Christian Palestinian needs next?

Picture from the website of Sabeel

Following this report, I hope the next thing we hear is that Kevin Rudd will attend a fundraiser for Christian Palestinians - if there are any left in Palestine as their mass exodus continues due to Israel and Hamas et al trying their best to exterminate one another.

In the West, it seems we are either apathetic and ignorant with regard to our Christian brothers and sisters in Israel and Palestine, some of whom trace their Christian origins in a direct line back to the time of Christ, or we are so carried away by Israeli and Jewish propaganda and the Christian Zionist line, predominantly from the United States, that we just go with the flow.

To know more about Palestinian Christians on the West Bank and in Israel, please go here.

Sabeel, the Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, is in the processing of establishing Waves of Prayer. The idea is that each Thursday people will pray at 12 noon in their own time zone with Sabeel for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. Sabeel intends that Waves of Prayer will begin first in Australia's time zone.

Kevin Rudd mentioned in his speech that the estabishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was "Australian Labor government handiwork". This refers to the fact that H.V. Evatt, Australia's Foreign Minister at the time and later Leader of the Australian Labor Party, cast the first vote for the establishment of the state of Israel in the United Nations General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Christian Palestinians suffer. Christian Palestinians have their lands and livelihoods stolen. Their lives are taken in the violence and they are discrimated against by the Israelis both personally and systematically.

So, Kevin, how about it? In fact, as you and Therese are Anglicans, why not give public support to the Waves of Prayer and, while you're at it, please give Anglicord a ring. Contact details here.

When you can do nothing else: bear witness.

When will Israel and Hamas cease the escalation of violence?

Not everyone Jewish supports Israeli actions.

Hat tip for the photo to Ana at Whenua, Fenua, Enua, Vanua

Israel and ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem

Image from The Age accompanying this Opinion piece

For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. Hosea 8:7

When will Israel ever learn? When will it understand what it takes to live at peace, what it takes to ensure violence and war?

Read here about Israel's perpetuation of ethnic cleansing which has continued since the founding of the state of Israel.

Australia condemns African nations when they indulge in such and similar practices. But then they don't have the money that supporters of Israel have to buy politicians and influence, do they? And the Israelis are like us, aren't they? White - well, an awful lot of them are . Modern - well, give or take a human right or three. Economically sound - well, let's not discuss distributive economics. Democratic institutions - harnessed to religious bigotry and exclusivism, xenophobia and Israel uber alles.

But what does Australian political leadership do? Accepts honours. Fails to criticise.

A Palestinian economy? Israel ensures there is little hope

Israeli Separation Barrier

It seems to surprise those of the Jewish Diaspora who support Israel through thick and thin that some of us just get sick of them and sick of Israel. The one consolation is that Miss Eagle knows that many of her views are supported by people in Israel and people within the Diaspora.

Miss Eagle, in times gone by, has been an ardent supporter of Israel. Until the intifada. When Miss Eagle saw the might of the Israeli army destroying the homes of those involved in the uprising and leaving women and children homeless, it was the beginning of an awareness that the state of Israel was doing to others what had been done to them by the Nazis.

This psychopathology of a nation has continued, escalated and become more extensive. The web of victims it encompasses is continually enlarged.

Israel, since its inception as a nation state (and in events leading up to its foundation), has instituted actions which could only bring hatred upon itself, could only build up tension and frustration which eventually had to break out in violence.

No one could accuse Palestinian political groups of silent victimhood. They too, through unmitigated use of violence, have upped the ante and provoked escalated response.

But where does it stop? - and there have been so many attempts by outside peace brokers to assist in breaking the cycle.

The latest comment to bring a shafted light of reality into the madness of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and relationships is this report from the World Bank.

The gist of the report is that sustainable Palestinian economic recovery is impossible under the West Bank restriction system brought about by Israel. The Arabic Media Internet Network has comment here.

Currently, freedom of movement and access for Palestinians within the West Bank is the exception rather than the norm contrary to the commitments undertaken in a number of Agreements between GOI and the PA. In particular, both the Oslo Accords and the Road Map were based on the principle that normal Palestinian economic and social life would be unimpeded by restrictions. In economic terms, the restrictions arising from closure not only increase transaction costs, but create such a high level of uncertainty and inefficiency that the normal conduct of business becomes exceedingly difficult and stymies the growth and investment which is necessary to fuel economic revival.

Howard the Sycophant talks about Honour!!!

In the middle of all his political woes, Howard is digging Australia further into the falsity of Coaliting of the Willing aspirations for Iraq. Honour, he says.

Bah, humbug, Howard! How dare you wrap up the mountainous death toll of Iraqis in what you chose to call honour. There has been little honour in the defence of US policy by the Australian government.

You, John Howard, have taken Australia and Australians into a war which is not in their national interests. You, John Howard, have taken Australians into a lock step position on flawed and failed US foreign policy in relation to Israel and the Middle East.

