An honest Israeli confesses... He has the courage to face the truth. Do you?
Disgrace in The Hague
By Gideon Levy
There's a name on every bullet, and there's someone responsible for every crime. The Teflon cloak Israel has wrapped around itself since Operation Cast Lead has been ripped off, once and for all, and now the difficult questions must be faced. It has become superfluous to ask whether war crimes were committed in Gaza, because authoritative and clear-cut answers have already been given. So the follow-up question has to be addressed: Who's to blame? If war crimes were committed in Gaza, it follows that there are war criminals at large among us. They must be held accountable and punished. This is the harsh conclusion to be drawn from the detailed United Nations report.
For almost a year, Israel has been trying to argue that the blood spilled in Gaza was merely water. One report followed the other, with horrifyingly identical results: siege, white phosphorous, harm of innocent civilians, infrastructure destroyed - war crimes in each and every report. Now, after the publication of the most important and damning report of all, compiled by the commission led by Judge Richard Goldstone, Israel's attempts to discredit them look ludicrous, and the empty bluster of its spokespersons sound pathetic.
So far they have focused on the messengers, not their messages: the researcher for Human Rights Watch collects Nazi memorabilia, Breaking the Silence is a business and Amnesty International is anti-Semitic. All cheap propaganda. This time, though, the messenger is propaganda-proof. No one can seriously claim that Goldstone, an active and ardent Zionist, with deep links to Israel, is an anti-Semite. It would be ridiculous.
Although there were some propagandists who actually tried to use the anti-Semitism weapon against him, even they knew this was farcical. One had to hear the moving interview that Goldstone's daughter Nicole gave to Razi Barkai on Army Radio Wednesday, to understand that he is in fact a lover of Israel and its true friend. She spoke, in Hebrew, of the mental anguish her father experienced and of his conviction that, had he not been there, the report would have been much worse. All he wants is an Israel that is more just, she explained.
Neither can anyone doubt his legal credentials, as a top-level international jurist with an impeccable reputation. The man who found out the truth about Rwanda and Yugoslavia has now done the same regarding Gaza. The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague is not only a legal authority, he is also a moral authority; therefore complaints about the judge won't hold water. Instead, it is time to look closer at the accused. Those responsible are first and foremost Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Gabi Ashkenazi. So far, incredibly, none of them has paid any price for their misdeeds.
Cast Lead was an unrestrained assault on a besieged, totally unprotected civilian population which showed almost no signs of resistance during this operation. It should have raised an immediate furor in Israel. It was a Sabra and Chatila, this time carried out by us. But there was a storm of protest in this country following Sabra and Chatila, whereas after Cast Lead mere citations were dished out.
It should have been enough just to look at the horrendous disparity in casualties - 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli - to shake the whole of Israeli society. There was no need to wait for Goldstone to understand that a terrible thing had occurred between the Palestinian David and the Israeli Goliath. But the Israelis preferred to look away, or stand with their children on the hills around Gaza and cheer on the carnage-causing bombs.
Under the cover of the committed media, and criminally-biased analysts and experts - all of whom kept information from coming out - and with brainwashed and complacent public opinion, Israel behaved as if nothing had happened. Goldstone has put an end to that, for which we should thank him. After his job is done, the obvious practical steps will be taken.
It would be better for Israel to summon up the courage to change course while there is still time, investigating the matter genuinely and not by means of the Israel Defense Forces' grotesque inquiries, without waiting for Goldstone. Olmert and Tzipi Livni must be brought to pay for their scandalous decision not to cooperate with Goldstone, although at this point that is spilled milk. Now that the report is on its way to the ICC and arrest warrants could soon be issued, all that remains to be done is to immediately set up a state inquiry commission in order to avert disgrace in The Hague.
Perhaps next time we set out to wage another vain and miserable war, we will take into account not only the number of fatalities we are likely to sustain, but also the heavy political damage such wars cause.
On the eve of the Jewish New Year, Israel, deservedly, is becoming an outcast and detested country. We must not forget it for a minute.
Gilad Shalit FOUND!!
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Before God was, I am
Re: Gilad Shalit FOUND!!
Calling all Robert Byrd fans! :D
Standard treatment of non-Askananzis in the fake apartheid state (remember, you can't spell Askanazi without spelling Nazi)...
Tel Aviv Nightclub fined for barring dark-skinned clients
By RON FRIEDMAN
Tel Aviv District Court Judge Shlomo Friedlander on Tuesday ordered the owners of the Donna Martin nightclub in Tel Aviv to pay NIS 60,000 in compensation to two young men who were prohibited from entering the club because of the color of their skin.
The two men, both of Yemenite descent, were barred entrance to the club in August 2005.
The judge found that the two were discriminated against when they were told that they couldn't enter the premises because they weren't invited, even though fair-colored friends entered freely.
Nightclub managers, or the "selectors" who they employ to choose who can enter the club, often use the excuse that the club is closed for a private function and entrance is by invitation only to discourage people from attempting to enter or to justify their refusal.
The nightclub owners claimed they did not discriminate against people of Mizrahi descent and said that the owners, staff and guests of the club were of Mizrahi descent themselves.
