Gilad Shalit Marks Five Years Held In Secret By Hamas

Gilad Shalit is an Israeli soldier held by the Hamas in Gaza as a bargaining chip to pressure Israel for the release of some of the thousands of Palestinians detained in Israel. © Private

Corporal Gilad Shalit was only 19 years old when he was captured on June 25th 2006 by armed Palestinian groups, including Hamas’s military wing.

He is 24 years old now.  On June 25th, it will be over five years since Aviva and Noam Shalit, Gilad’s parents, have been able to touch their son or speak to him directly – even by mail.  It has been nearly two years since they’ve even seen him on video or received any other proof of life.

“As the days go by, we begin to despair of the day when we will see our son again. I know neither where he is held nor how he fares … or whether he is even alive.”  (Noam Shalit, Gilad Shalit’s father, addressing the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, July 6, 2009)

Hamas, the de facto administration in the Gaza Strip, are holding him in a secret location and using him as a hostage to use as leverage when negotiating with Israel.  But, Hamas is required under international humanitarian law to ensure that he is

  • well treated
  • held in humane and dignified living conditions
  • and allowed to communicate with his family, including through sending and receiving letters.

Treating Gilad Shalit as a hostage is a flagrant violations of these obligations.

Amnesty has been working on Gilad Shalit’s behalf since 2006, with different sections of Amnesty (AIUSAAI-UKAI-Ireland, and AI-Canada to list a few) undertaking different initiatives including the mobilization of individual members through letter-writing as well as higher level, behind-the-scenes Amnesty meetings that aren’t advertised publicly.

On this, the end of the 5th year of Gilad’s captivity, Amnesty International is asking activists around the world to sign our petition to Isma’il Haniyeh, Prime Minister of Hamas, urging him to alleviate the suffering of Gilad Shalit and his family by immediately complying with its obligations under international law.

Gilad Shalit’s family continue to campaign tirelessly for his immediate release or some assurance that he is alive and well.  The Hamas authorities though, say they will not release Gilad Shalit without the release of some of the thousands of Palestinians held in Israel.

Amnesty, in its work on behalf of Gilad as well as Palestinian prisoners, continues to reiterate that neither Gilad – nor the Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel – should be used as pawns or bargaining chips. Each prisoner – Israeli or Palestinian – is an individual with basic human rights.  Any violation of international law by Israel or Hamas does not justify Hamas’s treatment of Gilad Shalit or Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners that violates their rights.

Gilad Shalit deserves to be treated as an individual and given his basic human rights as defined under international law.  To act, select to send a letter/email to Hamas through our online action, sign the petition to Isma’il Haniyeh, and/or write a letter to Gilad Shalit himself. Amnesty will deliver these letters of hope and support next fall when they deliver the petition to Hamas authorities.

You can send your letters to Gilad to:
Rachel Campbell
Peter Benenson House
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DW

AIUSA welcomes a lively and courteous discussion that follow our Community Guidelines. Comments are not pre-screened before they post but AIUSA reserves the right to remove any comments violating our guidelines.

132 thoughts on “Gilad Shalit Marks Five Years Held In Secret By Hamas

  1. Hally,

    To repeat:

    "Gilad Shalit deserves to be treated as an individual and given his basic human rights as defined under international law."

    Gilad has been held incommunicado for five years. His parents have had no word of his welfare or if he's even alive for almost two years now. The fifth year anniversary is tomorrow – June 25, 2011. That is the purpose of this blog – to let people know that and act on his behalf.

    Amnesty also continues to work on behalf of the many Palestinian prisoners who are detained within Israel, thus the paragraph, "Amnesty, in its work on behalf of Gilad as well as Palestinian prisoners, continues to reiterate that neither Gilad – nor the Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel – should not be used as pawns or bargaining chips. Each prisoner – Israeli or Palestinian – is an individual with basic human rights. Any violation of international law by Israel or Hamas does not justify Hamas’s treatment of Gilad Shalit or Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners that violates their rights."

    So please, in the following comments, let's not deflect the concerns about Gilad by pointing the fingers away to violations being committed by Israel, because as the blog also states, "Any violation of international law by Israel or Hamas does not justify Hamas’s treatment of Gilad Shalit or Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners that violates their rights."

    It's frustrating when posting a blog about violations being committed by Israel to have apologists continue to point fingers at the Palestinian Authority or Hamas just as it is when focusing on a violation by Hamas or the PA and have people distract the issue by pointing at violations by Israel. (Just look at comments for last blog post on Gaza by Geoffrey Mock.)

    As the poster says, "Every Human Has Rights", let's concentrate on Gilad's and try to let him and his family know that he hasn't been forgotten. He deserves to have regular ICRC visits and correspondence with his family and he deserves to be treated humanely.

    Period.

  2. -hally
    simply put:
    the people in israeli jails are prisoners who committed crimes.
    gilad shalit was kidnapped.

  3. Em,

    Not entirely true.

    If you are referring specifically to the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as ‘the people’, then no, not accurate at all.

    Palestinian citizens of Israel are charged and tried under the same laws as other non-Jewish and Jewish citizens of Israel although some are categorized as ‘security’ prisoners and are then treated as such which raises certain concerns I don’t have time to go into at this time, but for more details, you can check out Addameer, the Israeli prisoner support and human rights organization’s website at http://www.addameer.org for more details.

    But, Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are held to a different legal system than used within Israel-proper or for their neighbors, the illegal, Israeli settlers living in the OPT. The legal code used in the OPT for Palestinians is a mish-mash of ancient statutes from the Ottoman, British and Jordanian eras to a series of military orders issued since the occupation began back in 1967.

    Trials are then not before an independent judicial body, but within the military justice system often resulting in highly unfair trials. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also clearly outlines the rights of protected persons (those residing in the OPT in this case) when facing detention by an Occupying Power. Amongst these rights is the right to remain in the occupied territory during all stages of detention, including during the serving of prison sentences if convicted. The vast majority of Palestinian prisoners are currently held within Israel, with the result that their families from the OPT face extreme difficulties in visiting them. This includes minors whose parents often cannot visit them for the duration of their sentences.

    Israel also has a history of abusing their right to administratively detain individuals. Although ‘administrative detention’ (detention without charge or trial) is legal under international law, it is to be used only in extreme cases, but Israel has used this measure over the years quite frequently, including to detain children and minors. There are currently over 200 individuals being held without charge or trial by Israel.

    It is wrong to assume that all prisoners held in Israel, especially Palestinian prisoners, have all been charged with recognizable crimes, have gone through an independent judicial process and therefore have 'committed crimes' or somehow deserve to be there.

    And, although I have argued (and continue to argue) that Gilad is an individual human being that deserves his basic human rights as outlined under int'l law, it would also be incorrect to not acknowledge that Gilad was not a civilian at the time of his capture, but a member of the military at a time of hostilities. He should not be considered as an innocent civilian that was just 'kidnapped' off the street as your comment appears to insinuate. Please forgive me if this wasn't your intent, but your comment just appears to read this way.

  4. Hally,

    To repeat:

    “Gilad Shalit deserves to be treated as an individual and given his basic human rights as defined under international law.”

    Gilad has been held incommunicado for five years. His parents have had no word of his welfare or if he’s even alive for almost two years now. The fifth year anniversary is tomorrow – June 25, 2011. That is the purpose of this blog – to let people know that and act on his behalf.

    Amnesty also continues to work on behalf of the many Palestinian prisoners who are detained within Israel, thus the paragraph, “Amnesty, in its work on behalf of Gilad as well as Palestinian prisoners, continues to reiterate that neither Gilad – nor the Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel – should not be used as pawns or bargaining chips. Each prisoner – Israeli or Palestinian – is an individual with basic human rights. Any violation of international law by Israel or Hamas does not justify Hamas’s treatment of Gilad Shalit or Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners that violates their rights.”

    So please, in the following comments, let’s not deflect the concerns about Gilad by pointing the fingers away to violations being committed by Israel, because as the blog also states, “Any violation of international law by Israel or Hamas does not justify Hamas’s treatment of Gilad Shalit or Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners that violates their rights.”

    It’s frustrating when posting a blog about violations being committed by Israel to have apologists continue to point fingers at the Palestinian Authority or Hamas just as it is when focusing on a violation by Hamas or the PA and have people distract the issue by pointing at violations by Israel. (Just look at comments for last blog post on Gaza by Geoffrey Mock.)

    As the poster says, “Every Human Has Rights”, let’s concentrate on Gilad’s and try to let him and his family know that he hasn’t been forgotten. He deserves to have regular ICRC visits and correspondence with his family and he deserves to be treated humanely.

    Period.

  5. Em,

    Not entirely true.

    If you are referring specifically to the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as ‘the people’, then no, not accurate at all.

    Palestinian citizens of Israel are charged and tried under the same laws as other non-Jewish and Jewish citizens of Israel although some are categorized as ‘security’ prisoners and are then treated as such which raises certain concerns I don’t have time to go into at this time, but for more details, you can check out Addameer, the Israeli prisoner support and human rights organization’s website at http://www.addameer.org for more details.

    But, Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are held to a different legal system than used within Israel-proper or for their neighbors, the illegal, Israeli settlers living in the OPT. The legal code used in the OPT for Palestinians is a mish-mash of ancient statutes from the Ottoman, British and Jordanian eras to a series of military orders issued since the occupation began back in 1967.

    Trials are then not before an independent judicial body, but within the military justice system often resulting in highly unfair trials. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also clearly outlines the rights of protected persons (those residing in the OPT in this case) when facing detention by an Occupying Power. Amongst these rights is the right to remain in the occupied territory during all stages of detention, including during the serving of prison sentences if convicted. The vast majority of Palestinian prisoners are currently held within Israel, with the result that their families from the OPT face extreme difficulties in visiting them. This includes minors whose parents often cannot visit them for the duration of their sentences.

    Israel also has a history of abusing their right to administratively detain individuals. Although ‘administrative detention’ (detention without charge or trial) is legal under international law, it is to be used only in extreme cases, but Israel has used this measure over the years quite frequently, including to detain children and minors. There are currently over 200 individuals being held without charge or trial by Israel.

    It is wrong to assume that all prisoners held in Israel, especially Palestinian prisoners, have all been charged with recognizable crimes, have gone through an independent judicial process and therefore have 'committed crimes' or somehow deserve to be there.

    And, although I have argued (and continue to argue) that Gilad is an individual human being that deserves his basic human rights as outlined under int'l law, it would also be incorrect to not acknowledge that Gilad was not a civilian at the time of his capture, but a member of the military at a time of hostilities. He should not be considered as an innocent civilian that was just 'kidnapped' off the street as your comment appears to insinuate. Please forgive me if this wasn't your intent, but your comment just appears to read this way.

  6. Em,

    Not entirely true.

    If you are referring specifically to the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as ‘the people’, then no, not accurate at all.

    Palestinian citizens of Israel are charged and tried under the same laws as other non-Jewish and Jewish citizens of Israel although some are categorized as ‘security’ prisoners and are then treated as such which raises certain concerns I don’t have time to go into at this time, but for more details, you can check out Addameer, the Israeli prisoner support and human rights organization’s website at http://www.addameer.org for more details.

    But, Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are held to a different legal system than used within Israel-proper or for their neighbors, the illegal, Israeli settlers living in the OPT. The legal code used in the OPT for Palestinians is a mish-mash of ancient statutes from the Ottoman, British and Jordanian eras to a series of military orders issued since the occupation began back in 1967.

    Trials are then not before an independent judicial body, but within the military justice system often resulting in highly unfair trials. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also clearly outlines the rights of protected persons (those residing in the OPT in this case) when facing detention by an Occupying Power. Amongst these rights is the right to remain in the occupied territory during all stages of detention, including during the serving of prison sentences if convicted. The vast majority of Palestinian prisoners are currently held within Israel, with the result that their families from the OPT face extreme difficulties in visiting them. This includes minors whose parents often cannot visit them for the duration of their sentences.

    Israel also has a history of abusing their right to administratively detain individuals. Although ‘administrative detention’ (detention without charge or trial) is legal under international law, it is to be used only in extreme cases, but Israel has used this measure over the years quite frequently, including to detain children and minors. There are currently over 200 individuals being held without charge or trial by Israel.

    It is wrong to assume that all prisoners held in Israel, especially Palestinian prisoners, have all been charged with recognizable crimes, have gone through an independent judicial process and therefore have 'committed crimes' or somehow deserve to be there.

    And, although I have argued (and continue to argue) that Gilad is an individual human being that deserves his basic human rights as outlined under int'l law, it would also be incorrect to not acknowledge that Gilad was not a civilian at the time of his capture, but a member of the military at a time of hostilities. He should not be considered as an innocent civilian that was just 'kidnapped' off the street as your comment appears to insinuate. Please forgive me if this wasn't your intent, but your comment just appears to read this way.

  7. -hally
    simply put:
    the people in israeli jails are prisoners who committed crimes.
    gilad shalit was kidnapped.

  8. Em,

    Not entirely true.

    If you are referring specifically to the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as ‘the people’, then no, not accurate at all.

    Palestinian citizens of Israel are charged and tried under the same laws as other non-Jewish and Jewish citizens of Israel although some are categorized as ‘security’ prisoners and are then treated as such which raises certain concerns I don’t have time to go into at this time, but for more details, you can check out Addameer, the Israeli prisoner support and human rights organization’s website at http://www.addameer.org for more details.

    But, Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are held to a different legal system than used within Israel-proper or for their neighbors, the illegal, Israeli settlers living in the OPT. The legal code used in the OPT for Palestinians is a mish-mash of ancient statutes from the Ottoman, British and Jordanian eras to a series of military orders issued since the occupation began back in 1967.

    Trials are then not before an independent judicial body, but within the military justice system often resulting in highly unfair trials. Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also clearly outlines the rights of protected persons (those residing in the OPT in this case) when facing detention by an Occupying Power. Amongst these rights is the right to remain in the occupied territory during all stages of detention, including during the serving of prison sentences if convicted. The vast majority of Palestinian prisoners are currently held within Israel, with the result that their families from the OPT face extreme difficulties in visiting them. This includes minors whose parents often cannot visit them for the duration of their sentences.

    Israel also has a history of abusing their right to administratively detain individuals. Although ‘administrative detention’ (detention without charge or trial) is legal under international law, it is to be used only in extreme cases, but Israel has used this measure over the years quite frequently, including to detain children and minors. There are currently over 200 individuals being held without charge or trial by Israel.

    It is wrong to assume that all prisoners held in Israel, especially Palestinian prisoners, have all been charged with recognizable crimes, have gone through an independent judicial process and therefore have ‘committed crimes’ or somehow deserve to be there.

    And, although I have argued (and continue to argue) that Gilad is an individual human being that deserves his basic human rights as outlined under int’l law, it would also be incorrect to not acknowledge that Gilad was not a civilian at the time of his capture, but a member of the military at a time of hostilities. He should not be considered as an innocent civilian that was just ‘kidnapped’ off the street as your comment appears to insinuate. Please forgive me if this wasn’t your intent, but your comment just appears to read this way.

  9. Joe asks "Any word on how Israel is treating their Palestinian "hostages"?"

    I hope you like this answer to your snarky question Joe.

    Joe, first of all I suppose you just accidentally forgot in your question to inquire after the welfare of the thousands of Palestinians prisoners held in PALESTINIAN JAILS.

    This little detail must have just innocently slipped your mind. Of course you know that there are over 3600 Palestinian political prisoners held PALESTINIAN JAILS in the numerous Palestinian Hamas jails and Palestinian Authority jails and they are routinely subjected horrible tortures as bad or worse than what Meir Arar suffered in the Syrian torture chambers according to Palestinian human rights groups. And not just poor Gilad Shalit but also many other political prisoners held by Hamas jails and the Palestinian Authority jails are held with out any ICRC inspections.

