9 jan 2019
Moroccan Jewish scholar, Jacob Cohen
The Moroccan Jewish scholar, Jacob Cohen, who is known for his anti-Zionist ideas, stated that “Israel is still employing the cause of the Holocaust to justify the occupation and gain the sympathy of global public opinion.”
Cohen’s statement came during a seminar entitled: “The Holocaust and the Zionist Agenda,” which was organised by the non-governmental National Working Group for Palestine in Rabat.
Cohen, who is a human rights activist and an author, added: “Israel has been trying to invest in this cause since the 1970s in order redeem its public image and distract the world from the violations committed against the Palestinian people.”
“Israelis are always trying to raise this issue to suggest that Israel is threatened,” he noted.
Cohen continued: “At the domestic level, all the Israeli governments are trying to root the Holocaust issue in the consciousness of the Israeli citizens to continue spreading fear and violence and create a state of permanent aptness for war.”
The Israeli authorities claim that Israel needs security, so it must keep the Golan Heights and other Arab territories in a state of occupation. Thus, they are always trying to convince foreign diplomats to believe in such a narrative he said.
Cohen pointed out that after some EU countries boycotted some of the Israeli products, which are manufactured in settlements in the West Bank, “Israel’s answer was to publish several pictures showing Jewish merchants being boycotted by the Nazis, claiming that there is an attempt to reproduce the same scenario of the Holocaust. Such propaganda forced many countries to reconsider the idea of boycotting Israeli products.”
Cohen also indicated that “the Jewish lobby is working to transform the Holocaust into an unquestionable historical event which should not be placed under scrutiny as other historical narratives. Likewise, this lobby is attempting to block all kinds of research regarding this issue.”
He indicated: “The Jewish lobby forbids the use of the term “Holocaust” to describe the suffering of persecuted Indians or Africans, consecrating all possible efforts to reserve the use of such term exclusively for Jews.”
Cohen considered that “there are many types of repressive acts that can be referred to as a Holocaust and not just the ones related to the Jews.”
Cohen, who was born in the Moroccan city of Meknes, confirmed that “Israel does not want peace and relies on a system that cannot give up the use of weaponry.”
The Moroccan Jewish scholar, Jacob Cohen, who is known for his anti-Zionist ideas, stated that “Israel is still employing the cause of the Holocaust to justify the occupation and gain the sympathy of global public opinion.”
Cohen’s statement came during a seminar entitled: “The Holocaust and the Zionist Agenda,” which was organised by the non-governmental National Working Group for Palestine in Rabat.
Cohen, who is a human rights activist and an author, added: “Israel has been trying to invest in this cause since the 1970s in order redeem its public image and distract the world from the violations committed against the Palestinian people.”
“Israelis are always trying to raise this issue to suggest that Israel is threatened,” he noted.
Cohen continued: “At the domestic level, all the Israeli governments are trying to root the Holocaust issue in the consciousness of the Israeli citizens to continue spreading fear and violence and create a state of permanent aptness for war.”
The Israeli authorities claim that Israel needs security, so it must keep the Golan Heights and other Arab territories in a state of occupation. Thus, they are always trying to convince foreign diplomats to believe in such a narrative he said.
Cohen pointed out that after some EU countries boycotted some of the Israeli products, which are manufactured in settlements in the West Bank, “Israel’s answer was to publish several pictures showing Jewish merchants being boycotted by the Nazis, claiming that there is an attempt to reproduce the same scenario of the Holocaust. Such propaganda forced many countries to reconsider the idea of boycotting Israeli products.”
Cohen also indicated that “the Jewish lobby is working to transform the Holocaust into an unquestionable historical event which should not be placed under scrutiny as other historical narratives. Likewise, this lobby is attempting to block all kinds of research regarding this issue.”
He indicated: “The Jewish lobby forbids the use of the term “Holocaust” to describe the suffering of persecuted Indians or Africans, consecrating all possible efforts to reserve the use of such term exclusively for Jews.”
Cohen considered that “there are many types of repressive acts that can be referred to as a Holocaust and not just the ones related to the Jews.”
Cohen, who was born in the Moroccan city of Meknes, confirmed that “Israel does not want peace and relies on a system that cannot give up the use of weaponry.”
Legislation reaffirming U.S. support for allies in the Middle East, including a measure to punish Americans who boycott Israel, did not pass on Tuesday, amid a domestic political dispute that has resulted in a partial federal government shutdown.
