Mideast Just Peace

Traverse City Graduate Speaks on Israel’s Military Diplomacy and Its Effects on Civil Liberties in the United States

On Monday June 4, 2007 at 7:00 PM MidEast:Just Peace will host 1995 Traverse City high school graduate Jimmy Johnson a the Traverse Area District Library. For the past three years Johnson has worked as a researcher for the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) in Jerusalem. His work there included documenting human rights abuses, organizing and practicing civil disobedience and guiding governmental and civil society groups from all over the world in political tours of East Jerusalem and environs. He is the co-author of an upcoming book on Israel’s arms industry. Johnson will speak on the impact of military diplomacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how this distant conflict affects civil liberties in the United States.

The event is free. Discussion will follow the presentation.
Synopsis of Topics to be covered:

1 )Israel’s Military Diplomacy: The diplomatic shield of the arms trade

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is destabilizing at a regional level in one of the key geo-political regions in the world. It resonates with Muslims all over the world as one of the last “colonial invasions” of the Muslim world. Negative political developments in the conflict directly linked to spikes in energy prices. Yet Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem & Gaza continues unabated. With such a high cost to the world, how does Israel get away with it?

One of the main reasons is Israel’s military industry and experience. The diplomatic effects of the arms trade and military relationships are an undiscussed secret in world politics. The development, production and transfer of military techniques and technologies warp civilian diplomacy worldwide. As the fourth largest arms exporter in the world in 2006 (on any given year between 3-6), Israel plays an international role disproportionate to its size and resources. All of the main arms exporters reap similar benefits and several also have conflicts they need to shield from international pressure (US -UK/Iraq, Russia/Chechnya). The presentation/discussion will talk about military diplomacy and how it warps civilian diplomacy using Israel as a model.

2) Civil liberties in the US and the Conflict in the Middle East

How do the perpetuation of distant conflicts affect civil liberties at home and create tools of war? Israeli police and intelligence services train their colleagues all over the world. The Israeli military similarly provide technical expertise to a variety of armies, going so far as to build a model Arab town in the Negev to train US forces going into Iraq. Israeli monitoring and surveillance technology is in place on the London Underground, Stockholm’s Public Buses, and countless other destination across the globe. Each of these developments has a plausible security aspect, and an equally strong use against civil liberties and human rights. The only reason Israel can export such technology is due its extensive experience in monitoring and controlling the Palestinians. Just as new tools of control and warfare are being developed by US & UK forces in Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue to work as a laboratory for security systems and techniques of control.

On Monday May 7, 2007 at 6:30 PM MidEast:Just Peace will host high school exchange students from the Middle East at the Traverse Area District Library. Students from Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh will describe both their home countries and the impressions of the United States they have formed from their first school year here in this country. A question and answer period will follow.

The students are studying in the United States and attend Traverse Area high school through the ASSE International Student Exchange Program. This is the 4th year the ASSE program has hosted students from the Middle East. Olave Russell will also be on hand on May 4th to answer questions about hosting an exchange student for the 2007-2008 school year. Students are matched with qualified single individuals, married couples with/without children and retired young-at-heart hosts for a semester, a year or as welcoming families for temporary placements. Olave Russell can be reached at 231-947-2974

The event is free. Light refreshments will be served.

The Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community met on Saturday March 31 to plan for our meeting with Rep. Dave Camp. We chose several speakers and observers to be among a 12 person group ok’d to meet with Dave Camp at his office at 121 E. Front St. at 1:45 PM on Tuesday April 10, 2007. The topic is the Iraq War. The public is welcome to join us outside Camp’s office on that date to illustrate for him that many, many in his District do not support more money for war, more troops and further escalation of the war to Iran.

Join us at 121 E. Front St. at 1:30 PM on April 10, 2007. Send your letters of concern over the war to all your representatives: Contact information for area U.S. Senators and Representatives