Tag: Palestine

Activist Doctor Mads Gilbert Denied Access to Gaza Indefinitely

Mads Gilbert, an outspoken Norwegian doctor and activist who treated patients at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital during Israel’s assault on the Palestinian territory this summer, has been denied access to Gaza “indefinitely” by Israeli authorities.

Gilbert told Al Jazeera on Friday that he was turned away from the Erez border crossing when attempting to return to Gaza in October, despite having all the legitimate paper work.

“To my surprise I was denied access by the Israeli military,” he said. “When I asked the reason they informed me that it was a security issue.”

Gilbert said that when he asked for a fuller explanation, he was told to “leave the premises or the police would be called”.

Telling the world about the burdens of the Palestinians in Gaza is considered a security risk.

The 67-year-old, who has been involved in solidarity work with Palestinians for decades and volunteered at al-Shifa during three wars, has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military campaigns and its occupation of Palestinian territory.

During the seven-week conflict between Israel and the Hamas movement that left more than 2,000 Palestinians dead, Gilbert frequently spoke to international media, including Al Jazeera, about the situation at al-Shifa hospital, which was overwhelmed with civilian casualties.

However, a spokesperson for the Coordination of the Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli authority that coordinates all traffic between Gaza and Israel, told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the refusal of entry was related to security reasons and had “nothing to do with Gilbert’s anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic remarks”.

Gilbert told Al Jazeera he was informed that the ban was “infinite without any time limit”.

He said he had been invited by the Gaza Health Ministry which had requested his assistance to research the the impact on healthcare of the Israeli bombardment and to follow up on work done during that time.

The Norwegian embassy in Tel Aviv has made numerous inquiries to the Israeli government about the ban.

Bard Glad Pedersen, state secretary at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, told Verdens Gang, “we have raised Gilbert’s exclusion from Gaza and asked Israel to change their decision. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is still difficult and there is a need for all health workers.”

Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-registered charity which has been working in the occupied West Bank and Gaza for over 20 years and supports al-Shifa hospital called the ban on Gilbert “deeply concerning” and reiterated that, “following the recent conflict, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza require specialised surgical treatment and it is imperative that the right to health is unimpeded.”

Denouncing his entry ban as a limitation of freedom of expression, Gilbert said it appeared the Israeli government “doesn’t want the effects of their continuous attacks on the civilian population in Gaza to be known to the world.”

“Telling the world about the burdens of the Palestinians in Gaza is considered a security risk”, he said, adding that in a larger perspective, the ban was not about him but about the Gazans’ right to international assistance.

“The Israeli authorities are, in my opinion, in no position to deny the Palestinian people support from the international community,” he told Al Jazeera.

He vowed to continue to challenge Israel and called for political pressure to be exerted to lift the “long overdue” siege of Gaza.

“There is no way we’re going to accept that medical and humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza shall be denied just because the Israeli government has decided so. I will not give up travelling to Gaza as long as they have medical needs,” he said.

Israel launched “Operation Protective Edge” following firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza.

According to UN figures the Palestinian death toll was 2,131, of whom 1,473 were identified as civilians, including 501 children.. On the Israeli side, 77 people, mostly soldiers, were killed.

Source: www.aljazeera.com

November 15, 2014
Turkey Protecting The Al Aqsa Mosque

Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Friday that his country has already made moves to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, news outlets have reported.

Davutoğlu said that he has called Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Political Bureau Head Khaled Meshaal to discuss the issue. He pledged to do whatever it takes for Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque. “We have given the required orders; we will launch initiatives everywhere, the UN being the first place in the world for supporting Al-Quds,” he insisted.

“Al-Quds has been entrusted with us by Hazrat Omar [the second Muslim caliph],” Davutoğlu told the audience at the opening of public facilities in the north-western Anatolian province of Bursa. “Al-Quds has been entrusted to us by Ottoman Sultans Yavuz Sultan Selim and Süleyman the Magnificent. Al-Quds has been entrusted to us by the last soldier of the Ottomans and is our cause today. Even if everybody else forgets, it will continue being our cause for eternity. Nobody can turn to a Turk and say ‘Al-Quds is not your cause’.”

