Abbas invites Pope to Jerusalem
RTE (Ireland)
The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has invited the Pope to visit Jerusalem and places holy to Christians.
During their first meeting at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the offer, but no date has yet been set for the visit.
Jerusalem is a key sticking point in Israeli-Palestinian relations, with Palestinians hoping a future state would include the east of the city.
[Partridge: Got this in my email this morning]
Pope Benedict – First New Citizen of Bethlehem
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI accepted a Bethlehem passport from the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, today (Saturday 3rd December). His Holiness becomes the first new citizen of Bethlehem following the launch of ‘Open Bethlehem’, an international campaign to save the city.
Bethlehem faces a state of emergency following the completion of an 8 metre high illegal cement wall at the entrance to the city that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem and other Palestinian towns. With the Israeli wall and other closures, including militarised fences and illegal Jewish settlements, Bethlehem has been reduced to its urban core: a modern- day ghetto town.
In issuing a passport, Bethlehem is granting citizenship to those who “uphold the values of a just and open society (and) remain a true friend of Bethlehem, through its imprisonment”, according to the passport’s citation.
Leila Sansour- the chief executive of Open Bethlehem is currently in London. She says: “We are appealing to the Pope as well as all citizens of the world to help us uphold the message that was born in our city. Bethlehem- a name that resonates with millions of people around the world with a message of peace and hope for mankind is today an open- air prison. Over 400 entire Christian families have emigrated from the city in the last four years. We cannot allow the depopulation of Bethlehem and the erosion of a 2000 year-old heritage that anchors Christianity in the Middle East”.
The Palestinian delegation included the Palestinian Minister of Tourism Ziad Al Bandak, a native of Bethlehem, who stressed that new developments on the ground are damaging to an already fragile tourist industry as the critical Christmas season approaches.
-ends-
Notes for editors:
* Open Bethlehem was launched by the Mayor of Bethlehem on 9 November, declaring Bethlehem an open city and announcing the issue of a Bethlehem passport.
* Open Bethlehem is a city initiative that aims to promote Bethlehem as a prime destination for tourists, bold initiatives and investment. The core of its message is that Bethlehem is a city of openness and diversity, with a centuries-old tradition of welcoming travellers, refugees and pilgrims from across the world.
Peres can pick any job, Sharon says
Al Jazeera
Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, has said his new Kadima party will give Shimon Peres an important role in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking if elected in March. "I am happy and proud that Shimon Peres has decided to join us, in Kadima," Sharon told a news conference on Sunday with Peres at his side.
"I asked Shimon Peres to pick any job he wants. Shimon can fulfil any post, I believe with great success." Peres, 82, left the Labour party, which voted him out as its leader last month, and threw his support behind Sharon on Wednesday, saying he was confident that the prime minister would seek peace with the Palestinians.
"Regardless of the job Shimon picks, it is crystal clear he will be a full and central partner in the diplomatic process," Sharon said, referring to peacemaking with the Palestinians. {snip}
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Gaza and Israel firings continue
Al Jazeera
Palestinian fighters have fired more rockets at Israel in a tit-for-tat exchange started by the killing of two Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the ruling Fatah party, said it had fired two missiles early on Sunday morning in response to the killings.
Israel says its warplanes carried out airstrikes in response to rockets fired earlier. Witnesses said the occupation army carried out four raids on Gaza overnight, but there were no casualties. An Israeli army spokeswoman said the firing came in response to earlier rocket attacks from the coastal strip into Israel.
"These were reprisals after the Palestinians fired Qassam rockets," she told AFP. Israel Radio reported that Shaul Mofaz, the defence minister, had said Israel would respond immediately to any attack on its territory or citizens. {snip}
Palestinian police shoot driver for not stopping for inspection
AP
RAMALLAH - Police in the West Bank town of Ramallah opened fire Sunday on a driver who refused to stop to show his documents, touching off an impromptu protest by dozens of outraged residents, witnesses said.
Doctors at the Ramallah hospital said the 23-year-old driver, Anas al-Agroudi, was shot in the chest and in serious condition.
