European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act?

by shergald
Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 10:18:02 AM EST

As the Free Gaza Movement continues its challenge of the naval blockade of Gaza, a bizarre action is being attempted by right wing Zionist supporters of Israel, who contend that this Movement is violating the US Neutrality Act.

Perhaps the most ridiculous notion in this contention is that the US is neutral with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Each year the Congress allocates up to six billion dollars to Israel, much of it in the form of military equipment, that helps Israel maintain its 41 year long military occupation of Palestinian territories, while it continues to confiscate land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Presumably, the purpose of this long term Zionist project is to make a two state solution impossible, if it has not already reached that stage. Today, the territories in question are so fragmented that, at best, only a noncontiguous series of bantustans is possible.

This action against the Free Gaza Movement came by way of StopTheISM.Com, a site that may be operated by the paranoid anti-Islamofascist, David Horowitz. ISM refers to the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led organization committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. The ISM was founded in 2001, is very active on university and college campuses in the US, and has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize.

Regarding the appeal to the California AG:

U.S. Neutrality Act Violated by Gaza Boat Organizers Shurat HaDin Warns California AG was written by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.
Sacramento: In an urgent letter dispatched to The Hon. Edmond G. Brown, Attorney General of the State of California, Shurat HaDin director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner warns the AG that the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), and others, have conspired to violate the U.S. Neutrality Act, 18 U.S.C. § 960, within the boundaries of his state.
Attorney Darshan-Leitner writes in her letter that the organizers of the "Gaza Boat" program have violated the Neutrality Act by illegally raising money in California to bankroll two boats, which they plan to sail into Gaza on August 5. The boats are reportedly leaving Piraeus, Greece with ISM members on board on August 1. Based on prior experience, serious concerns that the boats will be carrying weapons, explosives and contraband have been raised by security experts.
The U.S. Neutrality Act that is codified in section 960 of title 18 of the U.S. Code, stating:

Whoever, within the United States, knowingly begins or sets on foot or provides or prepares a means for or furnishes the money for, or takes part in, any military or naval expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence against the territory or dominion of any foreign prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with whom the United States is at peace, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

According to the project website as archived by Google on July 24, 2008, the Carter Center of former US President Jimmy Carter and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu have both endorsed the project. According to news reports, the Carter Center was also involved in the funding of the project.
Shurat HaDin's letter charges that the organizers openly solicited support for the hostile expedition against a friendly nation in violation of the U.S. Neutrality Act and urges the attorney general of California and the Federal Bureau of Investigations to launch a full inquiry into the funding of the flotilla and to prosecute all those involved to the full extent of the law should the allegation prove true.

This is the link to the text of Shurat HaDin's Letter to Attorney General Brown about the Conspiracy to Violate the U.S. Neutrality Act, 18 U.S.C. § 960.

It would appear that former US president, Jimmy Carter, is a co-conspirator as is the International Solidarity Movement in this treacherous act being perpetrated by a group of peace activists, which includes an 81 year-old nun and an 84 year-old Holocaust survivor.

Is this the very definition of desperation?

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Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act? | 24 comments (24 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

sigh (none / 1)

I just have to get this off my chest.

There is a very fine line between posting daily about something important, and spamming.

This is spam.

This poster attempts neither to encourage dialogue in these posts, not do they participate in any of the discussions elsewhere on this blog. And what does any of this have to do with Europe? Is ET a dumping ground for the agenda of everyone and their mother. These dairies seems terribly disrespectful.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 12:58:08 PM EST

Re: sigh (4.00 / 2)

There is an obvious line between spam and articles of interest to world affairs. Many of the peace activists on board the SS Free Gaza and the SS Liberty are European. Many European countries actively support organizations which back the Palestinian cause for freedom and independence. Many members of this site have commented on diaries posted about this issue and many more have recommended them.

Half the diaries that appear on European Tribune are not Europe centered, but unless you believe in some kind of European isolationism and a restriction on diary content here and other blogs, I just not seeing it practiced. Perhaps the world is becoming so small that what happens in Europe affects other places like America and what happens in the Middle East affects Europe.

In any case, your "opinion" has been registered. I disagree with your spam assessment. I am only following an international event called the Free Gaza Movement. Perhaps others would like to comment. And I do often read diaries on European Tribune as I do on Booman Tribune and other blogs where the information is sufficient and doesn't require a comment.

by shergald on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 02:16:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 1)

It is widely known that, compared to Europe and other parts of the world, information about the Middle East, the IP conflict in particular, is censored. What does get through is often replete with a propagandized version of the conflict, like the notion that Palestinians are terrorists rather than a people being kept under a 41 year long military occupation, whose sole purpose, obviously, is to colonize more and more Palestinian land.