    On the other hand, every Israeli prison and detention center is open to surprise inspection by the Red Cross, which reports it is satisfied with the level of cooperation the ICRC receives from the Israel Prison Authority.

    On the other hand, every single Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, no matter what the terrorist group he belongs to, no matter what crime he committed including mass murder of Jewish civilian women and children, is personalty visited and his imprisonment conditions monitored multiple times a year by the Red Cross Observers exactly as Israel is obligated to cooperate with as specified under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

    In addition the Red Cross organizes of hundreds of thousands of West Bank Palestinians family visits to Israeli jails including the facilitation of road block transits in free of charge luxury air conditioned door to door bus service for family members to visit their loved ones in Israeli jails. Gazan Hamas Palestinians also used to get these same family visits up until the day Gilad Shalit was taken hostage but these have been cut off until the day Gilad Shalit gets his rights to visits too. Only fair is this not ?

    Still today though, the ICRC observers continue to have full access to Gazan Hamas prisoners as specified under the 1949 Geneva Convention even though Hamas is not giving Gilad his 1949 Geneva Convention right to ICRC visits.

    source:

    International Committee Of the Red Cross,
    Israel and the occupied territories: 18-03-2011 Operational Update
    http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/updat

    "Visiting detainees and helping families keep in touch with their loved ones"

    By conducting regular visits, ICRC delegates monitored the overall situation of some 8,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli places of detention. The delegates were particularly attentive to the needs of women and minors, and also of Gazans, who are currently affected by the suspension of family visits between Israel and Gaza. After its visits to places of detention, the ICRC shares its findings and recommendations confidentially with the authorities.

    In 2010, the ICRC made arrangements for around 124,000 people from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and from the occupied Golan to visit their relatives held in Israel. "Since June 2007, some 780 families in Gaza have been prevented by Israel from visiting their relatives in Israeli prisons," said Veronika Hinz Gugliuzza, in charge of the ICRC's family visit programme. "To mitigate the effects of this measure, the ICRC has stepped up its efforts to maintain family links by delivering over 12,500 written and 700 oral messages between detainees and their families. However, this does not replace face-to-face visits."

    Time Magazine:

    "Every month, says Anne-Sophie Bonefeld, an ICRC spokeswoman in Jerusalem, her organization arranges the bus rides and bureaucratic paperwork that enable more than 20,000 Palestinians to visit relatives inside Israeli prisons each month. The Palestinian family-visitation program, which has been going on since 1967, is "the largest of its kind anywhere in the world," she says"

  10. Joe asks "Any word on how Israel is treating their Palestinian "hostages"?"

    I hope you like this answer to your snarky question Joe.

    Joe, first of all I suppose you just accidentally forgot in your question to inquire after the welfare of the thousands of Palestinians prisoners held in PALESTINIAN JAILS.

    This little detail must have just innocently slipped your mind. Of course you know that there are over 3600 Palestinian political prisoners held PALESTINIAN JAILS in the numerous Palestinian Hamas jails and Palestinian Authority jails and they are routinely subjected horrible tortures as bad or worse than what Meir Arar suffered in the Syrian torture chambers according to Palestinian human rights groups. And not just poor Gilad Shalit but also many other political prisoners held by Hamas jails and the Palestinian Authority jails are held with out any ICRC inspections.

    On the other hand, every Israeli prison and detention center is open to surprise inspection by the Red Cross, which reports it is satisfied with the level of cooperation the ICRC receives from the Israel Prison Authority.

    On the other hand, every single Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, no matter what the terrorist group he belongs to, no matter what crime he committed including mass murder of Jewish civilian women and children, is personalty visited and his imprisonment conditions monitored multiple times a year by the Red Cross Observers exactly as Israel is obligated to cooperate with as specified under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

    In addition the Red Cross organizes of hundreds of thousands of West Bank Palestinians family visits to Israeli jails including the facilitation of road block transits in free of charge luxury air conditioned door to door bus service for family members to visit their loved ones in Israeli jails. Gazan Hamas Palestinians also used to get these same family visits up until the day Gilad Shalit was taken hostage but these have been cut off until the day Gilad Shalit gets his rights to visits too. Only fair is this not ?

    Still today though, the ICRC observers continue to have full access to Gazan Hamas prisoners as specified under the 1949 Geneva Convention even though Hamas is not giving Gilad his 1949 Geneva Convention right to ICRC visits.

    source:

    International Committee Of the Red Cross,
    Israel and the occupied territories: 18-03-2011 Operational Update
    http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/updat

    "Visiting detainees and helping families keep in touch with their loved ones"

    By conducting regular visits, ICRC delegates monitored the overall situation of some 8,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli places of detention. The delegates were particularly attentive to the needs of women and minors, and also of Gazans, who are currently affected by the suspension of family visits between Israel and Gaza. After its visits to places of detention, the ICRC shares its findings and recommendations confidentially with the authorities.

    In 2010, the ICRC made arrangements for around 124,000 people from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and from the occupied Golan to visit their relatives held in Israel. "Since June 2007, some 780 families in Gaza have been prevented by Israel from visiting their relatives in Israeli prisons," said Veronika Hinz Gugliuzza, in charge of the ICRC's family visit programme. "To mitigate the effects of this measure, the ICRC has stepped up its efforts to maintain family links by delivering over 12,500 written and 700 oral messages between detainees and their families. However, this does not replace face-to-face visits."

    Time Magazine:

    "Every month, says Anne-Sophie Bonefeld, an ICRC spokeswoman in Jerusalem, her organization arranges the bus rides and bureaucratic paperwork that enable more than 20,000 Palestinians to visit relatives inside Israeli prisons each month. The Palestinian family-visitation program, which has been going on since 1967, is "the largest of its kind anywhere in the world," she says"

  11. Joe asks "Any word on how Israel is treating their Palestinian "hostages"?"

    I hope you like this answer to your snarky question Joe.

    Joe, first of all I suppose you just accidentally forgot in your question to inquire after the welfare of the thousands of Palestinians prisoners held in PALESTINIAN JAILS.

    This little detail must have just innocently slipped your mind. Of course you know that there are over 3600 Palestinian political prisoners held PALESTINIAN JAILS in the numerous Palestinian Hamas jails and Palestinian Authority jails and they are routinely subjected horrible tortures as bad or worse than what Meir Arar suffered in the Syrian torture chambers according to Palestinian human rights groups. And not just poor Gilad Shalit but also many other political prisoners held by Hamas jails and the Palestinian Authority jails are held with out any ICRC inspections.

    On the other hand, every Israeli prison and detention center is open to surprise inspection by the Red Cross, which reports it is satisfied with the level of cooperation the ICRC receives from the Israel Prison Authority.

    On the other hand, every single Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, no matter what the terrorist group he belongs to, no matter what crime he committed including mass murder of Jewish civilian women and children, is personalty visited and his imprisonment conditions monitored multiple times a year by the Red Cross Observers exactly as Israel is obligated to cooperate with as specified under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

    In addition the Red Cross organizes of hundreds of thousands of West Bank Palestinians family visits to Israeli jails including the facilitation of road block transits in free of charge luxury air conditioned door to door bus service for family members to visit their loved ones in Israeli jails. Gazan Hamas Palestinians also used to get these same family visits up until the day Gilad Shalit was taken hostage but these have been cut off until the day Gilad Shalit gets his rights to visits too. Only fair is this not ?

    Still today though, the ICRC observers continue to have full access to Gazan Hamas prisoners as specified under the 1949 Geneva Convention even though Hamas is not giving Gilad his 1949 Geneva Convention right to ICRC visits.

    source:

    International Committee Of the Red Cross,
    Israel and the occupied territories: 18-03-2011 Operational Update
    http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/updat

    "Visiting detainees and helping families keep in touch with their loved ones"

    By conducting regular visits, ICRC delegates monitored the overall situation of some 8,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli places of detention. The delegates were particularly attentive to the needs of women and minors, and also of Gazans, who are currently affected by the suspension of family visits between Israel and Gaza. After its visits to places of detention, the ICRC shares its findings and recommendations confidentially with the authorities.

    In 2010, the ICRC made arrangements for around 124,000 people from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and from the occupied Golan to visit their relatives held in Israel. "Since June 2007, some 780 families in Gaza have been prevented by Israel from visiting their relatives in Israeli prisons," said Veronika Hinz Gugliuzza, in charge of the ICRC's family visit programme. "To mitigate the effects of this measure, the ICRC has stepped up its efforts to maintain family links by delivering over 12,500 written and 700 oral messages between detainees and their families. However, this does not replace face-to-face visits."

    Time Magazine:

    "Every month, says Anne-Sophie Bonefeld, an ICRC spokeswoman in Jerusalem, her organization arranges the bus rides and bureaucratic paperwork that enable more than 20,000 Palestinians to visit relatives inside Israeli prisons each month. The Palestinian family-visitation program, which has been going on since 1967, is "the largest of its kind anywhere in the world," she says"

  12. Either stop mentioning that Israeli soldier's name or be fair and name ALL the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. I am getting sick of the game of giving a face to one guy while treating the other side like a mob. It is obviously a tool of propaganda and Amnesty should avoid collaborating with that. Please take action!

  13. Joe asks “Any word on how Israel is treating their Palestinian “hostages”?”

    I hope you like this answer to your snarky question Joe.

    Joe, first of all I suppose you just accidentally forgot in your question to inquire after the welfare of the thousands of Palestinians prisoners held in PALESTINIAN JAILS.

    This little detail must have just innocently slipped your mind. Of course you know that there are over 3600 Palestinian political prisoners held PALESTINIAN JAILS in the numerous Palestinian Hamas jails and Palestinian Authority jails and they are routinely subjected horrible tortures as bad or worse than what Meir Arar suffered in the Syrian torture chambers according to Palestinian human rights groups. And not just poor Gilad Shalit but also many other political prisoners held by Hamas jails and the Palestinian Authority jails are held with out any ICRC inspections.

    On the other hand, every Israeli prison and detention center is open to surprise inspection by the Red Cross, which reports it is satisfied with the level of cooperation the ICRC receives from the Israel Prison Authority.

    On the other hand, every single Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, no matter what the terrorist group he belongs to, no matter what crime he committed including mass murder of Jewish civilian women and children, is personalty visited and his imprisonment conditions monitored multiple times a year by the Red Cross Observers exactly as Israel is obligated to cooperate with as specified under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

    In addition the Red Cross organizes of hundreds of thousands of West Bank Palestinians family visits to Israeli jails including the facilitation of road block transits in free of charge luxury air conditioned door to door bus service for family members to visit their loved ones in Israeli jails. Gazan Hamas Palestinians also used to get these same family visits up until the day Gilad Shalit was taken hostage but these have been cut off until the day Gilad Shalit gets his rights to visits too. Only fair is this not ?

    Still today though, the ICRC observers continue to have full access to Gazan Hamas prisoners as specified under the 1949 Geneva Convention even though Hamas is not giving Gilad his 1949 Geneva Convention right to ICRC visits.

    source:

    International Committee Of the Red Cross,
    Israel and the occupied territories: 18-03-2011 Operational Update

    http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/2011/palestine-israel-update-2011-03-18.htm

    “Visiting detainees and helping families keep in touch with their loved ones”

    By conducting regular visits, ICRC delegates monitored the overall situation of some 8,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli places of detention. The delegates were particularly attentive to the needs of women and minors, and also of Gazans, who are currently affected by the suspension of family visits between Israel and Gaza. After its visits to places of detention, the ICRC shares its findings and recommendations confidentially with the authorities.

    In 2010, the ICRC made arrangements for around 124,000 people from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and from the occupied Golan to visit their relatives held in Israel. “Since June 2007, some 780 families in Gaza have been prevented by Israel from visiting their relatives in Israeli prisons,” said Veronika Hinz Gugliuzza, in charge of the ICRC’s family visit programme. “To mitigate the effects of this measure, the ICRC has stepped up its efforts to maintain family links by delivering over 12,500 written and 700 oral messages between detainees and their families. However, this does not replace face-to-face visits.”

    Time Magazine:

    “Every month, says Anne-Sophie Bonefeld, an ICRC spokeswoman in Jerusalem, her organization arranges the bus rides and bureaucratic paperwork that enable more than 20,000 Palestinians to visit relatives inside Israeli prisons each month. The Palestinian family-visitation program, which has been going on since 1967, is “the largest of its kind anywhere in the world,” she says”

  14. Either stop mentioning that Israeli soldier’s name or be fair and name ALL the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. I am getting sick of the game of giving a face to one guy while treating the other side like a mob. It is obviously a tool of propaganda and Amnesty should avoid collaborating with that. Please take action!

  15. Hamas should not be treating people the way Israel does. There will never be peace if Hamas reacts to Israel, the way Israel reacts to them. Hamas needs to show that they will not stoop to the Israel way of treating people. Doing this gives them wood for their fire against Palestine. Show them that Hamas can treat Israel the way Palestine would want to be treated, and that Hamas is not like Israel. Hamas is capable of bringing non-vciolent peace to Palestine and Israel. Show them by example, and do not give them reasons to do the terrible thing they are doing.

  16. Wouter; you want a list of the names of Palestinians too and this is only fair.

    Here is the official list of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel without ever getting visits by the Red Cross, as is the right of all prisoners under the Geneva Convention:

    Wow, very short list.

    Okay, moving on, here is the list of all Israeli prisoners held in Palestine without ever getting visits by the Red Cross, as is the right of all prisoners under the Geneva Convention:

    Gilad Shalit.

  17. Hamas should not be treating people the way Israel does. There will never be peace if Hamas reacts to Israel, the way Israel reacts to them. Hamas needs to show that they will not stoop to the Israel way of treating people. Doing this gives them wood for their fire against Palestine. Show them that Hamas can treat Israel the way Palestine would want to be treated, and that Hamas is not like Israel. Hamas is capable of bringing non-vciolent peace to Palestine and Israel. Show them by example, and do not give them reasons to do the terrible thing they are doing.

  18. Wouter; you want a list of the names of Palestinians too and this is only fair.

    Here is the official list of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel without ever getting visits by the Red Cross, as is the right of all prisoners under the Geneva Convention:

    Wow, very short list.

    Okay, moving on, here is the list of all Israeli prisoners held in Palestine without ever getting visits by the Red Cross, as is the right of all prisoners under the Geneva Convention:

    Gilad Shalit.

  19. Where is Amensty's call for immediate release of Shalit? The very capture of Shalit by Hamas and him being held in captivity by a terrorist organization is a clear and severe vilation of international law. It is sad to see how Amesty, when it comes to the Israeli-Arab conflict, picks and chooses time and again to adhere to international law when it serves as a tool against Israel, but so easily ignores international law when it does not serve this purpose.

  20. Where is Amensty’s call for immediate release of Shalit? The very capture of Shalit by Hamas and him being held in captivity by a terrorist organization is a clear and severe vilation of international law. It is sad to see how Amesty, when it comes to the Israeli-Arab conflict, picks and chooses time and again to adhere to international law when it serves as a tool against Israel, but so easily ignores international law when it does not serve this purpose.

  21. I think what Maya is trying to say is that Gilad Shalit is being held as a hostage.

    Gilad has never been accused of any crime by Hamas, let alone given a trial of any kind, so Hamas cannot claim Gilad is being held as a criminal.

    Gilad is also not being held by Hamas as a Prisoner of War which is proved by the fact Hamas refuses to grant Gilad any of his Geneva Convention Prisoner of War rights, especially never even once letting him have an inspection visit by the Red Cross such as Israel has always granted to every single Palestinian prisoners that Israel holds.

    Therefore Gilad Shalit is being held as nothing more and nothing less than a hostage for ransom. And hostage taking during armed conflict is illegal under international law and is specifically outlawed under the Geneva conventions as a war crime.

    Israel does not hold Palestinians as hostages, this is deemed illegal under Israeli law, and as is shown by example in the case of several dozen senior Hamas legislators briefly held then released by Israeli court order last year, the Israeli justice system and courts ordered released those Hamas legislators since they were found to have committed no crimes even though they could have been very valuable if held as counter hostages to bargain with Hamas for Gilad's freedom.

    As Maya correctly points out, in order for Amnesty to avoid displaying extreme one-sided blindingly pro-Palestinian unfairness and shear and utter hypocrisy in its selective application of international law, Amnesty must demand of Hamas to grant Gilad an immediate unconditional release, not only that he just receive Red Cross visits while continuing to languish as an illegally held hostage for ransom.

  22. Why show a happy smiling picture of the poor man? He's living in fear for his life probably.

  23. I think what Maya is trying to say is that Gilad Shalit is being held as a hostage.

    Gilad has never been accused of any crime by Hamas, let alone given a trial of any kind, so Hamas cannot claim Gilad is being held as a criminal.

    Gilad is also not being held by Hamas as a Prisoner of War which is proved by the fact Hamas refuses to grant Gilad any of his Geneva Convention Prisoner of War rights, especially never even once letting him have an inspection visit by the Red Cross such as Israel has always granted to every single Palestinian prisoners that Israel holds.

    Therefore Gilad Shalit is being held as nothing more and nothing less than a hostage for ransom. And hostage taking during armed conflict is illegal under international law and is specifically outlawed under the Geneva conventions as a war crime.

    Israel does not hold Palestinians as hostages, this is deemed illegal under Israeli law, and as is shown by example in the case of several dozen senior Hamas legislators briefly held then released by Israeli court order last year, the Israeli justice system and courts ordered released those Hamas legislators since they were found to have committed no crimes even though they could have been very valuable if held as counter hostages to bargain with Hamas for Gilad’s freedom.

    As Maya correctly points out, in order for Amnesty to avoid displaying extreme one-sided blindingly pro-Palestinian unfairness and shear and utter hypocrisy in its selective application of international law, Amnesty must demand of Hamas to grant Gilad an immediate unconditional release, not only that he just receive Red Cross visits while continuing to languish as an illegally held hostage for ransom.

  24. Why show a happy smiling picture of the poor man? He’s living in fear for his life probably.

  25. Gilad Shalit is a prisoner of war.

    True ?

    Yes..

    Gilad Shalit is a prisoner being held in THE WORLD'S BIGGEST OPEN AIR PRISON —GAZA.

    True?

    Yes..

    Gilad Shalit is the ONLY ISRAELI prisoner in Gaza … & his fellow prisoners in this open air prison are Hamas, who are holding him, & ONE POINT SIX MILLION PALESTINIANS.

    ALL OF THEM ARE PRIONERS OF ISRAEL'S ILLEGAL WAR & BLOCKADE AGAINST GAZA.

    True ?

    YES.

  26. Gilads Shalit was kidnapped & is a kidnap victim.

    True ?

    No.

    Gilad Shalit was CAPTURED AS A SOLDIER, in the course of his army's operations in the Occupied Territories.

    True ?

    Yes.

    Then he is NOT a kidnap victim.

    Was his capture justified ?

    Of course.

    Should he be freed ?

    Sure… through negotiations with the ELECTED Palestinian Government of Hamas.

    But this government, itself under siege, cannot do one – sided deals under threat or pressure.

    Shalit should be freed as part of an equal prisoner deal … & by equal is meant an exchange that should CORRECT the UNEQUAL situation between the two sides in the conflict.

  27. Judonimh's constant harping on the Red Cross visits which Israel supposedly allows into her Palestinian holding tanks reminds me of an old movie.

    Billy Wilder's "Stalag 17."

    A William Holden flick.

    The Nazis allow the Red Cross regular visits into the POW camp.

    & right under the RC's noses they torture, murder, & degrade the prisoners.

    In fact the Nazi camp commandant is extremely compliant regarding every Red Cross demand made of him.

    & he always has this sardonic smile upon his lips.

    For the reality of his camp is the exact opposite of what he shows it to be before the Red Cross gentleman.

  28. The game Stalag 17's Nazi Komandant plays with the Red Cross man in is camp is the game Judonimh plays with us on this site.

    For the reality of Israel's prisons are the very opposite of what Judonimh shows it to be in front of us.

    He talks of airconditioned busing to the prisons for family members of prisoners.

    Family visits?

    Netanyahu has already revoked them.

    "The party is over," he declared.

    Family visits ?

    Since June 2007, Israel has revoked visitation rights for over NINE HUNDRED Palestinian prisoners.

    Family visits ?

    It's an euphemistic screen to cover the real violation of prisoners' rights in Israeli prisons.

    The violation of international law EVERY TIME a Palestinian is taken to a prison in israel from the Occupied Territories.

    The violation of all Palestinians whom are made to live under a regime of military law, while israelis enjoy life under civil law.

    The abomination of Palestinians being tried under military law, in military courts.

    In other words, the law in Judonimh's Judaic state of israel is a weapon of "legalized" war against the ENTIRE Palestinian people.

  29. Wouter justly asked, For one Shalit, how many Palestinians prisoners are there ?

    Judonimh said NOT ONE who isn't visited by the Red Cross.

    That was not Wouter's question.

    How many Palestinian prisonerS for ONE Gilad Shalit ?

    The answer is, SIX THOUSAND PALESTINIAN PRISONERS .

  30. Did Gilad Shalit VIOLATE any military rule by being captured ?

    A funny question, you may think.

    Actually, it isn't.

    For Israeli soldiers have an unwritten rule, their version of an unwritten "Code Red".

    It is, "Never get captured."

    In other words, israeli soldiers are expected by their commanders to KILL THEMSELVES rather than fall into the hands of Palestinians.

    In other words, the "Army of Gilad Shalit Supporters" may include people who wish people in Shalit's shoes were better off dead … rather than be an embarrassment to the Jewish state of Israel.

  31. Israel refuses to treat the Palestinians as prisoners of war.

    But expects Gilad Shalit ALONE to be treated as such.

    The previlege of the "Judaic Master Race", no doubt !!!!

  32. & this Jewish / Israeli exceptionalism & unilateralism has borne its fruit.

    By landing the Jewish state of israel in a situation where it can't free a single man after 5 years !

    The israeli government has failed to do this simple thing, which other governments do in swift order !

    It is to shift public attention from this signal failure that Netanyahu & the other stalwarts of the Jewish state have launched this campaign for Gilad Shalit.

  33. Savage:

    How pitiful of you.

    You have so dehumanized Israelis in your own mind that you can't find even the least modicum of sympathy in your heart of darkness for a fellow human being treated with cruelty.

    "On the fifth anniversary of the capture of Israeli Soldier Gilad Shalit, leading Israeli, Palestinian and International Human Rights organizations issued a joint statement demanding that those holding him must immediately end his inhumane and illegal treatment:

    "Human beings are not bargaining chips"

    Marking five years since the capture of Gilad Shalit, Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights organizations state:

    Hamas must immediately end inhumane and illegal treatment of Gilad Shalit

    Sergeant Gilad Shalit has been in captivity for five years. Those holding him have refused to allow him to communicate with his family, nor have they provided information on his well-being and the conditions in which he is being held. The organizations stress that this conduct is inhumane and a violation of international humanitarian law.

    Hamas authorities in Gaza must immediately end the cruel and inhuman treatment of Gilad Shalit. Until he is released, they must enable him to communicate with his family and should grant him access to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

    Amnesty International & the Israel Section
    B'Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
    Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights
    Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement
    Human Rights Watch
    International Federation for Human Rights
    Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Gaza
    Physicians for Human Rights – Israel
    Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
    Rabbis for Human Rights
    The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
    Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights

  34. Guilad Shalit has been in Palestinian custody for five years.

    One Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody has been in ISOLATION for five years.

    He is not allowed to leave his cell.

    Or have any human contact.

  35. Gilad Shalit has been in Palestinian custody for five years.

    Many Palestinians have been in Israeli custody for DECADES now.

    Palestinian women give birth to babies in prison.

    Suner Sheih gave birth by CESARIAN SECTION in HANDCUFFS & SHACKLES.

    After the birth she was kept in those shackles for three days.

    Prison guards took turns keeping her under strict confinement.

    Then she was removed to Ramle Prison, where she is lodged with her baby.

    Palestinian babies born in prison grow up in prison, never knowing their siblings or fathers, only touching them through the plate glass of visiting stations.

    A mother had to go on a two – week hunger strike before her baby was allowed to be reunited with her.

    ****

    Two hundred & ninteen Palestinians are held under Israeli Administrative Detention without any charge.

    Four thousand Palestinians are tried annually in Israel's military courts.

    NINETY PER CENT of Palestinian prisaoners are denied access to lawyers, reports the Public Committee Against Torture & the Palestinian Prisoners' Society.

    Israel's Shin Bet security force refused to give data on the number of prisoners denied access to lawyers.

    The number of prisoners denied lawyers has been estimated to be between 8,379 & 10,773.

    Attorney Irit Balas says the data for 2008 to 2010 shows the scope of the phenomenon of legally unrepresented prisoners has not been reduced.

    SEVENTY PER CENT of the huundreds of appeals made by Palestinians to Israel's State Attorney asking that orders preventing their meetings with lawyers be revoked have been turned down.

  36. Judonimh complains Hamas doesn't allow the Red Cross to visit Gilad Shalit.

    Isn't it too late for such complaints ?

    For this is exactly where the asymetry of the warfare in Gaza, the gross imbalance of strength between the two sides, comes back to bite you.

    How can such visits by the Red Cross happen when Israel has systematically destroyed the Palestinians' aboveground infrastructure & open adminstrative systems, targetting Hamas security personnel with continuous lethal attacks ?

    Who would be mad enough to function out in the open now, when he has to run & keep to the shadows for mere survival ?

    Who would house Gilad Shalit now in openly supervised sites or allow visits which can be easily traced from the ground or by GPS, or by drones or other air surveillance, by any wing of the Israeli military – intelligence forces blockading Gaza continuously ?

    You have created the very conditions for Gilad Shalit's underground detention.

    Now you have to, or rather he has to, live with them.

  37. Again, freedom for Shalit should come along with freedom for the Palestinian prisoners denied lawyers, denied family reunion, & denied human & social contact in isolation.

    In the end the normalization of Gaza's conditions & the ending of Israel's illegal blockade form the best grounds for his release.

  38. Hamas offifcial are in Cairo, working towards Gilad Shalit's release.

    In exchange, Israel, free Marwan Bharghouti !

    Free 500 Palestinians held without charge under Administrative Detention.

  39. Gilad Shalit is a prisoner of war.

    True ?

    Yes..

    Gilad Shalit is a prisoner being held in THE WORLD’S BIGGEST OPEN AIR PRISON —GAZA.

    True?

    Yes..

    Gilad Shalit is the ONLY ISRAELI prisoner in Gaza … & his fellow prisoners in this open air prison are Hamas, who are holding him, & ONE POINT SIX MILLION PALESTINIANS.

    ALL OF THEM ARE PRIONERS OF ISRAEL’S ILLEGAL WAR & BLOCKADE AGAINST GAZA.

    True ?

    YES.

  40. Gilads Shalit was kidnapped & is a kidnap victim.

    True ?

    No.

    Gilad Shalit was CAPTURED AS A SOLDIER, in the course of his army’s operations in the Occupied Territories.

    True ?

    Yes.

    Then he is NOT a kidnap victim.

    Was his capture justified ?

    Of course.

    Should he be freed ?

    Sure… through negotiations with the ELECTED Palestinian Government of Hamas.

    But this government, itself under siege, cannot do one – sided deals under threat or pressure.

    Shalit should be freed as part of an equal prisoner deal … & by equal is meant an exchange that should CORRECT the UNEQUAL situation between the two sides in the conflict.

  41. Judonimh’s constant harping on the Red Cross visits which Israel supposedly allows into her Palestinian holding tanks reminds me of an old movie.

    Billy Wilder’s “Stalag 17.”

    A William Holden flick.

    The Nazis allow the Red Cross regular visits into the POW camp.

    & right under the RC’s noses they torture, murder, & degrade the prisoners.

    In fact the Nazi camp commandant is extremely compliant regarding every Red Cross demand made of him.

    & he always has this sardonic smile upon his lips.

    For the reality of his camp is the exact opposite of what he shows it to be before the Red Cross gentleman.

  42. The game Stalag 17’s Nazi Komandant plays with the Red Cross man in is camp is the game Judonimh plays with us on this site.

    For the reality of Israel’s prisons are the very opposite of what Judonimh shows it to be in front of us.

    He talks of airconditioned busing to the prisons for family members of prisoners.

    Family visits?

    Netanyahu has already revoked them.

    “The party is over,” he declared.

    Family visits ?

    Since June 2007, Israel has revoked visitation rights for over NINE HUNDRED Palestinian prisoners.

    Family visits ?

    It’s an euphemistic screen to cover the real violation of prisoners’ rights in Israeli prisons.

    The violation of international law EVERY TIME a Palestinian is taken to a prison in israel from the Occupied Territories.

    The violation of all Palestinians whom are made to live under a regime of military law, while israelis enjoy life under civil law.

    The abomination of Palestinians being tried under military law, in military courts.

    In other words, the law in Judonimh’s Judaic state of israel is a weapon of “legalized” war against the ENTIRE Palestinian people.

  43. Wouter justly asked, For one Shalit, how many Palestinians prisoners are there ?

    Judonimh said NOT ONE who isn’t visited by the Red Cross.

    That was not Wouter’s question.

    How many Palestinian prisonerS for ONE Gilad Shalit ?

    The answer is, SIX THOUSAND PALESTINIAN PRISONERS .

  44. Did Gilad Shalit VIOLATE any military rule by being captured ?

    A funny question, you may think.

    Actually, it isn’t.

    For Israeli soldiers have an unwritten rule, their version of an unwritten “Code Red”.

    It is, “Never get captured.”

    In other words, israeli soldiers are expected by their commanders to KILL THEMSELVES rather than fall into the hands of Palestinians.

    In other words, the “Army of Gilad Shalit Supporters” may include people who wish people in Shalit’s shoes were better off dead … rather than be an embarrassment to the Jewish state of Israel.

  45. Israel refuses to treat the Palestinians as prisoners of war.

    But expects Gilad Shalit ALONE to be treated as such.

    The previlege of the “Judaic Master Race”, no doubt !!!!

  46. Along with hundreds of Palestinians currently earning Israeli university degrees while serving in Israeli prison, according to the Red Cross there are in total 7 Palestinian prisoners known to be held in long term isolation in Israel.

    As a matter of fact, all seven have been convicted of mass murders of civilians. In most of these seven cases the prisoner is in isolation at the prisoner's own request for his protection from other prisoners, or else in a few cases for those who pose a danger to themselves or others. Regardless of the particular cause, all the Palestinian prisoners held in isolation in an Israeli Prison receive a one hour break every day in an outdoor exercise yard. Every two months, the Red Cross visits all 7 of these prisoners. The isolation cell has a television, radio, and other electrical appliances. and every six months, a District Court judge has to reapprove the holding of these prisoners in isolation.

