“60 Minutes” exposes the real problem, Israel
General (Ret) James David who is mentioned on the cover of the third edition of former Republican Congressman Paul Findley’s ‘They Dare to Speak Out’ book (about the power/influence of the pro-Israel lobby on the US political system and media) wrote the following
Christians of the Holy Land
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57417408/christians-of-the-holy-land/
’60 Minutes’ Israel Story: Benjamin Netanyahu Reportedly Briefed On Envoy’s Attempt To Kill CBS Story
The above story ran on 60 Minutes tonight. It’s a powerful piece showing life under occupation, and a damning portrait of Michael Oren as the chief spokesperson for Israel’s unjust control over the West Bank. On the onerous permit regime that limits freedom of movement and defines Palestinian existence in the occupied territories Oren says, “It’s their inconvenience, it’s our survival.” Oren tries to blame the dwindling Christian community in the West Bank on Islamic extremism, and Palestinian Christians interviewed nearly break out laughing. Not surprisingly, Oren calls Israel’s Christian critics anti-Semites.
But perhaps the most revealing part of the show was Bob Simon sharing that Oren had complained to CBS News head Jeff Fager before the segment had even been aired, calling it “a hatchet job.”
Paul Findley Commentary: A fundamental change in who we are
http://www.myjournalcourier.com/articles/commentary-39651-findley-fundamental.html
From Tampa to CBS, the Light Is Shining Through
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1244720
—————————————————————————-
I thought Orin is Israel’s so called ambass. to US ?
The “Problem” is and has always been Israel! Israel’s foreign Jews invaded Palestine. Palestinian people didn’t invade Israel. This fact is undeniable, and all violence by those who resist the invasion and the brutal military occupation of their land and the ongoing murdering, imprisonment and expulsions as Israel continues importing more foreign squatters, is RECIPROCAL violence, and insignificant violence when compared to the INITIAL and ongoing violence of the Israeli military. Palestinian defenders don’t have warplanes, warships, tanks and artillery pieces to fight back with, so they use inaccurate, unguided rockets that have killed 30 people since September of 2000. One F-16 sortie over Gaza or Southern Lebanon has often killed more Palestinians, and there have been thousands of sorties over Gaza and Lebanon.
You’ve had the courage to crack the door open on the Problem, CBS. Thank you for that. Now open it all the way!
http://www.change.org/petitions/cbs-thanks-for-exposing-how-the-israel-lobby-pressures-media-about-israel-keep-on-reporting-unbiased-and-uncompromised-news-on-israel-palestine
I just got off the phone with a representative from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s office. My objective was to insure that she watched the “60 Minutes” program last night ’60 minutes’ profiles Palestinian Christians and to suggest she do so if she hadn’t.
I spent nearly 10 minutes on the phone with the representative and many of my comments were on my concern on the Congresswoman’s total support for Israel, to include the amount of annual military aid, including the additional aid, and how this support only increases violence and is destroying the United States. This passionate attachment to the Jewish state only feeds a monster out of control that creates more wars for the U.S. costing us blood and money. I also stated that it was so obvious how the Israeli lobby, AIPAC, seems to have so much control and influence on her decisions, especially with her being the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
I was asked to give my full name, address, phone number, and email, which I cheerfully obliged. Hope to be hearing from her soon.
Forwarded:
From: Palestinian Business Committee for Peace and Reform
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 4:18 PM
Subject: 60 Minutes Bob Simon on Christians in Palestine
On behalf of the Palestinian Business Committee for Peace and Reform I would like to draw your attention to last weekend’s 60 Minutes report about the impact of the Israeli occupation on the dwindling Christian population in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In the report, Bob Simon interviewed a large number of Palestinian Christians and Christian leaders, all of whom uniformly denied experiencing religious repression from Muslims and explained the exodus of their friends, family, and neighbors as resulting from Israeli policies that impede their ability to work, study, marry, or travel.
This report is consistent with the experiences of the PBC whose members wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment recently expressed by eighty Palestinian Christian leaders in a letter to Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren that Christian and Muslim Palestinians “are one people” and that the “Israeli occupation is the primary reason why so many members of the oldest Christian communities in the world have left the holy land”.
The segment may be viewed on youtube or at the cbsnews website. I hope you find this information useful and that you will not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you might have about Christians in Palestine.
