Subject: Nine prominent Israelis compare Gaza massacre to S.Africa's Sharpeville massacre + Uk's Independent Jewish Voices/Greens condemn Israel+ US Dems may be approaching a turning point
Calls for inquiry into Israel's Gaza killings
Nine prominent Israelis compare the shooting of Palestinians to South Africa's Sharpeville Massacre
Letters to The Guardian (UK), Tue 15 May 2018 https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2018%2Fmay%2F15%2Fcalls-for-inquiry-into-israels-gaza-killings&data
We, Israelis who wish our country to be safe and just, are appalled and horrified by the massive killing of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza (Reports, 15 May). None of the demonstrators posed any direct danger to the state of Israel or to its citizens. The killing of over 50 demonstrators and the thousands more wounded are reminiscent of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 in South Africa. The world acted then. We call upon decent members of the international community to act by demanding that those who commanded such shootings be investigated and tried.
The current leaders of the Israeli government are responsible for the criminal policy of shooting at unarmed demonstrators. The world must intervene to stop the ongoing killing.
Avraham Burg Former speaker of the Knesset and chairman of the Jewish Agency Prof Nurit Peled Elhanan 2001 co-laureate of the Sakharov prize Prof David Harel Vice-president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and recipient of the 2004 Israel Prize Prof Yehoshua Kolodny Recipient of the 2010 Israel prize Alex Levac Photographer and recipient of the 2005 Israel prize Prof Judd Ne'eman Director and recipient of the 2009 Israel prize Prof Zeev Sternhell Historian and recipient of the 2008 Israel prize Prof David Shulman Recipient of the 2016 Israel prize David Tartakover Artist and recipient of the 2002 Israel prize
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Since 30 March, each week has seen more protests by Gazans at the border with Israel and more killings of largely unarmed protesters by Israeli snipers using live ammunition. As of the morning of 15 May, Nakba Day, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and some thousands injured. The position has been aggravated by the provocation of the opening of a new US embassy in Jerusalem, hammering another nail into the coffin of an already moribund peace process.
The Independent Jewish Voices steering group wishes to express our horror at the flagrant disregard for the human rights of the Palestinians and the norms of international law, and our support for those many thousands who have been demonstrating their opposition around the world. We call upon the UK government to condemn the actions of the Israeli authorities, to demand an independent inquiry into the use of force on the Gaza border, to make clear that the UK embassy will remain in Tel Aviv, and to redouble all diplomatic efforts to bring the occupation to an end.
Dr Anthony Isaacs, Dr Vivienne Jackson, Dr Katy Fox-Hodess, Dr Tamar Steinitz, Professor Jacqueline Rose, Ann Jungman, Merav Pinchassoff, Professor Adam Fagan, Professor Francesa Klug Independent Jewish Voices steering group
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the face of the bloodshed in Gaza, too many in the west have been quick to minimise or even excuse the state-sanctioned murder of unarmed protesters. The White House labelled the innocent lives lost at the hands of Israeli troops as "part of the problem", as it celebrated its embassy move. The UK government and Labour Friends of Israel blamed the unarmed Palestinian people for daring to protest against their repression and raised the spectre of Hamas.Greens will continue to support the ideals of freedom, equality and respect for international law. And that includes supporting Palestinian people marking the Nakba by protesting against their illegal oppressors. We support a two-state solution but, with Netanyahu being appeased by the west at every turn, this has never seemed so far away.
Keith Taylor MEP Green party, South East England
Democrats may be approaching a turning point on Israel
Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN, Tue May 15, 2018
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2018%2F05%2F15%2Fpolitics%2Fdemocrats-views-on-israel-shifting
(CNN)There are few issues as contentious in international politics as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But for the better part of the past two decades, the establishment wings of both the Republican and Democratic Party have largely been pro-Israel. Both parties have, at least in their party platforms, maintained pro-Israel positions, including calls to recognize Jerusalem as the Jewish nation's capital.
While the Republican Party has become more pro-Israel recently, it's unclear whether the Democratic Party will be able to maintain a pro-Israel tilt.
Today, the Pew Research Center finds Democrats are less pro-Israel than they've been in decades. That drop has occurred in a period of just two years since 2016.
This year, 27% of Democrats said their sympathies lied with the Israel over the Palestinians in their conflict, while 25% said the Palestinians. The rest said both or neither. Just two years ago (when the Democrats adopted more pro-Palestinian positions in their plank), 43% of Democrats said their sympathies aligned with Israel compared with 29% who said the Palestinians.
It's not just that Democrats are split, it's how they're split. Establishment Democrats have been fighting off an insurgent progressive wing, and it's not any different on this issue. Liberal Democrats who pushed for the more pro-Palestinian language are far more likely to side with the Palestinians than the Israelis (by a 35% to 19% margin). Meanwhile, moderate and conservative Democrats still go with Israel (by an inverse 35% to 17% margin).
There's also an age gap on the issue that has dominated Democratic divisions dating back to the 2016 primary. In 2016, those under the age of 30 who called themselves Democrats or independents who leaned towards the Democratic Party said by a 39% to 31% margin that their sympathies aligned with the Palestinians rather than the Israelis. Among those Democrats age 65 years and older, the split was 50% for Israel compared to 24% for the Palestinians.
Indeed, while there are many issues that parade themselves as ones that fall along the Hillary Clinton vs. Sanders divide in the party, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict definitively does. Back in 2016, Clinton supporters were by a 20-point margin more likely to have their sympathies towards the Israelis than the Palestinians, while Sanders supporters backed the Palestinians over the Israelis by a 6 point margin, according to Pew.
Over the last two cycles, Israel has become a divisive issue in the Democratic Party platform. Only at President Barack Obama's insistence in 2012 was Jerusalem recognized as the capital of Israel. Even with his backing, there was a contentious floor voice vote.
In 2016, more pro-Palestinian language was put into the platform. It called for a Palestinian state with "independence, sovereignty, and dignity." A plank calling for "an end to occupation and illegal settlements" sponsored by Bernie Sanders' supporters was barely defeated in committee
It's not too difficult to imagine the Democratic Party will move towards the Palestinian position over the next few years. It's not just that liberal Democrats (who are the least pro-Israel) are becoming a larger share of the Democratic electorate. It's that there could be a negative backlash to Trump's designating Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the violence that escalated in the aftermath. Just 14% of Democrats said we should have moved the embassy in a December 2017 CNN poll.
How exactly the rift will play out in the 2020 platform discussions and the 2020 Democratic primary field isn't clear. It does seem, however, that there will be more discussion of the issue leading up to and during the primary than in recent history.
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment