Ecumenical accompaniment programme in Palestine and Israel

I heard a presentation from this volunteer worker. They send international volunteers to Israel and the occupied Palestinian lands. These volunteers offer protection through non-violent presence, monitor and report violations, support peace activists and advocacy.

They stand at checkpoints to reduce abuses of civilians. There are peace activists on both sides and report to Red Cross any violence.

Really did not know the history but pre 1946 Palestinian land was under British rule and is a colonial legacy. After 1947 gave a 57% portion to Israel which split Palestine into Gaza controlled by Jordan and West Bank controlled by Egypt. Since then Israel have taken more and more land illegally and created an apartheid system where Palestinians cannot move across what little land they have as they have to pass checkpoints where even donkeys need passes.

The programme wanted us to boycott Israel goods, disinvest and use sanctions against them.

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Originally Posted by Master

These volunteers offer protection through non-violent presence.

They stand at checkpoints to reduce abuses of civilians. There are peace activists on both sides and report to Red Cross any violence.

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Sort of like snake charming but on a giant scale.

So whats Red Cross do about it ? write it down in case it goes to international court one day?

Btw; this part of the forum was Miles and Bilbo / Israel /Palestine free until now; you realize!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlNwo52uEkE

Israel with the full backing of the US continues to violate international law. Instead of condemning the building of settlements the US continues to turn a blind eye to the continual building of settlements upon occupied land. The UN can make Libya a no fly zone and take action against Gaddaffi. Why? Because the US backs it. Nothing can be done against Israel which continues to violate the rights of Palestinians. Why? Because the US backs it.

It is for these types of double standards and levels of shameless and crooked behaviour that I rail against both America and Israel. There is no need to build these settlements. There is no need to deny Palestinians access to their own resources. Well, of course there is a desire to do these things if you are an imperial power and you don't care who you hurt just as long as you can steal more land. Hitler believed he was in the right in this regard, but no moral person looks at the behaviour as justified.

I am all for international sanctions against Israel, but unless the US changes it's immoral tune then nothing will come of it. The US, which is broke gives $3 billion to the Israeli's no questions asked. It supports illegal settlement building. It has basically armed Israel. In that regard we should also be forcing sanctions against America. It is a country that invades nations without good reason and supports terrorist states. So, whilst I am all for the sanctioning of Israel, that would also mean that we need to look at the bigger picture and who is supporting Israel.

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Originally Posted by Andre

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Originally Posted by Master

These volunteers offer protection through non-violent presence.

They stand at checkpoints to reduce abuses of civilians. There are peace activists on both sides and report to Red Cross any violence.

---

Sort of like snake charming but on a giant scale.

So whats Red Cross do about it ? write it down in case it goes to international court one day?

Btw; this part of the forum was Miles and Bilbo / Israel /Palestine free until now; you realize!

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Red Cross a have some respect and can make representation but agree it does seem toothless in the whole scale of things. That is peace activist for you.

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Originally Posted by miles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlNwo52uEkE

Israel with the full backing of the US continues to violate international law. Instead of condemning the building of settlements the US continues to turn a blind eye to the continual building of settlements upon occupied land. The UN can make Libya a no fly zone and take action against Gaddaffi. Why? Because the US backs it. Nothing can be done against Israel which continues to violate the rights of Palestinians. Why? Because the US backs it.

It is for these types of double standards and levels of shameless and crooked behaviour that I rail against both America and Israel. There is no need to build these settlements. There is no need to deny Palestinians access to their own resources. Well, of course there is a desire to do these things if you are an imperial power and you don't care who you hurt just as long as you can steal more land. Hitler believed he was in the right in this regard, but no moral person looks at the behaviour as justified.

I am all for international sanctions against Israel, but unless the US changes it's immoral tune then nothing will come of it. The US, which is broke gives $3 billion to the Israeli's no questions asked. It supports illegal settlement building. It has basically armed Israel. In that regard we should also be forcing sanctions against America. It is a country that invades nations without good reason and supports terrorist states. So, whilst I am all for the sanctioning of Israel, that would also mean that we need to look at the bigger picture and who is supporting Israel.

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I did not really apprecaite the abuse, even from your posts, but hearing it from front line activists was really eye opening. The Palestinains cannot move inbetween there own lands.

There are a significant number of Israeli peace activist who did not want the abuses in their names and that should give us all hope.

I was just thinking Miles hadn't told me what a piece of shit my country was in a while. Glad to see you back in form Miles, I had started to think the new job had made you soft.

Oh God, not this again...

