Open Letter to President Obama Appears as Full-Page Ad in New York Times, Calls for Even-Handed Mideast Policy

Open Letter to President Obama Appears as Full-Page Ad in New York Times, Calls for Even-Handed Mideast Policy

http://files.e2ma.net/2785/assets/docs/ny-times-ad-obama-gaza.pdf

 

Our Lives Begin to End the Day We Become Silent About Things That Matter.

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

January 21, 2009

 

Dear President Obama,

 

With your historic inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, we share our sincerest congratulations and

hope that you will uphold your commitment to change.

 

As American citizens we are deeply concerned that our nation’s one-sided approach to the Middle East crisis

compromises America’s ability to act as a fair negotiator. Our foreign policy has upheld the interests of Israel, but has

failed to do the same for the Palestinian people. Israel—the fourth largest military power in the world—has devastated

a population of 1.5 million people, one without an army, navy, or air force. As the attacks in Gaza demonstrated, the

outgoing administration chose to defend Israeli aggression even though the violence resulted in the disproportionate

deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians, including 300 children, as compared to 13 Israelis. Indeed, the loss of all of

these lives cannot be justified.

 

As you embark upon your presidency, we offer your administration the following recommendations for an evenhanded

policy that ensures sustainable peace in the region:

 

END THE LONGSTANDING BLOCKADE AND ALLOW HUMANITARIAN AID TO REACH GAZA.

Since January 2006, Israel has blocked entry into Gaza, preventing delivery of food, medicine, fuel, and basic necessities. Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Vatican’s Council for Justice and Peace, called on the world to, “Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp.” On December 30, 2008, the humanitarian relief boat “Dignity”, carrying a former U.S. Congresswoman, was rammed and shot at by the Israeli navy and could not deliver its aid. On January 8, the International Committee of the Red Cross relief workers found four starving children sitting next to their mothers’ dead bodies. The ICRC reported that, “The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestinian Red Crescent to assist the wounded.”

 

DEMAND THAT ISRAEL ADHERE TO INTERNATIONAL LAW.

Israel is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 242, which calls for Israel to withdraw from the Occupied Territories, and Resolution 446, which calls for Israel to remove and stop building all illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Israel must also abide by Resolution 1860, passed on January 8, which calls for an “immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza” and “the unimpeded provision throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance within Gaza, including food, fuel and medical treatment.”

 

CALL FOR A LASTING AND ENFORCEABLE CEASEFIRE RESPECTED BY ALL PARTIES.

In June 2008, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, which, according to CNN, Israel broke by killing 6 Palestinians in

Gaza on November 4, 2008. Hamas retaliated by firing rockets into Israel, and the carnage in Gaza was Israel’s response. Israeli military veteran and professor of international relations, Avi Shlaim, has stated that Israel’s “response to the pinpricks of rocket attacks was totally disproportionate.” According to Amnesty International, hitting residential streets with shells that blast shrapnel over a wide area constituted “prima facie evidence of war crimes.” While Israel and Hamas agreed separately to a ceasefire this weekend, it is not permanent nor does it include mutually agreed upon terms.

 

REEVALUATE THE $3 BILLION OF ANNUAL U.S. AID TO ISRAEL.

The U.S. Arms Export Control Act mandates that American weapons not be used to attack civilian populations in

offensive operations. However, American tax dollars have helped finance the attack on Gaza and paid for the guns,

ammunition, and aircraft used to kill innocent Palestinians and collectively punish an entire population. Human

Rights Watch recently reported that the Israeli military fired artillery shells with white phosphorous into the Jebaliya

refugee camp, burning Palestinian civilians. On July 29, 2007, the U.S. agreed to continue military aid to Israel with a

25% increase, amounting to $30 billion over the next ten years.

 

Congressman Dennis Kucinich recently stated, “Using U.S. planes, helicopters and munitions to attack a wounded,

starved and thirsty civilian population of mostly children trapped in a box called Gaza has become acceptable,

perhaps because we have already accepted the deaths of over one million innocent civilians in Iraq in a war based

on lies. When we recognize the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, when we come to grips with the reality of suffering

on both sides, we may yet find a way to save ourselves.”

 

Mr. President, we respectfully urge you to consider our recommendations to rescue the people of Gaza from this

humanitarian disaster. We also hope that during your Presidency you will strongly encourage Israel to withdraw

from the Occupied Territories and return to pre-1967 borders, and that you will support the establishment of a viable

Palestinian state. While we have always insisted that the Palestinians meet their obligations in seeking a resolution to

this conflict, the time to insist on the same from Israel is long overdue.

 

Sincerely,

 

Muslim Public Affairs Council - New York: www.mpac.org

United for Peace and Justice: www.unitedforpeace.org

Council on American-Islamic Relations - New York: www.cair.com

U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation: www.endtheoccupation.org

American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee: www.adc.org

LA Jews For Peace: www.lajewsforpeace.org

 

Arab Muslim American Federation  

Association of Muslim American Lawyers  

Brooklyn For Peace

Islamic Circle of North America

Muslim American Society of New York  

Muslim Bar Association of New York  

Muslim Consultative Network

Muslim Finance Professionals Association of New York  

Muslim Foundation of America, Inc.  

