Red Apples For the President and the Defense Minister

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I don’t know who gave to Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer and his Defense Minister Norbert Darabos the two red apples. Was he that child who the President stopped at his side to take a commemorative picture, or someone else? It was a short moment which separated me from this human and beautiful scene. When they received the red apples I was few steps in front of them caring to be at the right distance for taking pictures. When I turned around, I saw a red apple in the hands of each of the men as signs of happiness and pleasure, while they were smiling as if each apple was a rare jewel.

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The President was on his way back home, his defense minister was giving him the a proper farewell after laying a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier in remembrance of the Austrians victims of the second world war. Both were walking among the people, greeting them, shaking their hands, smiling and wishing them happy celebrations. There were no barriers, or the police beating the citizens right and left, military pushing or chasing the people, what is how such events develop in the repressive Arab dictatorships without exception, but also in the more militarized Western countries whose governments are engaged in crimes against their own peoples as well as those of other countries.

Simply, life in Austria is something special and different than life anywhere else. The government bodies respect the dignity of the citizens, and the Austrian official bodies are not involved in crimes against the peoples from here or other countries. The Austrian political history is an open white page before the nation and their own history is rich in defending their people and their country. Those are the real bases which gives a stable ground of safety, peace and security in Austria. Those who believe that the Austrian government are only representing in front of the cameras are wrong. The truth is that the way how things work in Austria is different from other countries.

To see a child in Austria asking the president stop for a while in order to have a picture with him is something normal. To see the entrance of the President house open is also normal in Austria. In Israel or Jordan, Egypt, Tunis, Palestine etc to even get near the house of the President or the King can endanger the life of a person. To see members of the government or the parliament shopping is normal in Austria. To see the defense minster talking in a polite way and without repression is something normal too. In Israel and the Arab dictatorships, such people are never seen on the street, and asking them questions can endanger the life and liberty of a journalist.

In this country, to enter the press conference of the defense minster, the chancellor, the president without being insulted, having the equipment checked and broken or being threatened by wild dogs is normal, not so in Israel and Arab countries, where all these things are the normality, and also to be called names or receiving threats like “I will step on your neck and break your camera if you did not leave right now or if you move from your place” from the government thugs. To see cookies and drinks waiting for journalists in the press conferences, to sit in front of a minister without barriers is normal to Austria. To see and to ask whatever you want is also something normal here. That is all normal because the ministers, the president and the official bodies are normal too, they are not dictators who falsify elections and the will of the nation. In Israel and the Arab countries which I know, there would be barriers and thugs with ready weapons in any press conference.

I have never given compliments to governments in my reports, as the governments I have known until now have left me with negative memories and have had negative effects on my work and on others. What I see and deal with in Austria shines like the sun when I compare. I do not need to invent bad words about the flowers or to put sugar on the salt. Flowers are always flowers and the thorns are always thorns. My only fault is in telling the truth as I see it and not falsifying it.

From Israel and the Arab countries I ONLY remember the tragic events and crimes which occurred on such occasions. I remember the physical assaults on journalists, breaking their cameras, the military beating and kicking them with their boots, hurling disgusting insults at them when they would photograph some Arab leader. I remember how we were left naked in a “checking” room at the royal palace of an Arab country before we were allowed to enter a press conference. I remember how the dogs attacked us and jumped on our cameras and equipment whenever US officials visited the occupied Palestinian territories. I remember the bullets and the bloodshed, the many journalists who were murdered, shot in cold blood by Israeli soldiers rather than allowing them to do their journalistic work. I also remember how the israel soldiers assaulted me many times while I was doing my work. After many years, I still see those images of horror in nightmares.

At the beginning of 2010 and during the past year 2009, the convoy of the so-called secretary general of the “Palestinian Presidency”, Tayeb Abd el-Rahim, murdered two Palestinian citizens in two separate incidents in the downtown Ramallah. Abed El-Rahim censored the news about these tragic murders of two human beings. The newspapers and the human rights institutions were all forbidden to publish anything about these crimes, everything was covered up. That is why I am reporting about the apples which the Dr. President Heinz Fischer and Minster of Defence Nobert Darabos received while walking at the Heldenplatz yesterday, because the behavior of politicians here contrasts like day and night to what I had been accustomed to see.

