... of Life:
"Twelve-year-old Stephanie Ann Elisabeth never attended a gym class or rode on a bycycle. A congenital heart defect makes it hard for her to perform any kind of physical activity. Now she may be able to realize her dream of playing volleyball after undergoing surgery in the Edith Wolfson medical Center in Holon. Stephanie Ann arrived in Israel from Haiti together with 2-year-old Jacqueline Santos and 3-year-old Jean Francois Drensky. All 3 came to Israel with their mothers in order to undergo heart surgeries for their various birth defects as part of a project organized by the Save a Child's Heart Foundation." (Haitian kids to undergo surgery in Israel, Meital Yasur-Beit Or, ynetnews.com, 21/9/10)
... & Death:
"GAZA CITY - Samir Tahseen al-Nadeem died after waiting 35 days for an exit permit for treatment for his heart condition. He was 26. The medicines he needed could not get in. But the coffins do. The health ministry now lists 275 deaths due to shortage of life-saving medicines. The medicines sit just outside the borders of the territory until most pass their expiry dates. But there are no expiry dates on about 10,000 coffins that have been donated for Gaza. The coffins do make it to those that eventually need them. By the end of last month more than 70% of medicines donated for Gaza had been dumped because they were past their expiry date, the health ministry says. They were worth many millions of dollars. They were worth many lives. 'Much of the donated medicines come from Arab states', Dr Munir al-Boursh, director of the pharmaceutical department at the health ministry tells IPS. This added up to 10,300 tonnes of medicines worth 25 million dollars, he said. Only about 30% of this could be used, he said; the rest either expired or was inaccessible because of restricted distribution by the Israelis, who control what gets into Gaza. It's not easy to dump medicines safely either. Much of the unused supply mixes with domestic waste, creating health hazards far from bringing relief. The World Health Organization has had to 'raise concern about the unsafe disposal of expired medication and other disposable material', a WHO spokesperson told IPS. But the Gaza ministry has received 10,000 coffins, about 1,000 of them for children, Dr Boursh said. Such help, he said, 'does not meet with the needs of the Gaza Strip'. What Gaza needs is 110 types of medicines and 123 types of medical equipment that the ministry has listed. Gaza is expected to run out of more medicines over the next few months. The announced ease in the blockade of Gaza has not currently brought more supplies." (In Gaza, no drugs, but coffins do come in, Mohammed Omer, antiwar.com, 13/10/10)
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Me, Myself & I
Priceless. Circus Israel quality:
What do you say now, Mr Goldstone?
By Doron Rosenblum, Haaretz, 21/1/10
A week after the earthquake in Haiti, we have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the estimated number of dead in the disaster is between 100,000 and 200,000. The good news is that one of the members of the Israeli mission, Shmuelik ('Shmil') Shufel, has a new granddaughter of 2.6 kilos. No, she doesn't have a name yet. Thanks for asking.
The joy in the Israeli camp is not infecting the residents of the wretched island - or what's left of it - and that too is quickly dying. And there's a reason for this: not only is there death and destruction wherever you look, but a case of diarrhea, discovered in our mission, is seriously holding up efforts to rehabilitate the island.
Yes, while the whole world is rallying in its clumsy, ponderous way to 'help' devastated Haiti, the Israeli mission is doing its work with the same determination that has given Israel an international reputation. We cannot but recall Operation Cast Lead and the Second Lebanon War: in Haiti, too, one treads amid ruins; here, too, the locals run to you crying and begging and with arms outstretched; here, too, one is embedded in an IDF spokesman's pool; here, too, the locals are stunned to see you. The difference is that here you are not condemned and slandered. Is that only because they don't recognize us, despite the huge signs and the flags we have hoisted?
We are on what was once the main street. Stumbling toward us is an old man, crying, beating his chest, mumbling in an incomprehensible language and apparently pointing to the UN forces camp, which is hidden behind a destroyed building. We do not understand his language, but we can guess what he wants to say: 'Just look at this UN! All they know how to do is talk nice, send commissions of inquiry and issue condemnations against countries that are doing battle against terrorism - but when it comes to the nitty-gritty on the ground, the UN is revealed in all its impotence!'
We can only nod in agreement. We offer the old man water, even though we did not succeed in training him, not even with a Bamba snack, to say, 'Toda', and 'boker tov, Yisrael!'
Shouts are heard from a house. We approach cautiously - it could be an ambush - and see a black man of middle age lying under a concrete beam and groaning loudly. Shmuelik says he has a feeling the man is a Jew. How? By his watch: an unconvincing Rolex replica. Great excitement seizes the mission.
'Ivrit? Ivrit?' we shout. The man goes on groaning and moaning. We try again: 'Hebrew? Hibrea?' But the man closes his eyes and crosses himself.
Yehoyachin ('Fush') Noch-Shlefer, a division commander in Zaka, conjectures that maybe the man is a descendant of the Marranos in Spain. His forefathers, who were obviously learned in the Torah, fled from Seville to Toledo and from there to Portugal, and it's definitely possible that one of them, or at least someone in the family, found himself on Columbus' ship the 'Santa Maria', as an interpreter and barber. The ship, as everyone knows, foundered off the islands of Hispaniola, which include today's Haiti. Thanks to his prayers he was vouchsafed a miracle and was spared the fate of his comrades, who were left at the site and massacred by the locals. It is very possible that the man under the concrete beam is a direct descendant of his, the product of decades of mixed marriages with mulatto women who converted to Judaism. And he doesn't even know that he's one of ours.
'Hispana?' we try, 'Maimonides?' The man groans. Maybe with choked-up joy. The excitement chokes us up, too, and the team starts to dig around him, plays him a Yehoram Gaon song and updates him about Gilad Shalit.
But our mission does not have the right equipment to raise the beams - in contrast to the other missions, which have the right equipment but not our genius. Some of us wonder why these phlegmatic Americans can't pitch in and lend us, say, an aircraft carrier. If we had that, we could save the whole island for sure.
Nevertheless, we dig on, and the man, or at least his upper half, which is immediately given the name Netanel, is saved.
Will he make aliyah?