    Regarding your demand to free Marwan Barghouti and hundreds more of his ilk in return for freeing Gilad, Barghouti proudly admits he is a senior member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. He has never denied this.

    Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for dozens of suicide bombings, on such illegitimate non-military targets as ice cream shops full of babies sitting on their grandma's laps, on pizza parlors timed for after school so as to be full of families, or just buses full of random Jews and in many cases also innocent Arabs victims too who were just trying to get to work, attacks in which hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians, most of them women and children were murdered, suicide attacks the likes of which Amnesty International and other human rights groups repeatedly categorized as war crimes and crimes against humanity completely illegal under international law and without any possible legal or moral justification.

    On the other hand no one, not Hamas nor anyone else has ever accused this poor hostage, this sad suffering Gilad Shalit of having committed any crime at all. He just had the rotten luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    And for only just that Gilad does not deserve the cruel fate that has befallen him.

  47. & this Jewish / Israeli exceptionalism & unilateralism has borne its fruit.

    By landing the Jewish state of israel in a situation where it can’t free a single man after 5 years !

    The israeli government has failed to do this simple thing, which other governments do in swift order !

    It is to shift public attention from this signal failure that Netanyahu & the other stalwarts of the Jewish state have launched this campaign for Gilad Shalit.

  48. Savage:

    How pitiful of you.

    You have so dehumanized Israelis in your own mind that you can’t find even the least modicum of sympathy in your heart of darkness for a fellow human being treated with cruelty.

    “On the fifth anniversary of the capture of Israeli Soldier Gilad Shalit, leading Israeli, Palestinian and International Human Rights organizations issued a joint statement demanding that those holding him must immediately end his inhumane and illegal treatment:

    “Human beings are not bargaining chips”

    Marking five years since the capture of Gilad Shalit, Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights organizations state:

    Hamas must immediately end inhumane and illegal treatment of Gilad Shalit

    Sergeant Gilad Shalit has been in captivity for five years. Those holding him have refused to allow him to communicate with his family, nor have they provided information on his well-being and the conditions in which he is being held. The organizations stress that this conduct is inhumane and a violation of international humanitarian law.

    Hamas authorities in Gaza must immediately end the cruel and inhuman treatment of Gilad Shalit. Until he is released, they must enable him to communicate with his family and should grant him access to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

    Amnesty International & the Israel Section
    B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
    Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights
    Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement
    Human Rights Watch
    International Federation for Human Rights
    Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Gaza
    Physicians for Human Rights – Israel
    Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
    Rabbis for Human Rights
    The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
    Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights

  49. Guilad Shalit has been in Palestinian custody for five years.

    One Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody has been in ISOLATION for five years.

    He is not allowed to leave his cell.

    Or have any human contact.

  50. Gilad Shalit has been in Palestinian custody for five years.

    Many Palestinians have been in Israeli custody for DECADES now.

    Palestinian women give birth to babies in prison.

    Suner Sheih gave birth by CESARIAN SECTION in HANDCUFFS & SHACKLES.

    After the birth she was kept in those shackles for three days.

    Prison guards took turns keeping her under strict confinement.

    Then she was removed to Ramle Prison, where she is lodged with her baby.

    Palestinian babies born in prison grow up in prison, never knowing their siblings or fathers, only touching them through the plate glass of visiting stations.

    A mother had to go on a two – week hunger strike before her baby was allowed to be reunited with her.

    ****

    Two hundred & ninteen Palestinians are held under Israeli Administrative Detention without any charge.

    Four thousand Palestinians are tried annually in Israel’s military courts.

    NINETY PER CENT of Palestinian prisaoners are denied access to lawyers, reports the Public Committee Against Torture & the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

    Israel’s Shin Bet security force refused to give data on the number of prisoners denied access to lawyers.

    The number of prisoners denied lawyers has been estimated to be between 8,379 & 10,773.

    Attorney Irit Balas says the data for 2008 to 2010 shows the scope of the phenomenon of legally unrepresented prisoners has not been reduced.

    SEVENTY PER CENT of the huundreds of appeals made by Palestinians to Israel’s State Attorney asking that orders preventing their meetings with lawyers be revoked have been turned down.

  51. Judonimh complains Hamas doesn’t allow the Red Cross to visit Gilad Shalit.

    Isn’t it too late for such complaints ?

    For this is exactly where the asymetry of the warfare in Gaza, the gross imbalance of strength between the two sides, comes back to bite you.

    How can such visits by the Red Cross happen when Israel has systematically destroyed the Palestinians’ aboveground infrastructure & open adminstrative systems, targetting Hamas security personnel with continuous lethal attacks ?

    Who would be mad enough to function out in the open now, when he has to run & keep to the shadows for mere survival ?

    Who would house Gilad Shalit now in openly supervised sites or allow visits which can be easily traced from the ground or by GPS, or by drones or other air surveillance, by any wing of the Israeli military – intelligence forces blockading Gaza continuously ?

    You have created the very conditions for Gilad Shalit’s underground detention.

    Now you have to, or rather he has to, live with them.

  52. Again, freedom for Shalit should come along with freedom for the Palestinian prisoners denied lawyers, denied family reunion, & denied human & social contact in isolation.

    In the end the normalization of Gaza’s conditions & the ending of Israel’s illegal blockade form the best grounds for his release.

  53. Hamas offifcial are in Cairo, working towards Gilad Shalit’s release.

    In exchange, Israel, free Marwan Bharghouti !

    Free 500 Palestinians held without charge under Administrative Detention.

  54. Along with hundreds of Palestinians currently earning Israeli university degrees while serving in Israeli prison, according to the Red Cross there are in total 7 Palestinian prisoners known to be held in long term isolation in Israel.

    As a matter of fact, all seven have been convicted of mass murders of civilians. In most of these seven cases the prisoner is in isolation at the prisoner’s own request for his protection from other prisoners, or else in a few cases for those who pose a danger to themselves or others. Regardless of the particular cause, all the Palestinian prisoners held in isolation in an Israeli Prison receive a one hour break every day in an outdoor exercise yard. Every two months, the Red Cross visits all 7 of these prisoners. The isolation cell has a television, radio, and other electrical appliances. and every six months, a District Court judge has to reapprove the holding of these prisoners in isolation.

    Regarding your demand to free Marwan Barghouti and hundreds more of his ilk in return for freeing Gilad, Barghouti proudly admits he is a senior member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. He has never denied this.

    Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility for dozens of suicide bombings, on such illegitimate non-military targets as ice cream shops full of babies sitting on their grandma’s laps, on pizza parlors timed for after school so as to be full of families, or just buses full of random Jews and in many cases also innocent Arabs victims too who were just trying to get to work, attacks in which hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians, most of them women and children were murdered, suicide attacks the likes of which Amnesty International and other human rights groups repeatedly categorized as war crimes and crimes against humanity completely illegal under international law and without any possible legal or moral justification.

    On the other hand no one, not Hamas nor anyone else has ever accused this poor hostage, this sad suffering Gilad Shalit of having committed any crime at all. He just had the rotten luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    And for only just that Gilad does not deserve the cruel fate that has befallen him.

  55. Greetings,

    Since it would be impossible to keep up and respond to the many points being made here, I thought I would provide three links that readers can use on their own to 'fact check' or follow up on some of the assertions and accusations made in the above comments.

    Below, please find a link to the latest entries on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Palestinian Authority from Amnesty International's 2011 Annual Report (which covers the period of 2010). There is also a link to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2010 Annual Report (which covers 2009) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    These links contain information which will clarify some of the statements about detained individuals within Israeli, PA and Hamas detention centers, the respective justice systems, torture and ill-treatment, family visits, etc …

    2011 AI entry on Israel/OPT: http://amnesty.org/en/region/israel-occupied-pale

    2011 AI entry on Palestinian Authority: http://amnesty.org/en/region/palestinian-authorit

    2010 ICRC entry on Israel and OPT: http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/annual-repor

    Specifically –

    Maya – It is Amnesty's position that Gilad Shalit, as a member of the military on active duty and captured during hostilities should be treated as a prisoner of war and therefore his rights as defined by international humanitarian law. See http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/375?OpenDocument

    Stef – Most of the pictures available show Gilad smiling, there are few of him taken in captivity and we had the legal rights to use this particular picture in this blog. And personally, I like it. It shows just how young Gilad was when captured. I even forget that fact sometimes.

    Clarification: The joint statement put out by international, Israeli and Palestinian NGOs concerning Gilad was supported and signed by the head office of Amnesty International, not just the Israeli section – just to clarify. You can find copy signed by main organization at http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/029/201….

    Thank you.
    Edie

  56. Greetings,

    Since it would be impossible to keep up and respond to the many points being made here, I thought I would provide three links that readers can use on their own to 'fact check' or follow up on some of the assertions and accusations made in the above comments.

    Below, please find a link to the latest entries on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Palestinian Authority from Amnesty International's 2011 Annual Report (which covers the period of 2010). There is also a link to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2010 Annual Report (which covers 2009) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    These links contain information which will clarify some of the statements about detained individuals within Israeli, PA and Hamas detention centers, the respective justice systems, torture and ill-treatment, family visits, etc …

    2011 AI entry on Israel/OPT: http://amnesty.org/en/region/israel-occupied-pale

    2011 AI entry on Palestinian Authority: http://amnesty.org/en/region/palestinian-authorit

    2010 ICRC entry on Israel and OPT: http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/annual-repor

    Specifically –

    Maya – It is Amnesty's position that Gilad Shalit, as a member of the military on active duty and captured during hostilities should be treated as a prisoner of war and therefore his rights as defined by international humanitarian law. See http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/375?OpenDocument

    Stef – Most of the pictures available show Gilad smiling, there are few of him taken in captivity and we had the legal rights to use this particular picture in this blog. And personally, I like it. It shows just how young Gilad was when captured. I even forget that fact sometimes.

    Clarification: The joint statement put out by international, Israeli and Palestinian NGOs concerning Gilad was supported and signed by the head office of Amnesty International, not just the Israeli section – just to clarify. You can find copy signed by main organization at http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/029/201….

    Thank you.
    Edie

  57. Greetings,

    Since it would be impossible to keep up and respond to the many points being made here, I thought I would provide three links that readers can use on their own to 'fact check' or follow up on some of the assertions and accusations made in the above comments.

    Below, please find a link to the latest entries on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Palestinian Authority from Amnesty International's 2011 Annual Report (which covers the period of 2010). There is also a link to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2010 Annual Report (which covers 2009) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    These links contain information which will clarify some of the statements about detained individuals within Israeli, PA and Hamas detention centers, the respective justice systems, torture and ill-treatment, family visits, etc …

    2011 AI entry on Israel/OPT: http://amnesty.org/en/region/israel-occupied-pale

    2011 AI entry on Palestinian Authority: http://amnesty.org/en/region/palestinian-authorit

    2010 ICRC entry on Israel and OPT: http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/annual-repor

    Specifically –

    Maya – It is Amnesty's position that Gilad Shalit, as a member of the military on active duty and captured during hostilities should be treated as a prisoner of war and therefore his rights as defined by international humanitarian law. See http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/375?OpenDocument

    Stef – Most of the pictures available show Gilad smiling, there are few of him taken in captivity and we had the legal rights to use this particular picture in this blog. And personally, I like it. It shows just how young Gilad was when captured. I even forget that fact sometimes.

    Clarification: The joint statement put out by international, Israeli and Palestinian NGOs concerning Gilad was supported and signed by the head office of Amnesty International, not just the Israeli section – just to clarify. You can find copy signed by main organization at http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/029/201….

    Thank you.
    Edie

  58. Greetings,

    Since it would be impossible to keep up and respond to the many points being made here, I thought I would provide three links that readers can use on their own to ‘fact check’ or follow up on some of the assertions and accusations made in the above comments.

    Below, please find a link to the latest entries on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Palestinian Authority from Amnesty International’s 2011 Annual Report (which covers the period of 2010). There is also a link to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 2010 Annual Report (which covers 2009) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    These links contain information which will clarify some of the statements about detained individuals within Israeli, PA and Hamas detention centers, the respective justice systems, torture and ill-treatment, family visits, etc …

    2011 AI entry on Israel/OPT: http://amnesty.org/en/region/israel-occupied-palestinian-territories/report-2011

    2011 AI entry on Palestinian Authority: http://amnesty.org/en/region/palestinian-authority/report-2011

    2010 ICRC entry on Israel and OPT: http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/annual-report/current/icrc-annual-report-2010-israel.pdf

    Specifically –

    Maya – It is Amnesty’s position that Gilad Shalit, as a member of the military on active duty and captured during hostilities should be treated as a prisoner of war and therefore his rights as defined by international humanitarian law. See http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/375?OpenDocument

    Stef – Most of the pictures available show Gilad smiling, there are few of him taken in captivity and we had the legal rights to use this particular picture in this blog. And personally, I like it. It shows just how young Gilad was when captured. I even forget that fact sometimes.

    Clarification: The joint statement put out by international, Israeli and Palestinian NGOs concerning Gilad was supported and signed by the head office of Amnesty International, not just the Israeli section – just to clarify. You can find copy signed by main organization at http://amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/029/2011/en/c27e6d01-f6e6-4df3-a487-602cb93ea6b2/mde150292011en.html.

    Thank you.
    Edie

  59. Edie:

    Gilad is not a "Prisoner of War". He is being held hostage under threat of death which is an illegal war crime under the Geneva convention. Amnesty, as a supporter of international law, must demand Gilad's immediate unconditionally release.

    Edie, not one year ago you personally wrote that Gilad was an illegally held hostage. On what basis have you suddenly decided to re-categorize Gilad as a prisoner of war not deserving of immediate freedom, only humane POW treatment while in supposedly lawful captivity?

    Author: Edith Garwood

    "Gilad Shalit, it is believed was taken as leverage in future negotiations with Israeli authorities and many believe Palestinians are regularly taken by Israeli forces for many reasons other than security and one of them is for leverage as well. Hostage taking, that is threatening to harm or continue to detain a detained person in order to compel a third party to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of their release is expressly prohibited under international law. Such practice threatens the fundamental right to life, personal integrity and liberty and is expressly prohibited by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstances is the taking of hostages justifiable."

  60. Edie:

    Gilad is not a “Prisoner of War”. He is being held hostage under threat of death which is an illegal war crime under the Geneva convention. Amnesty, as a supporter of international law, must demand Gilad’s immediate unconditionally release.

    Edie, not one year ago you personally wrote that Gilad was an illegally held hostage. On what basis have you suddenly decided to re-categorize Gilad as a prisoner of war not deserving of immediate freedom, only humane POW treatment while in supposedly lawful captivity?

    Author: Edith Garwood

    “Gilad Shalit, it is believed was taken as leverage in future negotiations with Israeli authorities and many believe Palestinians are regularly taken by Israeli forces for many reasons other than security and one of them is for leverage as well. Hostage taking, that is threatening to harm or continue to detain a detained person in order to compel a third party to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of their release is expressly prohibited under international law. Such practice threatens the fundamental right to life, personal integrity and liberty and is expressly prohibited by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstances is the taking of hostages justifiable.”

  61. Gilad Shalit's status as it stands now is & as it has always stood is that of a POW.

    That of a soldier captured in the course of his army's military operations.

    Combatants captured by any side during army ops are POWs.

    Unless we are rewriting the laws of warfare here.

    Which israel has clearly engaged in doing.

    If he has not been accused of a crime it's because of the issue of proportionality here.

    For the true & international criminal here continues to be the Jewish state of Israel, which continues its illegal Occupation of Palestine's Occupied Territories.

