bm144 Historical Amnesia In the Israel-Lebanon Conflict

The wise and wonderful Hanna Braun joins me once again to discuss the past and the results of previous Israeli incursions into Lebanon. A former member of the Israeli Defence Force before Israel was even a state, she helps dissect the current situation and the responses from the international community. (Partially recorded on the road so pardon some quality lapses)

 

While They Point Fingers, People Die

It’s very hard to consider blogging about anything else when every hour that goes by, so many people’s lives are being destroyed. Of course that can be said for everyday that goes by, but the present situation involving Lebanon, Occupied Palestine, and Israel is just dark with seemingly no light at the end of no tunnel.

On hardtalk last night, the only program on BBCWorld that is truely exciting, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority was on. I thought the man was going to break down crying. He threw up his hands and admitted all hell had broken loose. When questioned as to why the PA had lost control, he used an anecdote, saying: “It is as if, I tie your hands, I cut off your legs, I throw you in the water and then ask – why can’t you swim.” Saddest of all, as an old man, he talked about how he has lived most of his life under the occupation and he would most certainly die in it, and that in his life he had never seen it THIS BAD.

A quick look at the latest developments features lots of finger pointing. Lots of people will most certainly buy into it. The equations and connections that they point to: Syria this, Iran that, Lebanon this, Hezbollah that, Israel this, North Korea that…. how the hell did they manage to tie North Korea into it? Seems like anything goes these days. All the evangelical politicians who never have to pull a trigger or even get any blood on their suits, are rushing to attain their beloved armageddon.

Seriously though, the one thing I keep thinking about his how history will view this. Considering the death tolls, the bombings, the missiles, the refugee camps, the starvation and psychological trauma… could you imagine how this compares to other moments in history when large amounts of people were suffering or under attack, and other nations stood by and did nothing? It feels like one of those moments. A Rwanda. A Khmer Rouge. Yes, I don’t mind saying it, a holocaust. No its not the same. Its never the same. It has a different look, a different story, and naturally, it never seems like it is comparable. But in the end, the results are not so different. Large numbers of innocent people are murdered by the use of conventional weapons or driven from there homes en masse, in the name of some political or military objective, while in the wealthier part of the world, we go to work, take a vacation, or if you’re me- ride around in a little red boat all evening.

bm142 Discussing Lebanon with a Lebanese Friend

When seeking info about Lebanon, in order to transcend the media filters in North America and around the world that give us their government(s) approved, we must speak directly with people whos lives are connected to what happens there. In this program I speak with my friend Ramzi, who has lived in Amsterdam for the past few years. Together we discuss the different sides in the conflict, and where things might go from here.

Robert Fisk Audio

Democracy Now’s Coverage from Friday

 

bmtv13 Unarmed Response

I’m not going to stop talking about this until some good news finally comes from that area. As you know, a few days ago Israel bombed Lebanon. They also imposed a sea and air blockade on the country. It was in response to the kidnapping of soldiers. Which was a response to something else.. and on and on. (like I said yesterday)

Here’s my RESPONSE.. and it doesn’t require any bombs or guns. Take notes governments around the world, I am unarmed and willing to negociate.

Watch the Video

An Excellent Way to Settle Disputes Between Iran and Israel

Let me just preface this post with one thing I want to be clear on: I’m not being sarcastic on this one. Matter of fact, remind me not to use sarcasm as a regular method of blogging, it’s a lazy cop out I occasionally fall into. I digress, here’s the headline from the BBC today:

A group of Israeli diplomats wants to sue Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide.

Incitement to genocide is what it sounds like. And under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, it is a crime. Nevermind the punishment, I’m not here to worry about that. What interests me is the method this group of Israeli’s have chosen to use to combat the statements and the potential implications of those statements by the Iranian president. This is what I called civilized. Not bombs or soldiers or threats, legal action on an international scale. It’s how it would work in my slightly more idealistic version of the world.

But this interests me for another reason. During my days as a masters student here in the Amsterdam, I had a professor who was very involved with the UN and particularly concerned about the role of media that incites genocide. Think Rwanda, for example, where radio was the tool used by Hutu extremists to first incite more and more hate and eventually culminating in violence which, if I recall correctly, was coordinated by use of radio programs as well.

So my professor had this idea for the creation of a monitor under the UN umbrella. It would be a media monitor, and its function would be to watch media (all types) to proactively detect if and when it is being used to incite genocide. Now, you might already be asking “then what” but like I said before, one step at a time; and it would be a very important step to be able to catch these things BEFORE they happen.

It has been some time since I sat and talked with that professor, and this is all reminding me of his plan. And although this situation with Israel and Iran is slightly different, and I don’t claim to know if the Iranian president is guilty or not-STILL- I have the utmost respect for any government or group of citizens who put together a case to be presented before the international court and before the eyes of the entire world, pointing out the violation of a very important treaty, and when a leader could be inciting violence on a mass scale.

So we’ll see what happens. And whatever happens, the symbolic value, the example such an action represents in the form of using non-people killing methods, is big in itself.

bm122 Fallout from the Financial Crisis of the Palestinian Authority

Only a month ago the international community was demanding and encouraging free and fair elections in Palestine. But then HAMAS was elected, ever since then the international community has turned their back on the new government, withheld funds, and are now holding them partially responsible for any violence against Israel. What story do the numbers tell? What’s left of the budget without that aid money? And what about the effectiveness of the age-old strategy known as “we don’t negociate with terrorists,” or in this case: a party with ties to suicide bombing and the use of violence, now with a newfound political responsibility for the lives of over 2 million people. Where will this political and financial stalemate take us?

AudioCommunique #122 (mp3)

Some Links:

CIA WFB on the West Bank
Israel Withholds Taxes
Palestinian Budget
Calls from Within Hamas for a new era

Music:
Faudel – Aveuglé par l’amour
Final Fantasy – None of you will ever see a penny
Elvis Costello – the other side of town
Talib Kweli – Get By

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