Just 7 items tonight, except, of course, that item 7, ‘Today in Palestine’ is a compilation, but one that you should not miss, even if you read nothing more than the brief summaries of each item. Imagine, you will read, among other things, about a Palestinian teen who is arrested after being hit by an army jeep. Only in Israel!
Item one is a report on Apple being under fire for pulling an item off its offerings. Why? Apparently due to Jewish pressure.
This is followed by a request from Cindy Corrie, Rachel Corrie’s mother, to watch a video, which, actually is a series of videos from passengers on the American ship, the Audacity of Hope, who tell us why they will participate in the upcoming flotilla. Each video is about 1 minute.
Item 3 informs us that residents of a West Bank village are demanding their lands back from a settlement that stole them. Terrible, isn’t it, to want what belongs to you back?
I found item 4 very depressing. Akiva Eldar interviews EU’s Ashton. The interview is longish. Unfortunately, the impression it leaves (at least with me) is that the EU will not help in bringing about justice in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nor any significant changes.
Item 5 leaves just the opposite emotion. It’s too early to know how successful ‘Overcoming injustice together’ will be, but it’s great to see Americans getting their act together, reminiscent of the movements during the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights period. At least this gives room for optimism, If it succeeds, it might also demand justice here, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Item 6 is about 2 groups coming to Israel from the US—one going on the ship to Gaza, the other immigrating. Most of the focus is on those going on the Audacity of Hope.
Last but by no means least, item 7 is, as I have said, ‘Today in Palestine.’
US computer giant Apple has culled a Palestinian application (app) from its iPhone offerings at the request of Israel, which said it incited people to violence against the Jewish State.
The Arabic-language app ThirdIntifada, released by Apple just days ago, provides users with details of upcoming anti-Israel protests, access to news articles and editorials, and links to Palestinian nationalist material.
In calling on Apple to act decisively, Israel’s public diplomacy minister Yuli Edelstein said the iPhone app was “anti-Israel and anti-Zionist”, and warned that it could “unite many towards an objective that could be disastrous”.
The decision by Apple to purge the app has been criticised by pro-Palestinian campaigners, who claim that the term “Intifada”, used to refer to a mass uprising, is not necessarily a call to violence. Apple said the app “violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people”.
Apple has responded swiftly to pressure in the past, dropping apps deemed sexual in content or anti-gay. More controversially, it pulled an unofficial WikiLeaks app that enabled people to make donations to the whistle-blowing site run by Julian Assange after PayPal, MasterCard and Visa all cancelled their cooperation with WikiLeaks in what appeared part of a concerted campaign.
Israel recently scored another success in cyberspace when it convinced Facebook to pull down a Palestinian Third Intifada page calling for an uprising against Israel. The page had attracted more than 350,000 fans.
Facebook, whose social networking site has played an instrumental role in galvanising protests across the Arab world in recent months, initially refused, buckling only after Israel appealed personally to founder Mark Zuckerberg.
The campaign underscores Israeli fears that if a much-anticipated Palestinian bid to seek recognition of statehood at the UN in September is thwarted, it could trigger a new uprising against Israel’s 44-year occupation.
Arab Spring protests have inspired many Palestinians to hope that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza can be ended through peaceful resistance in the absence of peace talks. Even before that, the non-violent protest movement was gathering strength, encouraged by Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad, a moderate politician who enjoys Western backing.
Some Palestinians envisage a return to the First Intifada, which started in 1987 and was characterised by civil disobedience and mass protests. But the Palestinian resistance became synonymous with deadly violence during the Second Intifada, which broke out in 2000, when the use of suicide bombers particularly hurt the Palestinian cause.
“People are disillusioned with what armed struggled achieved. The Palestinian political discourse is shifting towards popular resistance,” said Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist who organises weekly protests against Israel’s separation wall. “But if [Israeli] oppression is too much, it turns into something else.”
Blocked by Apple
* An app offering to “cure homosexuality” was scrapped after gay rights campaigners launched an online petition.
* Apple also banned apps which warned drivers of the location of traffic police carrying out Breathalyser tests after a campaign by four US senators.
* Record labels successfully pressured Apple into removing the free music-streaming “Grooveshark” app.
* “Wobble iBoobs” was among the soft-porn apps removed by Apple following complaints by parents.