    & Shalit's just one of the Occupiers in the machinery of this Occupation.

    Calling him "sad" or "suffering" doesn't detract from this fact.

  62. Indeed Israel maintains Gilad Shalit SHOULD be TREATED as a POW.

    Not a hostage.

    If he is not a POW, his uniform means nothing.

    His identity as a soldier means nothing.

    He can then be treated as a common armed criminal.

    Which is it ?

  63. But i get it.

    To judonimh, Shalit's status is NOT about Shalit.

    It's about the Palestinians.

    Calling him a POW LEGITIMIZES the Palestinian government holding him.

    & judo would rather DEgrade Shalit than UPgrade the Palestinian government.

    So that's what happens.

    When you DOWNgrade enemy combatants as being "ILLEGAL" combatants, you downgrade your own.

    All Israeli & US soldiers, take note.

    Don't get taken alive.

    The other side will treat you as a soldier & a POW.

    But yours won't.

  64. Marwan Barghouti.

    Member of Palestine's Parliament.

    Secretary General of Fatah.

    He calls himself ( fluently in Hebrew ) a "fighter for peace for both peoples ( Israelis AND Palestinians )".

    As an MP, he has parliamentary immunity.

    Which means nothing to the israelis.

    In 2002 he was forcibly abducted from the Occupied Territories & taken to israel for trial.

    Marwan is one of the last supporters of the Oslo Accords.

    The Accords, which Israel signed, prohibit a Palestinian being tried in an israeli court for any alleged criminal offense which would, instead, fall within the jursidiction of the Palestinian Authority.

    But israel cares nothing about the Oslo Accords.

    Or is its peace process.

    Marwan rightly refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the israeli court.

    Marwan.

    A caged example of israel's illegalities.

  65. Capturing an enemy combatant during hostilities …. & when he is occupying your land … is an accepted practice under the rules of warfare.

    Gilad Shalit's capture is in accordance with this rule, not a violation of it.

    Nor is it a violation of the article of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prohibits the transfer of prisoners outside their country.

    Which israel violated when it took Marwan to be tried in israel.

    & which israel violates EVERY TIME it transfers Palestinian prisoners to israel for imprisonment.

  66. Gilad Shalit.

    In captivity for 5 years.

    Palestine & Gaza.

    In captivity for FIVE CONTINUOUS DECADES.

  67. Judo alleges that Hamas tortures Palestinian prisoners.

    i have never seen similar accusations made by impartial foreign or Palestinian observers & writers.

    Judo, who himself always ( meaning whenever the issue comes up ) advocates torture for "terrorists", at the same time maintains that israel never tortures.

    Is his assertion true ?

    Absolutely not.

    Israel's Shin Bet force uses torture methods like keeping prisoners tied to a chair with hands behind their backs, sleep deprivation, psychological torture forms like threats made to harm one's family or family members, forms of humiliation, & lodging prisoners in unsanitary cells over long periods of time.

    There have been worse forms of Israeli torture as well, including keeping captives in excruciatingly painful small cages that allow no free movement at all.

    These last were in a special israeli "facility" for the breaking of prisoners which i read about … in the Negev desert , if i remember…..

    i remember the description of this place vividly, for it impressed itself on my memory indelibly.

    Certain Israeli torture methods presumably cross the boundaries of life itself.

    Between April 7, 1994 & October 18, 2001, twenty eight Palestinians died in Israeli custody.

  68. Gilad Shalit.

    He wants to go home, i presume, after 5 years.

    Last month, thousands of Palestinian refugees ….. from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza …. gathered at israel's borders.

    They wanted to come home too.

    After five decades.

    For it was the Arab Spring, last month.

    Israeli snipers opened fire on them.

    The snipers were directed by israeli officers who pointed out which individuals in the crowds to shoot & kill.

    "That tall man in the blue shirt."

    "The one with the cap."

    Purely on a descriptive basis, for there were no names here, no known identities or faces.

    An Israeli practice in crowd control, from the time of the Intifadas.

    15 Palestinians, if i remember, were killed that day.

    They had wanted to come home, too.

    But they are not going to go away.

    They'll be back.

    In their millions.

    & they will, they will reach home.

  69. Gilad Shalit’s status as it stands now is & as it has always stood is that of a POW.

    That of a soldier captured in the course of his army’s military operations.

    Combatants captured by any side during army ops are POWs.

    Unless we are rewriting the laws of warfare here.

    Which israel has clearly engaged in doing.

    If he has not been accused of a crime it’s because of the issue of proportionality here.

    For the true & international criminal here continues to be the Jewish state of Israel, which continues its illegal Occupation of Palestine’s Occupied Territories.

    & Shalit’s just one of the Occupiers in the machinery of this Occupation.

    Calling him “sad” or “suffering” doesn’t detract from this fact.

  70. Savage: Y U NO RESEARCH ?

    ========================================================
    Source: Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/io

    "Under Cover of War"
    Hamas Political Violence in Gaza
    April 20, 2009

    This 26-page report documents a pattern since late December 2008 of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, maimings by shooting, and extrajudicial executions by members of Hamas security forces. The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses in Gaza and case reports by Palestinian human rights groups.
    ========================================================
    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/11/gaza-invest

    Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that Hamas police and plainclothes security officials prevented a demonstration at the Unknown Soldier square in Gaza City on February 28, 2011, without giving any reason, and detained and tortured one of the organizers, Ahmad Arar. Arar, 31, gave Human Rights Watch a detailed accounted of the abuse he said he suffered, an attempt, he said, to make him confess to being a Palestinian Authority agent. Since late February, Hamas internal security officials have threatened, confiscated equipment from, and repeatedly questioned young activists trying to organize similar protests for March 15, the activists said.

    "The Hamas government has shown time and again that it cares little about the rights of Palestinians who peacefully challenge its policies," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Hamas claims it's fighting for liberation from occupation but in reality it is repressing people living under its control."

    ========================================================

    By Associated Press, Monday, June 27, 2011

    GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian human rights group is demanding an inquiry into the death of a Gaza man in Hamas police custody.

    The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights says it fears Ibrahim Aaraj was tortured while in custody at the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Center staff said Monday that they saw a fracture on the top of his head and bruises on his forehead, face, back and limbs.

    ========================================================

  71. Indeed Israel maintains Gilad Shalit SHOULD be TREATED as a POW.

    Not a hostage.

    If he is not a POW, his uniform means nothing.

    His identity as a soldier means nothing.

    He can then be treated as a common armed criminal.

    Which is it ?

  72. But i get it.

    To judonimh, Shalit’s status is NOT about Shalit.

    It’s about the Palestinians.

    Calling him a POW LEGITIMIZES the Palestinian government holding him.

    & judo would rather DEgrade Shalit than UPgrade the Palestinian government.

    So that’s what happens.

    When you DOWNgrade enemy combatants as being “ILLEGAL” combatants, you downgrade your own.

    All Israeli & US soldiers, take note.

    Don’t get taken alive.

    The other side will treat you as a soldier & a POW.

    But yours won’t.

  73. Marwan Barghouti.

    Member of Palestine’s Parliament.

    Secretary General of Fatah.

    He calls himself ( fluently in Hebrew ) a “fighter for peace for both peoples ( Israelis AND Palestinians )”.

    As an MP, he has parliamentary immunity.

    Which means nothing to the israelis.

    In 2002 he was forcibly abducted from the Occupied Territories & taken to israel for trial.

    Marwan is one of the last supporters of the Oslo Accords.

    The Accords, which Israel signed, prohibit a Palestinian being tried in an israeli court for any alleged criminal offense which would, instead, fall within the jursidiction of the Palestinian Authority.

    But israel cares nothing about the Oslo Accords.

    Or is its peace process.

    Marwan rightly refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the israeli court.

    Marwan.

    A caged example of israel’s illegalities.

  74. Capturing an enemy combatant during hostilities …. & when he is occupying your land … is an accepted practice under the rules of warfare.

    Gilad Shalit’s capture is in accordance with this rule, not a violation of it.

    Nor is it a violation of the article of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prohibits the transfer of prisoners outside their country.

    Which israel violated when it took Marwan to be tried in israel.

    & which israel violates EVERY TIME it transfers Palestinian prisoners to israel for imprisonment.

  75. Gilad Shalit.

    In captivity for 5 years.

    Palestine & Gaza.

    In captivity for FIVE CONTINUOUS DECADES.

  76. Savage: Y U NO RESEARCH ?

    ========================================================
    Source: Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/io

    "Under Cover of War"
    Hamas Political Violence in Gaza
    April 20, 2009

    This 26-page report documents a pattern since late December 2008 of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, maimings by shooting, and extrajudicial executions by members of Hamas security forces. The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses in Gaza and case reports by Palestinian human rights groups.
    ========================================================
    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/11/gaza-invest

    Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that Hamas police and plainclothes security officials prevented a demonstration at the Unknown Soldier square in Gaza City on February 28, 2011, without giving any reason, and detained and tortured one of the organizers, Ahmad Arar. Arar, 31, gave Human Rights Watch a detailed accounted of the abuse he said he suffered, an attempt, he said, to make him confess to being a Palestinian Authority agent. Since late February, Hamas internal security officials have threatened, confiscated equipment from, and repeatedly questioned young activists trying to organize similar protests for March 15, the activists said.

    "The Hamas government has shown time and again that it cares little about the rights of Palestinians who peacefully challenge its policies," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Hamas claims it's fighting for liberation from occupation but in reality it is repressing people living under its control."

    ========================================================

    By Associated Press, Monday, June 27, 2011

    GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian human rights group is demanding an inquiry into the death of a Gaza man in Hamas police custody.

    The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights says it fears Ibrahim Aaraj was tortured while in custody at the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Center staff said Monday that they saw a fracture on the top of his head and bruises on his forehead, face, back and limbs.

    ========================================================

  77. Savage: Y U NO RESEARCH ?

    ========================================================
    Source: Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/io

    "Under Cover of War"
    Hamas Political Violence in Gaza
    April 20, 2009

    This 26-page report documents a pattern since late December 2008 of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, maimings by shooting, and extrajudicial executions by members of Hamas security forces. The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses in Gaza and case reports by Palestinian human rights groups.
    ========================================================
    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/11/gaza-invest

    Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that Hamas police and plainclothes security officials prevented a demonstration at the Unknown Soldier square in Gaza City on February 28, 2011, without giving any reason, and detained and tortured one of the organizers, Ahmad Arar. Arar, 31, gave Human Rights Watch a detailed accounted of the abuse he said he suffered, an attempt, he said, to make him confess to being a Palestinian Authority agent. Since late February, Hamas internal security officials have threatened, confiscated equipment from, and repeatedly questioned young activists trying to organize similar protests for March 15, the activists said.

    "The Hamas government has shown time and again that it cares little about the rights of Palestinians who peacefully challenge its policies," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Hamas claims it's fighting for liberation from occupation but in reality it is repressing people living under its control."

    ========================================================

    By Associated Press, Monday, June 27, 2011

    GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian human rights group is demanding an inquiry into the death of a Gaza man in Hamas police custody.

    The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights says it fears Ibrahim Aaraj was tortured while in custody at the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Center staff said Monday that they saw a fracture on the top of his head and bruises on his forehead, face, back and limbs.

    ========================================================

  78. Judo alleges that Hamas tortures Palestinian prisoners.

    i have never seen similar accusations made by impartial foreign or Palestinian observers & writers.

    Judo, who himself always ( meaning whenever the issue comes up ) advocates torture for “terrorists”, at the same time maintains that israel never tortures.

    Is his assertion true ?

    Absolutely not.

    Israel’s Shin Bet force uses torture methods like keeping prisoners tied to a chair with hands behind their backs, sleep deprivation, psychological torture forms like threats made to harm one’s family or family members, forms of humiliation, & lodging prisoners in unsanitary cells over long periods of time.

    There have been worse forms of Israeli torture as well, including keeping captives in excruciatingly painful small cages that allow no free movement at all.

    These last were in a special israeli “facility” for the breaking of prisoners which i read about … in the Negev desert , if i remember…..

    i remember the description of this place vividly, for it impressed itself on my memory indelibly.

    Certain Israeli torture methods presumably cross the boundaries of life itself.

    Between April 7, 1994 & October 18, 2001, twenty eight Palestinians died in Israeli custody.

  79. Gilad Shalit.

    He wants to go home, i presume, after 5 years.

    Last month, thousands of Palestinian refugees ….. from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza …. gathered at israel’s borders.

    They wanted to come home too.

    After five decades.

    For it was the Arab Spring, last month.

    Israeli snipers opened fire on them.

    The snipers were directed by israeli officers who pointed out which individuals in the crowds to shoot & kill.

    “That tall man in the blue shirt.”

    “The one with the cap.”

    Purely on a descriptive basis, for there were no names here, no known identities or faces.

    An Israeli practice in crowd control, from the time of the Intifadas.

    15 Palestinians, if i remember, were killed that day.

    They had wanted to come home, too.

    But they are not going to go away.

    They’ll be back.

    In their millions.

    & they will, they will reach home.

  80. E N O U G H about this Galid character. Stop making him a big, crybaby symbol of a peaceful 'defense' force. It's just not right.

  81. Wouter: I agree.

    We will stop making Gilad Shalit our big cry baby symbol as soon as you stop making Gaza, which has a standard of living far superior to at least 2 billion people living in the developing world, your big cry baby symbol.

    Source: New York Times, June 25, 2011

    GAZA — Two luxury hotels are opening in Gaza this month. Thousands of new cars are plying the roads. A second shopping mall — with escalators imported from Israel — will open next month. Hundreds of homes and two dozen schools are about to go up. A Hamas-run farm where Jewish settlements once stood is producing enough fruit that Israeli imports are tapering off.

    In assessing the condition of the 1.6 million people who live in Gaza, there are issues of where to draw the baseline and — often — what motivates the discussion. It has never been among the world’s poorest places. There is near universal literacy and relatively low infant mortality, and health conditions remain better than across much of the developing world.

    This Palestinian coastal enclave is experiencing its first real period of economic growth since the siege began in 2007. “Things are much better than a year ago,” said Jamal El-Khoudary, chairman of the board of the Islamic University, who has led Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege.

    Ala al-Rafati, the economy minister for Hamas, the militant group Hamas that governs Gaza, said in an interview that nearly 1,000 factories are operating here, and unemployment had plummeted after a sharp drop in jobless levels in the first quarter of this year. “Yesterday alone, the Gaza municipality launched 12 projects for paving roads, digging wells and making gardens,” he said.

  82. Savage: Y U NO RESEARCH ?

    ========================================================
    Source: Human Rights Watch
    http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/iopt0409web.pdf

    “Under Cover of War”
    Hamas Political Violence in Gaza
    April 20, 2009

    This 26-page report documents a pattern since late December 2008 of arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, maimings by shooting, and extrajudicial executions by members of Hamas security forces. The report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses in Gaza and case reports by Palestinian human rights groups.
    ========================================================

    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/11/gaza-investigate-torture-protest-organizer

    Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that Hamas police and plainclothes security officials prevented a demonstration at the Unknown Soldier square in Gaza City on February 28, 2011, without giving any reason, and detained and tortured one of the organizers, Ahmad Arar. Arar, 31, gave Human Rights Watch a detailed accounted of the abuse he said he suffered, an attempt, he said, to make him confess to being a Palestinian Authority agent. Since late February, Hamas internal security officials have threatened, confiscated equipment from, and repeatedly questioned young activists trying to organize similar protests for March 15, the activists said.

    “The Hamas government has shown time and again that it cares little about the rights of Palestinians who peacefully challenge its policies,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Hamas claims it’s fighting for liberation from occupation but in reality it is repressing people living under its control.”

