Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Elder of Ziyon
Tuesday, August 11, 2015Elder of Ziyon
‘PSC, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and CAABU, the Council for Arab-British Understanding have put together an excellent online educational resource designed to introduce secondary school students to Palestine. They are mainly geared towards the Citizenship Curriculum, but can be used in English, Media, History and Geography lessons. 1) Forced to leave home: After brainstorming what they would take from their homes if they had to flee at short notice, students will do short role-plays based on fleeing home; 2) Role-play – refugees: A role-play to explore some of the key questions around one of the most central issues regarding Israel-Palestine. In character students will discuss the Right of Return and who has responsibility for the Palestinian refugees. 3) Handala – a boy whose face we don't see: Students will look at 10 cartoons by Naji Al-Ali, a Palestinian political cartoonist and one of the most popular in the Arab world. Students will explore the power of symbiosis and draw their own cartoons; 4) The opinions of maps [Elder’s readers will need no prompting regarding which four maps!]: Students will look at a range of maps of Israel-Palestine representing different perspectives and identify the main themes of each map – thereby increasing their understanding of some of the main issues, improving their map literacy and addressing the question of whether any map presents only "bias-free" facts; 5) Something to cheer about? The class will prepare and conduct a press conference around the British government's refusal of visas to the Palestine under-22 football team. 6) Why didn't Reem finish school? Students will be given a series of information cards about Gaza and from these each group will construct a story to explain why a girl living in Gaza might not finish school; 7) A village and a wall – news story: Students will make a news bulletin about the weekly demonstrations in Bil'in, a Palestinian village cut through by the Wall; 8) Bil'in – role plays: Students will look at photos of Bil'in, a Palestinian village cut through by the Wall, and work in groups to make role-plays based on the photos; 9) Trading: different people, different chances – The class is split into several groups, and some of [sic] designated Palestinians and some settlers. The teacher administers the occupation as the different groups produce goods to sell – giving students an insight into how the occupation and the settlement enterprise affects Palestinian livelihoods; 10) What's in your shopping bag – is it illegal? Students will learn about fair trade and the issue of products in British supermarkets as being labelled as Israeli when they are from illegal settlements. In groups, students will produce a flyer, poster and letter to a supermarket; 11) Difference and sameness in a democracy: Students will read a couple of articles and do online research in preparation for a formal debate that takes Israel-Palestine as a case study: This house believes it is easier to be democratic when people are the same"; 12) False advertising: Students will look at an advert from the Israeli tourist board [http://daphneanson.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/travellers-tall-tale-palestine-lies.html ]that was taken down following several complaints and write their own letter of complaint. They will learn about the advertising code; 13) New news, old news, whose news? Students will look at events in a given week in the West Bank and Gaza and whether these events made it into the British press. Students will reflect on why or why not, and on the nature of news; 14) Being neutral: Students will look at the controversy around the BBC's decision in 2009 not to show a humanitarian appeal for Gaza in order to explore notions of neutrality and fairness; 15) Spray-painting the Wall: Students will analyse graffiti from the Wall in the West Bank and read an article on it, developing an understanding of the role that graffiti and art can play in such a context; 16) More on Bil'in: there are two lessons based on Bil'in, a village in the west Bank that has been the site of weekly demonstrations for four years against the Wall – which cuts straight through the village. Backgrounder on the Wall and Bil'in for teachers and for [sic] something for students.’
“The Balfour Project has been created by a group of academics and activists who believe that this anniversary should not pass unremarked. Mindful of Britain’s responsibility for what has come to pass in the Middle East, the Balfour Project will encourage understanding of what led to the Balfour Declaration, and what flowed from it. Through our website, we plan to facilitate a network of educational, political, religious and humanitarian groups who share this conviction. We aim to stimulate conferences, cultural exchanges and the production of multimedia resources. Above all, we believe that the search for the truth of what took place, and the acknowledgement of wrong-doing, can contribute to justice, peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.”
