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We must stop arming Israel
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From today's Guardian We must stop arming Israel
Brown has to stop sitting on his hands, halt British weapons exports and insist the EU do the same
* Nick Clegg
* The Guardian, Wednesday 7 January 2009
The world watched in horror yesterday as the conflict in Gaza claimed its latest innocent victims in the rubble of a UN school. Any hopes of reconciliation are being snuffed out as anger spills into protests around the world.
The past two weeks have been a telling indictment of the international community. We have an outgoing US president sanctioning Israel's military response and an aching silence from the president-elect. We have a European Union encumbered by clumsy decision-making and confused messages.
And at home we have a prime minister talking like an accountant about aid earmarked for Gaza without once saying anything meaningful about the conflict's origins. Gordon Brown, like Tony Blair, has made British foreign policy effectively subservient to Washington. But waiting for a change of heart in Washington is intolerable given the human cost.
Of course, Israel has every right to defend itself. It is difficult to imagine what it must be like to live with the constant threat of rocket attacks from a movement which espouses terrorist violence and denies Israel's right to exist. But Israel's approach is self-defeating: the overwhelming use of force, the unacceptable loss of civilian lives, is radicalising moderate opinion among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world. Anger in the West Bank will make it virtually impossible for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, to continue to talk to Israeli ministers.
Brown must stop sitting on his hands. He must condemn unambiguously Israel's tactics, just as he has rightly condemned Hamas's rocket attacks. Then he must lead the EU into using its economic and diplomatic leverage in the region to broker peace. The EU is by far Israel's biggest export market, and by far the biggest donor to the Palestinians. It must immediately suspend the proposed new cooperation agreement with Israel until things change in Gaza, and apply tough conditions on any long-term assistance to the Palestinian community.
Brown must also halt Britain's arms exports to Israel, and persuade our EU counterparts to do the same. The government's own figures show Britain is selling more and more weapons to Israel, despite the questions about the country's use of force. In 2007, our government approved £6m of arms exports. In 2008, it licensed sales 12 times as fast: £20m in the first three months alone.
There is a strong case that, given the Gaza conflict, any military exports contravene EU licensing criteria. Reports, though denied, that Israel is using illegal cluster munitions and white phosphorus should heighten our caution. I want an immediate suspension of all arms exports from the EU, but if that cannot be secured, Brown must act unilaterally.
Finally, the world's leaders must accept that their response to the election of Hamas has been a strategic failure. The removal of the EU presence on the Egypt border in response to Hamas's election, for example, has made it easier for the rockets being fired at Israel to get into Gaza in the first place. An EU mission with a serious mandate and backing from Egypt and Israel would help Israel deal proportionately and effectively with the threat from weapons smuggling.
Attempts to divide and rule the Palestinians by isolating and punishing Gaza will not succeed. To secure peace in the Middle East, Hamas must turn its back on terrorism, and help create Palestinian unity. Only unified leadership in the West Bank and Gaza can offer Israel the security guarantees that it rightly seeks.
My proposals to stay Israel's hand in this conflict may be unwelcome to some, but they have the country's long term interest at heart. No terrorist organisation has ever been defeated by bombs alone. Only a new approach will secure lasting peace for Israel itself.
• Nick Clegg is the Liberal Democrat leader cleggn@parliament.uk I entirely endorse the sentiment in this artilce, but would go further: The US must stop arming Israel, too. The continued supply of arms to that area is like pouring gasoline on a raging fire and implies that the countries supplying the arms either are giving Israel their entire support or regard arms sales as "normal" trade.
And the situation in the US where a lame-duck president with only days of office to go can continue with his discredited policies is, to anybody outside the US utterly crazy. And lives are being lost as a result of his callous decisions.
Posted at 5:49AM, 7 January 2009 PDT
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We have a history in the US of President-Elects who refuse to even comment on circumstances that exist between the election and the inauguration. President Buchanan begged Lincoln to make a statement regarding his intentions after the southern states withdrew from the union. Hoover wished to co-ordinate efforts with Roosevelt in the days before March 4th. (Then the inauguration date) Both Lincoln and Roosevelt refused to make any public statements.
Obama has said that there is only one President.
The events of the Great Depression, and the feebleness of the response of the lame duck President caused Congress to move the inauguration date to January. Some are arguing now that it needs to be even earlier, but this would require a number of changes in how we validate the election and prepare for the transition.
We need some sort of immediate action to send Israel the message that there will be consequences for an excess in defensive tactics. I don't wish to see Israel disarmed, but I'm afraid that a moratorium on arms shipments at this point in time is a necessary statement of disapproval. Palestine also needs to be strongly directed towards the ends of reining in the proclivities of their extremists towards violence.
This situation is untenable on both sides. There is no logic here. Maybe we need a Teddy Roosevelt to lock both sides in a room and not let anyone out until they reach some sort of real acceptance of what each side needs to gain a lasting peace.
Posted 41 months ago.
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I accept that the present system in the US results in a period when the old regime is still limping on in power while the new is impotent. But, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only country with a democratic system that imposes such a delay. In most countries the newly elected government is sworn in within days from the election.
It does seem to be part of the long long process of electing a president, which must be the longest such process on earth.
Originally posted 41 months ago.
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πρώρα (Prora) edited this topic 41 months ago.
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piperklly [deleted] says:
You cant be serious......
first,how much contribution has the Arabs/Muslims contributed to the advancement of mankind
Compare thats with the acheivements of Israel.
Second,Who always starts the troubles?
Third progressive jews world wide will always come to the aid of the homeland...period.
Posted 41 months ago.
