Snipers firing on Zelaya: Honduras update - mercenaries arriving, urgent situation

Radio Globo reports: Snipers fire on Zelaya
Mercenaries and paramilitaries arrive in Honduras
Urgent - Take Action Now!

Call Now - demand an end to the attacks on Zelaya and a restoration of civil liberties.

* Honduras Desk, U.S. State Department 202-647-3482
* State Department Main Switchboard 202-647-4000
* White House 202-456-1111
* OAS Washington Office 202-458-3000

The situation is grave in Tegucigalpa. According to a message from the organization, Pastors for Peace, Radio Globo from Honduras is reporting that snipers are shooting into the Brazilian Embassy where President Zelaya and hundreds of supporters have taken refuge. There is no word yet on injuries.

Also, according to an Oct. 9 AP report, paramilitaries from Colombia are arriving in Honduras now. Many of these paramilitaries were trained in torture and repression at the infamous School of the Americas in the U.S.

Support the people of Honduras in their heroic struggle against the brutal coup regime! Thousands of courageous working people are taking to the streets, in spite of the growing brutality of the criminal right wing forces, who are armed and trained by the U.S.

The following is a report from the delegation of U.S. activists in Honduras, who will be holding a news conference today, October 9, at 5pm EST at the offices of the Bottlers’ Union, a center in Tegucigalpa of the National Front for Resistance Against the Coup:

In the last 24 hours, the situation in Honduras has reached a profound level of urgency. The illegal, de facto Micheletti regime is clearly reaching a point of desperation—and there is a serious danger in this, as the rightwing can and will do anything when they are desperate.

Last night, we received word that at the Brazilian embassy, where President Manuel Zelaya has been seeking refuge, two scaffolds had been erected and two snipers placed on them—one from the Honduran police and one from the Honduran army. Heavy military activity was also occurring on the ground around the embassy, with military convoys placed at strategic places all around the windows and doors of the embassy. The fear is that an assassination attempt on Zelaya’s life may be carried out soon.

Another alarming report relayed to us today from Honduran human rights leaders is of the presence of 120 paramilitaries—experts in killing—from other Latin American countries in Honduras. Many of these paramilitaries have been trained at the School of the Americas based in Georgia.

Today while we were in a meeting, the human rights leader we were meeting with received a phone call that police at the pedagogical university had given protesters there 10 minutes to disperse or face dire consequences. Military convoys had been brought in to surround the protesters.

As this email is being written, members of the U.S. Delegation in Solidarity with the Honduras Resistance are at the U.S. embassy, attempting to meet with representatives there to alert them of the situation and demand the discontinuation of U.S. aid to the de facto regime, a freeze on the assets of the golpista government members, and the abandonment of any electoral process that doesn’t first involve the restitution of President Zelaya, as is the will of the Honduran people.

The delegation also reports that despite the coup government's announcement that it had lifted the ban on civil liberties, the country still remains under martial law. The coup government is telling the world that it has lifted martial law, but they haven't told anyone in the police or military, from the top commanders to the troops in the streets. There is still a massive armed presence, and protesters and dissidents are still being brutally attacked and arrested.

That's why it is so important for us to support the Delegation in Solidarity with the Honduran Resistance. The corporate media is echoing the coup government's press releases claiming that martial law has been lifted and civil liberties restored, and ignoring the fact that repression is intensifying. We need you to help get the word out.

What you can do now:

Call - Honduras Desk, U.S. State Department 202-647-3482
State Department Main Switchboard 202-647-4000
White House 202-456-1111
OAS Washington Office 202-458-3000

Demand an end to the attacks on Zelaya and Honduran activists. Demand a restoration of civil liberties in Honduras.


Sign the Petition - Demand safe passage for the U.S. delegation - http://www.iacenter.org/honduras/honduras_delegation100609/


Make an emergency donation to help with the expenses of the delegation and to help us spread the word - http://www.iacenter.org/donate/


For daily photos and reports from the delegation, see http://hondurasdelegation.wordpress.com.

To follow reports from the delegation on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/iacenter.

Twenty-four hours in Gaza

By Soozy Duncan, Indymedia correspondent and Convoy participant
Al-Awda NY Viva Palestina Convoy Blog, July 17, 2009

Allowed only 24 hours in Gaza under threat of not being allowed to return to Egypt, the Viva Palestina convoy has been a whirlwind of activity since crossing the border at Rafah Wednesday night. Organizers have attempted to compress 3 days of planned activities into a single day.

Thursday started by watching a press conference featuring Gazan Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh with members of the Neturei Karta, an organization of anti-Zionist Rabbis from Munsey, New York, who traveled with the caravan. Haniyeh emphasized that the government and the people of Gaza take no issue with Jews, but rather with Zionism and the ongoing oppression and blockade by Israel. Rabbi Dovid Weissman concurred that Jews, Christians and Muslims had coexisted peacefully in Muslim countries for centuries prior to the birth of Zionism, and asked for the people of Gaza to join him in praying for the peaceful dismantlement of the state of Israel.

The group then drove around the Gaza Strip in buses to see the aftermath of the bombing onslaught 6 months ago before attending another press conference at the Legislative Assembly and traveling to Shafa Hospital in Gaza City to deliver the medical aid which was brought from the United States and gathered in Cairo. Finally, delegates met with families of some of the 11,000 prisoners being held in Israel at the Ministry of Prisoners in Tel Alhwa, where children of parents killed in December and January also addressed the group.

Fraser Gaspard of Denver, Colorado, said of seeing the devastation firsthand, “It really shows how effective the American weapons we give Israel are, and how deliberate Israel was in its attack from the spots that were hit, schools, hospitals, a cement factory, homes in refugee camps. You could see it was a war of terror against the Gazan people.”

For Mahmoud Elayan from New Jersey, the most impressive visit was the meeting at the Ministry of Prisoners. Elayan shared, “Three little girls spoke about losing 29 other immediate family members. I have 2 little kids, and I can’t imagine them going through anything like that. To see them still keeping hope like that when they’ve suffered so much, it was touching. I had to leave the room.”

Bringing medical aid was only one of Viva Palestina’s stated purposes. The convoy also sought to learn and share the stories of the Gazans who have lived under 61 years of occupation and the severe assault from December to January. Nour Mattar, a Palestinian born within the borders of Israel who now resides in Orange County, California, said of his experiences, “With all the blockade and all the pressure, if you drive around and talk to people you find they still have great spirit. They‘re not willing to give up or stand down, even though Israel has used every possible weapon they could, militarily, economically and politically.”

Having lived in Gaza for most of the years between 1997 and 2005, the journey was a homecoming for Bethany Gonzalez of Kansas City, Kansas. “Today I realized how much I really miss living in Gaza,” said Gonzalez. “The city and the people, everyone is so kind and hospitable, even with all they’ve been through.” She intends to return with the second Viva Palestina convoy from the U.S. in December, scheduled to coincide with the first anniversary of the attacks.

Mohamad, a recent graduate from the Islamic University, volunteered to serve as an interpreter for the delegates. Asked about the current state of the people of Gaza, he said, “The children now are still suffering from psychological pain and suffering. Whenever they hear any sound they say ‘Bomb! Bomb’ and start crying. For adults it is almost the same.” Mohamad expressed excitement about the past Viva Palestina convoy from London and the plans for future caravans from Venezuela, Moscow, Beijing, and the next from the U.S. “They decrease the suffering among the Gazans. The convoys break the siege and bring us medical aid. The people of Gaza feel really grateful and proud. These convoys uplift our spirits and help us feel stronger and more steadfast.”

Asked what he hopes for himself and all Gazans, Mohamad states simply, “We hope that we will have enough to live, and be able to live in peace, just as the other people of the world.”

Cynthia McKinney: I Finally Made it to Gaza; No Wonder the Israelis Didn't Want Photos Taken

By Cynthia McKinney, Al-Awda NY Viva Palestina Convoy Blog, July 16, 2009

The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, is about to leave Gaza after having been permitted to enter for a period of 24 hours after waiting 11 days in Cairo for permission to enter Gaza. That in and of itself is a major story when expanded to include the inability of Gazans to exit The Strip--even if only to enter another part of their country, the West Bank or to move about freely in the fictional "Palestinian State." I say fictional because it continues to dwindle even while peace talks are underway. Fictional, because Palestinian elections deemed by international observers to be free and fair, don't count if the US- and Israel-approved party loses, and the winners get to sit for years in an Israeli jail. Fictional, because they use Israel's currency here, the shekel, and the international roaming on our US cell phones indicates calls are from Israel. Gaza is beautiful. Gaza is full of life, despite Israel's Operation Cast Lead. And now, I have seen, Gaza has been bombed to smithereens. I think I've mastered my video camera enough to share some images with you. I'll post them on the sites below when I return. In the meantime, my fellow Americans and citizens of the world, we have a lot to do to put right all the wrong things done in our name. Much love to all of you who helped me, guided me, prayed for me, to make this successful entry into Gaza happen. Viva Palestina!! Free Gaza!!-- http://www.livestream.com/dignity, http://dignity.ning.com

History-making aid for Palestine reaches Gaza

By John Parker, Workers World, July 15, 2009

* Viva Palestina delegation faces hurdles
* Photos: We are in Gaza!