In Austria, reporting about human stories like the apples which the president and defense ministers receive, how they welcome their guests is part of the Austrian normality, a normality which other countries do not experience. I am sure that the president ate the apple and that he did not throw it in the garbage as the hypocrite Arab leaders, the “officials” of the occupation governments would have done after finishing their act in front of the media, when returning to their normality and putting on their true, ugly faces.

by Kawther Salam

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Discussion About the Military During National Day

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I woke up early in the morning yesterday. It was the Austrian National Day, their of celebration of independence. It is a special day in the history of Austria, which takes all Austrians and their friends back to 1955. In May 1955, Austria signed the Austrian State Treaty to end foreign occupation which was settled in Austria after the Second World War. Austria was occupied by the four allied forces, the Soviet Union, United States, Great Britain and France, and was divided accordingly into four zones. The biggest zone was under the Russians, and Vienna (which was at that time the first occupation district) was an open area which the four occupying powers shared.

On October 26 1955, Austria declared the “permanent neutrality” and the last Soviet soldier left the country. The constitution of Austria, commits Austria to not take part in any military alliances and to disallow the establishment of any foreign military bases on Austrian territories.

October 26 also is the 50th anniversary of the participation of Austrian armed forces in international peacekeeping operations around the world in areas of conflict. Austria was requested in 1960,five years after the declaration of permanent neutrality, by the United Nations about the use of the Austrian military personnel outside of the borders of the country.

At 9:15am I was at Heldenplatz – (Heroes Square) where thousands of Austrians were present toe celebrate the national day. About 1,200 Austrian soldiers were present in the square, waiting for the the start of the ceremony in which they would be sworn in. Meanwhile, Austrian Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer laid a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier in remembrance of the Austrians victims of the Second world war.

President Fischer, Minister for Defense Nobert Darabos, the military commander Brig-Gen. Dr. Karl Schmidseder, Chancellor Werner Faymann and his vice Josef Pröll, Dr. Michael Ludwig of the city of Vienna and other government ministers and members of civil and military bodies were the present at the ceremonies for the national day of Austria. The ceremonies were followed with great interest by the Austrian and foreign public.

President Fischer briefed those present about the history of Austria and the importance of the national day to the Austrians. He said that Austria has its national day like most countries in the world. “Our national day reminds us of the 26th October 1955 and is linked to the full independence and the neutrality of Austria”. He pointed out that the army of Austria was built on the basis of universal conscription, and this is also enshrined in the Constitution. He added that the Austrian army is not only for national defense, that it carries out vital contributions to the protection and benefit of the Austrian population and also to international peacekeeping missions. President Fischer appealed the audience in his brief, saying: “I ask you all that you stay fully committed to stability, peace and security, for the Austrian national defense and thus for the Republic of Austria”.

Chancellor Faymann announced in his speech at the Heldenplatz the start of a debate about abandoning military service in favor of a professional army. He said: “The duties and organization of the armed forces are to be redefined in the coming months”. He added: “This is the start for an open discussion which will also include the experiences and models from other European countries which have opted for a professional army. We should not be surprised about the question of how the military defense of tomorrow might look in a united Europe. It is therefore important to analyze, discuss, weigh and decide”. He added: “Questions of civil defense, peacekeeping missions and national defense have already been answered”. At the same time, Faymann praised the military for its achievements in these areas. He said: “The Austrian armed forces can now be seen as a true international peacekeeping force”.

Minister Darabos clarified in his speech the understanding of the neutrality of Austria, which means that neutrality “is not for inaction but for solidarity”. Darabos also endorsed in his speech the idea of a process of discussion around the army involving the experience and models from other European countries saying that it is legitimate in a democracy “to question more critically” public institutions, including the army. He said: “The question is legitimate. We need the army for the security of our country, and the Austrians have the right to expect help from the army when they need it”. He said that he would guide the discussion process “within objective ways”.

Minister Darabos said that the army is currently a mix of career soldiers, conscripts and militia. “I support a broad and open discussion without taboos and I am open to the involvement of the public in this important issue concerning our society” said Darabos in reference to a possible future referendum on the abolition of conscription. Still, all the facts and arguments would have to be examined before a popular referendum went forward.

During the National day, the Parliament and the houses of the President and the Federal, the Foreign Ministry and other government institutions were opened to the public. Thousands of visitors went inside to look and to ask further information about the work of those organizations. According the various press releases published by APA, more than 10,000 people attended the open day at the Parliament alone.

During this Austrian national day the political, religious, military institutions and citizens of Austria were united at Heldenplatz where over 70,000 visitors gathered. Many visitors came with their families to the ceremonies at Heldenplatz and to look at the display of the army, which showed their equipment, offered food from field kitchens, and climbed down from helicopters, among other attractions. I noticed the presence of families of many recruits and officials taking part in the official ceremonies.

by Kawther Salam

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50 Years of Peace-keeping Mission

50 Years of Peace-keeping Mission

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From the left: Dr. Karl Schmidseder, the military commander of Vienna, Minister Norbert Darabos, Austrian Minister for Defence and Sports, Sonja Wintersberger, and Mr. Stefan Hirsch.

