Commentary/Op-eds for Tue 28th Nov, 2006

Today’s Commentary, Op-Ed and miscellaneous itmes from Occupation Info. For today’s news headlines, please see this post…

	Appeal: Norman Finkelstein to Alan Dershowitz: “Release the letters!”
	(28-11-06) – Norman G. Finkelstein, via JewsSansFrontiers. Levi9909 writes: I haven’t looked at Norman Finkelstein’s site for a while but a friend of mine told me that the Dershowitz letters saga has hotted up again. This is where Alan Dershowitz has denied that he tried to get Finkelstein’s book, Beyond Chutzpah, banned from publication… It is simple to resolve definitively whether Dershowitz attempted to suppress publication of my book. Dershowitz alleges that he has “released the letters” he wrote my publisher. Not quite. He has never released the letters his lawyers at Cravath, Swaine & Moore wrote my publisher. He has never released the letter he wrote Governor Schwarzenegger. Readers interested in learning the truth should request these letters from Dershowitz: dersh@law.harvard.edu. If what he’s saying is true, Dershowitz has nothing to hide. Please cc my [ie Finkelstein's] web site a copy of your letter and his reply (if any).
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	Debate: One state or two? – Rashid Khalidi & Ali Abunimah on the Israel-Palestine conflict
	(28-11-06) – Debate, Democracy Now! “Today, we’ll spend the rest of the program with two leading Palestinian-American voices. Both have new books on the Israel Palestine conflict. Joining me here in our firehouse studio, is Rashid Khalidi, He is the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies and director of Middle East Studies Institute at the Columbia University. His new book is called The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood. Also in the studio is Ali Abunimah, founder of The Electronic Intifada website and author of the new book One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse“.
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	Hate Mail: A letter by a “proud Israeli soldier”
	(28-11-06) – Sam Bahour, via Occupation Magazine. The Ed. of OM notes… The following is a translation of a piece of hate mail received by Yesh Gvul – an organization of Israeli men who refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories. I posted this letter after some debate with the OM Editors – since some of them argued – “why advertise hate mail?”` But in my view it is important to know what kind of beliefs have penetrated the Israeli mainstream, and to get a glimpse into the current spirit of corps within the `most moral army`. As for the adjectives used by the author for Yesh Gvul, an old wise Jewish saying comes into one`s mind: “The condemner condemns himself”.
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	Comment: Hamas sticking to tough line on Israel
	(28-11-06) – Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters. Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal’s latest remarks on conditions for peace in the Middle East did not signal any change in the Islamist group’s fundamental refusal to accept the existence of the state of Israel, analysts said. “Hamas believes the presence of Israel is something that is not permanent … and it is possible that in the end, it can be contained within a Palestinian state,” said Mustafa Assawaf, a Palestinian expert on Islamist groups.
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	Comment: Peace Now, with all respect
	(28-11-06) – Rashid A. Shahin, Ma’an. Following this settlement scandal, which was revealed by the Peace Now activists, whom I salute and thank for their efforts in this regard, what are the Palestinian owners supposed to do? What will all the Palestinian legislative bodies do? And finally, what will the Palestinian Authority (PA) do? Personally, I think there is a lot to do in this regard if the intention is there, especially by the PA. Instead of keeping the Palestinians busy by forming a new government – which seems to be faced by endless obstacles preventing its formation – somebody should take action, especially after the stagnant water was moved by the group, Peace Now.
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	Comment: Give peace a chance by providing it with momentum
	(28-11-06) – Editorial, Daily Star. It was not as detailed or as generous as most Palestinians would have preferred, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s rhetorical overture on Monday was certainly more than many observers had been expecting. Merely by ending his refusal to openly consider the massive prisoner swap that has been discussed behind closed doors for months, for instance, Olmert gave the impression of having adopted a more realistic view of his government’s relationship with the people on whose land his country was established. Although the real test of Israeli intentions will come when the two sides sit down to negotiate, every effort should be made to avoid and/or prevent actions that might delay that test.
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	Comment: Free Barghouti
	(28-11-06) – Yossi Sarid, Haaretz. Marwan Barghouti is not going anywhere. He is sitting in Hadarim Prison and serving five life sentences, to which he was sentenced by a civil court. “Informed sources” made sure to publicize the fact that there is no chance of releasing him in the context of the deal for exchanging prisoners and kidnapped soldiers – the deal that will free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Israeli government does not agree to release Barghouti, and that’s final. And that is another of its mistakes.
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	Comment: Gaza: Shock and Awe 2006
	(28-11-06) – Liam Bailey, Palestine Chronicle. The biggest shock in operation “Autumn Rains” is the strength of the Gaza Palestinians resolve. Operation Autumn Clouds has so far been very similar to all Israeli operations against its Palestinian occupants in recent times, openly disproportionate, extremely indiscriminate against civilians, disregarding of International Law in the hope of breaking their enemies resolve and unsuccessful in their aims. Do Israel’s leaders still think that if they kill enough civilians, especially children, eventually the Palestinian majority, those not active in the resistance will say enough is enough and pressure the terrorists to stop attacking Israel… a strategy that’s past causes its future failure?
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	Comment: Refugees are the key
	(28-11-06) – Sam Bahour, Baltimore Chronicle. The Palestinian refugees symbolize the long-standing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The refugee problem has its roots in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which ended in the mass displacement of over 750,000 Palestinian Arabs (approximately half of the Arab population). According to historical accounts of the War, including from recent Israeli historians, Jewish Zionist forces precipitated the flight of the Palestinian Arabs as part of a campaign of population transfer. The nascent State of Israel subsequently enacted laws to expropriate the refugees’ property and bar their return. The refugees were left homeless and destitute, mostly dependent on foreign aid for survival. The subsequent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip resulted in the further displacement of around 200,000 Palestinians.
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