Gaza, Palestine — The largest humanitarian aid convoy in history to travel from the U.S. to Palestine succeeded in crossing the Rafah border into Gaza late today. After days of delay, the 218-person contingent of activists, buoyed by telegrams, emails and protests from many parts of the world, was finally allowed to pass into the besieged Palestinian enclave with more than $1 million in wheelchairs, walkers and medical supplies for the people of Gaza.

A genocidal attack on Gaza in December and January, on top of a two-year Israeli siege and blockade of the area, prompted British Member of Parliament George Galloway to organize the Viva Palestina caravans as a way to provide essential aid to a people under occupation who have been denied the most basic necessities of life.

The fact that this caravan hails from the U.S. gives it added resonance, as Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. government aid in the world. And Israel uses U.S. weapons and missiles against the Palestinian people on a daily basis.

The delegation received a heroes’ welcome from the people of Gaza. Its members include Galloway, New York City Council Member Charles Barron and former U.S. Congressperson Cynthia McKinney, who was imprisoned just a few weeks earlier by Israeli forces for attempting to bring aid into Gaza by sea with the Free Gaza Movement. Also participating are representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Cuba Coalition, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), International Action Center, the Answer Coalition, International Socialist Organization and Workers World Party.

— John Parker, of the International Action Center, is in Gaza with the Viva Palestina Aid Convoy.

Viva Palestina aid convoy enters Gaza

Press TV, July 15, 2009

The Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy enters the Gaza Strip, breaking the deadly Israeli blockade imposed on 1.5 million Palestinians for a second time.

The American aid convoy carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of supplies for the people of Gaza crossed the Rafah border on Wednesday upon receiving permission from Cairo after a 10-day delay.

The 200 activists are allowed to stay in the coastal territory only for 24 hours, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Viva Palestina activists, all Americans, including Charles Barron, a New York City Councilman, say that they have been stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing for about 10 days despite earlier arrangements.

The humanitarian aid convoy consisting of 50 vehicles is the second organized by British Member of Parliament and Press TV presenter George Galloway.

HE/MMN

Viva Palestina Convoy: We’re at Rafah Crossing finishing up bureaucratic requirements

Press Advisory from Viva Palestina, July 14, 2009, 11 pm, Cairo

The Viva Palestina US caravan has received a permit to allow the group passage through the Rafah gate and into Gaza after spending 10 days in Cairo trying to overcome a series of bureaucratic delays.

The American convoy is mobilizing to carry busloads of supplies to the people of Gaza on Wednesday, July 15, and expects no further delays to their humanitarian mission because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already confirmed that all 200 delegates have satisfied all technical requirements required for travel.

Weeks ago, the Viva Palestina US convoy received assurances from Egyptian diplomats that they would expedite the delivery of a convoy of trucks, medical and relief supplies and American human rights volunteers into Gaza, but restrictions were then imposed on the initial Viva Palestina plan.

“We are now on our way to complete our humanitarian mission, more determined than ever and stronger in heart than when we entered Egypt,” says George Galloway, British Member of Parliament. “We now look forward to seeing in a matter of hours the faces of the besieged people of Gaza.”

This is a victory for the people of Gaza. We were determined not to be denied in bringing humanitarian aid to the children of Gaza. The silence of the world is deafening as the people of Gaza suffer, but the two hundred Americans and over one million dollars worth of aide that is going through confirms our commitment to a free Palestine. Long live the people of Palestine.

For more info see http://vivapalestina-us.org

Honduran group seeks help from U.S. to reinstate Zelaya

By Kevin Bogardus, TheHill.com, July 14, 2009

A group of Hondurans who want their ousted president, Manuel Zelaya, reinstated are pressing the U.S. government to suspend trade and foreign aid to the Central American country.

The Hondurans, who oppose the nation’s interim government, were in Washington this week to make the case to the U.S. government that Zelaya’s June 28 ouster was an illegal military coup. They believe business interests inside and outside of Honduras conspired to remove the president due to his populist policies.

"We are very worried because the coup takes back to the past politically, economically, and socially," said Marvin Ponce, a member of the Honduran National Congress. “We are here not just to defend Zelaya but to defend democracy.”

Ponce and other Hondurans spoke with reporters through a translator Tuesday morning at a briefing organized by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, a think tank that tracks U.S. policy toward Latin America.

The lobbying trip by the Hondurans comes as partisan fault lines take shape on Capitol Hill. Democrats have embraced the idea that this was a military coup, while Republicans say Zelaya’s removal was justified after he tried to grab more power than he is constitutionally allowed.

A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee has already taken up the issue at a hearing, and last week a trio of liberal House Democrats — Reps. Bill Delahunt (Mass.), James McGovern (Mass.) and José Serrano (N.Y.) — introduced a resolution deeming the action a coup and calling for the reinstatement of Zelaya.

“To accept the overthrow of a democratically elected government is to wipe away the progress that has been made — progress that has been supported by both Democratic and Republican presidents and congresses,” the lawmakers wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking support for their resolution.

The resolution had 16 co-sponsors as of press time Tuesday — all of them Democrats, including a few committee chairmen: Reps. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) of the Judiciary Committee and Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Their resolution followed one introduced last Thursday by Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), who condemned Zelaya for his desire to change presidential term limits and said that led to his exile. Eleven co-sponsors have signed on, all Republican.

Republicans have rejected calling Zelaya’s removal a coup. Other branches of the government called for the president’s ouster, including its supreme court and its legislature, they note.

A group of Honduran business leaders also say Zelaya’s removal was justified and have hired Washington lobbyists to help make their case to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

This week, the Hondurans opposing the takeover are scheduled to meet with McGovern but also with Reps. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. They also plan to hold an open briefing for lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the situation in Honduras and have meetings planned with officials from the State Department and World Bank.

Engel, who chaired last week's hearing, is a key voice in the debate over Honduras; his subcommittee has jurisdiction over the region. Engel more forcibly criticized Zelaya last week at the hearing after calling for his reinstatement one day after his June 28 ouster.

The Hondurans who are against Zelaya’s exile plan intend to push lawmakers and administration officials to end trade and foreign aid to Honduras until the political crisis is resolved.

“The power to return the president is here in Washington if they suspend trade,” Ponce said.

The group is also supporting the mediation process arranged by the State Department and under the guidance of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, but under certain conditions.

“All dialogue is positive,” said Juan Almendares, a Honduran environmentalist. “ But we believe the dialogue should be in Honduras … There has to be a recognition that there has been a military coup.”

The advocates for Zelaya said those who oppose the interim government are being censored in the press, arrested and even killed by the authorities. “If this government was a democratic government, they wouldn’t have to use this force,” Almendares said.

The Hondurans in Washington this week have found support among some American academics. In a July 9 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, 78 Latin American scholars said, “Anything less than the urgent restoration of President Manuel Zelaya to office would be an usurpation of the will of the Honduran people.”

But those opposed to Zelaya's ouster will already find a lobbying campaign against the former president here in Washington. Last week, the Honduran branch of CEAL, essentially Latin America’s chamber of commerce, hired Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to lobby on its behalf, saying it was right to oust Zelaya.

Those lobbyists argue that Zelaya ignored a ruling from Honduras’s supreme court and a vote against him in the legislature. They say Zelaya was acting outside of the country’s constitution by trying to change presidential term limits under a voter referendum, clearing the path for him to become a dictator.

But Almendares, Ponce and others believe the legislature and the supreme court, corrupted by business interests inside and outside the country, were acting unconstitutionally by limiting presidential powers. The coup was complete when the military ignored orders from Zelaya in late June.

“There is no doubt that this is a military coup that happened,” Almendares said. “How can a military coup be legal?”

Urgent: Gaza Convoy needs your support Now!

URGENT! Send a Message Now!

Let the convoy go! Let the aid through! Let the trucks through!

What you can do:

1) Protest at Egyptians Missions and Consulates tomorrow, from 4 to 6 (see locations listed below)
2) Sign the online petition at http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition
3) Forward this message to your listserves, post it on your social networking sites and blogs

Let the Viva Palestina Convoy into Gaza!

As we write, the Viva Palestina Convoy is being denied passage into Gaza by the Egyptian Government.

This convoy is the largest ever US humanitarian aid convoy, organized by British MP George Galloway and Vietnam Veteran and antiwar activist Ron Kovic, and is carry medical supplies for the people of Gaza, who have been the targets of brutal attacks and an ongoing blockade by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

The convoy's delegation of about 200 people left for Cairo, Egypt from July 4th to July 7th, en route to Gaza to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to the people--wheelchairs, walkers and medical supplies. Participants include former Congressperson Cynthia McKinney, New York City Council Member Charles Barron, and members of CAIR, Middle East Childrens Alliance, Cuba Coalition, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, MECHA, International Action Center, International Socialist Organization, Workers World Party, Answer Coalition and many more.

Sign the petition below to demand that the convoy be allowed to deliver the aid to the people of Gaza:

To: Egyptian President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed Nazif, the Egyptian Government, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Congressional leaders, U.N. General Assembly President d'Escoto-Brockmann, U.N. Secretary General Ban, members of the U.N. Security Council, U.N. member states, and the President, Prime Minister, Cabinet and Opposition leader of Israel

cc: Major media representatives, International Red Cross

LET THE VIVA PALESTINA HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA NOW!

I am writing in support of the Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy that is currently seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. This convoy is carrying humanitarian relief to a besieged population, and it is a violation of international law to deny them passage or to detain and harass them in any way.

This convoy was organized with the support of individuals and organizations from across the U.S., and is supported by people across the world, who stand with with the people of Gaza, who have been the target of a two-year blockade and numerous military strikes by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

I demand that the convoy be allowed safe passage, so that this vital medical aid can be delivered to the people of Gaza.

I further demand that the siege of Gaza be lifted immediately.

Sincerely,

Sign the online petition at http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition

Tuesday, July 14 - Protest to Demand "Let the Convoy Through!"

Viva Palestina is asking supporters to protest at Egyptian Missions and Consulates tomorrow:

New York City: 4-6 p.m.
Egyptian Mission to the UN
304 East 44th St. (@ 2nd Ave.) New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212.503.0300
Sponsors: Al-Awda-NY, Existence is Resistance, International Action Center, International Socialist Organization, Campus Antiwar Network, New York City Labor Against the War Vets for Peace. If you would like your organization to be a cosponsor, or for more information, please email info@al-http://www.facebook.com/l/;awdany.org

DC: Noon
Egyptian Embassy
3521 International Court, NW
(Van Ness metro -- red line)
For updates on the Washington, DC protest -- or to endorse -- contact 703.231.7553.
Call initiated by Viva Palestina. Endorsers list in formation.

San Francisco: 3-6 p.m.
Egyptian Consulate
Consulate General of Egypt
276 Mallorca Way
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415.346.9700 415.346.9702

Houston: 4-6 p.m.
Egyptian Consulate
5718 Westheimer Road, Suite 1350
Houston, TX 77057
Tel: 713-961-4915

Chicago: Noon
Egyptian Consulate
500 N. Michigan Ave. -- Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: 312.828.9162

*** If there is no Egyptian Consulate or Mission in your city, protest at the nearest Federal Building

*Click here to follow Viva Palestina's updates from the convoy - http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/

*Click here to donate to Viva Palestina USA - https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1001480

*Click here to donate to help with the costs of the International Action Center's delegation - http://iacenter.org/donate/

Last video taken aboard Spirit Of Humanity just before Israeli Navy boarded & kidnapped crew & confiscated ship & humanitarian aid

Also see Rice N Peas interview with Cynthia McKinney.

Viva Palestina Convoy update #3

Viva Palestina Convoy, July 12, 2009, 7 pm Cairo

Contact the Egyptian embassy and tell them to immediately allow the Viva Palestina Aid Convoy into Gaza. Call 202-966-6342 or 202-895-5400 fax 202-244-4319 or 202-244-5131 and e-mail Embassy@egyptembassy.net

The Viva Palestina members who spent the night in their buses at the Suez Crossing after they were stopped by Egyptian authorities on July 11 are now making their way to the nearby city of Ismailia and are preparing to resume their travels toward Gaza imminently.

British Member of Parliament George Galloway, who has met up with former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in Cairo, was working with Egyptian and U.S. authorities to expedite the passage of the convoy over the Suez Canal and into Gaza.

New York City Councilmember Charles Barron, who led the group at the Suez Canal, says, "Whether these requirements are genuine or not, we will get around these obstacles. We are going to Gaza."

Egyptian have held up the convoy on the grounds that it has not acquired the necessary travel permits from U.S. officials in order to cross into Gaza.

"If the Egyptian authorities want us to jump through yet another hoop, we will, even though their ambassadors in Washington, DC, London, and Tripoli, Libya were already supplied with this information, at their request. "The U.S. embassy in Cairo was informed about the mission as was the Egyptian Foreign Ministry." said Galloway. "So now we expect that there should be no further reasons for the delayed transportation of this urgently needed relief to the people of Gaza." We have hundreds of thousands of dollars of medicine, which are time-sensitive and perishable and which need to reach the children of Gaza."

Another group of Viva Palestina delegates is in Alexandria to take possession of 47 vehicles that will be used to drive the group's humanitarian and medical relief supplies through the Rafah border crossing. A third Viva Palestina element is continuing to gather additional aid in Cairo.

Tomorrow, Viva Palestina plans to gather all its forces in Ismailia, load all of the collected aid on its vehicles, and make final preparations for the drive through the Sinai.

The Viva Palestina convoy expects progress on all fronts tomorrow, but is prepared to call for solidarity protests at Egyptian embassies and consulates should that not materialize.

-------
Donate to Viva Palestina US
http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/topics/donate/

Follow News About Viva Palestina US Convoy

http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/
http://alawdavpusconvoy.blogspot.com/
http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/
http://www.thesitch.com/gaza-dispatches/

Interviews with Convoy Member Cynthia McKinney

http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney?v=app_2347471856
http://theinfounderground.com/archives/TiU.Radio.30th.April.09-guest.Cynthia.McKinney.mp3
http://www.iamthewitness.com/audio/Cynthia.McKinney/cii.smith-mckinney.p1a.16-06-2009_232038.mp3
http://theinfounderground.com/archives/TiU-TFC.Emergency.Broadcast.25th.June.09.guests.Cynthia.McKinney.and.Caoimhe.Butterly.mp3

Viva Palestina Convoy Update #2 with IAC Delegate Report

Viva Palestina Convoy, July 12, 2009, 2:45 am Cairo

Contact the Egyptian embassy and tell them to immediately allow the Viva Palestina Aid Convoy into Gaza. Call 202-966-6342 or 202-895-5400 fax 202-244-4319 or 202-244-5131 and e-mail Embassy@egyptembassy.net

The 100 Viva Palestina humanitarian volunteers have decided to stay the night in their buses at the Mubarak Peace Bridge over the Suez Canal despite pressure from the Egyptian security officials to return to Cairo.

The official reason given at the checkpoint for refusing to allow them to cross is that the officials there did not have a list of the names of the members of the convoy. Such a list was, however, at the request of the Egyptian authorities before any of the convoy members set foot in Egypt sent to the Egyptian ambassadors to Washington, D.C., and London.

The US Embassy in Cairo has now stepped in to forward a newly provided list of those convoy members aboard the buses at the bridge to the Egyptian foreign ministry to clear the way for the convoy's passage.

Nancy Mansour Leigh, a spokeswoman for the Viva Palestina delegation at the Suez crossing, says, “It's going to be an uncomfortable night, but it's nothing compared with what the people of Gaza must live through every day. We've already succeeded in securing internet access and are negotiating other necessary facilities. But whatever facilities are provided or not, our determination will see us through the night and all the way to Gaza.”

New York City Councilman Charles Barron is on the scene at the Suez Canal and acting as chief negotiator with Egyptian security officials. “The Viva Palestina movement has had a great success this morning with our stand at the Suez crossing. We've now got an agreement for us to stay until the list of our convoy members reaches the foreign ministry. It shows what can be achieved with the determination and commitment of a collective body of people. We are determined to cross onto Gaza, and no matter what happens next, out of this first small confrontation, we've achieved a success for the movement in support of the Palestinian people. The convoy is going to move on, and we ain't gonna let nobody turn us around.”

British Member of Parliament George Galloway offered these words of encouragement for the delegation being held up at the crossing:“This is an American convoy. And Americans are used to refusing to give up seats on buses in the struggle for justice. I regard everyone who's putting themselves on the line tonight at the Suez Canal for the success of this humanitarian mission as nothing short of a hero.”

Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina coordinator


Report from John Parker, West Coast Coordinator of the International Action Center.
Parker is one of four IAC activists participating in the Viva Palestina delegation to Gaza.

A delegation of about 200 people left for Cairo, Egypt from July 4th to July 7th, en route to Gaza to make the political demand of breaking and defying Israel's illegal and genocidal siege of Gaza and to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to the people--wheelchairs, walkers and medical supplies.

We are currently split up into two groups. One group is made up of the drivers of the vehicles that will transport some of the aid from Alexandria, Egypt, through the border of Gaza. I am part of this group. The other group is gathering and organizing other medical supplies in Cairo, and they will meet up with us at the border.

New York City Councilmember Charles Barron has already joined the group in Cairo and will also be at the border for the crossing. Former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will also be joining us at the border of Gaza before we cross. McKinney was released only a few days ago from an Israeli jail, where she and 20 other activists were held after being abducted by the Israeli navy from the Spirit of Humanity boat which was carrying aid to Gaza.

I am proud to be a part of building and participating in this tremendous effort to expose the horror of Israel's war against the Palestinian people, which the media tries to hide from the world. As Ron Kovic, one of the initiators of this campaign in the U.S., along with British MP George Galloway said, "We are going there to offer a hand of friendship and solidarity, not bombs and terror."

Israel's bombing of Gaza for 23 days starting last December caused an immense and terrifying amount of damage. At least 20 percent of the children there suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the bombing. Half of the hospitals in Gaza and 47,000 homes were damaged.

However, one thing wasn't damaged--the will of the people of Gaza to survive and to strongly demand self-determination. This is what inspires us to do all we can.

Judging from the reaction we receive here in Egypt from people who see our Viva Palestina USA T-shirts, many of the Egyptian people are proud and inspired by the courageous people of Gaza. For example, a young woman who spoke English asked Judy Greenspan, another IAC organizer on the trip, what her T-shirt meant. After Judy told her, she replied that a family member of hers works in a pharmacy and she wanted to donate medical supplies for the convoy.

This delegation is the second such convoy initiated by British MP George Galloway. He organized the first in the UK. The second one, which left from the U.S., was organized in collaboration with Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic, author of "Born on the Fourth of July."

