07T09:51:00.000-05:002010-06-07T09:51:30.812-05:00Why Do Churches Refuse to Question Israel's Actions?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSveCnwC-_M&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSveCnwC-_M&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-11072806679121201192010-05-29T08:37:00.003-05:002010-05-29T08:47:57.486-05:00What Ever Happened to Never Again?Published: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 11:38 AM CDT<br />What happened to ‘never again’? by Elizabeth S Mayfield <br />Ames Tribune, Ames, Iowa<br /><br />Recently, I sent out an e-mail to a small group of like-minded people and, to everyone’s surprise, our exchange about the honorable Ms. Kagan for the Supreme Court was usurped by a local Zionist gang of four and turned into a debate about Israel’s rights.<br /><br />Most amazing was the claim that Israel uses codicils from Ottoman Law to manage its occupation and apartheid. Since most of us, here in America, know nothing about Ottoman law, means that we should all shut up and let poor Israel be. I thought the Ottomans were soundly defeated because we Westerners didn’t like their oppressive acts of double-standard non-justice doled out to colonized subjects?w<br /><br />In the course of this “debate,” the author of “Is Israel an Apartheid State?” available at the link for Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, USA, sent out an interesting list of selected examples of the 2,500 military orders that govern Palestinians today in Israel’s apartheid state.<br /><br />These include Order No. 818 which “establishes how Palestinians can plant decorative flowers,” No. 811 and No. 847 which “allow Jews to purchase land from unwilling Palestinian sellers by using a ‘power of attorney,’ No. 58, Article 5, which makes any land transaction un-voidable even if it is proved that the transaction was invalid, No. 363 which “requires Palestinian mechanics to report to the Israeli military the particulars of any and all cars they repair,” and, two more I can’t resist reporting: No. 1147, a requirement that Palestinians get permission from the Israeli military to grow onions” and No. 1229 which “authorizes Israel to hold Palestinians in administrative detention for up to six months without charge or trial. Six-month detentions can be renewed indefinitely.”<br /><br />I wonder: two states or one? Will it matter if military orders like these remain, made credible by resurrection of an Ottoman Empire legal system. Oh, dear, what ever happened to “never again?”Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-68410794947459020612010-03-24T12:31:00.001-05:002010-03-24T12:32:47.901-05:00Down with Road Blocks; Up with PeaceTime to be creative<br /><br />Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 2:43 PM CDT<br />The Tribune, Ames, Iowa<br /><br />My friend suggests erecting road blocks forcing people to sit in their cars for hours so Amesites begin to understand why road blocks destroy civil society in Palestine.<br /><br /> “Fat chance,” I tell him.<br /><br />Instead, let’s write about why Israel’s democracy is diminishing itself through the Knesset’s “Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.” Sounds democratic, right? But, no, the committee drafts laws to discourage inter-religious marriages, deny Jerusalemites residency rights, declare it legal to take land for Jewish development from those natives who happen to be non-Jews. Jews of conscience tell me these laws are not what having a state religion is about.<br /><br /> It’s just wrong to use religion to destroy the lives and cultures of others, period. Sure, Israel has a demographic problem with Arab birthrates much higher than Jewish, but this is no surprise. There are ways around disparities.<br /><br /> Israeli academic Neve Gordon talks about one-state with a real democracy, not the one-person, one-vote American democracy, but a Lebanese-type democracy in which each faith group involved has a specific role in the government: Jews would always be prime ministers, Muslims would always be presidents and Christians would always be secretaries of state. The people vote, yes, and there are branches of government, a parliament, but each group is assured of shared power, the kind of power that would encourage, no, demand, cooperation.<br /><br /> Are we going to have to kill half the people of the world to get to a point in which good for all trumps greed for a few? How about it, objectors? It’s a Jewish saying, I believe, “If not now, when?”<br /><br /> With the closure of the Damascus Gate to “modernize” the Old City and a development about to displace more than 1,000 Palestinian families, I can’t think of a better time for creative thinking. Onward, Neve Gordon.<br /><br />Betsy MayfieldFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-85508377265261907222010-01-30T14:30:00.000-06:002010-01-30T14:31:27.750-06:00What Can We Say<span style="font-weight:bold;">Issue is far from one-sided</span><br />Published: Friday, January 29, 2010 11:04 AM CST<br /><br /><br />I’ve been reading with interest the recent exchange of letters regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.<br /><br /> As someone who has spent the majority of his 35-year business career living in the Middle East and traveling extensively throughout the Arab World and Israel, I also have several insights and thoughts to share.<br /><br /> It’s interesting that those who find fault with Betsy Mayfield’s knowledgeable and well-researched criticism of many of Israel’s policies have, in the main, taken her to task with the conspicuously feeble argument that other countries do even worse things. It’s the old “bait and switch” trick: confuse the issue.<br /><br /> Also, when anyone has the audacity to question anything Israel does, they are quickly condemned as “anti-Semitic.” This doesn’t address the facts, but it can throw people off the real issue.<br /><br /> There’s a big difference between people of the Jewish faith and culture and the actions and policies of the state of Israel. Those who blindly support the latter, when confronted with criticism, are the first to switch the subject to the former.<br /><br /> Another response to criticisms of Israel’s often brutal policies is the “self-defense” argument. But, then, unacknowledged is the continued Palestinian humiliation of check points, demise of economic and educational opportunity, home destruction, land confiscation, etc. These are at the root causes of the conflict. While no nation would tolerate the tossing of homemade rockets into their territory, neither would any colonized people agree to unchecked subjugation and daily degradation.<br /><br /> So, have the oppressed become the oppressors? Even millions of Israelis believe that is what their government has become. It seems the U.S. is one of the only countries that isn’t seriously asking the same question.<br /><br /> Let’s not let any of us be misled into believing that this is mainly an issue of Israel just defending itself. It’s far from one-sided.