Mideast Just Peace

The War on Lebanon: A Reader
Edited by Nubar Hovsepian, Olive Branch Press

Parts One-Three on Tuesday, March 25
Parts Four-Six on Tuesday, April 22
Discussion at 7PM at Horizon Bookstore in Traverse City
Buy the book at Horizon at get a 10% discount as part of MidEast:JustPeace Book Club

Our book selection for March and April is “The War on Lebanon: A Reader”, a compelling set of essays on Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon.

What explains Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers and the scale of Israel’s retaliation? Why did the US reject an early ceasefire, instead egging on Israel as it pummeled Lebanon and casualties mounted? Why did President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice believe the Lebanese and other Arabs would welcome the “birth pangs” of a “new Middle East” designed by the US and Israel? And where will it all lead? Can the party continue to be both part of Lebanon’s parliament and an independent resistance movement? Will Lebanon become a modern, non-sectarian state or will the confessional order be further entrenched?

These and other vital questions are addressed in this collection of essays by internationally respected scholars and experts from around the world who examine the ethical, legal and strategic issues of the conflict, and analyze the consequences facing the region and the world in the wake of the Israeli invasion. Ultimately, the solution for Lebanon is intricately connected to the wider issues of the Middle East, including the right of the Palestinians to independence.”

Contributors include: Rashid Khalidi • Yoav Peled • Virginia Tilley • Sara Roy • Ussama Makdisi • Noam Chomsky • Fawwaz Traboulsi • Asa’d Abukhalil • Lara Deeb • Georges Corm • Stephen Zunes • Irene Gendzier • Azmi Bishara • Yitzhak Laor • Rasha Salti • Elias Khoury • Ziad Majed • Rami Khouri • Assaf Kfoury • Richard Falk • Phyllis Bennis • Haneen Sayed • William Hartung • Fred Halliday • Nubar Hovsepian • Hanady Salman • Kirsten Scheid • Hiam Brinjikji • Asli Bali • Frida Berrigan • Zafiris Tzannatos

MidEast:JustPeace 2007 Film Series Continues

Monday, August 13, 2007 at 7PM at the Traverse Area District Library

WAR MADE EASY How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death A Film Narrated by Sean Penn/Featuring Norman Solomon
War Made Easy exposes a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another. With special attention to parallels between the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq and using remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, War Made Easy reveals how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.
Free/Donations Welcome 72 minute film/Discussion to follow

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

ANTI-WAR MEETING THIS SATURDAY MARCH 31, 2007
12 Noon to 2:00 PM- Friends Meeting House - Oak & 5th, Traverse City

From Amnesty International 21 March 2007 ISRAEL/OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Right to family life denied Foreign spouses of Palestinians barred
Download the Report from Amnesty International.

Please act to help!

Thanks to all who helped organize the Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community Anti-War Events this Week. Great to see so many new faces at yesterday’s events. We live in a pretty good community. Future Meetings of the Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community will be announced SOON! For more information, visit Traverse Peace Alerts.

Click For Larger Version

We gathered on the fishing docks by the Boardman river for a Peace portrait. Click on the photo for a larger file.

200 plus people came out to show their opposition to the continue war on Iraq, and to call an end to the war that began four years ago. Record-Eagle Coverage of March 17, 2007 Traverse City Demonstration and add your VOTE on the Record-Eagle Opinion Poll: “As the war enters its fifth year, how should the U.S. move forward?”

TIME TO WRITE THAT LETTER!! Record Eagle asks for Your Views: Submit your views on the war in 100 words or less and they’ll be printed in a future edition of the Record-Eagle and online. Write to letters@record-eagle.com.

Click here for a video clip from March 17th protest in Traverse City.

Skyler Hobbes leading chants like, “Who lot the Bomb’s Drop? Bush, Bush…”

Tom Webster standing along Front St in Traverse City looks for reactions from passing cars. “I want the troops to come home,” he said. “This war is ridiculous. They should have never been sent there.”

A family of protesters standing along Cass St.

Anti-War Presence @ Camp, Stabenow & Levin Offices
Monday March 5th 11:00 AM
Join the Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community’s Campaign to keep our representatives on notice that they should act toward withdrawing the troops and cutting funding for the war. Meet at Horizon Shine Cafe at 10:30 AM on Monday. Other visits to their offices will be posted at www.TraversePeaceAlerts.org. Northern Michigan People for Peace are going to Stupak’s office in Petoskey at noon. For those details, contact <mjhholly@avci.net>

TELL THE WORLD

A Local Report from Palestine Monday, March 5, 2007 at 7:00 PM at the Traverse Area District Library, MidEast:JustPeace hosts Leelanau County residents James McCormick and Mary Heffron. McCormick and Heffron will report on their recent attendance at Sabeel Conferences in Jerusalem and Cleveland. A short 2006 Sabeel video regarding Bethlehem will also be shown. Discussion will follow presentations. Free/Donations Welcome.

Download a Flyer HERE

WEEK OF ACTIVITIES
Wednesday March 14:
Demonstration at Sen. Levin and Rep. Camp’s Offices
Noon until 1PM. Meet @ parking structure on Front and Park St.
See Updates from Occupation Project HERE

Thursday March 15:
Film “Sir! No Sir!” 7PM @ Grace Episcopal Hall
@ corner of Washington and Boardman. Discussion to follow.

Friday March 16:
Peace Potluck & Sign Making 5PM to 6:30 PM @ Grace Episcopal Hall
Screening of short anti-war films by local filmmakers @ 7PM

Saturday March 17:
Anti-War Demonstration - Gather 2:30PM & March at 3PM
@ Lay Park on 6th and Union. Bring Signs & Banners.

Anti-War Planning Meetings: We still need volunteers to help with events.
Saturday 10 Noon until 1:30 PM. Friends Meeting House @ corner of 5th and Oak.
(Grace Episcopal Church providing space for events, but is not a sponsor.)

No More $$$ For War and Our Troops Home NOW Yard Signs will be ready on March 5th.
Price $5. Available at March 10 Anti-War Planning meeting. Signs will also be available at 1118 Santo and 727 Washington in TC. Other locations to be announced SOON. If you want signs to sell, contact <mkrom@centurytel.net>