Oil, Zionism and more

Recent discoveries show that the Eastern Mediterranean area has huge energy fields which together with water resources could provide the impetus for new conflicts/wars. The initial estimates is that the area in the sea facing Palestine (present day Israel and the Gaza Strip), Lebanon, and Syria holds 1.7 billion barrels of oil, 5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, and an astounding 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. Already Israel uses nearly 10 times more of our water per capita than we the native Palestinians use.  Already Israel controls most of the lucrative tourism industry in Palestine and most of our agricultural lands and other resources. Already Israel has very many millionaires and a few billionaires while 25% of Israeli Children live in poverty (and nearly half the Palestinian Children in Gaza and the West Bank). I guess there are those chosen and those who are even more chosen.

Meanwhile, there were large demonstrations demanding the Palestinian dueling authorities (in Ramallah and Gaza) stop political arrests.   And while our people are busy with local municipal elections, the Zionists intensify their assault on common decency.  Avigdor Lieberman and over 100 settlers came to my town of Beit Sahour Thursday wanting to build a new colonial settlement in the area of Ush Ghrab to be called Shdema.  So now the local committee is re-emerging to try to deal with this new challenge. And today (Saturday) Israeli authorities discovered a fairly sophisticated unmanned drone that apparently was hovering in the Neqeb (Negev) area and shot it down.  That shook the Israeli public and showed that all the sophisticated military gear in the world will not protect you from such efforts.  The world is changing and only justice to the native Palestinians can bring security and peace here.   

In this week's compilation of links below: evaluation of Zionism versus Judaism, BDS as key to just peace, Russell Tribunal on Palestine, Lutherans look at Israeli military, 5 broken cameras, why I dislike Israel, and why Oslo must go.

Very good analysis: A Basic History of Zionism and Its Relation to Judaism By Hanna Braun.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12666.htm

BDS key to a "just peace," says Palestinian Christian boycott activist . Joe Catron
http://electronicintifada.net/content/bds-key-just-peace-says-palestinian-christian-boycott-activist/11727


Russell Tribunal on Palestine: Live proceedings from New York
http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/sessions/future-sessions/videos/new-york-sessiom-live-stream

 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and other churches call for investigation of military aid to Israel
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=5251
 
The documentary that should make every decent Israeli ashamed: No moments of reprieve in the probing documentary by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, "5 Broken Cameras," which chronicles the struggle in the West Bank Palestinian village of Bil'in. By Gideon Levy
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/twilight-zone/the-documentary-that-should-make-every-decent-israeli-ashamed.premium-1.468409

Giraldi: Why I Dislike Israel
http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/news/opinion-a-analysis/item/2012-giraldi-why-i-dislike-israel

Why Oslo Must Go
http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2636:why-oslo-must-go&catid=31:general&Itemid=41

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Chair, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People
Professor, occupied Palestine
World Social Forum Free Palestine http://www.wsfpalestine.net