Arab Nations Can Save Us

I've said it before and will say it again now. The Arab nations combined and united have the power to stand against the US and Israel over the Goldstone report and a fair and just deal for Palestine. Will they unite for their brothers? Or continue to seek their own best deals from the US.

Arab nations must support Goldstone.

Will Arab members of the UN human rights council show the courage to endorse a call for accountability in the Gaza conflict?

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) has earned a poor reputation for impartiality when it comes to addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it now has an unprecedented opportunity to begin to shed that reputation by endorsing the entirety of the Goldstone report on the conflict in Gaza and its recommendations.

Arab members of the HRC – Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Bahrain, and Qatar – can play a pivotal role in assuring such an outcome by stressing the need for accountability for all those responsible for committing war crimes, Palestinians as well as Israelis.

This will require a sharp shift from past behaviour, when Arab members of the HRC have refrained from acknowledging responsibility of Palestinian armed groups for attacks on Israeli civilians while passing a number of resolutions condemning Israel's violations of international law.

This week, the HRC will discuss the report of the UN fact finding mission on the Gaza conflict and its recommendations. The report concluded that Israel and Hamas were responsible for numerous serious violations of the laws of war, some amounting to war crimes, and called on both parties to conduct impartial investigations to determine who was responsible for ordering or carrying out these violations within six months.

The report also calls on the UN to monitor these efforts by Israel and Hamas. If they fail to do so, the report said, UN member states should ensure international prosecutions.

Both Israel and Hamas denounced the report. Hamas argued that the report was in "some respects not balanced or fair towards the oppressed Palestinian people since it equates the victim with the oppressor". Interestingly enough, Israel made a similar argument. President Shimon Peres called the report a "mockery" and questioned the intention to equate between attacks waged by a "terrorist organisation" and the legitimate right of the state of Israel to defend its citizens.

Last January the HRC mandated an investigation only into laws of war violations by Israel. All Arab countries, and most African members of the HRC, voted in favour of the resolution. Justice Richard Goldstone only accepted heading the mission after insisting that the mandate be changed to include violations by all parties in the conflict, sending a clear message that a fact-finding mission would be credible only if it examined violations against Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike.

Now all the member states of the HRC, and not least of all the Arab members, need to show leadership and endorse the Goldstone report and its recommendations in their entirety, and do all they can to ensure that it is submitted to all relevant UN bodies, including the secretary general, the security council, and the general assembly. Any one-sided approach would squander this historic opportunity to support a serious and impartial documentation of violations by both parties, and an opportunity to link this documentation to specific steps to ensure accountability.

Supporting the Goldstone recommendations would also compel hesitant countries to take a serious look at the report and actively address impunity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Anything less would only play into the hands of those who seek to undermine international justice efforts as being biased against weaker states. It is imperative that the Arab leaders display the courage and integrity to support a balanced call for accountability, and to denounce publicly any attacks that target or indiscriminately harm civilians, whoever is responsible.

All states need to recognise that civilians – any civilian, regardless of nationality, religious or ethnic background – should never be considered legitimate targets of attack, regardless of the cause. It is time for the Human Rights Council to send a clear message to Israeli and Palestinian leaders – indeed to leaders and supporters of states and movements the world over – that war crimes carried out for "legitimate" reasons are still war crimes. source

TORTURE AND ABUSE~Israel Has Slaves in Jordan

"We will cut off your reproductive organs"

Guantánamo Bay has nothing on Israel, they have their own version. An Israeli sweatshop in Jordan where they beat, torture, rape and enslave foreign workers. All so that Israeli Women can prance around like peacocks to make a fashion statement.'Made in Israel' Really Made in Jordan Sweatshop New report reveals Israeli-run clothing factory in Jordan. The factory produces clothes for Israeli fashion chains

When they arrived at the factory their employers confiscated their passports to stop them running away. Ten crowd into a small room, sleeping on bunks full of bed bugs, with no showers. Water is available only a couple of hours each night. There's no heating, even in the freezing winter, and after breakfast—pita bread with tea—they have to work 13-hour days. Holidays aren’t part of the schedule.

Such is the description of the Musa Garments factory, operated in Jordan by Israelis, given in the U.S.-based NGO National Labor Committee’s (NLC) recent report. The factory produces clothes for Israeli fashion chains.

The employees, mostly foreign workers from Bangladesh and India, sew "Made in Israel" tags on at the end.

After a thorough investigation in Jordan in 2005-2006, the NLC found workers in slave-like conditions, and documented cases of beatings and rape

Threats and Intimidation

The workers in Musa factory asked for their passports to be returned, or to at least get a photocopy, but it didn't help. Similarly, when the men asked for a bubbler [a drinking fountain] to be installed on the factory floor, a supervisor told them that if they kept talking like that he would cut off their reproductive organs.

Until December 2008, they worked 12.5 to 13.5 hours a day, seven days a week, and were not paid the overtime premium legally due. After the recession they were required to speed up production. Sewers who had a target of 30 pieces an hour now had to do 40. When one worker said the production goal was unrealistic, a supervisor slapped her.

After striking, some workers were arrested and deported. Now supervisors also make threats of imprisonment.source

ISRAEL'S PLAN TO STEAL LAND FROM JORDAN

Anyone needing proof that Israel plans on taking over the entire Middle East only needs to read this. Any country (Attention America) supporting these Zionist Lunatics should take note; as there will never be Middle East peace as long as these wingnuts are allowed to continually cause friction, aggression and acts of war like this with their peaceful neighbouring countries. When Israel wants something they are willing to use any ploy imaginable to justify the means. In an absolutely unbelievable and totally bizarre turn of events they are going after land in Jordan this time. A Zionist gang of thugs, calling themselves the Israel Land Fund are intent on stealing more land from Arabs in their never ending plot to take over the Middle East.

The lunatics claim that Jews owned land in Jordan during the British Mandate, and they now want it all back. Now, sane people will see the irony here. Heads up Jordan, you’re next on the “Holy Land Grab List” Note, that it is illegal for them to buy land in Jordan, but never mind, because the Zionists living around the world in other countries will help them out by cheating the system. More after this:

Jews to reclaim land in Jordan

The Israel Land Fund, a group dedicated to restoring Jewish property in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, is reportedly looking east. According to AFP, the organization plans to begin buying historically Jewish properties in Jordan as well.

Many Jews purchased land in what is now Jordan during the British Mandate, when such land was seen primarily as part of the greater land of Israel. In 1946 Jordan declared independence as an Arab, Muslim country. Two years later, the state of Israel declared independence and Jordan’s rulers confiscated Jewish-owned land in their own country for state use.

Israel Land Fund chairman Aryeh King told AFP that his organization has proof that thousands of properties in present-day Jordan were historically Jewish, adding, “We have records of the ownership.”

The plan is in its early stages, and no properties in Jordan have been bought to date. Purchasing would likely take place with the help of Jews in Europe, King said, as Israelis are prohibited from buying land in Jordan under Jordanian law.

The same Jordanian law is enforced by the Palestinian Authority, which views the sale of land to Jews or Israelis as a capital offence. The Land Fund manages to circumvent PA law by buying land through middlemen. In many cases, the group also helps Arab sellers to flee the country to avoid PA retribution.

Jewish properties bought or reclaimed by the Israel Land Fund in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are guarded and used to build homes for Jewish activists. It was not clear what would be done with property reclaimed in Jordan.

AFP noted that if the plan were to succeed, it could cause anger in Jordan, where anti-Israel sentiment runs high despite a 1994 peace treaty.

So long as America and the world allows these people to cheat, steal and game the system it will never end and there will never be peace and America will continue to be the victim AIPAC spies, Jane Harman, Israeli Owned American Politicians, Bernie Made-Off, 25 Million dollar scam on American elderly and the New Jersey Rabbis laundering money for Israeli organisations and buying and selling American kidneys and other body parts for profit on the black market. They are now going after more Middle East land from Jordan. Israel is the sole reason there is NO Peace in the Middle East, they are nothing but maggots feeding on American money and support whilst they continue to eat up land belonging to others, this makes war, not peace. People need to wake up, stop enabling them, America is being made a fool of and you are allowing them to ruin your country for their own selfish interests and drag you into more wars.

Middle East Peace~57 State Solution?

Obama and King Abdullah's new scheme involves offering Israel "friendship" and new beginnings with 57 states that don't recognise Israel. This in return for peace in the region. Hmmmmmm

Aye, it's a grand plan, but I can't see this happening any time soon. Israel would have to have some long period (years) of demonstrating (to the Arab world) it's no longer a racist genocidal maniac in the region before most Arab states (and others) would come on board anything like this plan. I give this plan an "E" for effort,but nothing more at this point in time. I just cannot see all 57 countries lining up to become BFF with Israel. Israel has a history of being self absorbed,creating conflict, acting alone, being aggressive,attacking it's neighbours,stealing land, breaking international laws at will, and just generally being a loose cannon in the region. It also depends on the spin placed in this. If you are talking about 57 countries "talking" to Israel, then that could be seen in the context of assisting with the negotiations mentioned above. But for a real working relationship between all those 57 countries and Israel, I expect it to take at least 13 years as our own peace process took in Ireland. Indeed, the Obama administration via Tony Blair and George Mitchell have already involved Irish Republicans in being "go betweens" with HAMAS, much like the ANC's role was in Ireland working with the IRA. Obama may be able to entice other countries into assisting with negotiations between Israel and Palestine,or between Iran and Israel, but that's about it IMHO. Assisting in negotiations for the benefit of Palestine does not translate into accepting a new and lasting friendship with Israel. Only time can create that, and Israels willingness to stop being a rogue state.

Bethlehem – US President Barack Obama is planning to roll out a peace plan involving a "57-state solution" that will offer Israel relations with the entire Muslim world, Jordan’s King Abdullah told the Times of London in an interview published on Monday.

“If you consider that a third of the world does not recognize Israel — 57 nations of the United Nations do not recognize Israel, a third of the world — their international relationships can’t be all that good. More countries recognize North Korea than Israel,” Abdullah said, “That is a very strong statement when we are offering a third of the world to meet them with open arms.”

However, the King warned, “If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months."

According to the Times the king discussed this plan with Obama in Washington in April. The Details are to be worked out in a series of high-level meetings this month, including Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next week.

"What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese," said King Abdullah.

The Times reports that Obama could announce the peace plan during his address to the Muslim world in Cairo on 4 June. source

Another War Possible Next Year

Jordan's King Abdullah has called on Obama to make peace in the Middle East urgently. He says that unless this takes place there will be yet another war within 18 months time. Knowing Israel, they won't wait another 18 months, they are not happy unless they are killing people.

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's king urged President Barack Obama Sunday to take a more forceful role in the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, warning of a new Mideast war if there is no significant progress in the next 18 months.

Speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press," King Abdullah described the Israeli-Palestinian dispute as the core problem of the region and solving it would help the U.S. in dealing with Iran and combatting the appeal of radical Islamic groups like Al-Qaida.

"In the next 18 months, if we don't move the process forward, and bring people to the negotiation table, there will be another conflict between Israel and another protagonist," he said in the interview recorded in Washington on Friday.

"If it's left to the players, the Israelis and the Palestinians by themselves, we're not going to get anywhere — it can only happen if there is an American umbrella with a determined American president," he added.

"America is providing a new image of how things should be done and I think the world has a belief in the president," he said. source