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2. Friends in Israel,
It seems important to get Yonatan’s message about the Audacity of Hope out. Word from activists in Athens preparing for the journey on the U.S. Boat to Gaza continues to be that there is intense pressure to stop the boats.
[Actually, this takes you to a group of videos of the Audacity of Hope passengers. Each video is about 1-2 minutes. They play automatically in a series, but you can also select those you wish to see/hear. Dorothy]
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3. Haaretz,
June 24, 2011
Residents of West Bank village demand return of land from nearby settlement
Nili’s residents are secular and all of the land on which the settlement was built was defined as state land, and construction was recently undertaken to expand the community.
Tags: West Bank Middle East peace Israeli settlements Palestinians
Five times over the past week, a march has been held after noon prayers in the West Bank village of Dir Kadis. Village leaders have led the marches, demanding the “return” of land from the nearby settlement of Nili. The settlement was founded in 1981, across the 1967 border from the Modi’in area and just a few hundred meters of sloping land from Dir Kadis.
Nili’s residents are secular; among them is Yisrael Beiteinu MK Fania Kirshenbaum. All of the land on which the settlement was built was defined as state land, and construction was recently undertaken – with the necessary government approval – to expand the community.
Residents of Dir Kadis claim the land was theirs. They say the area was declared state land in the 1980s, despite the fact that they have documents which allegedly prove the land belonged to them.
At the time, the government declared large swaths of rocky ground as state land. In a case recently filed by the villagers to the High Court of Justice over the dispute, the court refused to issue an interim order stopping construction work at the settlement. Meanwhile, work on an access road to the settlement has begun near Dir Kadis.
To press their case, village residents have adopted the nonviolent tactic of daily marches to Nili. One village resident, Nuar Katusa, commented: “The Israeli government likes to speak about peace and about settlement expansion. That’s exactly what’s happening now, while [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas is being asked not to go to the United Nations in September [to seek recognition of a Palestinian state], so that matters can be settled through negotiations. On the other hand, however, they’re not stopping building on our land for a moment.”
Last Thursday, a group of youths threw stones at Israeli soldiers in the area, breaking one soldier’s leg. An IDF officer responded with live fire, moderately injuring two villagers. On Sunday this week, the villagers managed to reach a house under construction in Nili and planted a Palestinian flag there. The incident was filmed and the pictures distributed among Palestinian villages in an effort to encourage other Palestinians to emulate the Dir Kadis protests.
Since Sunday’s incident, the Israel Defense Forces have stationed jeeps in the area to keep the villagers out of the settlement.
In keeping with orders from the IDF Central Command, soldiers in the area have exercised a great deal of restraint in dealing with marchers from the village. Private security guards protecting the construction site, however, have not hesitated to open fire when the marchers approach. Palestinians say this has been the case, even in the presence of soldiers.
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4. Haaretz,
June 25, 2011
EU’s Ashton: With its changing neighborhood, now is the time for Israel to move
European Union foreign policy chief condemns Syria violence, says Iran should prove its nuclear program is non-military.
BRUSSELS – With Greece in turmoil, the Spanish economy collapsing and the French political system in a state of upheaval, the leaders of the European Union are nonetheless putting time and energy into getting the ball rolling again on the Israeli-Palestinian front. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, followed by European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, last week visited the offices of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Both returned to Brussels as confused as ever.
What does Netanyahu mean when he hints that he would be interested in hearing new ideas? And how are we to interpret all the talk about Abbas looking for a way out of the latest corner he’s backed himself into – in this case the UN vote on recognizing an independent Palestine in September? And is there any truth to the messages making their way here from Washington to the effect that President Barack Obama is tired of serving as Netanyahu’s life preserver and that the biggest superpower in the world really does not feel like joining Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in voting against recognition of Palestine?
Upon her return from the Middle East, Ashton found a newspaper clip on her desk from The Telegraph of Britain, which cited a classified diplomatic document, which was released under freedom of information request, that described how unsuitable she was for her current position. Her critics maintain that Ashton’s shortcomings – meager diplomatic experience and excessive caution – were the reason she was chosen for the job. Ashton’s fans say that precisely because of these traits, she does a wonderful job of maneuvering herself among the 27 European raindrops.
On the eve of her trip to the Middle East, Ashton sent a letter to the members of the Quartet – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – urging them to adopt Obama’s blueprint for a solution based on the June 4, 1967, lines, with territorial swaps, as a starting point for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. She wrote that if the conflict is to be resolved, swift progress is required. Since then, she has been on their case constantly.
Back to the negotiating table
“My letter was a manifestation of an awful lot of work to try and get the Quartet principals together, in order that we can and try and put that work that’s been going on to good effect, with something from the Quartet that might be able to persuade the parties that there is enough support to get back into negotiations,” Ashton told me on Tuesday, in an interview held in her office at EU headquarters in Brussels. She said that the EU has invested considerable efforts in trying to get negotiations restarted before the anticipated UN vote in September. “I believe the Quartet is key, because potentially it can bring comfort to both parties,” she said. “It always seems to me that one of the most critical parts is not only understanding why the key issues matter so much to each [side], but their feeling that if they take the risk of being in negotiations that the international community will stand with them both and see that through.”
Do you really believe that negotiations between Netanyahu and Abbas can lead to a final-status solution?
“What I think is missing perhaps is trying to find that framework that enables them to start talking to each other. Where they end up is up to them. And those negotiations will undoubtedly be quite tough because each has got to think about the core issues and find a way through that delivers for their people, while recognizing that it’s going to be a deal, and deals require people to consider the position of the other.”
And will the Netanyahu government be able at the same time to continue to expand the settlements?
“Well, you know our position is that settlements are illegal under international law, full stop. The best way of solving the settlements in the end is going to be the negotiation on the territory. But I can understand why the Palestinians feel that it’s very difficult for them. However, again, if we can find the right framework, the best possibility to resolve this for all time is to get the talks moving and get an agreement.”
The position of Europe is very clear: that Hamas is on the terrorist list and it has not accepted the requirements of the Quartet. Do you accept the veto imposed by Netanyahu on the diplomatic process if the Palestinians establish a national unity government?
“That’s right, and that position has not changed. President Abbas has always made it clear that he is the president and it’s with him that the negotiations will take place. And what he’s trying to set up – I think he calls it a technocratic government. And the purpose of that is to bring in, as he always says to me, independent people who’ve been nominated and who will come in for the elections. In talking to President Abbas, I understand his strong desire to bring his people together. And that’s why we were cautious in our welcome.
“I think that what will be important in whatever happens is the elections, and the sense in which the work that [PA Prime Minister] Salam Fayyad is doing, under his great leadership in my view, continues. Because it’s the building of those institutions of the state that are going to be so important in the end, to make sure that the Palestinian people really do have their own state and their own future. I really hope that we will be able to make progress long before the elections and that he will be able to show his people that the option of having their own state, side by side with a secure Israel, will be on the cards.”
Do you expect to have a coherent EU position regarding the UN vote, if there is a vote in September?
“Well, first of all, we have to see if there’s a vote. Secondly, I don’t know what the resolution’s going to say. And it will depend very much on what the resolution says as to how the international community in general and the EU states in particular, vote. It’s quite possible that there could be a vote at the UN where the European Union states have no difficulty in voting for that.”
You spoke about your positive impression of Abbas’ commitment to an agreement. On Sunday you met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Did you have the impression that he is also committed?
“I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu is as aware as anyone can be that for the future of Israel, he wants to see a settled and secure State of Israel. The discussion is how we get there, and I have impressed upon him, as far as I can, that with the changing neighborhood, with the economic climates of all of the countries around, this is an even more important moment to move.
“I also understand that he and the government seem quite stable. In Israel, governments, I think, tend to change, or coalitions tend to change reasonably often, and this seems to have quite a long life span. And history teaches us that it’s when you are secure in your government that you actually make moves that require bravery and statesmanship. And I say that not because I think a solution is about bravery, it’s about doing what needs to be done, but because you have to carry people with you, many of whom disagree with your actions. “And therefore for me, from the perspective of a secure Israel, this is the moment to do something. This is the moment to remove this issue from the elections that will take place in countries surrounding Israel. It’s to remove this issue when you are trying to develop the economy of your country and advance your economic status with the European Union and elsewhere. It’s to remove this issue so it’s not any longer an issue which drains resources, and to remove this issue because you’re giving your children and your grandchildren a guarantee about their future with their nearest neighbor. And all of those elements seem to me to be in play now, so I’m trying to impress on him to do that. Prime Minister Netanyahu does me the courtesy of always listening to what I say, and we will see whether in the course of the next weeks, through both the envoys’ work and the Quartet, we can give him the – well, give him, in a sense, the courage to do that as well, to make that choice.”
