Antony Loewenstein

“Recognition roundabout“:

The Australian political elite continues fighting over Iraq as the Howard government may be starting to recognise how toxic the Bush administration has become.

Meanwhile, life in Iraq is deteriorating. Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily report:

The lack of security in Iraq is leading now to a collapse in food supplies.

“Look at us begging for food despite the fortunes we have,” 60-year-old Um Muthanna from Baghdad told IPS. Standing at a vegetable market in central Baghdad where vegetable supplies are not what they used to be, Um Mahmood despaired for Iraq.

“A country with two great rivers should have been the biggest exporter in the world, but now we beg for food from those who participated in killing us.” Iraq is rich in oil and agricultural resources.

Local and international aid flooded into Iraq in 2004, the year following the invasion, but much of the supply was blocked off after the kidnapping of many aid activists in the country.

The food the Iraqis did get was often not what they needed, or wanted.

“Iraqis do not feel at ease receiving food aid when they exported food in the past,” economist Dr. Jassim al-Rikabi told IPS.

“Iraq has been a field of aid NGOs since the U.S. occupation began, and many of those NGOs brought foodstuff that is not what Iraqis were used to, but they had to take it due to the need they were facing.”

Barley, wheat, pulses and the famous Iraqi dates are staple diet, and are also exported. Common meals in Iraq include rice, lamb, chicken and locally grown vegetables like cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.

Under the occupation, Iraqis are getting much of their food from companies in Australia and other countries who assisted the United States during the invasion and occupation. This food has often been of low quality.

During July 2006 the Iraqi Ministry of Trade rejected or destroyed thousands of tonnes of contaminated food or food past its expiry date. The food had caused widespread poisoning.

So Australia hasn’t only illegally invaded Iraq, it’s also provided suspect food. The gift that keeps on giving to the Iraqi people.

Words fail:

Speaking of George Bush, with whom [Ariel] Sharon developed a very close relationship, [Sharon biographer] Uri Dan recalls that Sharon’s delicacy made him reluctant to repeat what the president had told him when they discussed Osama bin Laden. Finally he relented. And here is what the leader of the Western world, valiant warrior in the battle of cultures, promised to do to bin Laden if he caught him: “I will screw him in the ass!”

Alastair Crooke, The Cordoba Foundation, October-December, 2006:

“…What Muslims hate is the West’s monopoly on the socio-economic implementation of values such as justice, freedom, good governance, which all Muslims share. Muslims don’t believe simply that the West is the only model of the implementation of these values, and the only way you can have good governance is to have Western good governance. In fact, they are not sure the West has good governance in many respects.” 

The following has been sent to many Australians over the last days. The response has been very encouraging. Stay tuned.

Dear Friend,

As you may be aware, a group of British Jews, including prominent figures, recently expressed their concern publicly that independent views on the Middle East were not adequately represented by official Jewish bodies. Their group, called ‘Independent Jewish Voices,’ issued a declaration that was published in the media and is available on their website: http://www.ijv.org.uk. This British group has received hundreds of signatures expressing support.

We are a group of Australian Jews who share their concerns and aims and we are now also seeking public support from fellow Jews. Our group, ‘Independent Australian Jewish Voices,’ has been established and our declaration of principles is in the message below and also on our website: http://iajv.org

We are seeking signatures and plan to publish our statement in mainstream newspapers such as The Melbourne Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and The Australian Jewish News within the next few weeks. By then we hope to have gathered significant indication of support in the community for our goals. A press release will also be issued at this time launching our initiative.

Signatures may be entered via email (iajv99 [at] gmail.com) and will be made public shortly on the website unless anonymity is requested. Please indicate full name, city, postcode and email address. Email addresses are required for confirmation but will not be made public or available to anyone else.

All signatures for publication will be shown on the website at the time we publish our statement in the media. A selection of these will be included with the published statement.

We aim to provide a more open forum for the expression of the full spectrum of opinions on issues concerning Jews and the Middle East.

We would be grateful if you could forward this email to any other Australian Jews you think might be interested and supportive.