The U.S. Senate voted 56 to 44, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the "Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act."
Most Senate Democrats have vowed to block all legislation in the Senate until it votes on a measure to end the shutdown, criticizing President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans for backing his demand for $5.7 billion to build a barrier on the border with Mexico before reopening the government.
Republicans increased their Senate majority to 53 to 47 in November's elections, but they still needed at least seven Democratic "yes" votes for the act to move ahead.
Trump was to give a speech making his case for the wall, a central promise during his 2016 campaign, in a nationally televised speech later on Tuesday.
The Middle East legislation included provisions to impose new sanctions on Syria and guarantee security assistance to Israel and Jordan. Those are seen as efforts to reassure U.S. allies worried about shifts in U.S. policy since Trump abruptly announced plans last month for a quick withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.
The act also includes a provision that would let state and local governments punish Americans for boycotting Israel, which opponents, including many Democrats, see as an impingement of free speech.
Some Republicans accused Democrats of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians, which they see as anti-Semitic. Democrats in turn accused Republicans of trying to use the BDS measure to divide moderate and liberal Democrats.
Even if it had passed the Senate, the act would have faced a doubtful future in the House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a 235- to 199-seat majority, with one seat vacant, after sweeping victories in November.
The U.S. Senate voted 56 to 44, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the "Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act."
Most Senate Democrats have vowed to block all legislation in the Senate until it votes on a measure to end the shutdown, criticizing President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans for backing his demand for $5.7 billion to build a barrier on the border with Mexico before reopening the government.
Republicans increased their Senate majority to 53 to 47 in November's elections, but they still needed at least seven Democratic "yes" votes for the act to move ahead.
Trump was to give a speech making his case for the wall, a central promise during his 2016 campaign, in a nationally televised speech later on Tuesday.
The Middle East legislation included provisions to impose new sanctions on Syria and guarantee security assistance to Israel and Jordan. Those are seen as efforts to reassure U.S. allies worried about shifts in U.S. policy since Trump abruptly announced plans last month for a quick withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.
The act also includes a provision that would let state and local governments punish Americans for boycotting Israel, which opponents, including many Democrats, see as an impingement of free speech.
Some Republicans accused Democrats of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians, which they see as anti-Semitic. Democrats in turn accused Republicans of trying to use the BDS measure to divide moderate and liberal Democrats.
Even if it had passed the Senate, the act would have faced a doubtful future in the House of Representatives, where Democrats now hold a 235- to 199-seat majority, with one seat vacant, after sweeping victories in November.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, January 8, 2019 (WAFA) – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and American civil liberties organizations are leading a campaign to block a bill in the US Congress aimed at fighting boycott of Israel led by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Republican Senators Marco Rubio, James Risch, Cory Gardner, and Mitch McConnell proposed the Senate’s first 2019 bill, S.B.1, “Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019.”
According to ADC, S.B.1 shields Israel for its ongoing human rights violations against the Palestinian people and calls to punish those that engage in boycotting Israel for violating international law and human rights.
S.B.1 adopts the unconstitutional language from Senator Rubio’s Combating BDS Act, said ADC. Specifically, it calls for the denial of government contracts to those that boycott Israel to protect Palestinian human rights.
ADC called on members to send an email to their Senators to tell them to vote no on S.B.1 and to defend fundamental freedoms that are guaranteed in the US Constitution.
“Boycotts are a long-held tool used in the US to achieve civil rights and justice. It is the duty of all members of congress to uphold the rule of law and protect the First Amendment,” it said, stressing immediate action since S.B.1 is being expedited through Senate procedures and may bypass the committee process.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), a Washington based group, said the bill would also codify into law $38 billion in defense assistance for Israel over 10 years and protect states and local governments that pass laws punishing individuals and companies who endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel.
Both US Senator Bernie Sanders and newly elected Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to become member of Congress, have taken to twitter, condemning the decision to introduce the bill and reminding lawmakers that boycotts are constitutionally protected.
“They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order,” wrote Tlaib.
“It’s absurd that the first bill during the (US government) shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity,” wrote Sanders.
The bill is a top legislative priority for AIPAC, the Israeli lobby in Washington, and part of a larger legislative crackdown across the country, with 26 states passing similar laws, said IMEU. Following legal challenges by the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-boycott state laws in Arizona and Kansas have successfully been blocked by Federal Courts in the past year.