Ehsaneh Sadr
Palestinian Business Committee for Peace and Reform
What came out in the 60 MINUTES piece on the plight of Palestinian Christians living under the Israeli occupation was very, very interesting. While many Americans are becoming aware that Israel has not only implemented a military occupation (which is like a big outdoor prison) of the West Bank but is stealing the land and water of the Palestinians, as well. But few Americans are aware that Israel and/or the American Israeli Lobby are very effective at stopping any critical coverage of Israel. The CBS correspondent, Mr. Simon, revealed that Israel had exerted pressure on CBS not to allow the airing of the 60 MINUTES piece.
The late Mike Wallace and Don Hewitt (producer of 60 MINUTES) told similar stories. And openly said that had they not been 2 old Jews with many awards — that they would have been fired for airing a piece critical of Israel. They mentioned if the correspondents been anything other than Jewish — they would have been accused of anti-Semitism — fired, and their careers finished. IF AMERICANS ONLY KNEW what Israel does to Palestians with our tax dollars, they would know why we are hated in the Middle East. But Americans do not know, because of the fear of any honest, critical coverage of Israel.
The Methodist Church (despite charges of anti-Semitism from the American Israeli lobby) is set to vote on divestment from corporations (Hewlett Packard, Catepillar, Motorola etc) who do business with Israel in the West Bank. Most, if not all, of the other Mainline Protestant churches have are preparing (or have already voted) to do the same. These churches have spoken out for years against the brutal Israeli occupation with no effect, so they are finally voting to divest.
It has been very difficult because, as usual, the Jewish lobby is very effective at squelching all criticism of Israel with charges of anti-Semitism. Finally, some Americans are willing to stand up to Israel and the Jewish American lobby. All of this helps to make Americans aware of the Israeli cruelity and theft of land in the West Bank — all done with American tax dollars. And what has been the result of the billions of American tax payer dollars given to Israel — the hatred of the Muslim world which consists of 1.5 billion people in 57 countries.
Forwarded:
—– Original Message —–
From: Sherna Berger Gluck
Sent: 04/27/12 09:06 AM
To: Sherna Berger Gluck
Subject: [sc-divest] URGENT – thanks CBS for 60 Minutes
if you haven’t yet signed, do it now! CBS is being swamped by the Zionists
http://ThankYou60Minutes.org
60 Minutes, America’s best-known news program, is under attack for reporting the actual impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinians.
In less than 24 hours, we beat our goal of 10,000 people sending thanks to 60 Minutes’ producers. But the pro-Israeli Occupation machine has flooded 60 Minutes with at least 29,000 angry emails. _[1]
Our new goal is to counter the attacks with more than 36,000 people saying thank-you to 60 Minutes.
*Can you forward this email to 3 friends right away? They can click here to sign the petition:* _*http://ThankYou60Minutes.org*_
http://ThankYou60Minutes.org
Forwarded:
Jean wrote:
If this is true, the US should be ashamed for sending one more cent to Israel! And Americans should start a drive to remove those in office who support this sort of crimes against humanity. It’s just awful, especially to those of us who have been over there and thought it could not get worse, but it has. Why don’t we implore the Arab countries to support lobbies here to represent the Palestinians? There will never be any sort of peace with justice as long as our corrupted politicians accept the AIPAC bribes! The Edwards man who is in deep trouble for using money to hide his pregnant paramour is no different from the politicians who accept AIPAC bribes so why aren’t they in trouble? Catering to a foreign country with billions of American taxpayer dollars, while Americans are out of jobs, losing homes are acts of a traitor and is wrong any way one looks at it. Theft of one’s homes, lands and belongings is a crime in America!
Jean
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/04/knesset-members-celebrate-latest-e-jerusalem-settlement-by-posing-on-evicted-palestinian-familys-sofa.html
Knesset members celebrate latest E. Jerusalem settlement by posing on evicted Palestinian family’s sofa
US support for the following is why the ‘underwear bomber’ and others have tried to attack US!:
The Crisis in Gaza http://tinyurl.com/6sxwf3z
The World’s Largest Open-Air Gulag
by RALPH NADER
Have you heard much lately about the 1.5 million Palestinians illegally imprisoned by the Israeli government in the world’s largest open-air Gulag? Their dire living conditions, worsened by a selective Israeli siege limiting the importation of necessities of life – medical items, food, water, building materials, and fuel to list a few – has resulted in an 80 percent unemployment rate and widespread suffering from unlawful punishment, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment in Israeli jails.
