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“Pessoptimistic” Views of Israel/Palestine Offered by Richard Falk, Jeff Halper By Pat and Samir Twair
STAFF PHOTO S. TWAIR
proved there is no peace process. The Palestine Authority does not collaborate with Israel, Halper opined, but it is so weak, it will soon collapse. “Even if Marwan Barghouti were to be released from prison,” he continued, “he’d refuse to be a collaborator with Israel, Israel would never deal with Hamas. The Israeli public has been inculcated for the past 100 years with Dr. Richard Falk (l) and ICAHD founder Jeff Halper. the idea the Arabs are gypt is historical proof that the im- a permanent enemy—hence, there’s no possible can happen,” stated scholar partner for peace.” The Israeli activist foresees Prime MinisRichard Falk, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Terri- ter Binyamin Netanyahu moving to waretories, at a Feb. 5 public forum also featur- house the Palestinians behind Israel’s illeing the views of American-born anthropol- gal apartheid wall. “Israel says they [Palesogist Jeff Halper. Their views as expressed tinians] are bad people,” Halper explained, at the event in the Iman Cultural Center— “lock them up and let the international part of a monthly “Progressive Conversa- community feed them.” Falk honed in on Israel’s refusal to admit tion” series co-sponsored by the Levantine Cultural Center and L.A. Jews for Peace— that its recent actions are regarded as crimcould be described as “pessoptimistic,” a inal in the eyes of international law. He word coined by the Palestinian writer and cited these as its disproportionate 2006 war of revenge on Lebanese neighborhoods in politician Emile Habiby. Halper, who founded the Israeli Commit- south Beirut, its all-out land, sea and air astee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), sault on Gaza in the winter of 2008-09, and discussed his article entitled “Palestine its May 31, 2010 attack on the Turkish aid 2011,” in which he predicts this will be a ship that killed nine Turkish civilians. “The historic drift in the region has decisive year for the Middle East. “Palestine is among the top political issues been adverse to Israel since the Iran Revoargued globally,” Halper stressed. “Govern- lution of 1979,” the Princeton University ments must be prodded by the people to professor stated. “Turkey has emerged as act,” he continued, citing how Boycott, Di- the most responsible actor in the Middle vestment, Sanction (BDS) movements in Eu- East—it could take the lead in making the rope prompted Norway to divest its pension area a nuclear-free zone.” Stating he is pessimistic over Israel’s funds from Israel and the Church of England stance that it doesn’t need to make peace, to divest funds from Caterpillar. “Strategies are being developed around or make it only on its own terms, Falk conthe world and, sooner or later, the U.S. will cluded that so long as Palestinians conbe left in the dust,” he warned, adding that tinue to bargain, instead of insisting on the Palestine Papers exposed by Al Jazeera their rights, there can be no peace process. “No matter what the Palestinians offered, Pat and Samir Twair are free-lance journal- Israel wasn’t interested,” he noted. Falk predicted Israel would speed up its annexists based in Los Angeles.
Southern California Chronicle ation policy and intensify its belligerent attitude toward neighboring countries. Egypt was brought up during the question-and-answer period. Halper thought it difficult to envision a new government that would continue to seal Gaza. In Falk’s opinion, it is more likely the new Egypt will eschew the Iran model in preference to the Turkey model. When asked if he tries to show Israelis his efforts to rebuild Palestinians homes systematically demolished by the Jewish state, he replied that Israelis simply don’t care. “The implications of what I’m saying might dash their idealized Leon Uris-esque visions of Israel. The thinking goes that if Jews drove the Palestinians out in 1948, the whole moral basis of Israel is shattered.”
Gaza Doctor Speaks Out
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THE WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. The audience was transfixed Jan. 12 in the historic Los Angeles Central Library as it hung onto every word of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, author of I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey (available from the AET Book Club). In his book the Palestinian gynecologist relates how he witnessed an Israeli tank lob two shells into his home on Jan. 16, 2009, killing his two daughters and a niece and APRIL 2011