<br /><br />Don Lambert<br />AmesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-91735095134228199932010-01-21T12:38:00.004-06:002010-01-21T12:52:34.517-06:00Complaint:: Why Be Concerned If There's No BloodA transparent distinction<br />Published: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:49 PM CST<br /><br /><br />A recent Tribune letter (“Double standard or anti-Semitism,” Dec. 11) finally said it as it is: “It is striking that two (Tribune) letter writers have published more than 50 letters during the past few years exclusively devoted to criticizing, besmirching and delegitimizing Israel ... (They) obsessively focus on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict ... Singling out the only Jewish state for criticism and condemnation is at best an extreme case of double standard; at worst, a case of the new anti-Semitism.”<br /><br /> Not a month went by and one of these letterwriters struck again (“The strange case of Berlanty Assam,” Dec. 31.) That writer chose to ignore many terrible atrocities taking place around the world: Suicide bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq where every month dozens, sometimes hundreds of Muslims are killed by other Muslims, the ongoing atrocities in Somalia and Darfur and the catastrophic plight of refugees in those countries, the clamping down by the ruthless Iranian regime of demonstrators longing for democracy in their totalitarian country ruled by a dangerous madman, etc.<br /><br /> Why ignore all this spilled blood and a host of outrageous human rights violations in many countries to inform us of a Palestinian student unable to complete her university degree on time? The answer is obvious.<br /><br /> All the truly horrible cases do not involve Jews; the mild, albeit unfortunate, case of the Palestinian student does. This distinction becomes all the more transparent when her letter employs explicit anti-Semitic motifs, e.g. “There is a ‘family’ of Washington leaders who encourage Congress to issue declarations of support for Israel … These men consider themselves ‘chosen’ by God ... Since they, like Israel, are ‘chosen’...”<br /><br /> How sad that in the enlightened city of Ames, in the 21st century, a few individuals still uphold anti-Semitic views, directing them occasionally toward Jews and incessantly toward the Jewish state.<br /><br />B.C. Kaufman<br /><br />West Des MoinesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-56338408543467432762010-01-17T17:04:00.000-06:002010-01-17T17:05:55.808-06:00An American Jew of Conscience Speaks, Thank Goodness"What would King say about Israel today?"<br />http://wagingnonviolence.org/2010/01/what-would-king-say-about-israel-today/<br /><br /><br />by Jim Haber, January 16, 2010<br /><br /><br />Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, not the national holiday<br />which is Monday. As an activist member of Jewish Voice for Peace<br />http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/, I have at times faced<br />counter-demonstrations while I speak out against unjustifiable<br />atrocities being committed allegedly for me and by “my” side. Being<br />from the United States, I could be doubly responsible for the<br />US/Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. As a long-time member of the<br />War Resisters League http://www.warresisters.org/, King and I share a<br />belief that (in his words) “social change comes more meaningfully<br />through nonviolence,” that the “business of burning human beings with<br />napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of<br />injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally<br />humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields<br />physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be<br />reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love,” and that God didn’t choose<br />“America as his divine, messianic force to be a sort of policeman of<br />the whole world.” 42 years have passed since he was assassinated.<br /><br /><br />So I am perplexed when I see “pro-Israel” signs that extol Martin<br />Luther King’s defense of Israel, using quotes (which I also am fond of<br />doing) by the late revolutionary, but in their case, highlighting<br />things he said that seem to place him on “their” side of the police<br />line, not mine. On the occasion of his birth, newsletters of<br />synagogues may even have articles touting King as a staunch defender<br />of Israel’s right to defend itself. They take quotes from 42 years ago<br />as I do, to make our points. Certainly, after the Six Day War of 1967<br />(and before), King defended Israel. However, events of the last two<br />score years I think would have reinforced King’s pacifism and “eternal<br />hostility towards militarism, racism and economic exploitation.” He<br />never would have become an anti-Semite, but I do think facts on the<br />ground would have led him to become quite critical of Israel. I want<br />to briefly mention five specific issues that would have negatively<br />effected King’s perspective on Israel:<br /><br /><br />1. Regarding nuclear weapons and disarmament: as a critic of nuclear<br />weapons, he would have pushed for real steps on the part of the US on<br />this issue. He would have opposed ALL states building nuclear weapons,<br />US allies or not. Israel has a formidable nuclear arsenal and delivery<br />systems even though it and the United States refuse to admit it.<br />Israel has nukes, and King wouldn’t have been fooled or supportive of<br />the lie of omission. As he said, “In international conflicts, the<br />truth is hard to come by because most nations are deceived about<br />themselves. Rationalizations and the incessant search for scapegoats<br />are the psychological cataracts that blind us to our sins. But the day<br />has passed for superficial patriotism. He who lives with untruth lives<br />in spiritual slavery. Freedom is still the bonus we receive for<br />knowing the truth.”<br /><br /><br />2. Israeli support for apartheid in South Africa would certainly have<br />given MLK pause. Maybe he would have been able to help change Israeli<br />(and US) policy, but he certainly would have pointed out that<br />supporting the horrific racism of South Africa was wrong, in the<br />extreme. He would have seen Jews and some Israelis take anti-racist<br />stands, but as a whole, and on a governmental level, he would have had<br />much to rebuke.