United Nations Calls for Independent Inquiry

     The UN Human Rights Council has approved a decision supporting an international Goldestone-like investigation into the Israeli raid on the Gaza protest flotilla Monday, in which nine activists died and nearly 700 were arrested. One report said as much as 15 activists were killed in what is unfolding as either the action of lunatics or pirates, joining the ranks of the Somalis.
Britain, Spain and countries throughout the world have condemned the action but the Israelis continue to adopt a position that it has the right to do what it wants, whether it violates international law or place its soldiers at risk of being charged with massacre.
The current and former Prime Ministers of Britain have called on Israel to end the blockade. This call was echoed by the Arab League, a bunch of despots and dictators afraid of their own shadows.

     Of course Israel has rejected this move as it usually does. It prefers its own investigation. What a laugh. Seeking justice in Israeli hands? Not in this lifetime or he next.

In 2010, there is no major government in the world really willing to put any political dime next to its cheap "remove the siege" talk. Why, even Obama formally asked Israel to remove the Gaza siege. Talk is indeed cheap. In actions, Obama, like Bush before him and like all others leaders of the West, have colluded with Gaza’s imprisonment and made sure that Western puppets like Mubarak collaborate with it.
During this decade, increasingly, Israel has become allied with the world’s political and economic elites, and oblivious, even hostile, to global public opinion. This includes many countries considered friends of Israel. The US where public sentiment tends to reflexively support the Israeli stand, has been a somewhat different story – but even here, the ground has been shifting since the 2008-9 Gaza war. In most other countries, that same war has pretty much sealed the case and solidified a seemingly irreversible anti-Occupation public consensus. And yet, the Occupation and the imprisonment of Gaza continue.
Coincidentally, last year a new government coalition came into power in Israel, its most right-wing coalition ever. Previous governments knew they must give the world some lip-service about peace, to help ally governments divert attention from the Occupation so as not to get into trouble with their constituencies. By comparison, the present Bibi-Lieberman-Barak government seems like a physical incarnation of Deh Stoopid.
Political analysts continue to be baffled by the Israeli action which amounts to piracy and or terrorism and one of the few people in the world, Vice President Biden says the Israelis action was justified. His head is apparently stuck deep into the rear end of the Israelis.
Whatever the detailed context and facts of the clash, it is the killing by Israeli forces of nine activists that dominates perceptions of the incident among Muslims, for whom the Palestinian cause is dear, analysts and Muslim commentators say. Revulsion at the bloodshed on a Turkish vessel sailing to the Palestinian enclave could translate into increased fund-raising for transnational militant groups such as al Qaeda or like-minded allies, or foster tolerance or even sympathy for such groups among Muslims who are not otherwise ideological.In some cases, it could push passive al Qaeda sympathizers into active participation against Israel or its
Western allies, and undermine the international cooperation needed for tracking down illicit funding of militant groups, they said."For al Qaeda it doesn't get any better than this. It's really very dangerous," said Noman Benotman, a British-based Libyan analyst and a former associate of Osama bin Laden. He noted al Qaeda's online propaganda experts were adept at recycling footage of Middle East violence to incite followers.
Peter Neumann, director of the Center for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College, London University, said the incident could prove to be a "tipping point" similar to the publication of U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, credited by analysts with deepening Arab and Muslim opposition to Western intervention in Iraq. "I'd expect a significant impact from this on radicalisation," he told Reuters.
"Whatever the facts are, whoever is responsible for the violence, this will play on people's perceptions. Psychologists call it a tipping point that can push someone from passive mode into active mode."
VULNERABLE TO VIOLENCE
Attacks on London's transport system in 2005 by four young suicide bombers highlighted the danger of radicalisation among alienated young men from disadvantaged immigrant districts in Britain. Europe's deadliest Islamist militant attack occurred in Madrid in 2004 when bombs on commuter trains killed 191. While radicalisation of young Muslim citizens has been a concern in Europe for years, a Pakistani-American's failed bid to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square on May 1 has raised fears that the United States is just as vulnerable to violence from immigrants as other Western countries.In London, a
British security source said the event would not necessarily produce any immediate result but it would play into al Qaeda's wider narrative and might contribute over time to an ongoing radicalisation message. U.S.-based terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann said terrorism financing networks were best countered using accepted legal sanctions and transnational cooperation between regional allies.