However, in the U.S., this effort is the result of the work of many in the Arab community, in the Mosques, in organizations like Al-Awda and others, in addition to anti-war and social justice organizations. On the delegation are members of CAIR, Middle East Childrens Alliance, Cuba Coalition, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, MECHA, International Action Center, International Socialist Organization, Workers World Party, ANSWER Coalition and many more. All of the organizations participated in making this campaign possible. However, along with the UK team of Viva Palestine, the lion's share of the credit must go to the Arab and Muslim communities in the U.S., which raised much of the funding for this effort.

Media coverage of our trip has been good. Photographs here are from the most recent press conference in Cairo. The press conference held on July 9 was covered by Al Jazeera and by one of the largest media outlets in Egypt. In addition, there have been many interviews of individuals on the trip. With Cynthia McKinney joining us at the border and the presence of Councilmember Charles Barron, that coverage will increase.

I should also mention the very impressive showing of support by members of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement represented by four Black youth. One of them, Brandon, is shown here holding a red, black and green African Liberation flag. He began his remarks at the press conference by giving a "shout out" to the people of Africa on the continent and referenced the people of Africa on the U.S. delegation, who were showing their solidarity with Palestine. He made the links between the racism and repression faced by Palestinian people and the occupation of Gaza with the repression faced by Black people in the U.S. by police brutality and occupation of their neighborhoods. He said he was inspired to come on the delegation by the actions of Cynthia McKinney.

Delegates here in Alexandria are anxiously waiting to load up and decorate the vehicles and begin their journey to Gaza. These vehicles will be donated to the people of Gaza.

*Click here to follow Viva Palestina's updates from the convoy.
*Click here to donate to Viva Palestina USA
*Click here to donate to help with the costs of the International Action Center's delegation.

Standing vigil at the U.S. embassy

SOA Watch

I was last here in Honduras only about 6 weeks ago. I was totally taken off guard by the energy of the country, the hope that something new and different was emerging, the belief that luck had come their way, that unity that I found among the social movements around a goal that seemed to actually be within reach (the constitutional assembly). How quickly things can change in a country. This is perhaps one of the things that has most impacted me as I prepare to leave Honduras tomorrow.

But I also am struck by how much things don’t change. Can we really be living through a situation in 2009 when SOA grads are organizing coups and filling the ranks of new cabinets. Really?

This sense of incredibility about current events was what marked our attitude as we headed to the U.S. embassy in the morning. There, we met with Ambassador Hugo Llorens, and two of his political staff. In spite of the delicate moment, with mediations just underway in Costa Rica, they gave us an hour of their time.

We asked Ambassador Llorens to clarify U.S. policy and relationships with Honduras at this time. According to Llorens, it was a “black and white situation.” A coup had taken place, and therefore the U.S. neither recognizes nor has contact with the de facto government. He also told us that all military aid had been suspended between the U.S. and Honduras. While this was breaking news to us, and welcome news at that, he indicated that this situation had been the case since the moment Micheletti swore himself in as president.

However, three of our delegation members had stopped by the Palmerola military base, where over 500 U.S. soldiers are based, and witnessed an apparently normal buzz of activities, including helicopter flights and interchange of Honduran and U.S. soldiers. Ambassador Llorens insisted that everything had come to a standstill, and that perhaps the soldiers were interchanging on such normal day-to-day affairs such as the administration of water and electricity and routine training exercises.

The ambassador told us that Honduras was an extremely polarized society. According to him, President Zelaya had been doing what many in the country considered illegal. He reiterated Obama’s position that no matter how much the U.S. may be in disagreement with internal issues of another government, nothing justified a forceful removal from office. He also indicated that most of their contacts in the country (acknowledged later by an aide to come mostly from the upper crust) were outraged at the U.S. position. However, he noted that “other political leaders and business leaders were beginning to 'calm down'" in the past four. My guess is because it now looks like they are here to stay, for at least quite a while.

We then shared our series of concerns. We noted that while most countries had pulled their ambassador from the country, that he and his staff remained. He told us this was because the president had asked him to do so, since he could be “useful.”

We also shared our concerns that about the mediation process in Honduras. Had it been Obama who was abducted by force by armed soldiers and taken against his will to Mexico, would we support a process in which Obama and his usurpers sat down at a table together, while the usurpers remained in power? The ambassador replied that Secretary Clinton felt that the the U.S. no longer should be in the role of solving problems, and that she wanted this to have a Central American solution. He said that, given the exteme polarization, that there needed to be certain guarantees for Zelaya’s return. Among things that are being talked about are issues of amnesty, a truth commission and a national unity government.

We also questioned other aid into the country, and the ambassador clarified that this aid is contingent on just how this coup will be classified. Apparently, there are different categories of coups in the U.S. (sounds like the Washington Post editorial staff!) and until this is determined, the exact kinds of aid to be cut are in question. Among the $50 million of U.S. aid slated for Honduras, that which goes to “democratic programs” is still in force, as well as health and education programs that don’t deal with the government. He belittled the impact of U.S. aid, indicating that the bulk of aid came from the IDB, and this was suspended when Honduras was cut from the OAS.

We shared our concerns for human rights abuses since the overtake of the government, and the three embassy members agreed that this was the case. We gave them a copy of COFADEH’s human rights report since June 28th. The ambassador told us that they were in regular contact with the Attorney General Luis Rubi and Ombudsman Ramon Custodia, since neither were from the executive branch. We shared that many human rights groups had grave concerns for Custodia, who has turned a deaf ear to many of the abuses and seemed supportive of the coup government in his declarations. We also indicated that several human rights leaders are concerned for their safety, and he indicated that they should be in touch with the human rights coordinator, Mike Gorman.

We also shared our concerns for the fact that two of the key leaders were graduates of the School of the Americas, as well as several current cabinet appointees. He asked the aides to note the names.

We had decided the previous day that we felt it was important to publically show our support for Honduran democracy, and call upon our government to be more consistent with their actions. Immediately after the meeting, we flew into preparation mode for an action in front of the embassy, and with the help of Honduran allies, made signs and banners and a cross with the name of the 19-year old who was gunned down at the airport. We also sent out press releases widely.

From 2 until 5 we stood vigil in front of the embassy, which is on a busy street, with signs that shared our concerns. They said, in English and Spanish, thank you President Obama, for your words. Now, we need actions. We called upon our government to:

* Insist upon the immediate and unconditional return of President Zelaya
* Recall the U.S. ambassador and embassy staff
* Withdraw U.S. troops from Palmerola
* Expel Honduran troops from SOA/WHINSEC

We were overwhelmed with press from both Honduran, Latin American and international sources and did dozens of interviews. After the first hour, we were joined by leaders of the resistance movement, who stood by us, shook our hands and thanked us, and brought us juice and sandwiches.

What was most touching were the hundreds of passengers in cars that passed by who showed a look of great surprise and a huge grin. Many held out their hands in a peace, or victory sign. Many called out to thank us. It was clear that being there in Honduras, at this moment, in solidarity, was the right thing to do.

Honduras Emergency Response Delegation Report

By Lisa Sullivan, SOA Watch, July 11, 2009

My plane has just lifted off from the Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa and I look down on the runway that five days ago was blocked by army tanks and soldiers, prohibiting the return of Honduran president Manuel Zelaya, ousted 12 days ago in a coup. Hundreds of thousands of people had swollen the roads leading to the airport to receive “Mel”, as the president is affectionately known. One 19-year old who came from the interior of the country, Isis Obed Murillo, was shot in the head by soldiers trying to disperse the crowd, his brains literally blown apart.

One of those present on Sunday was our taxi driver, who - on our half-hour winding ride to the airport - gave us a colorful report of what he thought of the new president, punctuated by sweeping arm gestures that frequently took his hands from the wheel. “Goriletti! Pinochetti! For 36 years he’s been robbing the poor as a member of Congress. He’s always wanted to be president. Now, he’s stolen the position! Our president is Mel! The soldiers are against us. They have the guns. But we are together, we are with Mel. If he can’t come back by plane, he should return on horseback. We will join him!” Like a Honduras made-to-order Hollywood backdrop to the driver’s passionate soliloquy, we passed street after street covered with graffiti: “fuera golpistas!” “Queremos al” “Pinocheletti fuera!”

As I boarded the plane, my mind swam with images of faces of Hondurans in their cars passing by our little vigil outside the U.S. embassy yesterday. The slow traffic of the busy road gave people pause to read our signs, calling on our country to match their words with actions: to insist upon the immediate and unconditional return of Zelaya, to recall the ambassador and U. S. troops at Palmerola. Many honked in support, flashed a peace/victory sign, and many smiled broadly calling out “gracias!”. Even the Honduras guards at the embassy shook each of our hands when we left. What they couldn’t say was silently passed on in the firmness of their grasp.

If ever there was a time for a solidarity moment, this was it. Just one month earlier, I had gone to Honduras with a small SOAW delegation, and had asked our partners there to help us organize around this issue. How could we not go at this moment, when their very democracy was at stake? When we learned that two of the key coup leaders were SOA graduates, the need for the visit was sealed.

Six other activists made the snap decision to come down as well, and a small SOAW delegation was formed overnight. We came from California, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Washington . All of us were trying to get to Honduras on Sunday, and all were blocked due to the closing of the airport in anticipation of Zelaya’s attempted return. No one gave up, however, and we each found alternative ways to get there, arriving, miraculously, within hours of one another on Tuesday.