<br /><br /><br />3. Israel has been singular in its support for many of the worst<br />aspects of US foreign policy like covert actions undermining<br />democratically elected governments. Against oppressive regimes, he<br />would have supported nonviolent actors. Actions he spoke against while<br />denouncing the Vietnam war continue. Again, quoting King, “A nation<br />that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense<br />than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”<br /><br /><br />4. I don’t think King would have laid all or even most of the blame on<br />the Palestinian people for the unresolved catastrophe they have<br />suffered. He would not have supported efforts to punish all the people<br />of Gaza trying to make them turn on Hamas (a democratically elected<br />party, like it or not). He would have supported conscientious<br />objectors like the Shminitsim http://www.shministim.com/ and the<br />former fighters of Breaking the Silence<br />http://www.shovrimshtika.org/index_e.asp and Combatants for Peace<br />http://www.combatantsforpeace.org/. He would see Palestinian homes<br />being demolished or forcibly occupied by religious zealots (ala<br />Hebron) and say that it was not just. He would surely have supported<br />nonviolent Israeli and Palestinian initiatives and would have<br />sympathized with people being shot at, imprisoned and abused for<br />speaking out or demonstrating against the wall. He would have had<br />solidarity with the people of Sderot, many of whom denounced Operation<br />Cast Lead. He would have cared about every dead and injured person,<br />but he would maybe have thought that the numbers also had an important<br />story to tell. He would have denounced ALL war crimes, crimes against<br />humanity and collective punishment committed in or from Gaza. He would<br />hear appeals from Christian Palestinians and Palestinian civil society<br />and be moved.<br /><br /><br />5. The second class citizenship that Israeli Palestinians have with<br />its separate and unequal treatment by the State would have appeared<br />eerily reminiscent of the occasion for lunch counter sit-ins and bus<br />boycotts in the South. Even if they have more rights than people in<br />many Arab states, such partiality makes a mockery of democracy. Would<br />King be more likely to stand with Avigdor Leiberman and Ehud Olmert,<br />or Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela?<br /><br /><br />I certainly don’t think King would have become an anti-Semite, but he<br />may have become an anti-Zionist. They are not the same thing. “The<br />truth must be told, and I say that those who are seeking to make it<br />appear that anyone who opposes the war in Vietnam is a fool or a<br />traitor or an enemy of our soldiers is a person that has taken a stand<br />against the best in our tradition.” That is a quote of his that I have<br />no doubt could accurately be updated to go beyond mention of Vietnam<br />and include every military adventure subsequently waged by “the<br />greatest purveyor of violence in the world today–my own government,”<br />including the US/Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.<br /><br /><br />-------------------<br /><br /><br />Jim Haber is the Coordinator of Nevada Desert Experience (NDE) which<br />organizes interfaith resistance to nuclear weapons and war. Jim is on<br />the War Resisters League National Committee, and he edited the 2008<br />WRL Peace Calendar. Jim is also very active with Jewish Voice for<br />Peace, the G.I. Rights Hotline and former SF CW and a regular<br />volunteer at the Las Vegas CW. He can be reached at:<br />jim[at]nevadadesertexperience.org.Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-85014138839236654392010-01-14T14:12:00.000-06:002010-01-14T14:13:39.128-06:00Changing the Subject from Israel/Palestine to MeVilifying Israel is an Obsession<br />Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 10:59 AM CST<br /><br /><br />Elizabeth Mayfield’s letter (Jan. 8) follows the rhetoric of much anti-Israel hatred: pre-empt all criticism of Israel with a statement that your words will be labeled antisemitic. Thus, when such biased statements are made, you can say, “See, I told you so.”<br /><br /> It’s probably fair to say that the majority of Tribune readers, from ultra-liberal to ultra-conservative, think that the U.S. is a great nation in many respects, and at the same time, we also can find various aspects of our culture and government to criticize.<br /><br /> Israel, like the U.S., should not be exempt from criticism. Neither should Israel be criticized out-of-context (e.g., ignoring the terror that prompted military actions.)<br /><br /> However, the obsession with incessantly vilifying and demonizing Israel (and no other country) renders the accusations meaningless and reveals more about the accuser’s motives than about Israel.<br /><br /> Mayfield claims “Israel will cost us money, lives and morality.” The aid given to Palestinians and their descendents in Gaza, the West Bank and in several Arab countries by the U.S. and other nations has, over the years, amounted to many billions of dollars. The U.S. funds Palestinians both directly and indirectly via the United Nations (note: the U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N.). Much of that money has gone to Arafat’s billionaire widow, to plump up Hamas and Fatah bigwigs and to purchase weapons that facilitate terror. <br /><br /> Anybody who believes Israel has a problem with morality should try living under Sharia law, where he won’t have to endure any western morality or democracy.<br /><br /> When Gaza and the West Bank grant free speech and free press and when Palestinian children are no longer nurtured on a diet of hatred and worship of terrorists, then a true comparison can be conducted between Israel and its Islamic neighbors.<br /><br />JL Metcalf<br /><br />Fort DodgeFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-55782402313434340712010-01-13T14:09:00.000-06:002010-01-14T14:10:40.235-06:00Response to Name Calling In LettersUnderstanding; Reconciliation<br />Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 10:59 AM CST<br /><br />For the past several years, I have read many letters to the editor pertaining to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. As I recall, most of the pro-Palestine and pro-Israel letters have focused on aggressive Israeli policies and actions toward Hamas and other Palestinians, and Israel’s right to live within safe and secure boundaries.<br /><br /> The exchange of views offered by Betsy Mayfield (Dec. 31) and James Eaves-Johnson (Jan. 6) suggested to me that Mayfield’s comments were, in part, directed at what she referred to as “members of Congress” who support Israel no matter what that government does, and Eaves-Johnson, who suggested that Mayfield “trades in thinly veiled anti-Semitism.” Attacking Mayfield for being anti-Semitic and, as I read him, anti-Jew, postpones a search for truth and perpetuates antagonism at the expense of seeking common ground.<br /><br /> I also have experienced how difficult it is to engage in civil conversation with Central Iowan Jews, Christians, Muslims and other people of goodwill on the topic of Israel and Palestine. I am reminded of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ insights in “The Home We Build Together” (pages 72-23). “Those who seek to build bridges find it difficult to make their voice heard. Eventually they give up trying, for in the current climate, the risk is great. In a polarized atmosphere, peacemakers are seen by their own side as betrayers.”