In December, the Senate also attempted to slip a federal Israel Anti-Boycott Act into an end-of-year Congressional spending bill. A coalition of more than 100 grassroots organizations also sent a memo to Congress urging members to oppose it. The bill was condemned by Sens. Bernie Sand
Republican Senators Marco Rubio, James Risch, Cory Gardner, and Mitch McConnell proposed the Senate’s first 2019 bill, S.B.1, “Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019.”
According to ADC, S.B.1 shields Israel for its ongoing human rights violations against the Palestinian people and calls to punish those that engage in boycotting Israel for violating international law and human rights.
S.B.1 adopts the unconstitutional language from Senator Rubio’s Combating BDS Act, said ADC. Specifically, it calls for the denial of government contracts to those that boycott Israel to protect Palestinian human rights.
ADC called on members to send an email to their Senators to tell them to vote no on S.B.1 and to defend fundamental freedoms that are guaranteed in the US Constitution.
“Boycotts are a long-held tool used in the US to achieve civil rights and justice. It is the duty of all members of congress to uphold the rule of law and protect the First Amendment,” it said, stressing immediate action since S.B.1 is being expedited through Senate procedures and may bypass the committee process.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), a Washington based group, said the bill would also codify into law $38 billion in defense assistance for Israel over 10 years and protect states and local governments that pass laws punishing individuals and companies who endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel.
Both US Senator Bernie Sanders and newly elected Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to become member of Congress, have taken to twitter, condemning the decision to introduce the bill and reminding lawmakers that boycotts are constitutionally protected.
“They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order,” wrote Tlaib.
“It’s absurd that the first bill during the (US government) shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity,” wrote Sanders.
The bill is a top legislative priority for AIPAC, the Israeli lobby in Washington, and part of a larger legislative crackdown across the country, with 26 states passing similar laws, said IMEU. Following legal challenges by the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-boycott state laws in Arizona and Kansas have successfully been blocked by Federal Courts in the past year.
In December, the Senate also attempted to slip a federal Israel Anti-Boycott Act into an end-of-year Congressional spending bill. A coalition of more than 100 grassroots organizations also sent a memo to Congress urging members to oppose it. The bill was condemned by Sens. Bernie Sand
8 jan 2019
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Jazmynne Williams of Jewish Voices for Peace discusses the organizing efforts underway to ensure the ban remains.
TRNN Video & Transcrip tMARC STEINER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Marc Steiner, great to have you with us. Israel has become the hub to train the world’s police in military tactics, based on its 42 years of occupation on the West Bank. Here in the United States, literally dozens, if not hundreds, of U.S. police departments are being trained in military tactics, intelligence and community control by the Israeli police. |
The Baltimore police, in the city where we broadcast from, are being trained by Israeli security forces, along with places like Washington D.C. down the road and the New York Police, who also maintain a full time office in Israel.
The nature of the Israeli army has morphed over the last four decades into a national police force to control Palestinians in the occupied territories. The world is learning and they are training. Resistance to this movement came to a head in Durham, North Carolina, where movements like Demilitarize Durham2Palestine and one of its member groups, Jewish Voices for Peace, organized intensely.
That pushed the Durham City Council to vote on and pass a resolution that read in part, “The council opposes international exchanges with any country which Durham officers receive military style training since such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in the city of Durham.” It may have been the very first time that a city council has taken such action in the United States.
And we’re about to talk with Jazmynne Williams, who’s a communications and social media manager for the campaign, Demilitarize Durham2Palestine, and a member of the group Black Youth Project 100, one of the coalition’s member organizations. And Jazmynne, welcome. Good to have you here on The Real News.
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Thanks so much for having me.
MARC STEINER: So talk a bit about the genesis of this in Durham and how this began. Because I said one of the first cities, but in fact, Durham is the first city in the United States to actually pass a resolution like this. Are we right about that?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yes, you are.
MARC STEINER: So talk a bit about that. Why do you think it happened in Durham and how did you do this?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yeah. So one of the really good things about Durham is that there is always a lot of community organizing happening. And so, this campaign didn’t just start up two or three years ago, it came from centuries and decades of people organizing for a myriad of things. Ever since I’ve been in the area, there’s been a lot of work focused around demilitarization of the police and efforts to really invest in the community. So when it came to this campaign of demilitarizing Durham and efforts to forge solidarity with Palestine, it really came out of an understanding that the oppression that we face here, the police brutality, the anti-Blackness, the anti-Semitism, is something that we share with those in Palestine.
