Canadian Charger
River to SeaDr. Mohamed Bakr
This week witnessed three different scenes in three different democracies. These scenes may look from the outset to be not related but all three point to the same problem in Western "Democracies". So, what are these scenes?
Scene1, Canada:
Last week, the sixth Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) took place. In this week, in many Universities over the world, events are held to inform people of the suffering of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation.
The IAW this year is more important than in any other year because it is held after the Goldstone committee report was released. This committee, which was headed by a Zionist Jewish judge, found ample evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel during its attack on Gaza, also known as operation Cast Lead.
This year’s IAW was faced though with a tough organized campaign from different levels of government and media.
The Ontario Legislature issued a statement condemning the IAW.
The government of Mr. Harper, who has been consistent in its loyalty to Israel, has issued also a statement condemning the event.
Mr. Ignatieff, who in 2003 condemned the Israeli illegal settlements and equated them to the apartheid regime in South Africa, also flipped and condemned the IAW!
The IAW was turned into an auction in which each politician is trying to show that he is more loyal to Israel and to its Jewish Zionist lobby in Canada than the others.
Not a single one of them dared to attend the events of the IAW and see that there was no hate directed against anyone. No one of them dared to mention the Goldstone report.
No one of them dared to mention the so many reports by Israeli and international rights groups condemning gruesome Israeli crimes. No one of them even dared to remember the freedom of the Canadian people who elected them to criticize any rogue foreign state!
Scene 2, England:
The government of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved this week to change the law so that Israeli war criminals are not prosecuted during their visits to the UK.
Several months ago, the ex. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni was about to be arrested in London based on a judge order for her role in the war crimes in Gaza.
It is widely believed that the British government helped smuggle Livni out of the country even though they were fully aware of the judge order!
Since then the Israeli government demanded that the British law be changed so that human rights groups cannot annoy the Israeli war criminals when they travel abroad.
A group of over 70 British intellectuals, many of whom are Jews, published a letter over a month ago condemning any attempt to change the British law based on orders from a foreign state accused of war crimes.
Despite the public resistance, the changes are implemented with complete disregard to the country’s sovereignty or reputation.
Almost a year ago, Spain also changed its law based on Israeli requests so that Israeli war criminals are not prosecuted when visiting this country!
Scene 3, US:
The US Congress issued a resolution this week recognizing what is referred to as the Armenian Genocide during the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
For many years, the Congress refused to issue such a resolution because the pro-Israel lobby was against it.
At the time, Turkey was a close ally of Israel outside the Arab world.
However, since the operation Cast Lead, the Turkish criticism of the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian population was increasing. This resulted in several verbal exchanges between the officials in both countries.
Turkey also canceled joint military training with the IDF. Many Turkish TV programs now show scenes of brutality against the Palestinian population.
Since this started to happen, many predicted that the US congress will issue this resolution based on directions from the pro-Israel lobby.
Of course, this resolution will cause serious damage for the relationship between the US and one of its main allies. It is definitely harmful to US interests in the Middle East.
This, however, did not seem to stop the congress from acting in this way. Turkey and Armenia are starting steps towards a historical reconciliation between them and such a resolution will only complicate matters.
The problem with these three stories is the same.
Representatives who are supposed to defend freedom of speech, national sovereignty, and national interests, seem to work against all three!
They are more interested in showing unconditional submission to the Zionist Jewish lobby that is linked to a foreign state. So, how come a democratic system ends up failing its people so miserably?
The reality is that there is no true democracy in all three countries.
The people who invented the idea of democracy believed that representatives elected by the people will work for the people’s interests.
What they missed is that in order to reach the people you need media. Also, in order to have election campaigns you need money.
This meant that lobbies that have strong media influence and have access to strong financial resources are able to manipulate and even threaten politicians.
These lobbies effectively make politicians work for their interests rather than the interests of the people who elected them.
So, what is the way out of this trap that literally voids the concept of democracy in the West?
Any hope for having a truly democratic system that defends the global human values of human rights and freedom depends on stopping mighty lobbies from corrupting the political game.
All politicians should have access to free unbiased media and to the same financial resources regardless of any political positions that may take.
This separation between capital and politics is our only hope in having a true democracy in the West.
