Bethlehem Updates Number 17: Solidarity with Tristan Anderson and Rachel Corrie!

Bethlehem Updates Number 17, March 15, 2009

In this update:
- Rachel Corrie and Tristan Anderson
- Demonstrations on Monday, March 16 in Sacramento & San Francisco
- Take action: The U.S. should go to Durban 2
- Quote from Joel Kovel
- Example of creative resistance

Rachel Corrie and Tristan Anderson

On Friday, three days before the sixth anniversary of the murder of Rachel Corrie by an Israeli soldier in Gaza, U.S. activist Tristan Anderson was shot by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank. Corrie and Anderson are among the many internationals and Palestinians who have protested the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. Since 2000, the Israelis have killed over 6,000 Palestinians and a few of their many international supporters.

Corrie was trying to prevent the destruction of a Palestinian home when an Israeli soldier killed her with a bulldozer. Anderson was an international observer at a demonstration against the Apartheid wall in Ni’lin when an Israeli soldier fired a tear gas canister directly at his head using an extended range weapon. The canister smashed into Anderson’s forehead; Israeli soldiers delayed and then finally allowed in the ambulance trying to reach him.

Unconscious and bleeding profusely, Anderson was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition; we understand he has had significant damage to his frontal lobe. We join others who are very concerned about his survival and whether he will be permanently disabled.

We have seen first hand the aggressiveness of the U.S.-supported Israeli army when we attended a demonstration in Bi’lin where sound bombs and tear gas were followed by rubber coated steel bullets. We were, however, luckier than Tristan.

One of the announcements for demonstrations called in TelAviv today by Israeli activists, exposes the deliberate Israeli Army policy of using lethal weapons: “The ordinary excuses about an unfortunate accident and an investigation in progress will satisfy only those who are willing to lie to themselves.”

Ni'lin is slated to lose approximately 2500 dunums of agricultural land when the construction of the apartheid Wall is completed. (The Wall has been declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.) Ni'lin was 57,000 dunums in 1948, reduced to 33,000 dunums in 1967, currently is 10,000 dunums and will be 7,500 dunums after the construction of the Wall. In the past year, four Ni’lin residents have been killed by the Israeli military demonstrating against the confiscation of their land.

Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with live ammunition on 29th July 2008. The following day, Yousef Amira (17) was shot twice with rubber-coated steel bullets, leaving him brain dead. He died a week later on 4 August 2008. Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22), was the third Ni’lin resident to be killed by Israeli forces. He was shot in the back with live ammunition on 28 December 2008. That same day, Mohammed Khawaje (20), was shot in the head with live ammunition, leaving him brain dead. He died three days in a Ramallah hospital.

Demonstrations against the occupation for Rachel and Tristan

On Monday March 16th at 4pm there will be a protest in solidarity with Tristan Anderson (see below) in San Francisco in front of the Israeli Consulate (456 Montgomery St.)

Also on Monday, March 16, 4 - 6pm, there will be a demonstration at the Federal building, 501 I St., Sac, to memorialize Rachel Corrie, killed on this date in 2003 by Israeli forces as she sought to protect Palestinian homes from demolition. Info: Jews Against Zionism, 916-263-9961, j_colbe [at] yahoo.com

The U.S. Must go to Durban 2: Take Action

Call the White House and tell President Obama that you want the U.S. to participate in the Durban 2 World Conference Against Racism scheduled to be held in Geneva next month (April, 2009).

The U.S. and Israel walked out of the Durban 1 Conference held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, angry that the world was once again linking Zionism and racism. Showing hopeful signs that the Obama presidency would have the courage to stand against racism in all of its forms, the U.S. attended preliminary meetings for Durban 2 last month. As a result of pressure from the Israeli lobby, it is now signaling it will boycott the conference.

Tell President Obama it is critical that the U.S. stop pandering to the Israeli regime, which is killing the Palestinian people while it destroys their communities and livelihoods.

Zionism is a bad idea that has become a racist political ideology; Zionism is not a religion. Speaking against Zionism is speaking against apartheid. Speaking against Zionism is speaking for justice.

White House Comments: 202-456-1111; Switchboard: 202-456-1414
Email through: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Quote:
“Though the anti-bellum south, Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa were full of people who saw the loss of their regime as an annihilation, the vast majority came to eventually approve of the transformation.”
-- Joel Kovel in Overcoming Zionism: Creating A Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine

Creative Resistance: Anti-apartheid activists in Los Angeles set up mock checkpoint
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News, http://www.ime mc.org/article/59313

Friday, March 13, 2009. Dozens of Los Angeles-area Jews, Palestinians and other activists erected a mock checkpoint at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) annual Valley Fundraiser.

They said the checkpoint was meant to protest AIPAC's attempt to steer US policy makers to ignore recent Israeli war crimes in Gaza and the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Cars were confronted by people dressed as Israeli soldiers and those attending the event were "allowed to pass through" after receiving a new program for the event that activists say exposes AIPAC support for Israeli policies which contravene international law. A boisterous crowd also chanted "Angelenos choose a side, human rights or Apartheid!" at AIPAC donors as they approached the hotel entrance.

"At a time when President Obama's administration seeks to restart peace talks with Palestinians and Israelis, AIPAC advocates a one-sided US policy of supporting Israel at any cost," said Julie Hey, a graduate student. "As a Jewish American, I am particularly appalled that my tax dollars are funding Israel's apartheid policies."

AIPAC is self-described as "America's leading pro-Israel lobby," and as such has supported Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, including the use of military checkpoints and the construction of a 450-mile-long wall that has encircled entire communities, leaving Palestinians prisoners in their own land.