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“How much have the Austrian peacekeeping missions cost Austria yearly and in total since 50 years?”

Norbert Darabos, the Austrian Minister for Defence and Sports answered my question during a press conference on the “50th Anniversary of Austrian Peacekeeping mission” held by the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports in cooperation with UNIS at the Heldenplatz – (Heroes Square) in Vienna. He said: “This is a difficult question. During the last 50 years, about 90,000 Austrian servicemen and women were sent to do peacekeeping missions in 114 different countries. It is not easy to give a number for the cost which the implementation of the UN peace keeping missions has been incurred by Austria, because the United Nations has paid back most of these costs”. “click on this picture to make it bigger”.

He added: “We try to keep the money and resources used in these missions in accordance to the possibilities of the army. It is about 50 – 60 million Euro each year”.

The press conference was moderated by Mr. Stefan Hirsch, spokesperson of the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports one day before the celebration of the Austrian National day on October 26 2010. Brig-Gen. Dr. Karl Schmidseder, the military commander of Vienna, and Ms. Sonja Wintersberger on behalf of Yury Fedotov, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) took part in the press conference next to minister Darabos.

Minister Darabos stated in a brief that Austria is contributing to joint international peace keeping effort. Since 1960, more than 90,000 Austrian troops and civilian helpers have been participating in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions. Since the end of the Cold War the number of missions has been growing rapidly. In addition to classical peace-keeping or peace support operations there are now a growing number of humanitarian and disaster relief operations to be taken care of.

He added: “since 1989, which marked the end of the east-west conflict, the number of peace support operations has been growing rapidly. In 1992, the UN Secretary-General initiated the Stand-by Arrangement System under the “Agenda for Peace” to meet growing costs for the ever increasing number of missions. Meanwhile, this system has been adopted for peace support and humanitarian operations run by other international organizations. “Click on this picture to make it bigger”.

A colleague also asked about the budget of Austrian Army, if they rely on income from cooperation with private companies. Minister Darabos said that the Austrian army relies on money allocated within the budget of the government, and that while co-operations with private companies exist and generate income, this is vey small. Minister Darabos mentioned that the budget allocated to the army with the new federal budget had decreased by about 3,5%, what means that the next few years until 2014 they will have 530 millions Euros less at their disposition. He stated that this still compared favorably to other armies, like Spain and Portugal, which have seen their budgets reduced by up to 30%.

Golan Heights:
“How long will the Israeli occupation stay in the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights?” This was another question which I asked to Minister Darabos. The Minister answered my question in a diplomatic and a very polite way. He said: “Our peace mission is being implemented according to an agreement and this question should be asked to the foreign minster, but in any case the Austrian army will continue implementing its mission in neutral way and without partisanship for one or the other side”. He added: “Both sides have had positive words about the presence and the work of the Austrian army in the Golan Heights, and this is reflected in the fact that until recently the commander of this (multinational) force was an Austrian officer”.

Minister Darabos also said that he had understood what I wanted to imply politically, but he would not comment about that. Referring to the israeli occupation of the Golan heights, he said “This is a political issue and it should be resolved by political ways”.

Women in the Austrian army:

Answering the question of a colleague, Minister Darabos said that he is happy of what the women are doing in the army but that he is not happy because there are not enough women in the army, that ONLY 3% of the Austrian troops are women. He added: “we are trying to implement supporting measures which could bring more women to the army, and I am waiting for the day when the first woman will attend the course for a general staff position.

During the press conference minister Darabos handed Sonja Wintersberger a certificate about a special postage stamp collection entitled “Peace mission of the Austrian soldiers”. The post stamps show motifs painted by children from Kosovo and Bosnia about the issue off “peace, UN and Austria”. The stamp was issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Austrian Armed Forces participation in the international peacekeeping operations.

Left: Minister Norbert Darabos and Sonja Wintersberger.

by Kawther Salam

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Ban Ki-moon Breaks the Silence and Warns EU of Anti-Islam

ٍStrasbourg – France – DPA – AFP – Agencies - the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon warned on Tuesday of a “dangerous trend” of anti-Muslim incitement in Europe, in a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He said that the darkest chapters in European history began with similar language.