“In November 1917 the government of Britain issued the Balfour Declaration which promised a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine whilst also promising to protect the rights of the existing indigenous Arab population. This was despite the fact that two years earlier Britain had promised the Arabs the same territory in return for their support against the Ottomans Subsequent British governments upheld the promise to create a Jewish homeland but reneged on the promise to protect the rights of the Arab inhabitants. Thus, a homeland for the Jewish people was achieved at the cost of freedom and self-determination for Palestinian Arabs. Almost a hundred years ago the stage was set for a struggle to control the land that has intensified from that day to this.” (http://www.balfourproject.org/about-2/)
The U.S. government began secret nuclear talks with the Iranian regime in 2011, when Holocaust-denying firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was still president, rather than after supposed "moderate" Hassan Rouhani was elected in 2013, as the Obama administration has claimed. This revelation was made public by Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a speech delivered on June 23.What Iran’s hostile reaction to the Parchin issue means for the nuclear deal
According to a translation of the speech published by the Middle East Media Research Institute, Khamenei said, "The issue of negotiating with the Americans is related to the term of the previous [Ahmadinejad] government, and to the dispatching of a mediator to Tehran to request talks. At the time, a respected regional figure came to me as a mediator [referring to Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said] and explicitly said that U.S. President [Barack Obama] had asked him to come to Tehran and present an American request for negotiations. The Americans told this mediator: 'We want to solve the nuclear issue and lift sanctions within six months, while recognizing Iran as a nuclear power.' I told that mediator that I did not trust the Americans and their words, but after he insisted, I agreed to reexamine this topic, and negotiations began."
In a July 7 interview translated by MEMRI, Hossein Sheikh Al-Islam, an adviser to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, said that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had relayed a letter to the Iranian regime recognizing Iran's enrichment rights.
Chico Marx said: “Who you gonna believe? Me or your own eyes?” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said over the weekend that my organization, the Institute for Science and International Security, was spreading lies when we published satellite imagery that showed renewed, concerning activity at the Parchin military site near Tehran. This site is linked by Western intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to past work on nuclear weapons. But like Chico, instead of acknowledging the concern, the Iranians chose to deny the visible evidence in commercial satellite imagery. Iran’s comments would be mirthful if the topic were not so serious.Treason claims leveled at Jewish senator opposed to Iran deal
Zarif is also calling U.S. intelligence officials and members of Congress liars. They are the original source of the information both about renewed activity at Parchin and concerns about that activity. All we did was publish satellite imagery showing this activity and restate the obvious concern.
Moreover, this information about renewed activity at Parchin does not come from opponents of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated between the United States, five other world powers and Iran, as Zarif suggested. We are neutral on whether the agreement should be implemented and have made that position clear for weeks. The U.S. intelligence community is hardly opposed to the deal. Iran’s attempts to dismiss this concern as the work of the deal’s foes also is just wrong.
The progressive website Daily Kos ran a cartoon in which an imaginary television host called a woodchuck version of Schumer a “traitor” and switched the American flag at Schumer’s side to an Israeli flag.Schumer Explains Opposition to Iran Nuclear Deal: Inspections Regime Has ‘Lots of Holes in It’
“The reactions are a sad example of how some individuals buy into the kind of thesis promoted by [John] Mearsheimer and [Stephen] Walt that US Jews and other supporters of Israel put Israel’s interests ahead of US interests,” said Anti-Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt.
Walt and Mearsheimer co-authored a paper and later a 2008 book in which they claimed that the “Israel lobby,” a loosely defined cross-section of American Jewish groups and others, works against US interests. They said it was characterized by “a core consisting of organizations whose declared purpose is to encourage the US government and the American public to provide material aid to Israel and to support its government’s policies, as well as influential individuals for whom these goals are also a top priority.”
Critics complained that Mearsheimer and Walt essentially reinvigorated classical anti-Semitic tropes accusing Jews of acting as a “nation within a nation” and possessing dual and conflicting loyalties.
Walt, in fact, was one of those who tweeted and retweeted responses to the current back-and-forth over whether the rhetoric concerning the Iran deal constituted anti-Semitism. The Harvard professor called Schumer a “sellout” and retweeted an opinion article in the Huffington Post that called the deal’s opponents “Netanyahu’s marionettes.”