'Water', he whispers. Look at that, he's already being evasive, the Galitsyaner.
The chaos we find in this would-be state is beyond belief. The prime minister is a perspiring incompetent who isn't capable of deciding anything; the local government is corrupt and every week another mayor is arrested; the gap between rich and poor is appalling; the leaders of the government live in magnificent villas or luxury towers, whereas the level of ordinary construction is less than substandard and is cluttered with drainage pipes, airconditioners and rusting boilers; and murder is an almost daily occurence.
This wannabe state, which is borderless and has never managed to live even a day of peace, is effectively ruled by two forces - the generals and the clerics - and the boundaries between them are often blurred. The voodoo beliefs here attribute magic powers to rocky slopes, stones and graves, not to mention certain words and gestures. For example, they believe in their ability to burn the consciousness of of their enemies or to vanquish their adversaries by making them sit on a lower chair. There are tales of zombies thousands of years old that rise up at night and demand ownership of houses they claim belong to them.
We recall Graham Greene's somewhat prophetic novel 'The Comedians' and the film that was based on it: the alienated poseurs who found themselves in Haiti during the period of the Duvalier regime; the members of the terrifying secret guard known as the Tonton Macoutes, with the impenetrable shades that were their uniform and trademark; that 'poor Haiti [which is] not invented - not even blackened for dramatic effect. Impossible to deepen that night', as Greene put it. Well, it turns out to be possible. We hope, at least, that we have brought with us a ray of light, enlightenment and morality from a faroff land.
Yes, the inhabitants know, or should know, that without the Israelis (or 'Americanos', in the local dialect) they have no one to rely on at the moment. This fills the heart - ours, anyway - with pride. Too bad there has to be such a sad event in order to invoke, when all is said and done, our high morality.
'Angels in blue and white', we call ourselves, and this bit of self-indulgence brings tears of emotion to our eyes every time. 'Thank you', we whisper to us and kiss our hand, 'thank you for existing'. But will anyone remember? Will anyone chalk up points for our side? Where are you now, Mr Goldstone? Don't we deserve to have most of the items in your report erased?
Toward evening, the Israeli field hospital prepares for a circumcision ceremony: for Reb Netanel (when all of him is collected), for 10 orphans and, some say, for the president of Haiti himself. By the way, would you believe that his aunt on his mother's side was a commando in the Palmach?
What do you say now, Mr Goldstone?
By Doron Rosenblum, Haaretz, 21/1/10
A week after the earthquake in Haiti, we have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the estimated number of dead in the disaster is between 100,000 and 200,000. The good news is that one of the members of the Israeli mission, Shmuelik ('Shmil') Shufel, has a new granddaughter of 2.6 kilos. No, she doesn't have a name yet. Thanks for asking.
The joy in the Israeli camp is not infecting the residents of the wretched island - or what's left of it - and that too is quickly dying. And there's a reason for this: not only is there death and destruction wherever you look, but a case of diarrhea, discovered in our mission, is seriously holding up efforts to rehabilitate the island.
Yes, while the whole world is rallying in its clumsy, ponderous way to 'help' devastated Haiti, the Israeli mission is doing its work with the same determination that has given Israel an international reputation. We cannot but recall Operation Cast Lead and the Second Lebanon War: in Haiti, too, one treads amid ruins; here, too, the locals run to you crying and begging and with arms outstretched; here, too, one is embedded in an IDF spokesman's pool; here, too, the locals are stunned to see you. The difference is that here you are not condemned and slandered. Is that only because they don't recognize us, despite the huge signs and the flags we have hoisted?
We are on what was once the main street. Stumbling toward us is an old man, crying, beating his chest, mumbling in an incomprehensible language and apparently pointing to the UN forces camp, which is hidden behind a destroyed building. We do not understand his language, but we can guess what he wants to say: 'Just look at this UN! All they know how to do is talk nice, send commissions of inquiry and issue condemnations against countries that are doing battle against terrorism - but when it comes to the nitty-gritty on the ground, the UN is revealed in all its impotence!'
We can only nod in agreement. We offer the old man water, even though we did not succeed in training him, not even with a Bamba snack, to say, 'Toda', and 'boker tov, Yisrael!'
Shouts are heard from a house. We approach cautiously - it could be an ambush - and see a black man of middle age lying under a concrete beam and groaning loudly. Shmuelik says he has a feeling the man is a Jew. How? By his watch: an unconvincing Rolex replica. Great excitement seizes the mission.
'Ivrit? Ivrit?' we shout. The man goes on groaning and moaning. We try again: 'Hebrew? Hibrea?' But the man closes his eyes and crosses himself.
Yehoyachin ('Fush') Noch-Shlefer, a division commander in Zaka, conjectures that maybe the man is a descendant of the Marranos in Spain. His forefathers, who were obviously learned in the Torah, fled from Seville to Toledo and from there to Portugal, and it's definitely possible that one of them, or at least someone in the family, found himself on Columbus' ship the 'Santa Maria', as an interpreter and barber. The ship, as everyone knows, foundered off the islands of Hispaniola, which include today's Haiti. Thanks to his prayers he was vouchsafed a miracle and was spared the fate of his comrades, who were left at the site and massacred by the locals. It is very possible that the man under the concrete beam is a direct descendant of his, the product of decades of mixed marriages with mulatto women who converted to Judaism. And he doesn't even know that he's one of ours.
'Hispana?' we try, 'Maimonides?' The man groans. Maybe with choked-up joy. The excitement chokes us up, too, and the team starts to dig around him, plays him a Yehoram Gaon song and updates him about Gilad Shalit.
But our mission does not have the right equipment to raise the beams - in contrast to the other missions, which have the right equipment but not our genius. Some of us wonder why these phlegmatic Americans can't pitch in and lend us, say, an aircraft carrier. If we had that, we could save the whole island for sure.
Nevertheless, we dig on, and the man, or at least his upper half, which is immediately given the name Netanel, is saved.
Will he make aliyah?
'Water', he whispers. Look at that, he's already being evasive, the Galitsyaner.