    ========================================================

    By Associated Press, Monday, June 27, 2011

    GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian human rights group is demanding an inquiry into the death of a Gaza man in Hamas police custody.

    The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights says it fears Ibrahim Aaraj was tortured while in custody at the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Center staff said Monday that they saw a fracture on the top of his head and bruises on his forehead, face, back and limbs.

    ========================================================

  83. I agree, judonimph: I am neither pro-Palestine nor anti-Israel. (I don't even know any Palestinians and Israeli's are often too agressive and too 'chosen' to deal with non-jews). I just don't like dirty games and I must say that I notice that you have quite an agenda… Maybe you too should try not to be biased because of whatever non-reason (birthplace, nationality, stupid religion, etcetera). I would really like it if you would just respond to what I ask: stop making such an icon of that Shalit guy and don't make things worse by falling for propaganda tricks. He's just a guy among many faceless guys in the troublesome parts of the world. Your endless posts all have in common that they are not peaceful at all, thereby diminishing the chance that any captive-situation is resolved.

  84. E N O U G H about this Galid character. Stop making him a big, crybaby symbol of a peaceful ‘defense’ force. It’s just not right.

  85. Wouter: I agree.

    We will stop making Gilad Shalit our big cry baby symbol as soon as you stop making Gaza, which has a standard of living far superior to at least 2 billion people living in the developing world, your big cry baby symbol.

    Source: New York Times, June 25, 2011

    GAZA — Two luxury hotels are opening in Gaza this month. Thousands of new cars are plying the roads. A second shopping mall — with escalators imported from Israel — will open next month. Hundreds of homes and two dozen schools are about to go up. A Hamas-run farm where Jewish settlements once stood is producing enough fruit that Israeli imports are tapering off.

    In assessing the condition of the 1.6 million people who live in Gaza, there are issues of where to draw the baseline and — often — what motivates the discussion. It has never been among the world’s poorest places. There is near universal literacy and relatively low infant mortality, and health conditions remain better than across much of the developing world.

    This Palestinian coastal enclave is experiencing its first real period of economic growth since the siege began in 2007. “Things are much better than a year ago,” said Jamal El-Khoudary, chairman of the board of the Islamic University, who has led Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege.

    Ala al-Rafati, the economy minister for Hamas, the militant group Hamas that governs Gaza, said in an interview that nearly 1,000 factories are operating here, and unemployment had plummeted after a sharp drop in jobless levels in the first quarter of this year. “Yesterday alone, the Gaza municipality launched 12 projects for paving roads, digging wells and making gardens,” he said.

  86. I agree, judonimph: I am neither pro-Palestine nor anti-Israel. (I don’t even know any Palestinians and Israeli’s are often too agressive and too ‘chosen’ to deal with non-jews). I just don’t like dirty games and I must say that I notice that you have quite an agenda… Maybe you too should try not to be biased because of whatever non-reason (birthplace, nationality, stupid religion, etcetera). I would really like it if you would just respond to what I ask: stop making such an icon of that Shalit guy and don’t make things worse by falling for propaganda tricks. He’s just a guy among many faceless guys in the troublesome parts of the world. Your endless posts all have in common that they are not peaceful at all, thereby diminishing the chance that any captive-situation is resolved.

  87. It is just human nature to make icons of certain individuals. Through their story of personal suffering moral principles are elucidated. Like for example the current Amnesty campaign focusing on Canadian Meir Arar as the iconic innocent victim swept up in the War on Terror and horribly tortured. You can study the theoretical philosophical arguments why it is morally wrong to torture another human being, but actually looking in the eyes of Arar, a living person who went through the horror first hand is the most powerful argument of all against the evilness of torture.

    In the case of Gilad Shalit. the Israelis are well known to have an emotional weakness for captured soldiers. Over the last 30 years, Israel has released about 7,000 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners to secure freedom for 19 captured Israelis and to retrieve the bodies of eight other Israelis killed in action. The Palestinians are playing the Israelis emotions with all the skill of a concert violinist, by deliberately making the terms of Gilad's solitary confinement captivity as painful as possible for Gilad and his parents in order to increase the price the Israelis will pay for him in a prisoner exchange.

    Going back to the moral principle here, is it justifiable to exploit a human being like Gilad, or any human being, Israeli or Palestinian or whomever, as a bargaining chip, and even worse to deliberately increase his suffering with practices outlawed under the Geneva Convention for the sole purpose of increasing that captive's bargaining chip value?

  88. Thanks judo, for your comment. You have some good points there, yet the balance of it all strikes me wrong. I find it hard to see Israelis as constant victims of the evil Palestinians, with the image of IDF helicopters spewing white phosphorous on civilians in the back of my mind. As a dutchman, the number one icon, Anne Frank, loses its meaning if Israel creates Palestinian Anne Franks on a regular basis. Displacing a population, expanding illegally because of ancient stupidity and just because you can, again, strikes me wrong. Jews of all people, with their turmoiled history, should know better. All these Nobel prize winning minds, all these meticulous strategists, all these clever politicians, all these should for once and for all use their powers for a peaceful, humane resolution of the conflict.

    When it comes to skillful concert pianists, Camp David comes to mind. There too the propaganda machine said the Palestinians just didn't want peace. Time (and the actual maps of the Israeli 'offer', of which Shlomo Ben Ami later said that he wouldn't have accepted it if he were a Palestinian) has shown that the image that Israel skillfully manufactures is far from reality. Just listen to any public statement by Mark Regev, think of Lieberman, and there's your picture…

    I don't have the solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and I don't have any vested interest with either party – but after all these years I think we can say that it is mainly Israel that doesn't steer towards peace. Frankly, I think the world's eyes are opening up to these facts and if Israel doesn't take a good hard look at itself, it will find that it is on its own in no time. That can't be the plan, can it?

  89. I personally do still hope there will be peace and Palestine and Israel can eventually just live side by side in peace, quiet and economic prosperity and all this war and bloodshed can one day become a long distant memory.

    Hey, even you primitive barbaric Europeans slaughtered one another and the rest of the world non-stop for about 750 years of the most cruel wars and mass murder killing, slavery, and and colonial oppressions in human history and all of a sudden 60 years ago you all supposedly one day became the greatest of friends, so anything is possible, right ?

    But I don't think it is fair to conflate all these complex, non-black or white, issues of a 100 year long conflict that has defied the best efforts to solve it with the fact that Gilad, this young guy who was involuntarily conscripted into the Israeli Army and served low ranking and powerless, who is not accused personally of any crime by anyone, should sit in a dark underground hole in solitary confinement without Red Cross visits or even a letter from his family for 5 years.

  90. It is just human nature to make icons of certain individuals. Through their story of personal suffering moral principles are elucidated. Like for example the current Amnesty campaign focusing on Canadian Meir Arar as the iconic innocent victim swept up in the War on Terror and horribly tortured. You can study the theoretical philosophical arguments why it is morally wrong to torture another human being, but actually looking in the eyes of Arar, a living person who went through the horror first hand is the most powerful argument of all against the evilness of torture.

    In the case of Gilad Shalit. the Israelis are well known to have an emotional weakness for captured soldiers. Over the last 30 years, Israel has released about 7,000 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners to secure freedom for 19 captured Israelis and to retrieve the bodies of eight other Israelis killed in action. The Palestinians are playing the Israelis emotions with all the skill of a concert violinist, by deliberately making the terms of Gilad’s solitary confinement captivity as painful as possible for Gilad and his parents in order to increase the price the Israelis will pay for him in a prisoner exchange.

    Going back to the moral principle here, is it justifiable to exploit a human being like Gilad, or any human being, Israeli or Palestinian or whomever, as a bargaining chip, and even worse to deliberately increase his suffering with practices outlawed under the Geneva Convention for the sole purpose of increasing that captive’s bargaining chip value?

  91. Thanks judo, for your comment. You have some good points there, yet the balance of it all strikes me wrong. I find it hard to see Israelis as constant victims of the evil Palestinians, with the image of IDF helicopters spewing white phosphorous on civilians in the back of my mind. As a dutchman, the number one icon, Anne Frank, loses its meaning if Israel creates Palestinian Anne Franks on a regular basis. Displacing a population, expanding illegally because of ancient stupidity and just because you can, again, strikes me wrong. Jews of all people, with their turmoiled history, should know better. All these Nobel prize winning minds, all these meticulous strategists, all these clever politicians, all these should for once and for all use their powers for a peaceful, humane resolution of the conflict.

    When it comes to skillful concert pianists, Camp David comes to mind. There too the propaganda machine said the Palestinians just didn’t want peace. Time (and the actual maps of the Israeli ‘offer’, of which Shlomo Ben Ami later said that he wouldn’t have accepted it if he were a Palestinian) has shown that the image that Israel skillfully manufactures is far from reality. Just listen to any public statement by Mark Regev, think of Lieberman, and there’s your picture…

    I don’t have the solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and I don’t have any vested interest with either party – but after all these years I think we can say that it is mainly Israel that doesn’t steer towards peace. Frankly, I think the world’s eyes are opening up to these facts and if Israel doesn’t take a good hard look at itself, it will find that it is on its own in no time. That can’t be the plan, can it?

  92. I personally do still hope there will be peace and Palestine and Israel can eventually just live side by side in peace, quiet and economic prosperity and all this war and bloodshed can one day become a long distant memory.

    Hey, even you primitive barbaric Europeans slaughtered one another and the rest of the world non-stop for about 750 years of the most cruel wars and mass murder killing, slavery, and and colonial oppressions in human history and all of a sudden 60 years ago you all supposedly one day became the greatest of friends, so anything is possible, right ?

    But I don’t think it is fair to conflate all these complex, non-black or white, issues of a 100 year long conflict that has defied the best efforts to solve it with the fact that Gilad, this young guy who was involuntarily conscripted into the Israeli Army and served low ranking and powerless, who is not accused personally of any crime by anyone, should sit in a dark underground hole in solitary confinement without Red Cross visits or even a letter from his family for 5 years.

  93. WOw, Amnesti International is beginning to get fair. Yes, he is one soldier, and there are hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails, but they do not stay there for so long without their families knowing. (Yea, and, please, we should be talking only about the innocent Palestinian prisoners here. )
    I appload AI's look into it. Although I did notice some sting in the article itself.
    Best,
    MB

  94. WOw, Amnesti International is beginning to get fair. Yes, he is one soldier, and there are hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails, but they do not stay there for so long without their families knowing. (Yea, and, please, we should be talking only about the innocent Palestinian prisoners here. )
    I appload AI’s look into it. Although I did notice some sting in the article itself.
    Best,
    MB

  95. Welcome to Wouter.

    Welcome to your open mind & heart.

    Welcome to the CORE TRUTH you speak.

    The situation of the Palestinians is what happens when a foreign political / military force …. Zionism … invades a land & drives away her Native People.

    Do not think Judonimh does not know this.

    In fact, he talks openly about it.

    When Americans & other Westerners say here that israel should stop occupying Palestine & let the Palestinians return to their land, Judo tells them : Do you give the land back to the Native American Indians whom you stole it from ?

    This favorite example of his shows that he knows very well what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.

    He knows it is EXACTLY the SAME thing as what the Anglo / European colonists did to the Indians in America.

    Moshe Dayan & other Zionist leaders knew this too.

    Dayan said that if he were a Palestinian, he would fight Zionism continuously with EVERY POSSIBLE MEANS to defend his land & people.

    In short : They KNOW what they do.

    But while they admit it in some moments, they have to KEEP ON telling their lies to justify their Invasion & Occupation.

    For it is their PROCESS of Invasion that has sowed this harvest of lies.

    Our process determines us in EVERYTHING we say & do.

    It is inescapable.

    Judo has to say, contrary to the United Nations' own reporting, that Gaza's economy is FLOURISHING.

    When the israeli Army massacred nine peace activists on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship taking aid to Gaza, Judonimh lost no time to shout that the Israeli soldiers who boarded that ship had been armed, among other things, with PAINT BOMBS.

    But the dead bodies that night were splattered with bullets, not PAINT.

    He's like the Dutch boy with his finger in the hole in the dyke.

    This dyke is the wall of lies Israel has built up to cover its endless Invasion of Palestine.

    But this dyke is old & decrepit, & full of holes.

    It's beyond repair.

    & it is finally crumbling.

  96. i will not turn my eyes away from the crimes of anyone.

    Including Hamas.

    But i will always see everything PROPORTIONALLY.

    The house of Hamas, in both size & strength, is a puny David compared to the Goliath, Israel.

    So its crimes are equally puny in comparison.

    Hamas' historic role has been to lead the People in their Resistance.

    Without the People's support, Hamas couldn't have survived the war & the blockade israel threw against Gaza.

    The Palestinian People's PRIMARY CASE is not against Hamas, but against Israel.

    Critically viewing Hamas, i believe Hamas is the Palestinians' own problem awaiting their own solution.

    It is against ISRAEL that the People are daily helpless & need succor & support.

    & so i will apportion my attentions.

  97. Judonimh calls Gaza a "cry baby" wailing for our attention.

    He says Gaza's actually doing just FINE …. a SUPERIOR economy, LUXURY hotels, shopping malls, fleets of new cars …

    WHAT new cars & malls & luxury hotels ??

    The Gazans …. & the other Palestinians in the "OCCUPIED TERRITORIES" …. are an OCCUPIED PEOPLE !!!

    That's what "OCCUPATION" means.

    They are a "CAPTIVE PEOPLE" !!!

    That's what OCCUPATION means.

    They live under MILITARY LAW adminstered by THE OCCUPYIING ARMY !!

    They live at the SMALLEST WHIMS of Israeli soldiers & officers !!

    HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of new Palestinian cars ??

    They can't move a SINGLE STEP without an Israeli permit !!

    They live under a CHAOS of rules that follow NO ORDER !!

    Even ISRAELI SOLDIERS are BREAKING DOWN under the ARBITRARINESS of the "order" they are supposed to be imposing !!

    For example, curfew is ordered ANY IRREGULAR TIME a military command declares it !!

    Even in the middle of a non – curfew midmorning when the souk ( the market ) is in full swing !!!

    A stun grenade is thrown into the market by the israeli soldiers to enforce the sudden curfew… people screaming & running about in the ensuing chaos ….

    The Israeli Army's "open fire" rules allow unarmed civilians to be fired upon & killed with the barest minimum notice…..

    An ambulance driver in a curfew is ordered at gunpoint by an israeli soldier to drive slowly forward, & as he does so , the soldier shoots him through the windshield, blowing off the left side of his head away …..

    WHY ?? WHY ??? the drivcers assitant is screaming.

    When the israeli commander arrives & asks the soldier why he did this, the soldier says he simply fired UP in the air ….

    Is it his fault the driver was killed by his bullet ??

    A USAID study says a FULL NINETY THREE PERCENT of Palestinian children live in fear !!

    FIFTY TWO PER CENT believe their parents can't protect them from the settlers & soldiers !!

    LUXURY hotels ??

    ENTIRE CITIES such as Qalqilia are being STRANGULATED to economic death by being CUT OFF from their farmlands by Israel's Separation Wall !!!

    Hundreds or even thousands of new Palestinian cars ??

    Are you crazy ???

    Palestinians can't even BUS themselves without a permit from israelis !!

    Entire Palestinian COMMUNITIES are being "Gazaficated" —- encircled & imprisoned !!!

    Hundreds or even thousands of new cars ??

    Palestinians are allowed a TUNNEL beneath a highway, while overhead they see the yellow – plated israeli cars whizzing by !!

