Flashpoints Aug 12, 2002: tragic report from ISM in Nablus : Indybay

<TABLE ALIGN=center BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=10 WIDTH="600"> <TR ALIGN=left VALIGN=top><TD ALIGN=left VALIGN=top BGCOLOR="#cc6600">

<IMG height=140 SRC="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/images/stretch512x.gif" width=612 border=1 alt="Pacifica Network Flashpoints News Radio" USEMAP="#head"><hr><BIG>KPFA Flashpoints News Radio </BIG>click here for latest updated Flashpoints page

<MAP NAME="head"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="400,2,464,22" HREF="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/archive/index.htm" ALT="Search"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="465,2,524,22" HREF="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/archive/index.htm" ALT="Archive"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="525,2,566,22" HREF="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/#links" ALT="Links"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="567,2,605,22" HREF="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/help.html" ALT="Help"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="10,10,400,100" HREF="http://www.FLASHPOINTS.net/index.html" ALT="index page, front page, home"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="418,52,562,110" HREF="http://www.KPFA.org/" ALT="KPFA"> <AREA SHAPE=rect COORDS="430,43,536,58" HREF="http://www.Flashpoints.net/WhoIsDennisBernstein.html" ALT="Dennis Bernstein, producer"> </MAP>




Monday, August 12, 2002 - Start Audio <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/a.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=25 WIDTH=52 ALT="for audio FAQ, click here">

 -00:00
KPFA News Summary

 -03:00 Dennis Bernstein: introduction: Stephanie Salter fired from SF Chron... Israeli terrorists work their zionist glory yet again.. Children of Ibdaa.. Barbara Lubin.. Osha Newman.. mo..
 -03:45 now with Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK">Turkey denies.. Israeli deploys.. Zimbabwe restores.. Colombia in a 'state of emergency'.. Mugabe says "we will watch the farms".. Mid East news, Iraq denies weapons, and says US allegations are lies, "GW standing in quicksand.".. invasion practice by Turkey?.. about Kurdish *contras*.. about Turkey's *mutual support agreement* with Israel.. Palestinian militants hold a *unity summit* today.. list demands.. refuse to stop suicide bombings.. Israeli military panel endorses expulsion of relatives to Gaza.. [on and on, the bad guys go, where they'll stop only their women know... maybe] -09:48 Dennis: about a new *incursion* in the West <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> Bank.. Israeli forces continue to terrorize Palestinians.. using starvation and thirst as weapons of collective punishment.. residents don't know where the next slice of bread or drink of water is coming from.. now w Paul Larudee, a <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/globe108b.gif" ALIGN=right BORDER=0 HEIGHT=108 WIDTH=138 ALT="International Solidarity globe logo">