Muslims for Progressive Values

Network of Arab-American Professionals of New York  

New York Community of Muslim Progressives  

Women in Islam

POSTED BY Administrator ON 01.21.09 @ 9:58 pm | 0 Comments

LABOR/COMMUNITY Conference ~ Saturday, January 24th, 1:00 to 7:00 PM ~ SEIU Local 721 - 500 S. Virgil Ave. LA ~ Important Speakers Join Program ~ Bail Out People, Not Wall Street

In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

BAIL OUT PEOPLE
NOT WALL STREET!!

 

LABOR/COMMUNITY FIGHTBACK CONFERENCE!

 

New Speakers Added!

 

Susan Abulhawa,
Author of Scar of David

Hank Jones,
San Francisco 8

Hamid Khan,
South Asian Network, Taxi Drivers Organizer

Dave Welsh,
delegate,
SF Labor Council

Where: SEIU Local 721 - 500 S. Virgil Ave. Los Angeles (Near 6th St.)
When: Saturday, January 24th from 1 PM to 7 PM
Contact: (310) 677-6407

Sponsors And/Or Endorsers:
SEIU Local 721; Letter Carriers Union Local 214; Labor/Community Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions; Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Familia Latina Unida Sin Fronteras, Maravatio, Michoacan, Mexico; BAYAN-USA; ANAKBAYAN; FMLN; Black Workers for Justice, Raleigh, NC; Free Iraq Now, Anaheim; The Hip Hop Citizen - Riverside; Plan of Action in a Changing Era - San Diego; Our Developing World - Saratoga; Puerto Rican Alliance Los Angeles; San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper; International Action Center; Rosie Martinez, Executive Board SEIU Local 721; Clarence Thomas, Executive Board ILWU Local 10; Dave Welsh, San Francisco Labor Council Delegate; Chris Silvera, Secretary Treasurer, Teamster Local 808;  Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green Party Vice Presidential Candidate

What’s it about?

•    Uniting and fighting against the war against working and poor people both here and abroad and for economic and social justice.
•    Bringing together all workers and people affected by this crisis in a militant movement to win our rights, linking up community groups, churches, labor unions, anti-war and social justice activists and more.
•    Uniting communities with union efforts to organize and protect working and poor people.

 
What do we want?
Panels & Workshops On:

  • JOBS OR INCOME - the Right to a Job. Extend Unemployment Insurance; No Plant Closings and Runaway Shops; ban slave labor in the prisons; Labor/Community control of banks, auto industry.
  • HOUSING FOR ALL - Housing is a human right - Moratorium on foreclosures and evictions.
  • EDUCATION FOR ALL – Quality education is a human right. With the budget cuts, many schools in the most oppressed communities are in danger of being shut down. Stop prison construction – fund schools not prisons.
  • DEFEND IMMIGRANT WORKERS. Attacks on immigrant labor are attacks against the entire working class and union movement. Stop the raids, deportations & family separations - Full legalization now.
  • STOP THE REPRESSION OF COMMUNITIES hardest hit by the crisis, including racist police brutality, and the railroading of youth into the prison system. How do we deal with the lack of public services, community gathering places, and even the lack of any real food stores in many neighborhoods? How do we ensure that any stimulus package also goes to the communities hardest hit by the economic crisis, especially in communities of color?
  • UNITE ORGANIZED LABOR AND ALL WORKERS to use their strategic position in the economy to fight for what we need: Awakened to the growing danger to their jobs, wages, benefits and pensions, workers will be looking for a new way out. Class solidarity and struggle offer that way.
  • BUILD SOLIDARITY WITH WORKERS IN GAZA, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, SOMALIA AND EVERYWHERE: People in the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and Africa are fighting against the same banks, corporations and military industrial complex that rob and wage war against us here in this country on a daily basis. Unite our struggles to become stronger. Stop the War Machine, Fund People’s Needs Instead.
  • FIGHT RACISM, SEXISM, HOMOPHOBIA AND OTHER ATTEMPTS TO DIVIDE OUR CLASS: The spontaneous protests of mainly Black and Latina/o people against the murder in Oakland by transit cops and the nationwide demonstrations against Prop 8 by the LGBT communities prove that people are ready to battle for social justice and equality. How can we further build united actions against oppression that will unify working and poor people?

 

Bail Out The People Movement - www.bailoutpeople.org
International Action Center - www.iacenterla.org

 

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 9:54 pm | 0 Comments

“End the War Now” ~ An Anti-War TV Commercial from Iraq Veterans Against the War ~ Aired Earlier Today on NBC ~ It Will Air on Dateline NBC Tonight in Los Angeles ~ See it Below.

"End the War Now"

 

An Anti-War TV Commercial from Iraq Veterans Against the War

 

Aired Earlier Today on NBC

 

It Will Air on Dateline NBC Tonight in Los Angeles

 

Please view the commercial at:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWKXJmIJpTM 

 

Hello Everyone!
 
It is with great pleasure that i present you this youtube video that was made possible by one highly motivated, high speed, low drag member of mine, devon read (usmc sgt). It aired earlier today on nbc in select markets (la, dc, chicago, phillie, miami, dallas, san diego, albequerque, san fran). But we’re not done there, we are now want to make this video go viral. so please, it is now time to spread this link everywhere!
 
And if you live in LA, it will be on dateline TONIGHT!
 