MARC STEINER: So I’m going to play this short clip here for people to watch about your movement from people in your movement and come back to talking a bit about the organizing and what this meant, and what we know about this from other cities as well. So let’s just take a watch here for a moment.
AJAMU DILLAHUNT: The Israeli Defense Force brutalizes and terrorizes the people of Palestine and does the Durham Police Department. Here they brutalize and terrorize black and brown communities. So the U.S. funds billions of dollars to the Israeli occupation, so in terms of weapons, tear gas, there are similar things being used against people. People are protesting in opposition to the violence of both forces of the Durham Police Department and the Israeli Defense Forces.
BETH BRUCH: Many municipalities across the country, including Durham, have participated in police exchange programs with Israel. So we really feel like we have an opportunity to put a stop to these programs.
AHMAD AMIREH: We just feel as a group that there’s no room for militarization of police anywhere in America, especially in our home community of Durham. And we don’t believe that our police should train with any military, let alone Israel.
MARC STEINER: So that was the voices of some of the people in the movement Jazmynne, obviously in Durham, that our viewers, people who are watching, are seeing at the moment. But this is across America, whether it’s New York City or San Francisco or Dallas, Texas, small cities and large, Mesa, Arizona, police forces across America are being trained in Israel to learn how to kind of occupy inner city communities, how to stop rebellion, how to become a militarized force. I mean, Israel didn’t create militarized forces in the United States, police forces already were beginning that way, but this is kind of taking an exponential leap. So I mean, what lessons did you learn organizing that might have an effect on the work that people are doing in other cities for the same reason?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: I think a lot of what we learned was how to really push our values into this. When we talk about demilitarizing, we’re not separating all of the nuances from the conversation. We’re having all of the dirty conversations about what this means to interact with black and brown folks and people of different religions and to really get into what these things mean, anti-Semitism, anti-Blackness, the intersections that they have. They’re important, and they’re personal. I feel like a lot of the headway that we’ve made was really because we have people on the ground nationally, globally, who are committed to fighting for communities that invest in people. And I feel like that was a really big part of our win here.
MARC STEINER: Did have to really convince people on the city council, did you have a lot of pushback from people who, when it came time to kind of put this before the city council, get the resolution passed? I mean, what was that political process like? I mean, everybody on the council clearly didn’t have to agree with you, right? So I mean, what was that process like?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: We definitely had a lot of hesitation, especially with the mention of Israel. I feel like a lot of the misconceptions about the campaign is around the mere mention of Israel and believing that just because Israel was mentioned in a conversation about demilitarization, it means that the conversation is inherently anti-Semitic. And while we definitely don’t want to have room in this coalition, this campaign, for anti-Semitism, bringing up things that happen because they did happen within our city, doesn’t make it anti-Semitic. It makes it uncomfortable, it makes it rather difficult to address solutions, but it’s not necessarily something that we can walk away from under that regard.
MARC STEINER: You know, it is interesting. I think that the issue of anti-Semitism, which we could spend a long time talking about, is a very sensitive one and a deep one. And to hear you say that is I think really important, how you just described that. So I’m curious where you think this takes your movement and all these relationships. Because this is not just about Israel, it’s about what we’re doing to our police departments, the role that the Israeli police are playing in this, in training police departments here and around the world, to kind of quell any kind of rebellion and keep a lid on people, on Indigenous people, black and brown people, poor people. I mean, so talk a bit about how you see this, what this analysis says to you, and where you think just takes it. And can you translate what you’ve done there somewhere else?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yeah. I’m hoping this takes us up and out. I really want this to spread and I think it’s important. It’s a coalition that we built of community members. They’re people from the community of different races, of different religions, of different socioeconomic backgrounds, all coming together and putting forth what they know to be a fact in our community and trying to push for it to become better. So you have a lot of different perspectives. I feel like a lot of us making progress with our efforts has been really emphasizing the fact that this isn’t just one organization, this isn’t even just two or three or four or even our just ten main coalition members, this is a large community.
And I feel like really coming together and building of that community power, even if it’s just one person at a time, is going to get us there. So I feel like taking it outwards, people really can utilize this model. I feel like it might be different considering Durham is a fairly progressive city, however it’s definitely not impossible.
MARC STEINER: Well, Jazmynne Williams, I really hope you stay in touch with us. We’re going to stay in touch with you, this is really an amazing story and I appreciate your organizing, you work, and for taking the time with us here at The Real News today.