He said that there is a “dangerous trend emerging. It is a new policy of polarization. Some people and politicians are using other fears to target Muslims in pursuit of their personal interests … and accuse immigrants of violating the European values”. He stressed that Europe and the world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to stereotypes and hatred that is ethnically based.

He said that the worst chapters of Europe were written in this language and that today, the main “targets” are the Muslim immigrants … Europe can not bear these thought patterns which close minds and raise the hatred, and the world can not bear Europe doing this.

The UN chief added that Europe’s biggest challenge in the 21st century is the challenge of domestic tolerance, noting that immigrants suffer from unemployment, discrimination, and disproportional inequality of opportunity in education and the job market.

The question of Europe’s identity has been rigorously debated due to the flood of immigrants the continent has been facing in recent years. The fierce debate rages in Germany on the integration of immigrants in the country and the estimated four million people and constitute 5% of the population.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel increased the severity of the debate at the beginning of this week, when she said that the concept of multiculturalism as a model of integration had failed “miserably” in Germany. She added that immigrants should be demanded to learn the German language and assimilate into society.

Horst Seehofer, President of the Christian Social Party in Germany, a senior partner in the ruling coalition, said earlier that Germany should refuse to accept migrants from the “hostile cultures”, such as Turks and Arabs.

A poll published last week in Germany indicated that 58% of the public believed that the practice of Islam should be substantially limited in the country, while more than half of the respondents said they could sympathize with the claim that Arabs arouse unpleasant sentiments.

The debate has also swept France, after the National Assembly approved an amendment the country’s citizenship act which enables France to revoke an immigrant’s citizenship if he is convicted of assaulting a public servant – an act which was previously limited to extreme offenses such as involvement in terror activities.

Ban Ki-moon called the European Union to “show leadership” in his speech, not only with regard to migrants, but also in the face of extreme poverty and the challenges of climate change and promoting the idea of “a world free of nuclear weapons”.

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Organized Crime has Ballooned to Global Proportions

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From the Left: Amina Mahmoud, Kenya, the chair of the press conference, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations office on drugs and crime (UNODC), and J. Sandage

The organized crime has “ballooned to global proportions” said today Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the opening session of the 5th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime. A decade after the adoption of the Palermo Convention as it is also known, states parties are meeting in Vienna from 18 to 22 October to review global progress in fighting this scourge. He stated that the convention was a powerful but underutilized tool. 157 States have ratified the instrument, which forms the global basis for extradition and mutual legal assistance. Mr. Fedotov remarked that more awareness was needed of how states could make more effective use of the convention and realize its potential for cooperation.

The convention provides new possibilities and frameworks for law enforcement agencies to coordinate their efforts, including trans-border intelligence sharing and joint investigations.

It is highly adaptable in providing effective responses since its definition of transnational organized crime is broad enough to encompass new and emerging forms of crime. With its detailed measures to combat money-laundering, go after plundered assets and to end banking secrecy, UNTOC can be used to hit criminals where it hurts – by helping cut off their cash lifeblood.

During a press conference held at the UN office in Vienna, Yury Fedotov stated that the drug trafficking continues to be the most lucrative line of business for criminals. As UNODC reported in its 2010 transnational organized crime threat assessment, Cocaine trafficked from the Andean region to North America and Europe is worth $72 billion annually, and Heroin trafficked from Afghanistan to Europe has a street value of $33 billion.

Combined, these figures exceed $100 billion, money diverted from the United Nations development goals and which are invested in criminal businesses or used to fuel terrorism. Or, to put it another way: cocaine and heroin traffickers are earning almost $280 million every day, almost $12 million every hour, and almost $200,000 every minute.

Spontaneously Mr. Fedotov looked at the watch he wore on his hand and said that “during the 20 minutes since we started this conference, the smugglers of drugs have earned four million dollars”. Underscoring the need for robust regional responses to stem illicit activity, Mr. Fedotov concluded “we also need a comprehensive, system-wide response that strengthens resistance to organized crime at its points of origin, along trafficking routes, and at the final destinations for its illicit goods”.

During the press conference the speakers stated that they coordinate their effort with the Interpol Police organization to decrease transnational organized crime.

The historical heritage of Palestine is destroyed in Jerusalem

Click here to read Palestine speech in Arabic.

Dr. Ali Khashan, the Palestinian minister of justice, appealed to the conference participants, the states parties meeting in Vienna and all international organizations during a speech delivered at the noon session. He said: “we put together a draft of the law of cultural heritage in Palestine and we call on you to stand by the Palestinian people to preserve our historical and humanitarian heritage, which is being systematically targeted and destroyed, including even the historic graveyard which has existed for more than a thousand years. We need your strong support to maintain the cultural property in Palestine, especially in the occupied city of Jerusalem”. (Click on the picture to make it bigger).