Only then, Canadian politicians will not be afraid to do the right thing and side with the oppressed Palestinian people in their struggle against oppression and apartheid. Will we ever see this day?
Last week, the sixth Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) took place. In this week, in many Universities over the world, events are held to inform people of the suffering of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation.
The IAW this year is more important than in any other year because it is held after the Goldstone committee report was released. This committee, which was headed by a Zionist Jewish judge, found ample evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel during its attack on Gaza, also known as operation Cast Lead.
This year’s IAW was faced though with a tough organized campaign from different levels of government and media.
The Ontario Legislature issued a statement condemning the IAW.
The government of Mr. Harper, who has been consistent in its loyalty to Israel, has issued also a statement condemning the event.
Mr. Ignatieff, who in 2003 condemned the Israeli illegal settlements and equated them to the apartheid regime in South Africa, also flipped and condemned the IAW!
The IAW was turned into an auction in which each politician is trying to show that he is more loyal to Israel and to its Jewish Zionist lobby in Canada than the others.
Not a single one of them dared to attend the events of the IAW and see that there was no hate directed against anyone. No one of them dared to mention the Goldstone report.
No one of them dared to mention the so many reports by Israeli and international rights groups condemning gruesome Israeli crimes. No one of them even dared to remember the freedom of the Canadian people who elected them to criticize any rogue foreign state!
Scene 2, England:
The government of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved this week to change the law so that Israeli war criminals are not prosecuted during their visits to the UK.
Several months ago, the ex. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni was about to be arrested in London based on a judge order for her role in the war crimes in Gaza.
It is widely believed that the British government helped smuggle Livni out of the country even though they were fully aware of the judge order!
Since then the Israeli government demanded that the British law be changed so that human rights groups cannot annoy the Israeli war criminals when they travel abroad.
A group of over 70 British intellectuals, many of whom are Jews, published a letter over a month ago condemning any attempt to change the British law based on orders from a foreign state accused of war crimes.
Despite the public resistance, the changes are implemented with complete disregard to the country’s sovereignty or reputation.
Almost a year ago, Spain also changed its law based on Israeli requests so that Israeli war criminals are not prosecuted when visiting this country!
Scene 3, US:
The US Congress issued a resolution this week recognizing what is referred to as the Armenian Genocide during the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
For many years, the Congress refused to issue such a resolution because the pro-Israel lobby was against it.
At the time, Turkey was a close ally of Israel outside the Arab world.
However, since the operation Cast Lead, the Turkish criticism of the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian population was increasing. This resulted in several verbal exchanges between the officials in both countries.
Turkey also canceled joint military training with the IDF. Many Turkish TV programs now show scenes of brutality against the Palestinian population.
Since this started to happen, many predicted that the US congress will issue this resolution based on directions from the pro-Israel lobby.
Of course, this resolution will cause serious damage for the relationship between the US and one of its main allies. It is definitely harmful to US interests in the Middle East.
This, however, did not seem to stop the congress from acting in this way. Turkey and Armenia are starting steps towards a historical reconciliation between them and such a resolution will only complicate matters.
The problem with these three stories is the same.
Representatives who are supposed to defend freedom of speech, national sovereignty, and national interests, seem to work against all three!
They are more interested in showing unconditional submission to the Zionist Jewish lobby that is linked to a foreign state. So, how come a democratic system ends up failing its people so miserably?
The reality is that there is no true democracy in all three countries.
The people who invented the idea of democracy believed that representatives elected by the people will work for the people’s interests.
What they missed is that in order to reach the people you need media. Also, in order to have election campaigns you need money.
This meant that lobbies that have strong media influence and have access to strong financial resources are able to manipulate and even threaten politicians.
These lobbies effectively make politicians work for their interests rather than the interests of the people who elected them.
So, what is the way out of this trap that literally voids the concept of democracy in the West?
Any hope for having a truly democratic system that defends the global human values of human rights and freedom depends on stopping mighty lobbies from corrupting the political game.
All politicians should have access to free unbiased media and to the same financial resources regardless of any political positions that may take.
This separation between capital and politics is our only hope in having a true democracy in the West.
Only then, Canadian politicians will not be afraid to do the right thing and side with the oppressed Palestinian people in their struggle against oppression and apartheid. Will we ever see this day?
Uprooted Palestinian
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