<br /><br /> Rabbi Sacks speaks from experience, and he speaks the truth. Another great teacher, St. Paul, once wrote: “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9.) I encourage people of goodwill within Judaism, Christianity and Islam to seek understanding and reconciliation as, together, we pursue the elusive goal of peace.<br /><br />Russell MelbyFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-9854834196415461812010-01-08T14:51:00.000-06:002010-01-08T14:52:18.347-06:00What More Can I SaySharing what I have learned<br />Published: Friday, January 8, 2010 10:58 AM CST<br /><br />Criticize Israel or Israeli government violence, and the response is always the same: you’re an anti-Semite. Those who spuriously spit out the slur intend to damage my reputation and discredit my perspective.<br /><br />In defense, I am not anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism, bigotry, means not sitting at the same table as a Semite, blaming all for the sins of one, developing irrational hatred. A bigot feels that all members of the group are lesser beings to be denigrated in the basest ways.<br /><br />Does this mean that because I am well prepared to discuss what happens in Israel/Palestine, but not prepared to discuss similar problems elsewhere, that I am a bigot? I have lived in Jerusalem, visited Gaza and maintain close ties with Palestinians and Israelis of conscience. I have spent 15 years researching the situation and history of the Israeli/Palestinian problems.<br /><br />I sit at the same table as Israelis and plenty of Semitic people; I do not blame all for the crimes of the Zionist government. I know the difference between Judaism, Zionism and Israeli nationalism. Motivated by a need to inform, I write to advance peace that only justice can bring.<br /><br />I speak against Israel because I feel complicit in what Israel does. My taxes pay for actions that never will bring about peace. When Congolese women are gang raped, the United States Congress does not pass a resolution saying they approve. When Israel unjustly crushes Palestinians who have no recourse whatsoever, we not only send words of approval, we pay for the deed.<br /><br />There’s no need to write about Palestinian wrongs; we get that news. The American people have the right to know the whole truth. Israel’s will costs us money, lives and morality. I make no apology for trying to share what I have learned.<br /><br />Elizabeth S. Mayfield<br /><br />AmesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-18177509527589465112010-01-06T16:13:00.001-06:002010-01-06T16:13:59.257-06:00Name Calling, again, does not address the issuesThe trade of antisemitism<br />Published: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 11:15 AM CST<br /><br />Elizabeth Mayfield’s Dec. 31 letter ostensibly addresses the problem Berlanty Assam has traveling between Gaza and the West Bank for her education. There is legitimate criticism of Israeli policies, and there is antisemitism. Mayfield offers little of the former and much of the latter.<br /><br /> The background of Assam’s case is the Hamas-Fatah war. Their war has stopped only because Hamas is isolated in Gaza and cannot infiltrate the West Bank. As the left-wing Haaretz noted in 2007, Hamas was brutal in seizing Gaza, “aside from assassinating Fatah officials, Hamas also killed innocent Palestinians, with the intention of deterring the large clans from confronting the organization.”<br /><br /> To prevent the spread of Hamas’ terror, Israel has imposed restrictions on movement between the Palestinian areas. This effort to protect Palestinians has had unfortunate consequences.<br /><br /> Among others, it has impeded Gaza resident Berlanty Assam from completing her studies in the West Bank in a normal fashion. Despite her apparent illegal entry into Israel, people such as Assam benefit from Israeli democracy. She has legal representation from a major human rights organization in Israel and has received review of her case by the Israeli Supreme Court.<br /><br /> Unfortunately, Mayfield seriously examined none of the important issues in Assam’s case. Instead, she trades in thinly veiled antisemitism.<br /><br /> Mayfield claims that a “family” of “chosen” people manipulate the U.S. Congress. She invokes Christmas imagery in describing how “chosen” Israel disrupted the peace of Bethlehem in arresting Assam. She claims “they” invoke some God-given right to “murder,” among other crimes. If the “they” who Mayfield calls “chosen” are not Jews, she should be clear. Any normal person knows she means Jews.<br /><br /> Myths of Jewish control, lies about Jewish defilement of Christianity and allegations that Jews claim divine right to commit evil crimes are the stock in trade of antisemitism.<br /><br />James Eaves-Johnson<br />CoralvilleFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-65780476486246219452010-01-05T15:04:00.000-06:002010-01-06T16:20:10.825-06:00A Story about InjusticeThe Strange Case of Berlanty Assam<br />BY: Elizabeth S. Mayfield <br />Published: The Tribune, Ames, Iowa, December 31, 2009<br /><br /><br />Berlanty Assam, a fourth year undergrad from Gaza at Bethlehem<br />University in the little town of Christmas song, was awakened from<br />sleep on October 26th, blindfolded, handcuffed, thrown in the back of<br />a van and transported back to her parent's home in Gaza. The Israeli<br />government, issuers of a 2005 permit allowing her to study and live in<br />Bethlehem, changed their minds three months shy of her graduation. A<br />trial ensued. No, Berlanty was not a security threat. Old documents<br />including those Berlanty held were confiscated and promptly lost.<br />Missing, too, all Israeli administrative records. No evidence; no<br />college degree for Berlanty. In early December, Israeli courts denied<br />Berlanty and her university's plea to allow her to finish.<br /><br />This injustice affects fewer than the Christmas 2008 murderous attack<br />leaving more than 1,000 Palestinians dead, but it still matters.<br />Imagine how you would feel if Berlanty were your child attending an<br />American University and our "democracy" just yanked her out and sent<br />her home. Is this a deed worthy of our support? There is a "family"<br />of Washington leaders who encourage Congress to issue declarations of<br />support for Israel whenever this colonizer country feels unjustly<br />criticized. Always our Representatives give a thumbs-up to Israel, no<br />matter what the rest of the world says. Evidently, these men consider<br />themselves "chosen" by God to lead the rest of us. Since they, like<br />Israel, are "chosen," they believe that if they support outrageous<br />acts like this one or the murders of a year ago, it's O.K. because<br />they're chosen by God and God knows best.