The chaos we find in this would-be state is beyond belief. The prime minister is a perspiring incompetent who isn't capable of deciding anything; the local government is corrupt and every week another mayor is arrested; the gap between rich and poor is appalling; the leaders of the government live in magnificent villas or luxury towers, whereas the level of ordinary construction is less than substandard and is cluttered with drainage pipes, airconditioners and rusting boilers; and murder is an almost daily occurence.
This wannabe state, which is borderless and has never managed to live even a day of peace, is effectively ruled by two forces - the generals and the clerics - and the boundaries between them are often blurred. The voodoo beliefs here attribute magic powers to rocky slopes, stones and graves, not to mention certain words and gestures. For example, they believe in their ability to burn the consciousness of of their enemies or to vanquish their adversaries by making them sit on a lower chair. There are tales of zombies thousands of years old that rise up at night and demand ownership of houses they claim belong to them.
We recall Graham Greene's somewhat prophetic novel 'The Comedians' and the film that was based on it: the alienated poseurs who found themselves in Haiti during the period of the Duvalier regime; the members of the terrifying secret guard known as the Tonton Macoutes, with the impenetrable shades that were their uniform and trademark; that 'poor Haiti [which is] not invented - not even blackened for dramatic effect. Impossible to deepen that night', as Greene put it. Well, it turns out to be possible. We hope, at least, that we have brought with us a ray of light, enlightenment and morality from a faroff land.
Yes, the inhabitants know, or should know, that without the Israelis (or 'Americanos', in the local dialect) they have no one to rely on at the moment. This fills the heart - ours, anyway - with pride. Too bad there has to be such a sad event in order to invoke, when all is said and done, our high morality.
'Angels in blue and white', we call ourselves, and this bit of self-indulgence brings tears of emotion to our eyes every time. 'Thank you', we whisper to us and kiss our hand, 'thank you for existing'. But will anyone remember? Will anyone chalk up points for our side? Where are you now, Mr Goldstone? Don't we deserve to have most of the items in your report erased?
Toward evening, the Israeli field hospital prepares for a circumcision ceremony: for Reb Netanel (when all of him is collected), for 10 orphans and, some say, for the president of Haiti himself. By the way, would you believe that his aunt on his mother's side was a commando in the Palmach?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Israel's Best Kept Secret
Hypocrisy is the homage which vice renders to virtue - La Rochefoucauld: Maxims
The British medical journal The Lancet has accused aid organizations, governments and the UN of "putting self-interest, a scramble for photo opportunities and rivalry before the organization of the [Haiti] relief effort." "Some agencies," the journal observed, "even claim they are 'spearheading' the relief effort. In fact, as we know only too clearly, the situation in Haiti is chaotic, devastating, and anything but co-ordinated. The journal did not name the offenders..." (Aid groups accused of putting publicity first, theage.com.au, 24/1/10)
Hm... no names, eh? Could The Lancet perhaps have had a certain Middle Eastern country in mind, one with an image in dire need of burnishing after perpetrating its very own Made-in-Israel earthquake on another tiny island of Made-in-Israel poverty and deprivation?
Just take a look at the self-referential headlines in last Friday's Australian Jewish News: Israel answers the call; Israeli relief agencies & the IDF are at the forefront of the global aid mission in Haiti; Australian Jews rally for Haiti; Israel leads rescue efforts; Why we must give more; Dealing with disaster; Tikkun olam - a duty to help. And that was just the front page!
Inside we find Israel spearheads Haiti effort; Global Jewish relief effort for Haiti; Racing the clock, IDF rescues survivors; ZAKA 'proudly desecrating Shabbat'; and IDF rises to the occasion. Then there's the kitschy Kron cartoon, modelled on the iconic David Rubinger shot (for Life magazine) of the 3 Israeli soldiers gazing, seemingly awestruck, at the Wailing Wall following the 1967 Israeli conquest of East Jerusalem, the West Bank etc. Against a backdrop of collapsed buildings, the iconic 3, sans helmets, guns and uniforms, are garbed as doctors with stethoscopes around their necks and pens protruding from their front pockets, and the soldier - sorry, doctor - in the middle is holding a box of medical goodies emblazoned with a Star of David. Underneath, in upper case bold, is the caption "HEROES."
But it's the self-reverential editorial, Why we must follow Israel in helping Haiti, which is the piece de resistance of the AJN's 'Haiti' coverage: "It's one of the world's best-kept secrets. Like the concealed work of a great artist, hidden away under layers of paint under a canvas that has been reused, so too has Israel's true nature been obscured from the public gaze in recent years by layer upon layer of vindictive political propaganda and ill-informed or even malicious media bias. But, every so often, a glimpse of reality shines through. For those of us aware of the Jewish State's unbounded capacity for compassion and humanity, the country's swift and substantial response to the earthquake in Haiti has come as no surprise. A nation born out of tragedy, a people plagued by disaster, albeit manmade, Israel has long been equipped to deal with catastrophe and willing to share its experience and expertise. Moreover, as Binyamin Netanyahu noted, that sense of global responsibility - tikkun olam - is a central tenet of Judaism. 'Despite being a small country, we have responded with a big heart', the Israeli Prime Minister said. 'The fact is, I know, that this was an expression of our Jewish heritage and the Jewish ethic of helping one's fellow'... The efforts of the Jewish State to alleviate the suffering in Haiti are, of course, made without any thought of reward or recognition. The government, the Israel Defence Forces, as well as medical and aid agencies such as Magen David Adom and Zaka, do not ask for praise. But it is a gratifying side effect that for once the world's media has chosen to focus its cameras on the force for good that Israel not only aspires to be but so often succeeds in being, rather than its preferred proclivity towards highlighting the seemingly negative aspects of the country's ongoing war against terror."
There's more, of course, but I'm sure you've got the idea.
