[statecom-discuss] Re: [adcom] another draft gr response to the recent round of terror

Thu Jul 20 19:19:25 EDT 2006

I Put my suggested changed in CAPS

david rolde <davidrolde at yahoo.com> wrote:    OK. Here is my draft. - David

"The Green-Rainbow Party considers the Israeli
regime's military attacks in Gaza and Lebanon to be
unprovoked and unjustifiable acts of aggression which
constitute acts of state terrorism. (Change to say "VIOLATE THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS AND CONSTITUTE WAR CRIMES AGAINST A CIVILIAN POPULATION".  The Israeli
regime's actions in Gaza and Lebanon are out of line
with international law and even in terms of the
Israeli regime's own stated justification - a response
to the capture of three soldiers - completely
disproportionate in scale. Even if this were a
legitimate war, we would find the Israeli regime's
deliberate bombing of civilian infrastructure and
killing of civilians to be war crimes. 

The Green-Rainbow Party has in the past affirmed the
right of Palestinians to defend themselves from
Israeli occupation and from the Israeli project of
forced displacement of the indigenous Palestinian
population which has been ongoing since 1948. The
right to resist occupation is guaranteed to all
peoples of the world by international law. We today
reaffirm that the Palestinians have this right, as do
the people of Lebanon who have endured decades of
attacks and occupation by the Israelis. The current
Israeli bombing and invasion of Lebanon is only the
latest chapter in a long history of destructive
Israeli and U.S. intervention in Lebanon. The
Green-Rainbow Party stands in solidarity with the
oppressed.  change to "PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM RACISM AND COLONIAL OPPRESSION" 

We demand that the Israeli regime cease any and all
offensives immediately; immediately leave Lebanese
territory forever; and immediately leave the West
Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem as a first step towards
ending apartheid in the region of historic Palestine.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and
Jerusalem is the continuation of the Zionist "ethnic
cleansing" project that began before 1948. This
project must first be stopped, and then be reversed to
make it possible for all Palestinian refugees to
return to their homes throughout historic Palestine
and live in peace without being discriminated against
as non-Jews. The root of the conflict in Palestine and
Lebanon is the Israeli regime's attempts to maintain
and expand an unjust colonial apartheid occupation. 

The Green-Rainbow Party repeats our call to all
invested parties, including the United States, to
divest from and cease all foreign aid to Israel
immediately as this aid and investment is funding the
perpetuation of an apartheid society and in particular
is funding the Israeli regime's acts of massacring
Palestinian and Lebanese Arabs and destruction of Arab
homes and property. We call on the UN and
international community to condemn and sanction the
Israeli regime for its illegal cross-border attack on
Lebanon as well as for its illegal apartheid policies
in all of historic Palestine. The US government and
other governments and institutions with influence
over the Israeli regime, if they are to establish or
maintain any credibility as defenders of human rights,
must move quickly to bring about the end of the
current round of Israeli military attacks in Gaza and
Lebanon.

The Green-Rainbow Party deplores the participation of
most Democratic and Republican candidates for
Massachusetts statewide offices as well as as Christy
Mihos in signing the "We Stand With Israel" pro-war
advertisement in the Boston Globe. We note that the
Green-Rainbow Party candidates - Grace Ross for
Governor, Wendy Van Horne for Lieutenant Governor,
Jill Stein for Secretary of the Commonwealth, and
Jamie O'Keefe for Treasurer - are the candidates for
peace and justice.

  TRY THIS:

  are the candidates WHO STAND FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN THE WORLD INCLUDING THOSE RESIDING IN LEBANON, GAZA AND THE WEST BANK, AS WELL AS THOSE RESIDING IN WHAT IS TODAY CALLED "ISRAEL"... AND THEN IN PARENTHESIS EXPLAIN WHY ISRAEL IS IN PARENTHESIS

The Green-Rainbow Party absolutely opposes any plans
by the Israeli regime and the US government or any
other allies of the Israeli regime to expand the
Zionist-imperialist war of aggression to any other
countries such as Iran, Syria or Sudan. And we
reiterate our call for the US government to
immediately end its occupations of Iraq and
Afghanistan and its wars against the Iraqi and Afghan
people."