That article cited Schumer’s 2010 comments in which he reportedly said “I am a shomer [guardian] for Israel and I will continue to be that with every bone in my body” as evidence of his unpatriotic interests.
“Hurling accusations of disloyalty are a slap in the face to his [Schumer’s] lifelong record of public service,” Greenblatt complained in a written response to the rhetoric. “There is room for a legitimate debate on the Iran deal, however charges against Senator Schumer — and any other members who articulate on fact-based but alternative views — are beyond inappropriate.”
Proponents of the Iran deal — including President Barack Obama himself — have been criticized in recent weeks for what some see as criticism of their opponents that ply on historical stereotypes of Jews.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) further explained his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal that he announced last week, saying Monday that the inspections regime being trumpeted by the Obama administration had “lots of holes in it” and thus did not merit his support.
“This was one of the most difficult decisions that I had to make,” he said. “I studied it long and hard, read the agreement a whole bunch of times … I found the inspections regime not ‘anywhere, anytime’ but with lots of holes in it. Particularly troublesome, you have to wait 24 days before you inspect. That will allow some of the radioactivity to be seen but not nonradioactivity that goes into building a bomb, all of the kinds of other things that you need.”
Schumer is one of the Senate’s top Democrats and also one if its most prominent Jewish members. Schumer’s decision not to support Obama’s push for the nuclear deal was met with anger at the White House, with the suggestion that he may lose support to become the party’s Senate leader in 2016.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015Elder of ZiyonIt is customary for the President of Ireland to invite Ambassadors to Áras an Uachtaráin for a meeting prior to their final departure from the country. Previous Ambassadors of Israel have enjoyed fruitful meetings with former Presidents of Ireland prior to their departure from Ireland.People who complained received this email:
The current Ambassador of Israel, Boaz Modai, who will be departing later Ireland this week, was not invited to a meeting by President Higgins. This is despite the fact that the Ambassador's date of departure was officially conveyed through the usual diplomatic channels more than two months ago, with the purpose of facilitating a meeting between the President and Ambassador Modai. The Embassy of Israel regrets that this meeting did not take place.
On behalf of the President, Michael D. Higgins, I would like to thank you for your recent e-mail in regard to the departure of the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland and I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain the President's interaction with the Diplomatic Corps.So the question is whether other outgoing ambassadors explicitly requested a meeting with Higgins.
Shortly after their appointment, Ambassadors to Ireland formally present their credentials to the President at a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin. The President also invites all members of the Diplomatic Corps to an annual reception in Áras an Uachtaráin and he regularly meets Ambassadors at various other events during the year. Some Ambassadors formally request to visit the President at the conclusion of their posting to Ireland. All such requests received by the President in 2015 have been facilitated.
No such request was received by the President from the Israeli Ambassador or on his behalf. Had such a request been received, it would, of course, have been treated positively, consistent with the President's courteous and professional approach to the entire Diplomatic Corps.
I hope that this clarifies the position for you.
Kind regards
Conor Ó Raghallaigh
Deputy Secretary General to the President
Tuesday, August 11, 2015Elder of Ziyon
From Ma'an:Up to 80 Palestinian activists on Monday evening occupied the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in occupied East Jerusalem to express solidarity with a Palestinian prisoner who has been on hunger strike more than 50 days.People attack the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross, but the ICRC refuses to condemn them.
The Palestinian youths were reported to have set up tents and raised Palestinian flags and posters inside the offices in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Activist Muhammad al-Shalabi said that around 80 Palestinians had declared an open sit-in that will last until Israel ends the administrative detention of hunger striker Muhammad Allan.
Allan, who has been held without trial or charge since November, has been on hunger strike for at least 56 days, although the exact length is unclear.
On Monday, he was transferred to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, where it is feared Israeli doctors intend to force feed him.
Al-Shalabi said that the Palestinian activists are demanding that the ICRC send a permanent representative to the Barzilai Medical Center to be with Allan to prevent any attempts to force feed him.
They are also demanding that Allan's mother and family be allowed to visit him, and that the ICRC provide "protection" for Palestinians supporting Allan.