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Thank you so much for your time.
MARC STEINER: Take care. And that was Jazmynne Williams, and I’m Marc Steiner here for The Real News Network. Thanks for watching, take care.
Opinion/Analysis 12/29/18 Neopatrimonialism, Corruption, and the Palestinian Authority: Pathways to Real Reform
The nature of the Israeli army has morphed over the last four decades into a national police force to control Palestinians in the occupied territories. The world is learning and they are training. Resistance to this movement came to a head in Durham, North Carolina, where movements like Demilitarize Durham2Palestine and one of its member groups, Jewish Voices for Peace, organized intensely.
That pushed the Durham City Council to vote on and pass a resolution that read in part, “The council opposes international exchanges with any country which Durham officers receive military style training since such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in the city of Durham.” It may have been the very first time that a city council has taken such action in the United States.
And we’re about to talk with Jazmynne Williams, who’s a communications and social media manager for the campaign, Demilitarize Durham2Palestine, and a member of the group Black Youth Project 100, one of the coalition’s member organizations. And Jazmynne, welcome. Good to have you here on The Real News.
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Thanks so much for having me.
MARC STEINER: So talk a bit about the genesis of this in Durham and how this began. Because I said one of the first cities, but in fact, Durham is the first city in the United States to actually pass a resolution like this. Are we right about that?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yes, you are.
MARC STEINER: So talk a bit about that. Why do you think it happened in Durham and how did you do this?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yeah. So one of the really good things about Durham is that there is always a lot of community organizing happening. And so, this campaign didn’t just start up two or three years ago, it came from centuries and decades of people organizing for a myriad of things. Ever since I’ve been in the area, there’s been a lot of work focused around demilitarization of the police and efforts to really invest in the community. So when it came to this campaign of demilitarizing Durham and efforts to forge solidarity with Palestine, it really came out of an understanding that the oppression that we face here, the police brutality, the anti-Blackness, the anti-Semitism, is something that we share with those in Palestine.
MARC STEINER: So I’m going to play this short clip here for people to watch about your movement from people in your movement and come back to talking a bit about the organizing and what this meant, and what we know about this from other cities as well. So let’s just take a watch here for a moment.
AJAMU DILLAHUNT: The Israeli Defense Force brutalizes and terrorizes the people of Palestine and does the Durham Police Department. Here they brutalize and terrorize black and brown communities. So the U.S. funds billions of dollars to the Israeli occupation, so in terms of weapons, tear gas, there are similar things being used against people. People are protesting in opposition to the violence of both forces of the Durham Police Department and the Israeli Defense Forces.
BETH BRUCH: Many municipalities across the country, including Durham, have participated in police exchange programs with Israel. So we really feel like we have an opportunity to put a stop to these programs.
AHMAD AMIREH: We just feel as a group that there’s no room for militarization of police anywhere in America, especially in our home community of Durham. And we don’t believe that our police should train with any military, let alone Israel.
MARC STEINER: So that was the voices of some of the people in the movement Jazmynne, obviously in Durham, that our viewers, people who are watching, are seeing at the moment. But this is across America, whether it’s New York City or San Francisco or Dallas, Texas, small cities and large, Mesa, Arizona, police forces across America are being trained in Israel to learn how to kind of occupy inner city communities, how to stop rebellion, how to become a militarized force. I mean, Israel didn’t create militarized forces in the United States, police forces already were beginning that way, but this is kind of taking an exponential leap. So I mean, what lessons did you learn organizing that might have an effect on the work that people are doing in other cities for the same reason?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: I think a lot of what we learned was how to really push our values into this. When we talk about demilitarizing, we’re not separating all of the nuances from the conversation. We’re having all of the dirty conversations about what this means to interact with black and brown folks and people of different religions and to really get into what these things mean, anti-Semitism, anti-Blackness, the intersections that they have. They’re important, and they’re personal. I feel like a lot of the headway that we’ve made was really because we have people on the ground nationally, globally, who are committed to fighting for communities that invest in people. And I feel like that was a really big part of our win here.
