Naqba denial in textbooks

According to the Associated Press in Jerusalem, Israel has chosen to strike references to al-naqba from textbooks for Arab schoolchildren. The term is already absent from textbooks for Jewish children, but will now be absent from textbooks for Arab schoolchildren as well. This is a gross oppression of thought.

According to Education Minister Gideo Saar, in an address to the Israeli parliament: "No other country in the world, in its official curriculum, would treat the fact of its founding as a catastrophe." I in fact remember quite clearly learning about the oppression and murder of Native Americans in this country, the trail of tears specifically, and I also remember learning about slavery. So, I must disagree with Mr. Saar, there are countries which in their official curriculum teach the diverse opinions surrounding their founding (though, as Americans we still belittle the Native American genocide brought on by white colonization).

Furthermore, nationalist actions such as this only weaken efforts at reconciliation between the two sides. A Jewish child brought up ignorant of history will only be more likely to misunderstand an Arab child's fury on Israel Independence day, while an Arab child taught to ignore his own people's past will only feel hatred toward those who oppress the truth. There will be no reconciliation between the sides without understanding and there will be no understanding without proper education. Measures such as this should never be allowed and we here at UBSJP will do our best to promote both truths of May 14, 1948.

To see the AP article, click here: Israel cuts Palestinian narrative from texts

Palestinians reject any deal between Israel-US allowing for settlement growth to continue

Reuters published today an article titled, "Palestinians reject any Israel-U.S. settlement deal." I find the title misleading as any casual observer would be led to believe the Palestinians are "rejectionists," a term used to negatively convey any Arab state who is "refusing" to negotiate with Israel. The article is actually discussing Palestinian discontent about a recent Maariv (Israeli newspaper) report, which stated that the US and Israel had come to an agreement allowing for the construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank. The report was denied by the US state department; however, Israeli officials have refused to comment on the report, neither denying nor confirming the Maariv report. Palestinians are reasonably concerned about such reports.

Over the years of the Oslo negotiations (the failed peace talks of 1993-2000), settlements increased by 78% at a previously unseen pace. This while the American public was flooded with reports of peace talks. The reason for such an increase in growth during peace talks is up to speculation. Gershom Gorenberg, a noted Israeli author, believes it is related to settlers fearing the end of settlements and thus rushing to complete construction, while Israeli authorities work parallel to the settlers to solidify West Bank land grabs and thus change "the realities on the ground," to quote from Taba. I agree with Gorenberg on why settlements have grown most prodigiously during peace talks and thus fear any peace talks, which do not begin on the condition that settlement growth stop. The peace talks would serve again to deflect attention away from the issue of settlements, while settlers grow untended in numbers, and peace talks amble along. Peace "talks," a favorite of the Western powers working to end the conflict, are never guaranteed to lead to peace (exhibit a: the Oslo years). Therefore, it is crucial that the realities on the ground do not change and the chance for a two-state solution is not lost.

The Palestinian negotiators seem to feel the same way: there is no negotiations with Israel without a stop to settlements. According to Saeb Erekat, "There are no middle-ground solutions for the settlement issue: either settlement activity stops or it doesn't stop." I still feel strongly that Reuters has however taken what is truly a reasonable Palestinian position (one shared by the US and its President) and made it out to be unreasonable, radical, and out of step with the US and Israel. Meanwhile, the US remains clear of any criticism for its hypocritical actions, and Israel appears to be the victim of Palestinian inflexibility,asking for a reasonable exemption: "we only want 'natural growth', Daddy Obama." In summary, Reuters has expertly crafted another article painting the Palestinians in negative light and avoiding strong criticism of Israeli intransigence on settlements.

One lesson for Reuters reporters: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Gaza: Two Palestinian girls stand on the balcony of their bullet riddled home

Palestinian girls stand on the balcony of the ruined house in Rafa, hit during Israel's 22-day offensive against Gaza earlier this year, 2 July 2009 (Photo SAID KHATIB/AFP)

Israel's settlements are on shaky ground

This opinion was published in the LA Times June 28, 2009. By Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East Director of Human Rights Watch.

The debate over Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is often framed in terms of whether they should be "frozen" or allowed to grow "naturally." But that is akin to asking whether a thief should be allowed merely to keep his ill-gotten gains or steal some more. It misses the most fundamental point: Under international law, all settlements on occupied territory are unlawful. And there is only one remedy: Israel should dismantle them, relocate the settlers within its recognized 1967 borders and compensate Palestinians for the losses the settlements have caused.