Incidents such as the deadly Gaza flotilla raid risked weakening a "shared international resolve to punish those who manipulate humanitarian relief as a cover to fund terrorism." In Germany, Guido Steinberg, an expert on Islamist militancy, said the Turkish government's tough criticism of Israel could influence Germany's large Turkish community.
"Gaza is a mobilizing factor for jihadists, but it has been so for a while. What I'm worried about at the moment is the harsh reaction of Turkey. That might affect some people ... Support for Gaza and Hamas mixes with Turkish national pride here," he said.
In Britain, Muslim activists reported fury at the incident.
"My streets are in danger, and I say 'streets' meaning not just Bradford but the whole UK. This makes trouble for us peacemakers," said Owais Rajput, a researcher at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, the home area of three of the four men who killed 52 people in the London attacks of 2005.
Abu Muaz of Call2Islam, a radical British-based Muslim group that seeks uncompromising opposition to Israel, said in the past two days there had been "a lot of anger among the youth."
"They ask what's the point of just demonstrating? In the mosques, the imams don't have a solution."
– A Jordanian man, a pro-Palestinian activist hugs his sons as he crosses the Israeli controlled, Allenby …
Whatever the detailed context and facts of the clash, it is the killing by Israeli forces of nine activists that dominates perceptions of the incident among Muslims, for whom the Palestinian cause is dear, analysts and Muslim commentators say. Revulsion at the bloodshed on a Turkish vessel sailing to the Palestinian enclave could translate into increased fund-raising for transnational militant groups such as al Qaeda or like-minded allies, or foster tolerance or even sympathy for such groups among Muslims who are not otherwise ideological.In some cases, it could push passive al Qaeda sympathizers into active participation against Israel or its
Western allies, and undermine the international cooperation needed for tracking down illicit funding of militant groups, they said."For al Qaeda it doesn't get any better than this. It's really very dangerous," said Noman Benotman, a British-based Libyan analyst and a former associate of Osama bin Laden. He noted al Qaeda's online propaganda experts were adept at recycling footage of Middle East violence to incite followers.
Peter Neumann, director of the Center for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College, London University, said the incident could prove to be a "tipping point" similar to the publication of U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, credited by analysts with deepening Arab and Muslim opposition to Western intervention in Iraq. "I'd expect a significant impact from this on radicalisation," he told Reuters.
"Whatever the facts are, whoever is responsible for the violence, this will play on people's perceptions. Psychologists call it a tipping point that can push someone from passive mode into active mode."
VULNERABLE TO VIOLENCE
Attacks on London's transport system in 2005 by four young suicide bombers highlighted the danger of radicalisation among alienated young men from disadvantaged immigrant districts in Britain. Europe's deadliest Islamist militant attack occurred in Madrid in 2004 when bombs on commuter trains killed 191. While radicalisation of young Muslim citizens has been a concern in Europe for years, a Pakistani-American's failed bid to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square on May 1 has raised fears that the United States is just as vulnerable to violence from immigrants as other Western countries.In London, a
British security source said the event would not necessarily produce any immediate result but it would play into al Qaeda's wider narrative and might contribute over time to an ongoing radicalisation message. U.S.-based terrorism consultant Evan Kohlmann said terrorism financing networks were best countered using accepted legal sanctions and transnational cooperation between regional allies.
Incidents such as the deadly Gaza flotilla raid risked weakening a "shared international resolve to punish those who manipulate humanitarian relief as a cover to fund terrorism." In Germany, Guido Steinberg, an expert on Islamist militancy, said the Turkish government's tough criticism of Israel could influence Germany's large Turkish community.
"Gaza is a mobilizing factor for jihadists, but it has been so for a while. What I'm worried about at the moment is the harsh reaction of Turkey. That might affect some people ... Support for Gaza and Hamas mixes with Turkish national pride here," he said.
In Britain, Muslim activists reported fury at the incident.
"My streets are in danger, and I say 'streets' meaning not just Bradford but the whole UK. This makes trouble for us peacemakers," said Owais Rajput, a researcher at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, the home area of three of the four men who killed 52 people in the London attacks of 2005.
Abu Muaz of Call2Islam, a radical British-based Muslim group that seeks uncompromising opposition to Israel, said in the past two days there had been "a lot of anger among the youth."
"They ask what's the point of just demonstrating? In the mosques, the imams don't have a solution."

