Israeli intelligence veterans refuse to serve in Palestinian territories

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Written by Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem

Published: 12 September 2014 12 September 2014

Innocent people under military rule exposed to surveillance by Israel, say 43 ex-members of Unit 8200, including reservists

Forty-three veterans of one of Israel’s most secretive military intelligence units – many of them still active reservists – have signed a public letter refusing to serve in operations involving the occupied Palestinian territories because of the widespread surveillance of innocent residents.

The signatories include officers, former instructors and senior NCOs from the country’s equivalent of America’s NSA or Britain’s GCHQ, known as Unit 8200 – or in Hebrew as Yehida Shmoneh-Matayim.

They allege that the “all-encompassing” intelligence the unit gathers on Palestinians – much of it concerning innocent people – is used for “political persecution” and to create divisions in Palestinian society.

The largest intelligence unit in the Israeli military, Unit 8200 intercepts electronic communications including email, phone calls and social media in addition to targeting military and diplomatic traffic.

The signatories say, however, that a large part of their work was unrelated to Israel’s security or defence, but appeared designed to perpetuate the occupation by “infiltrating” and “controlling” all aspects of Palestinian life.

Written in uncompromising language the letter states: “We, veterans of Unit 8200, reserve soldiers both past and present, declare that we refuse to take part in actions against Palestinians and refuse to continue serving as tools in deepening the military control over the Occupied Territories.”

They add: “The Palestinian population under military rule is completely exposed to espionage and surveillance by Israeli intelligence. It is used for political persecution and to create divisions within Palestinian society by recruiting collaborators and driving parts of Palestinian society against itself. In many cases, intelligence prevents defendants from receiving a fair trial in military courts, as the evidence against them is not revealed.”

Accompanying the letter – published in the Israeli media on Friday, and organised several months before the recent Gaza war – are a series of testimonies provided by the signatories to Yedioth Ahronoth and shared with the Guardian.

Read more on The Guardian

Israeli military demolishes West Bank dairy factory benefitting orphans despite court appeal

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Written by Kelly Lynn Kelly Lynn

Published: 11 September 2014 11 September 2014

Then 10-year-old Zahur Said and her friends were on their way to school last Monday, September 1st, Israeli authorities had already been surveying the area for hours.  When she returned, 300 square meters of crumbled concrete and mangled steel was all that remained of the Al Rayyan Dairy Factory in Northern Hebron.

For three years, the factory built in partnership by the Islamic Charitable Society in Hebron (ICS) and Al Rayyan Company has provided a sustainable source of revenue for two orphanages run by the ICS, as well as aiding ten different schools in the area.  It also supplied products like yogurt, milk and cheese to the organizations and families it benefits.

The factory received demolition orders two months ago on June 20th during the Israeli military’s Operation Brother’s Keeper.  Israeli authorities confiscated most of its working machinery two weeks later on July 2nd.  The ICS filed a case with the Israeli military court in the West Bank and had a court date scheduled for September 7th, 2014.  Six days before the case was to be heard, the factory was demolished, with ICS and Al Rayyan sustaining more than two million dollars in losses.

- See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/09/military-demolishes-benefitting

Boycott Could Have Major Effect on Israeli Economy

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Written by IMEMC News & Agencies IMEMC News & Agencies

Published: 11 September 2014 11 September 2014

For the past two months, Palestinians across the West Bank have been boycotting Israeli goods by increasing numbers, as popular campaigns have taken to the street to promote the movement.

Ma'an News Agency reports that, according to economic analysts, the campaign could potentially have a major negative effect on the Israeli economy, and buoy the Palestinian economy as well.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics cites the annual Palestinian consumption of Israeli exports at around $3.5 billion, while Palestinian exports to Israel only amount to about $600 million.

Director-General of Policy and Economic Studies and spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Economy, Azmi Abd al-Rahman, told Ma'an that "If applied well, the boycott could create between 70 to 100 thousand job opportunities in the Palestinian lands by providing billions of dollars annually" -- dollars which were otherwise being siphoned off to Israel.

Read more: Boycott Could Have Major Effect on Israeli Economy

PROTEST: Oppose the Gaza Massacre! Protest Dinner & Movie with Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Jeff Merkley

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Written by AUPHR, JVP, SUPER, SABEEL, LJHL, ISO, OFOR AUPHR, JVP, SUPER, SABEEL, LJHL, ISO, OFOR

Published: 27 August 2014 27 August 2014

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise. -- Maya Angelou, Still I Rise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROTEST: Oppose the Gaza Massacre! Protest Dinner & Movie with Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Jeff Merkley

When: Wednesday, August 27th 2014 at 4:30pm

Where: 8005 SE Stark St, Portland, OR

Contact: Peter Miller, 503-358-7475, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Facebook: Oppose the Gaza Massacre!

            https://www.facebook.com/events/272453246283461

Israel's Operation Protective Edge, an aerial and ground assault on the Gaza Strip, has killed over 2100 people, mostly civilians, including over 493 children.  140 Gazan families have lost three or more loved ones.  The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to support this carnage.

Read more: PROTEST: Oppose the Gaza Massacre! Protest Dinner & Movie with Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Jeff...