member of the
International Solidarity Movement.. Paul: I'm in a building outside Nablus under curfew for 54-55? straight days.. the army coming four times a day.. Beit (?inaudible).. we got word that the neighboring village, just after nightfall.. soldiers ordered everyone inside, then set off percussion grenades.. the military went into the neighboring villages.. announced all the male villagers between 15 to 45 to report to the school for *collection*.. a type of collective punishment.. My first day into Nablus on this trip, included carrying a dead man down from the roof of a house.. he had gotten up on the roof on a hot night for fresh air.. I HAVE NEVER SEEN PEOPLE AS ON EDGE AS IN THIS VILLAGE.. WATER IS NON-EXISTENT IN THE VILLAGE AS WELLS, ROOF TANKS DESTROYED.. SUPPLIED ONLY BY TANKER TRUCK.. SUPPLIES DISRUPTED.. NEED 24 TANKERS A DAY FOR 14,000 PEOPLE.. ONLY GETTING ONE.. the man shot on the roof, an ordinary man, not a fighter.. the Israeli military uses night vision scopes.. at 3AM he would have been the only thing alive in their scope.. we need to stay inside the village, to appear at the place where the men are being rounded up, take videos, ask questions.. others in the team to get ahold of B'Tselem [and Gush Shalom], and others in the human rights movement.. I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ENTIRE TOWN AS SCARED AND NERVOUS.. NOW THEY ARE BUTCHERING ALL THEIR LIVESTOCK, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WATER.. THE ROADS BLOCKADED FOR TWO MONTHS.. THIS IS A SEIGE.. -19:00 music break -19:35 Dennis: Stephanie Salter axed from the Chronicle.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/salter444.jpg" ALIGN=right BORDER=0 HEIGHT=104 WIDTH=82 ALT="Stephanie Salter"><IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> editor, John ^^^^, told her that her work didn't 'fit' anymore.. Stephanie: Brown didn't know.. but the bottom line is I will write my columns for the rest of the month, then I'm off the op-ed page.. a lot of changes in the paper lately.. I'm just one part.. the op-ed page just the latest to be 'reorganized'.. I've been on the op-ed page for 16 years.. I'm listening to other offers, but want to stay with the Chron.. Dennis: doing dog shows, flea markets, and operas?.. Stephanie: (laughs).. more like straight reporting.. the old-fashioned kind of reporting.. I've done it.. a kind of step back from what I want to do though.. Dennis: You can write for Flashpoints anytime.. the editors saying you're not 'fresh'.. George Will on the op-ed page today, how fresh is he?.. Stephanie: (laughs).. he's syndicated.. we run him.. NY Times writers.. Molly Ivins.. about the decision being made without imput from me though, that's tough.. Dennis: a lot of angry people in the rightwing that don't like you.. for example: your column titled: Iraqis know how New Yorkers are suffering, Kathy Kelly on a 40 day fast. Stephanie: and recentely I wrote: Many Deplore Bombing of Iraq.. I hear from people all over thanking me for giving a voice to dissent.. there are a ton of people out there, not happy with Bush.. I hear from them in droves.. about the kind of stuff I write.. a diverse set of column subjects.. Dennis: Deborah Saunders staying?.. Stephanie: yes, good for the readers, and John Carroll is staying too, I think.. I am to-be-axed Aug 28, but until then columns every Wednesday and Sunday.. Dennis: the Looming War?.. Stephanie: a lot of red-blooded Americans out there becoming appalled.. I'm a patriot but I'm not going to rubber stamp immorallity.. Dennis: who fired you?.. Stephanie: ultimately the publisher rules.. no changes like this without his command.. I'm heard he doesn't like my column, but I haven't talked to him.. John Opedall (sp?).. to voice your opnion on the firing of Stephanie Salter.. 415-777-1111.. there is cricism here about the middle east.. both sides of the issue, accuse the editors of bias.. a really hard issue to cover in a reasonable way.. people tend to be deaf.. I have not written a lot about Israel and Palestine.. Dennis: maybe Debra Saunders will share her column with you?.. Stepahanie: follow your heart, email, phone calls, letters.. emails to <A HREF="mailto:letters [at] sfchronicle.com">letters [at] sfchronicle.com.. more SF Chron submissions info
 -40:16 music break -41:00 Children of Ibdaa, <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> a new documentary about a Palestinian cultural center dance troupe who have toured the world to 'Create Something Out of Nothing'.. interviews with the dancers.
 -45:00 Dennis: now with documentarian film maker, Smith Patrick.. Smith: my hope was to bring images in contrast to our media images.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> let you meet some of these kids.. just being in Deihaisa camp is a life changing experience.. you realize that our media does more of an injustice than you can ever imagine.. how difficult it is just to maintain normal life.. I was there for six weeks.. no one ever said to me, 'you're an American, your country supports our occupation', instead they would always want to share their lives with you.. about the kids we took into Israel to walk on the bones of their ancestral villages.. now w Barbara Lubin: how the <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/barbara.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=90 align=right WIDTH=80 ALT="Barbara Lubin"> Ibdaa culture center came to be.. a French NGO invited 20 kids to come dance in France.. I've known Ziad.. they created Ibdaa, meaning making something out of nothing.. we are a family.. Shirrabi, Osha, the families there.. Osha, Smith and I took the kids back to Dehaisha.. we spoke about that.. it was gruesome.. the evening we showed the film, 250 crammed in to watch.. they saw themselves, and they loved the film, no criticism from anyone in the camp.. EVENT: a benefit for the children of Dehaisha; Wednesday, Aug 14, at LaPena in Berkeley, 7:30PM: first Osha's slide show, and then the film, Children of Ibdaa.. Please come.. info: Middle East Childrens Alliance: 510-548-0542.. Dennis: we'd like to bring this show to Houston too.. Osha: It's important, because it's difficult to remember.. nothing here to compare to the destruction and ruin.. people living among ruins.. but there is steadfastness, joy, solidarity, community, love there..
Smith: the focus of the film is the dancers of Ibdaa.. the spirit of the Palestinian people is my hero.. not a sense of violence intrisic to that community.. feels the violence is coming from the exterior.. Dennis: how old are you?.. Smith: I'll be 34 next week.. and I'm committed to Palestine for life, my heart is still there.. Barbara: this film about the dancers that you people have met.. you'll recognise the faces for sure.. Dennis: about my eviction.. I've lived at one address for ten years.. now a three week eviction notice.. help!.. Barbara: please send in housing leads for Dennis and Debbie.. email Dennis at <A HREF="mailto:dbernstein [at] igc.org">dbernstein [at] igc.org
 -59:04 Dennis Bernstein: wrapup..
 -59:36 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart<hr>

Friday, August 9, 2002 - Start Audio <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/a.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=25 WIDTH=52 ALT="for audio FAQ, click here"> <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/ashrawi108.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=204 WIDTH=163 ALT="Hannan Ashrawi"> -00:00
KPFA News Summary
 -03:00 Leslie Kean: interviews with Palestinian legislators, <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> MK. Azmi Bishara and Hannan Ashrawi; about international debt as a new form of slavery -03:36 Yun Suh: more from my trip to the occupied territories.. now w MK. Azmi Bishara, an arab congressperson from Israel, under fire from Israel for supporting Palesinian human rights.. (International Committee for the defence of Azmi Bishara) (Palestine Solidarity Committee of South Africa).. MK. Bishara: I was born in 1956, well after Israel's creation.. I am an arab citizen of the state of Israel, I had no choice.. THE STATE SEES ITS FUNCTION NOT TO SERVE ITS ARAB CITIZENS, BUT TO SERVE AN IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTION, TO SERVE JEWS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD.. IT IS NOT A REAL DEMOCRACY.. ARABS FACE DISCRIMINATION IN ALL PHASES OF LIFE.. Mr. Bishara: Israeli citizenship is the framework that allows me to stay on my land.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/bishara.jpg" ALIGN=right BORDER=0 HEIGHT=98 WIDTH=80 ALT="Azim Bishara"> I am not a politician, I am a writer, my expertise is as a philosopher.. we are ten arabs in the Knesset.. Israel is a country that colonizes another country.. you are not allowed to express any opinion.. you can not express that you want Israel to be a state for all its citizens, not just for jews.. a series of laws, legislated by right-wing Knesset members.. racism.. rooted deep in the structure of this country.. a prime minister was killed for forming a majority government with 5 arabs .. state proposing to build housing for jews only on confiscated arab land.. they have been doing it since 1948, but now they want to put it in law.. Yun Suh: you gave a speech in Syria.. Mr. Bishara: I am charged with inciting violence.. for saying all people are free to self determination.. all people have the right to resist occupation of their homes.. these are international laws.. signed by Israel.. I consider myself a liberal democrat, I consider those who are attacking me as fascists.. I am a victim of violence in the past.. an undemocratic society.. a 'democratic system' to regulate the democratic game.. but no democratic culture.. Yun Suh: 'Separation'? 'Transfer'?.. Mr. Bishara: "SEPARATION" IS.. AN INCITEMENT FOR VIOLENCE, FOR GENOCIDE, SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL IN ANY DEMOCRACY.. A MAJORITY IN THE KNESSET.. CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, FOR SETTLEMENTS.. VERY DANGEROUS, VERY IRRATIONAL.. Sharon has an automatic majority in the Knesset these days.. the Palestinian issue is *right* in the world.. everyone is tired of Israel.. and Palestinian society has shown a steadfastness not seen anywhere else in the world.. only 20% of historical Palestine left for the Palestinians.. June 4, 1967.. Palestinians should not be willing to talk to Sharon at all, he is a war criminal.. we should be clear.. we are fighting for freedom from occupation.. we should be consistent and clear.. suicide bombs is a very very late development in Palestinian culture.. caused by the occupation driving people to despair.. many cultures have embraced suicide attacks.. even jewish, like Samson of old.. it is very clear that Sharon supported by Bush.. is not interested in democracy.. not interested in real reform.. democracy came to South Africa not through the USA or Israel (both of which supported the apartheid government), but through the committment of South African blacks
 -22:22 Yun Suh: now w leading <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/Ashrawi06.jpg" ALIGN=right BORDER=0 HEIGHT=259 WIDTH=155 ALT="Hannan Ashrawi"> Palestinian spokeswoman,<IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> Hannan Ashrawi: impossible to meet with other Palestinian legislators, or with my constituency.. I can not even get to my offices, much less meet my constituency.. about Marwan Barghouti (sp?).. arrested.. no normal life under occupation.. the enormity of the pain and suffering.. impossible to adequately address now.. we need real reform.. reflect Palestinian rights.. the president (Arafat) is beseiged.. to need to be able to elevate the policy debate.. to see beyond the latest Israeli atrocity.. not a piecemeal approach.. where you end up adopting the Israeli proposals out of desperation.. Yun Suh: how <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/Ashrawi07.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=259 WIDTH=155 ALT="Hannan Ashrawi"> have the Israeli attacks affected your relationship with the people?.. Hannan: this seige has affected every aspect of Palestinian life.. the nature of the discourse has become one of survival.. people are being subjected to the most brutal attacks.. feeling rudderless, helpless.. you are seeing a radicalization of the struggle.. people standing up for their rights and met with tremendous violence.. we were advocating peaceful protests.. we are not armed, we can not enter into a military conflict.. when the intifada became militarized.. (we lost).. people lashing out, out of revenge, out of desperation.. THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION, THERE IS NO LIMIT TO ISRAELI BRUTALITY.