But Netanyahu’s approach is that the unrest taking place after the Arab Spring is not a suitable climate for negotiations. He claims that first there has to be order in Syria and Libya, and mainly that we have to wait for the elections in Egypt.
“The conflict in the Middle East has been there for a long, long time. People need a solution to it on both sides, a resolution to it. And it’s, I think, right and proper for all of us to keep at it. It doesn’t mean I don’t focus, and we don’t focus, on trying to deal with Iran. As you know I’m a negotiator for the Iranian nuclear talks, and that is something I care deeply about. It doesn’t mean that we’re not engaged with Syria, where I have reports daily from our delegation that are there, and we’re trying to work with Turkey and others and look for ways in which we can put the pressure on.”
You also met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. You probably heard that afterward he threatened that in the event that the UN recognizes a Palestinian state, he will declare that Oslo is void.
“At a moment in a long discussion he said something like that, but I’m not sure that it’s up to him to declare that Oslo is void really. I don’t accept that Oslo is void – it would be a different world.”
Why should Israelis rely on the international community when they are witness to its helplessness in the face of the massacre in Syria? How much time will you give Syrian President Bashar Assad to continue killing his people?
“Well, it’s terrible what’s happening there. I’ve spoken to the Syrian foreign minister and made it clear that they need to reach a nonviolent response to people’s demonstrations, but, you know, this really is an awful situation.”
A changing neighborhood
Ashton says that the events in Syria illustrate the need for change on the part of Israelis and Palestinians. “Your neighborhood has changed, so when you have in the middle of all this an old conflict that has to be resolved – and I believe people have the capacity to do this – I genuinely believe that if they would decide to do it, it’s doable. Then they [political leaders] have more responsibility than ever for the people of Israel and the Palestinian people to actually do it. I can’t stress that enough.”
Your handling of the Iranian nuclear program is not exactly a success story either.
“I’ve had two rounds of negotiations with the Iranians, with Dr. Saeed Jalili [head of the Iranian delegation for talks on the nuclear issue], who’s my counterpart, and I’ve said to him the same throughout – that if Iran is serious about this being a civil nuclear program, show us. This is not difficult, let the inspectors do their job, show us what you have, get international support to build your civil program because you can’t build one these days without it, and work with the international community. It’s still on the table and remains on the table. And we’ve been in correspondence since, and I’ve met the new foreign minister.
“They say that that’s not what they’re doing [developing nuclear weapons], but anyone looking at the circumstantial evidence of that, I think, would find it hard to believe, and it is in their hands to change their course and show that it’s not what they want to do. In that we engage with a lot of different countries to try and use our economic pressure. We’ve had sanctions, they’ve been effective, that we do know. But just to say as well that we’re also really concerned about the human rights situation, and we’ve taken sanctions on that as well.”
Defense Minister Ehud Barak repeatedly declares that the continuation of the Iranian nuclear program leaves all the options open for Israel. He probably is referring to the military option as well. What is your opinion?
“I don’t want to get into what Defense Minister Barak may have said. If we want to have a more secure region, the critical thing is to try and persuade the Iranians to move away from this. I also put it this way – that if you sign up to a treaty, the non-proliferation treaty, then not only do you have an obligation to abide by it, but you have an obligation to make sure other people do as well. That’s why it’s so important that the G5 plus 1 are negotiating as a team. That’s why it’s so important that you’ve got the different sanctions in play.”
In other words, you rule out the military option?
“I just think that if we could find a negotiated agreement to it, that would be much, much better.”
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5. Al Jazeera,
June 25, 2011
Overcoming injustice together
A new US movement seeks to unite citizens in overcoming corruption, war, and social injustice.
Kevin Zeese Last Modified: EmailPrintShareSend Feedback
The October 2011 Movement pledges that if any US troops remain in Afghanistan on October 6, 2011, a huge rally will be held in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC [GALLO/GETTY]
Inspired by the courageous, nonviolent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Greece, Spain and elsewhere, people in the United States have come together to form the October 2011 Movement. This fusion of peace, social justice, environmental, student, and immigrant rights organisations is in solidarity with all who seek a peaceful, just, and sustainable future and stands ready to engage in its own campaign of nonviolent resistance – beginning in Washington, DC, this October. We recognise that your revolution is our revolution, that the US empire prevents you from achieving self-determination and economic justice, and that only together can we achieve our shared goals.