  I WOULD REMOVE THIS LAST PARAGRAPH AND MAKE A SEPARATE STATEMEMT, OR JUST REFER THE READER TO OTHER GRP STATEMENTS.  

  WE COULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE"THE GRP CHALLENGES us SPONSORED AGGRESSION THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL NORMS SUCH AS ITS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND ITS ILLEGAL ATTACK ON IRAQ.  THE GRP WILL REMAIN VIGILIANT AS THE US SEEMS PREPARED TO LAUNCH OTHER ILLEGAL AND UNWARRANTED MILITARY AGGRESSIONS."

--- BillCunningham wrote:

> I agree with Colby's point 2. 
> 
> As to point 1, a terrorist act is not hard to
> define. We should find some way to say how Israel
> and the US are twisting words to justify a policy of
> State terror in the strictest sense of the word.
> 
> As to point 3, it is true that this would be a new
> position. But to dismantle Israel clearly refers to
> a State. I don't see that we have ever said anything
> about a secular State. 
> 
> We must find some way to respond to events more
> quickly. Our process is not very inspiring for
> people who might otherwise rally to our banner.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: "Colby E. Peterson" 
> >Sent: Jul 15, 2006 11:14 PM
> >To: BillCunningham ,
> Discussion List for StateCom members
> 
> >Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] gr response to the
> recent round of terror
> >
> >My disagreements with Annie's text (which I did use
> some parts from 
> >since I think some of it was good):
> >
> >1. I disagree with the use of the word "terrorist."
> Us labeling 
> >anyone a terrorist is just as bad as our opponents
> labeling anyone 
> >terrorists, which is a term that is used to inflame
> emotions due to 
> >its all too vague definition at this point.
> >
> >2. I disagree with the use of quotations marks when
> referring to 
> >Israel. Israel is not an idea, it is a place where
> real people live. 
> >Some of us may disagree with its existence, what we
> cannot credibly 
> >deny its very existence. It also changes the tone
> of the statement 
> >and makes it less professional-reading against our
> advantage.
> >
> >3. I do not agree with the specific call to
> "dismantle Israel," as 
> >our goal has not specifically been to dismantle the
> people that make 
> >a nation, but our ultimate goal is for ALL peoples
> in the historic 
> >Palestine region to be treated equally and not
> under an oppressed 
> >system of apartheid, which we have defined as a
> secular government. 
> >This may mean that Israel is inadvertently
> disassembled, but it may 
> >follow a different scenario to equal rights and the
> end of oppression 
> >similar to South Africa where the country stayed
> but the groups were 
> >effectively integrated, but I do not think we
> should state that 
> >Israel be disassembled at this time.
> >
> >Those are my concerns.
> >
> >- Colby
> >
> >
> >On Jul 15, 2006, at 5:46 PM, BillCunningham wrote:
> >
> >> These two responses don't seem so different to
> me. Would Colby 
> >> explain why he doesn't agree with annie's text?
> >>
> >> Mike sent out a series of statements by Democrat
> politicians in 
> >> support of Israel. I think that annie's statement
> shows a point-by- 
> >> point refutation of those Democrat statements,
> showing that the 
> >> truth of the matter is the exact reverse of the
> Israel/Democrat 
> >> position.... Would annie agree to have us quote
> each Dem statement 
> >> and follow it by her corresponding statement?
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: "Colby E. Peterson" 
> >>> Sent: Jul 15, 2006 9:59 AM
> >>> To: "Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) Administrative
> Committee" 
> >>> , Discussion List for
> StateCom members 
> >>> 
> >>> Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] gr response to
> the recent round of 
> >>> terror
> >>>
> >>> My proposed language for a response:
> >>>
> >>> The Green-Rainbow Party has in the past
> affirmed in Palestine's
> >>> right to defend itself from an illegal
> occupation and the illegal
> >>> actions of Israel. We today reaffirm that
> Palestine has that right,
> >>> and we stand with the oppressed. We find
> Israel's actions to be out
> >>> of line with international law and, in terms of
> a response to the