West Bank police recently launched a campaign to confiscate illegal weapons and stolen cars, and have been carrying out snap inspections. This was the first incident of violence in Ramallah since the campaign began late last month.
Security officials said the car was stolen.
Protesters who took to the streets after the shooting burned tires and threw stones at police, who responded by firing in the air.
Some of the roughly 100 demonstrators were militiamen affiliated with the young guard of the ruling Fatah Party, which hopes to take control of the Palestinian parliament after Jan. 25 elections.
They taunted police and persuaded dozens of shopowners to shut down their businesses and join the demonstration.
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3 Border policemen indicted over beating of Palestinians
Haaretz
The Police Investigation Department on Sunday indicted three Border Policemen over suspicions of assaulting and beating Palestinians under severe circumstances in two separate incidents.
According to the indictment, a Palestinian taxi carrying passengers arrived on January 25 at the "Container" roadblock near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Dis. Border Policeman Moshe Zuaretz, 21, allegedly went up to the taxi and punched the driver's face, saying the driver had honked.
The driver then came out of the vehicle, when a second policeman, Ro'i Ragiano, 25, allegedly kicked him and punched him in the stomach. The driver sustained bruises to his face and body.
The two policemen then conducted a thorough search in the cab and threatened the taxi driver that if he crossed through the roadblock again they would "smash his face."
Beating of handcuffed Palestinian
Zuaretz was involved in a second violent incident two months later. According to the indictment, he and another Border Policeman, Nicolai Srokin, 19, assaulted a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian.
Muntazar Ramdan was brought shackled to a Border Police base. Srokin, who was guarding the entrance, was instructed to guard the arrested man. He and Zuaretz allegedly beat the Palestinian. According to the indictment, other policemen joined the two but Ramdan was unable to identify them.
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Meretz convention votes against attempt to depose party leader Beilin
Haaretz
The Meretz-Yahad party convention rejected a proposal Sunday to cancel the reservation of the first slot on the party's Knesset list for party chairman Yossi Beilin. Only 96 of the convention's 500 members voted against reserving the spot for Beilin.
According to the party constitution, the top slot on the party Knesset list is reserved for Beilin, and therefore the party elections are for the second slot onwards.
Convention member Jonatahn Klinger's proposal to open Beilin's slot on the Knesset list to competition had been rejected by the convention presidency in the past for procedural reasons. {snip}
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Netanyahu, Peretz trade barbs over economic policies
Haaretz
Likud primaries front-runner MK Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday blasted Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz, saying he had launched hundreds of strikes during his years as head of the Histadrut labor federation for his own personal promotion.
"Amir Peretz carried out 606 strikes during the last decade for his personal promotion," Netanyahu said in his speech at the Israel Business Conference. "Israel used to be the world champion in strikes thanks to the world champion in strikes, who will be talking next."
Netanyahu also protested that every contester in the next general elections "is competing against another over who is more oriented toward social issues, and explaining how he will divide the budget while criticizing the policies that filled it." {snip}
Five die in Israel suicide blast
BBC
A Palestinian suicide bomber has killed five people and injured dozens in the Israeli coastal town of Netanya.
The bomber attacked the Sharon shopping centre, the scene of previous bombings, at about 1130 (0930 GMT), injuring some 40 people, several of them seriously.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the attack and released a video of the bomber.
Israeli security officials are due to meet later in the day to discuss possible responses to the attack.
Reports quoting military officials say they will recommend air strikes targeting militant leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has also asked the legal authorities for permission to renewal the controversial policy of demolishing suicide bombers' homes.
Before Monday's bombing, Mr Mofaz had already ordered a resumption of so-called "targeted killings" of wanted Palestinian militants.
Heightened tensions in recent days have been marked by Israeli air strikes and Palestinian militant rocket attacks. {Snip}
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Israel vows response to mall bombing
Al Jazeera
Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli defence minister, has vowed a military response overnight in response to a Palestinian bombing that killed five people.