October marks the beginning of the 11th year of the US invasion and destruction of Afghanistan. It marks the beginning of yet another federal budget that delivers unlimited funds for war and corporate interests while putting in place an austerity budget for services that meet human and environmental needs. But this October will mark the beginning of something else in the United States – a moment when we will unite to demand an end to a system that puts profits and warfare over the welfare of people and the environment.
The response to our call, which just a few weeks old, has been tremendous. Already, more than one thousand people have pledged to join this resistance action in Freedom Square and that number is growing rapidly. Leading figures from a wide range of communities have stepped up to join the call. Among them are noted African-American scholar and activist Cornel West; Farm Labor Organising Committee (FLOC ) President Baldemar Velasquez; Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and author Chris Hedges; single-payer health-care advocates Drs David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler; noted environmentalists Derrick Jensen and Harvey Wasserman; and anti-war leader, Colonel Ann Wright (retired), along with numerous other prominent peace activists. You can see more of the people who signed up by visiting our website.
History is knocking on the door of the United States and its people are ready. As the crises in our communities and around the world grow, so must our response. We can no longer abide the outrageous and growing wealth inequality in this country. We cannot accept a government “of, by and for” the corporations. We cannot remain silent while our leaders continue to exploit and slaughter people in distant lands or while millions of us have no access to health care. A majority of Americans want the wars to end. We want investment in jobs, education, and environmental protection. We want banks to invest for our future, not for their executives’ pocketbooks. We want laws that are just, lawmakers who obey them, and the power to hold them accountable when they do not. For that, we need a judiciary biased toward justice, not the partisan powers and big business interests they serve.
In the United States, the people have little voice in the process of governance, as elected officials and institutions have been corrupted by concentrated corporate interests that have bought and paid for them. The people have no control over their own lives and the direction of their own communities. The brave who speak out for justice are often ignored, harassed, or imprisoned. Unified resistance has become the essential avenue for change.
Our time has come. We pledge to stand together in nonviolent resistance to corporate greed, government corruption, violence and injustice. We must follow our brave brothers and sisters of the Arab Spring and developing European Summer into an Autumn of an American awakening. With our bodies united in resistance and our voices coalesced into one sustained cry for justice, we can and must stop the machine and create a new world.
It is very difficult for us to get honest information about democracy movements around the world from the US corporate-controlled media. Please visit our website at www.october2011.org and keep us informed of your actions. We have called our action “Stop the Machine! Create a New World!” Together we will end concentrated corporatism and create a peaceful, just, and sustainable future that respects all of humanity and the planet.
Environmental campaigner and political activist Kevin Zeese wrote this piece on behalf of the October2011.org movement, a coalition of individuals and organisations seeking to end corporatism and militarism in the United States.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
Source: Al Jazeera
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6. Haaretz,
June 21, 2011
Two groups leave U.S. to Israel: One to immigrate, the other to break Gaza blockade
Diverse groups of Americans recently hosted farewell parties in Washington, D.C.
In the past few days, two very different groups held farewell parties in Washington, DC. One event was held in honor of 65 olim leaving for Israel. The other was for American peace activists on their way to Athens, to sail from there to Gaza, as part of another flotilla trying to break the blockade. Thirty-six Americans intend to join the flotilla on board the ship they call The Audacity of Hope, which just happens to be the title of a book by President Barack Obama.
According to information provided by organizers of the U.S. boat, a quarter of the passengers are American Jews. Ann Wright, a retired colonel from the U.S. Army reserves and one of the boat’s organizers, says the goal of the voyage is “to confront the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza, and U.S. government protection of Israeli criminal acts.”
“As a former U.S. diplomat and retired military colonel,” she says, “I strongly believe it is the responsibility of citizens to act when our governments fail to protect the human rights and dignity of any people – in this case, the Palestinians.”
Ray McGovern, a retired CIA analyst who used to prepare morning intelligence briefings for several U.S. presidents, said the group will spend several days in Athens, “doing some training on nonviolence,” and then the boat will sail from Greece to Gaza.
Are you sure that, with an open Egyptian border and current events in Syria and Libya, Gaza is the most urgent place to sail to?
“All the crossings except for Rafah are still controlled by Israel. Pedestrians are being let through Rafah – it’s on and off – but the substance is that they need a decent system, and the need continues to be great. There is wreckage of facilities in Gaza that need to be rebuilt. You can’t know about it and do nothing. The fact that more Syrians and Libyans are being killed now than Gazans – it’s not an argument. There are 1.5 million hostages in Gaza suffering unnecessarily, and it needs to be called attention to.