Peace,
Wendy B.
President
IVAW Los Angeles

www.ivaw.org/chapter/los-angeles

 
 —–Original Message—–
 From: Devon Read <ccpdread@mac.com>
 Sent: 1/16/2009 7:35:21 PM
 To: Devon Read <ccpdread@mac.com>
 Subject: We did it - the Iraq Veterans Against the War "End the War Now" ad has been delivered!
 
 
Six weeks ago this was simply an idea. Today, at 8:41 it was
delivered to the NBC stations nationwide, with a whole 19 minutes to
spare.
 
 I want to thank Danny, George, Rocky and the rest of the team at Baked
 Goods Productions for the beautiful product they came up with, Beau
 Weaver for his impeccable talent, JJ Italiano and the Flobots for
 graciously allowing us to use their beats, Kim for all of her work at
 NBC, Amy & Kevin for their writing, Arline for all of her help at SAG
 and everyone else for all of your support, hard work, ideas,
 dedication and help throughout this process. And to all of the IVAW
 chapters that look forward to seeing this run live on Tuesday, I thank
 you for believing in us and supporting this effort with your hard-
 fought fund raising efforts!
 
 And a bit of very good news; our time slot has been moved to three
 minutes before Barack Obama takes the oath of office, 8:57am PST/
 11:57am EST. So spread the word folks, tell everyone to keep an eye
 out on Tuesday, but please keep the below link to yourselves until
 then, we don’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone! (besides, the
 intent is for this to go viral, and the way youtube works is that the
 video will go to the top of the page based on the number of views in a
 limited period of time… Thus we want all of our supporters to view
 it starting Tuesday, which will make the most impact).
 
 So without further adieu, here you are:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWKXJmIJpTM
 
 Devon Read
 Sgt USMC
 IVAW LA Secretary

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:50 pm | 0 Comments

Palestine Forum: Behind the War on Gaza - Saturday, January 24th, 2:00 PM - At the ANSWER Office: 137 N. Virgil Ave., #201, Los Angeles 90004

Palestine Public Forum & Teach-In
The U.S./Israeli War on Gaza & the Cease-Fire:
The Real Aims Behind the Media Lies

Saturday, January 24, 2pm
ANSWER Office: 137 N. Virgil Ave., #201, Los Angeles 90004
Map and Directions   Public Transportation
(5 min walk from Vermont & Beverly Metro Red Line stop)

Download Flyer    RSVP To Attend the Teach-In

All organizers, activists, progressives and interested people should attend the Jan. 24 Los Angeles Public Forum and Teach-In on Palestine. Although the media is touting the cease-fire, Israeli Occupation Forces remain in Gaza and the region is still under a full economic blockade. Come discuss the real story of Palestinian heroism and suffering, and focus on how we can build more solidarity with Gaza.

· Why did Israel launch it’s deadly offensive against Gaza?
· What does the new cease-fire mean for Palestinians?
· How does the assault on Gaza fit in with U.S. aims in the Middle East?
· What is the role of the governments of Egypt, Jordan & Saudi Arabia?
· Did the U.S. and Israel achieve their goals?
· What can working people and students in the U.S. do to struggle for a free Palestine?

Speakers will include:

Dr. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Mada al-Carmel: The Arab Center for Applied Social Research, Haifa. Dr. Shalhoub-Kevorkian is a professor of law in Jerusalem and is currently a visiting professor at UCLA’s law school. She is an expert on the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and how the occupation affects women. 

Yousef Abudayyeh, Free Palestine Alliance, National Coordinator. Abudayyeh is a long-time activist, founding member of the National Council of Arab Americans, a member of the coordinating committee of the Beirut meeting, member of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Coalition, and National Coordinator of the Free Palestine Alliance, USA. He lives in San Diego with his family.

Muna Coobtee, ANSWER Coalition, Steering Committee. Coobtee is a frequent speaker and media interviewee on the U.S. and its role in funding Israel’s occupation of Palestine. She regularly writes for Liberation newspaper and pslweb.org. Coobtee has traveled many times to historic Palestine and spoken on behalf of the U.S. anti-war movement at conferences in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.

Rana Sharif, Palestinian American Women’s Association. Sharif is a community organizer and member of the PAWA Executive Board in Southern California. She is a doctoral student in women’s studies at UCLA.

Discussion and strategizing will follow presentations.

Sponsored by ANSWER Coalition, Free Palestine Alliance, National Council of Arab Americans; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition and Palestinian American Women’s Association.

$5-10 donation requested (no one turned away for lack of funds). For more info call 213-251-1025 or e-mail answerla@answerla.org. Free childcare available. Please call ahead to reserve.

————————————————–

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
213-251-1025
http://www.answerla.org
answerla@answerla.org
137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Join us at ANSWER meetings - contact us to get involved!

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:39 pm | 0 Comments

THANKS VET DINNER ~ Saturday, January 31st, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM - Orange County Central Labor Council Hall in the City of Orange

1.8 Million American Veterans Have No Health Insurance!

OC Healthcare for All! OC Catholic Worker Present: 

UNTIL WE ARE ONE…

 Our THANKS VET Dinner, Banquet & Ceremony

Special Guests of Honor & Keynote Invocation

Saturday Evening, January 31st - 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Orange County Central Labor Council Hall   

2020 W. Chapman Avenue, Orange 92868       

Reservations Required - (714) 235-6083 or: bijan@thanksvet.us

THANKS Vet!(ToHelpAndKeepSupporting)Veterans and All Americans --Dedicated not only to Empowering and Caring for the health of Veterans regardless of deployment status and their dependents, but to all Americans regardless of financial status.