Defending the whole Middle East, he continued: “No one can say that the Middle East, which includes Al-Quds, Makkah, Madinah, Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, is a swamp. If there are some people who have changed it into a swamp, they are the oppressive regimes and occupiers, at the top of which is the Israeli government.”

Addressing the Israeli occupation authorities Davutoğlu warned that they should not think that just because Muslims in the region are being suppressed by certain regimes they will not turn against Israel. “You have to know that there are some who defend Syrians and Palestinians, including the Turkish Republic. It will stand beside the oppressed everywhere and every time.”

Source: www.middleeastmonitor.com

November 9, 2014
Gaza: Where Have All The Activists Gone?

I have always thought that those who resort to violence or those who go as far as exploding themselves are sick and inhuman. But now I know how it feels to have nothing to lose but your worthless life. I know how it feels to be so desperate that you literally cry from disappointment when you actually wake up in the morning, and to spend the night before asking God for a last favor … to take your life because you’re just too cowardly to take it yourself. #‎Gaza‬ is no longer a city or a territory. It is a disease. It is an unbearable pain, an un-treatable wound. Gaza is the opposite of life, but at the same time far beyond death.

This is the Facebook post to which I woke up yesterday, written by Maisam Morr, one of the few Gazans who typically serve as my “rocks” – resilient spirits who never give up, and keep my hope alive that we can beat back the grinding, dehumanizing force that is the Israeli occupation. She is the one who dreamed up the Rubble Bucket Challenge (the Palestinian response to the ALS ice bucket), and who – in the midst of the unremitting “gray” of the destruction that is Gaza – asked for a pink laptop for her birthday. And yet now, she was succumbing.

The breaking point for Maisam was the announcement Sunday that Israel had closed its two crossings into Gaza for all but the most critical humanitarian aid, in response to the firing of a single rocket fired. No injuries or property damage resulted, and no groups in Gaza claimed responsibility or credit. According to Maisam, “almost all Gazans swear that it is some sort of a trick (a planned trap) to open another front with Israel.” F16s are now flying low over Gaza again, as if on cue.

According to news reports, Israel had not decided how long the crossing would be closed. “It will depend on the security situation.” There’s that code phrase…”security situation” – a cover for just about any action Israel chooses to take, and which no one in the international community (in the West at least) is courageous enough to challenge. (Update: the crossings re-opened today, and Palestinian officials said 330 truckloads of goods, as well as one of cement, would be allowed in. Seriously? ONE truckload of cement? In a way, I think that’s how Israel uses closures – as a device to make Gazans happy for crumbs when they come.)

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Oct. 24 attack on an army checkpoint in the northern Sinai that killed 31 soldiers, Egypt has emulated Israel. It declared a three-month lockdown in the area, including a dawn-to-dusk curfew, and indefinitely closed the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only non-Israeli-controlled bridge to the outside world. Meanwhile, Egypt is demolishing an estimated 800 homes housing 10,000 residents to set up its own buffer zone along the border with Gaza (546 yards wide, 8 miles long). As with the Israeli rocket, no group claimed responsibility, yet the Egyptian government has been quick to implicate Hamas and other Gaza-based “terror groups.” In addition to slamming its doors shut to thousands of Palestinians seeking medical treatment or opportunities to study abroad, the Egyptian government canceled indefinitely the indirect talks between Israelis and Hamas on a long-term truce.

“My dearest Egypt,” wrote Maisam on her blog. “You treat me like an infectious disease. You see me as a threat to your national security while all I ever wanted is to protect my life, my dignity and my very being. Forgive me for being so selfish and so blind for I simply cannot understand how come my call for freedom collides with your mighty security. Only few years ago, I thought we fought a shared enemy but it looks like that I AM the enemy.”

Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau and a member of the Palestinian reconciliation delegation, describes the closures as collective punishment, in contradiction of all understandings, agreements and international law, and adds that it will be impossible to sit idly by. And can you blame him? Since the ceasefire was announced on Aug. 26, two Palestinian rockets were shot by unknown parties. Israel, however, has violated it 19 times by shooting at fishermen and farmers, and opened the crossings on an extremely limited basis – far less than implied by the spirit of the ceasefire terms. (It doesn’t help that Israel wants the “civilian nature” of every project to be verified by Israeli and U.N. officials.) See my blog post for a complete listing of ceasefire violations and an overall status report.