> >>> capture of a handful of soldiers, completely
> disproportionate in
> >>> scale. We find the deliberate bombing of
> civilian infrastructure and
> >>> the death of civilians to be war crimes, and
> call on Israel to cease
> >>> any and all offensives immediately and leave
> Palestinian and Lebanese
> >>> territory forever. We call on all parties to
> reopen discussions
> >>> immediately and to stop escalating violence in
> the region.
> >>> The Green-Rainbow Party repeats its call on all
> invested parties,
> >>> including the United States, to divest from or
> cease foreign aid to
> >>> Israel immediately to stop funding of the
> killing of civilians, the
> >>> destruction of property, and the perpetuation of
> an apartheid 
> >>> society.
> >>> Those who finance, direct, or otherwise support
> acts like these
> >>> need to understand that they have produced an
> extremely dangerous
> >>> situation and that they are responsible for the
> consequences. We call
> >>> on the UN and international community to take
> action to stop the
> >>> bloodshed and condemn and then sanction Israel
> for its illegal 
> >>> actions.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Jul 15, 2006, at 8:37 AM, annie butler wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> and now for our response. i hope it sounds
> familiar since i used
> >>>> the words our duly elected as the outline for
> the text below. does
> >>>> statecom respond, ad com, mrgra...all of us? 
> annie
> >>>>
> >>>> At a time when Palestine finds itself under
> occupation and attack
> >>>> by forces funded and supplied by the United
> States, the Green
> >>>> Rainbow Party of Massachusettes stands
> shoulder-to-shoulder with
> >>>> Palestinians in support of its right to defend
> itself and people
> >>>> from terrorist and militant attacks.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> The Green Rainbow leadership strongly condemns
> the bombing of the
> >>>> Lebonese airport by soldiers bought and paid
> for with our tax
> >>>> dollars. Countries with influence over
> "Israel", particularly the
> >>>> United States, must move quickly to bring about
> the end of the
> >>>> current round of rocket attacks in Gaza and
> positions in Lebanon.
> >>>> Those who finance, direct, or otherwise support
> acts like these
> >>>> need to understand that they have produced an
> extremely dangerous
> >>>> situation and that they are responsible for the
> consequences.
> >>>> Palestine, and now Lebanon, have an inherent
> right to self defense.
> >>>>
> >>>> Today's attacks by "Israel" into Lebanese
> territory were
> >>>> disgraceful and unwarranted acts of violence by
> a terrorist
> >>>> organization. "Israel" must release any
> captured civilians or
> >>>> soldiers immediately. "Israel" must be
> dismantled, and all nations
> >>>> have an obligation to
> >>>> cease any and all assistance to this terrorist
> organization.
> >>>>
> >>>> If the world is serious about peace in the
> Middle East, then
> >>>> "Israel" needs to be held accountable for
> feeding, fostering, and
> >>>> unleashing, rabid, blood-spattered killers. The
> money, weapons and
> >>>> political support "Israel" receives the United
> States is not
> >>>> uncontrollable or a natural phenomena and the
> international
> >>>> community must demand that they stop.
> Cross-border attacks on any
> >>>> country by "Israel" should result in tough
> international sanctions,
> >>>> and the UN Security Council should immediately
> pursue this option.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> statecom-discuss mailing list
> >>>> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >>>>
>
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> statecom-discuss mailing list
> >>> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >>>
>
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >>
> >>
> >> Bill Cunningham
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> statecom-discuss mailing list
> >> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> >>
>
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> >
> 
> 
> Bill Cunningham
> _______________________________________________
> statecom-discuss mailing list
> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
> 

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