More info at: www.thanksvet.us  and  www.ochealth4all.org

 

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:39 pm | 0 Comments

Gaza Cease-Fire: Since December 27th, Israel Killed more than 1,250 Palestinians & Injured more than 5,000. 13 Israelis were Killed. ~ US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Statement on Gaza Cease-Fire:
Our Work Is Not Over

This weekend, Israel and Hamas agreed separately to a cease-fire and Israel has begun to withdraw its troops from the occupied Gaza Strip.  Since December 27, Israel killed more than 1,250 Palestinians, more than half of whom were civilians according to the UN, medical sources, and human rights organizations, and injured more than 5,000.            

 

13 Israelis were killed, including 10 soldiers, four of whom died in a ‘friendly fire’ incident.  As of this morning, Israel is closing border crossings into the Gaza Strip, thereby preventing the unimpeded access of humanitarian goods in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1860.

Since Israel’s war on the occupied Gaza Strip began, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has called for: 

1) An immediate an unconditional cease-fire.

2) Unimpeded humanitarian access to the occupied Gaza Strip and an end to Israel’s blockade of it.

3) Accountability for Israel’s misuse of U.S. weapons in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the imposition of the required sanctions for violating this law.

Tens of thousands of people in the United States took action-marching in the streets, distributing educational materials, contacting Congress, the White House, and State Department, and making your voices heard in the media-to help bring about this cease-fire.

While the weapons have fallen silent momentarily, we cannot let up in our activism.   Please visit our "End Israel’s War and Siege on Gaza" web section for suggested ideas and ways to continue to be involved.

In fact, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that Israel lifts its illegal blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip, which is a form of collective punishment of its 1.5 million residents outlawed by the Geneva Conventions.  Returning to the pre-December 27 status quo in the occupied Gaza Strip is not acceptable.  As the Occupying Power of the Gaza Strip, Israel is obligated under the Geneva Conventions to provide for the well-being of its residents.  This includes ensuring full and unimpeded access of humanitarian goods, and opening the borders of the Gaza Strip for normal trade and for freedom of movement.  Israel must also be held accountable for its destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and be forced to pay reparations for the human and infrastructural damage it inflicted.  These immediate demands must be followed by a diplomatic process with all interested parties which results in an end to Israel’s military occupation of the Palestinian Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as required by UN Security Council Resolution 242.    

Israel must also be held accountable for its violations of the Arms Export Control Act through its wanton killing and injuring of civilians; its targeting of civilian infrastructure such as police stations, schools, universities, mosques, hospitals, humanitarian aid providers, and UN compounds; and its indiscriminate use of white phosphorous and uranium oxide munitions in civilian areas.  As we have documented, Israel’s war and siege on the Gaza Strip would not have been possible without U.S. weapons provided to Israel with our tax dollars.  It is our job to demand of our politicians that Israel is held accountable for its violations of this law and that sanctions, including ending military aid, are imposed as required by law.  Rep. Dennis Kucinich has already demanded a State Department investigation into Israel’s violations of the Arms Export Control Act and we must collectively build momentum to ensure the investigation is complete and accurate and that Congress acts on the results of the investigation.

Today our office is buzzing with dozens of volunteers from all over the country who have come to Washington, DC for President-Elect Obama’s inauguration.  We are organizing teams of volunteers to cover the National Mall tomorrow collecting signatures on postcards to end military aid to Israel. 

Beginning Wednesday, we will be calling upon you to take action from day one of the Obama Administration to demand an end to Israel’s illegal blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip and for accountability and sanctions on Israel for its violations of U.S. law and human rights abuses of Palestinians.

In the meantime, please visit our website for more ways to take action right now.  

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:38 pm | 0 Comments

LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER MEETING - Saturday Morning, January 24th, 11:00 AM - At Casa de Sousa - 634 N. Main Street, Los Angeles 90012

LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER MEETING

www.la.indymedia.org

 

Saturday Morning, January 24th ~ 11:00 AM

At
  Casa de Sousa  

634 N. Main Street, Los Angeles 90012
             (It’s in Olvera Street, across the street from the Union Station Metro stop)
Contact:  Anna: 323-661-4711 - anna1baila@yahoo.com

 

PLEASE FORWARD AND POST WIDELY:

 

This is an invitation from the Los Angeles Independent Media Center Collective to join us at our first meeting for 2009. This will be the First meeting of the 10th anniversary year of the Independent Media Center! Unreal! It’s been almost 10 years since the Battle of Seattle …..and the beginning of a Revolution in Media. So here we are now, at this weird historical crossroad, and looking at what promises to be one of the most interesting and exciting times in recent history.  From a story-telling perspective, LA Indymedia is already in the unique position to tell that story…whatever it turns out to be, from the voices of the people living it.

