Desertpeace

How can a man that has supposedly fought and believed in the rights of the working class, spoke out for a peace process between Israel and Palestine, received the Nobel Prize for Peace for those efforts, today support the efforts of another man that has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, a man whose hands are so drenched in blood that nothing can wash them clean.
How? Defeat him in a primary of his own party, the Labour Party. In some circles this is known as sour grapes. In Israel it is know as opportunism. A bitter old man supporting his oldest adversary, the true enemy of the Israeli and Palestinian people.
It is no wonder that the Left in Israel has moved backwards over the past decade or so. With leadership and friends like Shimon Peres, the people do not need enemies!
www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/30/israel.politics/index.html

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/652170.html

In a much publicised game tonight, the Israeli/Palestinian Peace Team lost to Barcelona 2-1. It was the first game for the new team which represented both nations in our region. The team was sponsored by the Shimon Peres Centre For Peace. In attendance was Shimon Peres and Sean Connery who was in Barcelona to promote the game.
It was good to see the two nations team up together…. just another indication of what can be done when barriers are removed.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/651654.html

I’m back from a week in the north of the country. I had a chance to speak to a variety of citizens, Jews, Arabs, Leftwingers, Center of the roaders….a pretty good combination….
This seems to be the thinking of most…
Sharon left the Likud… this leaves the Right wing of the country in sort of a mess… Looks like Netanyahu will lead them again in the upcoming elections. Sharon will head up his own party… in direct competition with them… hopefully knocking the hell out of both of them.
So, where does that leave the Left? They too have a new leader.. Amir Peretz. A Jew of Moroccan descent. This will probably result in many votes that traditionally went to Shas, an ultra-religious party made up mostly of Moroccans, going to Labour. It might also result in many Arabs voting Labour, Arabs that usually vote for the Arab parties…
If the Left plays its cards right (pardon the pun) they could possibly wind up with a majority government after the March 28th election… We can only hope that will be the case.
There just might be a Peace Partner on the Jewish side of the fence if that happens.

To all my American friends here at Blogspot….
Happy Thanksgiving!
Click here and enjoy… but make sure your speakers are on.
http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=382219626&m=1652&rr=y&sou

I’ll be offline till next week…. so y’all be well.

Dear LORD,
It looks like there will be an early election called in Israel. Please, I beg YOU… open the hearts, eyes and minds of the Israeli people. Give them the wisdom to defeat the murderous leader that is in power at the moment. Give them the wisdom to elect a government that will finally sit down with the representatives of the Palestinian people and come up with solutions that will lead to a just and lasting peace between Israel and an independant Palestinian State.
Enough blood has been shed in this region, enough hatred. Erase these negative traits from both nations. Give both sides the courage and wisdom to exist side by side.
For thousands of years we begged YOU to return us to Zion. YOU obliged. Now, we beg YOU to allow us and our cousins to flourish.
Sharon must go. As long as he remains in power YOUR work cannot be done.
Please join me readers in saying AMEN!
www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/17/israeli.elections/index.html

The link provided will take you to AlJazeera’s English page. It is an interview with Uri Avnery regarding the election of Amir Peretz as chairman of the Labour Party.
english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7BE71212-E694-4CBF-8E75-A321E7624BE1.htm

The following link is also worth reading, it is from a fellow blogger on this site.
randompottins.blogspot.com/2005/11/small-upheaval-in-israel_16.html

The Supreme Court of Israel has demonstrated that there are laws for Jews, and different laws for Arabs in Israel. A Jewish man accused of the attempted murder of a Palestinian in Gaza was released to house arrest earlier today. This, due to a shameful decision of the Supreme Court.
The accused, as well as his parents are openly members of the ‘supposedly outlawed’ Kahana Chai Movement, a Judeo- nazi group which follows the hatred preached by their late fuhrer Meir Kahana.
The young man in question should not have been released today. He should have been brought to trial. If found guilty, he should be punished by the full extent of the law. Hopefully that will still happen. Until then, this incident is truly one of the most shameful decisions made by a body that supposedly upholds the justice of this country.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/645838.html

Ms. Rice is in Israel…. WOW! She actually thinks she is responsible for the peace talks that are going on regarding opening the Gaza Strip. Is she really THAT stupid? Is her boss as well?? Whoa…. don’t answer that one, we all know the answer.Peace will not come to this region until both parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians recognise each others sovereignty and each others right to justice. No outside power, especially one that is not sincere in their efforts will change that.The Bushtards have proven time and time again that they will support the government of Israel regardless of them being right or wrong. They have always held the interests of the Palestinians on a back burner. Do they honestly believe that they can be trusted by them? Are they really that stupid?? Again, don’t answer that!www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/15/rice.mideast.ap/index.html