Mofaz, speaking on Israeli radio, also said he was seeking approval to resume a policy of demolishing the homes of bombers that Israel had suspended in February after the start of a truce with Palestinians.
The Israeli threat came as armed clashes broke out in the West Bank town of Jenin between Palestinian security forces and followers of the resistance group that carried out the bombing earlier on Monday in northern Israel.
Witnesses and security sources said the clashes had broken out on the margins of a demonstration called to "celebrate" the bomb attack outside a shopping mall in Netanya.
As they gathered outside the local headquarters of the security services, the demonstrators, who also included members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, began chanting slogans denouncing the Palestinian Authority.
Exchanges of fire then broke out, the witnesses said, although there were no immediate reports of casualties. {Snip}
==============
From Haaretz
Five killed in suicide bombing outside Netanya mall
IDF readies for wide-scale retaliatory operations
Military sources: Operation could last up to a month; Mofaz seeks to renew demolition of terrorists' homes.
Islamic Jihad claims Netanya attack; 50 hurt, four seriously
Names of four of the victims released; Deputy Public Security Min.: We had no warning of attacks
Analysis: Closure on Gaza breaches PM's promise to Rice
Mofaz's advice to shut down Gaza border crossings places Sharon in a difficult position with the U.S. 20:18
Analysis: PA security forces are unable to combat militant groups
Many wonder if the PA can make good on its promise to fight militants even after PLC elections in weeks.
==============
Ezra: Crack down on Israeli accomplices
Jersalem Post
Calling Israelis who assist Palestinians in entering Israel "despicable villains," Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra lashed out at the phenomenon and called for more severe punishments for such accomplices.
Ezra spoke hours after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mall in Netanya, killing five people. The bomber was identified as an Islamic Jihad activist from a small village near Tulkarm. Police are searching for a car with Israeli license plates that allegedly transported the bomber from the West Bank to Netanya.
"There is a serious problem that cars with yellow [Israeli] license plates transport Palestinian and as a result assist terrorists in crossing into Israel," Ezra said. "These accomplices are despicable villains and this phenomenon needs to be completely uprooted."
Ezra said that the police have launched operations in the past against Israeli accomplices but "the wheels of justice move slowly and the system does not issue harsh enough punishments."
Claiming that the West Bank security fence was fully erected in the Sharon area and effective in stopping Palestinians from entering Israel, Ezra said Monday that the police and the IDF needed to increase supervision over the border crossings.
"The Palestinian Authority is clearly not doing enough," Ezra said. "Whatever they won't do however, we will do. If they don't take action against terrorists then we will reevaluate our steps and will increase supervision at crossings between Israel and the West Bank even at the expense of a heavy [humanitarian] price."
Ezra added that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) did not have intelligence warnings regarding this specific attack in Netanya but, he said: "There is no doubt that the Shin Bet and the police will act fast and will put their hands on the people responsible. We will continue fighting against these terrorists who plot attacks against the State of Israel."
================
From The Guardian
Five killed in Israeli shopping centre blast
At least five people were killed in a suicide bombing at a shopping centre in the Israeli city of Netanya today.
Ex-US diplomat blames Israel for Pakistani dictator's death
A retired US ambassador has reignited the debate about one of south Asia's greatest whodunits, the death in 1988 of Pakistan's president General Zia ul-Haq, by saying that Israel was responsible.
================
Partridge says: Since the last suicide bombing on Oct 26 2005 (which killed 5 Israelis), in total 27 Palestinians have been killed and, before today, 1 Israeli.
Just so you know...
No peace with Sharon
Gerald Kaufman - The Guardian
The Gaza withdrawal has been a veil for continued persecution and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians
I know the attractive Israeli seaside resort of Netanya well, having stayed several times at my niece's flat there. Not long ago I heard on BBC radio a series of interviews with residents of Netanya, which has in the past suffered a number of terrorist attacks. They rejoiced at how much easier the situation had become following the building of the Israeli separation wall, designed specifically to protect places like Netanya, located at the narrow neck of Israel's pre-1967 border. Two days ago five people were killed in a suicide bombing in Netanya.
