Antony Loewenstein

The New York Times writes a typically soft editorial on the Middle East – Israel, the Palestinians and Washington are all at fault, it claims, ignoring the profound power imbalances in the region – and Haaretz reports on how the Israeli government really views the occupation (more, please):

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday ordered the IDF to issue a temporary freeze order, but at the same time allowed the construction of 28 new public buildings in settlements.

Following the news that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in Australia, I submitted the following (unpublished) letter to the major papers:

It is revealing that Israel’s former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert swung into Australia virtually unannounced this week and was given a “warm welcome” by the Parliamentary Speaker. Olmert is currently under investigation over serious corruption charges, led his country into the disastrous Lebanon war in 2006 and launched an aerial and ground assault on Gaza in December last year. The UN, under distinguished judge Richard Goldstone, recently released a report that found Israel and Hamas should investigate serious allegations of war crimes during that conflict.

Olmert represents an Israel that understands only one language: violence and occupation against its neighbours.

The crisis in Sri Lanka still demands international attention. Here’s the latest statement by an influential group of people:

The Elders – a group of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela – have made a direct appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to protect the rights of civilians displaced after the government’s defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May.

Six months since the end of the war, the Elders have written to President Rajapaksa to say they are “deeply worried” about the humanitarian situation faced by the largely Tamil civilian population who fled fighting in the north of the country,  and warn that this could squander hopes for national reconciliation.

Chair of The Elders, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, signed the letter on behalf of his fellow Elders, Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel and Mary Robinson.

The Elders say in their letter to the President that the continued confinement of approximately 135, 000 internally displaced people is a “clear violation of international law” and that these people are being denied basic human rights, including the right to liberty and freedom of movement.

The Elders welcome the government’s announcement that those still confined in closed camps will now be given the freedom to move in and out of the camps until they are able to return to their homes. The Elders also call for humanitarian agencies to be granted the unimpeded access to the camps required to conduct critical humanitarian and human rights work such as providing health care, legal aid, and helping to reunite families.

While the number of people released from government-run camps has increased in recent weeks, and the government has pledged to release the remaining 135,000 by the end of January, the Elders also relayed their serious concerns about the way in which the Sri Lankan government is attempting to meet its resettlement objectives. They are particularly concerned that the UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross and national and international NGOs have had too limited a role in monitoring the movement of people, and have not had access to all the areas where people have been returned. Equally worrying are reports that some of those released have been placed in new, closed camps in their district of origin by local authorities. Some are reported to be facing further screening to determine whether they have any links to the LTTE.

Donors have vital role to play

The Elders have also written to Sri Lanka’s major donors, regional governments, international financial institutions, the UN Secretary-General and heads of relevant UN agencies, asking them to use their influence with the Sri Lankan government to ensure that basic conditions for equitable, inclusive and “conflict sensitive” development are put in place in the northern and eastern regions of the country.

The international community could also contribute towards the long-term stability of Sri Lanka by encouraging a credible war crimes investigation process; the disbanding of pro-government militias; a reduced role in decision-making by (and spending on) the military; the opening of space for minority parties and opposition parties; allowing the media and NGOs to operate freely; and meaningful consultation with affected populations in the north and east.

With presidential elections expected in January, donors should also use their influence to encourage the government of Sri Lanka to commit to basic democratic governance and prudent economic policy.

Elders’ chair, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said:
“No sustainable peace is possible without trust. Having won a military victory, the Sri Lankan government must not squander its gains. It has an obligation to serve all Sri Lanka’s citizens – including the Tamil and other minority communities.

“Sri Lanka needs wise, far-sighted and determined leadership to help end the divisions of the past and achieve genuine reconciliation, peace and dignity, to the benefit of all of Sri Lanka’s people.”

Former UN envoy and member of The Elders, Lakhdar Brahimi, said:
“While we welcome the government’s recent efforts to accelerate the return of displaced people after the end of this brutal war, the returns must be conducted in a way that does not undermine prospects for a durable peace.

“Donors have a vital role to play in pressing the Sri Lankan government to not only get people out of the camps, but to do so in a way that will enhance, not undermine, stability.”

Their fellow Elder and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said:
“The basic human right to move freely must be respected. Innocent people should not be detained indefinitely in closed camps. To do so is a violation of international law. The opportunity must not be lost to establish a lasting framework that protects and enhances the human rights of all Sri Lankans.”

Australian-born Zionist Isi Leibler – a believer in ex-communicating ‘dissident” Jews – appears in the Melbourne Age to plead for poor, little Israel. The whole world hates her and it’s just not fair. We’re a thriving democracy, he claims. Oh sure, the Palestinians are “suffering” but it’s their own fault.