Last night, an official state memorial was held for assasinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at his gravesite.
A man, who ten years ago was brutally murdered by a right wing, crazed Jew. Why? Because he wanted Peace, a concept so alien in this part of the world, that those disagreeing with it can only deal with it by the only means they know; hatred.
Now, ten years later, those that hated him the most praise him, claim to be on the same path he was on.
Our present Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, a man whose hands are drenched in blood, claims ‘to have differed on approaches to achieve the same goal”. That is putting it mildly. Sharon has done everything in his power to keep the Palestinian people from achieving their primary goal of statehood. He has initiated programmes leading to a system of apartheid, a system rejected in most of the civilised world today. He speakes of peace, but continues to build a wall separating the two peoples that live here. He speaks of peace, yet takes every opportunity to not sit with the Palestinian leadership to negotiate it.
Yes, he speaks the truth when he claims to have a “different approach to peace”. His approach will lead to a continuance of the same that we see here today.
But, there is hope, as withinn his own party, there are voices being raised to put an end to the madness. Yes, there is hope.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/645302.html

Yasser Arafat died a year ago yesterday. Memorial services were held throughout the Palestinian Authority in his memory. The chairman of the Authority, Machmud Abbas, pledged to continue the work Arafat left unfinished. Hopefully, that means only the struggle for the creation of a Palestinian State.
Arafat was not a friend of Israel and certainly was not a friend of the Palestinians either. Millions of dollars that were funneled to the Palestinian Authority to carry out their various projects , earmarked for many, never saw that reality. Instead, much of that money was channeled into his own personal bank accounts throughout Europe. When his wife and daughter saw fit to leave the area and take up residence in France, her personal allowance ran into the millions. Money that was meant for the Palestinian people. Money that was meant to build schools, hospitals and other medical facilities throughout the area.
Hopefully, Abbas’ pledge to continue the struggle does not include this side of Arafat.
To date, Abbas has shown that he is an honest man. His diplomacy has gained the admiration of many Israelis. The Palestinian people deserve a man of integrety at their helm, a man that can lead them to their long awaited for destination. A free and independant Palestine, in our time!

If you look at historical photos of Israel, there is one face that is there from the beginning. The face of Shimon Peres. A man that started his political career as the assistant of Ben Gurion and then worked his way up the ranks of the Labour Party.http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1994/peres-bio.html

Twice Prime Minister for short periods, both times by default. Peres was never a winner, but always victorious. That is, until yesterday. The Labour Party held its primaries for a new chairman. There were three candidates, Shimon Peres, from the old guard, Amir Peretz, the leader of Israels’ Trade Union Movement, the Histadrut, and Benjamin Ben Eliezer, representing the right wing of the party. The victor was Amir Peretz.

His victory symbolises the end of the rule of the old guard, an end to the leadership of Eastern European Jewry in the left.

Israeli voters, for a large part, still vote along ethnic lines. Peretz’s victory will give the Sephardi and other North African Jews a new voice in politics. It might create a situation where the ultra-orthodox Shas party loses some support from that sector. Time will tell…..

First point on the Party’s new agenda will be to remove itself from the coaltion government of Ariel Sharon, a move that most likely will result in an earlier general election than planned. Hopefully, a move that will bring an end to the rule of the blood thirsty general that now leads this country.

So, there is a new hope in Israel…. a hope that Peace is that much closer to a possibility…. again, Time will tell….

This will be short…. but very much to the point.
There are two actual realities in todays world;
They are……;
1. George Dubya Bush is a moron.
2. Anyone that supports him blindly is an idiot.

I just wish he got involved in a sex scandal already so he could be impeached…. Three more years… starting from today…. OY!

As was said in a Bob Dylan song, “The times they are a changin”. Not to long ago the Jews were blamed for anything evil that occurred anywhere. I guess any national group that can collectively be blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ can be blamed for anything else. Why not?
In recent years the blame has shifted to the Muslims. Again, why not? ‘They’ fly planes into towers killing thousands of people, ‘they’ torture and behead foreigners at random, ‘they’ blow up busses klling and maiming innocent Israelis.
Yup…. all Jews did evil things at one time, now the Muslims have taken over… no exceptions.
Now, dosn’t that all sound ridiculous? Well it should because it is. To blame an entire race or nation for the actions of a few is pure idiocy. Simple as that!
But…. the Argentinians had the right idea last week…. they blamed and demonstrated against George Dubya Bush…. not the American people…. but the shrub that calls himself their leader.
Led by Hugo Chavez, a noted anti bushman, President of Venezuela, and non-political super star Diego Maradona hundreds of thousands were led to protest the Bush visit to Buenos Aires last week.
There is hope for humanity when one sees the blame go where it belongs.