All terrorist attacks are unjustifiable atrocities. Five Israelis are the latest victims. Over the past months, 15 Palestinians, two of them children, have been killed by Israeli troops. Their deaths attracted no headlines, but they are dead just the same.
I recently returned from leading the first British parliamentary delegation to the Palestinian Authority. What we saw is never seen by ordinary, decent Israelis, like the citizens of Netanya - who, since they dare not venture into the occupied territories, have no idea of the persecution of Palestinians being carried out in their name.
Last there two years ago, I was appalled at how an already unacceptable situation has deteriorated since. There are now more than 600 fixed checkpoints in the tiny Palestinian area, which, with so-called flying checkpoints, make free movement almost impossible. In Bethlehem, which used to be crammed with tourists, we saw just two groups in Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. The Old City of Nablus, which I knew for a quarter of a century as a hub of commercial activity, is also desolate. Heavily-armed Israeli troops man walls, gates and huts, all preventing Palestinians from moving about.
When our delegation, with Nablus Palestinians as our guides, tried to walk down one street our way was barred by Israeli soldiers pointing threatening weapons. When I explained our mission, a soldier said: "You can pass, but the Arabs cannot." Naturally, we refused to proceed. Meanwhile, we saw busloads of illegal Jewish settlers sailing through this restricted area at will.
One of the motivations of this policy is to make the lives of the Palestinians so intolerable that they get out. The success of this ethnic cleansing is shown in Ramallah, which in the two years since I was last there (meeting Yasser Arafat in the bunker where he was incarcerated) has become bloated as Palestinians from other areas of the West Bank huddle together there.
After Monday's bombing, Shaul Mofaz, defence minister and would-be successor to Ariel Sharon as Likud leader, put targeted killings of Palestinian "extremists" and blowing-up of suicide bombers' homes back on the Israeli agenda, though even he cannot be too stupid to understand that such reprisals will be used by Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organisations as a pretext for the murder of more Israeli civilians.
It is such posturing that leads Sharon to claim that he is now at the centre of Israeli politics. Sharon's champions argue that Israeli troops' withdrawal from Gaza demonstrates his peacemaking motivation. Shimon Peres, now a pathetically vain frontman for Sharon, claims that Sharon's alleged wish for peace is the reason for his jumping ship from the Labour party.
Yet, as Brent Scowcroft, the first President Bush's national security adviser, has explained to Condoleezza Rice: "For Sharon this is not the first move, this is the last move. He's getting out of Gaza because he can't sustain 8,000 settlers with half his army protecting them. Then, when he's out, he will have an Israel that he can control and a Palestinian state atomised enough that it can't be a problem."
It is good for Labour to be free of the albatross of Peres, following the welcome election of Amir Peretz - a tough, no-nonsense Sephardi whom I first met nearly 20 years ago in the slummy southern development town of Sderot, where he was a populist mayor. Peretz is no peacenik, but he does want a negotiated two-state solution.
Instead of lauding Sharon as he expands illegal West Bank settlements and imprisons East Jerusalem in a ring of concrete and armour, the British government should be giving full support to Peretz. He may not be perfect but, if at this bleak hour there is any hope for Israelis and Palestinians alike, he is it.
· Gerald Kaufman is the Labour MP for Manchester Gorton
Israel air strike kills militant
BBC
A Palestinian militant has been killed and 10 people injured in a missile strike by Israeli forces on a car in Rafah, southern Gaza, officials say. The dead man has been named as Mahmoud Arkan, a member of the armed group Popular Resistance Committees.
Israel vowed to crack down on militant groups after a suicide bombing killed five people on Monday in Netanya.
It also carried out missile strikes in Gaza City on Sunday, said to be in response to Palestinian rocket attacks.
Both Palestinian witnesses and Israeli military sources confirmed the target of Wednesday's missile strike was Mahmoud Arkan.
The 29-year-old is believed to have been responsible for a number of sniper and missile attacks against Israelis.