Removing the settlements is mandated by the laws of the Geneva Convention, which state that military occupations are to be a temporary state of affairs and prohibit occupying powers from moving their populations into conquered territory. The intent is to foreclose an occupying power from later citing its population as "facts on the ground" to claim the territory, something Israel has done in East Jerusalem and appears to want to do with much of the West Bank.

To see the rest of the article: LA Times.

Bibi comments on the Iranian protests

Talk to the hand!

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu (informally called Bibi) went on NBC's Meet the Press this past Sunday to talk Iran and peace efforts. He largely failed to communicate any new positions or say anything largely surprising. He did, however, make clear his deference to President Obama and subsequently, Israel's intent to wait for U.S. approval on action over the Iranian nuclear program.

However, I must point out Bibi's blind language. In concern to the danger of oppressive regimes: "There is no question we would all like to see a different Iran [Israel] with different policies. Remember, this is a regime that not only represses its own people. Andrei Sakharov, the great Russian scientist and humanist, said that a regime that oppresses its own people sooner or later will oppress its neighbors and, certainly, Iran [Israel] has been doing that." I am glad to see that Bibi owned up to Israel's oppressive policies in concern to the occupation and its own Arab citizens; oh, wait, he didn't, darn.

Furthermore, Bibi spoke on the domestic response to his Bar-Ilan University speech. He almost said what we would all like to hear: "What I am suggesting is that if we are asked to recognize the Palestinian state as the nation state of the Palestinian people, then the Palestinians should recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people who have been deprived of a land of their own and of security for so long." However, Bibi could not see through his own turnspeak and sadly ended the interview with such a backwards statement. Shouldn't Israel recognize a Palestinian people? Who have been deprived of their land and their safety for so long? I'll let you decide.

To see the interview and read the whole transcript, Click here: Bibi on Meet the Press.

All in a Day's Work: Beating and Torturing Children

University at Buffalo Students for Justice in Palestine will occasionally publish articles of interest, which we believe will provide particular insight into the daily lives of Palestinians. The following article was published in Counter Punch and can be found here. Thanks to Professor Holstun of the University at Buffalo for alerting us to the article.

All in a Day's Work for the IDF
Beating and Torturing Children
By JONATHAN COOK, Nazareth.

The rights of Palestinian children are routinely violated by Israel’s security forces, according to a new report that says beatings and torture are common. In addition, hundreds of Palestinian minors are prosecuted by Israel each year without a proper trial and are denied family visits.

The findings by Defence for Children International (DCI) come in the wake of revelations from Israeli soldiers and senior commanders that it is “normal procedure” in the West Bank to terrorise Palestinian civilians, including children.

Col Itai Virob, commander of the Kfir Brigade, disclosed last month that to accomplish a mission, “aggressiveness towards every one of the residents in the village is common”. Questioning included slaps, beatings and kickings, he said.

As a result, Gabi Ashkenazi, the head of the armed services, was forced to appear before the Israeli parliament to disavow the behaviour of his soldiers. Beatings were “absolutely prohibited”, he told legislators.

Col Virob made his remarks during court testimony in defence of two soldiers, including his deputy commander, who are accused of beating Palestinians in the village of Qaddum, close to Nablus. One told the court that “soldiers are educated towards aggression in the IDF [army]”.

Col Virob appeared to confirm his observation, saying it was policy to “disturb the balance” of village life during missions and that the vast majority of assaults were “against uninvolved people”.

Last week, further disclosures of ill-treatment of Palestinians, some as young as 14, were aired on Israeli TV, using material collected by dissident soldiers as part of the Breaking the Silence project, which highlights army brutality.

For the rest of the article, please click here.

Israeli PM concedes little in speech- BBC News

Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor

The fact that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu felt it necessary to make a speech at all about a Palestinian state shows that American pressure works.

US President Barack Obama has taken every opportunity he can to restate his view that the only chance of Middle Eastern peace lies with the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Had Mr Netanyahu been prepared to concede the principle of some form of statehood for Palestinians after the Israeli elections in February he might have emerged with a centre-right coalition rather than one dominated by the hard right.

But he did not feel he had to until the Americans indicated he should.

The Israeli prime minister's body language suggested that he was doing it under diplomatic duress.

One Israeli journalist observed that he looked like someone vomiting up the words "Palestinian state".

That was because the idea, however hedged around with conditions, is anathema to his ideology.

To see the rest of the article: BBC News