<br /><br />What about you? Please think about Berlanty and how injustice done<br />to her might be brought to an end. Think letters; think about Obama's<br />"just war" application. Think about how you could help give Berlanty<br />a gift of a future and end your year with a uniquely personal gift<br />representing justice and love.<br />_________________________________________________________________________<br />P.S. The Ames Tribune ran this letter on the last day of the year, Dec. 31, 2009. I had written it as a Christmas letter asking people to remember the Bethlehem of today when they celebrated the Christian holiday on Dec. 24th and 25th. I rewrote the letter so that I would get it in as my monthly contribution in December. The paper chose not to run this letter in their electronic mail follow up. <br /><br />Today, another letter surfaced from one of the friends of Israel in our area who regularly rebuts letter I send in. We'll see if they publish that one on-line. This is how people in the United States are silenced by the friends of Israel.<br /><br />___________________________________________________________________________Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-10707143224987704612010-01-04T15:22:00.000-06:002010-01-06T16:19:24.818-06:00Public Relations War in Ames, IowaIn Ames,Iowa, there are a handful of us who are, frankly, engaged in a public relation's war. Every letter that I or my colleague, John Hauptman, write in support of the Palestinian people is refuted with the charge that we are anti-Semitic. I cannot speak for John, who speaks for himself below in an unpublished response to the latest Pnina Luban public charge against us, but I believe that I cannot, must not stop writing until the opposition, the friends of Israel in our area, stop slandering me and the Palestinian people in their rendition of one of the worst human rights crises in the world today. Of course, what is happening to the Palestinian people is not the only crime against humanity on our planet, but it's the one I know about first hand and that is why I focus on it. I try to not engage in direct rebuttal or name calling with those like Luban and Eaves Johnson who harass John and me . In the past, the editor of our paper would not run directly slanderous letters that named names and called people names in the manner of an uncreative seven grader bully. The new editor, however, has chosen to allow any slanderous writings to be printed. This is why so few Americans will engage at all in discussions about the horrendous (and getting worse everyday) situation in Gaza and, for that matter, in the entire region. <br /><br />The letter below answers each of our opposition's charges, but the editor, so far, refuses to print John's letter. It is longer than the paper requires for Letters to the Editor, but it could be run as commentary. I have asked for that and received no answer. Anyone really interested in this exchange needs to read the four following letters starting with Pnina Luban's letter, John Hauptman's unpublished reply, my letter, Dec. 31 and the Jan.6 rebuttal from Eaves Johnson. You will need to read down and, then, select the lates archive dates to see the whole stream. <br /><br />A Rebuttal to Pnina Luban (her letter follows) <br /><br />From: John Hauptman<br /> Professor of Physics<br /> Iowa State University<br /> Ames, Iowa 50010 <br /><br />Dear Editor,<br /><br />There are so many things wrong with the "double standard or anti-Semitism" letter,(see below on this blog) that I don't know where to start. Honest and accurate criticism of a government's illegal actions evoked a long list of non-sequiturs, followed by the explicit contradiction between a "tiny democracy" and a "Jewish state" with 420 nuclear weapons designed for the incineration of cities. A "Jewish state" can be a "theocracy", but not a "democracy".<br /><br />As for "two" people and "50 letters", I know people in Ames who have been threatened, don't speak up, and don't write letters, and in a community where the main currency is one's reputation, this is a powerful suppressant. I have been threatened and hilarious inventions have been floated, but I cannot be easily intimidated. I have understood the dynamics of revolt and protest since Berkeley in 1964, and the use of personal intimidation by the John Birch Society even earlier. I have the comfort of knowing that my opinions are well aligned with the whole world.<br /><br />The Pew Research Center (Washington, D.C.) conducts vast surveys of national and international opinion. Every year the Israeli government is ranked as the "greatest threat to world peace" (59% in the European Union, and pegged close to 100% in friendly countries like Jordan and Egypt), followed in second place by Iran, then North Korean.<br /><br />We can talk about Richard Goldstone and the 650-page report (Google: goldstone gaza un) of his Fact Finding committee on "crimes against humanity" by the Israeli government, "war crimes" by the Israeli military, and both "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" by Hamas. Although I find identifications abhorrent, Richard Goldstone (a citizen of South Africa) is always identified as Jewish, a strong supporter of Israel, on the Board of Directors of Hebrew University, whose daughter lives in Israel. On Israeli Army radio, his daughter said that her father tried to protect Israel, but that the evidence was so extensive and so clear. The slaughter of 1000 defenseless civilians on one side, and 10 soldiers on the other (four by "friendly fire"), was a "crime against humanity". Richard Goldstone has been accused of being an "anti-Semite", an "enemy of Israel", a "self-hating Jew", and all the rest of the usual slanders from the Israeli government.<br /><br />Watch for this truism: when a government finds it necessary to attack an individual, you know that something is wrong.<br />The leader of the Israeli opposition party, Tzipi Livni, canceled a trip to London this week because a warrant had been issued for her arrest by the UK. The Israeli government confirmed that this morning (Dec. 14). Why? Her role in the slaughter in Gaza, that's why.<br /><br />The Israeli government strategy, adopted by the US government, is to dismiss the Goldstone report as "biased" and unworthy of consideration. Goldstone has explicitly asked Obama to point out any bias in the report. No answer. The US is silent. They just hope it will go away, but it won't go away.<br /><br />For years the Israel lobby has told us "look at Darfur, look at Darfur" (don't look at what we are doing). My Federal tax dollars pay for what the Israeli government is doing, and it is illegal. I don't pay for Darfur, Somali, Chechnya, or the Tamil rebels. Because so much innocent blood is being spilled, we paying in more than dollars.<br /><br />A British diplomat remarked to an American diplomat recently "If you want better relations with Muslims, you should stop killing Muslims."<br /><br />I read the Israeli press every day (Jerusalem Post, Ynet, Jewish Forward, Ha'aretz), and none of this is a mystery. The Israeli government whines about Hamas, but they created Hamas as a counter to Fatah, not suspecting that their creation would grow its own legs. I also read the weekly report of the PCHR (http://www.pchrgaza.org).