The identities of those injured in the strike have not been released.
The Popular Resistance Committees is a coalition of militant groups which has been blamed for rocket attacks against Israel in the past.
A spokesman for the movement said it would avenge the killing.
Israeli military officials said this week that targeted killing of Palestinian militants and renewed air strikes in Gaza and the West Bank were options being considered.
Israeli defence officials are also seeking to lift a legal ban on knocking down the homes of suicide bombers.
Dershowitz versus Chomsky: A Review of the Harvard Debate
By John Ryan - Counterpunch
I have just watched the Chomsky-Dershowitz debate. I'm not entirely sure how debates are judged or graded, but unless one is blinded by Zionist/pro-Israel bias, there's no question that Chomsky scored a decisive victory--on a number of counts.
The topic was Israel and Palestine After Disengagement: Where Do We Go From Here? Chomsky consistently stayed on topic, whereas Dershowitz hardly referred to it, except at the end when directed to it by a question. What's the debate penalty for ignoring the topic?
In his opening address, Dershowitz only dealt with the issue obliquely, and devoted most of his time to berating the Palestinians, Chomsky, and professors who criticize Israel, and challenged Chomsky to form an alliance with him to work for peace in the area-- a seemingly worthy proposal but totally off topic. Chomsky began by saying that the only thing Dershowitz said that he couldn't take issue with was that the two of them had once been in some summer camp together. Chomsky then proceeded to provide background to the crisis and pointed out that the current Israel-USA policy and any proposal emanating from it would lead to only further disaster. The Palestinians are not prepared to accept a non-contiguous Bantustan "state" which is what is being offered. Instead he clearly stated that it was the Geneva Accord that provided a basis for meaningful future negotiations. Dershowitz, on the other hand, only at the end, when pressed on this matter, said that the new Sharon-Peres party would "offer" the Palestinians a "proposal"--which the Palestinians should not refuse! This was his answer to "where do we go from here." So much for substance by Dershowitz. Debate score?
Looking back at the "debate," Dershowitz's approach was characterized by a consistent tirade of comments aimed at character assassination, rather than salient arguments relevant to the topic. At almost every instance when he spoke, Dershowitz peppered his address with ad hominem attacks on Chomsky--from the very beginning to the very end. Chomsky conducted himself with the dignity and decorum that such an occasion demanded. He kept to the topic, never raised his voice, never interrupted Dershowitz, and only at one time did he speak over the moderator's voice who tried to cut off a much needed response to Dershowitz. What's the debating penalty to Dershowitz for his abysmal ad hominem performance?
Right from the beginning it was obvious that Dershowitz did not intend to engage in honest debate. Instead, his aim was to smear, vilify, misrepresent and discredit Chomsky, and at intervals, in an almost childish manner, invited the audience to visit "Planet Chomsky." There were countless examples of this. It's hard to believe that Dershowitz would not have read some of Chomsky's major works on the Israel-Palestine issue. But if he did read them, it means that he purposefully proceeded to misrepresent Chomsky's views--views which Chomsky denied were his and challenged Dershowitz to cite such references. For example, how could Dershowitz claim that Chomsky never supported a two-state solution, which Chomsky has done over a 30-year period. Yet that's what Dershowitz asserted in his opening remarks, which Chomsky immediately refuted. Then when Chomsky referred to his own writings, Dershowitz blustered that none of this work was available, or that it was "selected passages," or in Esperanto or in some Czech edition immature, scandalous behaviour and outright lies. Indeed, it's "selected passages" or quotations, with references, that often provide the required documentation. On several occasions, in putting forth a position or as a challenge to Chomsky's argument, Dershowitz would say in a pretentious tone, " President Clinton told me directly and personally . . ." In rebuttal, with devastating effectiveness, Chomsky responded, "You can believe what the research shows or you can believe what Mr. Dershowitz says someone told him."
