Monday, May 25, 2015

Exposing Noam Chomsky




Chomsky: An Anti-Activist

 

 

 


We need to be very aware that pro-imperialist anti-freedom forces will often infiltrate a movement and try to dominate the conversation from within--in a way that destroys the effectiveness of the movement.  We contend that Chomsky occupies this position.  His domination as a writer on the topic of Israeli – Palestinian issues, his personal failure to issue calls for action, and his criticism of BDS all point to him being a very effective agent against change and an effective anti-activist in support of the status quo.




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Chomsky, as it turns out, is a self admitted Zionist.  Here is a video you have got to see, really every minute of it. It is 45 minutes long, so plan ahead. It exposes a side of Mr. Chomsky you probably won't ever see anywhere else.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_LygPVxY8A


Chomsky does not support the Palestinian call for Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions.  In considering his rejection of BDS, we must keep in mind that “. . . the liberation of the oppressed is impossible without their self-activity and empowerment. The BDS movement was launched by Palestinians themselves . . . "  The following article provides a well thought out and intelligent critique of lets-take-no-action Chomsky: http://socialistworker.org/2014/07/15/chomsky-and-the-bds-struggle


Also of interest:  “In the field of US-Israel-Palestine relations he (Chomsky) has been a virtual human tsunami, washing like a huge wave over genuine scholarly works in the field that contradict his critical positions on the Middle East, namely that Israel serves a strategic asset for the US and that the Israeli lobby, primarily AIPAC, is little more than a pressure group like any other trying to affect US policy in the Middle East. For both of these positions, as I will show, he offers only the sketchiest of evidence . . .”  http://www.leftcurve.org/LC29WebPages/Chomsky.html 

“Mass appeals to Congress to stop funding, whether it was in opposition to the war in Vietnam or the Contras in Nicaragua, have been a basic element in every other nation-wide struggle against US global policy.”  From above link which also notes that Chomsky has never called for any action on behalf of the Palestinian people. 


One of Chomsky’s main complaints about BDS relates to education, as if the BDS movement, as well as it supporters (like Boycott for Peace) were not working very hard to educate the masses.  How BDS Is Educating the Public About Israel's Brutal Policies:”  http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/46885/pid/2254



Chomsky is not our hero.  While he is often very eloquent at describing certain aspects of Israel’s violence and oppression of Palestinians, a true hero, a true activist takes action and calls for the masses to take action as well.  


Anti-activists are exceedingly common.  They infiltrate nearly every movement and organization, as well as nearly every on-line group, forum, and news outlet that allows comments.  They work to neutralize our efforts by attempting to dominate the conversation and attempting to steer us away from action.  If a seemingly passionate, vociferous person seems to be dominating the conversations without ever positively supporting, participating, or calling for action has infiltrated your movement, be aware.  They may be in the pay of, or in support of, exactly what we are trying to resist.



Meanwhile, if we believe in Peace, Equality, Freedom, and Democracy, we must not support the corporations and businesses that profit from or support ethnic cleansing, home demolition, war, or apartheid.  We must use spending money to vote for the kind of world we want to live in, while we deprive those businesses, institutions, and governments we find reprehensible of our support.  


Boycott for Peace!



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Check out our complete boycott list here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html


And our calls to action here: 


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Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: 


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Boycott for Peace 
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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Bring Peace to Palestine





Quick Action ~ Petition

Bring Peace to Palestine

 

File:Un1981-343.jpg
Image from Wikimedia Commons.
"What we need to have is a political program and an economic program thats going to answer the needs of the Palestinian people and end the Israeli occupation, making peace, and an economic plan for Gaza similar to a Marshall Plan." 

Petition to be delivered to: Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama.

Read more and sign the petition here:

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If you are not sure why this is important, please read the posts in the following thread:

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Have a few more minutes?  Check out our other Quick Actions here:
 
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Boycott for Peace!
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/boycott4peace
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Monday, May 18, 2015

Thoughts on Music and Peace

 



Can a concert bring World Peace?

 

 

 




We believe the answer is, "Yes, as a part of many efforts."  Ravi Shankar, the late master of classical Indian music, discusses the power of music to transmit thoughts and ideas in the mini documentary, 'The Soul of Tradition,'  included as a bonus with the CD, The Concert for World Peace.  We also know, speaking from experience, that it is hard to imagine—here in the US—that a concert can undo all that has been done to hinder World Peace.  Our official narratives are so narrow and our mainstream media strives so unrelentingly to maintain a very minimal and controlled view of the world.

The minds of the masses are often turned away from concepts that could build World Peace.  This begins from the moment they are first compelled to stand, facing the national flag, hands over heart, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  This Pledge is part of an on-going propaganda program that turns  people away from world unity and towards a national sectarian vision, where, essentially, it is us, the U.S., against them; namely, everyone else.

This Pledge ends with a promise.  A promise that has never been delivered: “With liberty and justice for all.”  Not only has this promise not been delivered to the American people, it is strategically denied to the people of the world, through our actions and attitudes, which are rooted in our personal and national narratives.  And thus, in this Pledge, in this oft repeated broken promise we learn to lie, to accept lies, and to believe lies against all evidence, from a very early age.

We have been brainwashed and propagandized.  However, fortunately, some of us resisted.  Some of us resisted from an early age.  Some of us waited until we entered adolescences or young adulthood, and then we began to question.  Some of us, later in life, turned our minds away from this disparity of values and began to look at the world with a curious intellect, a yearning spirit, an openness in the heart.  These are some of the  finer human qualities, found blooming or dormant in all of us, that we can draw on as we begin to imagine World Peace.

Media and technology have been double-edged swords.  Pursuit of the materials of technology has led (and continues to lead) to the rape of our ecosystems and the exile and exploitation of Indigenous people.  Pursuit of technology has led to ever-more-automated systems of oppression and war, as well as the increasing levels of sophistication in the propaganda we are surrounded by.  The haves are increasingly insulated from the devastation they bring upon other human beings and on the planet as well, through technology.

On the other hand, technology can bring the world closer together and teach us to heal.  Through the sharing of arts, of stories and music, and through citizen journalism we begin, by our own efforts, to democratize the world; to build bridges of solidarity and human feeling across those walls of ideological and national separation.  Technology can become the tool of World Peace.

We can bring World Peace into our homes, into our hearts, into our imagination; and let it flourish and grow.  To embrace World Peace, we must embrace the world.  Music, world music in all of its wonderful culturally diverse expressions, is one very powerful way we can bring the world, and the idea of World Peace into our homes.  The music of the world is increasingly available to us through technology, and through the democratization of technology, it is increasingly available to nearly every sector of our society.

School and public libraries broaden access to media of all kinds in many communities around the world.  Libraries are often interconnected, with systems of sharing books and other media over broad areas of their regions; and they can provide ways for people to access media and information who don't have access in their homes.  Computers are often available as well as tutors to help people learn how to use them.  Internet access is common, both for use on the library’s equipment, and increasingly, for use by patrons on their own devices.  Headphones generally are also available, for listening to music, watching videos, and for playing games.  Libraries bring the broad world of media to the public they serve.

Ravi Shankar’s Concert for World Peace, came up on a search of  our regional library system’s on-line catalog.  Two clicks was all it took to  request that the DVD be delivered to our local branch and held for checkout.  Through library systems, a whole world of music is available.  Through the  interlibrary loan program, music can be requested from distant places for a limited amount of time.

Whether your a fan of Ravi Shankar’s music or are exploring his legacy for the first time, The Concert for World Peace DVD is a treat.  The late Shankar had a gentle sense of humor as well as a gentle affection for his fellow musicians that shines brilliantly throughout the performance.  He was as passionate about his music and his instrument, the sitar, as any rock star or symphony member ever was, maybe even more so.  His sense of the sacredness of the music, of our human connection to the sacred through music, and his ability to express this in a way that can be tangibly felt was his special gift.  A gift we can still connect with through his CD’s and DVDs.

Music can expand our narratives.  Listening to and appreciating world music, can help us expand our narratives to the whole world.  The Concert for World Peace, may not be all the change we need to see; but it is a seed.  A seed that we hope you will plant in your heart and your home.  A seed waiting for you, among many, many others, at your local library.

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Explore more world music at your local library and on-line:

Rough Guides has published many world music CDs. Your library system probably has titles or can order them for you through interlibrary loan:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rough_Guide_albums

Smithsonian Folkways also offers a large collection of world music, many of which are likely available through your library system:  http://www.folkways.si.edu/folkways-recordings/smithsonian

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Check out our other DVD recommendations at the link below.  And don’t forget, they are all most likely available from your local library:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/DVD

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Participate!  If you have watched a movie recently that has inspired you to think about World Peace, please share your inspiration in the comments section.  Links to more information about the movie would be awesome.  We may even feature your recommendation in an up-coming blog post.

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Thursday, May 14, 2015

Send Your Love

Shireen Issawi



Take Action!

At least 20 Palestinian women are currently imprisoned in Israel for their political activism.  It is illegal, under international law, for Israel to transfer Palestinians from their territory into Israel; however, that is exactly what has happened to these women. 

The 20 women listed below are being held in HaSharon Prison, which is located in the Central District of Tel Aviv, Israel. Their families are not allowed to visit, nor are their friends, support persons, or others in solidarity.

Further, the conditions the women are held under is reportedly harsh.  "They are facing deliberate medical negligence and the worst ill-treatment by Israeli jailers."

An action plan to help alleviate the isolation of prisoners like Shireen Issawi, pictured above, has been organized by I am Palestinian I am not a terrorist.

The plan is very simple. Buy 20 postcards, with as many different photos or designs as possible, address each one to a different prisoner, add a non-political message, and put them in the mail.  Messages or images that can be construed to express resistance or solidarity or criticism of the Israeli regime will not be delivered.  A very simple note, something to the effect of   "Dear ...   Sending love to you and your companions in prison from (your city and country)."

You might choose to send one postcard a day or a few per week. That way, if the women have any opportunity to share them, the moments of joy they bring will be extended.  This action also demonstrates to the occupiers and oppressors that the world is paying attention. 

Here are the names:

Nahil Abu Aisha - Fidaa al-Shaibani - Bushra Al-Taweel - Rasmiya BalawnaEhsan Dabsdsa  - Fida' Da'mas - Shireen Issawi - Lina Jarboneh - Lina Khattab - Tahrir Mansour - Haniyya Nasser - Falastine Nijim - Muna Qa’adan - Dima SawahrehYasmeen Shaban - Fida SuleimanThuriya Taha - Amal TaqtaqaDunia Wakeed - Samaher Zeinaddine.  Each postcard needs to be addressed to one name only.

Here's the address:  

HaSharon Prison
Even Yehuda
P.O. Box 7
40 330 Israel

I am Palestinian I am not a terrorist is also asking that we respond to their original call to action; or that we take a photo of our postcards and post to their page, so they can keep a tally of how many people participate.  

We are the change!  Show your support!

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Participate!

If you have links to information, articles, bios, or up-dates on any of women mentioned, please leave a few words and a link or links in comments.

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Most of our Thursday actions are really quick.  They can generally be completed in just a few minutes right from your computer.  Search our blog on "Quick Action," or bookmark the link below.  We try to post actions anyone and everyone can easily join ever Thursday: http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/search/label/Quick%20action

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Boycott for Peace!

Monday, May 11, 2015

West Bank Settlement Map


Illegal Israeli Settlements in the West Bank as of 2013:


Click the image to view full sized map.



Israel, in 2014 & 2015, has pushed an incredible surge in new settlement buildings.  If you are not clear on why the continued settlement process is illegal, here is a short video that explains it all very clearly: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=849131691798194

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From:  40 Maps that explain the Middle East.  Check out the other thirty-nine maps as well as the commentary found here:  http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east

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Saturday, May 9, 2015

Za’atar




Buy Palestinian!


It has come to our attention that some of the Za'atar seasoning sold in bulk at self service herb and spice counters may be of Israeli origin.  However, Fair Trade Certified Palestinian Za'atar is available many places around the world!
Scroll down to find the best way to shop where ever you are.


U.S. or Canada?  Shop on line at the link:  http://www.canaanfairtrade.com/products.php


 

U.S.A?  Find a shop that carries Za’atar near you, scroll down to the dark green box in the left hand column at the link below, and enter your zip code. 
If it's a bit of a drive call first. The shops  listed all 
carry at least one Palestinian Fair Trade Certified 
gourmet item, but it might not be Za’atar.



Everywhere else, scroll down on this page to see if your country is mentioned. If so click the link to the company and search out their contact information:  



Za'atar Spice Blend from Palestine (5 ounce)Many of the larger solidarity organizations import and resell Fair Trade Certified Palestinian products, including Za’atar. Check your favorites for their product listings, if they do carry Fair Trade Certified Palestinian Za’atar, please feel free to add a link in comments.


If all else fails, there is always Amazon. We don’t like to recommend Amazon, because they are a huge monopoly that underpays its workers and that does not represent the change we want to see. However, we also want everyone who takes a notion to try the real deal as far as Za’atar goes, to be able to do so: http://www.amazon.com/Zaatar-Spice-Blend-Palestine-ounce/dp/B00CL5XP1S
 

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Want to know more about Za'atar?  Get the scoop here:  http://www.canaanfairtrade.com/products/dried-goods/

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Tips for self serve herbs and spices counters, as well as bulk bins:

The Za'atar at your local store might actually be Fair Trade Certified Palestinian.  However, to avoid supporting the occupation when buying dried goods--such as herbs and spices, dried fruits and veggies, seasoning and soup mixes, as well as chickpeas and lentils--you  need to read the label on the bin or jar carefully. If it doesn't state ‘country of origin,’ ‘product of,’ or ‘grown in,' a conversation with store staff is needed. If the clerks can't help you,  you may need to ask for the buyers phone number if they aren't available when you are at the store. You want to ask, first of all, is this a single sourced product. That means that they always purchase it from the same place. If it isn't single sourced, you will never know where the product came from. If it is single sourced, ask about the country of origin.  You might even ask if you can see the label on the original packaging or the catalog description, just to be sure.  Settler grown products are sometimes labeled Palestinian, to try and circumvent the boycotts.  However, only truly Palestinian products can be labeled Fair Trade Certified.

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Vote with your dollars! Buy Palestinian!

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Boycott for Peace!
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