<br /><br />By the time this letter is printed, I will probably be listening to the roars of "God is Great" echoing over the roof tops of Tehran. There is a revolt there, no different from any other revolt against a government or any arbitrary authority. This one is for Iran, however, not for us. The US government has already done enough damage to the Iranian people by toppling their democracy in 1953, installing a dictator, stealing their oil for 30 years, supporting Saddam Hussein as he murdered one million people and rained US-made chemical weapons onto Iranian cities, shooting down a civilian airliner killing 300 people, supporting terrorist groups inside Iran, and all of this in spite of Iran's help against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan by guaranteeing a safe haven to US pilots. You didn't read any of this in the US press. Humans yearn for freedom, like we did under the British Redcoats, like Iranians today, like Palestinians today. It is not unusual at all.<br /><br />Roger Cohen of the New York Times has written a series of perceptive columns on Iran, from Iran. He demolishes the propaganda from the Israel Lobby that is trying to sucker the US into starting a third war in the region. To save the American Republic, we must resist the Israel Lobby whose primary loyalty is to another country.<br /><br />This Christmas season when you see a Nativity scene, look carefully at Mary, veiled and covered. The dress and veil are identical to that of Palestinian women today, and for good reason. The Palestinians today are the direct genetic descendants of the Jews during the Roman occupation. They have stayed in this land of "milk and honey" for thousands of years, invaded by Roman Legions, Arab conquerors, Christian Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and now an invasion by European Zionists intent on conquering the land, all of it. (Google: amazon Salomo Sand). The Palestinians have invaded no one, and the whole world knows this. They are, as always, essentially completely defenseless civilians. As a citizen of the United States, a "high contracting party to the Geneva Conventions", it is our legal obligation to bring the Israeli government into compliance with basic international humanitarian law. That is not a double standard and it is not anti-Semitism.Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-16500979794833188282009-12-11T15:19:00.000-06:002010-01-06T16:10:14.911-06:00Double Standard: Anti-Humanist or Zionist?Double standard or anti-Semitism<br />Published: Friday, December 11, 2009 6:35 PM CST<br /><br />Tribune letter writers rarely engage in criticizing the world’s other 193 countries. It is striking that two letter writers have published more than 50 letters during the past few years exclusively devoted to criticizing, besmirching and delegitimizing Israel.<br /><br /> While a tiny minority of determined Israel-bashers exists, the great majority of Americans - polls consistently show - firmly support Israel and appreciate her monumental challenge of surviving as a tiny democracy (1/6 area of Iowa) in a sea of hostile authoritarian Arab countries, while forced to defend herself against Palestinian terrorism, repeated attacks on her territory and rejection of her right to exist.<br /><br /> These letter writers obsessively focus on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict but are silent about other massacres and genocide that have exacted a far greater human toll: Sudan’s killing of 350,000 Darfuris and the plight of millions of Darfuri and Somali refugees subjected to violence, hunger, and rape; Russia/Chechnya conflict where Russian troops killed tens of thousands of Chechnyan civilians; Tamil Tigers’ terrorism and Sri Lanka’s military assault on Tamil-occupied territory that resulted in 20,000 civilian casualties; Spain/Basque; China’s robbing of the Tibetan people’s homeland; Turkey’s occupation of northern Cyprus; Turkey’s suppression of Kurdish nationalism; gross human rights abuses by North Korea, Myanmar, Iran and many Arab countries; deprivation of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia and other totalitarian countries.<br /><br /> Many of these countries are close U.S. allies; some (e.g. Egypt) are major recipients of U.S. foreign aid.<br /><br /> Singling out the only Jewish state for criticism and condemnation is at best an extreme case of double standard; at worst, a case of the new anti-Semitism. According to Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis, “the new anti-Semitism” is characterized by denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination; applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not expected or demanded of any other country.<br /><br />Pnina Luban<br />AmesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-72830903272305670482009-11-10T05:01:00.006-06:002010-01-06T16:16:26.960-06:00Is it really O.K. for Israel to get so much special dispensation from the US?<span style="font-style:italic;">Dairy tariffs eliminated: An under the table deal to benefit Israel, but not US dairy farmers. Once again, Israel, first; the US, second. Is that how our country should be run?</span><br /><br />Published: Sunday, November 8, 2009 12:19 AM CST<br /><br />Here’s news for you. I haven’t seen it in our papers nor heard it discussed on FOX or even MSNBC. Sad to say, its pertinent to those of you in Iowa who grew up on dairy farms or sell dairy products or make a living off the land.<br /><br /> According to research made public by If Americans Knew, Israeli wire service Ynet announced that President Obama recently signed a presidential memo eliminating a tariff or subcharges on dairy products that Israel ships to the United States. Seems that Dudu Buch, an Israeli export broker, takes credit for obtaining the protection from the levy for Israel saying that the company he represents will receive a $17,000 credit because of the deal.<br /><br /> Evidently, an Israeli attache expressed glee because he exclaimed aloud that the levy-leveling happened by presidential decree rather than through regular channels which means that Israel will have no fear that it will be placed on (Israel) again in the future. Hum!<br /><br /> Although the United States does not levy taxes on most imports we receive from Israel, this is new and previous administrations did not wave the usual tariff requirements for dairy product from Israel. Hum again! On top of this, The National Milk Producers Federation say that U.S. dairy producers have been facing unprecedented losses over the past year due to low milk prices and high input costs. Hum, yet again!<br /><br /> Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently joked that even with all the largess he gets from America he wouldn’t really want Israel to be Americas 51st state. Why? He said because he’d only have two senators representing him and not the many he has under his thrall, today. A final, hum.