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/Ashrawi05.jpg" ALIGN=right BORDER=0 HEIGHT=259 WIDTH=155 ALT="Hannan Ashrawi"> WE DEMAND THE ISRAELIS STOP TARGETING OUR CIVILIANS, WE SHOULD NOT TARGET THEIRS.. PALS NEED TO TAKE THE HIGH MORAL PATH we need.. to build institutions.. multifaceted.. elections should take place as soon as possible.. but we need freedom of movement to carry out an election.. but when you are under seige.. elections should not be abused or used by the US or Israel.. everything an excuse by Israel to avoid a solution.. that would return land to Palestinians.. elections should not be a tool of neo-colonialism.. WE NEED PROTECTIONS.. INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPERS FOR THE GOOD OF BOTH PARTIES.. Dr. Ashwari: Palestinine is headed for freedom and democracy.. I am constantly amazed by the ability of the majority of Palestinians not to lose their humanity. -38:38 Leslie Kean: about the Jubilee network, <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/audio2.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=64 WIDTH=48 ALT="AUDIO LINK"> now w Mara Vanderslice: the modern Jubilee movement started in 1992, the inspiration from ancient Hebrew scripture and historical practice.. a Jubilee year occurs every 50 years.. all debts are forgiven.. slaves are set free.. wealth is redistributed.. privatized property returns to the public domain.. [this is a strategy for long term social health and cohesiveness, maybe the deep secret of jewish tribal success].. about third world debt.. Africa spends $14.6 billion dollars servicing foreign debt.. money needed to basic health care, education, to fight AIDS.. spending 4 times more on debt than on health care and eductation.. resources flowing away.. foreign aid in reverse.. predators use debt to force even more 'sacrifices' that enrich western corporations.. debt used as leverage for the WTO and World Bank policies.. political issues.. Jubiliee Movement wants to say THESE DEBTS ARE ILLEGITIMATE AND ODIOUS.. now w volunteer Bay Area organizer for Jubilee 2000, Bill Lesher: debt allows multinational corporations to come in.. Mara: a lot of the debt was money loaned to a poor country to hire an American corportion to do some grand project, like build a dam.. Bill: like in Hondoras.. Hondoras loaned $180 million dollars to build a dam, they have *paid back* $280 million dollars to date, and still owe $120 million..
Mara: when the debt crisis started.. the IMF and World Bank preferred lenders.. a new kind of colonialism.. like requiring a poor country to privatize water.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/malawimap.gif" ALIGN=right BORDER=1 HEIGHT=141 WIDTH=150 ALT="map show little slice Malawi country stuck between Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia">required to charge school children for their education.. -- a phenomenal famine developing in Africa.. 13 million people at risk of starvation.. women faced with the choice of which child to save.. 13 million people at threat of starvation.. the little landlocked African country of Malawi.. sold off her grain reserves to pay its debt as demanded by the World Bank.. World Bank says they just accidentally *overprojected* grain supplies that year, no big deal.. and they refuse to relieve the debt for Malawi.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/lifendebt.jpg" ALIGN=right BORDER=1 HEIGHT=210 WIDTH=144 ALT="Life and Debt documentary, photo of Jamaican seashore">Bill: now more and more people raising serious questions about the IMF and the World Bank.. about Life and Debt (Roger Ebert review).. a documentary.. about milk, potato production.. <IMG SRC="http://www.flashpoints.net/images/black.jpg" ALIGN=left BORDER=0 HEIGHT=117 WIDTH=99 ALT="stephanie black">the government of Jamaica in order to get debt relief had to prostitute itself.. destroyed its dairy industry.. more about the new documentary 'Life and Debt', the new documentary by Stephanie Black. -54:35 Bill: about the East Bay Jubilee group.. we meet the third Thursday of each month (except this September).. at Berkeley Friends Church, Sacramento and Cedar, Berkeley.. Bill's phone: 510-524-6645.. Mara: the Jubilee movement has been active for a number of years.. and we have made a difference!.. keep pushing forward.. quarantine protest NYC World Bank, end of September.. JubileeUSA.org.. important to remember the real human victims of debt terrorism.. a success story: over a million and a half children have returned to school in Tanzania because of the Jubiliee movement.. more info 202-783-3566.. what this means in real people's lifes.. YOU HAVE THE POWER!!.. more info: JubileeUSA.org or call 202-783-3566..

 -59:04 Mary Bishop: wrapup..
 -59:36 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart<hr>

<hr>


</TD></TR></table>

Flashpoints Aug 12, 2002: tragic report from ISM in Nablus

Donate

Get Involved

Publish