I rerouted through San Salvador and arrived to a sea of enthusiastic Salvadorans, awaiting Zelaya whose plane was diverted there after landing rights were denied in Honduras. The mood was electric as planes landed on the runway, shortly after my plane, carrying the presidents of Ecuador, Argentina, Paraguay and later a car bringing Salvador’s president Funes to meet Zelaya. A powerful and extraordinary display of Latin American solidarity.

After finding our way to Tegucigalpa by land, we were welcomed in Honduras by Bertha Oliva, director of COFADEH. It was Bertha who had brought us some weeks previous to a meeting with President Zelaya. It was not just an ordinary meeting, but one in a series of gatherings between the president, some of his ministers, and leaders of most of Honduras’ social movements. It was a 6-hour, heart-to-heart, head-to-head real dialogue on deep issues such as whether to continue with CAFTA, to keep Palmerola open to U.S. soldiers, how to create a sustainable water system, whether to pull Honduran troops from the SOA. I have been in Latin America for 32 years, but this kind of president-to-the-people consultation was a first. And, it made me realize that something very interesting was happening in Honduras.

Since the issue of the SOA had been raised by the social movements, I approached the president as he was leaving, and told him that the purpose of our visit was to request that he withdraw troops from the SOA, a school we hoped would soon close. He looked at me squarely and said “That’s Obama’s problem”. I was a bit put off by the terse reply and said “actually, if you care about the sovereignty of your country, it’s your problem too”. He paused and looked deeply at me and said, “get me the information”. That night he called a friend and said “tell them that I agree, but at this moment I can’t do this. I need the military on my side”.

I wonder if Zelaya remembered any of this conversation when a few weeks later, soldiers - sent by their SOA-graduated commanders, roused him at gunpoint and forced him on a plane and to Costa Rica in his pjs. While US media flashed that the ouster was provoked by an illegal push from Zelaya to get another term of office, I knew differently. But, only because I was in Honduras recently. Living in Venezuela, and seeing how U.S. media portrays that country, I’ve learned that it’s impossible to really know what is happening in another country from the U.S. mainstream media, unless you actually go there.

Like the rest of the continent, Honduras had lived the failed experiments of the neoliberal model, (or Washington consensus, or free trade model, whatever you like to call it) over the past decade and more. Violence, poverty, unemployment, migration and despair were the result. But, winds from the south were blowing, and Honduras began to open its windows, wide. The concept that change could come via a move towards participative democracy, and via constitutional reform, like several South American countries, was beginning to take shape. On June 28th a non- binding consultative vote was to take place, known as the “cuarta urna”. Urna in Spanish refers to ballot, and cuarta refers to the idea that it would be the 4th ballot in November, added to the votes for president, congress and mayors. It was hard to miss the sense of enthusiasm running through the country.

Those who had held power in the country were fearful of these winds of change. Congress and the Supreme Court tried to block the consultation, and the Army Chief of Staff refused to have his soldiers guard the vote, leading to his dismissal by Zelaya. All these events cascaded together, only days before the coup . One question worth asking is why the old guard politicians, along with military leaders, risked staging a coup and possible international condemnation, had they really thought that Sunday’s vote was going to win. If so, wouldn’t it have been best to let it fall on its face? If our earlier visit was any measure, it seemed poised to win, and in a big way. Therefore, it seems, it needed to be stopped before happening.

The initial idea for the consultation came not from Zelaya, but from the social movements, beginning some five years earlier. These were not the groups with whom Zelaya was accustomed to rubbing elbows, as a member of the landed elite. But, as he told us at the meeting, his fellow elites refused to collaborate when he asked them to lend a helping hand to their country. And so, he turned to the social movements. And apparently, they responded, but so did he. He raised wages significantly, paid attention to the needs of poor urban and rural communities, brought doctors and teachers from Cuba and cheap oil for public transportation from Venezuela. Mostly, the poor felt that they were taken into account, that they mattered.

During the past days in Honduras, we joined the people on the streets , which is where this political battle seems to being waged. At a road block along the southern highway, Hondurans came up to us to shake our hands and thank us for being there. Some had been on the streets for 10 days. Despite the blazing sun and the many days into the coup, their spirits seemed intact. Later, we were invited to a meeting of the newly formed Frente de Resistencia Contra el Golpe en Honduras. I found many of the same leaders of the social movements whom I had met at the meeting with the president. Labor leaders, campesinos, indigenous groups, taxi drivers, teachers and artists were planning the next day’s strategies. People were tired but determined, amazingly united and efficient in their planning. As time was dedicated to determining who would offer the sound system, provide buses, water, etc, it was clear that no one was bankrolling this operation.

While I never actually saw pro-coup marches in the streets, the local t.v. stations looped the same scenes of them repeatedly. What called my attention was that everyone was dressed in white, and signs were professionally printed. This was a contrast to the motley crowd and creative colorful hand-made signs of the pro Zelaya crowd.

As I head to Venezuela I know that I will not leave Honduras behind. Just days ago (though it feels like months), when I asked the taxi driver taking me to the Caracas airport how he was doing, I expected a reply about the traffic or weather or local political scene. His response was “Worried. About Honduras”. The reason for this response is likely both one of solidarity – never has Latin America looked more towards one another than now. And, it is one of survival: There is a sense that this battle in Honduras is larger than Honduras. It is a push-back against a new model, or new models, arising from the South.

Please keep the people of Honduras in your thoughts. And please keep tuned in. And call your member of congress to ask him/her to vote to close the School of the Americas. Their graduates have lead 2 coups in 7 years in Latin America. We can’t afford to let them lead another.

SOA Watch Accompanying Resistance in Honduras

by Lisa Sullivan, SOA Watch, July 10, 2009

Today in Honduras was a day of brilliant sunshine interrupted by torrential rain, in a country were extremes seem to be the norm. While classes started up and businesses opened up their storefronts, there were also roadblocks and rallies and resistance meetings and curfews. People strolled quietly down streets covered with virulent anti-coup graffiti. As I write, cars rush noisily outside our hotel as people try to get home before the curfew, in 15 minutes the streets will be silent.

This is the 11th day of a coup, and Milton Rodriguez, age 18, has been walking on the streets for each of these days, and has the broken shoes to show for it. Like many others, he reached out his hand to thank us for joining him, and several thousand others, in blocking the cities’ main southern road this morning, one of daily street actions to protest the coup. He immediately gave us his reason for doing so: Article 3 of his constitution that states that he need not be subordinate to a government that takes usurps power.

In return, we also shared our reason for being there. A school funded by our tax dollars had trained the generals that abducted his president at gunpoint. A government representing us had forgotten that the use of certain nouns (coup) required the use of certain verbs as well, verbs such as (withhold) military aid, (remove) your troops, (withdraw) your ambassador. This is the message that Fathers Joe Mulligan and Roy Bourgeois took to the podium at the road block, much to the enthusiastic applause of the Hondurans who filled the streets.

It is also the message that we will take to the U.S. embassy tomorrow, at a meeting granted to our group in the morning. Many of our Honduran allies expressed frustration that the double message coming from the U.S. does not bode well for the mediation process that Secretary of State Clinton set up in Costa Rica, which begins tomorrow. In spite of the insistence on local tv stations in Honduras that this was a lovely way out of this miserable mess, the feeling on the streets here was that mediation with coup leaders is not possible. The unconditional return of their democratically elected president was the only solution acceptable to them.

We were invited to a strategy meeting with the leaders of the resistance movement (Frente Nacional de Resistencia contra el Golpe en Honduras) and found a dynamic, diverse, focused, unified and efficient group whose common goal – the return of their president and the reinstatement of the constitutional reform process - would not be deterred by any amount of barriers. Just a few minutes with this group – labor leaders, teachers, bus drivers, indigenous movements, human rights activists, artists, journalists, and campesinos - made it clear that this was not the first time they were gathering. It is this joint expression of social movements that initiated a process calling for a new constitution over 5 years ago, as a radical step towards creating a society of participative rather than representative democracy. It was they who invited Mel, as they call their president, to join them in this goal, not vice-versa. The folks who write those Washington Post editorials should spent 30 seconds with this group to realize not only their determination, but that the motivation behind the June 28th consultation, that led to Zelaya’s removal, had nothing to do with a re-election push of one person, and everything to do with their dreams of “another world is possible”.

Today the SOA-Honduran coup connections continued to deepen. In addition to the key coup players who are SOA grads, Chief of Staff Commander General Romeo Vasquez and Air Force Commander General Luis Javier Prince Suazo, new cabinet members were named by the coup government, whose attendance at the SOA was part of their CV. Director of Immigration Willy Mejia Mejia and Assistant Minister of Security Mario Raul Hung Pacheco will round out a hearty portfolio of SOA grads in this coup, with more military cabinet members expected to be named soon.

Tomorrow is our last full day here, and the fate of Honduras, will continue to be at play in the streets of Tegucigalpa, the hallways of San Jose Costa Rica, and the interchanges of emails such as yourselves. Your solidarity is resounding throughout Honduras and throughout Latin America, where this coup is taken personally, as something against all of the Americas. These have been new and hopeful times in this continent, where new experiments are arising as fast as you can say “experiment”. On the streets and in the meeting rooms here, and in the cyber buzz all around, there is fear that the violent dashing of this little flame in this little country, may well portend more of the same in other parts of the continent.

Video: Fmr. Congressmember Cynthia McKinney Back in U.S. After Being Detained and Deported from Israel

Democracy Now!, July 8, 2009



Former Congressmember Cynthia McKinney arrived back in the United States Tuesday following her deportation from Israel. McKinney was one of 21 activists seized by the Israeli military in international waters last week as they tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. We speak with McKinney and with filmmaker Adam Shapiro who was detained and deported as well.

SOA Watch to Join Honduran Social Movements

SOA Watch, July 4, 2009

The situation in Honduras remains extremely tense following the June 28 military coup by graduates of the School of the Americas. For the last six days, SOA Watch has been in constant communication with pro-democracy organizers in Honduras. We are pressuring the State Department and the White House with street protests and an online letter campaign to ensure the unconditional reinstatement of President Zeleya. However, the calls form our partners in Honduras have made it clear to us that we need to go a step further. SOA Watch has decided to join the Honduran social movements on the ground. A small SOA Watch delegation is going to meet with members of the National Resistance Committee and other pro-democracy organizers tomorrow and will join them in the streets. SOA Watch's Latin America Coordinator Lisa Sullivan and former SOA Watch Prisoner of Conscience Father Joe Mulligan are currently on their way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The resistance to the military coup that is taking place right now in Honduras is a Honduran struggle and a struggle of the Americas, at the same time. The outcome will affect all of us for years to come. International accompaniment can have a big impact and save lives. Please click here to make a donation to SOA Watch to support the important work.

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President Zelaya's Return

President Zelaya vowed to return to Honduras tomorrow (Sunday, July 5). The coup plotters have threatened that the military will arrest him if he comes back to Honduras. The presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina and Rafael Correa of Ecuador have said that he will accompany Zelaya. The hours are numbered for the dictatorship due to the immense domestic and international pressure. The resistance in Honduras is strong despite the repression. The Organization of American States (OAS) issued a 72 hour ultimatum which warned the coup leaders to restore Zelaya to power by today. The ultimatum was met with defiance. Social movement activists in Honduras are preparing for the return of the rightful president and have requested that international solidarity activists come to Honduras to accompany them in their struggle for democracy.

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No to the Military Coup in Honduras

On June 28, a military coup took place in Honduras. Soldiers stormed the residence of democratically elected President Zelaya and flew him out of the country. The coup was led by School of the Americas graduates General Romeo Velasquez, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Luis Javier Prince Suazo, commander of the Air Force. Watch CNN footage of the protests

Update from the Military Coup in Honduras, Friday morning, July 3, 2009:
Noticias urgentes:

1. The signal for Radio Globo has been cut. This is the only radio station that has informed about the COUP, as such

2. Forced recruiting of young men from rural areas by the SOA-led Honduran military has continued

3. Detentions in other cities of people attempting to enter Tegucigalpa to participate in marches

4. Some cable companies are not allowing the airing of TELESUR and other international news, including CNN

6. March against the COUP in Tegucigalpa at this moment

Take Action: Click here to send a message about the military coup to the State Department

Gaza Digest: June 9, 2009

CODEPINK: Women For Peace, PINKtank, June 9, 2009

If you would like to add your name to the mailing list to receive 3-5 posts per week, send a note to Nancy K at codepinknyc@gmail.com.

Gaza Digest 91, 6/9/09

News Clips: Under pressure from pro-Palestine campaigners, the French company Veolia is poised to withdraw from the controversial Jerusalem Light Rail project that links the city center to illegal West Bank settlements; Seventy-three Palestinian children left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on Monday morning en route to Poland where they will receive trauma counseling for the affects of the recent Israeli war; United States President Barack Obama wants “immediate” talks between the Palestinians and Israel to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement, U.S. envoy George Mitchell said on Monday; Interior Minister Eli Yishai has begun to make good on a pledge to exploit all the resources of his ministry, “its branches and its influences over local government” to expand settlements in the territories; Under mounting American pressure to define his intentions regarding peace efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Sunday that he would make a major policy speech next week mapping out the government’s “principles for achieving peace and security’; El Al passengers have received maps of Israel marking out a “separation wall” along the West Bank, but the Foreign Ministry has asked the airline to change the classification to “security fence.”

1. Report from Haaretz on an upcoming meeting by Israeli defense officials to discuss Gaza Blockade, with this beautiful mention of the action at the border by CODEPINK & The Coalition of Women for Peace: “At the Erez crossing, an American-Israeli feminist delegation and left-wing activists dressed like clowns held a rally Sunday to protest the ban on toys entering Gaza.”

“Defense Officials to Meet on Easing Gaza Blockade,” Amos Harel, Haaretz, 6/8/09

Excerpt: Israeli security officials are expected to meet this week to discuss easing the blockade of the Gaza Strip, following U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent criticism of the “continuing humanitarian crisis” there.

So far, Israel has made do with weak promises to reconsider its policy, but Obama’s Cairo speech Thursday - in which he said the blockade devastates Palestinian families and does not serve Israel’s security interests - may push Jerusalem to take action.

The Defense Ministry department responsible for coordinating government activities in the territories began assessing the closure two weeks ago to determine whether to advocate any changes.

The top Israel Defense Forces officers involved in the assessment are due to explain their positions to Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week. The matter is slated to be discussed by the cabinet at a later stage.

Although Israel has reduced the amount and type of goods entering Gaza, Palestinians are still receiving medicine and medical equipment, gas and food. However, Israel still bans “dual-use” goods - those it classifies as potentially enabling terror activities - such as construction materials.

2. Report from Reuters about the dismal prospects of Tony Blair’s sewage treatment project in Gaza because of the blockade. (Would just like to point out that Hamas had won a free and fair election that preceded “the violent take-over.”)

“World Bank says Blair sewage project in Gaza may collapse,” Adam Entous, Reuters, 6/8/09

Excerpt: Middle East envoy Tony Blair’s signature project in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip could collapse because of Israeli restrictions on bringing in equipment, an internal World Bank memo obtained by Reuters said.

The $75 million (110 million pound) north Gaza sewage treatment project was the centrepiece of an economic package spearheaded by the former prime minister to try to boost Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

In a June 4 memo to donors, the World Bank said Israel has prevented delivery of critical equipment to the project since March.

The equipment included pipes, cement and spare parts.

Attempts to hire building contractors failed last year.

“No bid was submitted as the bidders did not want to run into the security risk in Gaza,” the World Bank said. “The failure of attracting bidders in the second round will be devastative to the project.”

International donors and Gaza residents view the sewage project as urgent. In 2007, a flood of raw sewage from a plant in north Gaza killed several people.

But like other Western-backed infrastructure projects in the territory, Blair’s have suffered lengthy delays because of an Israeli-led blockade which was tightened after Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

3. And an article from the IMEMC about the Israeli Army’s destruction of water infrastructure in a village near Hebron.

“Israeli Army Demolishes Water Infrastructure of West Bank Village,” Katherine Orwell, International Middle East Media Center, 6/8/09

Excerpt: The Israeli army has been trying to take out water and electric systems of the small village Baqua, north of the Southern West Bank city of Hebron on Monday morning. Around 5 people sustained injuries as they tried to stop the Israeli army from demolishing their water wells. Jeff Halper, from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) was arrested for trying to obstruct the military.

The Israeli army arrived at the village around six in the morning, bringing three cranes, four bulldozers and numerous back-up and support vehicles.

A local witness from the Christian Peacemaker Team told IMEMC that the army had been targeting four different sites in the area. It is known that at least six water wells were demolished by the Israeli army. Two wells are expected to have been destroyed, as the Israeli machinery has been seen at the location of the wells.

Irrigation pipes have been confiscated by the military and at least one electric tower has been taken down.

Villagers that tried to stop the destruction of their property sustained injuries as they were beaten by soldiers.

***

Gaza Digest 90, 6/8/09

News Clips: Four Palestinian fighters were killed along the Gaza border by Israeli soldiers on Monday; Israeli security officials are expected to meet this week to discuss easing the blockade of the Gaza Strip, following U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent criticism of the “continuing humanitarian crisis” there; Senior U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama’s Mideast envoy George Mitchell, say they might propose immediate talks on setting Israel’s border along the West Bank; Israel will be forced to acknowledge the necessity of a future Palestinian state because there are no signs that the Obama administration will yield on this issue, an Israeli diplomatic source told Israel Radio on Saturday; United States President Barack Obama on Friday postponed moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by an additional six months, Israel Radio reported; U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed on Friday reports that Israel and the Bush administration had an understanding under which Israel could keep expanding settlements on the West Bank; Israeli forces killed a demonstrator named Yousef Akil Srour, aged 36, with live ammunition in the West Bank village of Ni’lin during the weekly non-violent protest against the Wall; Meanwhile, five demonstrators were injured in confrontations with security forces in the anti-wall rally in Bil’in; South African Judge Richard Goldstone, the head of a United Nations team investigating possible war crimes by Israel and Hamas during the Gaza war, said Thursday he had been shocked by the scale of the destruction in the Palestinian areas; The team also announced Thursday that it will hold public hearings with the war’s victims later this month in Gaza and Geneva.

1. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza has collected evidence of Israeli War Crimes during Operation Cast Lead and plans to file lawsuits in Spain, as reported by Haaretz.

“Report: Palestinians plan to file 936 lawsuits over over Gaza ‘war crimes’,” Haaretz Service, 6/6/09

Palestinian lawyers have prepared 936 lawsuits against Israel over alleged war crimes committed during its three-week offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza has recorded the cases, the magazine said, which include alleged incidents of children shot at close range, women burned by white phosphorus shells and entire families buried under their houses.

According to Der Spiegel, the center hopes to try the cases in Spain’s National Court in Madrid, where a lawsuit was filed in January against senior Israeli officials over the 2002 killing of Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh.

“Winning a case, just one, would be enough,” Iyad al-Alami, the head of the center, was quoted as saying. “Then I would retire immediately, because I would have achieved everything.”

2. As the analyses of Obama’s speech last week in Cairo keep pouring forth, thought it was worth sharing this one from Noam Chomsky via Alternet.

“What Obama Didn’t Say in His Cairo Address Speaks Volumes About His Mideast Policy,” Noam Chomsky, AlterNet, 6/4/09

Excerpt: Overlooked in the debate over settlements is that even if Israel were to accept Phase I of the Road Map, that would leave in place the entire settlement project that has already been developed, with decisive U.S. support, to ensure that Israel will take over the valuable land within the illegal “separation wall” (including the primary water supplies of the region), as well as the Jordan Valley, thus imprisoning what is left, which is being broken up into cantons by settlement/infrastructure salients extending far to the east.

Unmentioned as well is that Israel is taking over Greater Jerusalem, the site of its major current development programs, displacing many Arabs, so that what remains to Palestinians will be separated from the center of their cultural, economic and sociopolitical life.

Also unmentioned is that all of this is in violation of international law, as conceded by the government of Israel after the 1967 conquest, and reaffirmed by Security Council resolutions and the International Court of Justice. Also unmentioned are Israel’s successful operations since 1991 to separate the West Bank from Gaza, since turned into a prison where survival is barely possible, further undermining the hopes for a viable Palestinian state.

3. From The American Prospect comes this article about West Bank settlement expansion.

“House Hunting in the West Bank,” Gershom Gorenberg, The American Prospect, 6/4/09

Excerpt: Settlement homes aren’t quite the giveaways they were a few years ago. But they are still cheap, subsidized housing that continues to draw Israelis to move to the West Bank. In 2007, the last year for which there are official figures, the settlement population (not including annexed East Jerusalem) grew by 14,500 people. Of that growth, 37 percent was due to veteran Israelis or new immigrants moving to occupied territory. The “natural growth” argument is intended to cover up the continued, state-backed effort to encourage this migration.

The same official figures show over twice the rate of natural increase in the settlements than in Israel as a whole. Yes, the settler population is younger, meaning more women of childbearing age, and yes, much of it is Orthodox and puts a high value on large families. But people express their values more when the material conditions allow them to. Inexpensive housing makes it easier for younger couples to start having children and for families to be larger. That’s especially true of the kind of housing available in many settlements: small, inexpensive homes that couples can buy when they don’t have a lot of money, expecting to expand them later. The construction style is meant to “entice” people to come to settlements, as a realtor told me. Inside Israel such homes aren’t available, she said. Put differently, even natural growth is unnaturally high in settlements. A construction freeze threatens that pattern.

Netanyahu and his partners don’t want any of this to stop. They want settlements to keep growing, in order to block an Israeli withdrawal and a two-state solution. Obama wants a freeze as the first step toward a solution. The natural-growth argument is worse than a distraction; it’s a scam. Let the buyer beware.

4. As the crippling blockade on building materials (and books, crayons, pumpkins, musical instruments, toys, paper, light bulbs…) for Gaza continues, IRIN reports on a school for handicapped children that is being built with clay.

“Gaza Building Experiments with Clay, Rubble,“ IRIN, 6/4/09

Excerpt: Local Palestinian NGO Mercy Association for Children began building a school for handicapped children in Gaza City on 24 May to test a recently developed method using clay blocks, salt and rubble - with the source material coming mainly from the hundreds of buildings demolished during the Israeli offensive (27 December 2008 - 18 January 2009).

Fourteen construction workers on the 5,000 square metre building site in the Shujayah neighbourhood of the city haul buckets of clay for moulding into large blocks from which the structure, with its domed ceiling, will be made.

“If the school, upon completion, proves structurally sound we will move forward with other construction projects in Gaza,” said lead engineer Maher Batroukh of the Mercy Association for Children. “The school is the first building of its kind in Gaza.”

The three-storey school, occupying about 1,025 square metres, will contain no steel, cement or concrete, said Batroukh.

The US$190,000 project is being funded by the Kuwaiti charity Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, and will take at least six months to complete, according to Mercy Association for Children project manager Muna Abu Shareh.

5. And finally, a report from The Guardian about fraudulent tunnel investment schemes that are robbing some in Gaza of their savings.

“Tunnel fraud leaves Gazans on verge of financial ruin,” Peter Beaumont, The Guardian, 6/7/09

Excerpt: At first the tunnels emerged as smuggling routes; then they became the vital lifeline for a Gaza under economic siege by Israel. But many people who invested in the tunnels now see them quite differently - as a source of ruination.

The tunnel schemes were advertised as opportunities for doubling and trebling money by unscrupulous figures linked to powerful businessmen in Gaza and, allegedly, to senior officials in Hamas, but have instead led to huge losses for ordinary residents of the Strip.

According to Hamas’s economics minister, Ziad al-Zaza, whose office is investigating the issue, some $100m has been taken fraudulently from would-be entrepreneurs. Others suggest the figure could be closer to $500m.

There have been many brutal phases in Gazan history, culminating in the Israeli invasion at the turn of the year, which laid waste much of the Strip’s fragile infrastructure. But the hitherto untold story of the great Gazan tunnel scam is notable for being self-inflicted and, therefore, particularly depressing for a beleaguered population.

As Omar Shaban, an analyst from a local thinktank, says: “The harm done to Gaza goes well beyond the savings lost in the investment schemes. The tunnels distort Gaza’s social structure. They destroy the values that a state requires to function. In fact, they present no values that people can believe in.”

***

Gaza Digest 89, 6/5/09

News Clips: A team charged with leading the UN’s fact-finding mission over alleged Israeli war crimes departed Gaza on Friday, according to a border spokesperson; On Thursday, the Palestinian Government Workers Union, the Health Workers Union and the Teachers Union issued a press release welcoming the Cairo speech of the US president, Barack Obama, especially his statements on the two-state solution, rejecting settlements, and calling for ending the Palestinian suffering; Israeli settlers established a new illegal West Bank outpost on Thursday, dedicating it partly to US President Barack Obama; Major projects and investments spearheaded by Middle East envoy Tony Blair and Western powers to promote economic growth in the Palestinian territories have had little effect, the World Bank said on Thursday because Israeli restrictions on the Palestinians are holding up many of the projects; At around 9 am on Thursday, six Palestinian fishermen were abducted by the Israeli Navy whilst fishing in Palestinian territorial waters.

1. Reports about Israeli, Palestinian, American and Arab responses to Obama’s speech in Cairo yesterday are all over the papers, the Internet and the airwaves. The general review is “mixed positive,” as they say in Variety. This piece by Ali Abunimah from the Electronic Intifada is more negative than most, but since the idea of a “one-state solution” is not given any airtime in the mainstream press, I thought it was an important one to highlight.

“Obama in Cairo: A Bush in Sheep’s Clothing,” Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, 6/5/09

Excerpt: Some people are prepared to give Obama a pass for all this because he is at last talking tough on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. In Cairo, he said: “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.”

These carefully chosen words focus only on continued construction, not on the existence of the settlements themselves; they are entirely compatible with the peace process industry consensus that existing settlements will remain where they are for ever. This raises the question of where Obama thinks he is going. He summarized Palestinians’ “legitimate aspirations” as being the establishment of a “state.” This has become a convenient slogan to that is supposed to replace for Palestinians their pursuit of rights and justice that the proposed state actually denies. Obama is already on record opposing Palestinian refugees’ right to return home, and has never supported the right of Palestinian citizens of Israel to live free from racist and religious incitement, persecution and practices fanned by Israel’s highest office holders and written into its laws.

He may have more determination than his predecessor but he remains committed to an unworkable two-state “vision” aimed not at restoring Palestinian rights, but preserving Israel as an enclave of Israeli Jewish privilege. It is a dead end.

There was one sentence in his speech I cheered for and which he should heed: “Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.”

2. Oxfam issued a report on Wednesday about the situation in Gaza with recommendations for action. This coverage of the report comes from the Alternative Information Center.

“Oxfam Report—Rebuilding Gaza: Putting People Before Politics,” Alternative Information Center, 5/4/09

Excerpt: In June 2009 the blockade on the Gaza Strip enters its third year. The intense closure policy, coupled with the government of Israel’s recent military operation ‘Cast Lead’, has had a devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of one and a half million Gazans, pushing them further into poverty and aid dependency.

Parties to the conflict and the international community have, to varying degrees, prioritised their own political objectives over people’s rights and needs, leaving Gazans sitting on the ruins of their homes. By attempting to isolate Hamas, the government of Israel and key international donor governments and institutions have in fact isolated the people of Gaza, thereby reducing chances of securing a peaceful, just and durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The current situation cannot be allowed to persist. Israeli, Palestinian and world leaders must abide by their respective legal obligations to take concrete actions to end the collective punishment of Gazan civilians by securing the full and immediate opening of all the Gaza crossings.

3. Interesting analysis from Jonathan Cook on the Electronic Intifada of the varying media reports on the numbers of settlers in the West Bank.

“Media Agencies Annex 200,000 Settlers,” Jonathan Cook, Electronic Intifada, 6/3/09

Excerpt: There are about half a million Jews living illegally on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Give or take the odd few thousand (Israel is slow to update its figures), there are nearly 300,000 settlers in the West Bank and a further 200,000 in East Jerusalem.

Sounds simple. So what is to be made of this fairly typical line from a report issued by AFP last week: “More than 280,000 settlers currently live in settlements dotted throughout the Palestinian territory that Israel captured during the 1967 Six Day War”?

Or this from AP: “The US considers the settlements — home to nearly 300,000 Israelis — obstacles to peace because they are built on captured territory the Palestinians claim for a future state”?

Where are the missing 200,000 settlers?

The answer is that they are to be found in East Jerusalem, which increasingly means for agency reporters that they are not considered settlers at all.

In many reports, East Jerusalem’s settler population is left out of the equation. But even when the news agencies do note the number of settlers there, they are invariably referenced separately from those in the West Bank or described simply as “Jews.”

Worse, this misleading approach has had a trickle-down effect. Major newspapers’ own staff make the same basic errors.

Thus, The New York Times blithely reported last week that the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, had made a “brusque call on Wednesday for a complete freeze of construction in settlements on the West Bank.”

In reality, she had said that the US president wanted “to see a stop to settlements — not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions.” The implication was that the White House wants a freeze on all settlements, including in East Jerusalem.

This is not linguistic nitpicking.

Israel’s attempt to differentiate between the status of the West Bank and that of East Jerusalem, even though these adjacent territories are equally Palestinian and were both captured by Israel in 1967, lies at the heart of the conflict and its resolution.

Israel’s official position, accepted by its politicians of the left and right, is that in 1967 Israel “unified” Jerusalem by annexing its eastern, Palestinian half, and made the city the “eternal capital of the Jewish state.”

***

Gaza Digest 88, 6/4/09

News Clips: In an effort to facilitate unfettered movement of Palestinians in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday removed two roadblocks in the Ramallah area, and the army said it would man an additional West Bank checkpoint around the clock so as to permit Palestinian passage 24 hours a day; An update on the aforementioned announcement—on Wednesday United Nations officials found that Israel did not dismantle two West Bank military checkpoints as promised; The Israel Defense Forces has declared the area around the West Bank city of Nablus a closed military zone, in order to prevent left-wing activists, including and especially the women from Machsom Watch, from entering the area; Right-wing Israeli Jewish activists outside the American Consulate in Jerusalem protested Obama administration statements regarding Jewish settlements; Also Wednesday, left-wing groups, including Meretz, Hadash, Gush Shalom and others, announced that they were holding a peace rally Saturday night in Tel Aviv; in a move sure to infuriate the Obama Adminstration, Israel’s Interior Ministry on Tuesday approved a plan to build a new hotel in eastern Jerusalem that would entail demolishing a Palestinian open-air market and kindergarten; in his speech in Cairo Thursday morning, U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed Washington’s strong backing for a Palestinian state, highlighting his administration’s commitment to follow through on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

1. Our very own Medea Benjamin, who was in Gaza until Tuesday and is now in Cairo and will soon head to Israel to try to enter Gaza again, wrote this stirring piece that was on The Electronic Intifada and then picked up by a number of other online news digests and blogs. Medea left Gaza carrying with her a letter to Obama from Hamas. (Can already envision the nasty e-mails coming into our staff e-mail accounts in response to that bit of news.)

“Obama Should Visit Gaza,” Medea Benjamin, Electronic Intifada, 5/3/09

Excerpt: Obama won great support from the American people during the presidential campaign when he said that America must talk to its adversaries, without preconditions. But his administration now puts ridiculous conditions on talking to Hamas: It must recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous international agreements. Israel, on the other hand, does not have to recognize Palestine, renounce violence or abide by past agreements. Putting preconditions on just one side of the conflict makes it impossible to move a peace process forward.

While Obama prepares for his trip to the Middle East, more than 150 people — mostly Americans — are trying to enter war-torn Gaza through both the Egyptian and Israeli borders. Organized under the umbrella of the peace group CODEPINK, this is the largest group of Americans to travel to Gaza since the siege began.

The delegations, invited by the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), are bringing medicines, toys, school supplies and playground building materials. An estimated 1,346 Gazan children were left without one or more of their parents as a result of the Israeli assault and the majority were left traumatized and depressed.

That’s why the peace group CODEPINK has launched an international petition calling on Obama to visit Gaza and see for himself the devastation and deprivation that continues to plague the region’s 1.5 million people almost six months after the invasion. Just this week, Obama tacked a new stop to his upcoming Middle Eastern visit: Saudi Arabia. If he can make room for a private dinner with the King, then surely he can find the time to go to Gaza. Isn’t it more important for Obama to visit a region where 1,400 people have recently been killed and thousands of homes, schools and mosques destroyed? Isn’t it more important for him to see how the Israelis are using the yearly $3 billion in military aid from US taxpayers?

Obama should take the opportunity, during this visit to Egypt next week, to visit Gaza. He should express his condolences for the loss of so many innocent lives, call for a lifting of the inhumane siege that continues to imprison an entire population, and support an investigation of how US military funds to Israel are being spent.

2. Great interview with Amira Hass from Democracy Now via Common Dreams.

“Israeli Journalist Amira Hass on the Start of the UN’s Probe into Possible Israeli War Crimes during Gaza War,” Democracy Now, 6/3/09

Excerpt: The actions of the Israeli army during its twenty-two-day assault on the Gaza Strip earlier this year are back in the spotlight with the arrival of a United Nations delegation in Gaza this Monday. The fifteen-member team will be investigating possible war crimes and other violations of international law during Israel’s military assault. It’s headed by South African judge Richard Goldstone, who was the former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Israel opposes the investigation and denied the delegation visas, forcing them to enter Gaza through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing.

3. An answer to the piece I posted yesterday from Politico about complaints in Congress about Obama’s stance on the settlements, this article from Haaretz says that American Jews are not so happy about Netanyahu’s stubbornness about the issue.

“Key U.S. Jews wary of Netanyahu’s unbending policy on settlements,” Nathan Gutman, Haaretz, 6/3/09

For the first time in America’s decades of jousting with Israel over West Bank settlements, an American president seems to have succeeded in isolating the settlements issue and disconnecting it from other elements of support for Israel.

It is a disentanglement now seen most clearly in Congress, which in the past served as Israel’s stronghold against administration pressure on the issue. But when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu came to Capitol Hill for a May 18 meeting after being pressed by President Obama to freeze the expansion of West Bank settlements, he was “stunned,” Netanyahu aides said, to hear what seemed like a well-coordinated attack against his stand on settlements. The criticism came from congressional leaders, key lawmakers dealing with foreign relations and even from a group of Jewish members.

They included Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee; California Democrat Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, and California Rep. Henry Waxman, a senior Democrat.

The Jewish lawmakers among them believed “it was their responsibility to make him [Netanyahu] very, very aware of the concerns of the administration and Congress,” said a congressional aide briefed on the meeting. The aide, who declined to be identified, stressed that despite the argument on settlement issues, members of Congress remained fully supportive of Israel on all other issues, including the need to deal with Iran and the concern over Hamas and Hezbollah’s activity.

In their meetings, according to the congressional aide, lawmakers rejected Netanyahu’s call for Palestinian reciprocity on terrorism as a precondition and kept pressing him on the need to stop building in settlements.

Another staffer on Capitol Hill however, stressed that the heated atmosphere should not be interpreted as a sign of a breakdown in relations. “Jewish members,” the staffer said, “express their views very freely” when meeting with Israeli leaders, and did so with Netanyhau’s predecessors as well.

The Israeli prime minister also found little support for his position on settlements from the organized Jewish community. Jewish communal groups have largely remained silent and did not spring to Netanyahu’s defense.

“Even the most conservative institutions of Jewish American life don’t want to go to war over settlement policy,” said David Twersky, who was until recently the senior adviser on international affairs at the American Jewish Congress. “They might say the administration is making too much of a big deal of it, but they will not argue that Jews have the right to settle all parts of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel].”

4. This profile from the New York Times of an eighteen-year-old Palestinian named Shehade Shelaldeh who runs a stringed instrument repair shop in Ramallah also describes a music program, Al Kamandjati (The Violinist) that offers training to Palestinian children in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and Southern Lebanon. You can read more about Al Kamandjati here.

“Amid West Bank’s Turmoil, The Pull of Strings,” Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times, 6/2/09

Excerpt: In a place all too familiar with the sounds of gunfire, military vehicles and explosions, he said, “Al Kamandjati taught us to hear music.”

The center, and Mr. Shelaldeh’s acquisition of a trade born in the workshops of 17th-century Italy, are part of a recently kindled interest in classical music, both Western and Oriental, in the occupied territories. Parents, students and teachers here say it comes from the realization that culture is an effective assertion of national identity, particularly at a moment when the prospects for a Palestinian state seem to be receding. It is also a way to give idle young people something to focus on.

**

Toward the end of his eight years at the conservatory, Mr. Aburedwan decided to establish a music school in his hometown. He rounded up donations of money and instruments, invited colleagues to the area for workshops and pushed for the renovation of a building in Ramallah’s old town. Al Kamandjati opened in January 2006. Operating on a shoestring budget of about $400,000 a year, it now has about 400 students studying both Western and Oriental instruments.

“I want these children to achieve something,” Mr. Aburedwan said. “That’s my dream, that they have a way of expression, a way of living. I want these kids to participate in the building of a Palestinian cultural future.”