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I am unclear as to the relevance of your posting to the subject of arming Israel - at best its connection seems tenuous.
It is you who can't be serious. The Arabs were major contributors to medicine, science, astronomy, mathematics, literature etc in the middle ages all over Europe. They were responsible for translations of the Greek classics into Arabic and also for some translations of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Our very numbering system if called "Arabic" since they took it over and developed it from India. Even the world "Algorithm", so much part of the modern computer scene, comes from Arabic and was named ofter its originator. BBC TV recently started a major series on Arab culture which you should view - it would improve your education.
This is not to decry the Jewish contribution to civilisation but there needs to be some balance in such comparisons.
Who starts the troubles? That's no easy question to answer. One aspect of the current situation is the fact that Hamas was elected by the Palestinians in what was generally regarded as a fair election. But the US, Europe and, of course, Israel refused to accept them as the elected government of Gaza and cut them off from the rest of the world. They were labelled as terrorists and it is hardly surprising that they reacted. It is an interesting point to consider what might have happened if, notwithstanding their attitude they had been accepted a negotiating partners.
I regard myself as a progressive Jew and I take issue with your generalisation "progressive jews world wide will always come to the aid of the homeland...period. " And I am sure that there are thousands more who would agree with me - I am in contact with many of them.
Posted 41 months ago.
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The two year official process of caucuses and primaries is a recent development. Of course the backroom negotiations which lead to a candidacy has always been a long process, it is one, however, that was basically invisible to the public. Our system, which defines a set term for the office of chief executive, does create an environment of perceived opportunity for many, which makes a winnowing out process necessary.
The post election delay could be in part resolved by having the electoral college meet earlier than December 15th. However, the legal challenges that followed the 2000 election illustrate why such a delay is imposed.
However, once the Electoral College has voted there really exists little reason for delaying the transfer of title. Of course this means Congress might get a shorter December recess. I don't like having to say this, but there are few people more petty than your average member of congress. To require them to come back to Washington in the last week of December is too much for them to accept. And they would be the ones to write the proposed amendment that would change the date of the inauguration.
Posted 41 months ago.
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And I agree that many progressive Jews think independently and exercise a set of principles which may lead to a non-acceptance of Israeli policy or actions. I know that from much first hand observation.
Originally posted 41 months ago.
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Lisanne! (a group admin) edited this topic 41 months ago.
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How strange.
Whenever you go and check the profile of someone like piperklly above who spouts such drivel, they are always the same.
A photostream full of military pictures, and and a contact list full of sex links.
Posted 41 months ago.
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Think... South Africa.
Posted 41 months ago.
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Piperfly misses the point totally and fails to understand that a broad based attack on any group is not going to impress anyone of intelligence.
At any rate, there is never any excuse for genocide. But let me make myself clear here. I do not believe that Israel is engaging in a genocidal campaign. But I do believe that they are being overly punitive, and that national security is rarely a justification for killing non-combatants.
Unfortunately I see too many people in general on Flickr who are quite overt in their quest for sexual gratification.
Posted 41 months ago.
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South Africa, yes. But also the United States, circa the late 19th century
Posted 41 months ago.
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For the record I discovered that Piperfly had made me a "friend" without my agreement. I am absolutely opposed to being in the company of the porno lovers in his list of friends and contacts and have requested him to remove my name (there seems to be no way in Flickr to remove yourslef from such a list).
Posted 41 months ago.
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If you ban someone I believe they cannot be a contact.
Posted 41 months ago.
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Ban or block?
I don't want to ban him but if blocking would work...
I have heard nothing from him in response to my request to take me off his list of friends.
Posted 41 months ago.
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I have just checked. I am off his list (Hurrah!) and he has blocked me. I have counterblocked him and gathered, in the process, that that prevents my being one of his contacts etc.
Mission completed, to quote your retiring president.
Posted 41 months ago.
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UK Jewish MP Gerald Kaufman calls for arms embargo on Israel.
Israel using Holocaust guilt to continue Gaza op, says British Jewish MP
A British lawmaker declared Thursday that Israel was taking advantage of the guilt many non-Jews feel over the Holocaust to ruthlessly press ahead with its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Gerald Kaufman, a governing Labour Party legislator, sharply criticized Israel in a House of Commons debate on Gaza, arguing that the Jewish state has exploited guilt that much of the world feels for having ignored the slaughter of six million of Jews during World War II.
"The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploit the continuing guilt from Gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians," he said.
The offensive started in response to Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli cities. Medical officials in Gaza have said about 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive started. Thirteen Israelis have been killed in the fighting, including three civilians who were slain in rocket attacks on southern Israel.
Kaufman, a frequent critic of Israel who was raised as an Orthodox Jew, commented on the claim that large numbers of the Palestinian victims were militants. "I suppose the Jews fighting for their lives in the Warsaw ghetto could have been dismissed as militants," he said.
Kaufman urged the British government to impose an arms embargo on Israel.
"My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town.... A
German soldier shot her dead in her bed, he said. My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza," the MP said.
Originally posted 41 months ago.
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eyelightfilms edited this topic 41 months ago.
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I am strongly protesting the US policy. I think Bush has done totally unfair work (Middle-east policy). for this region he (US citizen) felt financial crisis. So the same policy takes Mr. Obama. So he/ USA citizen will have to must suffer in future. Limit cross is not fair for every nation.
Mohammad Khairul Alam
Executive Director
Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation
24/3 M. C. Roy Lane
Dhaka – 1211
Bangladesh
Rainbowngo@gmail.com
www.newsletter.com.bd
Tel: 880-2-8628908
Mobile: 01711344997
Posted 41 months ago.
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