vjp-global

https://972mag.com/dont-believe-the-hype-the-israeli-right-is-weaker-than-it-seems/139413/ The right had a decade to annex the West Bank, quash Palestinian aspirations, and thwart Hamas in Gaza. Yet today, more than ever, its invincibility is anything but certain… Even the most hardline right wingers understand that the Palestinians have not and will not give in, despite their political weakness…This doesn't mean that the right will not form the next government. It is still the most viable political option. But it does mean that, despite having every opportunity to do so, the Israeli right has not been able to change the political reality vis-à-vis the Palestinians. That is its weakness, not its strength. Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

  https://972mag.com/israels-upcoming-elections-will-have-plenty-of-surprises-in-store/139368/ Israeli voters will head to the polls in three-and-a-half months to elect a new government. Here's what that means, and where the elections may go... First, the current government has essentially maxed out its four-year term, and Netanyahu will be credited with generating relative stability in Israel's notorious political jungle. .. Second,  Currently, the portion of all Israelis who call themselves right wing stands at around 46 percent — among the Jewish population, that's just over half... The number of self-defined centrists is roughly one-quarter, and the portion of left-wingers is stable at about one-fifth (about 14 to 15 percent of the Jewish population). Overall, most polls show a slight plurality of right-wingers, versus the center-left bloc. Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/12/24/the-pernicious-walls-in-bethlehem-palestine-and-around-the-world/ ...The little Drummer Boy has morphed into a brutal perpetual war mongering adult; Joy has been robbed from the world, especially from the weak, oppressed, and the 65+ million refugees around the world; the many faithful are flocking to the shopping centers; climate change is creeping on a midnight not so clear; there are no Wise Men in the East or, for that matter, anywhere around the world; and the Little Town of Beit Lahem, even under dire circumstances, is beckoning us, on this Silent Night, to come together as faithful citizens of this world, women and men of good will and peace on earth... Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

12-19-2018   Sanders, Feinstein Oppose Inclusion of Israel Anti-Boycott Act in Appropriations Bill – Senator Sanders Press Release https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-feinstein-oppose-inclusion-of-israel-anti-boycott-act-in-appropriations-bilhttps://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-feinstein-oppose-inclusion-of-israel-anti-boycott-act-in-appropriations-bill As Congress considers a year-end appropriations bill, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on Senate leadership not to include S. 720, the "Israel Anti-Boycott Act."…"While we do not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, we remain resolved to our constitutional oath to defend the right of every American to express their views peacefully without fear of or actual punishment by the government," the senators continued."… At a time when the Netanyahu government is pursuing policies clearly ...

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/resistance-us-laws-censoring-criticism-israel-goes-mainstream Opposition to laws muzzling Americans who criticize Israel has gone mainstream.   Two separate lawsuits were filed this week against a Texas law requiring state contractors to certify they will not boycott Israel.   Another lawsuit was filed by a local newspaper in Arkansas, which refused to sign a similar pledge in order to win an advertising contract.   Meanwhile, senators Bernie Sanders and Dianne Feinstein, and The New York Times editorial board, have condemned efforts to rush through federal legislation aimed at silencing Israel's critics. Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/anti-bds-legislation-coming-under-heat-in-the-media-and-in-court-1.6762647 Legislation in the United States outlawing some activity in support for BDS, the anti-Israel boycott movement, is generating a backlash on the legal front and in the media… In Texas, legislation designed to ensure that suppliers of services to the state do not engage in anti-Israeli boycotts has resulted in the dismissal of a school speech pathologist, who has sued…   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member

https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20181122_over_5800_palestinians_wounded_in_7_months_of_protests   Since the protests by the Gaza perimetefence began on 30 March 2018, Israeli security forces have fatally shot over 180 demonstrators – including 31 minors – and injured over 5,800 demonstrators with live gunfire. The vast majority of casualties were unarmed, and were fatally shot from a distance while in the Gaza Strip itself. As a general rule, the protectively clad troops sniping at them from other side of the fence were not in any real danger. Some protesters threw stones, some damaged the fence, and a small number crossed it or threw hand grenades, IEDs and Molotov cocktails at the troops.  According to figures by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), over 12,700 casualties have required treatment in Gaza hospitals. This number includes the over 5,800 who suffered live gunshot wou...

https://whmp.com/podcasts/why-was-the-northampton-chief-of-police-going-to-go-to-israel-for-training/?fbclid=IwAR3giFZKdeKQAGUzEdBOf7q8cWTQZKWBMRWsxpy9u9aP7RV_tIvC5VmizsU   Bill Newman Show blog: interview with Jewish Voice for Peace representatives Rachel Webber and V.J. Frachad   Posted by Judith Ferster, AIME member