M E C is a working committee of Women Against Military Madness focusing on Palestine
original post: August 21, 2010
Good News and Bad from the Land called Holy
By Polly Mann
(Minneapolis) There’s good news and bad news relating to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Let’s begin with the bad reported from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. Note that’s an Israeli Committee working to save Palestinian houses from being bulldozed by the Israeli government and Israeli Jeff Halper, a Jew, born and raised in Minnesota, heads the Committee.
THE BAD NEWS
In August Israeli workers destroyed tombstones of ancient Mamilla cemetery which had fallen under control of Israel in 1948; In the 1960s “Independence Park” was built over a portion of it; subsequently a road was built through it and electrical cables laid. Now, some 1,500 Muslim graves have been cleared to make way for a $100 million Israeli Museum of Tolerance and Human Dignity.
At the same time the destruction of Palestinian homes has not ceased. In June, a year after the forced displacement of more than 120 people, 70 people received evacuation orders. In July plans were announced for the demolition of 19 more homes. In the West Bank 55 structures belonging to 22 Palestinian families were destroyed. Later in July at least 86 structures were demolished in the Jordan Valley and the West Bank.
In addition, a violent campaign has been waged against Palestinian farmers in the Baka Valley over water. Israel already consumes 85% of the West Bank’s water for its own use, either for settlements (including a water park, four municipal swimming pools and huge constantly-flowing fountains) or to be pumped into Israel proper – all flagrant violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention. While accusing the farmers of “stealing water” – their own water – the Israeli water company has destroyed dozens of wells and reservoirs used by Palestinians. Hundreds of hectares of agricultural land has dried up as irrigation pipes have been pulled out and confiscated by the Civil Administration.
The much-trumpeted “settlement freeze” was only a temporary lull.. At least 600 housing units are under construction and the Israeli government has announced the building of l,600 additional units as some 2,700 housing units are on hold. On July 26th more than 1,300 Israeli border police, accompanied by helicopters, descended upon a Bedouin demolishing 45 homes and forcibly displacing 300 people.
The message of the bulldozers is clear: Israel has created has instituted a regime of permanent and total domination over the Arab population.
THE GOOD NEWS
In June 150 Irish artists and intellectuals declared a boycott of Israel, saying they would not perform or exhibit in Israel until Israel ceases its abuse of Palestinian human rights. More and more artists have canceled their scheduled shows in what appears to be a response to Israel’s raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla last May, including Elvis Costello, Gil Scott Heron, Santana and others. While the British electronica duo Leftfield announced cancellation of a scheduled Israeli performance due to production problems, the group’s official Facebook page contained a letter sent to them by the organization, Boycott Israel, calling for them to “postpone your planned concert in Israel this summer, indefinitely... .Performing in Israel today means crossing an international picket line and your visit will be construed as a vote of confidence in Israel’s oppressive policies.” (Israel News).
Polly Mann is a founding member of Women Against Military Madness and part of the WAMM Middle East Committee.