The activists condemned the ICRC for "silence" on Allan's case, and accused the organization of not doing enough to save his life.
...but none condemning them. No "progressive" voices outraged at an attack on the most prestigious human rights NGO.Meanwhile, Palestinian youth in #Jerusalem remain steadfast in occupying ICRC hq in solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers. #PalHunger— مريم البرغوثي (@MariamBarghouti) August 10, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015Elder of Ziyon
Amnesty, Fake Civilians 2014
#BeitHanoun Israeli drone fired at workers repairing pipeline, 1 bystander died: http://t.co/mx667hkltn #50Days4Gaza pic.twitter.com/a6NFtQLhmY
— AmnestyInternational (@AmnestyOnline) August 10, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015Elder of Ziyon
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of Ziyon
According to the researcher, many Palestinians captured by Shiite militias in Iraq have been brutally tortured and forced to "confess" to their alleged involvement in terrorism. Since 2003, the number of Palestinians there has dropped from 25,000 to 6,000.Maajid Nawaz: The British Left’s Hypocritical Embrace of Islamism
Most interesting is the complete indifference displayed by international human rights organizations, the media and the Palestinian Authority (PA) toward the mistreatment of Palestinians in Arab countries. International journalists do not care about the Palestinians in the Arab world because this is not a story that can be blamed on Israel.
The UN and other international bodies have obviously not heard of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the Arab world. They too are so obsessed with Israel that they prefer not to hear about the suffering of Palestinians under Arab regimes.
PA leaders say they want to press "war crimes" charges against Israel with the International Criminal Court. However, when it comes to ethnic cleansing and torture of Palestinians in Arab countries such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, they choose to look the other way.
An Arab killing or torturing an Arab is not an item worth publishing in a major newspaper in the West. But when a Palestinian complains against the Israeli authorities or Jewish settlers, many Western journalists rush to cover this "major" development.
Not only do the Arab countries despise the Palestinians, they also want them to be the problem of Israel alone. Since 1948, Arab governments have refused to allow Palestinians permanently to settle in their countries and become equal citizens. Now these Arab countries are also killing and torturing them and subjecting them to ethnic cleansing, all while world leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand and point an accusing finger at Israel.
Anti-extremist campaigner Maajid Nawaz embodies grievances that liberals claim to care about. So why is he being viciously attacked by them?Prof. Phyllis Chesler: Too Many Women Among Those Who Despise America and Hate Israel
The desire to impose religion over society is otherwise known as theocracy. Being veterans of the struggle to push back against fundamentalist Christians, American liberals are well acquainted with the pitfalls of the neoconservative flirtation with the religious-right. How ironic, then, that in Europe it is those on the left—led by the Guardian—who flirt with religious theocrats. For in the UK, our theocrats are brown, from minority communities, and are overwhelmingly Muslim.
Islam is a religion like any other. Islamism is an ideology that seeks to impose any version of Islam over society. When expressed through violence, I call it jihadism. It is obvious to an American liberal that Christian fundamentalism must be made to respect personal choice. Likewise, it is as plain as the light of day to me—a Pakistani-British liberal Muslim—that any desire to impose any version of Islam over anyone anywhere, ever, is a fundamental violation of our basic civil liberties. But Islamism has been rising in the UK for decades. Over the years, in survey after survey, attitudes have reflected a worrying trend. A quarter of British Muslims sympathised with the Charlie Hebdo shootings. 0% have expressed tolerance for homosexuality. A third have claimed that killing for religion can be justified, while 36% have thought apostates should be killed. 40% have wanted the introduction of sharia as law in the UK and 33% have expressed a desire to see the return of a worldwide theocratic Caliphate. Is it any wonder then, that from this milieu up to 1,000 British Muslims have joined ISIS, which is more than joined the Army reserves. In a case that has come to symbolize the extent of the problem, an entire family of 12 recently migrated to the Islamic State. By any reasonable assessment, something has gone badly wrong in Britain.