So come and bring your ideas; whatever they might be. Bring your passion for social justice and for communication. Everyone is invited. It doesn’t matter how experienced or not you feel you are about making media. Come prepared to share skills and to learn. We are all media makers. Every time you tell a story you are creating media. Come be part of what is a true community space…a space where there is room for all productive and growth oriented points of view. Come be part of a collective project where there is room to experiment, explore, develop skills and discover new strengths

One of the projects we are looking at realizing this year is a 10 year anniversary celebration of the Independent Media Center. We have discussed creating an event where the last 10 years of LA Indymedia will be exhibited in photo, sound and video culled from the archives from the last decade. This is a wonderful time and opportunity to get involved with the collective and explore the history of  the Los Angeles movement for the last 10 years from the people’s perspective.

Even if you think that you don’t have much time….or don’t feel you can get involved with yet another project, you are still welcome to come meet us and find out what we’re up to. Being part of LA Indymedia might not be more than being witness to an event and documenting it in one paragraph so others can know about it…or taking a picture with your cell phone and posting it. Whatever your involvement, however large or small; it and you are welcome. If you’re part of another group that is also doing media or any other community project, let’s hook up and see how we can work together.

When:  The meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning, January 24th at 11 am.
Where:  Casa de Sousa- 634 N. Main St., LA, 90012
             (It’s in Olvera Street….across the street from the Union Station Metro stop)

Contact:  Anna: 323-661-4711
               anna1baila@yahoo.com

In Peace and Solidarity,
The LA Indymedia Collective.
www.la.indymedia.org

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:38 pm | 0 Comments

“The Crisis of the Nation State: Lebanon, Israel & Palestine” - A Conference at UC Irvine ~ Saturday, January 31st, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM ~ Norman G. Finkelstein, As’ad Abukhalil, Mark LeVine, Daniel Levy

"The Crisis of the Nation State: Lebanon, Israel & Palestine"

A Conference at UC Irvine

Saturday, January 31st ~ 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

UC Irvine Student Center
East Peltason Drive, Irvine 92617
949-824-2419

 

 "Whither the Levant?" The Crisis of the Nation-State: Lebanon, Israel and Palestine

Date/Time: 

Jan 31 2009 11:00am - 7:00pm

Price: 

General public $40 all activities, $55 with catered lunch reception.
Single panel or symposium, $20
Films only $10, $8 students (entry good for two films).
Conference/films free to UCI students and faculty.
Conference (panels and symposium) free for all students. 
Middle Eastern lunch $12 students/$15 general public with advance reservations, $15/$18 at the door.
Student i.d. must be presented at the door.
Click here to purchase tickets

Where: 

UC Irvine Student Center
East Peltason Drive
Irvine, CA 92617
949.824.2419

A conference including documentary and feature screenings, panels and symposium, organized by Levantine Cultural Center and the University of California, Irvine, the Middle East Studies Student Initiative (MESSI). Cosponsored by the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies/UCI, American Friends Service Committee, LA Jews for Peace and supported by Diane and Jeanette Shammas, Lawrence Joseph, Kanan Hamzeh, Casey Kasem, Bana Hilal, Asad Farah and the Salaam-Shalom Educational Foundation.

UC Irvine Student CenterThis conference takes place at the UC Irvine Student Center in the Crystal Cove Auditorium and Pacific Ballroom. [Map].

Schedule (details subject to change)

11 am—"Lebanon Summer 2006" directed by Cédric Troadec (documentary, ‘50 minutes). 
12 noon-1:00 pm—Catered Middle Eastern buffet reception 1:15-3:00 pm—Panel 1: Regional Forces: Lebanon/Israel/Palestine
3:15-4:45 pm—Panel 2: The Obama-Biden Administration and Foreign Policy vis-à-vis the Middle East: Same-Old or a New Era?
5:00-7:00 pm Symposium: The Crisis of the Nation-State: Lebanon, Israel and Palestine
8:00 pm—"Under the Bombs" directed by Philippe Aractingi (feature, 90 minutes). 
Americans generally and Southern Californians in particular have multiple reasons to be concerned about the future of the Middle East.

·                             Military operations in Iraq/Afghanistan cost Los Angeles County alone an estimated $3 million a day in tax revenues. An L.A. Times report suggested, in fact, that, "Every level of [California] state and local government has been touched by the hidden cost of war." Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, co-authors of The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict, argued in an L.A. Times op-ed [3/16/08], "Californians are already paying more to support the war effort than most Americans."

·                             Israel receives about $3 billion per year in U.S. economic and military aid, while Egypt is the second-largest beneficiary, receiving $1.3 billion a year from the U.S. In many ways, our government invests heavily in the region.

·                             Using the latest works of authors and filmmakers, our purpose is to examine the imminent future of the Levant, particularly in view of the in-coming Obama Administration. Looking at the recent history with a measure of "pessoptimism", scholars, filmmakers and audience members will confer in an environment conducive to intellectual inquiry and constructive debate.

Whither the Levant

"WHITHER THE LEVANT: The Crisis of the Nation-State: Lebanon, Israel and Palestine" will examine contemporary history and the future of this troubled region. Because many Middle East statesmen/women have come to understand that military solutions for the region’s problems do not work, the focus of this program is to emphasize pathways to diplomatic, non-violent solutions to the region’s problems. 

