The recent media revelations of the Israeli justice system鈥檚 treatment of Ben Zygier, who was known as Prisoner X, has further exposed to the world the charade that is the carefully manufactured image of Israel as a supposedly democratic and liberal state.
Many politically aware people already know about Israeli human rights abuses, massacres and other crimes, but the almost total lack of reporting in the mainstream media of the true nature of Israel has kept some people in the dark about the immorality of the Israeli state that lurks behind the mask.
Steven Katsineris
Palestinian political prisoner and hunger striker Samer Issawi wrote in the Guardian on March 3: 鈥淒o not worry if my heart stops. I am still alive now and even after death, because Jerusalem runs through my veins. If I die, it is a victory; if we are liberated, it is a victory, because either way I have refused to surrender to the Israeli occupation, its tyranny and arrogance.鈥
As of January, according to Palestinian human rights groups, Israel held 4812 Palestinian prisoners in its jails.
A branch of the James Connolly Association was established in Melbourne in November last year. The Association was formed in Australia in 2011 and is named after the Irish patriot who lived and died in defence of Irish socialist republicanism.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any blood on my hands,鈥 Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera wrote in February.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 victimized anyone. And I鈥檝e devoted most of my life serving a just and noble cause and struggling to help make this world a better and more just one.鈥
For 30 years, Lopez Rivera has been imprisoned in the United States for his activities in support of freedom and independence for Puerto Rico, which is still claimed by the US.
I firmly believe the left and progressive forces have made a serious error in viewing and equating Libya with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Libya is not the same situation; there has been a popular people's uprising.
Other Libya articles
It鈥檚 wonderful that WikiLeaks and Julian Assange are getting good publicity and support for their great efforts exposing the lies and deceptions of the US, Israel and others. But I also would like to draw some attention to the fate of two Israeli whistleblowers and political prisoners held in Israel, Mordechai Vanunu and Anat Kamm.
In 1986, Vanunu took a courageous moral stand against nuclear weapons. Vanunu exposed Israel鈥檚 secret nuclear weapons arsenal to the world after becoming disillusioned with his work at Dimona Nuclear Research Centre in Israel.
Things haven鈥檛 been going well for the Israeli occupation over the past few years. Numerous Israeli atrocities, such as the invasion and blockade of Gaza and the killings of civilians on the aid flotilla, have made many people aware of the truly oppressive situation facing the occupied Palestinians.
Lately, Israel has hardened its repression against the Palestinians even further in response to the popular revolts breaking out in the surrounding Arab countries and the loss of its ally, the Mubarak regime in Egypt.
While I agree with most of the sentiments expressed in Peter Boyle鈥檚 article on Libya in GLW #872, I think the Left must always be flexible and practical.
I want to sow seeds in the fertile minds of the young,
and see wisdom grow.
To plant flowers in parched desert hearts
and watch love grow anew.
Drench the fires of hatred and intolerance
in a downpour so huge, not a spark remains.
Feed the hungry and starve injustice.
I want to heal the wounds of life鈥檚 thousand painful cuts.
Make only weapons that kill pain and suffering.
Declare war on war.
Throttle patriotic lies and romantic war.
Freeze greed and warm the poor.
Free minds imprisoned by conditioning and fear.
Plant real smart bombs in minds and
watch them sprout.
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