As Netanyahu says, tikkun olam (literally, 'repairing the world') may well be a central tenet of Judaism, but, contrary to the hype of the editorial, it can hardly be considered a central tenet of the Jewish State and its amen chorus in the West, as an anonymous draft document in my possession reveals: "The prevailing attitude towards international development in both Israel and the Jewish world is reflected by the Hebrew maxim, aniye ircha kodmim - translated as 'the poor of your town come first'. The Government of Israel spends approximately 0.06% of the state's Gross National Income on official development assistance, less than 10% of the internationally accepted target for developed countries. [The footnoted comment to this reads: "Half of this relates to the absorption of Jewish immigration into Israel." IOW, boosting the Jewish demographic in Israel. In which case, Israeli spending on overseas aid is more like 0.03% of GNI.] On this matter there is little perceivable political divide in Israel, making it one of the few issues where the Israeli establishment is in almost complete consensus. In relation to Jewish philanthropy outside Israel, the vast bulk of giving focuses locally with an additional portion directed towards Israel." (Towards a Tikkun Olam Policy for World Jewry & Israel)
Now if Netanyahu could persuade the US Congress to pay off Haiti's crippling $641 million foreign debt by subtracting it from the US's annual $3 billion odd - extremely odd - subsidy to Israel, we might be talking some serious tikkun olam. Until then...
As for Israel's backyard Haiti, aka the Gaza Strip, Israel's alleged "unbounded capacity for compassion and humanity" has been conspicuous by its absence:
1) "Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-I) said the Israeli authorities at Erez checkpoint this week prevented the exit of 17 sight-impaired patients, suffering from various eye diseases, from the Gaza Strip in order to undergo cornea transplants, a treatment not available in the Gaza health system." (Israel prevents 17 sight-impaired from leaving Gaza for treatment, WAFA, 11/1/10)
2) "The Israeli Navy kidnapped on Sunday at dawn 6 Palestinian fishermen in Palestinian territorial waters in the Rafah area, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Navy also opened fire at the fishermen and boarded 2 boats." (Israeli Navy kidnaps 6 Palestinian fishermen in southern Gaza, Said Bannoura, IMEMC News, 17/1/10)
3) "Israel has opened the floodgates of one of its dams in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, flooding Palestinian houses and causing severe damage." (Gaza flooded after Israel opens dam gates, presstv.ir, 18/1/10)/ "On Monday Israel's National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told a meeting of German Ministers that Israel gives the Palestinians more water than they are required to by treaties." (Israeli minister claims Israel provides Palestinians 'more than enough water', Saed Bannoura, IMEMC News, 19/1/10)
4) "Israel tanks opened fire on Tuesday midday at residents' homes located in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah." (Israeli tanks open fire at residential areas in southern Gaza Strip, Ghassan Bannoura, IMEMC News, 19/1/10)
None of that made it into the Australian ms media, of course, although some in the Israeli media, to their credit, could see through the PR hoopla: "[T]he remarkable identification with the victims of the terrible tragedy in distant Haiti only underscores the indifference to the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza. Only a little more than an hour's drive from the offices of Israel's major newspapers, 1.5 million people have been besieged on a desert island for two and a half years. Who cares that 80% of the men, women and children living in such proximity to us have fallen under the poverty line? How many Israelis know that half of all Gazans are dependent on charity, that operation Cast Lead created hundreds of amputees, that raw sewage flows from the streets into the sea?" (Israel's compassion in Haiti can't hide our ugly face in Gaza, Akiva Eldar, Haaretz, 18/1/10)
The British medical journal The Lancet has accused aid organizations, governments and the UN of "putting self-interest, a scramble for photo opportunities and rivalry before the organization of the [Haiti] relief effort." "Some agencies," the journal observed, "even claim they are 'spearheading' the relief effort. In fact, as we know only too clearly, the situation in Haiti is chaotic, devastating, and anything but co-ordinated. The journal did not name the offenders..." (Aid groups accused of putting publicity first, theage.com.au, 24/1/10)
Hm... no names, eh? Could The Lancet perhaps have had a certain Middle Eastern country in mind, one with an image in dire need of burnishing after perpetrating its very own Made-in-Israel earthquake on another tiny island of Made-in-Israel poverty and deprivation?
Just take a look at the self-referential headlines in last Friday's Australian Jewish News: Israel answers the call; Israeli relief agencies & the IDF are at the forefront of the global aid mission in Haiti; Australian Jews rally for Haiti; Israel leads rescue efforts; Why we must give more; Dealing with disaster; Tikkun olam - a duty to help. And that was just the front page!
Inside we find Israel spearheads Haiti effort; Global Jewish relief effort for Haiti; Racing the clock, IDF rescues survivors; ZAKA 'proudly desecrating Shabbat'; and IDF rises to the occasion. Then there's the kitschy Kron cartoon, modelled on the iconic David Rubinger shot (for Life magazine) of the 3 Israeli soldiers gazing, seemingly awestruck, at the Wailing Wall following the 1967 Israeli conquest of East Jerusalem, the West Bank etc. Against a backdrop of collapsed buildings, the iconic 3, sans helmets, guns and uniforms, are garbed as doctors with stethoscopes around their necks and pens protruding from their front pockets, and the soldier - sorry, doctor - in the middle is holding a box of medical goodies emblazoned with a Star of David. Underneath, in upper case bold, is the caption "HEROES."
But it's the self-reverential editorial, Why we must follow Israel in helping Haiti, which is the piece de resistance of the AJN's 'Haiti' coverage: "It's one of the world's best-kept secrets. Like the concealed work of a great artist, hidden away under layers of paint under a canvas that has been reused, so too has Israel's true nature been obscured from the public gaze in recent years by layer upon layer of vindictive political propaganda and ill-informed or even malicious media bias. But, every so often, a glimpse of reality shines through. For those of us aware of the Jewish State's unbounded capacity for compassion and humanity, the country's swift and substantial response to the earthquake in Haiti has come as no surprise. A nation born out of tragedy, a people plagued by disaster, albeit manmade, Israel has long been equipped to deal with catastrophe and willing to share its experience and expertise. Moreover, as Binyamin Netanyahu noted, that sense of global responsibility - tikkun olam - is a central tenet of Judaism. 'Despite being a small country, we have responded with a big heart', the Israeli Prime Minister said. 'The fact is, I know, that this was an expression of our Jewish heritage and the Jewish ethic of helping one's fellow'... The efforts of the Jewish State to alleviate the suffering in Haiti are, of course, made without any thought of reward or recognition. The government, the Israel Defence Forces, as well as medical and aid agencies such as Magen David Adom and Zaka, do not ask for praise. But it is a gratifying side effect that for once the world's media has chosen to focus its cameras on the force for good that Israel not only aspires to be but so often succeeds in being, rather than its preferred proclivity towards highlighting the seemingly negative aspects of the country's ongoing war against terror."