That censorship is now creeping into the left wing blogosphere (e.g., Democratic Underground, Daily Kos, MyDD, My Left Wing), a place where you would think that issues important to left wing liberals, like civil and human rights injustice, are selectively muted through banning. The selectivity of censorship I am referring to is especially the case with the Palestinian fight for freedom and independence.

I would hate to see a European political blog fall in line with this kind of censorship.

by shergald on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 02:28:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 0)

like the notion that Palestinians are terrorists

Before 9/11 'terrorists' often were referred as freedom fighters, rebels, or given a name associated with their cause, such as 'separatists'.
One of the changes I have noticed since 9/11 is, and I speak here of German media, that nowadays far more often such groups are called 'terror' groups.

This isn't specifically to the Isreali/Palestinian conflict, but a more general notion.

Lich King/Caribou Barbie 08
Pain brings Katharsis

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 02:42:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 1)

Excellant documentary on propaganda and the IP conflict.

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites--oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region, among others--work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported.

Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied territories appears to be a defensive move rather than an offensive one. The documentary also explores the ways that U.S. journalists, for reasons ranging from intimidation to a lack of thorough investigation, have become complicit in carrying out Israel's PR campaign. At its core, the documentary raises questions about the ethics and role of journalism, and the relationship between media and politics.

Click here for Part I:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCL6WdnuNp4

Click here for Part II:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo2HW4T7wK4

by shergald on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 03:45:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 1)

that's interesting...

watching bbc world here in italy, i notice for about the last 6 months the anchors always preface the 'war on terror' with the words 'so-called'.

always....

i applaud the bbc for this distancing. it's conspicuous.

contrast with liplicking enthusiasm, sans qualifier, disported over at faux.

i have read this diarist at booman, and he doesn't seem polemic, just present on one issue.

no law agin that, is there? no likee, no clickee-

Peace is not the absence of war -- peace is the absence of fear. Ursula Franklin

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 01:24:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 0)

Oh, yeah, censorship is exactly what I was advocating. Not anything, like, wider participation in the rest of the blog or an attempt to make your posts more pertinent to Europe...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 02:44:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 1)

I was only drawing attention to the censorship of the IP conflict in America and it is affecting political blogs. I did not say you were advocating censorship.

by shergald on Thu Aug 21st, 2008 at 03:47:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (4.00 / 2)

I would hate to see a European political blog fall in line with this kind of censorship.

Yes, you were, at least implicitly....

by gioele (gioele(daught)sandler(aaaattttt)gmail(daught)kom) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 12:28:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: censorship. (none / 1)

My apology if it was taken that way, implicitly. But to suggest that following this peace effort is spamming is far from the truth. I am a one note diarist, that is true. But who else is advocating for the Palestinians in the midst of censorship in the American media and now on left wing blogs in the US?

by shergald on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 08:07:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

shergald (none / 1)

poemless does have a point - you could bring up some of the items you are diarying in the "Salon" threads, or the Open Threads, and participate in the discussion there as well - and maybe join the discussion on other issues.

ET is rather friendly to your ideas, which others here share to some extent, so accusations of censorship are seriously out of place. But the fact that, indeed, a third of the recent diaries are by you would suggest that you are contributing too many diaries and not enough comments where the discussion actually is on this blog in the quiet August month - thus that you are not really interested in engaging the community.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 01:23:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: shergald (4.00 / 3)

Needless to say, Jerome, what you say is partially true.

First, however, I did not make an accusation of censorship at ET, even though I have met it time and again on Daily Kos, Democratic Underground, and MyDD in the US, ala banning. In those places it was never an issue about not being "community" oriented, it was the complaints to other bloggers that I was anti-Israel or Israel bashing, without concern for the human rights injustices that continue to take place in the Palestinian territories. Other than my own, I have not actually seen much interest here, or on Booman Tribune, or in other places I post diaries, including the blogs I mentioned above, once the topic was banned away.

You and other members of the community may not be aware that there are efforts to keep such information off the frontpage, and to enforce silence on what is actually happening to the Palestinians on a daily basis. Now it may seem that I have only one area of interest, but that is not actually true. What is true is that I am an advocate for the Palestinians, and I believe that their cause is suffering for lack of exposure in the media, certainly in the US. Recently Livni, the Israeli foreign minister became concerned about media exposure of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and invited several blog executives to Israel, specifically to Sderot, not to the Palestinian territories where the other side of the conflict can be seen in the raw. The other day, 100 Palestinians were killed by the IDF. Did anyone hear about it? Since the Annapolis conference 8 months ago, over 520 Palestinians, including over 70 Palestinian children, were killed in the territories. Does anyone know that? Since 2000, almost 1,000 Palestinian children have been killed by IDF. Does anyone know that?