<br /><br />Elizabeth Mayfield<br /><br />AmesFacing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-9559036646751972452009-10-29T12:22:00.002-05:002009-11-10T05:06:37.798-06:00Facing Facts: Anna Baltzer and Mustapha Barghouti: The truth about PalestineSee a great show on the sidebar: most recent entry.Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-12246691476954466062009-10-04T14:35:00.001-05:002009-10-04T14:35:48.373-05:00One Last Pitch for Sabeel in Iowa<h1>A speech worth listening to</h1> <div style="float: right;"> <center></center><br /> </div> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <span class="timestamp">Sunday, October 4, 2009 12:08 AM CDT</span></div> <!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]--> <span>Is a two-state solution for Israel/Palestine possible? Consider how far 60 years of Zionist regimes have taken Israel into belligerent gathering of land to make one state, a Jewish state, a land without borders, millions of brokenhearted people living in occupation and, because of occupation, an angry population within and without Israel proper and Israel far and wide.<br /><br /> Does Israel really want two states after all, and how do the demographics of the region affect probability of two states or even one state or, even, a disastrous ecological ruination of the region?<br /><br /> The Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek is a Christian Arab who will speak from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at First Christian Church in Ames and again at 7 p.m. at Collegiate Methodist. He’s worth hearing because he’s lived in Jerusalem and environs his entire life. He’s what is called a Jerusalemite, an elite category for Israeli and Palestinian both.<br /><br /> Ateek will speak from his own perspective, but when he heads up to the University of Northern Iowa to lead a conference called “A Secure Israel and A Free Palestine,” he will bring four leading Jewish intellectuals to tell their stories: Phyllis Bennis, policy wonk from D.C.; Anna Baltzer, traveling star of discussion circles in towns all over the United States; Jeff Halper, formerly from Hibbing, Minn., and now a staunch Israeli citizen; and psychologist Mark Braverman, member of Jewish Voice for Peace.<br /><br /> I expect to get a better sense of what’s actually happening in the Middle East by listening to what Ateek and friends have to say. I expect it to be challenging.<br /><br />Elizabeth S. Mayfield<br /><br />Ames</span>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-73658087821580112592009-09-13T07:54:00.000-05:002009-09-13T07:55:20.331-05:00The Place to be on October 9 and 10<h1>Speakers discuss Middle East</h1> <div style="float: right;"> <center></center><br /> </div> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <span class="timestamp">Wednesday, September 2, 2009 3:23 PM CDT</span></div> <!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]--> <span>In trying to share information about Palestine or attempting to talk about human rights violations against Palestinians, I encounter objections: “I won’t talk about Palestinians as long as Hamas is throwing rockets. Israel has a right to defend itself.” That’s the old trick of changing the subject.<br /><br /> I want to talk about Palestinians and Israelis who want peace and want to get on with their lives without trepidation; the opposition wants to bring up the worst aspect of the resistance to end the conversation. The result: deadlock, intransigence. We talk past each other. Isn’t 60 plus years of this enough?<br /><br /> You can read about not ending this world-affecting battle opined by those who benefit from keeping the fray going. Palestine, however, is still the issue. On Oct. 9 and 10, those in Cedar Falls who want peace in the Holy Land will host some of the most articulate and internationally recognized speakers on the circuit. Amesites who care even a wink about the situation have an opportunity here.<br /><br /> Take the time to drive 90 minutes up Interstate 35 and across on U.S. Highway 20 and learn first hand what the nonviolent peace and justice exponents can tell you. First speaker up is writer/analyst Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, in D.C., at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. Phyllis and the event, in general, offer substance missing here in Ames where tit-for-tat argument keeps us confused and uninformed about reality on the ground.<br /><br /> If using U.S. dollars to help Americans at home rather than creating or abetting wars around the world matters to you, go to Cedar Falls on Oct. 9. Check it out at <a href="http://www.fosna.org/">www.fosna.org</a>.<br /><br />Elizabeth Mayfield<br /><br />Ames</span><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-30453251038140450022009-08-23T13:40:00.001-05:002009-08-23T13:41:33.141-05:00Home Exchange, Bezonnes, France 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUMzEOb9r3Q18Hf2KbBm1Ywua2SZHnpUeHcEWvWp-l9FeMhI_gaTuNNMg6qb9vjW55QzBcrAo1PbU-ck7itWN8HzF5Grk2zdmHiRHBv1EhvpvKlL7bKV84Q18JsslzoMMXmXBmtYyuyNi/s1600-h/Bezonnes,+France.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUMzEOb9r3Q18Hf2KbBm1Ywua2SZHnpUeHcEWvWp-l9FeMhI_gaTuNNMg6qb9vjW55QzBcrAo1PbU-ck7itWN8HzF5Grk2zdmHiRHBv1EhvpvKlL7bKV84Q18JsslzoMMXmXBmtYyuyNi/s320/Bezonnes,+France.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style="clear: both;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-7908457869434093162009-07-22T18:59:00.003-05:002009-07-22T19:02:28.713-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXWHfik5Q9FTXA8uiKAWQSXSWM45-xGCMsmaNsUjtgqj5YmjsR_U3-nrSRhDO139peFaJb40b4uazqQB672sKdcMwkFVAuFz0N6WhrmLK-hfjMzsXLTF1_TDwTuhZSXxdPlgsJp5whofp/s1600-h/Concept_seven5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXWHfik5Q9FTXA8uiKAWQSXSWM45-xGCMsmaNsUjtgqj5YmjsR_U3-nrSRhDO139peFaJb40b4uazqQB672sKdcMwkFVAuFz0N6WhrmLK-hfjMzsXLTF1_TDwTuhZSXxdPlgsJp5whofp/s320/Concept_seven5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361438916912768866" border="0" /></a><br />Check out this Site. It's a good one!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-59028800711673615412009-07-22T14:08:00.000-05:002009-07-22T14:09:24.107-05:00Just Another Week in the Holy Land<h1>Weekly report about Israelis</h1> <div style="float: right;"> <center></center><br /> </div> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <span class="timestamp">Saturday, July 18, 2009 8:05 AM CDT</span></div> <!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]--> <span>The following items are from the July 2 to 8, 2009 weekly report of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.<br /><br /> 1. A Palestinian child was killed and her father and uncle were wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.<br /><br /> 2. Three Palestinian civilians, including two children, were injured when Israeli forces used force against a peaceful protest against the Annexation Wall.