There's more, of course, but I'm sure you've got the idea.
As Netanyahu says, tikkun olam (literally, 'repairing the world') may well be a central tenet of Judaism, but, contrary to the hype of the editorial, it can hardly be considered a central tenet of the Jewish State and its amen chorus in the West, as an anonymous draft document in my possession reveals: "The prevailing attitude towards international development in both Israel and the Jewish world is reflected by the Hebrew maxim, aniye ircha kodmim - translated as 'the poor of your town come first'. The Government of Israel spends approximately 0.06% of the state's Gross National Income on official development assistance, less than 10% of the internationally accepted target for developed countries. [The footnoted comment to this reads: "Half of this relates to the absorption of Jewish immigration into Israel." IOW, boosting the Jewish demographic in Israel. In which case, Israeli spending on overseas aid is more like 0.03% of GNI.] On this matter there is little perceivable political divide in Israel, making it one of the few issues where the Israeli establishment is in almost complete consensus. In relation to Jewish philanthropy outside Israel, the vast bulk of giving focuses locally with an additional portion directed towards Israel." (Towards a Tikkun Olam Policy for World Jewry & Israel)
Now if Netanyahu could persuade the US Congress to pay off Haiti's crippling $641 million foreign debt by subtracting it from the US's annual $3 billion odd - extremely odd - subsidy to Israel, we might be talking some serious tikkun olam. Until then...
As for Israel's backyard Haiti, aka the Gaza Strip, Israel's alleged "unbounded capacity for compassion and humanity" has been conspicuous by its absence:
1) "Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-I) said the Israeli authorities at Erez checkpoint this week prevented the exit of 17 sight-impaired patients, suffering from various eye diseases, from the Gaza Strip in order to undergo cornea transplants, a treatment not available in the Gaza health system." (Israel prevents 17 sight-impaired from leaving Gaza for treatment, WAFA, 11/1/10)
2) "The Israeli Navy kidnapped on Sunday at dawn 6 Palestinian fishermen in Palestinian territorial waters in the Rafah area, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Navy also opened fire at the fishermen and boarded 2 boats." (Israeli Navy kidnaps 6 Palestinian fishermen in southern Gaza, Said Bannoura, IMEMC News, 17/1/10)
3) "Israel has opened the floodgates of one of its dams in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, flooding Palestinian houses and causing severe damage." (Gaza flooded after Israel opens dam gates, presstv.ir, 18/1/10)/ "On Monday Israel's National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told a meeting of German Ministers that Israel gives the Palestinians more water than they are required to by treaties." (Israeli minister claims Israel provides Palestinians 'more than enough water', Saed Bannoura, IMEMC News, 19/1/10)
4) "Israel tanks opened fire on Tuesday midday at residents' homes located in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah." (Israeli tanks open fire at residential areas in southern Gaza Strip, Ghassan Bannoura, IMEMC News, 19/1/10)
None of that made it into the Australian ms media, of course, although some in the Israeli media, to their credit, could see through the PR hoopla: "[T]he remarkable identification with the victims of the terrible tragedy in distant Haiti only underscores the indifference to the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza. Only a little more than an hour's drive from the offices of Israel's major newspapers, 1.5 million people have been besieged on a desert island for two and a half years. Who cares that 80% of the men, women and children living in such proximity to us have fallen under the poverty line? How many Israelis know that half of all Gazans are dependent on charity, that operation Cast Lead created hundreds of amputees, that raw sewage flows from the streets into the sea?" (Israel's compassion in Haiti can't hide our ugly face in Gaza, Akiva Eldar, Haaretz, 18/1/10)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Haiti: The Israeli Connection
You'll be pleased to hear that "Within minutes of a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake slamming the Caribbean nation of Haiti, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israel Defense, Foreign Affairs and Public Security ministries to urgently administer humanitarian aid... As Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital, the Israel Foreign Ministry prepared an IDF search and rescue team for departure... " (Israel rushes humanitarian aid, IDF rescue units to Haiti, Joel Leyden, israelnewsagency.com, 13/1/10)
Yes, "Within minutes..."!
Israel, of course, is world famous for its humanitarianism: "Israel is very well known and respected for its humanitarian efforts which stretch from Gaza to the Pacific Ocean." (ibid)
Allow me to run that past you again: "Israel is very well known and respected for its humanitarian efforts which stretch from Gaza..." Yes, you read correctly.
But of course: "Even under mortar and sniper fire by Hamas Islamic terrorists, the IDF makes every effort, at the risk to their own soldiers, to send tons of medical and food supplies into Gaza." (ibid)
Why, even as I type, "Israel's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Amos Radyan, is... travelling by car to Port au Prince in order to make an initial assessment. Radyan will be risking his life as he travels over broken roads, fallen electric lines, floods and possible harrassment by the desperate and starving." (ibid)
Spare a thought for this brave and selfless soul!