For inquiries, please email iajv99 [at] gmail.com

Sincerely,

Peter Slezak
James Levy
Antony Loewenstein

————

Statement of Principles: A Call for an Alternative View

We are Jews of diverse opinions on the Middle East who share a deep concern about the current crisis in the region.

We are committed to ensuring a just peace that recognizes the legitimate national aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians with a solution that protects the human rights of all.

We condemn violence by all parties, whether state sanctioned or not. We believe that Israel’s right to exist must be recognized and that Palestinians’ right to a homeland must also be acknowledged.

As Australians we are privileged to live in a democratic state that embodies the principles of tolerance and free speech. We feel there is an urgent need to hear alternative voices that should not be silenced by being labelled disloyal or “self-hating.”

Uncritical allegiance to Israeli government policy does not necessarily serve Israel’s best interests. Our concern for justice and peace in the Middle East is a legitimate opinion and should be met by reasoned argument rather than vilification and intimidation. In particular, we are concerned that the Jewish establishment does not represent the full range of Jewish opinion. Contrary to widespread concerns, anti-Semitism is not fuelled by Jews who publicly disagree with actions of the Jewish State.

Jews understand what it is to suffer racism and victimization and therefore we are not only concerned about anti-Semitism but also the demonisation of all other minorities.

We call upon fellow Jews to join us in supporting free debate to further the prospects of peace, security and human rights in the Middle East.

Are we supposed to believe that the Iraq war had nothing to do with oil? The Financial Times reports:

All the world’s extra oil supply is likely to come from expensive and environmentally damaging unconventional sources within 15 years, according to a detailed study.

This will mean increasing reliance on hard-to-develop sources of energy such as the Canadian oil sands and Venezuela’s Orinoco tar belt.

A report from Wood Mackenzie, the Edinburgh-based consultancy, calculates that the world holds 3,600bn barrels of unconventional oil and gas that need a lot of energy to extract.

So far only 8 per cent of that has begun to be developed, because the world has relied on easier sources of oil and gas.

Only 15 per cent of the 3,600bn is heavy and extra-heavy oil, with the rest being even more challenging.

The study makes clear the shift could come sooner than many people in the industry had expected, even though some major conventional oil fields will still be increasing their production in 2020. Those increases will not be enough to offset the decline at other fields.

“It becomes unclear beyond 2020 that conventional oil will be able to meet any of the demand growth,” Wood Mackenzie said. The report added that natural gas products such as liquids and condensate would also become important sources of growth.

The Kurds are already well ahead of the game in trying to secure Iraq’s precious resource, but the role of US multinationals remain mired in suspicion.

Gideon Levy, Haaretz, February 18:

Who said the Israeli left has disappeared? Thirty intellectuals from the left have published a petition calling for putting an end to the “neglect of the evacuees from Gush Katif and northern Samaria.” Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, Uzi Dayan, Shulamit Aloni and Yossi Sarid, the cream of the crop, signed a manifest drawn up by the evacuees that refers to the “law’s directive” and “morality’s directive.” “This is the fundamental tenet of democracy,” they write with characteristic pathos, in an outburst of concern for the population that for years did everything it could to undermine the law, morality and democracy in Israel. This petition is a disgrace to its signatories.

Has anyone checked how many people are contemplating suicide in Jaffa or looked into the number of eating disorders in Shlomi? What happened to Shulamit Aloni? What swept over Yossi Sarid? What flame engulfed these luminaries? Does the lame excuse suggesting that “their neglect [of the evacuees] is liable to strip the state of the legitimacy for taking similar steps in the future” justify defending yesterday’s violators of law and morality, upon whom the state has already showered more than enough assistance and rehabilitation funds? After all, this mobilization of leftists only augments the “tragedy” of the settlers. Is this the weakest sector of the population, on whose behalf these personalities need to mobilize? Is it the most ethical part of the population? Is it not more correct to ask today, after all the huge investments and the blood spilled in vain: Who should be compensating whom? 

The classic 1984 Apple ad, inspired by Orwell’s 1984, launching the Macintosh:

The Bush administration is bad for Israel.