But the more spurious claim is about negotiating with Hamas:

Israel is admonished to negotiate with Hamas; would anyone seriously suggest that the US negotiate with al-Qaeda?

In fact, and Leibler knows this damn well, Israel is currently talking to Hamas to bring about a prisoner swap. Gideon Levy wrote this week:

Why is it permissible to talk to Hamas about the fate of one captive soldier and another several hundred prisoners, but forbidden to talk to them about the fate of two nations? Never has Israeli logic been so distorted. Now, when our hearts look forward to the deal’s implementation, when every human heart should look forward to Gilad Shalit’s release – and yes, to the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, some of them political prisoners for all intents and purposes, not just “terrorists with blood on their hands” – now is the time to finally rid ourselves of some of the foolish prohibitions we have imposed on ourselves and the entire international community.

It is now clear that there is someone to talk to. In Gaza and Damascus sit tough but reasonable statesmen. They are also concerned, in their own way, about the fate of their people, they too aspire to bring them freedom and justice. When the deal is implemented we will also discover that they can be taken at their word. Were it not for the fact that Israel is holding tens of thousands of prisoners – some who used base means to achieve a just objective – who are judged differently from Jewish murderers and criminals, perhaps Hamas would not have had to use the weapon of kidnapping.

If Leibler speaks for the mainstream Jewish community, it’s little wonder the world increasingly regards Israel as an irritant, at best.

When former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits America, he is welcomed as a war criminal.

In Australia, Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan of Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian treats him like a glorious hero:

Ehud Olmert is a giant of contemporary Middle East politics. As Israel’s prime minister he made war – twice – in Lebanon in 2006, and in the Gaza Strip earlier this year. He’s also tried to make peace, offering the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, the most extensive concessions any Israeli leader has ever brought to the table in the search for a settlement.

Now Olmert’s out of office, not because he lost an election but because he is fighting corruption charges in the courts. Previous such charges against him came to nothing and Olmert has always asserted his innocence.

In Sydney this week, I conducted, perhaps, the longest interview and discussion Olmert has undertaken with any media since leaving office in March after more than three years as prime minister.

Dressed in jeans and black T-shirt with a Red Bull logo, Olmert looked pretty chipper for a balding lawyer with a modest paunch in his early 60s who’d just flown 24 hours from Israel.

For 90 minutes in the boardroom of Sydney’s Park Hyatt, and then over a relaxed lunch with his wife, Aliza, at Circular Quay, Olmert talked with remarkable frankness about the military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, the historic peace deal he offered the Palestinians, President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy and the options for action against Iran.

Olmert’s role in history is a big one. If he clears his name of the corruption charges he could come back to the centre of Israeli life, as previous prime ministers – like Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu, now PM for the second time – and Labour’s Ehud Barak, who both staged comebacks.

Israel’s “settlement” freeze is causing the radical settlers to revolt. Here’s the latest missive from the notorious Women in Green:

The announcement of the building freeze in Judea and Samaria is proof that Netanyahu, to our shame, is following in the path of Ariel Sharon – betraying the will of the Jewish majority that elected a right-wing government, and betraying Eretz Israel. There is only a single goal to the freeze: to persuade the Arabs to participate in negotiations to advance the establishment of the Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, and thereby relinquish Eretz Israel.

There are those among us who say, “These are only words,” “This is just tactics with the United States,” “Don’t worry, the Arabs won’t agree to any plan.” We cannot make light of words. Netanyahu already failed when he said “two states,” which means surrendering Eretz Israel, just like when he said “freeze,” which means “construction in Eretz Israel is illegal.” Words have power, and they strongly penetrate. If our stance since the Six Day War had been consistent and we had used the suitable words: “This is our land” and had acted accordingly and immediately annexed these portions of the homeland, we would dwell securely in it.

Now we must respond powerfully. If we continue with routine life, we will fall victim to the other planned decrees that apparently aim to eliminate the entire Jewish settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria. in order to establish a Palestinian state here. As is well-known, this would constitute an existential threat to all the small State of Israel.

As long as we thought that the State of Israel is a democratic country, we could make do with demonstrations in order to try and influence the government. For a long time, Israel has not been democratic. The leftist policy rules it, despite the voters’ desire for nationalism and Zionism. Now we must channel all our energy and strength to the cancellation of the decree, by construction, construction, and more construction. We must build throughout Judea and Samaria, within the settlements, in private houses, and outside the settlements, on the surrounding hills.

The call of the hour is therefore to establish a fund for the construction of Eretz Israel, in which millions of dollars will be invested in order to enable continued construction throughout Judea and Samaria. We are convinced that if the left found donors in Israel and abroad who are willing to contribute enormous sums for their slanderous, anti-Israel propaganda activity, that surely there are more donors, friends and lovers of Israel, who will be ready to contribute to the struggle to build the land and materialize the Zionist dream of returning the Jewish people to its land.