But there's more. Did you know that "In 1947, Haiti voted for the United Nations partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel." (ibid)
But not before a slight hitch, mind you:
At the 13th meeting of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Question of Palestine on 14/10/47, Haiti's representative at the United Nations, Antonio Vieux, "in stating the views of his Government, would argue on the basis of legal facts, rather than on sentiment. He did not believe that the Jews had any right to claim a whole or part of Palestine as their fatherland on the basis of historical connection. The suffering of the Jewish people, distressing as it had been, was not an argument for the partition of Palestine or for their claims on a land inhabited for thousands of years by another people; nor did their material contribution during the preceeding twenty five years constitute a vested interest in Palestine. If such a principle were accepted, it could create an unfortunate precedent for the determination of possession on the basis of material contributions. Moreover, it was inconsistent with Haiti's ideals and its concept of national sovereignty." (The Palestine Diary, Vol 2, Robert John & Sami Hadawi, 1970, p 212)
"After the Ad Hoc Committee had listened to all contending parties, voting was begun on the resolution submitted by Subcommittee Two, which represented the Arab point of view. The first resolution proposed to call upon the International Court for a decision as to the competency of the United Nations to deal with the Palestine question. By a vote of 25 to 18, with 11 abstentions, the full Committee rejected this proposal. A second and closer vote of 21 to 20 decided that the UN was competent to enforce, or recommend the enforcement of partition without the consent of the majority of the people of Palestine. In view of later developments it is important to note that on both of these issues Argentina, Greece, Haiti, and Liberia were among the countries which supported the Arab states. A third resolution recommended the absorption within the territories of members of the UN of those Jewish displaced persons who were unable to be repatriated. The vote on this was 16 to 16 with 26 abstentions... the United States cast a negative vote." (American Zionism & US Foreign Policy 1942-1947, Richard Stevens, 1962, pp 174-175)
"The debate on the draft resolution of the Ad Hoc Committee, which recommended the partition of Palestine, began to the accompaniment of a 'great gathering' of American Jews in the public galleries on the morning of 26 November 1947." (John & Hadawi, pp 249-250) At that debate Mr Vieux firmly stated Haiti's opposition: "'[M]y Government does not consider that the concrete solutions put forward as a result of the sub-committees' work are satisfactory; and the representative of the Republic of Haiti, in accordance with his Government's views, will vote against the partition of Palestine'." (John & Hadawi, p 257)
Now, if a vote had been taken on that day, the partition proposal would have failed to secure the two-thirds majority necessary. And so, "before the vote in the [General] Assembly, 6 countries became the target for Zionist and US pressure or, as it is called in UN circles, 'arm-twisting'. These were: Haiti, Liberia, the Philippines, China, Ethiopia, and Greece. The arm-twisting worked, for only Greece remained firm in opposition, moving, in fact, from abstention in Committee to a negative vote in the Assembly. China and Ethiopia continued to abstain, while Liberia moved from abstention to an affirmative vote and the Philippines, from what would have been a negative vote, to the affirmative... The delegation of Haiti underwent the same mysterious process of transformation [as the Philippines]; a clearly negative speech followed by an affirmative vote. It was through such dubious 'manipulations' that a favourable vote for the Jewish State was obtained at the UN." (Zionism, Israel & Asian Nationalism, GH Jansen, 1971, pp 199-200)
So what kind of pressure was applied to Haiti to reverse its position on the partition of Palestine?: "The vote of Haiti was reportedly secured through Adolph Berle, who used the promise of American economic assistance. An ex-governor, well known for his Zionist and White House connections, personally telephoned the Haitian Government urging that its delegate be ordered to change his vote. Consequently, the Haitian delegate, Mr Antonio Vieux, who had voted against partition on Wednesday, explained that his Government had ordered a reversal for economic reasons." (Stevens, p 179)
As well as the Israel News Agency informing us that Haiti "voted for the UN partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel," it adds that "many Haitians share much respect and admiration for Israel and its struggles"
How very true, as the invaluable research of Israeli scholar Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi reveals: "The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere holds many distinctions in the annals of misery and inhumanity. For the past century, Haiti has been a miserable, hellish US colony. Between 1915 and 1934 it was occupied by US forces. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as assistant secretary of the navy, drafted its constitution. Later on, as president, he ordered the marines removed, but everything left behind was set up to ensure continuing American control. Haiti's government between 1957 and 1986 was a hereditary dictatorship: Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc, inherited from his father, Papa Doc, the title of President-for-Life, with the right to designate his successor - though he was confirmed in what locally passes for an election... Haiti's military needs were quite limited, and Israel could supply them all. There were Israeli military advisers in Port-au-Prince, and the guards watching over the security of President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier carried the ubiquitous Uzi. When Duvalier became more concerned about attacks by rebels, he bought antiaircraft guns from Israel. Israeli advisers were reportedly helping the Haitian government in maintaining 'internal security'. Officers of the Haitian military have visited Israel for training. The elite Leopard counterinsurgency unit, created by Baby Doc, was trained in Israel. Israeli entrepreneurs have become active in Haiti; the Israeli foreign office has been giving 'high priority' to these contacts. These entrepreneurs were all doing business with the Duvalier family and its friends - as did all foreign investors in Haiti, since no one else owned anything worth owning in the country. Israelis have launched profitable agricultural ventures in Haiti and other Caribbean islands... The Duvalier regime was replaced in January 1986 by a new government, in a transfer of power successfully engineered and carried out by the CIA. The actual transfer of power was supposed to take place on the morning of January 31. Jean-Claude Duvalier was to leave Haiti on a US air force plane, and the new government was supposed to be introduced. Something went wrong: as a result the White House announced that Duvalier was gone, while he was still in Port-au-Prince. What went wrong? The US media blamed poor coordination between the State Department and the White House. But CIA sources say the reason for the delay was Israeli intervention. According to this unconfirmed story, the Mossad station in Haiti was concerned about the harm to Israeli interests in the region, and managed to convince Duvalier to stay. American pressure prevailed, of course, and Baby Doc left a few days later. What this story reflects, even if untrue, is the reality of Israeli involvement in Haiti, to the extent that it can be construed as influential in such situations." (The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms & Why, 1987, pp 96-98)