Australians did not want participation in the war in Iraq without UN involvement. They do not want it to-day. This was clear in polls and the hundreds of thousands of Australians who voted with their feet in peace marches.

You, John Howard, ignored your own people. You took the side of the US against us and our best interests. You, John Howard, are a war monger. Not a peace maker.

Peace is not in you, John Howard.

You, John Howard, do well as a sycophant.

You, John Howard, cannot and will not make peace.

Dissenting Jewish voices

In all the debate on the Iraq War, US foreign policy and US support for Israel has become increasingly focussed. In recent times, dissenting Jewish voices in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (those great allies in the Coalition of the Willing) have come to the fore.

In Australia, the ABC's Religion Report on Radio National has devoted three programs in recent times to this topic. Go here, here and here.

George Soros has now entered the fray.

Jews in western democracies who have become sycophantic and chauvinistic in their defence of the state of Israel need to do a rethink. The inherent racism in Israel; the religious discrimination in Israel including against Jews; the failure of Israel to consider the aspirations and needs of others beside themselves need to be addressed.

Consideration needs to be given to how helpful it is for democracy when, in a place such as Australia, Jewish funding - and through such funding influence - of political parties is well in excess of their demographic representation.

Democracies are in danger when money - whether it is corporate, Jewish or from some other source - can buy and influence political parties in excess of voting representation within the community. The balance of community representation and political funding must be maintained equitably. Otherwise, the situation can develop - as in US foreign policy - where the interests of citizens is overridden for the sometimes nebulous idea of "the national interest".

Embarrassed - perhaps?

Perhaps Israel - at long last - is embarrassed and feeling the tide of public opinion slipping away from it after the bombing of women and children at Qana in Southern Lebanon. Qana is said to be the site of the Wedding Feast of Cana where Jesus turned the water into wine. Word has just come through that Israel has suspended, with immediate effect, all aerial bombing for 48 hours while they investigate the events at Qana, the site of a previous Israeli atrocity in Operation Grapes of Wrath. Now this is a case of Caesar investigating Caesar when an independent investigation is what is called for. Failure to have an independent investigation give its verdict will mean that Qana will always be held over Israel's head as a war crime. Even Tony Blair has now demanded an instant cessation to hostilities. Is he embarrassed too - following the statements of Jack Straw?

Is this an ever so small indication of some people pulling their horns in?

Miss Eagle had not long finished putting a comment on Colin's blog:

Condi is not trying hard enough. If she wants a post-Bush reputation - or even to run for political office - you'd think it would be in her own interest to broker peace. Of course, the US never does - or perhaps are unable to do - the one thing that needs to be done: getting Israel and the people in the US and elsewhere who finance them to pull their horns in. Israel and the US and Tony Blair need to remember that Hezbollah who initiated this round of fighting are acting like terrorists - just what they are and just what one expects. Israel - on the other hand - tries to be pure and profess that it is democratic and the killing of civilians is accidental. Poppycock! Israel cannot carry on like this - particularly with the backdrop of the suffering of Jewish people in World War II - and demonstrate it has no care for any human being other than its own citizens and expect people outside Israel not to be repulsed by its actions. Israeli self-interest is a stinking, smelly, rotten affair. But the psychology of a nation that builds its own ghetto is outside the parameters of normal comprehension.

Yesterday or to-morrow, the decision will be made.

Yesterday's headlines

Yesterday's headlines, perhaps. And the news to-day is of the war-mongers of Israel and the internecine warfare of the troublesome Middle East followed by COAG (Council of Australian Governments) which will see grand-standing by State Premiers and general riposte from Howard and Costello. But the story behind the headlines has not and will not go away.

Beattie says that Costello has been taking lessons from General Custer. The boy has not handled the matter well, that's for sure. Keating did it - and with some finesse and success.

Costello clearly doesn't have the numbers or someone would be tapping Howard on the shoulder which is what happened to Hawke. So if Costello does not have the numbers and he has shot himself in both fee this week, will the damage be permanent? Miss Eagle thinks it might. Where are the numbers for Costello to come from? They will only come from those who think an election can be won with him at the helm. At this stage, it would seem that the majority of Liberal Party members of Parliament think they have more of a chance with Howard.

So, when Howard goes and if Costello is permanently impaired, who will win the day - the garrulous Tony Abbott, the show-off Brendan Nelson? Almost certainly it will not be the Suet Pudding, Alexander Downer. Or will someone come out of left field?

One thing is sure, the headlines will return. Howard will go. Someone unattractive will be elected to take over the Liberal Party from someone unattractive.

Higher than the Berlin Wall, Jerusalem becomes a medieval walled city once more

Miss Eagle has posted before on the build-your-own-ghetto mentality which appears to prevail in modern Israel. Robert Fisk explains how the recent elections will not restrict the Israeli landgrab - but will endorse and encourage further hegemony by Israels on land held by Arabs.