I agree with Miles. It is truly amazing how devoted USA is to being an advocate of Jewish/Israeli interests around the world, no matter how unjust or ridiculous they are. I don't get it. Just out of curiosity: doesn't average American citizen see this?

The U.S./Israel foreign policy issue is pretty low on the totem pole to most Americans. Add that to most U.S. politicians being cowards and we are stuck with the status quo. Outside of Ron Paul, I can't think of a national leader that really talks about fundamentally changing the relationship. One would think that with the settlement issues and the fact that our support for Israel is a major thorn in the Arab side our national leadership would stop the absurd amount of money, arms and support we give them. But hey that would be the logical thought process.

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Originally Posted by miles

Israel with the full backing of the US continues to violate international law. Instead of condemning the building of settlements the US continues to turn a blind eye to the continual building of settlements upon occupied land. The UN can make Libya a no fly zone and take action against Gaddaffi. Why? Because the US backs it. Nothing can be done against Israel which continues to violate the rights of Palestinians. Why? Because the US backs it.

It is for these types of double standards and levels of shameless and crooked behaviour that I rail against both America and Israel. There is no need to build these settlements. There is no need to deny Palestinians access to their own resources. Well, of course there is a desire to do these things if you are an imperial power and you don't care who you hurt just as long as you can steal more land. Hitler believed he was in the right in this regard, but no moral person looks at the behaviour as justified.

I am all for international sanctions against Israel, but unless the US changes it's immoral tune then nothing will come of it. The US, which is broke gives $3 billion to the Israeli's no questions asked. It supports illegal settlement building. It has basically armed Israel. In that regard we should also be forcing sanctions against America. It is a country that invades nations without good reason and supports terrorist states. So, whilst I am all for the sanctioning of Israel, that would also mean that we need to look at the bigger picture and who is supporting Israel.

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In your opinion.

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Originally Posted by Ghost

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Originally Posted by miles

Israel with the full backing of the US continues to violate international law. Instead of condemning the building of settlements the US continues to turn a blind eye to the continual building of settlements upon occupied land. The UN can make Libya a no fly zone and take action against Gaddaffi. Why? Because the US backs it. Nothing can be done against Israel which continues to violate the rights of Palestinians. Why? Because the US backs it.

It is for these types of double standards and levels of shameless and crooked behaviour that I rail against both America and Israel. There is no need to build these settlements. There is no need to deny Palestinians access to their own resources. Well, of course there is a desire to do these things if you are an imperial power and you don't care who you hurt just as long as you can steal more land. Hitler believed he was in the right in this regard, but no moral person looks at the behaviour as justified.

I am all for international sanctions against Israel, but unless the US changes it's immoral tune then nothing will come of it. The US, which is broke gives $3 billion to the Israeli's no questions asked. It supports illegal settlement building. It has basically armed Israel. In that regard we should also be forcing sanctions against America. It is a country that invades nations without good reason and supports terrorist states. So, whilst I am all for the sanctioning of Israel, that would also mean that we need to look at the bigger picture and who is supporting Israel.

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In your opinion.

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But the facts speak for themselves. Settlements continue to be built which almost every nation disaproves of from a diplomatic viewpoint. It is only the very curious relationship between America and Israel that allows it to continue. Palestinians are having their lands and resources stolen from them and their rights are severely diminished through occupation. These aren't opinions, the sources to back it up are very easily found.

I don't regard my views on the Palestine/Israel conflict as controversial at all. In fact I think it is a fairly moderate view to regard the denying of rights and continued settlement building as unnaceptable. The fact that most world diplomatic opinion is on my side and that most Arabs would agree with me, makes those that disagree with me look rather extreme themselves.

If America hadn't kow towed to the Israeli's and hadn't spent 40 years propping up brutal Middle Eastern dictators, then the region could have been quite different. America chose it's path...basically dictatorships and and repressed populations so that oil reserves would flow without question. Palestinians and the respective populations of harshly controlled populations were merely an afterthought.

I don't regard it as shitting on a country to point out in a matter of fact way that the US has been the key power enabling irrational and outrageous Israeli behaviour in the region. It should never have been allowed to get this far, now we have large swathes of Palestinian land occupied by heavily protected settlements.

Like I say, one must always distinguish between the elite and the general populace of a country. I am not shitting on the American people, but am critical of the elite who seem to know no other way than to abuse their power. In fact the American people are being shat on themselves by that elite. Of course, I am against this too. I rail against abuse of power by elites, now if that is how we are to define shitting on a nation then perhaps I do, but I certainly don't look at it that way.

I am all for America acting in rational ways and it's people standing up for their rights, but I am firmly against the powerful using that power to extend repression both domestically and internationally.