    *****

    Why then does Judonimh say these things, you may ask, if they are meaningless & futile ??

    Because these new "statements" of his are part of Zionism's efforts to buy rapidly depleting time, while hourly israel moves FULL STEAM AHEAD with new illegal settlements that gobble up more land from the supposed Palestinian state that will NEVER be allowed ….

    Because these new "sayings" of Judonimh's are now part of the whole tangled web, the inevitable PRODUCT of the unalterable PROCESS of invading another people's land …. …

    Because the telling of these meaningless things to the goyim or non — Jewish people is perhaps deemed OK or even creditable in the hardcore of Israeli settler culture if they are told in defense of Jews & the JEWISH State of Israel…..

    Does the reason itself matter ?

    It's the phenomenon of apologia that imperialism & its attendant colonialism procreate that bid for our scrutiny & study.

    My own choice of the probable reason for Judonimh's saying the things he says is this.

    That Israel, the state of "Jewish return", has reached a state of NO RETURN.

    It can't undo what it's done, nor vomit what it swallows, nor redress its historic & mounting crimes without the whole state unravelling.

    It can only TOTALLY DENY it all, via fantastic imaginings…

    …..& finally come to believe in this self – planted forest of denial.

    & the Wheel then comes full Circle.

  98. Welcome to Wouter.

    Welcome to your open mind & heart.

    Welcome to the CORE TRUTH you speak.

    The situation of the Palestinians is what happens when a foreign political / military force …. Zionism … invades a land & drives away her Native People.

    Do not think Judonimh does not know this.

    In fact, he talks openly about it.

    When Americans & other Westerners say here that israel should stop occupying Palestine & let the Palestinians return to their land, Judo tells them : Do you give the land back to the Native American Indians whom you stole it from ?

    This favorite example of his shows that he knows very well what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.

    He knows it is EXACTLY the SAME thing as what the Anglo / European colonists did to the Indians in America.

    Moshe Dayan & other Zionist leaders knew this too.

    Dayan said that if he were a Palestinian, he would fight Zionism continuously with EVERY POSSIBLE MEANS to defend his land & people.

    In short : They KNOW what they do.

    But while they admit it in some moments, they have to KEEP ON telling their lies to justify their Invasion & Occupation.

    For it is their PROCESS of Invasion that has sowed this harvest of lies.

    Our process determines us in EVERYTHING we say & do.

    It is inescapable.

    Judo has to say, contrary to the United Nations’ own reporting, that Gaza’s economy is FLOURISHING.

    When the israeli Army massacred nine peace activists on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship taking aid to Gaza, Judonimh lost no time to shout that the Israeli soldiers who boarded that ship had been armed, among other things, with PAINT BOMBS.

    But the dead bodies that night were splattered with bullets, not PAINT.

    He’s like the Dutch boy with his finger in the hole in the dyke.

    This dyke is the wall of lies Israel has built up to cover its endless Invasion of Palestine.

    But this dyke is old & decrepit, & full of holes.

    It’s beyond repair.

    & it is finally crumbling.

  99. Savage:

    Y U NO RESEARCH?

    source ———-> NEW YORK TIMES, June 25, 2011 <———— source

    "GAZA — Two luxury hotels are opening in Gaza this month. Thousands of new cars are plying the roads. A second shopping mall — with escalators imported from Israel — will open next month. Hundreds of homes and two dozen schools are about to go up. A Hamas-run farm where Jewish settlements once stood is producing enough fruit that Israeli imports are tapering off."

    "In assessing the condition of the 1.6 million people who live in Gaza, there are issues of where to draw the baseline and — often — what motivates the discussion. It has never been among the world’s poorest places. There is near universal literacy and relatively low infant mortality, and health conditions remain better than across much of the developing world."

    "This Palestinian coastal enclave is experiencing its first real period of economic growth since the siege began in 2007. “Things are better than a year ago,” said Jamal El-Khoudary, chairman of the board of the Islamic University, who has led Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege."

    "Ala al-Rafati, the Minister of Economy for Hamas, the militant group Hamas that governs Gaza, said in an interview that nearly 1,000 factories are operating here, and he estimated unemployment at no more than 25 percent after a sharp drop in jobless levels in the first quarter of this year. “Yesterday alone, the Gaza municipality launched 12 projects for paving roads, digging wells and making gardens,” he said."

  100. i will not turn my eyes away from the crimes of anyone.

    Including Hamas.

    But i will always see everything PROPORTIONALLY.

    The house of Hamas, in both size & strength, is a puny David compared to the Goliath, Israel.

    So its crimes are equally puny in comparison.

    Hamas’ historic role has been to lead the People in their Resistance.

    Without the People’s support, Hamas couldn’t have survived the war & the blockade israel threw against Gaza.

    The Palestinian People’s PRIMARY CASE is not against Hamas, but against Israel.

    Critically viewing Hamas, i believe Hamas is the Palestinians’ own problem awaiting their own solution.

    It is against ISRAEL that the People are daily helpless & need succor & support.

    & so i will apportion my attentions.

  101. Savage, do you know what you remind me of?

    You remind me of a North Korean tour guide non stop spouting the party line propaganda morning till night like some kind of programed robot and refusing to go off your script for even a moment.

    The New York Times journalists who wrote that story were first hand on the scene in Gaza last week and reported they personally witnessed with their own eyes luxury hotels, the roads of Gaza packed with brand new cars, a construction boom with new buildings going up everywhere, and interviewed the Hamas Minister of the Economy who put the Gazan unemployment rate of 25% is about the same as the Egyptian unemployment rate and only a few percent worse than Spain unemployment rate of 21%.

    Savage, it is quite obvious you have never set foot within a 1000 miles of Gaza in your life, am I right? So why do you just dig your feet into the dirt and refuse to believe a single word of the New York Times article on a subject you have no first hand knowledge of? On what basis exactly do you make your extraordinary claim that the New York Times article is a complete lie and fabrication?

    These New York Times journalists and the Hamas government Economics Minister are simply telling you what the real, propaganda free zone situation in Gaza in reality is really like, namely the following:

    Gaza has an economy and a standard of living in the top half of the developing world, better off than billions of other people on this planet.

  102. Judonimh calls Gaza a “cry baby” wailing for our attention.

    He says Gaza’s actually doing just FINE …. a SUPERIOR economy, LUXURY hotels, shopping malls, fleets of new cars …

    WHAT new cars & malls & luxury hotels ??

    The Gazans …. & the other Palestinians in the “OCCUPIED TERRITORIES” …. are an OCCUPIED PEOPLE !!!

    That’s what “OCCUPATION” means.

    They are a “CAPTIVE PEOPLE” !!!

    That’s what OCCUPATION means.

    They live under MILITARY LAW adminstered by THE OCCUPYIING ARMY !!

    They live at the SMALLEST WHIMS of Israeli soldiers & officers !!

    HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of new Palestinian cars ??

    They can’t move a SINGLE STEP without an Israeli permit !!

    They live under a CHAOS of rules that follow NO ORDER !!

    Even ISRAELI SOLDIERS are BREAKING DOWN under the ARBITRARINESS of the “order” they are supposed to be imposing !!

    For example, curfew is ordered ANY IRREGULAR TIME a military command declares it !!

    Even in the middle of a non – curfew midmorning when the souk ( the market ) is in full swing !!!

    A stun grenade is thrown into the market by the israeli soldiers to enforce the sudden curfew… people screaming & running about in the ensuing chaos ….

    The Israeli Army’s “open fire” rules allow unarmed civilians to be fired upon & killed with the barest minimum notice…..

    An ambulance driver in a curfew is ordered at gunpoint by an israeli soldier to drive slowly forward, & as he does so , the soldier shoots him through the windshield, blowing off the left side of his head away …..

    WHY ?? WHY ??? the drivcers assitant is screaming.

    When the israeli commander arrives & asks the soldier why he did this, the soldier says he simply fired UP in the air ….

    Is it his fault the driver was killed by his bullet ??

    A USAID study says a FULL NINETY THREE PERCENT of Palestinian children live in fear !!

    FIFTY TWO PER CENT believe their parents can’t protect them from the settlers & soldiers !!

    LUXURY hotels ??

    ENTIRE CITIES such as Qalqilia are being STRANGULATED to economic death by being CUT OFF from their farmlands by Israel’s Separation Wall !!!

    Hundreds or even thousands of new Palestinian cars ??

    Are you crazy ???

    Palestinians can’t even BUS themselves without a permit from israelis !!

    Entire Palestinian COMMUNITIES are being “Gazaficated” —- encircled & imprisoned !!!

    Hundreds or even thousands of new cars ??

    Palestinians are allowed a TUNNEL beneath a highway, while overhead they see the yellow – plated israeli cars whizzing by !!

    *****

    Why then does Judonimh say these things, you may ask, if they are meaningless & futile ??

    Because these new “statements” of his are part of Zionism’s efforts to buy rapidly depleting time, while hourly israel moves FULL STEAM AHEAD with new illegal settlements that gobble up more land from the supposed Palestinian state that will NEVER be allowed ….

    Because these new “sayings” of Judonimh’s are now part of the whole tangled web, the inevitable PRODUCT of the unalterable PROCESS of invading another people’s land …. …

    Because the telling of these meaningless things to the goyim or non — Jewish people is perhaps deemed OK or even creditable in the hardcore of Israeli settler culture if they are told in defense of Jews & the JEWISH State of Israel…..

    Does the reason itself matter ?

    It’s the phenomenon of apologia that imperialism & its attendant colonialism procreate that bid for our scrutiny & study.

    My own choice of the probable reason for Judonimh’s saying the things he says is this.

    That Israel, the state of “Jewish return”, has reached a state of NO RETURN.

    It can’t undo what it’s done, nor vomit what it swallows, nor redress its historic & mounting crimes without the whole state unravelling.

    It can only TOTALLY DENY it all, via fantastic imaginings…

    …..& finally come to believe in this self – planted forest of denial.

    & the Wheel then comes full Circle.

  103. Savage:

    Y U NO RESEARCH?

    source ———-> NEW YORK TIMES, June 25, 2011 <———— source

    "GAZA — Two luxury hotels are opening in Gaza this month. Thousands of new cars are plying the roads. A second shopping mall — with escalators imported from Israel — will open next month. Hundreds of homes and two dozen schools are about to go up. A Hamas-run farm where Jewish settlements once stood is producing enough fruit that Israeli imports are tapering off."

    "In assessing the condition of the 1.6 million people who live in Gaza, there are issues of where to draw the baseline and — often — what motivates the discussion. It has never been among the world’s poorest places. There is near universal literacy and relatively low infant mortality, and health conditions remain better than across much of the developing world."

    "This Palestinian coastal enclave is experiencing its first real period of economic growth since the siege began in 2007. “Things are better than a year ago,” said Jamal El-Khoudary, chairman of the board of the Islamic University, who has led Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege."

    "Ala al-Rafati, the Minister of Economy for Hamas, the militant group Hamas that governs Gaza, said in an interview that nearly 1,000 factories are operating here, and he estimated unemployment at no more than 25 percent after a sharp drop in jobless levels in the first quarter of this year. “Yesterday alone, the Gaza municipality launched 12 projects for paving roads, digging wells and making gardens,” he said."

  104. Savage, do you know what you remind me of?

    You remind me of a North Korean tour guide non stop spouting the party line propaganda morning till night like some kind of programed robot and refusing to go off your script for even a moment.

    The New York Times journalists who wrote that story were first hand on the scene in Gaza last week and reported they personally witnessed with their own eyes luxury hotels, the roads of Gaza packed with brand new cars, a construction boom with new buildings going up everywhere, and interviewed the Hamas Minister of the Economy who put the Gazan unemployment rate of 25% is about the same as the Egyptian unemployment rate and only a few percent worse than Spain unemployment rate of 21%.

    Savage, it is quite obvious you have never set foot within a 1000 miles of Gaza in your life, am I right? So why do you just dig your feet into the dirt and refuse to believe a single word of the New York Times article on a subject you have no first hand knowledge of? On what basis exactly do you make your extraordinary claim that the New York Times article is a complete lie and fabrication?

    These New York Times journalists and the Hamas government Economics Minister are simply telling you what the real, propaganda free zone situation in Gaza in reality is really like, namely the following:

    Gaza has an economy and a standard of living in the top half of the developing world, better off than billions of other people on this planet.

  105. Today i am singing the old Ghost Dance song,
    changing the words for Gaza :

    "Coming is the WHOLE WORLD to Gaza.

    The world is coming.
    The world is coming."

    Even artists who sit & write, they are coming.

    Even Alice Walker, she is coming.

    Even Henning Mankell, he is coming.

    Israel tried to stop the journalists from coming.
    Now even the journalists, they are coming.

    "Someone" sabotaged the Greek ship in this flotilla.
    "Someone" broke a propeller on a ship in the flotilla..

    "Someone" ? "SOMEone" ? "SomeONE" ?

    Who benefits from sabotaging the flotilla ?

    Just one entity.
    Just one entity.

    israel. israel.
    Israel. Israel.

    It didn't work.
    It didn't work.

    The propeller has been fixed.
    The propeller has been fixed.

    If Gaza can't come out to the world,
    the world will come out to Gaza !!!!

    "Says the Father,
    Says the Father :

    Ate heye lo.
    Ate heye lo."

  106. Have you ever heard of such a thing ?

    Has this EVER happened in history ?

    First time in this PLANET's military history, the mouthpiece of a blockading power ( Judonimh, here, for Apartheid Israel ) is anxiously assuring the world :

    Our blockade DIDN'T work on the besieged.

    Our blockade didn't HARM the besieged.

    The besieged economy BLOOMS under our blockade.

    The besieged economy FLOURISHES in our blockade.

    This runs contrary to all military experience.
    This goes against all military history.

    But … control the damage !
    Assure the world !

    For the world is outraged.
    By your blockade.

    & the world is coming.

  107. Did you know ?

    israel doesn't only CONTROL Gaza's land.

    israel doesn't only CONTROL Gaza's sea.

    israel doesn't only CONTROL Gaza's skies.

    israel ALSO controls Gaza's register.

    israel won't give up Gaza's population register.

    It means israel DECIDES who lives in, & who leaves, Gaza.

    Who comes in & who goes out of Gaza.

    Who's a resident, & who's NOT, of Gaza.

    i agree with Judonimh's description of me.

    Judonimh says i'm like a guide in North Korea.

    i feel like i'm a guide TO North Korea.

  108. DEAR, DEAR CHILDREN OF GAZA !!

    How are you all today ????

    Did you get this morning's "New York Times" ?
    The newspaper Judonimh reads ?

    No ? How'll you know what's going on ?

    You mean you know what you see ?

    Good … trust your own eyes , then !

    Did you at least bring your textbooks to school ?

    Or is the blockade still blocking one out of EVERY THREE textbooks you get ?

    Did you all sleep well last night ?

    Or were you startled from your dream by the sonic booms of Israel's jets ?

    Have you eaten your SINGLE little meal for today ?

    Is that why you are so small & thin, for your age ?

    No matter ! Can you focus better in class ?

    Or is your concentration failing, like always ?

    Did you get higher scores in this exam ?

    Or are EIGHTY PER CENT of you still failing in those subjects ?

    i know … i know … it isn't easy.

    But STAY STRONG ! You will all COME OUT one day.

    We will all go on buses to Barcelona !!

    & you can see your soccer heroes in the flesh !!!!

  109. DEAR, DEAR YOUTH OF GAZA !!!!

    How are you all today ????

    How is your dream of university shaping out ??