But for those who I have come to call Europe’s regressive-left how could Islamist tyranny—such as burying women neck deep in the ground and stoning them to death—possibly be anything other than an authentic expression of Muslim rage at Western colonial hegemony? For don’t you know Muslims are angry? So angry, in fact, that they wish to enslave indigenous Yazidi women for sex, throw Syrian gays off tall buildings and burn people alive? All because… Israel. For Europe’s regressive-left—which is fast penetrating U.S. circles too—Muslims are not expected to be civilized. And Muslim upstarts who dare to challenge this theocratic fascism are nothing but an inconvenience to an uncannily Weimar-like populism that screams simplistically: It is all the West’s fault.
What is wrong with this picture? Are young American women still more obsessed with the alleged American occupation of “Muslim lands,” with countries that have never existed (such as Palestine), than they are with the occupation of women’s bodies worldwide, especially under Sharia law, especially under ISIS, and ISIS-like terrorist groups in the Middle East, North and West Africa, and Central Asia?Hamas Admits Gazans Behind Water Crisis, Not Israel
Or rather, are women in certain communities in America only allowed to be visibly outspoken and active if they actively and vocally hate America, despise Jews, and wish to abolish the Jewish state?
Why are these students silent about the ongoing massacres and genocides of Christians, Yezidis, and Muslims in the Middle East at Muslim hands?
Why are the female students and professors utterly silent about the daily, hourly, atrocities being committed against girls and women in Iraq—and in Iran and Afghanistan? Why no word against gender and religious apartheid, no condemnation of FGM, from these people presumably so concerned with justice?
Finally, 64% (or more) of these Jew and America haters are identifiably Muslim. (Their names give it away). Perhaps more really are Muslims but I rest my case right here. These are not the kind of Muslims with whom I work and sympathize who are anti-Islamist Muslims, who are religious, secular, and apostate. My acquaintances also support women’s rights, human rights, Western-style freedoms, and Israel.
In other words: The anti-American and anti-Israeli individuals featured at Canary Mission participate in and attend rallies and demonstrations on American campuses. The majority are pro-Islamist Muslim students and professors, too many of whom are women.
The Hamas paper Al-Risalah conducted an investigation into the subject of Jewish agricultural land in Gaza that was evacuated in the 2005 Disengagement plan, and found that despite Arab claims that Israel has caused a water crisis in Gaza, local residents are in fact to blame.
In its investigation, which relied on figures from the Hamas agricultural ministry, the paper found that excessive use of water for agriculture by local farmers was behind the shortage of water.
In particular the raising of vegetables that require vast amounts of water, digging wells without supervision, and pumping water excessively was found to be the culprit of Gaza's water woes.
The paper of the Hamas terror organization noted that prior to the 2005 expulsion of all Jews from Gaza, no more than 20 wells were being used by Israelis in Gush Katif, and they were dug around a kilometer from the coast so as to trap rain water.
The average pumping from these wells was around 20-30 cubic meters per hour.
Today, the number of wells in the area has tripled, and the Arab agricultural unions working in the evacuated Jewish communities dug close to 30 more wells - in addition to the 16 dug by the municipality.
The average pumping from the agricultural unions' wells is between 60-120 cubic meters per hour, while the average from municipality wells is between 60-70 cubic meters per hour, showing the improper usage of Gaza's water resources.
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of Ziyonunrwa, UNRWA hate
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of ZiyonAmnesty
Ever since the White House leaked Thursday night that Sen. Chuck Schumer would be coming out against the Iran deal, the progressive movement has foamed at the mouth with vitriol directed Schumer’s way.What 29 top US scientists don’t know
Much of it is just the plain old progressive vitriol of the MoveOn.org, Daily Kos and netroots types. Schumer is a warmonger, wants war, loves war, and so on.
Obama set up that argument when he claimed that Republicans were making common cause with hardline Iranians — even though Obama clinched the deal with hardline Iranians who are laughing all the way to the bank and an internationally-authorized nuclear enrichment program.
Obama set up the disloyalty argument, and it’s no surprise that it’s being used against Democrats who don’t support the deal, particularly Jewish Democrats like Schumer.
That dual loyalty charge — often expressed in terms of being an “Israel firster” — is an old anti-Semitic line of attack, as we explored in detail in a prior post, GreenStar boycott group trainer hurls “Israel-firster” slur at Schumer.