Apart from Papa and Baby Doc, another Haitian 'admirer' of Israel is one, Prosper Avril: "Among those released by the rebels [following the CIA ouster of the democratically-elected government of Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004] is the former general Prosper Avril, a leader of the notorious Presidential Guard under both Duvaliers. Avril seized power in September 1988, and was deposed in March 1990. A US district court found that his regime engaged in a 'systematic pattern of egregious human rights abuses'. It also found him personally responsible for enough 'torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment' to award 6 of his victims a total of $41 million dollars in compensation. The victims included opposition politicians, union leaders, scholars, even a doctor trying to practice community medicine. Avril's repression was not subtle: 3 torture victims were paraded on national television with their faces grotesquely swollen, their limbs bruised and their clothing covered with blood. He suspended 37 articles of the constitution, and declared a state of siege. The US started protecting Avril shortly after the 1994 restitution of Aristide. In November that year, the then secretary of state, Warren Christopher, relayed to the US ambassador intelligence reports that the Red Star Organisation, under Avril's leadership, was planning a 'harassment and assassination campaign directed at... Aristide supporters'. This information was not passed on to the Haitian authorities. In December, the Haitian police, acting on their own information, sought to arrest Avril at his home. Immediately after the police arrived, US soldiers turned up and tried to dissuade them from making the arrest. By the time they got in, Avril had fled to the neighbouring residence of the Columbian ambassador. Police searching Avril's house found military uniforms, illegal police radios and a cache of weapons. He escaped to Israel but later returned to Haiti, where his international and potential military support deterred further attempts to arrest him. He founded a political party, which has never fielded candidates in an election but was invited by the [US Republican Party-affiliated] International Republican Institute (IRI) to participate in developing an opposition to Aristide. In May 2001, after US troops had withdrawn from Haiti, the police finally seized the opportunity to execute Avril's arrest warrant. The successful arrest was greeted with applause by the vast majority of Haitians and by human rights and justice groups in Haiti, the US and Europe. Amnesty International asserted that the arrest 'could mark a step forward by the Haitian justice system in its struggle against impunity': 'the gravity of the human rights violations committed during General Avril's period in power, from his 1988 coup d'etat to his departure in March 1990, cannot', Amnesty said, 'be ignored'. France's Committee to Prosecute Duvalier concluded that 'the general must be tried'. On 9 December 2003, the magistrate investigating the Piatre Massacre in 1990, when several peasants lost their lives, formally charged Avril with responsibility. He was in prison awaiting the end of the pre-trial proceedings when he was freed on 2 March - a few days after Aristide was deposed." (Who removed Aristide? Paul Farmer, London Review of Books, 15/4/04)
So when you read about Israel contributing to humanitarian aid efforts in Haiti (and I guarantee you will) don't be surprised. Baby Doc, currently in France, and Prosper Avril, whereabouts unknown, both ardent 'admirers' of the Jewish State, won't be.
Yes, "Within minutes..."!
Israel, of course, is world famous for its humanitarianism: "Israel is very well known and respected for its humanitarian efforts which stretch from Gaza to the Pacific Ocean." (ibid)
Allow me to run that past you again: "Israel is very well known and respected for its humanitarian efforts which stretch from Gaza..." Yes, you read correctly.
But of course: "Even under mortar and sniper fire by Hamas Islamic terrorists, the IDF makes every effort, at the risk to their own soldiers, to send tons of medical and food supplies into Gaza." (ibid)
Why, even as I type, "Israel's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Amos Radyan, is... travelling by car to Port au Prince in order to make an initial assessment. Radyan will be risking his life as he travels over broken roads, fallen electric lines, floods and possible harrassment by the desperate and starving." (ibid)
Spare a thought for this brave and selfless soul!
But there's more. Did you know that "In 1947, Haiti voted for the United Nations partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel." (ibid)
But not before a slight hitch, mind you:
At the 13th meeting of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Question of Palestine on 14/10/47, Haiti's representative at the United Nations, Antonio Vieux, "in stating the views of his Government, would argue on the basis of legal facts, rather than on sentiment. He did not believe that the Jews had any right to claim a whole or part of Palestine as their fatherland on the basis of historical connection. The suffering of the Jewish people, distressing as it had been, was not an argument for the partition of Palestine or for their claims on a land inhabited for thousands of years by another people; nor did their material contribution during the preceeding twenty five years constitute a vested interest in Palestine. If such a principle were accepted, it could create an unfortunate precedent for the determination of possession on the basis of material contributions. Moreover, it was inconsistent with Haiti's ideals and its concept of national sovereignty." (The Palestine Diary, Vol 2, Robert John & Sami Hadawi, 1970, p 212)
"After the Ad Hoc Committee had listened to all contending parties, voting was begun on the resolution submitted by Subcommittee Two, which represented the Arab point of view. The first resolution proposed to call upon the International Court for a decision as to the competency of the United Nations to deal with the Palestine question. By a vote of 25 to 18, with 11 abstentions, the full Committee rejected this proposal. A second and closer vote of 21 to 20 decided that the UN was competent to enforce, or recommend the enforcement of partition without the consent of the majority of the people of Palestine. In view of later developments it is important to note that on both of these issues Argentina, Greece, Haiti, and Liberia were among the countries which supported the Arab states. A third resolution recommended the absorption within the territories of members of the UN of those Jewish displaced persons who were unable to be repatriated. The vote on this was 16 to 16 with 26 abstentions... the United States cast a negative vote." (American Zionism & US Foreign Policy 1942-1947, Richard Stevens, 1962, pp 174-175)
"The debate on the draft resolution of the Ad Hoc Committee, which recommended the partition of Palestine, began to the accompaniment of a 'great gathering' of American Jews in the public galleries on the morning of 26 November 1947." (John & Hadawi, pp 249-250) At that debate Mr Vieux firmly stated Haiti's opposition: "'[M]y Government does not consider that the concrete solutions put forward as a result of the sub-committees' work are satisfactory; and the representative of the Republic of Haiti, in accordance with his Government's views, will vote against the partition of Palestine'." (John & Hadawi, p 257)
Now, if a vote had been taken on that day, the partition proposal would have failed to secure the two-thirds majority necessary. And so, "before the vote in the [General] Assembly, 6 countries became the target for Zionist and US pressure or, as it is called in UN circles, 'arm-twisting'. These were: Haiti, Liberia, the Philippines, China, Ethiopia, and Greece. The arm-twisting worked, for only Greece remained firm in opposition, moving, in fact, from abstention in Committee to a negative vote in the Assembly. China and Ethiopia continued to abstain, while Liberia moved from abstention to an affirmative vote and the Philippines, from what would have been a negative vote, to the affirmative... The delegation of Haiti underwent the same mysterious process of transformation [as the Philippines]; a clearly negative speech followed by an affirmative vote. It was through such dubious 'manipulations' that a favourable vote for the Jewish State was obtained at the UN." (Zionism, Israel & Asian Nationalism, GH Jansen, 1971, pp 199-200)
