Endless Checkpoints

by Bigot Wed Feb 28, 2007 15:58

it always boils down to religion

Why the need to mention Judith Keshet is a Jew and then clarify that by saying she is an orthodox Jew

What about the Arab?
Is She a Sunni A shia , christian mass goer, mosque goer

this stinks!!!

by Tom Carew Wed Feb 28, 2007 16:21

Like many more Irish people, I was often long delayed at eg the Aughnacloy Checkpoint on the Tyrone Border, but then the Provos used the savage device of their so-called "proxy-bomb" to attack the Border Checkpoint at Coshquin on the Donegal/Derry Border. No proxy or suicide bombs, then no checkpoints.

Amnesty now seems to be against the very existence of any checkpoints, and not a word about Hamas/Islamic Jihad suicide-bombings of buses, cafes and discos. Fair ? Balanced ? Human rights not include the fundsamental right of Arabs and Jews in Tel Aviv to simply live - free of attacks or threat of such atrocities ?
Tom

by jon-joe mcginty Wed Feb 28, 2007 16:32

Bigot:

Obviously it's relevant as Israel is a religious state. It's relevant as accusations of anti-Semitism are the norm whenever anyone questions Israel. It's relevant as many Israeli Othodox Jews are the most hardline supporters of Zionism, a fact which makes the work of Judith and others like her all the more comendable. The religion of Palestinians is unimportant as they are persecuted regardless of whether they are Christian, Muslim, atheist, whatever.

Tom:

The checkpoints are not on the border, that's the point. They are within the West Bank and Gaza, often dividing towns in two, preventing farmers from getting to their land, children from getting to school, etc. Nobody would have a problem with checkpoints which separate two States, but these ones separate Palestine from itself. The equivalent would be if the British Government had set up checkpoints outside Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, etc., and in the vicinity of the majority of towns and villages in the Republic. Your analogy doesn't stand up to ANY scrutiny, and you clearly don't have a clue what you're talking about. (Having been delayed at checkpoints both at the Northern border and all over the West Bank, I feel I DO have a clue about this)

by anon Wed Feb 28, 2007 18:43

A group of Irish Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday called into question Ireland's commercial ties with Israel, saying Israel has made the Gaza Strip "little more than a large prison" for Palestinians.
"We also intend to raise with Minister Ahern the intolerable situation that is the daily lot of the Palestinians who live in Gaza," Field said.

The ICJSA's statement also questioned the way in which the European Union handled its dealings with Israel. "While we welcome cooperation between the EU and its neighbouring countries, nevertheless such cooperation should not be at the expense of a large segment of the indigenous population - in this case the Palestinians."

by Sean from B fast again Wed Feb 28, 2007 21:34

What a wonderful photo
-it looks as if the Arab kids are having a nice chat with the Israeli soldier
Thats really cute as the Americans say !

by Fred Wed Feb 28, 2007 21:38

It seems as if the check points STOP about 50 would be homicide attacks each month -so where ever they are and the Security Barrier is they seem to be doing the job they were set up for .

When the Arabs revert back to peaceful ways -and stop giving support the so called militant activists then I am sure the checkpoints will go .

by PaddyK Wed Feb 28, 2007 22:07

Good thread and very timely right now. Focusing on Human rights violations and denial of basic freedom as a way to highlight just how inhuman the Israeli administration of the Palestinian lands has become as a matter of policy. The Human rights violations are now engrained into the daily life of the Occupation as though it’s a legitimate mechanism of Palestinian/ Israeli society. The Palestinians must plan three hours to travel 20 miles to work or family or hospital etc. and the average Israeli soldier must accept as normal and uncontroversial the denial of Human rights in Occupied Palestine. It’s becoming the currency of the occupation as Israel tries to create space for unilateral opportunism.

Here's a very recent article Jonathan Cook, a writer and journalist based in Nazareth, Israel. It really highlights the gritty reality of the humiliation of Palestinians at the hands of the dehumanised Israeli soldiers.

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6588.shtml

"The old man stands his ground. After a few tense moments, the soldier relents and the old man passes.

Is the confrontation revealing of the soldier's humanity? That is not the way it looks -- or feels -- to the young Palestinians penned in behind the concrete barriers. They can only watch the scene in silence. None would dare to address the soldier in the manner the old man did -- or take his side had the Israeli been of a different disposition. An old man is unlikely to be detained or beaten at a checkpoint. Who, after all, would believe he attacked or threatened a soldier, or resisted arrest, or was carrying a weapon? But the young men know their own injuries or arrests would barely merit a line in Israel’s newspapers, let alone an investigation."

by Bigot Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:14

It seems the solution (final?) is to take down the barrier, dismantle the checkpoints, dissolve the IDF and let nature take its course

agreed?

by Melody Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:41 Manchester

The photograph at the ckeckpoint shows us a friendly soldier chatting to children. There is no threat or animosity depicted. It is in the mind of those who wish to besmirch Israel and the Jewish people. The fact that a religious Jew is involved in this abomination doesn't mean that the media has to believe the truth of distorted statements. The rifle in the photograph is necessity. Women's groups should bear in mind how many Palestinian women blew themselves up at checkpoints.

by redjade Thu Mar 01, 2007 16:43

'The photograph at the ckeckpoint shows us a friendly soldier chatting to children. There is no threat or animosity depicted'

What part of the image are you speaking of? I see a gun pointed at children's heads at point blank range. does a soldier's finger have to be wraped around the trigger to express 'animosity'? And do you really think that soldier is there to protect hose children or 'protect' someone else from those children?

by Dathai Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:18

Tom, as anybody who used the Aughnacloy and other border checkpoints would know they were used as a means of repression by bored squaddies, whether sanctioned by their political and military masters or not. I doubt that the Israelis are any different. Maybe you don't remember Aidan McAnespie who was regularly harassed by the Brits at Aughnacloy and was eventually shot from 300m in a "gun-cleaning accident". The guy in the picture doesn't look friendly to me but maybe scowls mean something else in the Middle East.