Among the books featured during this program is an anthology, The War on Lebanon: A Reader (Olive Branch Press 2007), edited by Dr. Nubar Hovsepian. It is an essential collection of essays on politics and society in the region, international collusion, legal implications, and regional effects. Other books include

·                             The Returns of Zionism: Myths, Politics, and Scholarship in Israel by Gabriel Piterberg;

·                             Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation by Saree Makdisi

·                             Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Norman Finkelstein

·                             Why They Don’t Hate Us, Unveiling the Axis of Evil and Heavy Metal Islam by Mark LeVine

·                             The Costs of War, by Richard Falk

The films to be screened are:

Lebanon Summer 2006, (U.S. 2007) is a documentary directed by Cédric Troadec and produced by Lawrence Joseph, about the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The film gives the floor to the Lebanese—a strangely original idea, given that they seem to have been forgotten by modern history, and worse, sacrificed in the name of politics not of their making and out of their control. This is not just a simple assessment of the country’s situation after being destroyed by the Israeli military. It is the faithful depiction of the impact of the war on a group of Christian, Sunni and Shia witnesses who lived through the chaos.

Under the Bombs (France-Lebanon 2007). "Under the Bombs" stars Nada Abou Farhat as Zeina, a Shiite Muslim woman who sends her young son to live with her sister in southern Lebanon while she goes through a messy divorce back home in Dubai. However, after a round of bombings from Israel, Zeina loses touch with her sister and her son, so she travels to Beirut, hoping to find a taxi driver to take her south. "Emotionally engaging, impressively directed and superbly acted drama that uses authentic Lebanon locations to devastating effect."

Schedule in Detail (Subject to change)

Reception: 12 noon-1:00 pm, a catered Middle Eastern lunch, free to speakers/organizers/sponsors, $12 students/faculty when reserved in advance, $15 at the door. $15 general public when reserved in advance, $18 at the door.

Film schedule: 11 a.m.-12 noon, "Lebanon Summer 2006" dir. Cédric Troadec (52′). 8:00 pm "Under the Bombs," dir. Philippe Aractingi (98′)

Panel 1: 1:15-3:00 pm Regional Forces: Lebanon/Israel/Palestine, with Nubar Hovsepian, As’ad AbuKhalil and Norman Finkelstein, moderated by Lina Kreidie. Norman Finkelstein will speak on Israeli policies that exacerbate the context of regional war; As’ad Abukhalil will look at the future of Lebanon as an independent state; and Nubar Hovsepian on the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and the future of relations between Lebanon and Israel. As a Lebanese and researcher on Hezbollah, Lina Haddad Kreidie brings her own experience to the discussion as moderator.

Panel 2: 3:15-4:45 pm Israel, Palestine and the Two-State vs. One-State Solution, with Saree Makdisi, Chuck O’Connell, Gabriel Piterberg and Daniel Levy, moderated by Nubar Hovsepian. Saree Makdisi expounds on the arguments in his book Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation; Chuck O’Connell builds on his work focusing on Arab/Israeli coexistence in a talk entitled "Beyond Nationalism"; Daniel Levy speaks from his experience as a negotiator in the Barak government; and Gabriel Piterberg will base his arguments on those put forth in The Returns of Zionism.

Symposium: 5:00-7:00 pm The Obama-Biden Administration and Foreign Policy vis-à-vis the Middle East: Same-Old or a New Era?, a conversation with Richard Falk (TBC), Lina Haddad Kreidie, As’ad Abukhalil, Norman Finkelstein, Nubar Hovespian, Chuck O’Connell and Gabriel Piterberg, moderated by Mark LeVine and Saree Makdisi. Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan will be discussed.

Program Bios (Subject to Change)

Nubar Hovsepian is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Chapman University. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Graduate Center—City University of New York. He edited The War on Lebanon (2007). His new book, Palestinian State Formation: Education and the Construction of National Identity, was published in 2008. He is currently working on a book on Edward Said as a Public Intellectual. In addition, he has written and edited four books (in Arabic), most notably on the Iranian revolution of 1979. He served as Political Affairs officer at the United Nations (1982-84), and has worked as publisher, journalist, and development specialist.

As’ad Abukhalil was born in Tyre, Lebanon. He grew up in Beirut and studied at the American University there. He received his doctorate in comparative government from Georgetown University. He has instructed at Tufts, Georgetown, and George Washington University as well as Colorado and Randolph-Macon College. He is currently a professor of political science at California State, Stanislaus, and a visiting professor at UC Berkeley. As’ad Abukhalil has served as a Middle East consultant for major news outlets and authors the blog, The Angry Arab.

Norman G. Finkelstein is an independent scholar and political scientist, specializing in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the politicization of the Holocaust. He received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University, and has held faculty positions at Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Rutgers, New York and DePaul Universities; he was an assistant professor at DePaul from 2001 until 2007, when he was controversially denied tenure, and subsequently resigned. Finkelstein is the author of five books which have been translated into more than 40 foreign editions and his new book, A Farewell to Israel: The Coming Break-up of American Zionism, is scheduled for publication in 2009.