Dershowitz can't claim he didn't read the Geneva Accord or that it was in Esperanto, yet he asserted that the Accord's major flaw was its insistence on the Right of Return. This shows either inexcusable ignorance or it was a deliberate lie. When Chomsky challenged this, the moderator cut him off so he couldn't explain what the Accord actually says. As provided in Resolution 242, an alternative to the refugees actually returning to their original homes is the right of appropriate compensation. The Accord states that some refugees may return (up to about 50,000) but this would have to be with Israel's agreement. As for the remainder, the Accord specifically spells out the provisions for compensation. For Dershowitz to deny this shows that to try to score a "debating point" he was fully prepared to lie, knowing that most people would not be aware of the Accord's specific provisions.
When Chomsky stated that the American media did not report Clinton's delivery of a huge number of helicopters to Israel to counter the Intafada, Dershowitz ridiculed the idea of media bias and said that it occurred only in Chomsky's imagination. Dershowitz ignored Chomsky's challenge to provide such documentation. Chomsky then went on to say that a media search showed that it was widely reported in Europe, but that the search showed zero results in the USA.
Dershowitz kept harping on the wonderful "generous" deal offered by Barak at Camp David--never once addressed the fact that what was offered was a nonviable "state" consisting of three non-contiguous Bantustans--and disingenuously tried to divert attention by waving a map showing the provision for a rail/road connection to Gaza. In confronting Chomsky's position that Israel terminated discussions at Taba after one week, Dershowitz said it was done because Arafat had rejected the Camp David proposal. Utter nonsense. Taba was simply a continuation of the Camp David negotiations, and when it appeared that some real progress was being made, Israel terminated the discussions. In later years, it was the continuation of these discussions that led to the Geneva Accord. Despite being an acclaimed academic at Harvard, and being obsessed with Israel, Dershowitz appears to be clueless on many crucial issues.
One of the reasons for Dershowtiz's hatred of Chomsky is the fact that back in 1973, Chomsky exposed and proved that Dershowitz lied in an attempt to discredit an Israeli civil libertarian. In the years that followed, Dershowitz has conducted a personal jihad against Chomsky. And recently, Chomsky, Finkelstein, and Alexander Cockburn exposed Dershowitz's shoddy scholarship in his book The Case for Israel. So the animosity between them is long standing.
In the above cited reference, Chomsky states that Dershowitz "knows that he can't respond to what I say. He doesn't have the knowledge or the competence to deal with the issues. Therefore, the idea is to try to shut it up by throwing as much slime as you can."
The scene at the end of the debate was nauseating. Dershowitz trots up to Chomsky to shake hands "look how magnanimous I am let's be friends!" After his scurrilous attacks on Chomsky, he indeed owed him an apology, but I'm sure he didn't offer one. One wonders what Chomsky said to him. It could be that Dershowitz realized he had crossed the line in civility, and he then wanted to somehow ingratiate himself with Chomsky, at least for public appearances.
John Ryan, Ph. D., is a retired professor of geography and senior scholar at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. He can be reached at: jryan13@mts.net
Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians, Israeli soldier killed in stabbing
AP
An Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip killed two Palestinian militants Thursday and a Palestinian stabbing attack killed an Israeli in the West Bank in a new spasm of violence following a suicide bombing in Israel earlier this week.
Israel had promised tough retaliation for Monday's bombing that killed five people outside a shopping mall in the coastal town of Netanya, including increased arrest raids, airstrikes in Gaza and a renewal of targeted killings of Palestinian militant leaders.
On Thursday, an Israeli aircraft launched missiles at a group of militants from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades near the northern Gaza town of Jebaliya, Palestinian witnesses and health officials said.
The strike killed Iyad Nasser, 27, and Iyad Qaddas, 21, hospital officials said. Six others were wounded, including an 11-year-old girl, hospital officials said.
The army said the strike targeted a building where a senior Al Aqsa militant responsible for attacks on Israel was staying.
An angry crowd gathered at the hospital, demanding revenge.
"This crime will not pass easily and the blood of our fighters will not be spilled in vain," said a spokesman for Al Aqsa who goes by the nickname Abu Mohammed.