All the information for the “Construction of Eretz Israel” project is ready. We are in contact with Jewish contractors who are capable of building a 48 square meter house within five days, at a cost of NIS 100,000, or a 70 square meter structure for NIS 200,000. Many young couples are willing to live in such simple structures, on the hills and/or in the settlements. All that is missing is a flow of budgets.

If we are successful in raising large sums, resulting in the construction of dozens of new structures throughout Judea and Samaria, this will constitute a Zionist response to the Prime Minister’s collapse. They might succeed in destroying one or two structures – we will have to immediately rebuild them, and realize that the building was not for nothing, since the construction of the structure that was later destroyed raised the flag of the struggle and kindled the fervor to continue to build.

A week ago, two houses, each costing NIS 250,000, were destroyed in Negohot. Now, five families are waiting to build their homes on the same hill in Negohot. In Mevo Dotan a sheep pen worth NIS 200,000 was destroyed – that very night they began to build a new sheep pen, within the ruins, of much smaller dimensions. If the Build the Land of Israel Fund had already existed, we could have rebuilt the pen in its previous size, and even added housing units for young couples who are standing in line to populate the hills of Judea and Samaria.

With stubbornness and devotion for each clod of earth in Eretz Israel we will merit possessing it. In this month of Kislev, let us draw strength from the Maccabees, who heroically and fearlessly violated the decrees of the empire. With G-d’s help, we will raise from Israel’s friends in the country and abroad the necessary budgets, and we will set forth on a construction drive all over Judea and Samaria. In place of a freeze – construction. In place of halting – breaking through. In place of fallen spirits – we will raise the people’s spirit. With G-d’s help, this is within our power.

What and who is the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel?

A disturbing British short (via Mondoweiss) that reimagines Israeli checkpoints and the Palestinian experience in a totally different land:

Following the feature in yesterday’s Jakarta Post about my work and critical Judaism, I received the following email from Charles Solnik (a former IDF physician):

I don’t know how you can be proud to be a Jew. The foundation of Jewishness is the Torah. That is even if one is secular or not their knowledge that they are a Jew is derived from the fact that Jews over 3500 years maintained an adherence to the biblical format.

That means even your ancestors kept the Torah. They crossed the dead sea they fought with Joshua (and conquered the land) up to Bar Kochba to keep the land.

They all believed that the land of Israel was given to them in a covenant with G-d. They died for it and were persecuted for it for the last two thousand Years. Many preferred death than conversion.

So I don’t know what it is that makes you proud to be a Jew and support Israel’s enemies. I imagine it must be very attention getting and profitable to pretend to be a proud Jew and promote the destruction of Israel. The expert is Richard Goldstone the self proclaimed lover of Israel. How much did he get paid now and in the future for his report?

I am a Jew who fought for Israel and I know very well the nature of the conflict. I know the huge extent we go to reduce collateral damage. I know the pain of losing comrades and burying them. I know how Israel yearns for peace but our neighbors seek our destruction.

Your mother may be a Jew but you no longer are one.

Charles Solnik

After the semi-coordinated, effective campaign against Veolia and Alstom across several European countries, this is the first fully coordinated BDS campaign in Europe, targeting the main Israeli exporter of agricultural produce (including products of colonial settlements), Agrexco-Carmel.

It is worth noting that the coalition against Agrexco-Carmel in France alone includes 5 national French parties and more than 85 NGOs, forming the largest (by far) coalition in the West working on a BDS-related campaign. Some major farmers unions are also part of that impressive coalition.

By coordinating this campaign across several European countries, BDS activists in France, Italy, the UK and Belgium (more countries are joining soon!) have reached a higher level of effectiveness and public awareness in Europe than seen before.

The Palestinian civil society BDS National Committee, BNC, the reference for the global BDS movement, has strongly endorsed this uniquely promising campaign and is in full coordination with its European leaders.

Israel, you have a global credibility problem and you aren’t even aware why:

If the United Nations General Assembly were to vote today on Resolution 181, the Partition Plan that led to the creation of the modern State of Israel, “there is no doubt” that it would not be approved, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Wednesday night, at the first meeting of the Hadar Israel organization in Jerusalem.

Former ambassador to the UN Dore Gold, who also spoke at the Hadar event, gave a similar assessment to The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, noting that “the UN today seeks to undermine the very legitimacy of the State of Israel.”

I was interviewed yesterday on Adelaide-based current affairs show The Wire about Israel’s colony “freeze”:

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