(from my e-mail)
Dear friends,
We now have seen it all. I will allow the below article and the draft resolution (.pdf) being floated to House of Representative members explain. You may also get info from the Churches for Middle East Peace ACTION ALERT.
Please speak to your church, mosque and synagogue congregations. Demand that your community religious take action. Print out the Open Bethlehem press release and distribute this Fri-Sat-Sun.
This is a gross injury to everyone’s intelligence.
Astonished at the failure of US democracy to produce competent leaders,
Sam
Congress grossly misled about plight of Palestinian Christians
Press Release, Open Bethlehem, 15 June 2006
Open Bethlehem is a Bethlehem city initiative to preserve the historic character of our Holy city within an open, democratic and multi-faith Middle East. Open Bethlehem was launched on 9 November 2005, declaring Bethlehem an open city and announcing the issue of a Bethlehem passport, given to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Open Bethlehem hosts tours, delegations, events promoters and investors on the basis that Bethlehem is a city of openness and diversity, with a centuries-old tradition of welcoming travellers, refugees and pilgrims from across the world. [Read More]
For Arabs Only
Israeli Law and Order
By JONATHAN COOK
14 June 2006
Imagine the following scenario. A Palestinian gunman boards a bus inside Israel and rides it to the city of Netanya. Close to the end of the line, he walks over to the driver, levels his automatic rifle against the man’s head and pumps him with bullets. He turns and empties the rest of the magazine — one of 14 in his backpack — into the passenger behind the driver and two young women sitting across the gangway.
As bystanders in the street outside look on in horror, our gunman then reloads his weapon and sprays the bus with yet more fire, injuring 20 people. He approaches a woman huddled beneath a seat, trying to hide from him, lowers the gun to her head and pulls the trigger. The magazine is empty. As he tries to load a third clip, she grabs the burning barrel of the gun while other passengers rush him.
Seeing their chance, the onlookers storm the bus and fuelled by a mixture of passions — fury, indignation and fear of further attack — they beat the gunman to death.
As the news breaks, Israeli TV prefers to continue its coverage of a local football match rather report the killings. Later, when the channels do cover the deaths, they start by showing the picture of the gunman with the caption “God bless his soul” — in the same manner as they would normally relate to the victim of a terror attack. (Cont.)