Israeli establishment `lacks will to peace'

[Resistance]

Green Left Weekly

Last year University of Western Australia student Joshua Taafee travelled to Israeli-occupied Palestine to work with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

The principle role of the ISM in Palestine, Taafee told Green Left Weekly is seek “to empower and enable non-violent resistance by Palestinians. As well as protests, at different times ISM has participated in the dismantling of checkpoints, torn down sections of the apartheid wall, assisted farmers with the olive harvest and escorted children to school.

“Harvesting olives and walking to school may sound like fairly innocuous activities, but for Palestinians they can be fraught with danger. With a foreign face and passport, our eyes and video cameras often help to moderate the behaviour of the IDF , encouraging the use of rubber bullets and tear gas instead of lethal ammunition.”

During a night raid on the Balatta refugee camp on the fringes of Nablus in October last year, Taafee and another ISM activist, Mark Turner, were shot by the IDF. This followed the murder of ISM activist Rachel Corrie on March 16 and the shooting of ISM activist Tom Hurndall in April in the Gaza Strip, prompting suspicions that the Israeli military has adopted a deliberate policy of targeting “human shields” in Palestine.

“Tom and Rachel were murdered quite deliberately”, Taafee argued. “A cursory look at the details of their stories would prove that to anyone. When Mark and I were shot there were a number of considerations that made us both conclude that it was deliberate.

[Resistance]

1. once again

I trust non-violent peace activists.

Not a murderous army and their apologists. It's really quite simple.

[Jim Sagle]

2. once again

I trust the only democracy in the ME.

Not a murderous army of suicde bombers and their apologists. It's really quite simple.

[Resistance]

3. There are actually two murderous armies.

1) The Palestinian extremists, and 2) the IDF

Sorry that non-violence and working for peace isn't your thing. Maybe one day it will be.

on edit, Palestinian extremists don't actually even constitute an army. But anyway ...

[Jim Sagle]

4. Non-violence and "working for peace" against

an army of genocide bombers leads to collective suicide.

[Resistance]

7. ROFL

Dude you are so hilarious.

:D

[Jim Sagle]

8. The humor escapes me - as I am sure it will most others.

[Resistance]

10. LOL

:party:

[Jim Sagle]

11. Pass over that joint, dewd!

[Violet_Crumble]

27. Nah, didn't escape me...

btw, the term genocide really shouldn't be abused by applying it to situations where it isn't happening. And it's not happening in the I/P conflict. Also, saying Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East is just a bit wrong too. Jordan appears to have many of the vestiges of democracy and has been undergoing democratic reforms. Though I expect even if one of the Arab states were to be a liberal democracy, that knee-jerk 'Israel is the only democracy in the ME' would still be trotted out. Not sure why, unless they're trying to imply that democracies can commit human rights violations at will and shouldn't be criticised for it...

Violet...

[sushi]

12. Sure looks like

Israel can do anything and it's okay with you because Israel is the only democracy in the ME. I think both sides do shocking things.

[drdon326]

23. You hold democracies in high respect...as do I.

from your post # 21

"If we are for democracy (I am, I don't know about you) we have to deal with the leaders of other countries chosen by the people."

Sad that you dont hold thugocracies like the PA/PLO with as
much disdain as i do.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Violet_Crumble]

28. How can you hold democracy in high respect?

It appears pretty contradictory to hold democracy in high respect if someone is turning round and believing that people shouldn't be able to elect their own leaders if those leaders aren't suitably fawning over the US and Israel. Besides, it's very possible to hold the concept of democracy in high respect while having heaps of disdain for parties or leaders elected democratically, like Likud and Sharon for example...

Violet...

[sushi]

30. I think deleted post #26 is mine

How do you know that I don't hold thugocracies like the PA/PLO with as much disdain as you do? I'm not sure what else I said in there except that I changed my mind and won't be asking you what I'm thinking since you certainly don't know.

[drdon326]

5. Once again...

another ISM propagandist.....Taafee hit all the talking points..
even got in patron Saint of terrorists....nice touch.

My favorite part:

“In immediate practical terms, a scaling back of the occupation, halting the construction of the apartheid wall and an end to Israel's policy of assassinating militants would produce an environment where both parties could negotiate towards peace."

This guys a clown....he apparently has a soft spot for "militants"
(read terrorstinian).

Tie *HIS* ass to an israeli bus.

[drdon326]

6. And the poor guy....

doesnt like the peace fence either.....

