Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary Plans, Chancellor Merkel, Germany, Holocaust, Independence, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, Palestine, Who's Celebrating?, World Leaders
“The visit does not have a high political agenda. It is more of a symbolic visit.”
To have no real political agenda in a time of great crisis for the Palestinians is to be complicit in Israel’s war crimes and refusal to negotiate peace.
Shame on Merkel travelling to Israel to celebrate 60 years since the beginning of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
A rather more interesting trip took place recently involving German intellectuals. See Israel’s creation made Palestinians victims of the Holocaust and No more preferential treatment for Israel.
The Local: German Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to Israel on Sunday for a visit of major historical significance more than 60 years after the end of World War II, writes AFP’s Simon Sturdee.
Merkel will be the first German chancellor to address the Knesset when she gives a speech at the Israeli parliament on Tuesday, an honour reserved normally for heads of state.
(more…)
Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary, Australia, Independence, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, May, Palestine, Who's Celebrating? | Tags: advert, Improper motion, Not in our name, The Australian
Australians voicing opposition to the PM’s motion put before Parliament to recoginse and congratulate Israel on its 60th birthday placed this advert in a national paper The Australian.
Not in Our Name
We, as informed and concerned Australians, choose to disassociate ourselves from a celebration of the triumph of racism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians since the al-Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948. As we write, Israel continues to expand illegal Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank including Arab East Jerusalem.
Australia and Australians should not give the Israeli people and its leaders the impression that Australia supports them in their dispossession of the Palestinian people. Israel has poisoned our (the West’s) relations with the whole of the Arab and Muslim world. Rather than celebrating the creation of the State of Israel, we should be recognising the people of Palestine, those who were dispossessed, those who lived and died as refugees, those who continue to live and die and suffer at the hands of the State of Israel, and those who will continue to suffer and die in the future until justice is done.
From 1948.com.au
Background
- Australia to celebrate colonialism and ethnic cleansing
- Colonialism – Bad for Australia, Good for Israel
- Will Australia celebrate Israel’s 60th Birthday?
Big thanks to Ann for sending me this!
Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary, Ethnic Cleansing, History, Independence, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, May, Middle East, Nakba, Occupation, Palestine, UK, War, War Crimes, Zionism | Tags: MIKE MARQUSEE
| The facts of the Nakba (catastrophe) are now well documented and beyond dispute. Yet Nakba denial remains widespread, and is as vile as denial of any other historic crime. |
In the coming months, the same event will be commemorated by two different groups in starkly contrasting fashions.
May 15 sees the 60th anniversary of the birth of the State of Israel. In Britain, the programme of celebrations includes a gala fund-raising dinner at Windsor Castle in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh (the Queen’s husband), a variety show at Wembley Stadium and street parades for Israel in London and Manchester.
Remembering a tragedy Meanwhile, Palestinians and their supporters will be recalling the same event in entirely different tones, and without the benefit of State support or vast sums of money. In meetings, conferences and exhibitions they will seek to remind the world of the Nakba — catastrophe in Arabic — that accompanied Israel’s birth in 1948.
In 1947, there were 12,93,000 Arabs and 6,08,000 Jews in Palestine. Though Jews made up 32 per cent of the population, the U.N. partition plan assigned them 55 per cent of the country, including the economically developed citrus growing plains. Israel’s Declaration of Independence was preceded by several months of civil war between Jewish and Palestinian forces, and followed by more months of war between the new State and its Arab neighbours. When the fighting finished in early 1949, the Jewish State had acquired 78 per cent of Palestine. 1,80,000 Palestinians found themselves a minority within the expanded borders of the Jewish State. 7,00,000 to 9,00,000 had been made refugees.
Filed under: Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, USA | Tags: Achinoam Nini, Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center, KALEIDOSCOPE, Noa, singer, University of Missouri-St. Louis
More people celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
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Top Israeli singer Noa to headline
Noa, known in Israel as Achinoam Nini, is a leading international concert and recording artist who has been called the Israeli Celine Dion. She will perform in concert for Kaleidoscope Israel@60, Tuesday, May 13, at 7 p.m., at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, according to an announcement by the chairs of the Kaleidoscope Israel Committee, Diane and Paul Gallant, their children Steve and Amy Gallant and grandsons Richie and Tommy Gallant. (more…)
Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, France, Independence, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, May, Nicolas Sarkozy, Palestine, Paris Book Fair, Turin Book Fair | Tags: Aharon Shabtai, Fiera del libro, Salon du livre, Silvia Cattori
The only Israeli writer to boycott the Paris book fair explains why.
Silvia Cattori & Aharon Shabtaï
26 February, 2008
Countercurrents.orgAn Interview with Aharon Shabtaï
When the announcement that Israel would attend the “Fiera del libro” of Turin, (*) came out, an immediate wave of protest arose in Italy; and many personalities supported the boycott call, made by the Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian Writers’ Associations (**). In France, strangely enough, the same invitation, to the “Salon du livre” of Paris, did not make much noise. Alone, the Israeli poet Aharon Shabtaï has refused to participate in these events, contrary to the 39 Israeli writers who accepted to be part of the Israeli delegation to these two exhibitions. Aharon Shabtaï explains here why these events –which he qualifies as “promotion of propaganda” for Israel-, must be boycotted, as well as any cultural event where this apartheid State is celebrated.
