Monday, May 08, 2006
"Bereaved Families For Peace" Bolsters Israel's Image
"Israeli and Palestinian artists have joined forces to send a message of reconciliation," is the lead in to Rachel Shabi's Al-Jazeera story, "One Bowl Serves Many," about an art exhibtion, "Offering Reconciliation," which "showcases the work of more than 130 Israeli and Palestinian artists, who took part in the project for the Bereaved Families Forum for Peace, Reconciliation and Tolerance."
Shabi does not break down the participating artists; however they are listed on the "Bereaved Families Forum for Peace" website. I may be one or two off, but it appeared as if there were no more than fourteen Arabic names listed among the 135 participating artists.
One of the notable exhibitors was Ehud Olmert's wife, Aliza, evidence of my acquaintance from Bethlehem's adage; if there are two Israeli brothers, one will be a Republican and another a Democrat. So while Olmert's wife does her part for the cause by promoting Israel's "kinder, gentler" image, her husband said yesterday, Theodore Herzl Day, "We must ensure that there will be a proven Jewish majority in the State of Israel, otherwise the term Jewish state becomes empty of meaning. The obligation of the national leadership is to be responsible to the vision of Herzl and to ensure a Jewish majority in the State."
And in that sentiment he echos Yitzak Frankenthal, a founding member of the Bereaved Families Forum for Peace:
"I could not make peace if it meant the return of all refugees to Israel since it will mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state. Can you imagine the return of 4 million refugees and Israel consisting of 5 million Jews and 5 million Arabs. the Knesset having 60 Jewish members and 60 Arab members? This will bring an end to The State of Israel as a Jewish state. Apart from an insignificant minority, no one is prepared to grant Arabs the right of return to Israel. In other words, the fulfillment of the right to return to Israel is the one condition that will prevent me from making peace with the Palestinians."
Regardless of Israelis lack of preparedness to "grant Arabs the right to return to Israel," and regardless of attempts to label the insistence upon implementation of Right of Return as "extreme" by Israeli and some Palestinian members of groups such as Bereaved Families for Peace UN Resolution 194, Section 11 is clear:
11. Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.
Article 13, Section 2, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is also clear:
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to
return to his country.
UN General Assembly Resolution 3236, #2 reaffirms:
2. Reaffirms also the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and calls for their return.
Counte Folke Bernadotte, the UN Mediator in 1948 was killed by Zionists for this statement (via Al-Awda):
"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine."
Feel good art exhibits, which include a handful of Palestinian artists, many of whom are not allowed entry to Tel Aviv, rubbing elbows with Alisa Olmert, serve merely to postpone justice, a term, like so many other terms and endeavors, co-opted and twisted by Zionists to obfuscate and mislead.
Shabi does not break down the participating artists; however they are listed on the "Bereaved Families Forum for Peace" website. I may be one or two off, but it appeared as if there were no more than fourteen Arabic names listed among the 135 participating artists.
One of the notable exhibitors was Ehud Olmert's wife, Aliza, evidence of my acquaintance from Bethlehem's adage; if there are two Israeli brothers, one will be a Republican and another a Democrat. So while Olmert's wife does her part for the cause by promoting Israel's "kinder, gentler" image, her husband said yesterday, Theodore Herzl Day, "We must ensure that there will be a proven Jewish majority in the State of Israel, otherwise the term Jewish state becomes empty of meaning. The obligation of the national leadership is to be responsible to the vision of Herzl and to ensure a Jewish majority in the State."
And in that sentiment he echos Yitzak Frankenthal, a founding member of the Bereaved Families Forum for Peace:
"I could not make peace if it meant the return of all refugees to Israel since it will mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state. Can you imagine the return of 4 million refugees and Israel consisting of 5 million Jews and 5 million Arabs. the Knesset having 60 Jewish members and 60 Arab members? This will bring an end to The State of Israel as a Jewish state. Apart from an insignificant minority, no one is prepared to grant Arabs the right of return to Israel. In other words, the fulfillment of the right to return to Israel is the one condition that will prevent me from making peace with the Palestinians."
Regardless of Israelis lack of preparedness to "grant Arabs the right to return to Israel," and regardless of attempts to label the insistence upon implementation of Right of Return as "extreme" by Israeli and some Palestinian members of groups such as Bereaved Families for Peace UN Resolution 194, Section 11 is clear:
11. Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.
Article 13, Section 2, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is also clear:
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to
return to his country.
UN General Assembly Resolution 3236, #2 reaffirms:
2. Reaffirms also the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and calls for their return.
Counte Folke Bernadotte, the UN Mediator in 1948 was killed by Zionists for this statement (via Al-Awda):
"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine."
Feel good art exhibits, which include a handful of Palestinian artists, many of whom are not allowed entry to Tel Aviv, rubbing elbows with Alisa Olmert, serve merely to postpone justice, a term, like so many other terms and endeavors, co-opted and twisted by Zionists to obfuscate and mislead.
