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STOP JUST ATTACKING ISRAEL

Embarrased | 05.12.2002 23:13

Why not Burma?

Why is this news wire seemingly obsessed with the happenings in Israel? What about Burma, Tibet, the Congo, Sierra Leone, East Timor, to name but a few? I don't see activists here quite so distressed about the behaviour of the Burmese dictatorship (forced labour, torture, mass killings) or the Sierra Leone revolutionaries (torture, murder, rape, mass amputations?) or the Chinese government (ditto) Seriously, I know we can't care about everything (or can we?) but this constant isolation of the Israeli government's behaviour (not the Israeli people) is getting extremely embarassing. It feels, not quite like anti-semitism, but like jumping on an easy, dumbed down bandwagon. Hate America? Duh, let's hate Israel too. You have a choice to boycott/protest but hate is not an option, it's a self-destructive cycle. Americans are not evil. The US government and corporations may be, but then again "evil" is an odd word to apply to an inanimate institution. We, all the people, need to work together to combat greed, hatred and intolerance, and we don't do that by being greedily, hatefully intolerant.

Embarrased

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

Burma's next!!

05.12.2002 23:48

The Israeli issue is bound to get special attention at this time. The States of Israel and America are clearly closely linked, and working together.

Israel's occupation of Palestine is an integral part of the War Against terror. Both as a cited cause, and as a reminder that America's talk about protecting "our freedoms" is a bunch of baloney, as is their talk of despotic leaders and regime changes.

It is clear that America is happy to continue working with, and supporting, despotic regimes, even if their actions are unpalatable and genocidal, so long as they serve a purpose that is seen as useful. Bush continues to arm Israel to the hilt, in full knowledge of the atrocities that are committed with those weapons, against an occupied population, in blatant contravention of international standards.

There is good reason to focus a lot of attention on this issue, and I am wondering what your investment in diluting that focus might be. Are you hoping that it will get lost, or are you hoping that attention will be focussed on another regime instead?

Right now, there is a real likelihood that Israel would use an attack on Iraq as cover to attempt a massive programme of "transfer", and that is likely to be an extremely brutal scenario. The pressure must be kept up, and the links must be made.

That is not to belittle other human tragedies, it is to recognise the importance of maintaing the momentum in this debate, and of putting the pressure on and keeping the scenario in sight.

Now, if you want to post up information about Burma, I'm sure lots of people would be interested. You didn't need to start in this manner though, did you?

Whats the real story?


The attack is on hypocrisy

05.12.2002 23:54

All the other states you mention are dictatorships and there are many NGOs and individuals campaigning against them.

The reason Israel gets singled out so much is that it is supported by Western democracies and it claims to be a democracy itself.

These democracies bandy about words like freedom and justice when it suits them. And yet Israel acts no better than some of the non-democratic dictatorships that you mention.

The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping!

rikki


Burma's not starting World War III

06.12.2002 04:01

Well, it's not Burma that's starting World War III, for starters. This intifada, that was started by Sharon, is just the first stage of a multi goal plan, and now we have the war against Iran, I mean Iraq, which is stage two, which will lead the world into a generation of war, terrorism, and nuclear holucaust (if not sooner, then later). So it makes a lot of sense to be focusing on Israel which directly, and through it's proxy, the U.S.A. is instigating this doom's day agenda.

AnAmerican


Columbia is bad too!

06.12.2002 09:35

Columbia has one of the worst regimes in the world and its government has links with right wing paramilitaries which have been responsible for carrying out massacres of peasants. The major oil companies are involved too.

Harlequin
- Homepage: http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/


answer to embarressed

06.12.2002 16:10

No I will not.

jackslucid
mail e-mail: jackslucid@hotmail.com


Obssessed with Israel

06.12.2002 16:21

The Palestinian Israeli conflict is unique to others in many ways. The main two reasons:
1. It's been going on since 1933 & the partition of palestine.
2. Israel is a democratic country supported wholeheartedly by the worlds richest & most influential countries.
3. Israels propaganda machine & the influence of the Jewish lobby worldwide is like nothing else we have ever seen.

Layali
mail e-mail: layali_samha@hotmail.com


WHY ISRAEL

06.12.2002 18:31

Good question, Why Israel?

Israel eventual target is to destroy humanity on plane earth and the following justify this:

Israel developed and ready to be used more than 500 nuclear bombs, in addition to all sort of weapon of mass killing.
They have capability of 5000 miles range to deliver nuclear weapon, and this means that they can hit as far as the USA in the east to china in the west.

Any one can explain to us why a tiny country like Israel needs all this weapon with such capability.

Israeli per capital income is three times higher than the USA per capita income, and still American tax payers pay the bill for Israeli to enjoy a high standard of living, and the American simply going poor.

Israel building all their weapon of Mass Killing bu American Tax payers money, and these weapon eventually shall be used to kill America and American.

WAKE UP AMERICA...

Dave Hazeltine


I'm embarrassed too

08.12.2002 22:43

I'm ashamed of you idiots!! You are an embarrassment to the species!

No longer so leftest


Boycott against Israel Apartheid

09.12.2002 00:12

I am pissed off of Israelis and their supporters trying to shut up the mouth of the international press while they carry on silently their POLICY OF TRANSFER on non-jews. Tens of thousands non-jews have left the West Bank unable to live under israeli occupation and constant aggression. Israeli polititians encourage non-jews to leave. The Israeli Army destroys houses, water and electricity supplies, plantations, administrative offices, libraries, hospitals, etc... The worst is yet to come as Israeli polititians prepare their citizens to accept the final solution: massive forced transfer of non-jews to the east of the Jordan River. Let s face it: Palestine is the biggest Concentration Camp of the world and it is ruled by the RACIST STATE OF ISRAEL.


If you are not simply a passive spectator, do not argue with racists and do your part today...... now is the time to act. Join the International boycott to Israel campaign:

 http://www.boycottisraeligoods.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=4

 http://www.boykotisrael.dk/

 http://www.divest-from-israel-campaign.org/

 http://www.al-awda.org/

 http://www.freedom-for-palestine.org/

x
- Homepage: http://www.al-awda.org/


BURN THE WITCH

09.12.2002 01:12

P-lease!Who are you fooling? Clearly it's not oppression and racism in themselves you are so outraged by! You passively 'support' much worse things in Zim. DRC Sudan, every Arab nation, not to mention your own nations!

embarrased also


No.

09.12.2002 19:39

Oppression and racism stinks. Whatever our differences politically most people contributing to Indymedia believe that.. Those that don't have to defend their position as those who believe it stinks argue and defend also where necessary, but 'too embarassed' oh, please. Fighting on one front - Israel, because of its military links/finances/history, does not mean oppression elsewhere doesn't exist. Its about capitalism. Geddit?
Stop hiding in the corner blushing. If you care about oppression, don't knock other people's priorities, choose your own. DO SOMETHING.

Heather