He added: “I would also like to call your attention to the significant threat posed by the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and what the colonist squatters carry out by uprooting the Palestinian trees and destroying their plants, including the historical olive trees. I also want to call your attention to the wall erected by Israel in the West Bank and particularly in the city of Jerusalem and its negative and destructive effects on life and the environment in Palestine.

Dr. Ali Khashan stated that the new Palestinian penal code, which will enter into implementation after signature by the President emphasized the fight against the organized crime and illicit trafficking, including trafficking in organs and humans as well as smuggling in all its forms and manifestations. The Palestinian National Authority issued a money laundering law which fights against money-laundering crimes and “offenses”.

Dr. Khashan said: “in this context, we wish to emphasize our support for the recommendations and resolutions adopted by the meeting of 19 of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice relating to the prevention of trafficking and protection of cultural property and international cooperation to combat such crimes in all the world, including the disputed areas, especially in the occupied Palestinian territories”.

He pointed out that a Palestinian penal code draft has the protection of women and the abolition of the discriminations that were affecting women, especially the so-called honor crimes, and that the Palestinians work with all their efforts to support and empower women not only in Palestine but in the bilateral relations and regional framework. He stated that no society can advance without justice for women and the lifting of all restrictions that hinder legislative progress in this regard.

Dr. Khashan emphasized the recommendations and decisions of the 19th meeting of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, particularly the resolution on the strengthening of measures taken in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice to address violence against women, especially in conflict zones, including the occupied Palestinian territories. He confirmed that the Palestinians were one of the initiators and signatories to all agreements made in the framework of the League of Arab States, as well as judicial and legal regional cooperation agreements which fight against crime, and we are in Palestine are ready to sign on all the international conventions that fight crime and prevent criminal trafficking in all its forms and manifestations.

by Kawther Salam

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Two Israelis in Custody Attempted Bribery in Georgia

Two Israelis in Custody Attempted Bribery in Georgia

Al-Quds – Reuters – Tbilisi – The Georgian press broke today (October 15th) that the Georgian court ordered that two Israeli businessman, Ron Fuchs and Zeev Fraenkel, be put in custody on suspicion of offering a bribe worth seven million dollars to a senior official of the Republic of Georgia.

Fuchs and Fraenkel were arrested by the Georgian police and were unable to obtain bail according to a statement released by the Georgian judiciary. The Georgian court stressed that the police is searching for a Greek, Ioannis Kardassopoulos, a third businessman connected to this case.

Prosecutors suspect the Israelis provided a bribe to the deputy finance Minister of the Republic of Georgia to persuade him to abandon the appeal case brought by the Georgian state in an arbitration decision of the World Bank which had been in favor of Fuchs and Kardassopoulos, according to Georgian sources. The two Israeli men met the Georgian official twice in Istanbul on September 15, and then in Batumi, Georgia, on October 14.

According to information posted last Friday by Investment Reporter news, a site specialized in Arbitral Awards, Fuchs and Kardassopoulos were awarded compensation valued $ 90 million in a decision of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank issued last March 3 2010.

The two men had worked through their company Tramex in a joint venture with a Georgian public company, in which they got involved in the early nineties in a project to build an oil pipeline and other infrastructure in the energy sector. Later, the Georgian republic canceled the contract after they decided to work with other partners, according to the news.

For further background information about this issue, read this report.

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Prosecution of Freedom in France

Prosecution of Freedom in France

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Will Europe revert to the times of dictatorship and feudalism? Have European governments turned into puppets in the hands of zionism and jewish organizations? Is Europe in a hurry to enact laws which only serve the interests of Israel and zionism and which threaten the interests of European countries and structure of European societies? Why does Europe resort to intimidate nations who have started to open their eyes to the crimes of zionism and Israel? Is it not enough that talking about that part of the history of jews in Europe is a crime punishable by law?

What do European governments want from the European nations? Do they want the people to erase their minds and turn into a flock of sheep which only eat and sleep? Why is the french government defending the crimes of Israel, which crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity according to the constitutions, laws and standards of these same European nations?

Why is France working to cover up all the war crimes in Palestine perpetrated by jewish organization and criminalizing it’s own citizens who see the Israeli crimes as crimes and not flowers, while fabricating charges against those righteous French people who reject the daily crimes against humanity of israel?