The dual loyalty charge is almost exclusively made against Jewish supporters of Israel. You rarely hear it used against American Christians who support Israel.
As The Tablet magazine reports, given the various dog whistles put out by the Obama administration, it’s no wonder these type of accusations are resurfacing.
Schumer long has been a target of that charge by the anti-Israel boycott movement and anti-Zionist progressive websites.
Now it is on overdrive. (h/t fizziks)
The recent letter of support sent to President Obama for his Iran deal secured last month – signed by 29 scientists, including Nobel laureates – was obviously well-timed to lend firmer scientific backing to what many regard as a severely flawed nuclear deal. This is an impressive group of individuals, with achievements that speak for themselves, and their opinions obviously matter. Yet, the very fact of their scientific achievements does not mean that their assessments of the deal are correct. Indeed, their collective judgment of the Iran deal must be assessed on its merits. And in this regard, unfortunately, more than anything else, the contents of the letter echo the well-known talking points of the Obama administration, and suffer from some of the same deficiencies.Indonesia grants Israeli athlete visa, ending standoff
If this highly respected group of scientists is not aware, for example, that the 24-day cap on Iran’s ability to delay an investigation into a facility suspected of supporting clandestine activities could actually be much longer than that, why would we attribute any more authority to this letter than to other sources making similar arguments to support the deal? If the group had scrutinized paragraphs 75-76 in the Access section – that are not about science, but rather politics – they would have seen that Iran’s ability to play for time regarding inspections of suspicious military facilities begins when the IAEA first submits its concerns, and waits for Iran’s clarification. The 24-day count begins only after that, if and when the IAEA makes a request for access; but the preliminary phase has no time limit.
And there are additional dangerous ambiguities in the deal. There are holes and loopholes and flaws that Iran can abuse for its purposes. So when one assesses the deal, the scientific aspects are certainly important, but that is not where the assessment ends. Rather, there is a need to consider the history of dealing with Iran, and the experience gained thereby. Iran has shown its determination not only to hold on to its vast nuclear infrastructure and breakout capability, but continues its highly aggressive attitude toward the US and the Middle East. Moreover, Iran has over the years perfected tactics of playing for time, and has made it very clear that it will not tolerate inspections at its military sites where suspicions are that it has worked on a military nuclear capability. If pressed on inspections in the coming years, Iran will most likely continue to evade and play for time, and the deal dangerously provides ample room for Iran to do so.
Indonesia granted an Israeli badminton player a visa to enter the country and compete in the world championships in Jakarta after a months-long standoff, Israel’s national Olympic committee said Monday.
The Olympic Committee of Israel said Misha Zilberman, 26, had been cleared to enter Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim country — after being repeatedly denied a visa because he is Israeli.
OCI secretary general Gili Lustig said Zilberman had been waiting in Singapore for two weeks after making an initial visa application six months ago. He said the Badminton World Federation intervened to ensure Zilberman could secure a visa.
Zilberman was scheduled to fly from Singapore to Jakarta on Monday accompanied by his mother, also a badminton player, as well as the CEO of the Badminton World Federation, Lustig said. Zilberman is set to compete on Tuesday.
Lustig said the visa delay had prevented Zilberman from properly training for the championships.
“But for us it’s a big victory that he will be there,” Lustig said. “Now he’s an ambassador for Israeli sport.”
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of Ziyon
Palestinian Health Minister Jawad ‘Awad slammed Israel’s announcement that would begin the force-feeding of hunger-striking Palestinian detainee, Mohammad Allan, as an ‘execution’.Force-feeding is certainly controversial but it is not by any definition "execution" - it is the opposite. As I understand Israel's law, it only goes into effect is the hunger striker is in immediate danger of death.
In a Friday press conference, ‘Awad said that force-feeding Mohammad ‘Allan, currently hospitalized in Israeli hospital of Soroka, by Israeli occupation authorities under the force-feeding bill passed by the Knesset at the end of July is tantamount to execution.