“If the Syrian situation continues to be as explosive, we might sail to Syria. But there are major differences: Israel is an “ally” of the US, and I use quotes because to be an ally you need a mutual defense treaty – and for that Israel requires internationally-recognized borders.
“We give $3 billion to Israel, we don’t give it to Syria. As friends, we need to tell Israelis that the situation in the Middle East has changed and, for their own sake, they need to reach a solution with the Palestinians. To start they can lift the blockade on Gaza. I don’t want difficulties for Jewish people but we want to call attention to Gaza; it’s not just and it’s not sustainable.”
What kind of reactions did you get in the U.S. to your plans?
“The sad part of all this is you can live in America, watch the news every day, and not hear about the situation in Gaza. Americans are mostly unaware of this. When I tell them about the flotilla, they ask: ‘What’s going on in Gaza?'”
So what do you hope to achieve? Israel has already said it won’t let the flotilla through.
“We are worried about our safety, but we have no arms on our ship, we have letters of support to Gazans. We are trying to do what justice people do – challenge these illegal measures. We are not martyrs. None of us is going with this attitude. I would tell the Israeli Government: ‘Welcome on board, be assured there are no weapons … read some letters and let us through to the people of Gaza.'”
Did you talk to U.S. officials about your plans?
“One of our organizers, a former high level State Department official, visited their offices, and they tried to convince her not to go. As American citizens, we got no assurances that we’ll get protection. In fact, I was informed informally that they won’t be sorry if something happens to us. It’s shocking.”
Barack Obama has said Israel can’t be expected to talk to Hamas before it rejects violence. Are you sure they expect you there? Last time, there were reports that supplies were left uncollected at the checkpoint.
“We carry statements of support, and not supplies. Our organizers are in close touch with the people of Gaza. It is great for them to realize someone out there cares for them. The name of the boat – Audacity of Hope – is inspired. No one can survive without hope. It was a way of saying to President Obama: ‘You inspired us three years ago, and in this spirit we are trying to personify hopes that have been largely dashed.'”
Are you aware of the lawsuit filed against the flotilla in a New York court by Dr. Alan Bauer, the victim of a 2002 Jerusalem bombing?
“I am aware of it. I am not a lawyer, but it seems quite a stretch – one of those ‘frivolous lawsuits.’ People are really stretching to find any legal way to prevent us from going.”
Should Gilad Shalit be released?
“I think that’s very regrettable, but we seek balance on these things. My heart goes out to the family, but also to the families of the Palestinians. My human inclination is to say, sure they should release him, but Israel should also release many Palestinians held in Israeli jails.”
Making aliyah
Naturally, the U.S. Jews planning to make aliyah to Israel in the next few weeks, and who attended an event at the Israeli Embassy, had their own concerns. Among them were a dozen or so young people who will join the IDF. Miriam Duffy, 18, from Silver Spring, Maryland, said two of her brothers previously served in the IDF.
“I’ve been to Israel and I know it’s not only ‘Jerusalem of gold.'” she says. “But I feel we are so lucky to have a strong and independent Jewish state that is there for us. And I want to be there for them. I’m lucky that my parents have been so supportive – they just told me to do what feels right for me. The September vote at the UN scares me – there are certainly dangers Israel is facing, but it has amazing soldiers and it’s ready to protect itself if anything happens. I want to stay in Israel. The best part there certainly is the people.” And the worst? “The worst part is the bureaucracy.”
Duffy was not the only one complaining about the bureaucracy. Rabbi Joel Tessler, whose daughter is also making aliyah, said he had to write four letters to prove she is Jewish. “Paperwork is required by everyone, including for a Rabbi’s daughter,” he laughs.
The numbers of olim from North America can be considered modest in comparison to the number of Jews in North America, although almost 4,000 made Aliyah last year, the most since 1973; a similar number is expected this year.
The IDF military attache, Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni, also bade the group farewell. “I want to express deep respect for your brave decision,” he said. “It’s a powerful message, when Jews decide to leave their comfortable life here to become part of the Zionist enterprise.” After welcoming the olim about to become soldiers, Shamni concluded: “There are many who want to damage Israel. But they all know there will be a decisive answer given by the IDF.”