MARC STEINER: Did have to really convince people on the city council, did you have a lot of pushback from people who, when it came time to kind of put this before the city council, get the resolution passed? I mean, what was that political process like? I mean, everybody on the council clearly didn’t have to agree with you, right? So I mean, what was that process like?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: We definitely had a lot of hesitation, especially with the mention of Israel. I feel like a lot of the misconceptions about the campaign is around the mere mention of Israel and believing that just because Israel was mentioned in a conversation about demilitarization, it means that the conversation is inherently anti-Semitic. And while we definitely don’t want to have room in this coalition, this campaign, for anti-Semitism, bringing up things that happen because they did happen within our city, doesn’t make it anti-Semitic. It makes it uncomfortable, it makes it rather difficult to address solutions, but it’s not necessarily something that we can walk away from under that regard.
MARC STEINER: You know, it is interesting. I think that the issue of anti-Semitism, which we could spend a long time talking about, is a very sensitive one and a deep one. And to hear you say that is I think really important, how you just described that. So I’m curious where you think this takes your movement and all these relationships. Because this is not just about Israel, it’s about what we’re doing to our police departments, the role that the Israeli police are playing in this, in training police departments here and around the world, to kind of quell any kind of rebellion and keep a lid on people, on Indigenous people, black and brown people, poor people. I mean, so talk a bit about how you see this, what this analysis says to you, and where you think just takes it. And can you translate what you’ve done there somewhere else?
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Yeah. I’m hoping this takes us up and out. I really want this to spread and I think it’s important. It’s a coalition that we built of community members. They’re people from the community of different races, of different religions, of different socioeconomic backgrounds, all coming together and putting forth what they know to be a fact in our community and trying to push for it to become better. So you have a lot of different perspectives. I feel like a lot of us making progress with our efforts has been really emphasizing the fact that this isn’t just one organization, this isn’t even just two or three or four or even our just ten main coalition members, this is a large community.
And I feel like really coming together and building of that community power, even if it’s just one person at a time, is going to get us there. So I feel like taking it outwards, people really can utilize this model. I feel like it might be different considering Durham is a fairly progressive city, however it’s definitely not impossible.
MARC STEINER: Well, Jazmynne Williams, I really hope you stay in touch with us. We’re going to stay in touch with you, this is really an amazing story and I appreciate your organizing, you work, and for taking the time with us here at The Real News today.
JAZMYNNE WILLIAMS: Thank you so much for your time.
MARC STEINER: Take care. And that was Jazmynne Williams, and I’m Marc Steiner here for The Real News Network. Thanks for watching, take care.
Opinion/Analysis 12/29/18 Neopatrimonialism, Corruption, and the Palestinian Authority: Pathways to Real Reform
4 jan 2019
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding that Germany defund organizations perceived as critical of Israel, including the Jewish Museum Berlin, which has educated millions about the Jewish culture that the Nazis tried to destroy. (via Facebook)
Israel is demanding that Germany stop funding the Jewish Museum Berlin, an institution that has educated millions of people about the Jewish culture that the Nazis tried to exterminate.
The museum is one of dozens of cultural and human rights organizations Israel wants defunded because they allow free discussion of Palestine or criticism of Israel’s human rights record
Israel wants the organizations muzzled as a condition of any future German funding.
In a letter to the German government, Israel also demanded that human rights organizations including B’Tselem, the Coalition of Women for Peace and Breaking the Silence receive no German funds.
Israel also wants funding stopped to the renowned Berlinale film festival and the Israeli publication +972 Magazine.
A copy of the seven-page letter was obtained by the German newspaper taz last month.
The letter accuses the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Berlinale of “anti-Israel activities.”
Although it had no letterhead, no addressee and was not signed, a German government spokesperson told taz that the Israeli government handed over information to German officials when they discussed support for nongovernmental organizations.
Writing at the World Socialist Web Site late last month, Sybille Fuchs cited reports that the letter was “personally handed over” to German officials by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The letter “bears the hallmark” of NGO Monitor, a right-wing organization that works with the Israeli government to smear human rights organizations, taz notes.
But Gerald Steinberg, the head of NGO Monitor, denied having anything to do with the letter, according to taz.
“Shocked”
In an open letter published by taz, dozens of Israeli artists urge the German government and parliament to reject the Israeli demands.
“We are shocked to hear that our prime minister and his government have demanded that the German government stop its support for the Jewish Museum in Berlin because of the latter’s special exhibition about Jerusalem,” the artists state. “This exhibition has been insincerely and incorrectly alleged to reflect a mainly Muslim-Palestinian narrative.”