Where are the French laws about genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity need only be reviewed to see that all what Israel has perpetrated against the Palestinians is genocide and other crimes against humanity, and is a crime under French laws? Would it not be the honorable thing to do for the French judiciary to dismiss with prejudice the fabricated, derisory charges brought against peace activist by these deluded extremists?

These questions come as a prelude to the fabricated charges launched by the french government under the pressure of zionists against an educated elite of it’s own citizens, who loudly said: “No to Israel’s war crimes, no to legitimizing the Israeli genocide, their crimes against humanity and the occupation”.

In France, all peace activists who participated in BDS actions and even people who have publicly proclaimed their call to boycott Israel or Israeli products are now accused of “discrimination against the Israeli nation” and “provocation to racial hatred”. Alima Boumediene-Thiery is a member of the French Senate who participated in BDS action on October 2009, which took place in the Pontoise region north of Paris. She was accused like all the other French BDS activists who were prosecuted, of “incitation to racial hatred” and “discrimination against the Israeli nation”. Each trial costs a minimum of 5000 Euros and this cost may increase. There is no jury in France and many independent judges simply obey the government orders.

MP Boumediene-Thiery is active on various “disturbing” political fronts, such as immigrants, islamophobia, the situation in the prisons and all kind of discriminations and repressive laws. She is also the one who succeeded, when she was a member of the EuroPean Parliament in 2002, in having a vote in favor of the suspension of the commercial agreement between Europe and Israel, wich gives enormous taxes privileges to Israel, which the French governments ignored though it was voted by a majority of the European MPs. She went on missions to Gaza and the West Bank on several occasions and made alarming reports.

The zionist lobbyist Sammy Ghozlan, an extremist writer who writes on the website of European squatters and terrorists who live in the occupied territories in Palestine, filed over 80 complaints against French BDS peace activists and leads a campaign of incitement against Barak Obama and the Richard Goldstone report on Gaza, comparing Obama’s call to freeze building at the squatter colonies in the occupied West Bank with the egyptian “Pharaoh” of the bible who “transformed the Jewish people into slaves”, and describes Goldstone as “scum” and “bastard”. The zionist Ghozlan asked that all the French judges should condemn the BDS activists and activities, and he received full support by the French government.

For further information read below the request sent to me by Oliva Zémor, President of the CAPJPO-EuroPalestine to help the french BDS activists.

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French BDS Activists Request Your Help! French MP prosecuted. Repression against BDS activists in France

24-9-2010 – The repression against BDS activists in France is reaching a new scale with the prosecution of a French MP, Alima Boumediene-Thiery (member of the French Senate) who has participated in a BDS action in the Paris region one year ago and who is a supporter of the BDS campaign. Her trial is due to take place in Pontoise (North of Paris) on Thursday October 14. She is accused (like all the other French BDS activists prosecuted) of “incitation to racial hatred” and “discrimination against the Israeli nation”.

The same zionist lobbyist, Sammy Ghozlan is the plaintiff and he is supported by our government that has asked all French judges to condemn the BDS militants. We have exposed this man boasting that he has filed more than 80 complaints as a racist, a fanatic who writes insanities on Israeli settler websites not only against Palestinians but also against Richard Goldstone (“scum” and bastard” according to him) and even against Obama (compared to Pharaon who “transformed the Jewish people into slaves”) because he asked for Israelis to freeze the settlements. For those who can read French you will find interesting and incredible texts he wrote on our website if you click here.

This trial involving a member of parliament who can loose the right to be reelected in Parliament if she is condemned is a test, as you can understand. And many people would be happy to get rid of her because she is very active on many various “disturbing” fronts, such as immigrants, islamophobia, the situation in the prisons, and all kind of discriminations and repressive laws. She is also the one who succeeded, when she was a member of the EuroPean Parliament in 2002, in having a vote in favor of the suspension of the commercial agreement between Europe and Israel (giving enormous taxes privileges to Israel) that our governments ignored though it was voted by a majority of the European MPs. She went for missions in Gaza and the West bank on several occasions and made alarming reports.

In spite of this clearly crucial challenge, we find it very hard right now to mobilize the rest of the BDS movement in France for a real great counter offensive. Most of them keep silent, even many of those who participated in the BDS action with her and who should say “I did it too, sue me!”. We hope this will change and we are calling for protest actions to take place in the whole country before October 14, and for a huge meeting in front of the court the day itself.

We need your help! Would it be possible for you to organize protests in your respective countries, for example in front of the French Tourist Offices and to send us messages and pictures of support for her? We can send you pictures of Alima Boumedien-Thiery and any other details. (Article in French and photo of Alima). Are there any Israeli militants who could come and testify in French courts that the BDS campaign not anti-Semitic?

