8/26/09

Israel needs to read a book about democracy



via irish4palestine, link to the right

Oh, the drama.

Meanwhile on Monday evening, several demonstrators stood outside the embassy in Tel Aviv to protest the Swedish government's failure to denounce the Aftonbladet article.

The demonstrators, representatives of Zionist social movements Im Tirtzu and Hatikva, wore T-shirts with the images of Theodor Herzl and Joseph Trumpeldor; held Israeli flags and banners reading "Anti-Semitism under the cover of free speech" and posed for the press photographers, who nearly outnumbered them.

The protesters also set up a stall on which they placed a pot full of red paint into which they dipped matzot. A sign on the stall read, "Palestinian organs for sale here." The stall was a macabre reference to medieval blood libels about Jews killing Christian children so they can use their blood to make matza.

One demonstrator lowered the Swedish flag from the mast in front of the building.

"We are here in front of the Swedish Embassy to protest against the new blood libel against the Jews, in its 2009 version," Im Tirtzu spokesman Amit Barak said. "This ugly accusation against the IDF is nothing but a new take on old and familiar anti-Semitism. We expect the Swedish foreign minister and the Swedish government to take a firm stand against it and expose it for what it is instead of hiding behind the excuse of free speech."

Barak said his group was pleased by the determination of the Israeli government in face of a developing diplomatic crisis with Sweden.

"Finally the Foreign Ministry is standing up for Israel and the IDF," he said. "If I was in charge, I'd call the Israeli ambassador back from Sweden. Let him rest here for a while."

Im Tirtzu is a campus-based organization whose main objective is to "return Zionist values to the public debate."

"I see a direct line between the lies that where published in the Swedish newspaper and the types of cowardly and baseless accusations made by Israeli organizations like Shovrim Shtika," said Barak, referring to a organization of reserve soldiers who have accused the IDF of committing war crimes in Gaza.

"There is no doubt that if there are organizations here in Israel that call Israeli soldiers murderers, it provides fertile soil for similar accusations by foreign organizations."

The lone public official to arrive on the scene was Likud MK Carmel Shama. He arrived after the protest was already under way did not appear to have been recognized by the protesters.

"I fully support what these young people are doing," said Shama. "It's time for the Swedish government to stop using freedom of the press as an excuse and present a clear condemnation of the article. We don't expect an apology, but a plain condemnation is in order."

2 comments:

Greg Bacon said...

MOLDOVA/TURKEY/ISRAEL — ORGAN TRADE
Reporter: Sue Lloyd Roberts (BBC)

In Turkey, Sue discovers that the surgeon responsible for the illegal trade is well known to the authorities, having been repeatedly exposed on Turkish TV, but seems to be continuing his trade with impunity. Most of the recipients of the kidneys are Israelis because of the very low level of [organ] donations there. From the health authorities in Israel we learn that the practice is now so widespread that insurance companies, subsidised by the Government, are funding these illegal transplants. It's a shocking indictment of the ways supply and demand can distort the law and ethics. For poor Moldovan villagers $3,000 may be their only chance of a reasonable future, for Israelis on dialysis $60,000 is a cheap price to get back their lives. Meanwhile fortunes are being made by agents, middlemen and surgeons feeding this demand. The organ trade is illegal in all three countries but the police and health authorities are either unwilling or unable to combat the pressures of these disturbing market realities.

A. Peasant said...

yah, i saw that too. nice culture.

legal mumbo jumbo

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