Mazin Qumsiyeh on the Israeli election and more

Some of what is in this week’s email is summarized in this paragraph. We had snow today in Palestine (in the Galilee, Jerusalem and even here in Bethlehem).  It was very cold and our thoughts are with the nearly one million displaced and refugee Syrians and millions of refugee Palestinians (some now also displaced from Yarmouk refugee camp).  Our thoughts are with all the homeless and poor people (most of it is man-made injustice).  There is an upcoming elections in Israel and the choices are between right wing politicians and extreme right wing and ultra extreme right wing (plus the small but moderate Arab and Meretz parties).  Some honest and conscientious Israelis are doing the right thing by symbolically giving their votes to Palestinians who do not vote (we are natives who mostly live under colonial apartheid rule, as refugees, and few as 10th class “citizens” in the “Jewish State”). There is also an interview with me about life here done in French about what is going on here.    There are two videos of the Bethlehem area for those of you who could not join us for Christmas.  There is an action for US citizens to write to their senators and congressman and support nomination of Chuck Hagel for US Secretary of Defense (opposed strongly by the Israel-first lobby).  And there is a letter we sent to the German foreign minister about the unfair and illegal Israel-EU partnership. European citizens should lobby their governments on this.

Action: Israeli citizens give their votes to Palestinians: You can help
http://www.facebook.com/ElectoralRebellion/info
http://www.facebook.com/ElectoralRebellion

Une Voix de Palestine: Mazin Qumsiyeh  
http://www.democratie-socialisme.org/spip.php?article2730

O Little Town of Bethlehem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQDl95tOcU
Beit Sahour, a living heritage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDYisoC3SDw

Action for USA cItizens: Action: Call to support Chuck Hagel for US Secretary of Defense
http://signon.org/sign/back-obama-in-tapping-1?source=s.fwd&r_by=6709340
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC

To: Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (poststelle@auswaertiges-amt.de)
Markus Löning, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights (mrhh-b-1@diplo.de)

I write as chairman of the Palestinain Center for Rapprochement Between People.  We as Palestinians living in the shrinking ghetto/Bantustan of Bethlehem ask that the German government apply its laws with regards to protection of human rights. Germany’s obligations is to adhere to laws pertaining to not supporting countries that engasge in violations of human rights, and even the EU-Israel Association Agreement that commits all parties to respect human rights.  We refer to the German federal law, the EU human rights convention, the German adopted UN Declaration of Human Rights. Israel persistently violates human rights as testified to by all human rights organizations (Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, and even Israeli groups like B’Tselem) as well as by numerous UN Reports. We ask you to push for suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement until Israel complies with International law and all human rights conventions.

Respectfully,

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Professor, Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities
Chair, the Palestinain Center for Rapprochement Between People
Bethlehem Canton, Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org