Another trial to take place against us though involving all member organizations of the BDS France Campaign: I have received summons to appear on 29 October before the court in Paris, for having posted on our website a video showing the BDS action carried out on 4 July 2009 in the Carrefour supermarket in Evry; this is considered as an offense “provoking discrimination, hate or violence towards a group of people belonging to the Israeli nation”. This video, which can also be viewed on: action BDS à Evry II
indicates, at the end of the video, that it was a collective action organized by the BDS France Campaign, having been endorsed by several organizations: Génération Palestine, CCIPPP, NPA, IJAN, the Palestine Committee of Montreuil, CAPJPO-Europalestine, the Villeneuve Collective, and Respaix.

The statements made – which were “criminal”, according to the plaintiff (once again the famous Sammy Ghozlan of the National Bureau of Vigilance against Antisemitism) – were in fact made by persons not members of our association (it was the day after the rampage of our bookstore Resistances by the zionist thugs and we were busy elsewhere) , one of them being the mayor of the village of Al-Masaara in the West Bank, who participated in the action while on a visit in France (his identity is indicated in the video).

It seems clear that the time has come to organize a united and large-scale response to this latest attack. First of all, because the action being targeted is an emblematic action of the BDS campaign in France and is shown to be such: it is indicated in the video that the Carrefour supermarket in question was not selected by chance but because it is in Evry, the home of the headquarters of Carrefour.

And as you may know, this chain of stores:
- puts on sale products with no traceability;
- practices deceit regarding the products’ source (we have proof of that);
- encourages colonization by selling Soda-Club machines produced in the Maale Adunim colony in the Palestinian territories;
- and files complaints against activists (as in Bordeaux and Mulhouse) who stand up for the rule of law.

Secondly, because it is high time to unite to put an end to these attacks, which:
- hijack the law on discrimination in order to favour war criminals;
- are a grave attack on the freedom of expression;
- and scandalously dare to accuse us of “discrimination” when there is no worse discrimination than that imposed for decades upon the Palestinian people!

We therefore ask all organizations taking part in the BDS campaign (to start with those who organized this action):

• Post the video on their sites. Here are the necessary codes: (you will get them on YouTube)
• Write to the state prosecutor: Monsieur le Procureur de la République près du Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris : Palais de Justice 14, quai des Orfèvres. 75001 Paris, asking to be also judged for this joint action and for publishing the video on the website of each association or party involved, because we are proud of our actions and take responsibility for them.
• Organize without delay a wide mobilization to protest against these intolerable measures of repression aimed at those throughout the country who rise up to say NO to the strangulation of a people, NO to the denial of freedom, NO to war crimes, NO to the siege of Gaza.

Not only will this repression not silence us, it will instead generate an increased mobilization, to bring shame on a government attempting to gag those who do not share its distorted conception of human rights and international law. If we are united, we can make our political leaders regret having chosen the camp of the occupier!

by Kawther Salam

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Execution at Dawn in Holy Jerusalem

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Fethiya with her children after receiving the news of the execution of her her husband.

The darkness was still a lowered curtain in the early hours of dawn in the holy occupied city of Jerusalem. The crows were flying in the sky, witnesses of the Israeli terrorist execution of a poor Palestinian laborer. Chasing, beating, torturing and detaining laborers by israel while they try to enter Jerusalem from the side of Al-Issawiya village north of Jerusalem is a normal occurrence.

In the dawn of last Sunday, Izz al-Din al-Qawezba, 38 years old, a married father of six children from the village of Saeer in the district of Hebron left his children sleeping and went to his work in Israel. Al-Qawezba and his friends were chased by the Israeli death squads, the so-called border police, who are a unit of the IDF. According to a statement of his uncle, Al-Qawezba was not able to run away because he was overweight. The death squad grabbed him, executed him in cold blood and then placed his body in a plastic bag and dragged him away. According to other laborers also on their way to work and who witnessed the execution, they were detained and beaten seriously. Crows flew over the blood trail of the victim, fighting to get some of it.

Israel has murdered in cold blood 59 Palestinian citizens after being arrested since the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 and until yesterday October 3 2010.

Salah al-Qawezba, a cousin of the executed labor who was 20 meters from the victim while they executed him said “we were chased from half past two until six o’clock in the morning, when I managed together with another group of workers from Hebron to climb the apartheid wall in the area of Al-Zaim – Al-Tur. After we jumped, another group of workers were trying to follow us. Suddenly a “Toyota” car of the “Israeli border police” death squads found us; they hid under a bridge and began chasing us”.