Palestinian officials condemned the attack and said Israel would bear responsibility for its consequences.
"This Israeli action is going to sabotage the efforts made by the Palestinian Authority to maintain calm and to revive the peace process," Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfik Abu Khoussa said.
Another airstrike Wednesday killed a militant from the small Popular Resistance Committees.
In other violence, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli in the neck, killing him in an attack near the Qalandiya checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Ramallah, emergency workers said.
The surge in violence comes amid election campaigns for both Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was expected to take a hard line against any Palestinian attacks to reassure Israeli voters of his security credentials following his secession from the hawkish Likud Party to form a new centrist party. {snip}
Haaretz.com runs ad discouraging Jewish abortions as "only solution" to Arab population growth
Electronic Intifada
In an incredible example of how acceptable even the most extreme manifestations of anti-Arab racism have become in Israel, the website of the leading English/Hebrew daily, Ha'aretz today ran a front page advertisement that warned:
"If the Arab population in Israel will reach 40% the Jewish State will be nullified. For the only solution press here."
The link went to a webpage of an Israeli organization, EFRAT (www.efrat.org.il/en/) and treated visitors to a video clip in Hebrew, with English subtitles [Windows Media format].
EFRAT is a group that campaigns against abortion and offers material and emotional support to pregnant mothers before and after their babies are born. The central message of the video is split between the two functions.
While EFRAT are free to hold any political position they wish on the abortion issue and should be commended for offering people a genuine supportive alternative to meet the needs of vulnerable sectors of Israeli society, one wonders at any organization that advertises a humanitarian service in a way that blatantly is designed to appeal to the darkest racist elements of the society it purports to serve.
Despite repeated non-race-specific references to "women" as EFRAT's clientele on its Our Goal page, another page on EFRAT's website, "How EFRAT began", admits that the real purpose of EFRAT is not so egalitarian:When Mr. Herschel Feigenbaum arrived in Israel after surviving the holocaust, he understood that our children are our future. In memory of the over one and a half million Jewish children who perished, Mr. Feigenbaum founded EFRAT, to increase the Jewish birthrate in Israel.The ad in context on the Haaretz.com homepage.
The message of the advert on Haaretz.com, shown in its context on the homepage screenshot above, could unambiguously be paraphrased as follows:
Are you a pregnant Jewish women thinking of having an abortion?
The Arabs are breeding faster than we are and the Jewish State will be destroyed when they reach two-fifths of the population.
The only solution is to not have your abortion and take advantage of our services.
So there we have it.
EFRAT, an organization committed only "to increase the Jewish birthrate in Israel" has no problem using the historical Jewish bogeyman of annihilation, fueled by naked racism, to frighten pregnant women into choosing not to have an abortion.
Lest one think that EFRAT is a marginal organization, its website claims to have "saved 17,000 children" since 1977, boasts 2,900 trained volunteers, and its website offers video testimonials from "VIPs" that include Mr. Moshe Katsav, President of the State of Israel [View: Page | Video], and Rabbi Israel Meir Lau [View: Page | Video], who served as Israel’s Chief Rabbi between 1993-2003, was appointed Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in 2005, and received the Israel Prize the same year.
While Rabbi Israel Meir Lau's comments focus on praising EFRAT for offering an alternative to abortion, Moshe Katsav praises Efrat "for fulfilling a national duty of great importance. There was never a period in all the years of Jewish history that such a duty was as essential as it is in this generation." While it is not clear exactly what Katsav is referring to in the short clip, his invocation of history suggests he is hitting the same message as EFRAT's advertisement, one of survival of the Jewish people in Israel, in a time of demographic change.
And Ha'aretz, one of the most influential newspapers in a country where one-fifth of the population are Arabs, presumably with many Arab readers, did not think twice about accepting money for an advertisement that portrays Arabs as a force of destruction in Israel, solely on the basis of their birthrate.
Is there really anything left to say?
Nigel Parry is a co-founder of the Electronic Intifada.
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