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000291.html

dead jews dont bother him but dead terrorists do.

Did I mention how much I hate this moron??

[Jim Sagle]

9. Not often enough.

[sushi]

13. He should have added

"...and the Palestinian extremists must stop suicide bombing."

I think he is correct that both sides have to do things to produce an environment where they can negotiate towards peace. You call him a clown, and you want to tie him to an Israeli bus. What do you call that? I call it bloodthirsty.

[drdon326]

14. You're kidding, right??

he didnt "add" that because HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT !!

He's a little ISM mouthpiece that spews the same lies
ad nauseum.

And one more thing, sushi...if you call just tieing his lying
ass to a bus as "bloodthirsty", what do you call it when the
murderous inhuman terrorists ACTUALLY do destroy a bus murdering
innocent people minding their own business?? I'd like an answer to
that question.

"I think he is correct that both sides have to do things to produce an environment where they can negotiate towards peace."

hmmm....it appears you and this ISM apologist seem to have something
in common.....neither one of you *ADDED* "...and the Palestinian extremists must stop suicide bombing."

(I'm REALLY sure it must have been an oversight on your part....it wasnt an oversight on this terrorist supporters part.)

I look foward to your reply.

[sushi]

15. No, I'm not kidding!

The terrorists are bloodthirsty, and what you want to do is bloodthirsty too. And I don't have to add anything, because I said it at the start of my post.

What you, what we all, should wish for and hope for is for the two sides to get together and negotiate and give and take. All you, and those who agree with you, want is hit back double hard, every time. When will it end? I think the stronger party should initiate negotiations.

[drdon326]

17. Unbelieveable....

negotiate with who ??

hamas?
pflp?
fatah?
al-aqsa MURDERS brigade?
arafat who pays the terrorists?
saeb "killing fields" erakat?
hanan "what PA anti-semitism?" ashwari??
islamic jihad??


maybe you mean the "moderate" palestinians??
Perhaps you can tell us all who both of these moderate
palestinians are because I sure as hell dont see them.

[sushi]

19. With the elected leadership of course

You don't have to like them. The free world doesn't like communists but if negotiations with China are necessary free world countries deal with communists, don't they? Since when can you choose leaders you prefer for another people so that you like talking to them?

[drdon326]

20. When....

those leaders turn a blind eye to the murderers in their
midst.

[sushi]

21. Rubbish

If we are for democracy (I am, I don't know about you) we have to deal with the leaders of other countries chosen by the people. I don't know why I'm wasting my time telling you this, because you know it. Until the Palestinian people get rid of Arafat, he is their leader. They also have a prime minister.

[drdon326]

22. OH....So you're FOR democracy, huh??

Well.....lets see how many democracies are in the ME??

Dont strain yourself....theres only one.

Mr. Democracy, yassir arafat , cancelled elections how
many times?? That thug has ZERO legitimacy.

You'll enjoy this....true Palestinian democracy...lol

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000256.html

[sushi]

25. Arafat is not on my list

of favorite leaders (neither is Israel's PM), but until the Palestinian people throw him out, he is it. He represents them. Why is he still there? Ask his people. I think both of them should leave to "spend time with their families."

[Violet_Crumble]

29. Totally unbelievable...

According to you there's no such thing as a 'moderate' Palestinian, don? That's strange. What's Hanan Ashrawi and the others who have been talked about here in the past? She is most definately a moderate and someone anyone who's interested in a peaceful resolution to the conflict should admire and support instead of deriding with baseless accusations, such as some that have been posted here in the past...

Seems to me time would be better spent searching for the moderate Israelis who the Palestinians could negotiate here, because Sharon and his goons and thugs sure aren't moderates by any stretch of the imagination. And what I find amusing is when some folk try to make out there's no moderate Palestinian, while trying to push Sharon and his violent tactics as being moderate...

Violet...

[sushi]

16. Btw, how do you know

he doesn't believe that? Does he have to write everything down? Are you one of those people who know what other people are thinking? If you are then next time I want to know what's in my head I'll ask you.

[drdon326]

18. lol

because he's a terrorist supporting propagandist.
Perhaps you remember Saint Rachels witnesses who changed
their story of the events AFTER their ISM handlers told
them what REALLY happened.

"....then next time I want to know what's in my head I'll ask you."

and i'll tell you. lol

[_Jumper_]

24. The Labor Party isn't a part of the Israeli establishment?

n/t