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

[david rolde]

The resistance are defending the people using the
means they believe are necessary. I won't participate
in criticizing Palestinian or Lebanese resistance
movements. - David

--- "Colby E. Peterson" <saphron at verizon.net> wrote:

> Yo, just one more thing!
> 
> > Most importantly I object to us placing any
> demands on
> > Hizballah or the Palestinians such as Colby's
> > sentence: "We call on all parties to reopen
> > discussions  immediately and to stop escalating
> > violence in the region." The violence is entirely
> the
> > fault of the Zionist entity. We cannot place any
> blame
> > on people for defending themselves from brutal
> racist
> > colonial expansionist occupation.
> 
> Yes, we all know how brutal and racist Israel is,
> that's what this  
> statement is about. But we don't place the same
> demands (or "calls",  
> as Bill put it better) on all parties, then we are
> not being fair,  
> and we are implicitly aligning ourselves with those
> who would use  
> violence to achieve their goals. That is a bad
> situation for us to be  
> in. I urge us to reinsert the language that calls
> for a "non-violent"  
> solution to this war- that's what we really care
> about, right, the  
> end of fatalities?
> 
> 
> 
> On Jul 20, 2006, at 6:17 PM, david rolde wrote:
> 
> > annie's statement isn't perfect. But in some ways
> I
> > like it better than Colby's. I have serious
> concerns
> > with parts of Colby's statement.
> >
> > Most importantly I object to us placing any
> demands on
> > Hizballah or the Palestinians such as Colby's
> > sentence: "We call on all parties to reopen
> > discussions  immediately and to stop escalating
> > violence in the region." The violence is entirely
> the
> > fault of the Zionist entity. We cannot place any
> blame
> > on people for defending themselves from brutal
> racist
> > colonial expansionist occupation.
> >
> > The reason for using quotes on the word "Israel"
> is
> > because the word "Israel" and the word "Palestine"
> > refer to the same location. The nation of
> Palestine is
> > occupied by a colonial power that is trying to
> wipe
> > out the indigenous population and change the very
> name
> > of the country to reflect the identiy of the
> > colonizers. It is offensive to use the word
> "Israel"
> > to refer to all or part of the nation of Palestine
> > without some sort of disclaimer or explanation.
> Using
> > quotation marks around the word "Israel" is an
> easy
> > way to avoid the racist mislabelling of the
> country.
> > But perhaps the reason for the use of the
> quotation
> > marks is not clear to all readers, and an
> explanation
> > of the situation may be a necessary addition to
> the
> > statement.
> >
> > As to the dismantling of "Israel". Our statement
> on
> > Palestine says, "The Green-Rainbow Party of
> > Massachusetts rejects all apartheid-based
> governmental
> > systems and calls for a secular, democratic
> governing
> > entity for all people in the geographic region of
> > historic Palestine (today referred to by some
> people
> > as Israel, the West Bank and Gaza). We support a
> > democratic system with equal rights for all in
> which
> > the peoples of the region democratically decide
> their
> > future." Clearly "Israel" is a racist apartheid
> state
> > whose laws are based on one interpretation of the
> > Jewish religion (anti-Zionist Jews consider it to
> be a
> > terrible misinterpretation). So "Israel" as it
> exists
> > now needs to be dismantled in order for a truly
> > democratic government to come into existence in
> > Palestine. For clarity this could be explained in
> the
> > statement rather than just saying "dismantle
> 'Israel'"
> >
> >
> > Anyway, I started writing this email on Tuesday
> and
> > stopped in the middle because I had to leave to go
> to
> > the Communications Committee meeting. I hadn't
> > finished stating all my concerns with Colby's
> draft.
> > But in the meantime I have written another draft
> > statement based on Colby and annie's statements
> with a
> > lot of changes and additions.  I  honored the
> request
> > to not put "Israel" in quotes all the time and to
> make
> > specific demands for justice in all of Palestine
> > rather than simply calling for the state of Israel
> to
> > be dismantled. And I guess I wrote a draft without
> > using the word terror or terrorism or terrorist.
> Maybe
> > we should add something about state terrorism as
> Bill
> > suggests. Actually I'll quickly add that in and we
> can
> > see if Colby has concerns about it. I'll send my
> draft
> > in the next email.  - David
> >
> > --- BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net> 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" <saphron at verizon.net>
> >>> Sent: Jul 15, 2006 11:14 PM
> >>> To: BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net>,
> >> Discussion List for StateCom members
> >> <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
> >>> 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"
> <saphron at verizon.net>
> >>>>> Sent: Jul 15, 2006 9:59 AM
> >>>>> To: "Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) Administrative
> >> Committee"
> >>>>> <adcom at green-rainbow.org>, Discussion List for
> >> StateCom members
> >>>>> <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
> >>>>> 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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