Silvia Cattori: In December 2007, learning that your name was among 40 Israeli writers invited at the “Salon du livre” of Paris where Israel is the “guest of honour”, you declared that it is not possible to participate in an event where Israel, which commits daily crimes against civilians, is invited. Apparently, 39 Israeli writers do not see any problem in participating!?Aharon Shabtaï [1]: This event will be opened by the French president Sarkozy and the Israeli president Shimon Perès. Given this situation, going to the “Salon du livre” of Paris as a writer, with the Israeli delegation, means that you are going dressed with the colour of the Israeli flag. Every day, Israel commits war crimes and imposes collective punishments on the Palestinians. There is no reason to celebrate anything. (more…)
Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary Plans, Israel, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, london, Parade, UK | Tags: 29, June, manchester, Salute, Zionist federation
“At the end of June, London’s first ever street parade for Israel.” JC
First London parade celebrating ethnic cleansing, illegal occupation, war crimes and racism! Will peace activists mobilise, protest and make it the last?
* The following is amended new information from comments
There are two parades mentioned on the Israel at 60 UK site.
One in Manchester and one undisclosed – presumably the London one. Perhaps they’re yet to recieve permission? Both are for 29th June.
- Manchester Salute to Israel Parade
- Salute to Israel Parade
Filed under: Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, Israel, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, Italy, May, Palestine, Turin Book Fair, Who's Celebrating? | Tags: Aharon Shabtai
Peoples Geography: Having first indicated Egypt as their choice, organisers of the Turin Book Fair postponed having Egypt as their international Guest of Honour for 2009. One would consider that in 2008, inviting Palestine as Guest of Honour would have been inspired, a powerful symbolic gesture to a peoples who have not experienced any let-up in blocked efforts towards justice.
Instead, the organisers chose Israel as book fair guest this year. This decision is coupled with the choice of Israel as guest of honour for the Paris Book Fair and is ill-considered, coinciding as it does with the 60th Anniversary of the Naqba and the founding of the state of Israel, and at a time when the Israeli military occupation has only worsened.
Italian and international protests and calls for boycott have ensued, protesting the organisers decision that would serve to “commemorate” the Israeli occupation state and and its repressive policies in the OPT. The protest organisers are “appalled to see the world of culture take the side of those who methodically operate to annihilate Palestine and the Palestinians”.
One of the invited Israeli writers, poet Aaron Shabtai, applied his conscience when he rsvp’ed the organisers. Here is his note to Edna Degon of the organising committee (from Tlaxcala):
Dear Edna,
Thank you for your letter.
I do not believe that a State that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural week. That is, it is anti-cultural; it is a barbarian act masked as culture in the most cynical way. It manifests support for Israel, and even to France that sustains the occupation. And I do not want to participate.
Kind regards,
Aharon Shabtai
7 December, 2007
Filed under: History, Israel, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, Lebanon, May, Queen Elizabeth II, Ron Prosor, Royal Family, UK, War, War Crimes, Who's Celebrating? | Tags: 1941, 2006 blitz, bombing, britian, British, Buckingham Palace, england, london, nazi
The poor Queen had the recent misfortune to meet Ron Prosor Israel’s Hasbara propaganda officer / ambassador. Apparently he has invited her to come to Israel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ethnic cleaning of Palestine. It seems he didn’t get a direct answer saying the balls in her court. How does one politely tell Ron that no one is interested in coming to his party? Has anyone he’s asked said yes? Most are never likely to say yes anyway – he’s asking them to generate news that associates Israel with legitimising top brands. He must know, for example, that Prince Charles has already refused to visit Israel “because of concerns the trip would be used to bolster the country’s international image.”
JP: Israel’s new ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
Prosor, who is the 14th Israeli ambassador to the UK, told the queen: “It is an honor for me to present my credentials to the queen in the year that Israel celebrates its 60th year of independence.”
Totally Jewish: They discussed the importance of relations between Israel and Britain and spoke about Holocaust survivors and similarities between rockets falling on Sderot and the Queen’s experiences in London during the Second World War.
I hardly think a few amatuer rockets can be compared to the Nazi Blitz of London. I imagine the Queen spat out her tea in surprise when he mentioned it! The Blitz had more in common with Israel’s bombing of Lebanon in 2006. See here, here, here and here
Filed under: 1948, Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, Book, Europe, France, Independence, Israel, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, Italy, May, Palestine, Paris Book Fair, Turin Book Fair | Tags: march 14
It seems obvious why people want to boycott a book fair honouring Israel’s 60th birthday. For one, its now accepted that in 1948 Israel ethnically cleansed most of the local population of Palestine in order to create a predominantly Jewish State. To celebrate the birthday is also to celebrate the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Secondly since 1967 Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip against the UN plan for peace, resolution 242, which has overwhelming international support.
These are just two examples on a long list of criminal behaviour – but of course all that goes down Orwell’s memory hole and we are expected to believe the boycott is “a new aspect of an ancient hatred and it is very disturbing.” Time and again this claim of anti-Semitism is used without justification. This claim was at its most ridiculous during the 2006 Lebanon war where the motives of peace activists were similarly questioned. The hypocrisy was obvious – you cannot kill Arabs and cry anti-Semitism.
Hopefully the boycott will help raise these issues to the public and encourage Israel to follow international consensus and implement the UN peace plan.
Tariq Ali explains why he will boycott the event.