So what kind of pressure was applied to Haiti to reverse its position on the partition of Palestine?: "The vote of Haiti was reportedly secured through Adolph Berle, who used the promise of American economic assistance. An ex-governor, well known for his Zionist and White House connections, personally telephoned the Haitian Government urging that its delegate be ordered to change his vote. Consequently, the Haitian delegate, Mr Antonio Vieux, who had voted against partition on Wednesday, explained that his Government had ordered a reversal for economic reasons." (Stevens, p 179)
As well as the Israel News Agency informing us that Haiti "voted for the UN partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel," it adds that "many Haitians share much respect and admiration for Israel and its struggles"
How very true, as the invaluable research of Israeli scholar Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi reveals: "The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere holds many distinctions in the annals of misery and inhumanity. For the past century, Haiti has been a miserable, hellish US colony. Between 1915 and 1934 it was occupied by US forces. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as assistant secretary of the navy, drafted its constitution. Later on, as president, he ordered the marines removed, but everything left behind was set up to ensure continuing American control. Haiti's government between 1957 and 1986 was a hereditary dictatorship: Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc, inherited from his father, Papa Doc, the title of President-for-Life, with the right to designate his successor - though he was confirmed in what locally passes for an election... Haiti's military needs were quite limited, and Israel could supply them all. There were Israeli military advisers in Port-au-Prince, and the guards watching over the security of President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier carried the ubiquitous Uzi. When Duvalier became more concerned about attacks by rebels, he bought antiaircraft guns from Israel. Israeli advisers were reportedly helping the Haitian government in maintaining 'internal security'. Officers of the Haitian military have visited Israel for training. The elite Leopard counterinsurgency unit, created by Baby Doc, was trained in Israel. Israeli entrepreneurs have become active in Haiti; the Israeli foreign office has been giving 'high priority' to these contacts. These entrepreneurs were all doing business with the Duvalier family and its friends - as did all foreign investors in Haiti, since no one else owned anything worth owning in the country. Israelis have launched profitable agricultural ventures in Haiti and other Caribbean islands... The Duvalier regime was replaced in January 1986 by a new government, in a transfer of power successfully engineered and carried out by the CIA. The actual transfer of power was supposed to take place on the morning of January 31. Jean-Claude Duvalier was to leave Haiti on a US air force plane, and the new government was supposed to be introduced. Something went wrong: as a result the White House announced that Duvalier was gone, while he was still in Port-au-Prince. What went wrong? The US media blamed poor coordination between the State Department and the White House. But CIA sources say the reason for the delay was Israeli intervention. According to this unconfirmed story, the Mossad station in Haiti was concerned about the harm to Israeli interests in the region, and managed to convince Duvalier to stay. American pressure prevailed, of course, and Baby Doc left a few days later. What this story reflects, even if untrue, is the reality of Israeli involvement in Haiti, to the extent that it can be construed as influential in such situations." (The Israeli Connection: Whom Israel Arms & Why, 1987, pp 96-98)
Apart from Papa and Baby Doc, another Haitian 'admirer' of Israel is one, Prosper Avril: "Among those released by the rebels [following the CIA ouster of the democratically-elected government of Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004] is the former general Prosper Avril, a leader of the notorious Presidential Guard under both Duvaliers. Avril seized power in September 1988, and was deposed in March 1990. A US district court found that his regime engaged in a 'systematic pattern of egregious human rights abuses'. It also found him personally responsible for enough 'torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment' to award 6 of his victims a total of $41 million dollars in compensation. The victims included opposition politicians, union leaders, scholars, even a doctor trying to practice community medicine. Avril's repression was not subtle: 3 torture victims were paraded on national television with their faces grotesquely swollen, their limbs bruised and their clothing covered with blood. He suspended 37 articles of the constitution, and declared a state of siege. The US started protecting Avril shortly after the 1994 restitution of Aristide. In November that year, the then secretary of state, Warren Christopher, relayed to the US ambassador intelligence reports that the Red Star Organisation, under Avril's leadership, was planning a 'harassment and assassination campaign directed at... Aristide supporters'. This information was not passed on to the Haitian authorities. In December, the Haitian police, acting on their own information, sought to arrest Avril at his home. Immediately after the police arrived, US soldiers turned up and tried to dissuade them from making the arrest. By the time they got in, Avril had fled to the neighbouring residence of the Columbian ambassador. Police searching Avril's house found military uniforms, illegal police radios and a cache of weapons. He escaped to Israel but later returned to Haiti, where his international and potential military support deterred further attempts to arrest him. He founded a political party, which has never fielded candidates in an election but was invited by the [US Republican Party-affiliated] International Republican Institute (IRI) to participate in developing an opposition to Aristide. In May 2001, after US troops had withdrawn from Haiti, the police finally seized the opportunity to execute Avril's arrest warrant. The successful arrest was greeted with applause by the vast majority of Haitians and by human rights and justice groups in Haiti, the US and Europe. Amnesty International asserted that the arrest 'could mark a step forward by the Haitian justice system in its struggle against impunity': 'the gravity of the human rights violations committed during General Avril's period in power, from his 1988 coup d'etat to his departure in March 1990, cannot', Amnesty said, 'be ignored'. France's Committee to Prosecute Duvalier concluded that 'the general must be tried'. On 9 December 2003, the magistrate investigating the Piatre Massacre in 1990, when several peasants lost their lives, formally charged Avril with responsibility. He was in prison awaiting the end of the pre-trial proceedings when he was freed on 2 March - a few days after Aristide was deposed." (Who removed Aristide? Paul Farmer, London Review of Books, 15/4/04)
So when you read about Israel contributing to humanitarian aid efforts in Haiti (and I guarantee you will) don't be surprised. Baby Doc, currently in France, and Prosper Avril, whereabouts unknown, both ardent 'admirers' of the Jewish State, won't be.
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