Wed, June 2, 2010 5:45:13 PM
[CMEP Bulletin] CMEP Responds to Gaza Flotilla Incident, Over 6,000 Signatures Sent to White House

From:	Churches for Middle East Peace <info@cmep.org>Add to Contacts
To:	edwin_ali@yahoo.com

CMEP Urges End to Blockade, Continued Peace Negotiations in Wake of Gaza Flotilla Incident;
CMEP Gaza Petition Sent To White House

1. CMEP Urges End to Blockade, Continued Peace Negotiations in Wake of Gaza Flotilla Incident
CMEP issued the following statement today in response to the recent incident between a flotilla heading to Gaza and the Israeli armed forces:
The violence and death that erupted in the early morning hours of May 31 -- when Israeli commandos mounted an operation to stop an international flotilla at sea that was seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza -- has prompted concern around the world. While details of the incident remain unclear, nine persons on the vessels were reported killed and many were injured, including some Israeli forces.
The incident highlights the need for the United States to work for new, constructive Israeli policies toward Gaza that end the blockade and provide for the humanitarian need of those living there without diminishing Israel's own security.
Less than three months ago, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and the heads of many of CMEP's sponsoring organizations wrote to President Obama urging him to use America's unique relationship with Israel to persuade it to open its borders with Gaza now. CMEP said then, "We believe this policy is strategically unsound, harms Israel's security, and exacts an unacceptable toll on innocent Palestinians."
The letter also said, "The perception of U.S. support for or acquiescence in the closure challenges our reputation for upholding humanitarian values. It deprives 1.4 million Palestinians of a decent, minimum standard of welfare. It restricts the use of the $300 million the United States has committed to rebuild Gaza, is a serious obstacle to restoring hope and making peace, and undermines long term Israeli security." Over 6,000 endorsements of this letter from CMEP supporters have been received and sent by CMEP to the White House.
The current Israeli restrictions on trade and movement of persons in and out of Gaza have been in place since 2007. They have limited trade in food and medicines and led to worsening unemployment and poverty among Gaza's population of 1.4 million. Restrictions on imports of building materials have limited reconstruction of housing and utilities destroyed during the war. Travel restrictions have limited opportunities for education.
The restrictions were aimed in part at ending rocket attacks from Gaza and securing the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit. They also had the political goal of undermining Hamas' control in Gaza.
The blockade has not had the desired results. Hamas remains in power. Rocket attacks have not completely stopped. Smuggling of goods through tunnels under Gaza's border with Egypt has become an economy of its own. Paradoxically this underground trade is controlled and taxed by Hamas. President Obama has said that "the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security interests."
The Gaza flotilla incident also underlines the necessity of pressing without delay for a comprehensive agreement for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, beginning with the indirect talks now being brokered by the United States.
This crisis and its tragic consequences must not be allowed to undermine peace efforts. The United States should seize this opportunity to push hard now for an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority has already said it plans to continue the proximity talks with Israel brokered by the United States. The United States should help Israel find better ways to enhance its security through negotiation and a comprehensive agreement for peace.

2. Gaza Petition Sent to White House With Over 6,000 SignaturesFPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=CMEP Staffer Keith Swartzendruber with some of the over 6,000 signatures"
Over 6,000 CMEP supporters signed on to a petition calling on President Obama to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza. In the wake of the past weekend's violence, pressure continues to mount on Israel to reconsider its blockade of Gaza. At this point it appears that indirect talks brokered by the U.S. will continue.

CMEP Staffer Keith Swartzendruber with
some of the over 6,000 signatures

Background Reading
Letter from Heads of Denominations to President Obama on Gaza
Letter from CMEP, Foundation for Middle East Peace, Americans for Peace Now, Rabbis for Human Rights, B'Tselem, Arab American Institute, and J Street to President Obama on Gaza
UN's Ban Calls for Israel to End Gaza Blockade, Reuters, June 1, 2010Aide: Abbas Says No Need to Quit Peace Talks, Associated Press, May 31, 2010.

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Visit the CMEP website: Learn more about our work and how to get involved. Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Reformed Church, Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Friars OFM (English Speaking Conference, JPIC Council), Friends Committee on National Legislation, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, Moravian Church in America, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM).