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Thursday April 10,
2008
No Visa for you!
Two visa dilemmas, plus the difference between pet causes and basic
principles, an answer to the question of "Will Condi run for VP?", a
beleaguered Israeli ambassador, and the story of Dingbat - er, Shoebat.
If you use the word "holocaust" in relation to
Palestinians
you must say "sorry" or forget about going to Israel. But Richard
Falk
stands by his comparison.
Telegraph:
Israel bars UN envoy
He
said
he did not intend the Nazi comparison to be taken literally but wanted
to shock the world into action, and said that the Jewish people’s own
tragic history has helped Israel evade criticism.
“If this
kind of
situation had existed for instance in the manner in which China was
dealing with Tibet or the Sudanese government was dealing with Darfur,
I think there would be no reluctance to make that comparison”
Speaking of
Tibet, if I didn't know better, I'd think Israeli journalist Uri Avnery
has
been reading my website or at least my mind. He has
exactly the same view I expressed in March about the Tibet
situation. See his eminently sane article: "Not
You! You!!"
He believes as I
do that the CIA has a big hand in the demonstrations and that Tibet is
a
tool in US plans regarding China.
But most importantly, this is a man who doesn't allow sentiment to
cloud his judgment. Too often activists choose a particular cause
because
they or someone they care about is affected by it. Then there are
others who fight
that same cause along with all other causes similar to it. In
other words they fight for a principle. Both Avnery and I are in
the latter category.
And so, apparently is Richard Falk.
If you
fight for
a principle you can't get tripped up on conflicting or distasteful
details, nor be sidetracked from your basic philosophy by emotion or
sentimental ties.
So many Jews, though wonderful human rights activists, have a blind
spot when it comes to Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Emotion
takes over, crowding out the principles of fairness and equality,
making it impossible for them to put themselves in the shoes of this
particular other.
And then are non-Jewish activists who fight every cause except the
Palestinian one because they are afraid of offending their Jewish
friends - or worse, are afraid of Zionist retribution. As a wise
Jewish woman very much concerned for the plight of Palestinians once
said, "Get over it."
A wrong cannot be judged solely on the basis of who is committing it,
or who is on the receiving end of it.
And with that in mind, I hope you will read carefully this
article on the Ahenakew affair.
The author, Marjaleena Repo, clearly sees the inconsistencies and
unfairness of legislation against hate speech, which has more to do
with appeasment of the perceived victim du jour than with overall
concern for incitement against any person or group.
Repo's comparison of instant forgiveness for MP Lukiwski's revolting
comments about gays and the pound of flesh being required of Ahenakew
is an illustration I am glad to see being made. (I only wish she
had
completed the cycle to include Palestinians when describing
commonalities between aboriginal and Jewish suffering.)
It certainly would have made Lukiwski's apology ring more true had he
reached out to commune with homosexual people in the way that Ahenakew
did with the Jews he offended.
Speaking
of Visas and principles, a slight change of focus:
Because of the SPP Canadians must have passports or chipped drivers
licences to enter the United States. Many Canadian activists want to go
to New Orleans to join in the protest as the SPP summit meets there.
But this means they will comply with the US entry requirements imposed
by the very SPP they are fighting.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: mass non-compliance is the
only sure way to fight anything governments foist on the people.
You can follow the summit action by reading the new website of The People's
Summit New Orleans.
Other Important
Stuff
Will
Condi run as McCain's VP?
Yes
(Reuters) No
(Guardian) Possibly?
(Washington Post) Yes
(Rediff) Yes
and No (AFP) Definitely
Yes (M&C)
==============
Canada's Ambassador from Israel is met with protesters virtually
everywhere he speaks now. Mostly they ask
embarrassing questions during Q&A. But a Tadamon!
group preferred a more direct approach when the ambassador spoke this
week at a luncheon in Montreal:
Canwest:
Protesters disrupt Israeli ambassador's speech
In
spite
of security precautions, some 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators pushed
their way into a major midtown hotel to disrupt a luncheon speech by
Israeli ambassador to Canada, Alan Baker.
Shouting 'Free
Palestine' and 'Refugees Will Return', protesters managed to evade
hotel security.
Congratulations,
Tadamon!
==============
JPost:
The Palestinian 'terrorist' turned Zionist
This article makes me laugh. You'd have to grow up in a
fundamentalist
Christian home to fully appreciate it. Fundies thrive on
excitement;
they like to be whipped up in church. If the pastor starts to
preach
"dry" sermons, he's in danger of being turfed out.
So to keep up the interest, they bring in speakers who claim to have
gory pasts but have found Jesus and changed their evil ways.
Thieves,
murderers, junkies, you name it. Vicarious thrills are found in
the
speaker's reliving of all the seamy details, while at the same time the
pastor is reinforcing the fear of eternal damnation and ensuring a full
collection plate.
Clearly, there are some Christians in danger of losing sympathy for
Israel, so quite a number of birds are being killed with this Dingbat
character. (Thanks to Gary for the link)
=======================
Join the Caravan to End Canadian Involvement in
Torture, Toronto-Ottawa, May 1-9. More
info
yayacanada
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