Lina Haddad Kreidie did extensive research on Islamic fundamentalism, Middle East politics, and ethnic violence. She teaches classes mainly on Middle East Politics, Islam and the West, Global issues, Psychology of International conflict, and Intercultural communication and conflict at the University of California, Irvine, and Chapman. Her publications include: Religion and Identity: "Deciphering the Construals of Islamic Fundamentalists in The Future of Identity, Edited by Ken Hoover. Spring 2004; "The psychological dimensions of Ethnic conflict: How identity Constrained the choice and Worked to Turn Ordinary People into Perpetrators of Ethnic Violence during the Lebanese Civil war. " International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society. Summer 2002; "The Social and Economic Correlates of Islamic religiosity." World Affairs. Fall 2001; The Perspectives of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Limits of Rational Choice Theory," Political Psychology Journal. Vol. 13 No.1. With Kristen Monroe, 1997. Her work in progress is the clash of Identities and the struggle of nation-states: case studies Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

Mark LeVine is Professor of Middle Eastern History at UCI and the author of Why They Don’t Hate Us, Unveiling the Axis of Evil. In his new book Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam, he shows how heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, and reggae are each the music of protest, and in many cases considered immoral in the Muslim world. Why, despite governmental attempts to control and censor them, do these musicians and fans keep playing and listening? Partly, of course, for the joy of self-expression, but also because, in this region, everything is political. In Heavy Metal Islam, Mark LeVine explores the influence of Western music on the Middle East through interviews with musicians and fans, introducing us young Muslims struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a desire for change. The result is a revealing tour of contemporary Islamic culture through the evolving music scene in the Middle East and Northern Africa. 

Daniel Levy is director of The Century Foundation’s Prospects for Peace Initiative. Mr. Levy was a policy adviser in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and head of the Jerusalem Affairs Unit during the Barak Government. He was a member of the Israeli delegation to the Taba negotiations with the Palestinians in January 2001, and of the negotiating team for the ‘Oslo B’ Agreement from May to September 1995, under Prime Minister Rabin. Mr. Levy served as senior policy adviser to former Israeli Minister of Justice, Yossi Beilin. Daniel was the lead Israeli drafter of the Geneva Initiative and directed policy planning and international efforts at the Geneva Campaign Headquarters in Tel Aviv. The Geneva Initiative is a detailed model, unofficial and jointly drafted Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Saree Makdisi teaches English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, and is a frequent commentator on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Makdisi’s book Palestine Inside Out: an Everyday Occupation (Norton 2008) catalogues the policies and procedures of occupation from the point of view of its victims, the Palestinians. The book suggests that occupation is merely a feature of an ongoing Israeli policy of slow transfer of the native Palestinian population from their lands. Makdisi argues that a one-state solution for the region’s multicultural reality is the only viable option for the future.

Gabriel Piterberg is an Associate Professor of History at UCLA and has also taught at the University of Durham, England, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He graduated from Tel Aviv University, where he majored in Middle East history and political science (BA), and Middle East and European history (MA). He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford and has taught at the University of Durham and Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He was awarded the Leonard Stein Lectureship at Oxford and his newest book is entitled The Returns of Zionism: Myths, Politics, and Scholarship in Israel. He contributed the essay "Covering Lebanon: Media and the 2006 War" to Hovsepian’s anthology The War on Lebanon.

 

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:37 pm | 0 Comments

Screening of “OCCUPATION 101″ ~ Saturday, February 7th, 7:00 PM - At the Dorrel’s in Culver City ~ Film about the Current & Historical Root Causes of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Dear Friends,

‘OCCUPATION 101’ is one of the Most Important & Well Made Documentaries I have ever seen!

Frank Dorrel

 

You Are Invited to a Special Screening of

 

OCCUPATION 101

Voices of the Silenced Majority

 

A Thought-Provoking & Powerful Documentary Film on the Current

& Historical Root Causes of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine

 

Saturday, February 7th - 7:00 PM

At

Frank & Jane Dorrel’s

3967 Shedd Terrace, Culver City 90232

Q&A with Director Abdallah Omeish &

Yael Korin, Cofounder of the Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid, Southern CA: www.ceia-sc.org

$10 Donation at the Door ~ Dessert & Drinks Served

For More Information Call: 310-838-8131 or Email: fdorrel@addictedtowar.com

VIDEO OCCUPATION 101

A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict — ‘Occupation 101′ presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions.
 
The film also details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are explained through first-hand on-the-ground experiences from leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been suppressed in American media outlets.

The film covers a wide range of topics — which include — the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880’s, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the United States Government, the second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.

www.occupation101.com

OCCUPATION 101 features a leading list of some of the most credible Middle East scholars, historians, peace activists, journalists, and humanitarian workers.

 

Dr. Albert Aghazarian

Director of Public Relations at Bier Ziet University. He is the most prominent Palestinian Armenian figure — Headed press centre during Madrid conference.

Ambassador James Akins

Former (1963-1965) Attache at the US Embassy in Baghdad; Former (1973-1975) US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman

Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights - an organization of Israeli rabbis committed to defending the human rights of all people in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control.

Dr. William Baker

Former Professor of Ancient History and Biblical studies. Founder of Christians and Muslims for Peace.

Bishop Allen Bartlett, Jr.

Assisting Bishop (2001-2004) of the Diocese of Washington. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington comprises 93 Episcopal congregations in the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles and Saint Mary’s.

Phyllis Bennis

Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. An author, analyst, and activist on Middle East and UN issues. Helped found and co-chairs the U.S. Campaign to End Israeli Occupation.