He added: “My cousin was 20 meters from me; I asked him to hurry up but he was slow because of his weight. His brother Hassan was walking close to him and I asked them again to hurry up because the soldiers were still behind us. Suddenly I saw a soldier approaching Izz al-Din, he put his rifle on the his body and then shoot him. I went back to find out his situation after being shot, dozens of workers followed me. When we approached the scene, the IDF death squads surrounded us and started beating us with cruelty and violence. At this time we saw them putting the body in a black bag and dragging him for a distance of more than fifty meters. The body and the about 100 workers present were transported to and released in Al-Issawiya village. Hassan al-Qawesba, the brother of the murder victim, was arrested by the IDF death squads.

Dr. Hanna Issa, an international law expert, commented on the crime. He said: “the execution of the 38 years old Palestinian in cold blood by the Israeli troops from point-blank range is a grave breach of law punishable under international law. The crime is considered a crime against humanity”. He added: “that the Israeli occupation troops continue to violate the rights of Palestinian citizens to be secure in the life and in their persons and continue to use excessive force in dealing with the Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories. In the recent years the IDF soldiers have exceeded the forms of murdering Palestinians. Many were sniped, others were shot in the head during peaceful demos, and several Palestinians were assassinated in cold blood.”

The Israeli executions are a grave breach of the basic rules of international humanitarian law, which forbids the use of weapons or the means to fight that would cause unnecessary losses or excessive suffering for the human beings, and which expressly protect civilians.

by Kawther Salam

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Arab Doctors Lead in New Medicine in EU

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The Arab Medical Union in Ireland, a branch of ARABMED in Europe, a UN Member (NGO) will hold their 26th Annual Meeting for the first time in Dublin – Ireland. The meeting will be attended by specialized doctors and surgeons from all Europe and the neighboring Arab countries; it will be held for the first time in Dublin from 29 – 31 October 2010 under the auspices of the Minister for Science, Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources of Ireland, Mr. Conor Lenihan.

Ireland will host the ARABMed conference in Dublin at Burlington Hotel. It will feature different scientific programs and allow for lively discussions between doctors in which they could learn from each others and discuss the newest medical issues.

Dr. Faidi Omar Mahmoud MD, President of the Arab Medical Union in Europe stated that the gathering doctors will enhance the scientific commitment and long-term cooperation between all doctors in Europe and around in the neighboring countries. He added: “the submissions for presentation at the conference have been made from a wide range of European and Arab universities and hospitals. We are expecting delegates from 13 countries (Germany, France, UK, Spain, Ireland, Turkey, Austria, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Jordan and Syria), we are looking forward to a unique, stimulating and scientifically rewarding conference”.

“We are looking forward to a unique, stimulating and scientifically rewarding conference. Our scientific program is rich and we expect it to be interesting and relevant to all participants. We also hope that you are able to meet old and new colleagues in these sessions and create lively discussions in which you can learn from each other.” said Dr. Omar. He pointed out that the ARABMED Union has held 25 scientific conferences in various European and Arab capitals, which were attended by nearly 2050 European and Arab specialists counting more than 400 Professors and distinguished scholars.

Dr. Ghassan Elagha, President of Arab medical union in Ireland said that the union had completed their preparations for holding the conference. He thanked the Minister for Science Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources of Ireland, Mr. Conor Lenihan, who confirmed his participation in the opening session of the conference. He also thanked the Irish authorities for facilitating the arrival of delegations and participant’s to the conference. Click here to read more about ARABMED conference in Ireland. Click here to read about ARABMED activities.

The European media deliberately and for unjustifiable reasons rarely highlights these annual medical conferences aimed by ARABMED to discuss new topics of medicine that would make the treatment service better for European citizens.

In Europe there is a large group of Arab doctors who are equal in their qualifications and in the provision of medical services in clinics and hospitals with their European colleagues. These doctors deserve that their achievements are highlighted during the annual meetings which they hold, and that this information is honestly transferred as news to the general public; these Arab doctors are in all European countries, working silently and even advancing the medical practice, and it is not just or objective that the media is deliberately ignoring their meetings which are held in various parts of Europe, while the same media deliberately and for non-innocent reasons continue hunting in the troubled waters and highlighted marginal issues like the Hijab to the public opinion, just as if it were the ONLY sign and symbol of the presence of Arabs in Europe.

In the EU there are doctors, university professors, engineers, lawyers, journalists and other professionals of Arab or Muslim background who are part of the society, and the Arab or Muslim presence is certainly not limited to what the yellow media and note-takers reports.

by Kawther Salam

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