    Still three out of EVERY FOUR of you sitting at home this morning ???

    i know there were FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND of you four years back wanting to go to university ….
    Gaza's got such a youthful populace, one of earth's YOUNGEST !!

    Yet Gaza's own overcrowded university system has room for at most SEVENTY THOUSAND !

    Before Israel's blockade, you all went to universities outside Gaza to study.

    You went to the West Bank, for instance.

    But Israel cut the road & rail links between your Gaza & the West Bank.

    Israel divided Gaza from the West Bank, although they are One Land.

    Your numbers slowly fell from the hundreds once studying in the West Bank's universities.

    Finally, four years ago, there were only FIFTEEN of you left !!!

    The pitiful remnants of you still studying there now stay on in violation of Israel's permit.

    You live in constant fear of arrest.

    Of being caught at an Israeli roadblock or "flying" check point.

    & of being deported immediately back to Gaza !!

    You can never go home to see your families.

    Nor can those of you in Gaza dream of going out to universities abroad.

    How would you ever get those rare scholarships ?

    & if you did, how'd you get out of your prison ?

    So many of you say you'd rather die than live this kind of existence !!

    How many layers of exile does exile have within itself ?

  110. Today i am singing the old Ghost Dance song,
    changing the words for Gaza :

    “Coming is the WHOLE WORLD to Gaza.

    The world is coming.
    The world is coming.”

    Even artists who sit & write, they are coming.

    Even Alice Walker, she is coming.

    Even Henning Mankell, he is coming.

    Israel tried to stop the journalists from coming.
    Now even the journalists, they are coming.

    “Someone” sabotaged the Greek ship in this flotilla.
    “Someone” broke a propeller on a ship in the flotilla..

    “Someone” ? “SOMEone” ? “SomeONE” ?

    Who benefits from sabotaging the flotilla ?

    Just one entity.
    Just one entity.

    israel. israel.
    Israel. Israel.

    It didn’t work.
    It didn’t work.

    The propeller has been fixed.
    The propeller has been fixed.

    If Gaza can’t come out to the world,
    the world will come out to Gaza !!!!

    “Says the Father,
    Says the Father :

    Ate heye lo.
    Ate heye lo.”

  111. Have you ever heard of such a thing ?

    Has this EVER happened in history ?

    First time in this PLANET’s military history, the mouthpiece of a blockading power ( Judonimh, here, for Apartheid Israel ) is anxiously assuring the world :

    Our blockade DIDN’T work on the besieged.

    Our blockade didn’t HARM the besieged.

    The besieged economy BLOOMS under our blockade.

    The besieged economy FLOURISHES in our blockade.

    This runs contrary to all military experience.
    This goes against all military history.

    But … control the damage !
    Assure the world !

    For the world is outraged.
    By your blockade.

    & the world is coming.

  112. Did you know ?

    israel doesn’t only CONTROL Gaza’s land.

    israel doesn’t only CONTROL Gaza’s sea.

    israel doesn’t only CONTROL Gaza’s skies.

    israel ALSO controls Gaza’s register.

    israel won’t give up Gaza’s population register.

    It means israel DECIDES who lives in, & who leaves, Gaza.

    Who comes in & who goes out of Gaza.

    Who’s a resident, & who’s NOT, of Gaza.

    i agree with Judonimh’s description of me.

    Judonimh says i’m like a guide in North Korea.

    i feel like i’m a guide TO North Korea.

  113. What lovely poetry.

    Too bad your bogus baloney is just blithering balderdash.

    The truth is that sea blockade is work very well, it works today and it will work on into the future. The sea blockade has worked in that it has successful prevented Iran from turning all of Gaza into nothing but a base of the Iranian Army from which to launch aggressive attacks, as has happened to southern Lebanon.

    For the sake of the civilians of Gaza, Gaza needs no more Iranian weapons imported into it, and the Israelis will hopefully continue to do an excellent job keeping them Gaza free of Iranian heavy weaponry.

  114. source: Gisha Legal Center for Palestinians

    Wednesday, June 29, 2011 –

    As the flotilla approaches, Gisha warns that the focus on humanitarian aid by both flotilla organizers is infuriating and misleading. There is no shortage of food in Gaza, but economic recovery is blocked by restrictions on the import of construction materials to Gaza and export of goods from Gaza.

    Sari Bashi, Executive Director of Gisha, says it is infuriating that residents of Gaza are being deliberately reduced to recipients of humanitarian aid. "The problem in Gaza is not a shortage of food."

    There is just one solution that will respect the rights of Gaza residents to livelihood while also protecting Israel's legitimate security interests: Israel must lift the ban on import of construction materials into Gaza, and export of goods to outside Gaza"

  115. DEAR, DEAR CHILDREN OF GAZA !!

    How are you all today ????

    Did you get this morning’s “New York Times” ?
    The newspaper Judonimh reads ?

    No ? How’ll you know what’s going on ?

    You mean you know what you see ?

    Good … trust your own eyes , then !

    Did you at least bring your textbooks to school ?

    Or is the blockade still blocking one out of EVERY THREE textbooks you get ?

    Did you all sleep well last night ?

    Or were you startled from your dream by the sonic booms of Israel’s jets ?

    Have you eaten your SINGLE little meal for today ?

    Is that why you are so small & thin, for your age ?

    No matter ! Can you focus better in class ?

    Or is your concentration failing, like always ?

    Did you get higher scores in this exam ?

    Or are EIGHTY PER CENT of you still failing in those subjects ?

    i know … i know … it isn’t easy.

    But STAY STRONG ! You will all COME OUT one day.

    We will all go on buses to Barcelona !!

    & you can see your soccer heroes in the flesh !!!!

  116. DEAR, DEAR YOUTH OF GAZA !!!!

    How are you all today ????

    How is your dream of university shaping out ??

    Still three out of EVERY FOUR of you sitting at home this morning ???

    i know there were FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND of you four years back wanting to go to university ….
    Gaza’s got such a youthful populace, one of earth’s YOUNGEST !!

    Yet Gaza’s own overcrowded university system has room for at most SEVENTY THOUSAND !

    Before Israel’s blockade, you all went to universities outside Gaza to study.

    You went to the West Bank, for instance.

    But Israel cut the road & rail links between your Gaza & the West Bank.

    Israel divided Gaza from the West Bank, although they are One Land.

    Your numbers slowly fell from the hundreds once studying in the West Bank’s universities.

    Finally, four years ago, there were only FIFTEEN of you left !!!

    The pitiful remnants of you still studying there now stay on in violation of Israel’s permit.

    You live in constant fear of arrest.

    Of being caught at an Israeli roadblock or “flying” check point.

    & of being deported immediately back to Gaza !!

    You can never go home to see your families.

    Nor can those of you in Gaza dream of going out to universities abroad.

    How would you ever get those rare scholarships ?

    & if you did, how’d you get out of your prison ?

    So many of you say you’d rather die than live this kind of existence !!

    How many layers of exile does exile have within itself ?

  117. What lovely poetry.

    Too bad your bogus baloney is just blithering balderdash.

    The truth is that sea blockade is work very well, it works today and it will work on into the future. The sea blockade has worked in that it has successful prevented Iran from turning all of Gaza into nothing but a base of the Iranian Army from which to launch aggressive attacks, as has happened to southern Lebanon.

    For the sake of the civilians of Gaza, Gaza needs no more Iranian weapons imported into it, and the Israelis will hopefully continue to do an excellent job keeping them Gaza free of Iranian heavy weaponry.

  118. source: Gisha Legal Center for Palestinians

    Wednesday, June 29, 2011 –

    As the flotilla approaches, Gisha warns that the focus on humanitarian aid by both flotilla organizers is infuriating and misleading. There is no shortage of food in Gaza, but economic recovery is blocked by restrictions on the import of construction materials to Gaza and export of goods from Gaza.

    Sari Bashi, Executive Director of Gisha, says it is infuriating that residents of Gaza are being deliberately reduced to recipients of humanitarian aid. “The problem in Gaza is not a shortage of food.”

    There is just one solution that will respect the rights of Gaza residents to livelihood while also protecting Israel’s legitimate security interests: Israel must lift the ban on import of construction materials into Gaza, and export of goods to outside Gaza”

  119. Every person should be humanely treated. There is only one race – the human race.

    There is a fact underlying every single thing anyone has said in this blog, or the world, about this land in Israel. This fact will keep the uproar going until the end of this world.

    GOD, gave the land to the Israelites. The children & descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, for ALL time.

    It's non-negotiable. Set forever. The Creator, has spoken to the creation. The end.

    We can fight it all we want, but it won't work. We can stand on our heads, but it won't work. We can twirl in the air, but it won't work. We can beat our heads against a brick wall, but it won't work. If our plan for the land, doesn't line up with the Creator's plan for the land, it won't work. He always wins, hands down. His way is perfect.

    We can hurt & mistreat each other, but it won't work. It's just a distraction. And, both sides have sinned against the other. That's how war is. We might as well mature some more, & deal with the kernel of the problem, instead of chasing each other around the periphery, throwing temper tantrums. GOD gave the land to one people (Isaac), & other people want it.

    Following are the covenants (deeds of trust) to the land:

    "Question: "What are the covenants in the Bible?"

    "Answer: The Bible speaks of seven different covenants, four of which (Abrahmic, Palestinian, Mosaic, Davidic) God made with the nation of Israel and are unconditional in nature.

    Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7; 13:14-17; 15; 17:1-14; 22:15-18). In this covenant, God promised many things to Abraham. He personally promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous physical descendents (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding a nation called Israel. In fact, the geographical boundaries of the Abrahamic Covenant are laid out on more than one occasion in the book of Genesis (12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21). Another provision in the Abrahamic Covenant is that the families of the world will be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.

    Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The Palestinian Covenant amplifies the land aspect which was detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God, because of the people's disobedience, would cause them to be scattered around the world (Deuteronomy 30:3-4), and He would eventually restore the nation together (verse 5). When the nation is restored, then they will obey Him perfectly (verse 8), and God will cause them to prosper (verse 9)."

    Genesis 13:14-15, New American Standard:

    14 ‘The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
    15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you and to your descendants forever.”’

    Genesis 15:18-21, English Standard Version

    18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

    Deuteronomy 34:1-3, New American Standard

    1–3 34 Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. GOD showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar.
    4 Then and there GOD said to him, “This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

    There's a whole world to live in. Plenty of room for everybody.

  120. Dear 'gloriousgrace'. Have you any idea how offending your ancient stupidity sounds in the ears of 21st century people? How dare you use the word 'fact' in your debilitatingly backward post…

    Of course the jewish god 'gave' it all to them, the chosen ones: they invented him. If re really existed, he would have put oil under western soil, dummy.

  121. Every person should be humanely treated. There is only one race – the human race.

    There is a fact underlying every single thing anyone has said in this blog, or the world, about this land in Israel. This fact will keep the uproar going until the end of this world.

    GOD, gave the land to the Israelites. The children & descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, for ALL time.

    It’s non-negotiable. Set forever. The Creator, has spoken to the creation. The end.

    We can fight it all we want, but it won’t work. We can stand on our heads, but it won’t work. We can twirl in the air, but it won’t work. We can beat our heads against a brick wall, but it won’t work. If our plan for the land, doesn’t line up with the Creator’s plan for the land, it won’t work. He always wins, hands down. His way is perfect.

    We can hurt & mistreat each other, but it won’t work. It’s just a distraction. And, both sides have sinned against the other. That’s how war is. We might as well mature some more, & deal with the kernel of the problem, instead of chasing each other around the periphery, throwing temper tantrums. GOD gave the land to one people (Isaac), & other people want it.

    Following are the covenants (deeds of trust) to the land:

    “Question: “What are the covenants in the Bible?”

    “Answer: The Bible speaks of seven different covenants, four of which (Abrahmic, Palestinian, Mosaic, Davidic) God made with the nation of Israel and are unconditional in nature.

    Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7; 13:14-17; 15; 17:1-14; 22:15-18). In this covenant, God promised many things to Abraham. He personally promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous physical descendents (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding a nation called Israel. In fact, the geographical boundaries of the Abrahamic Covenant are laid out on more than one occasion in the book of Genesis (12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21). Another provision in the Abrahamic Covenant is that the families of the world will be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.

    Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The Palestinian Covenant amplifies the land aspect which was detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God, because of the people’s disobedience, would cause them to be scattered around the world (Deuteronomy 30:3-4), and He would eventually restore the nation together (verse 5). When the nation is restored, then they will obey Him perfectly (verse 8), and God will cause them to prosper (verse 9).”

    Genesis 13:14-15, New American Standard:

    14 ‘The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
    15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you and to your descendants forever.”’

    Genesis 15:18-21, English Standard Version

    18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

    Deuteronomy 34:1-3, New American Standard

    1–3 34 Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. GOD showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar.
    4 Then and there GOD said to him, “This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

    There’s a whole world to live in. Plenty of room for everybody.

  122. Dear ‘gloriousgrace’. Have you any idea how offending your ancient stupidity sounds in the ears of 21st century people? How dare you use the word ‘fact’ in your debilitatingly backward post…

    Of course the jewish god ‘gave’ it all to them, the chosen ones: they invented him. If re really existed, he would have put oil under western soil, dummy.

  123. Hello All

    Sorry to say but the Human rights organisation are not doing enough!
    Just talking! Lets see you talk with the Hamas leaders and convince them
    I am sure you can not Just talking!

    Now the UN is thinking to recognize Palestinian state which part of it Hamas which is terrorist group. ? They do not comply with the UN and the world
    international humanitarian law! so until they do so the world must not
    deal with them at all!

    Why Amnesty the Red Cross the UN High Commission for Human rights and Human rights organisations are not investigating the Hamas in Gaza about the status and condition of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit ? He is also a Franch citizen! Why all of human rights activists do not protest about that?

    This soldier is also a human being and deserve at least the same condition the Hamas prisoners get in the Israeli prison don't you think so?

    Where is the Red Cross where is the UN in this situation? Where are you? YES YOU Think about it, 5 years in the prison of the Hamas in Gaza! and almost no sign about his status, no letter to the family? Please do something about it! What about humanitarian?

    Where is the humanitarian aid of the Red Cross and or the UN. You both should stop giving services in Gaza, You must do something!

    Join and protest in this page and add your voice! Enough to the hypocrisy of all this Human Right organisations Do something! If you really care of Human rights distribute this story and protest! Where is your voices?

    ben

  124. Hello All

    Sorry to say but the Human rights organisation are not doing enough!
    Just talking! Lets see you talk with the Hamas leaders and convince them
    I am sure you can not Just talking!

    Now the UN is thinking to recognize Palestinian state which part of it Hamas which is terrorist group. ? They do not comply with the UN and the world
    international humanitarian law! so until they do so the world must not
    deal with them at all!

    Why Amnesty the Red Cross the UN High Commission for Human rights and Human rights organisations are not investigating the Hamas in Gaza about the status and condition of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit ? He is also a Franch citizen! Why all of human rights activists do not protest about that?

    This soldier is also a human being and deserve at least the same condition the Hamas prisoners get in the Israeli prison don’t you think so?

    Where is the Red Cross where is the UN in this situation? Where are you? YES YOU Think about it, 5 years in the prison of the Hamas in Gaza! and almost no sign about his status, no letter to the family? Please do something about it! What about humanitarian?

    Where is the humanitarian aid of the Red Cross and or the UN. You both should stop giving services in Gaza, You must do something!

    Join and protest in this page and add your voice! Enough to the hypocrisy of all this Human Right organisations Do something! If you really care of Human rights distribute this story and protest! Where is your voices?

    ben

Comments are closed.