The Israeli government is a faltering, corrupt, incompetent and militaristic entity.

Israelis have rarely been so unsure about their country’s future.

Discuss (and wonder how few Diaspora Jews seem to understand these issues.)

Robert Richter, The Age, February 18:

[Australian Attorney-General] Philip Ruddock is a hypocrite when parading his Amnesty International membership. He pretends to give a toss for the organisation and the principles for which it stands: the rule of law, freedom from arbitrary arrest and punishment, freedom from torture, opposition to the perversion of accepted civilised notions of justice and the obligations he owes to those notionally under his protection. Instead, he has publicly and shamefully betrayed all of these precepts.

He is a liar when he pretends concern for [Guantanamo Bay prisoner] David Hicks’ fate. His protestations about Australia’s efforts to secure a speedy trial for Hicks cross the line of decency when we consider that Hicks is, after five years, not charged with any offence. Nor is he subject to the jurisdiction of any lawfully constituted court of justice. We know he has not committed any offences against Australian law. Our A-G says so. We also know that he does not stand charged with any known crime against US law. So how is it that the Attorney-General has not demanded the return of Hicks to the country that owes him protection as a matter of law?

It is because the A-G has publicly prostituted his duties to the law — and to those he owes a duty of protection — in the service of his political masters in the government he serves.

I say this without cover of privilege and challenge him to sue for defamation and take the risk of the facts emerging in any litigation. Cabinet solidarity is one thing; his mealy-mouthed public utterances on the subject are another. He should at least have the decency to stay silent rather than seek to defend and advance the indefensible.

And today we learn that the Howard government is terribly concerned about Hicks and will have him home by year’s end (or the election.)

Some Zionists believe in free speech (as long as it doesn’t challenge Israel):

Major donors to Brandeis University have informed the school they will no longer give it money in retaliation for its decision last month to host former President Jimmy Carter, a strong critic of Israel.

The donors have notified the school in writing of their decisions — and specified Carter as the reason, said Stuart Eizenstat, a former aide to Carter during his presidency and a current trustee of Brandeis, one of the nation’s premier Jewish institutions of higher learning.

They are “more than a handful,” he said. “So, this is a concern. There are evidently a fair number of donors who have indicated they will withhold contributions.”

Brandeis history professor Jonathan Sarna, who maintains close ties with the administration, told The Jewish Week, “These were not people who send $5 to the university. These were major donors, and major potential donors.

“I hope they’ll calm down and change their views,” Sarna said.

While Iranians are reflecting on the 28th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Washington is moving forward with its own deluded plans:

Any US general planning to attack Iran can now assume that at least 10,000 targets can be hit in a single raid, with warplanes flying from the US or Diego Garcia. In the past year, unlimited funding for military technology has taken “smart bombs” to a new level.

New “bunker-busting” conventional bombs weigh only 250lb. According to Boeing, the GBU-39 small-diameter bomb “quadruples” the firepower of US warplanes, compared to those in use even as recently as 2003. A single stealth or B-52 bomber can now attack between 150 and 300 individual points to within a metre of accuracy using the global positioning system.

With little military effort, the US air force can hit the last-known position of Iranian military units, political leaders and supposed sites of weapons of mass destruction. One can be sure that, if war comes, George Bush will not want to stand accused of using too little force and allowing Iran to fight back.

“Global Strike” means that, without any obvious signal, what was done to Serbia and Lebanon can be done overnight to the whole of Iran. We, and probably the Iranians, would not know about it until after the bombs fell. Forces that hide will suffer the fate of Saddam’s armies, once their positions are known.

The whole of Iran is now less than an hour’s flying time from some American base or carrier. Sources in the region as well as trade journals confirm that the US has built three bases in Azerbaijan that could be transit points for troops and with facilities equal to its best in Europe.

Most of the Iranian army is positioned along the border with Iraq, facing US army missiles that can reach 150km over the border. But it is in the flat, sandy oilfields east and south of Basra where the temptation will be to launch a tank attack and hope that a disaffected population will be grateful.