<br /><br /> 3. Israeli forces conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.<br /><br /> 4. Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including seven children, and an American human rights defender in the West Bank.<br /><br /> 5. Israeli forces have continued to impose a total closure on the occupied Palestinian territories and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.<br /><br /> 6. Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested three Palestinian civilians.</span><br /><br /> <div id="instory"><!-- AdSys ad not found for ames_tribune/opinion/letters_to_the_editor:instory --></div> <span> 7. Israeli forces have continued measures aimed at establishing a Jewish majority in occupied east Jerusalem.<br /><br /> 8. Israeli forces forced a Palestinian civilian to demolish a structure added to his house in Beit Hanina village near Jerusalem.<br /><br /> 9. Israeli forces stormed the Palestinian National Theater in Jerusalem and prevented an art show. <br /><br /> 10. Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.<br /><br /> 11. Israeli forces issued military orders to demolish 11 houses and four wells in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem.</span><br /><br /> <span> 12. Israeli forces razed areas of Palestinian land in Yatta village, south of Hebron, to expand a settlement outpost.<br /><br /> 13. Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian child and attempted to run him down in Hebron.<br /><br /> 14. Israeli settlers released hundreds of wild boars in the northern West Bank.<br /><br /> It is like this every week. President Obama deserves the support of all Americans.<br /><br />John Hauptman<br /><br />Ames</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-8008841032811955692009-07-01T19:15:00.002-05:002009-07-01T19:20:52.132-05:00Zionists Answer to My Call to End Aid to Israel<h1>Aid to ‘refugees’ adds to conflict</h1> <div style="float: right;"> <center></center><br /> </div> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <span class="timestamp">Friday, June 19, 2009 11:56 PM CDT</span></div> <!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]--> <span>Aid to ‘refugees’ adds to conflict<br /><br />Last week, Palestinian Authority President Abbas reiterated a long-standing demand that, in addition to establishing a Palestinian state, Israel absorb an untold number of Palestinians.<br /><br />This demand is a non-starter because it contradicts the principle of two states for two peoples and by virtue of demographics, Israel would be transformed into another Arab state. Ironically, U.S. aid to so-called Palestinian refugees has helped perpetuate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.<br /><br />Since World War II, 130 million refugees became the responsibility of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Thanks, in part, to UNHCR’s efforts in settling these refugees, their numbers have shrunk considerably, as most have become citizens of their host countries, except Palestinians.<br /><br />To further the Arab agenda of destroying Israel, in 1950, under pressure from Arab and Muslim countries, the U.N. established a special agency, UNRWA, to care exclusively for Palestinian refugees. Whereas the U.N.’s definition of all refugee groups is restricted to the original refugees and specifically excludes their descendents, UNRWA makes an exception to that rule by defining Palestinian refugees as both the original refugees and all their descendents.<br /><br />In six decades, the number of original Palestinian refugees shrunk from 650,000 to less than 100,000, while the number of their descendents ballooned to 4.2 million. For 59 years, UNRWA, whose largest contributor is the U.S., has provided billions of dollars to sustain this ever-growing population while keeping them in a permanent state of welfare dependency. This has led to a birth rate 10 times higher than that of Western countries; half of Gaza’s population is under age 15.<br /><br />Since UNRWA is a major employer of Hamas members, our taxpayer dollars support Hamas terrorist activities as well as UNRWA-run schools that teach militant, anti-Western ideology. It is our taxpayer money that helps perpetuate the Palestinian refugee problem and thereby the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.</span><br /><br /> <div id="instory"><!-- AdSys ad not found for ames_tribune/opinion/letters_to_the_editor:instory --></div> <span>Pnina Luban<br /><br />Ames</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5128814731265970225.post-2337612845413842982009-05-24T09:31:00.001-05:002009-05-24T09:34:03.786-05:00HERE'S WHY WE SHOULD STOP AID TO ISRAEL<h1>U.S. should stop Israel support</h1> <div style="float: right;"> <center></center><br /> </div> <div class="timestamp" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Published: <span class="timestamp">Thursday, May 21, 2009 11:33 AM CDT</span></div> <!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]--> <span>For 20 years, I have passionately asked for justice for the Palestinians and tried to explain the horrors of Zionist colonialism which our nation enabled.<br /><br /> Now, as our own economy fizzles in starts and stops and American workers lose their livelihoods, Congress considers a FY2010 budget request for $2.775 billion in foreign military financing for Israel, an increase of $225 million in military aid compared to FY2009. During FY2007, the U.S. gave more than $6.8 million per day to Israel and $0.3 million per day to the Palestinians. Should we continue to offer our purse to Israel, year after year?<br /><br /> More and more global speakers, including voices of Jews of conscience, ask that America stop supporting Israel until Israel ends its unjust occupation of Palestine. When people from Palestine to Pakistan speak of struggles in Gaza and the West Bank, they do not say, “Israeli violence”; they refer, instead, to “American/Israeli injustice.” Should we be paying Israel to reject human rights we ourselves accept, causing ourselves worldwide disdain and accompanying dangers?<br /><br /> The Jewish Federation of Des Moines, as well as federation professionals all over America, have the job of silencing those of us who dare speak against Israel’s actions. They twist the facts; they use the word “Jew” rather than “Zionist,” even when many Jews do not approve of Israel’s occupation anymore than I do.<br /><br /> With Jewish groups (none of whom call me anti-Semitic) like J-Street, Jewish Voice for Peace, Not in My Name supporting lasting peace and encouraging America to insist on peace, maybe it’s time for the federation to become mainstream by supporting a just peace, too.<br /><br /> For the record, I do not mean this “blithely.”<br /><br />Elizabeth S. Mayfield</span><br /><br /> <div id="instory"><!-- AdSys ad not found for ames_tribune/opinion/letters_to_the_editor:instory --></div> <span>Ames</span>Facing Factshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03044567351623548179noreply@blogger.com0