“In recent years, we in Israel have witnessed myriad attempts by the government, in cooperation with populist and ultra-rightwing parties, to shrink the spaces of cultural expression and limit pluralist, critical discourse,” the Israeli artists add.
The Israeli government claims, according to taz, that the Jewish Museum Berlin only reflects a “Palestinian-Muslim view of Jerusalem” in its exhibition “Welcome to Jerusalem.”
Israel also accuses the museum of hosting supporters of BDS – boycott, divestment and sanctions – as speakers.
“We believe that an open discussion involving sometimes controversial views is essential to enable our visitors to form their own, differentiated judgment,” a museum spokesperson told taz.
Among the signatories are Micha Ullman, the artist who designed the Berlin memorial on the spot where in May 1933 Nazis burned 20,000 books.
“Absurd”
The Israeli government letter characterizes German funding for civil society and human rights groups as unwarranted interference in Israel’s internal affairs.
For example the letter attacks +972 Magazine, which is funded through the Green Party-linked Heinrich Böll Foundation, because its writers “regularly accuse Israel of apartheid.”
The Böll foundation, which itself publishes propaganda promoting Israel as a “start-up nation” and disseminates “progressive” attacks on the nonviolent BDS movement for Palestinian rights, dismissed the claims in the Israeli government’s letter as “absurd.”
The Israeli government letter also takes aim at medical charity Medico International, Catholic charity Miserior and the Protestant churches’ relief agency Bread for the World.
Targeting BDS
Israel also criticizes the Berlinale film festival for its alleged relationship with the BDS movement. It wants the German government to make future support conditional on the exclusion of BDS supporters.
The Israeli government may be irritated that British filmmaker Ken Loach was in 2014 awarded the Berlinale’s lifetime achievement award, the Golden Bear, and his films are often screened at the festival.
Loach is an outspoken supporter of the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
The premiere of Palestinian director Raed Andoni’s documentary Ghost Hunting at the Berlinale in 2017 may also have caused annoyance.
The film shows how Israel tries to break the spirit of Palestinian prisoners with abuse and torture.
And Israeli director Udi Aloni, who won a top audience award at the 2016 Berlinale, called the Israeli government “fascist” before the screening of his movie Junction 48.
He also urged Germany to stop arming Israel.
But Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick is not giving in to Israeli pressure.
“The views can be controversial, but our job is to work for the freedom of art within the framework of democratic order,” Kosslick said.
The organizations under Israeli attack can draw some hope from a German federal government spokesperson who told taz that the “promotion of a vibrant civil society is a goal of German foreign and development policy.”
Protection of human rights and freedom of expression are basic principles, the spokesperson added.
Nonetheless, the Israeli government’s escalating demands for censorship come against a background of official intolerance and repression in Germany of free expression in support of full Palestinian rights.
As long as the German government “sticks to its principles” of nominal support for freedom of speech, the pressure from Israel “is likely to continue,” taz predicts.
Israel is demanding that Germany stop funding the Jewish Museum Berlin, an institution that has educated millions of people about the Jewish culture that the Nazis tried to exterminate.
The museum is one of dozens of cultural and human rights organizations Israel wants defunded because they allow free discussion of Palestine or criticism of Israel’s human rights record
Israel wants the organizations muzzled as a condition of any future German funding.
In a letter to the German government, Israel also demanded that human rights organizations including B’Tselem, the Coalition of Women for Peace and Breaking the Silence receive no German funds.
Israel also wants funding stopped to the renowned Berlinale film festival and the Israeli publication +972 Magazine.
A copy of the seven-page letter was obtained by the German newspaper taz last month.
The letter accuses the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Berlinale of “anti-Israel activities.”
Although it had no letterhead, no addressee and was not signed, a German government spokesperson told taz that the Israeli government handed over information to German officials when they discussed support for nongovernmental organizations.
Writing at the World Socialist Web Site late last month, Sybille Fuchs cited reports that the letter was “personally handed over” to German officials by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The letter “bears the hallmark” of NGO Monitor, a right-wing organization that works with the Israeli government to smear human rights organizations, taz notes.
But Gerald Steinberg, the head of NGO Monitor, denied having anything to do with the letter, according to taz.
“Shocked”
In an open letter published by taz, dozens of Israeli artists urge the German government and parliament to reject the Israeli demands.
“We are shocked to hear that our prime minister and his government have demanded that the German government stop its support for the Jewish Museum in Berlin because of the latter’s special exhibition about Jerusalem,” the artists state. “This exhibition has been insincerely and incorrectly alleged to reflect a mainly Muslim-Palestinian narrative.”