Yet, Nicole Ganz, spokeswoman for the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, says the Palestinian Authority has yet to file a complaint. And the international activist community? It sometimes seems it takes a war to mobilize us in mass numbers as well – which explains why we’re all focused on Syria and Iraq, with barely a mention or attempt to push back on the daily deteriorations in Gaza and the West Bank.

“During the war, I was getting messages all the time from foreigners who wanted to help, who promised to help me get out for a bit after it was over,” recalls Maisam. “But now..nothing. Even during the war, I never felt like I wanted to die. This is new to me. I guess we’ll just keep breathing until we stop.”

Source: http://mondoweiss.net

November 6, 2014
Pritam Singh Back Out as GOH For Gaza Charity Concert

Dear Pritam,

I happened to look at the flyer about the charity concert, in aid of humanity or was it Palestine? I was shocked that you were listed as the guest of honour in the earlier flier.

I don’t know what you were thinking of when you agreed. I see it as a populist move to get more votes but I think you have erred in this case. I will come to that later.

You came across as being cut from a different piece of cloth but alas, you have proven that you are no different from the others of your ilk. Therein lies a lesson for us, the common people: When politics come into play, the public suffer. In the game of one-upmanship and votes, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis died unnecessarily in the armed conflict and the images from the conflict has been utterly shocking. The Israelis and Palestinians are both at fault for allowing this carnage.

I trawled our parliament pages to find Singapore’s stand and I agree with it. A tiny country’s words do not carry far but nonetheless, we have registered our point and we are correct to call upon Israel and Hamas to stop their death games. That’s what we did and I was surprised that we did make the call. Israel has been one of the first countries in the world to recognise our status as a new country and it was the first to respond to our call to help build up our defence force. But it was also revealing when Shanmugam said: “Our relationship with Israel is not any deeper than with many other countries. In fact, several other countries have much more leverage over Israel. We are a small country, far removed from Israel, and we have a good relationship with Israel as we have with the Palestinian National Authority and several other Arab countries, and many others.”

However, to stand up and voice our condemnation to an ally takes a lot of guts.

As for the Palestinians, I read that we have been giving them aid. Let me quote Foreign Minister Shanmugam’s response in parliament on 5 August 2014:
“We have maintained good relationships with the Palestinian National Authority. Mr Goh Chok Tong, when he was Senior Minister, had visited Palestine. And we have been supportive of the two-state solution and consistent with that, we have tried to support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.
“Last year, at the UN General Assembly, Singapore voted for all Palestinian-related resolutions. That is as public a support as you can get.
“I personally met the Palestinian National Authority’s Foreign Minister last year, and we had a good exchange of views. We have also supported visits from the Ministers of the Palestinian National Authority to Singapore. Indeed, we financially support that.

“Since 2013, we have been participating in the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD). During CEAPAD I in Tokyo last year, we announced Singapore’s enhanced Technical Assistance Package for the Palestinian National Authority, worth at $5 million over five years, which is more than several of our regional countries have pledged. Under this package, we have received several delegations and study visits. The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli met with the Palestinian National Authority’s Prime Minister during CEAPAD II in Jakarta earlier this year. Mr Masagos encouraged the Prime Minister to send more Palestinians to Singapore under this package. We hope that they do so.

“So, politically, materially and philosophically, we have been supportive of the Palestinian cause and we have made that very public.”
Hamas is the thorn in this case and they are using the people to further their militant viewpoint. As Shanmugam said, “The international community can make statements, and can try and bring some sense, but ultimately, it is going to require that the actors themselves to also want peace.

“At the end of the day, the fact is, the Israelis and Hamas – and I say Hamas because there was not a single rocket from the West Bank which is under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, and there have been no attacks by Israel on West Bank – are responsible for what is happening in Gaza, and they have to exercise political will, and take concrete steps to bring an end to the conflict.”

Now coming back to my statement that you have erred. The charity concert event that you are willing to grace will definitely polarise Singaporeans. In a multi-cultural and secular society like ours, this issue will definitely pull religion, by its collar, into the picture. This is an explosive issue and will you be able to handle it. I say, you will not. Then who will be left with the mess created by this one inconsiderate act of yours: Us, we, the people of Singapore.