The horrific conditions were a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza in late 2008, ignited by Israel’s breaking of a truce with Gaza on November 4. Fourteen hundred people died, nearly three hundred of them children, and thousands were injured. The terror bombing of the Gazan population smashed into homes, hospitals, schools, ambulances, mosques, subsistence farms, UN facilities, and even the American International School. Israeli bombers destroyed over 30 members of one extended family in their home. That toll alone was three times the amount of Israeli fatalities, which included friendly fire.
The humanitarian crisis in crowded Gaza – about twice the size of the District of Columbia – “is now more dire than ever.” That is the judgment of Norwegian physician and professor of medicine, Dr. Mads Gilbert, who just finished a ten-day speaking tour in the U.S. Dr. Gilbert, returning from a recent visit to Gaza, was one of the only two foreign doctors inside Gaza during the massacre of December 2008 to January 2009.
He says: “During the Israeli attack, I saw the effects of new weapons including drones, phosphorous and also DIME [Dense Inert Metal Explosives], which leave no shrapnel, but I witnessed their capacity to cut a child in two; they also leave radioactive traces.”
Today, anemia and protein deficiency are widespread, reports Dr. Gilbert, especially among little children. UN and other relief supplies are inadequate, and UN humanitarian relief staff is often harassed by Israeli officials. Rebuilding pulverized Gaza is seriously obstructed by Israel blocking the imports of building materials.
Dr. Gilbert comments that he has “worked in other desperate situations in other places and Gaza is unique in a number of respects. It’s a captive population – usually if civilians are being attacked, there’s a safe place they can take refuge and then come
back to their homes when the fighting has stopped. That doesn’t exist for the people in Gaza since they are effectively imprisoned by the Israeli siege.”
Writing in the prestigious British medical journal “The Lancet” in early 2009, Dr. Gilbert provided clinical details of the slaughter, including the destruction of ambulances and medical facilities that tend to the dying and the wounded.
He described a “shattered, attacked, and drained health-care system trying to help an overwhelming amount of casualties in a war between clearly unequal powers, where the attacker spares no civilian lives – be it man, woman, or child – not even the much-needed health workers of all professions.”
It is no wonder the Israelis banned all foreign reporters, including those from the U.S. – the very country that provided the weaponry – thereby preventing the world from seeing the carnage as it happened.
The media ban made it possible for George W. Bush and president-elect Barack Obama to get away with describing this aggressive war with the identical phrase “Israel has the right to defend itself.” But apparently, the Palestinians do not have any way to defend themselves against the second-most modern military arsenal in the world; and their pleas about who broke the truce and started the bloodshed are unheeded.
Crude, garage-built Palestinian rockets are no match for modern precision missiles, helicopter gunships, bombers and drones. Fortunately for the Israelis, the rockets failed to reach any population centers 99 percent of the time. It was a mystery even to the Israelis why the unchallenged Israeli air force and ground artillery did not knock out the primitive Gaza launching sites, given its spies, informants and knowledge of every block in Gaza.
Reporters would have dug out these stories were they allowed inside Gaza. Since 2009, the focus of both the Israeli and U.S. government toward Iran has taken Gaza, the thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, and the swallowing up of more land in the Palestinian West Bank, off of the news screens in the West.
It is remarkable how successful the Israeli propagandists have been in controlling the news coverage. They have even sidelined prominent retired Israeli security, military and political leaders, who along with civic and peace advocates are seeking a two-state solution, an end to confiscation of Palestinian land and houses, and debunking war talk against Iran, designed for domestic political purposes in Israel and the U.S.
For example, Meir Dagan, director of the Mossad – Israel’s CIA – from 2002 until 2010, called bombing Iran “the stupidest thing I ever heard.” In agreement are many other Israelis in the know. But, as in the U.S. during the months before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, experienced voices of realism and sanity are not heard. Nor are sobering words of candor, as voiced by Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion, who said, of the dispossessed Palestinians years ago, “we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?”
Isn’t bringing these prominent Israeli truthsayers, peace advocates and military refuseniks to the U.S. Congress for their first-ever public hearing way overdue? At stake is peace or more wars in the Middle East. Also at stake is the possibility of another U.S. “war of choice” against Iran and the likely uncontrollable consequences that such belligerency would provoke. Would members of Congress let the AIPAC lobby block Israelis from coming here to present such testimony?
Or are the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, chaired respectively by Democratic Senator John Kerry and Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, satisfied with following their party lines?
Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer and author of Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion, forthcoming from AK Press.