Racism is alive and well here in the Holy Land. It is not only directed at Arabs by Jews, it is directed at Jews by Jews. A very ugly situation has existed here for many years and nothing is being done about it by our government.

We brought over scores of Ethiopian Jews in two secret airlifts a few years ago. They were settled in caravans where many still remain today. They are a wonderful group of immigrants, friendly and generous, ready to share everything they have with all. They are a very community oriented group of people.
When they were brought over to Israel, many of them were separated from other members of their family. Mothers were left behind, fathers, in many cases, children. They have continually appealed to and lobbied the government here, but to no avail. The governments response, as well as that of the Chief Rabbinate, is that those that were left behind had their Judaism in question. How could this be? How could a son of a mother, or the parents of a child have different origins?
How? Because they are Black and our government is no different than any other racist regime.Very simple.

This is not the case for the immigrants that were brought here from the Former Soviet Union. There were many mixed marriages, Jew to Christian. In many cases the wife was Christian, therefore the children are not Jewish according to Jewish law. But these people were brought here as families, leaving no one behind. They were all given full rights as new immigrants and carry Israeli identity cards. They received assistance in getting their own apartments. They were not left in caravans for years, unassisted by any government agency. Why? Because they are White!

Need I say more to prove that our government is racist and keeps double standards for its citizens?
There is nothing more to be said, but there is alot that needs to be done.

The Jewish Sabbath is approaching. The smell of freshly baked breads and cookies are wafting out of many homes. Hallways of apartment buildings have the aroma of delicious chicken soup, the traditional Shabbat soup.
Combined with these smells are the delightful aromas wafting out of the homes of our Palestinian neighbours. It is the second day of their wonderful Feast, Eid Al Fiter.The fruit filled pastries are being baked as I write this.
The whole country smells like the sweetest place on earth…. and you know what? One day it will be!

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/rabin.html

Tommorow is the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel. The link speaks for itself, I have nothing to add except my hopes and prayers that someone comes along very soon to bring the process back to life.

What do these people have in common?
Nelson Mandela
Fidel Castro
Ho Chi Minh
Martin Luther King Jr.
Mohatma Gandhi

They all were or are leaders of National Liberation Movements.

They were or are totally dedicated to the welfare of the people they represented.

Nelson Mandela sat in prison for 27 years for his ideals. Ideals that got him elected President of South Africa almost immediately after his release. This was the official end of apartheid, the horrible system that physically separated Whites from Blacks in the region. The beginning of a new era.

Fidel Castro led his tiny nation of Cuba, a nation that was a vacation ground for American tourists and foreign fruit companies. A country whose population was so poor and illiterate due to policies of previous governments. Castro’s direction led to the nationalization of the natural resources, education and medical facilities for all its citizens. The establishment of a Socialist State…. just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Despite all odds, it survives under his leadership 46 years later.

Ho Chi Minh led a fierce battle against the American aggressors in his tiny country of Viet Nam. A country that was, for years, divided into North and South. His leadership and direction led to a unified nation free of foreign control.

Martin Luther King Jr. Led his people, the Blacks of the United States to a point in their history where they could stand up as proud human beings and demand all that was coming to them… Full Equality! Non violence was his way and it worked.

Mohatma Gandhi led his people of India to independance from the yoke of British Imperialism. Also through non violent methods, he was able to unite an entire nation. His actions helped bring about the day where we all saw the sun finally begin to set on the British Empire.

Now, what do Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat have in common?

They both are/were opportunists that never had the interests of their people as the first item on their agenda. Their ongoing power struggle was to get themselves into top positions, not to help their nations.

This is just one of many reasons we are where we are today in Israel/Palestine. We do not have, nor have we had genuine leadership that will deliver the both of us to a true and just peace in the Middle East, a peace that would influence the entire world.

It does not happen often, but all three calendars we use here in Israel are starting a new month within a day or two of each other; the Christian, Hebrew and Muslim.
For the Muslims, the Holy Month of Ramadan should end tomorrow at sundown. That will be the start of Eid Al Fiter, a three day Feast. The Eid is a festive family oriented holiday with entire families visiting relatives. They bear gifts for them and traditionally wear new clothes bought special for the holiday.
Special pastries are made and shared with all that visit. It is a sweet holiday, a reminder that the teachings of the Koran are sweet and life itself is meant to be a sweet one.
It is a renewal of hope that all will be good in the coming year.
For me personally, it is a holiday to look forward to, a holiday I can share with my adopted Palestinian family. A holiday that always brings us closer together as me being a part of that family is recognised.
Shalom-Salaam