During the same debate in parliament, you talked about the impact of the images including the possibility of self-radicalisation.
I share the same view as Shanmugam, which is, there is nothing much we can do.

The images and the news from Gaza has already created rifts in friendships. Strong views have caused many carefully nurtured friendships to fray. I personally, have kept away from some friends who supported either Israel or Palestine, not just because of their extreme and unforgiving comments but because they wanted me take sides with them in this conflict. It was either I am with them or against them.

Do you think the charity concert will just be a fund-raising platform? Did you ask the organisers for their agenda? Is this your individual stand or the Workers’ Party’s stand? Are you a willing party to this concert which will definitely radicalise Singaporeans in their thoughts and actions? Are you and your party willing to be responsible for the aftermath? Will you and the Workers’ Party be responsible for us, Singaporeans?

Sadly, I don’t think so. All you, the Workers’ Party and other opposition parties, think about is yourself. Let us come to power and we’ll prove it to you, you said in the last elections. But what did you do? Nothing at all. Bereft of views, ideas and suggestions, you and your party are taking us for a ride. We Singaporeans are waking up to you and your kind.

But what is intolerable is you trying to drive a wedge between us, Singaporeans, by endorsing such events. For the political survival of you and the Workers’ Party, please don’t use us. It is not fair to us.

Authored by Robert De Souza

Source: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/dear-pritam-singh-4797710.html

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September 8, 2014
McDonald’s Use Malay Staff and Franchise Owners As A Front For Public Sympathy

KUALA LUMPUR – A Malay business lobby group slammed McDonald’s Malaysia today for using its ethnic Malay staff and franchise owners as “human shields” to deflect criticism from anti-Israeli boycott campaigns.

The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) accused the local operator of the global fast food chain of being hypocritical with its stance of “supporting its workers”, alleging that very little of its profits are passed down to its workers.

“It must be said that whatever McDonald’s restaurants are facing are not comparable to the atrocities currently being inflicted in Gaza,” said MTEM CEO Nizam Mahshar in a statement.

“At the same time, we do not agree with the way McDonald’s is using the Malay staff and franchise owners as a front for public sympathy.”

MTEM claimed that McDonald’s Malaysia would register sales of RM1.8 billion this year based on an annual growth rate of 20 per cent, and its last sales figure of RM1 billion as of 2010.

The group calculated that with 12,000 employees working 150 hours per month at a wage of RM5 per hour, McDonald’s Malaysia would’ve spent only RM108 million on its staff.

“This would mean that only 6 per cent of their sales go back to its employees in this country. Where does the rest of the 94 per cent head to?” asked Nizam.

He demanded McDonald’s Malaysia disclose who benefits the most in the company.

MTEM said it abhors violence, and urged those who had joined in boycotts against the fast food outlets to offer better-paying jobs to McDonald’s Malaysia staff and provide its franchise owners viable alternatives instead.

“We believe that this should also be part of the discussion for organisations and individuals that believe in a sustainable movement to boycott multinational brands that allegedly funnel funds to Israel,” he said.

“MTEM admits that it has no control over the anger of the public, however misguided they may be. However, we believe it is up to the corporations to win back the trust of the public while refraining from using its staff as a public relations human shield.”

The group also said the event serves as a lesson to all multinational conglomerates in Malaysia, which should include Malaysians both in terms of employment and also as part of the supply chain.

A list of products and companies, including McDonald’s, purportedly with ties to Israel’s Zionist regime has been circulating in the social media, although many have ended up there based on now-debunked hoaxes and obsolete links.

A nationwide 24-hour boycott was held last Friday against McDonald’s to protest against the fast food chain’s alleged links to Israel.

The popular fast food joint has since pleaded against the protest, saying the real victims of a boycott of its products would be its mostly Malay-Muslim employees.

The fast food chain also pointed out that the company is a source of livelihood for more than 12,000 employees, over 85 per cent of whom are Muslims.

It also said 67 of the restaurants are owned and operated by 27 local franchisees, nearly half of whom are Malay-Muslims.

Source: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/513363-don-t-use-malay-staff-as-human-shield-mcdonald-s-malaysia-told.html

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August 16, 2014