‘Allan, has been on a hunger strike for 54 consecutive days in protest against his administrative detention without trial or charge. Reportedly, he has recently been suffering from a critical health condition, complaining of poor vision and throwing up of blood.
93....The Court notes that in previous case-law the Commission held that the “forced-feeding of a person does involve degrading elements which in certain circumstances may be regarded as prohibited by Article 3 of the Convention”. When, however, as in the present case, a detained person maintains a hunger strike this may inevitably lead to a conflict between an individual's right to physical integrity and the High Contracting Party's positive obligation under Article 2 of the Convention – a conflict which is not solved by the Convention itself” (see X v. Germany (1984) 7 EHRR 152). The Commission reiterated that “under German law this conflict ha[d] been solved in that it [was] possible to force-feed a detained person if this person, due to a hunger strike, would be subject to injuries of a permanent character, and the forced-feeding [was] even obligatory if an obvious danger for the individual's life exist[ed]. The assessment of the above-mentioned conditions [was] left for the doctor in charge but an eventual decision to force-feed [could] only be carried out after judicial permission ha[d] been obtained” (ibid.)....As long as the force-feeding is done to save a life, and it is not done in a degrading way if it can be avoided, then case law seems to say that it is not only allowed but obligatory under legal obligations to take care of prisoners.
94. The Court reiterates that a measure which is of therapeutic necessity from the point of view of established principles of medicine cannot in principle be regarded as inhuman and degrading. The same can be said about force-feeding that is aimed at saving the life of a particular detainee who consciously refuses to take food. The Convention organs must nevertheless satisfy themselves that the medical necessity has been convincingly shown to exist (see Herczegfalvy v. Austria, judgment of 24 September 1992, Series A no. 244, p. 26, § 83). Furthermore, the Court must ascertain that the procedural guarantees for the decision to force-feed are complied with. Moreover, the manner in which the applicant is subjected to force-feeding during the hunger strike shall not trespass the threshold of a minimum level of severity envisaged by the Court's case law under Article 3 of the Convention.
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of Ziyon
# Video shows close children's summer camps in the Far to the road in front of intruders settlers to the mosque shortly before the timber and container for plastic.
Posted by First First Jerusalem Jerusalem on Monday, August 10, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015Elder of ZiyonA Canadian Jewish businessman has told The Tablet he has overseen the rescue of more than 120 Christian and Yazidi girls kidnapped by so-called Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq as Pope Francis condemned the "silence" of the international community in the face of ongoing persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.You can donate here.
Steve Maman, 42, an entrepreneur, founded the Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq (CYCI) after the jihadists overran the cities of Mosul and Sinjar a year ago, forcing more than 100,000 civilians, including virtually all the region’s Orthodox and Catholic population, to flee.
Francis in a letter to Iraqi refugees in Jordan issued on Thursday, a year after the jihadists' offensive, said: "Many times I have wanted to give voice to atrocious, inhuman and inexplicable persecution against people in many parts of the world - above all Christians - who are victims of fanaticism and intolerance. Often this persecution occurs where it can be seen and heard yet all are silent. These are the martyrs of today, people who are humiliated and suffer discrimination because of their fidelity to the Gospel."
In a matter last August, the jihadists took up to 7,000 Yazidi women and girls, some as young as 13, into slavery. An unknown number of Christian women and girls were also kidnapped. CYCI estimates that around 2,700 are still being held by IS.
Mr Maman, who cites as a personal hero Oskar Schindler, the German who saved as many as 1,200 Jews from the Nazi Holocaust, works closely with a team of negotiators based inside IS-held areas, who work to reunite the Yezidis with their families. “We liberate children from their captors through the use of on-the-ground brokers,” he said.
The charity receives money for rescue missions from Mr Maman’s mainly Jewish business associates, who, he said, have been “remarkably generous”. But the said his approaches to 60 church organisations in Canada, including parishes in Montreal and national bodies, have failed to attract support.
“This is a finite problem that can be solved with money,” said Mr Maman. “We need Christians to open up at the same rate as my Jewish friends have.”
CYCI collaborates with Anglican Canon Andrew White's Foundaition for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, which is providing shelter to hundreds of people who have fled IS.
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