In his ruling, the judge said: "The eyes of the hostess were not veiled. They were not color-blind, either…. In fact, they displayed an acute distinction between those whose skin is slightly tinged, in the manner recognized with the wide group of people who make up the 'club scene' in general and between those whose skin is dark brown, like that of the plaintiffs."
The ruling came as good news for Moti Wadja, a 29-year-old accountant of Ethiopian descent. Wadja says he was also a victim of racial discrimination and has filed a lawsuit against the Tel Aviv nightclub, Galina, which refused him admission two weeks ago.
"I made plans to meet up with friends at the club to celebrate the return of one of our friends from abroad. I was a bit late in arriving and by the time I got there, my friends were already inside," related Wadja.
"When I approached the selector and asked to be let in, I was told that I needed an invitation. A few minutes later I called my friends inside and asked them if they could do anything to help.
"My friend Aryeh came out and asked the selector if it was all right to let in a friend. She said it was all right, but then when she saw that I was the friend he was talking about, she again refused.
"By that time the bouncer got involved and while Aryeh was arguing with the selector, the bouncer punched him in the face."
"Following the incident, in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, we decided that we would not let the incident just go by unchallenged," said Aryeh Schwartz from Petah Tikva. "We decided to make this case an example, so that such things won't reoccur in the future.
"I've known Moti for 10 years. He served in an elite military unit, he went to university with me, there is no difference between us except for our skin color. There is no need to go into a psychological evaluation - it's racism, plain and simple."
Schwartz said he was convinced that they could prove that it was an act of discrimination because the club's security cameras recorded the incident and there were many witnesses around to give testimony.
The two are taking action to ensure that such discrimination by nightclubs stops.
"We would like to see the place closed down or at least be given a big fine, so that other places see and learn," said Wadja.
"It's more about what the club will pay than what we receive," said Schwartz.
Besides filing criminal charges for assault, the two plan to sue the club for discrimination.
The two have set up a group called Put a Stop to Racism on social networking Web site Facebook, and are organizing a demonstration in front of the Galina club in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
Standard treatment of non-Askananzis in the fake apartheid state (remember, you can't spell Askanazi without spelling Nazi)...
Tel Aviv Nightclub fined for barring dark-skinned clients
By RON FRIEDMAN
Tel Aviv District Court Judge Shlomo Friedlander on Tuesday ordered the owners of the Donna Martin nightclub in Tel Aviv to pay NIS 60,000 in compensation to two young men who were prohibited from entering the club because of the color of their skin.
The two men, both of Yemenite descent, were barred entrance to the club in August 2005.
The judge found that the two were discriminated against when they were told that they couldn't enter the premises because they weren't invited, even though fair-colored friends entered freely.
Nightclub managers, or the "selectors" who they employ to choose who can enter the club, often use the excuse that the club is closed for a private function and entrance is by invitation only to discourage people from attempting to enter or to justify their refusal.
The nightclub owners claimed they did not discriminate against people of Mizrahi descent and said that the owners, staff and guests of the club were of Mizrahi descent themselves.
In his ruling, the judge said: "The eyes of the hostess were not veiled. They were not color-blind, either…. In fact, they displayed an acute distinction between those whose skin is slightly tinged, in the manner recognized with the wide group of people who make up the 'club scene' in general and between those whose skin is dark brown, like that of the plaintiffs."
The ruling came as good news for Moti Wadja, a 29-year-old accountant of Ethiopian descent. Wadja says he was also a victim of racial discrimination and has filed a lawsuit against the Tel Aviv nightclub, Galina, which refused him admission two weeks ago.
"I made plans to meet up with friends at the club to celebrate the return of one of our friends from abroad. I was a bit late in arriving and by the time I got there, my friends were already inside," related Wadja.
"When I approached the selector and asked to be let in, I was told that I needed an invitation. A few minutes later I called my friends inside and asked them if they could do anything to help.
"My friend Aryeh came out and asked the selector if it was all right to let in a friend. She said it was all right, but then when she saw that I was the friend he was talking about, she again refused.
"By that time the bouncer got involved and while Aryeh was arguing with the selector, the bouncer punched him in the face."
"Following the incident, in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, we decided that we would not let the incident just go by unchallenged," said Aryeh Schwartz from Petah Tikva. "We decided to make this case an example, so that such things won't reoccur in the future.
"I've known Moti for 10 years. He served in an elite military unit, he went to university with me, there is no difference between us except for our skin color. There is no need to go into a psychological evaluation - it's racism, plain and simple."
Schwartz said he was convinced that they could prove that it was an act of discrimination because the club's security cameras recorded the incident and there were many witnesses around to give testimony.
The two are taking action to ensure that such discrimination by nightclubs stops.
"We would like to see the place closed down or at least be given a big fine, so that other places see and learn," said Wadja.
"It's more about what the club will pay than what we receive," said Schwartz.
Besides filing criminal charges for assault, the two plan to sue the club for discrimination.
The two have set up a group called Put a Stop to Racism on social networking Web site Facebook, and are organizing a demonstration in front of the Galina club in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
Before God was, I am