Well, remember that Bernie is just a bit younger than I. We grew up in Jewish
families at a time when our families and all people of good will thought that
Israel was a wonderful idea. It took years and years for the truth of what
Israel actually is, to become evident to me. But most older Jewish people
haven't changed and still feel that basic connection, even Noam Chomsky does,
but not at the same level as Bernie. However, Bernie is representing himself as
the leader of a political revolution of the young, and he can't be an authentic
leader of he continues supporting Israel.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 11:47 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Israel Resorts to Psychological Warfare to Try
to Break Palestinian Hunger Strike
Bernie Sander's remarks are evidence that he is a flawed human, like the rest
of us. I suspect his thinking regarding Israels relationship to Palestine is
colored by the munitions manufacturers in his own state. What he does not
understand is that by turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the atrocities
being inflicted by Israel, he is putting the lie to everything he claims to
believe about oppressive government, and their greed driven oppression. This
is why we all need to think for ourselves and not put our blind trust in the
hands of others. Bernie has many good points, but he needs to understand that
he is being carefully watched, and that he will be called out for his
transgressions.
Of course so must Donald Trump be called out. And all elected officials. To
me it is a strange turn of events when we get all bent out of shape over the
suggestion that Russia has tampered in our Election. First, isn't this what we
Americans are so wrapped up in?
Tampering in the politics of other nations? And even more to the point, what
about the tampering by Israel in our government's decisions regarding our
continuous arming of Israel, while turning our backs on the oppression Israel
puts upon Palestine? And how strongly is Bernie fighting the oppression placed
by his government upon the Indigenous People here at home? Can he not see the
similarities?
Back in our Sunday Schools it is so easy to agree that Man cannot Serve Two
Masters. Then we go out into the real world and attempt to serve an entire
crowd of them. So, I can understand where Bernie is coming from. Support and
dollars mean a great deal in our "free election" system. But it causes me to
not trust Bernie at the level he might want me to.
Carl Jarvis
On 5/10/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
And this is the country that Bernie Sanders recently told reporters,
at the Carter Center, that he still supports. He is still saying that
He wants Israel to treat Palestinians fairly, that he wants equal
treatment for both sides, and that with fairness, a two state solution
can be found. And that is why he signed the letter with all of the
other senators, complaining that the UN is singling out Israel for
criticism and that this is anti-semitic.
Well, they didn't use that word, they implied it.
Miriam
Israel Resorts to Psychological Warfare to Try to Break Palestinian
Hunger Strike Wednesday, May 10, 2017 By Charlotte Silver, The
Electronic Intifada | Report
More than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners entered their fourth week
without food on Monday as Israel intensifies its efforts to break the
hunger strike.
The striking prisoners are demanding improvements in conditions and an
end to solitary confinement, heavy restrictions on family visits and
administrative detention -- prolonged imprisonment without charge or trial.
Israel has refused to negotiate with or discuss the demands of the
hunger strikers, referring to the prisoners as terrorists and calling
the strike a media ploy.
Meanwhile, the Israel Prison Service is attempting to demoralize its
participants and their supporters.
Threats of Force-Feeding
Israeli media report that the government is considering bringing in
foreign doctors to potentially force feed hunger strikers.
The Israeli Medical Association stands with global medical opinion
that force feeding is "never ethically acceptable," as is stated in
the World Medical Association's Malta Declaration, and is tantamount to
torture.
In a statement released on Saturday, strikers said "we emphasize that
any attempt to implement the crime of forced feeding against any
prisoner on hunger strike will mean for us a project of the execution
of the prisoners."
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike died as a result of being
subjected to forced feeding in the 1970s and '80s, according to the
rights group Addameer.
"Psychological Warfare"
On Sunday, Israel released footage that it said shows hunger strike
leader Marwan Barghouti eating sweets in the bathroom stall of his
prison cell on on 27 April and 5 May.
The videos are time-stamped but could not be independently verified.
Israel Prison Service sources told the Tel Aviv daily Haaretz that
they intentionally set Barghouti up.
Israeli authorities have sought to discredit Barghouti since he
launched the mass hunger strike last month, casting the protest as a
political maneuver to assert his popularity and vie for leadership of
the Palestinian Authority.
Public security minister Gilad Erdan, who pushed for the legalization
of forced feeding in 2015, called Barghouti a "murderer and a hypocrite."
"The Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike has nothing to do with their
prison conditions, and everything to do with the political interest of
Marwan Barghouti," Erdan stated on Sunday, repeating claims he made in
The New York Times last week.
Barghouti's lawyer called the video "psychological warfare" against
the prisoners.
"We can't address the content of the clip so long as they don't let us
meet with Marwan. Let us visit him and then we will check the claims with
him,"
the lawyer said.
Barghouti's wife, Fadwa Barghouti, said the video was a "low" move by
Israel.
"The prisoners are familiar with Israel's lies and games and the video
they released signals the beginning of its fall," she said at a press
conference on Sunday.
Punishment
After nearly three weeks of refusing to allow hunger strikers to meet
with their lawyers, on 3 May the Israel Prison Service was told by the
high court that the practice was illegal.
Over the weekend, lawyers met with detainees at Ketziot and Nitzan
prisons for the first time since the strike began.
At Ketziot, lawyers reported that several of their clients were unable
to walk or stand.
In addition to increased raids and transfers to solitary confinement,
Israel has also begun seizing money from striking prisoners' accounts.
In response, the Palestinian Authority announced that it would stop
paying an allowance to prisoners. This money is used for purchases at
the prison commissary, including salts, which are a vital nutrient for
hunger strikers.
According to lawyers who visited Ketziot, the prison authorities have
denied prisoners access to the commissary and have begun fining them
for not standing up during roll call.
A committee formed to support the hunger strike is calling on the
Palestinian Authority to halt security coordination with Israel and
suspend municipal elections scheduled for 13 May.
There are some 6,300 Palestinian prisoners currently being held by
Israel, according to the rights group Addameer.
Charlotte Silver
Charlotte Silver is a journalist in San Francisco, formerly based in
the West Bank, Palestine. Follow her on Twitter: @CharESilver.
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