Other Israel: Incitement & provocation; elections

Incitement and provocation toward the elections

TOI-Billboard, March 26, 2006

As we near elections day, polls indicate that Kadima is losing at least a bit of its enormous lead, while the Labor Party is picking up more seats than hitherto estimated. Meanwhile, the new Palestinian cabinet is about to be inaugurated, with which the Olmert Governmemt vowed not to have any contact. Yet, the outbreak of Bird Flu in Israeli and Palestinian farms alike forced the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture into intensive daily contact with its Palestinian counterpart...

In its last stages, the elections campaign seems to be getting ugly. You may have seen the Gush Shalom mailing about the death threat against Uri Avnery which was reported in all media. International friends of the cause started flooding Israeli ministries with their worried protests. Avnery himself was initially reluctant to reward the thug Baruch Marzel by giving him attention, but after all had to give a reaction. Read it at: http://www.gush-shalom.org/

And, another provocation by another racist group in the center of the Arab-Jewish town of Jaffa, to the south of Tel-Aviv. The notorious Michael Kleiner came to Jaffa to "convince Arabs to emigrate of their own free will", and succeeded to make them angry. In the end Kleiner had to flee under police escort. The Hadash communists held a demonstration in solidarity with the Jaffa Arab population yesterday, Saturday night. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3231533,00.html

For their part, the authorities used the weeks before the elections for a wave of demolitions of "illegal" houses in the Arab slums of Lod. (There are grounds to suspect that this was a way of drawing voters away from the openly racist Avigdor Lieberman, who seems to do well in the polls and whose campaign, though more subtle than the ones of Marzel and Kleiner, is also build on hatred.) - Next to the rubble a protest tent has been erected, which became the focus of visits by Israeli and international delegations (we have also been there) and the houses themselves are already being rebuilt. The upcoming Land Day demonstration will take place on Thursday afternoon at Lod.
For background and contact details: http://www.geocities.com/toi_billboard/Lod.htm

In Bil'in, Beit Sira and other villages Palestinians, Israelis and internationals are continuing to defend the agricultural lands against the illegal route of the Wall. Meanwhile Israel's Supreme Court ordered the state to explain why criminal investigations have not been opened against those who without legal authority issued building permits to the settlers who grab Bil'in lands http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/category/reports
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After a month without TOI-Billboard you may have gotten used to getting your information from such sites as: http://www.kibush.co.il , http://www.ariga.com , http://www.theheadlines.org/ We add only what we think you may not have seen and shouldn't miss.

A warning from America
Haaretz Editorial March 22, 2006

(...) The conclusion that Israel can draw from the anti-Israel feeling expressed in the article ["The Israeli Lobby"] is that it will not be immune for eternity. America's unhesitating support for Israel and its willingness to restrain itself over all of Israel's mistakes can be interpreted as conflicting with America's essential interests and are liable to prove burdensome. (...)

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=697059
(This editorial is a reaction to the article which you probably already saw:
"The Israel Lobby" by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html
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The power of saying no
by Jeff Halper

[The] vote for Hamas was not a closing of the door at all, but a rational, intentional and powerful statement of non-cooperation in a political process that is only leading to Palestinian imprisonment.

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4571.shtml
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Halutz: Hamas may soften stance

by Hanan Greenberg

Chief of staff says PA government established by Hamas does not necessarily point to
another wave of terror.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3231852,00.html
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Palestinians between elections
Dr. Nabil Kukali's Poll No. 151

[A poll examining] the Palestinians' public opinion with regard to the Israeli national elections, Ehud Olmert's plan and the new Palestinian government formed by Hamas. We have furthermore made the attempt to probe the political conditions prevailing after the Israeli raid on Jericho's prison and the abduction of Mr. Ahmed Saadat, the Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and his companions and to cast light on the extent of Israel's compliance with the deals concluded with the Palestinians.

read more
http://www.pcpo.ps/polls.htm

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