Members of Israeli Parliament on the Gaza Operation
The USG Open Document Center translates this report from Israeli news broadcasts in Hebrew:
Israel: Islamic Movement, MKs Comment on Gaza Operation
Israel -- OSC Report
Thursday, June 29, 2006 T17:23:50Z
Ro'i Nahmias reports at 1036 GMT on Ynetnews: "The northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel aggressively condemned the arrest of HAMAS ministers and parliament members Thursday. 'The occupation is to blame and Israel carries full responsibility for what is taking place,' a message by the movement said. The statement said that 'the arrest of ministers, parliament members, and Palestinian mayors is proof that there is no place for Palestinian sovereignty in the lexicon of the Israeli government. Therefore, it is no wonder that the 'there-is-no-partner' melody is heard over and over again.' Before releasing the statement, the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel announced a day of fasting to identify with 'our besieged Palestinian people.'" (Tel Aviv Ynetnews WWW-Text in English -- centrist news site operated by Yedi'ot Media Group)
Israel radio reports at 1200 GMT: "Meretz chairman Yosi Beilin called on the government to set the earliest possible time to end Operation Summer Rains and to take steps toward achieving a comprehensive cease-fire. The longer it takes, Beilin said, the higher the risk of sinking in the Gazan swamp. He added that their arrest turned HAMAS leaders into heroes of the Palestinian street, despite their failure to run their people's affairs. His party colleague Zehava Gal'on said the government took up a military operation whose beginning is known but whose outcome isn't. Neither is it clear how it advances the release of the abducted soldier, she said.
"MK Jamal Zahaliqah of BALAD said that capturing people as bargaining chips is what criminal gangs do, not a state. The Israeli Government is pouring fuel on the fire and deliberately escalating the situation, he added. His party colleague Azmi Bisharah said that Israel is behaving like a terror organization, and that the abduction of elected public officials is an act of terror.
"MK Arye Eldad of the National Union-NRP congratulated the government for showing the first signs of understanding that Israel is at war. His party colleague Uri Ari'el said that the fact that no senior government or army official called on the Asheri family in Itamar as soon as their son Eliyahu was kidnapped is a disgrace bordering on discrimination." (Jerusalem Voice of Israel Network B in Hebrew -- State-funded radio; independent in content)
posted by Juan Cole @ 6/30/2006 06:02:00 AM
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Members of Israeli Parliament on the Gaza Operation
MK Jamal Zahaliqah of BALAD said that capturing people as bargaining chips is what criminal gangs do, not a state. The Israeli Government is pouring fuel on the fire and deliberately escalating the situation, he added. His party colleague Azmi Bisharah said that Israel is behaving like a terror organization, and that the abduction of elected public officials is an act of terror
Thanks so much for publishing this from Israel. Not only does The Israel Lobby suppress pictures and reports from Palestine, they also suppress reports of dissent in Israel. This may well have the unfortunate effect of confusing the monstrous Isreali right-wing with Israelis in general among the American public. When the final backlash against the neocons, American and Israeli, does come a strong component of that backlash may be directed at Israel and Israelis in general. Who knows, the AIPAC may be counting on it to validate its claims of anti-Semitism against critics of Israel. It is clear that it is hard to over estimate the cynicism, the nihilism, of the neocon far-right.
The important point to take away from this is that there are many, many Israelis who abhor the criminal acts of the state of Israel, just as there are many Americans who abhor the criminal acts of the US under our present criminal regime. Together we can effect regime changes in each of our respective countries and start to work in a positive direction, to build rather than to destroy, as our respective national myths say we prefer to do.
Whenever I have a chance I try to point out that there are at least 1664 Israelis refuseniks, including 27 Israeli airmen, more than a dozen members of Sayeret Matkal, and Noam Bahat, Hagay Mattar, Adam Mouar, Shimi Tzamrit and Mittan Kminar who are serving prison terms for refusing to serve in Israel's illegal, immoral war against the Palestinians.
That's like 80,000 people here in the United States. And I imagine that it takes every bit as much backbone to stand up to the Likud in Israel as it does to stand up to the present regime here in America.
The only real advantage the far-right wing has over us ordinary Americans and Israelis is the funding they have managed to channel from the US Treasury to maintain their dominance. If we just ignore the MSM, put our heads down and work together we can remove these gangsters from office, take back our nations, and rechart our course based on our own real interests rather than those of the multinational oils, the arms merchants, and the expropriators of others' lands.
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