“In recent years, we in Israel have witnessed myriad attempts by the government, in cooperation with populist and ultra-rightwing parties, to shrink the spaces of cultural expression and limit pluralist, critical discourse,” the Israeli artists add.
The Israeli government claims, according to taz, that the Jewish Museum Berlin only reflects a “Palestinian-Muslim view of Jerusalem” in its exhibition “Welcome to Jerusalem.”
Israel also accuses the museum of hosting supporters of BDS – boycott, divestment and sanctions – as speakers.
“We believe that an open discussion involving sometimes controversial views is essential to enable our visitors to form their own, differentiated judgment,” a museum spokesperson told taz.
Among the signatories are Micha Ullman, the artist who designed the Berlin memorial on the spot where in May 1933 Nazis burned 20,000 books.
“Absurd”
The Israeli government letter characterizes German funding for civil society and human rights groups as unwarranted interference in Israel’s internal affairs.
For example the letter attacks +972 Magazine, which is funded through the Green Party-linked Heinrich Böll Foundation, because its writers “regularly accuse Israel of apartheid.”
The Böll foundation, which itself publishes propaganda promoting Israel as a “start-up nation” and disseminates “progressive” attacks on the nonviolent BDS movement for Palestinian rights, dismissed the claims in the Israeli government’s letter as “absurd.”
The Israeli government letter also takes aim at medical charity Medico International, Catholic charity Miserior and the Protestant churches’ relief agency Bread for the World.
Targeting BDS
Israel also criticizes the Berlinale film festival for its alleged relationship with the BDS movement. It wants the German government to make future support conditional on the exclusion of BDS supporters.
The Israeli government may be irritated that British filmmaker Ken Loach was in 2014 awarded the Berlinale’s lifetime achievement award, the Golden Bear, and his films are often screened at the festival.
Loach is an outspoken supporter of the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
The premiere of Palestinian director Raed Andoni’s documentary Ghost Hunting at the Berlinale in 2017 may also have caused annoyance.
The film shows how Israel tries to break the spirit of Palestinian prisoners with abuse and torture.
And Israeli director Udi Aloni, who won a top audience award at the 2016 Berlinale, called the Israeli government “fascist” before the screening of his movie Junction 48.
He also urged Germany to stop arming Israel.
But Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick is not giving in to Israeli pressure.
“The views can be controversial, but our job is to work for the freedom of art within the framework of democratic order,” Kosslick said.
The organizations under Israeli attack can draw some hope from a German federal government spokesperson who told taz that the “promotion of a vibrant civil society is a goal of German foreign and development policy.”
Protection of human rights and freedom of expression are basic principles, the spokesperson added.
Nonetheless, the Israeli government’s escalating demands for censorship come against a background of official intolerance and repression in Germany of free expression in support of full Palestinian rights.
As long as the German government “sticks to its principles” of nominal support for freedom of speech, the pressure from Israel “is likely to continue,” taz predicts.
A senior Israeli official alluded, on Wednesday, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is controlling the United States of America, Israeli media reported.
This came as the senior Israeli official had revealed information about Netanyahu’s visit to Brazil, mainly his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Describing the domination of the Israeli agenda over the US affairs, the senior Israeli official said that Pompeo granted Netanyahu “seven out of eight” of his requirements.
He also said that Netanyahu came out of the meeting with Pompeo feeling that the Israeli occupation state has the ability to influence US policy, according to Days of Palestine.
The senior Israeli official said that the US and Israel are now working on plans to make US the protector of the Israeli occupation state.
It is worth noting that more than 25 American states are considering signing a pledge not to boycott or criticize the Israeli occupation, as a requirement for securing government employment
This came as the senior Israeli official had revealed information about Netanyahu’s visit to Brazil, mainly his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Describing the domination of the Israeli agenda over the US affairs, the senior Israeli official said that Pompeo granted Netanyahu “seven out of eight” of his requirements.
He also said that Netanyahu came out of the meeting with Pompeo feeling that the Israeli occupation state has the ability to influence US policy, according to Days of Palestine.
The senior Israeli official said that the US and Israel are now working on plans to make US the protector of the Israeli occupation state.
It is worth noting that more than 25 American states are considering signing a pledge not to boycott or criticize the Israeli occupation, as a requirement for securing government employment
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