So let me put it this way. I blog or rather post diaries on several blogs. I always respond to most of the comments to those diaries. I have limited time. That is the best I can do. If I did not post these diaries recently, I understand you would have had 28% fewer diaries. Does that make a difference? There is never any compulsion to open up a diary unless the topic is of interest, and I am always careful to put the gist of the diary in the title.

I am sorry I can't be more of a community participant, but it is just not possible to belong to several communities at one time and be that active. So please advise.

And yes, I am using ET just as I use BT and the other blogs to publicize a human rights cause. There are causes that others here would certainly be interested in, but this is the only one right now that I have time for. Earlier in my short blogging career I did diaries on poverty, immigration (US), and other international causes like Darfur. They are all important and I would like to see more of them exposed.

by shergald on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 08:39:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: sigh (4.00 / 2)

9 out of the last 32 diaries were by this diarist...

That's 28%...

by gioele (gioele(daught)sandler(aaaattttt)gmail(daught)kom) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 12:34:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: sigh (4.00 / 4)

Maybe, then we need other ET users to write more diaries!!!! <hint, hint> :-D

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 01:19:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

That too, yes (none / 1)

please!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 01:25:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Thank you for these diaries, shergald! (4.00 / 3)

I, for one, really appreciate being updated on the Palestine situation from other sources for the very reasons you give. Even if I am at a loss for words to write a comment, the uncomfortable truth has to be brought up and kept in front on a regular basis.

It is very frustrating that we are so powerless to take action about such a raging insanity, so it's easier to put it aside and ignore it. We can't! because everything is politically/economically connected and there is no escaping it.

As to the harsh voices here, it is really sad that people that need the rest of us so much, push their weight around to discourage others. Glass houses are very insecure and you can see right through them.

Next they'll call US elections/DK spam. (;

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 04:07:14 PM EST

Sigh... (4.00 / 2)

What's the point of 10 diaries on the same topic in a few days where there is little else around on the site? Is it really going to make people more aware, or is it just going to make them ignore these diaries completely?

I'm actually trying to be constructive here. But hey, I'm the Man.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 04:50:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Meh (4.00 / 3)

The point is to have 'something' constructive here, rather than negative or nothing, apparently. What's the point of discouraging the most productive poster right now, rather than ask others to write? Nobody is forced to read or comment, so why take the time to put it down with ridiculous claims?

It appears truly unkind to go out of the way to rate and post unrelated comments, when you so rarely do. Just not even handed to treat people differently, when normally it would fly below the radar. >:

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 06:01:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Meh back at you (none / 1)

to rate and post unrelated comments, when you so rarely do

Whatever.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Sun Aug 24th, 2008 at 07:01:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sigh... (4.00 / 3)

What seemed to be the same topic was actually my attempt to follow the Free Gaza Movement from their origin in Greece to Cypress and then to Gaza. The purpose what to provide a daily event by event recounting of their journey. At least in America, we have not seen peace activism of this kind since the civil rights March to Selma in the 60s in the US. It helped to change America.

I hope that this event in some small way helps to change Israel in its attitudes toward the Palestinian fight for freedom and independence.

by shergald on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 08:56:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Thank you for these diaries, shergald! (none / 1)

Thanks for your comment. That is exactly what I am trying to do, keep people up to date on what is going on in this conflict. It is central to Middle East politics and certainly has wider implications for a general peace in the region.

by shergald on Sat Aug 23rd, 2008 at 08:44:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act (none / 1)

So after all of these comments, is there any resolution to the complaints? How shall they be resolved?

by shergald on Sun Aug 24th, 2008 at 11:12:22 AM EST

Re: Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act (4.00 / 2)

PS: I have one solution: I will post a diary then if possible use an UPDATE to continue it, at least on the Free Gaza Movement. This would reduce the diary numbers in have when possible. Is that tact amenable to everyone?

by shergald on Sun Aug 24th, 2008 at 11:37:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act (4.00 / 2)

Sounds good, although I'm just one.

If the updates get too low on the regular diaries list, maybe you can start a new one with a link to the previous.

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. --Charu Saxena.

by metavision on Sun Aug 24th, 2008 at 02:31:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Gaza Boat Organizers violate US Neutrality Act? | 24 comments (24 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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