Peter Boukaert

Director of Emergencies at Human Rights Watch — the largest human rights organization based in the United States. He has conducted extensive fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in the West Bank (Israeli Occupied Territory).

Sharon Burke

Former Advocacy Director with Amnesty International — a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave human rights abuses worldwide.

Noam Chomsky

Institute Professor Emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An Author and Analyst of Global Affairs including, US foreign Policy, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Author of "The fateful triangle: the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians."

Father Drew Christiansen

Former director of the Office of International Justice and Peace, United States Catholic Conference (91-98) and served as counselor on international affairs from (98-04). He traveled to the Holy Land numerous times to investigate the on-the-ground reality facing the Palestinian Christian community.

Cindy and Craig Corrie

Parents of late peace activist Rachel Corrie — who was killed by an Israeli Bulldozer while protesting the destruction of a Palestinian doctor’s home. Founders of the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

Douglas Dicks

Visitor Outreach program director Catholic Relief Services in Jerusalem. His work brings him in direct contact with patriarchs and priests as well as with elected government officials, human rights groups, and prominent members of both Palestinian and Israeli societies

Richard Falk

Served on the United Nations Human Rights Fact-finding Commission (2001) to investigate international law violations and human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. Author and former Professor of International Law at Princeton University.

Paul Findley

United States Congressman (1961-1983). Founder and Chairman of the Council for the National Interest. Author of "They Dare to Speak Out" and other books.

Thomas Getman

He served as director of World Vision’s programs in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (1997-2001). Currently, he is director of humanitarian affairs and international relations — and is responsible for diplomatic relations with UN government member missions in Geneva.

Neta Golan

Israeli peace activist and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. A peace movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles.

Jeff Halper

Co-founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and a Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion University. He has researched and written extensively on Israeli society and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands.

Amira Hass

Israeli Journalist living and working in the occupied territories, she writes for Ha’aretz — an Israeli daily newspaper. She is the author of "Drinking the Sea at Gaza: Days and Nights in a Land under Siege."

Doug Hostetter

He worked as an Interfaith Peacebuilder for the Fellowship of Reconciliation and took part in delegations to Israel/Palestine to learn from Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and experience directly the situation of Palestinians living under military occupation.

Kathy Kamphoefner

She worked with the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron (West Bank) — which embraces the vision of unarmed intervention waged by committed peacemakers ready to risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through nonviolent means.

Adam Keller

Spokesperson of Gush Shalom — an Israeli Peace Group which has played a leading role in determining the moral and political agenda of the peace forces in Israel, as well as in breaking the so-called "national consensus" based on misinformation.

Hava Keller

Israeli peace activist and founder of Women’s Organization for Political Prisoners — established with the objective of helping female political prisoners who struggle against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. She was also a soldier who served during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Rashid Khalidi

Director of the Middle East Institute - School of International and Public Affairs/Columbia University. Author of "Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness" and "British Policy towards Syria and Palestine" — among other books.

Peretz Kidron

Spokesperson of Yush Gvul — an Israeli peace group campaigning against the occupation by backing soldiers who refuse duties of a repressive or aggressive nature. He is an Israeli peace activist, freelance journalist, and author of "Refusenik!: Israel’s Soldiers of Conscience."

Rabbi Michael Lerner

Rabbi of Beyt Tikkun and editor of TIKKUN magazine — A Bimonthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture and Society. In 2002, He founded The Tikkun Community which brought hundreds of people to Washington, D.C. to a Teach-In to Congress on Middle East Peace.

Rabbi Rebecca Lillian

The spiritual leader of Temple Beth Or in Miami, FL. She was previously co-chair of the Jewish Peace Forum and, under its auspices, organized Jewish peace delegations to Israel and the West Bank. She is currently on the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace.

Roger Normand

Roger Normand is co-founder and executive director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights in New York, and has led recent human rights missions to Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel and Palestine.

Allegra Pacheco

She is an American-born Israeli attorney who works on the front lines and defends Palestinians in Israeli courts against house demolitions, land confiscations, torture, and illegal detentions. Her litigation won an Israeli Supreme Court banning certain torture methods in Israel.

Ilan Pappe

An Israeli-born lecturer from Haifa University. Through his life experiences and scholarly research he came to challenge the common historical narrative of his state. He is one of the so called ‘New Historians’ who in the late 1980s exposed the 1948 ethnic cleansing Israel carried out in Palestine.

Dr. Iyad Sarraj

A prominent Palestinian psychiatrist who has undergone extensive research about the mental health condition of children living and Gaza. He is the director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program.

Yael Stien

Research director of B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group — established in 1989 by a group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories.

Gila Svirsky

An Israeli peace campaigner for more than 15 years, lives in Jerusalem. She is a founding member of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, a grouping of eight Israeli and Palestinian women’s peace organizations.

Ambassador Edward Walker

His diplomatic career includes positions as US Ambassador to Israel (1997-1999), the Arab Republic of Egypt (1994-1997), and the United Arab Emirates (1989-1992). He also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs under the Clinton administration.

 

Alison Weir

American freelance journalist who has traveled independently throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She founded If Americans Knew and frequently lectures throughout the United States to misinformed and uninformed citizens on one of the most significant issues affecting them today.


www.occupation101.com

 

POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 8:05 pm | 0 Comments