Rajapaksa Irked By TNA’s Visit To India

August 24, 2014

President Rajapaksa has been heavily vexed at the TNA meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has expressed his discontent through an emissary to TNA leader R. Sampanthan, the weekly English newspaper Sunday Times reports.

In its political column today, the ST has revealed that President Rajapaksa expressed his displeasure to Sampanthan through an emissary before the departure of the TNA delegation. According to the columnist, the President had been vexed about the lack of intimation to the government and had described TNA delegation’s trip to New Delhi as a step aimed at ‘cornering him and his government’ and with the aim of changing the government.

Moreover, he had also referred to the re-appointment of Northern Province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri – one of the causes of friction between the UPFA government and the TNA – and stated that he earlier agreed not to extend Chandrasiri’s term only because the Provincial Council had adopted a resolution to oust him.

President Rajapaksa who expressed his discontent furthermore, has been quoted in ST as stating however despite wherever Sampanthan and his party goes, they would eventually have to come to him – otherwise they will not be able to talk about resolving issues.

Meanwhile, the same sources have been quoted in ST as stating that Sampanthan had rejected the accusations that their visit was aimed at prompting a government change. “Whatever is said and done, I am the leader of a Tamil political party. We are seeking a political solution. We are going at the invitation of the government of India to explain our position,” he had said responding to President’s emissary.

TNA leader R. Sampanthan and five TNA MPs including Mavai Senathirajah, MA Sumanthiran, Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Suresh Premachandran and Pon Selvaraj met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday.

Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin commenting on meeting had said, “Sushma Swaraj stressed on the need for a political solution that addresses substantially the aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that ensure equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of united Sri Lanka.”

TNA delegation meanwhile had a meeting with the Indian PM on Saturday where several issues including the fuller implementation of the 13th amendment to the constitution was discussed.

US probes monitoring MP’s huge deals with PR firms

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, August 24, 2014

TNA leader R. Sampanthan meeting Premier Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday. tamilwin.com

Revelations in the Sunday Times in the past two weeks have prompted a review of mandatory information forwarded to the US Department of Justice by public relations (PR) and lobbying firms assigned by Sri Lanka using vast sums of public money. The FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) Unit of the US Justice Department said it would conduct a re-scrutiny. Timothy Pugh of the Unit functioning under the Attorney General’s Department said we “will review the information” forwarded by the registrants.

US Probes Monitoring MP’s Huge Deals With PR Firms by Thavam

India firm on 13A 


By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday urged all Sri Lankan stakeholders to engage constructively, in a spirit of partnership and mutual accommodation, towards finding a political solution that builds upon the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution.
 
The Prime Minister met the six-member TNA delegation, led by MP R. Sampanthan, yesterday afternoon at his office.
The PM stressed the need for a political solution that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self-respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.
 
'In this context,' he said, "All stakeholders in Sri Lanka should engage constructively, in a spirit of partnership and mutual accommodation, towards finding a political solution that builds upon the 13th Amendment." The TNA briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in Sri Lanka and their assessment and expectations regarding devolution and national reconciliation.
 
On Friday, when the TNA delegation met Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, she too insisted that the 13th Amendment is the substantial solution for Sri Lanka and it was the framework India is currently working on.
When the Indian press questioned the Official Spokesman of the MEA, Syed Akbaruddin, on Friday evening, whether the substantial solution for Sri Lanka is the 13A, he said, "You are aware that the 13A was stemming from the India-Sri Lanka Accord, and that is something that the Sri Lankans have themselves adopted as their legislative framework, and that is the framework in which we are working currently."
 
The TNA delegation made a presentation to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a fairly detailed manner about what they perceive as the current situation in Sri Lanka, in terms of the political environment and their engagement or otherwise with the Sri Lankan Government.
 
"Minister Swaraj patiently listen to them, and she stressed the need for a political solution that addresses substantially the aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka for equality, dignity, justice and self-respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka," he said.
 
New Delhi also said it has not taken any decision to send back Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu.
"There is no decision to return them, and the issue was raised in the context of the discussions by the TNA delegation. MP Sampanthan told the minister that a number of refugees would like to go back and resettle, but they are having difficulties because of land-related issues in the Northern Province," the spokesman added.
When the question was raised whether the Government of India endorses Dr. Subramanian Swamy's statement that the Tamil-Sinhalese crisis was a linguistic problem and not an ethnic problem between the two communities, and that it is only a problem of mistrust, he said, "A political solution to the issue that addresses substantially the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, justice, dignity and self-respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka was our position and remains so." It is said MP Sampanthan had revealed to the Indian media that Tamil monuments were destroyed by the Sri Lankan military.
 
Modi wants to meet Wigi
Prime Minister Modi has inquired the TNA delegation whether Northern Province Chief Minister, C. V. Wigneswaran, would like to meet him, Ceylon Today learns.
TNA members have replied 'certainly he would like to come and discuss the practical aspects of working of the 13 A'.
Thereafter, the Prime Minister had looked at his officials and said a meeting with the Chief Minister should be arranged.

Modi appeals to all Sri Lankans: Work together constructively 

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN-August 23, 2014

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, August 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to all Sri Lankans to work together constructively and evolve a political solution to the island-nation’s ethnic problem.

Talking to a delegation of six Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Province here, Modi said all stakeholders in Sri Lanka should engage "constructively" in a spirit of partnership and mutual accommodation within the framework of a "united Sri Lanka."

The Prime Minister stated this after the Sri Lankan Tamil MPs briefed him on the situation, including the alleged moves by the Sri Lankan government to change the cultural and linguistics identity of the north-eastern areas and militarization in the Tamil-majority localities.

Modi assured the TNA delegation of India’s continuing support for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, particularly in projects relating to housing, livelihood generation, capacity building, education, hospitals and infrastructure.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the TNA delegation briefed Modi on the situation in Sri Lanka and their "assessment and expectations" regarding devolution and national reconciliation.

"The Prime Minister stressed the need for a political solution that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

"In this context, the Prime Minister urged all stakeholders in Sri Lanka to engage constructively, in a spirit of partnership and mutual accommodation, towards finding a political solution that builds upon the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution," it said.

The visit of TNA leaders is part of India`s continuing engagement with the government and political parties in Sri Lanka, the PMO statement said.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting that lasted for an hour, TNA leader and delegation head R Sampanthan said Modi expressed interest in meeting Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister of CV Wigneswaran.

"Modi has expressed his interest in meeting our Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister. He welcomed the Chief Minister," Sampanthan said.

The six-member delegation includes Mavai S Senathirajah, K (Suresh) Premachandran, P Selvarajah, Selvam Adaikkalanathan and MA Sumanthiran.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Nripendra Misra, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh were present at the meeting.  

Jaffna: A Medieval Tamil Hindu 

State

| by Dr. Naresha Duraiswamy

( August 24, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) There was a Tamil kingdom in north Sri Lanka that lasted between 350 to 400 years despite the vicissitudes, turbulence and interruptions. The Kingdom of Jaffna developed maritime and commercial influence of some importance in the 1300s of the Common Era (CE). The 1400s CE witnessed external factors at play that led to a relative military decline. There was however a significant cultural efflorescence. The kingdom faced internal dissension and intrigue in the 1500s CE before falling to the Portuguese in 1621. Here is a remarkable story that is often forgotten in today’s historical discourse.

I am indebted to the publications cited in the bibliography below. Particular acknowledgement is due to the seminal work of Professor S. Pathmanathan. I am not a historian by academic background and the narrative below is written strictly in my private and individual capacity.

Jaffna a Medieval Tamil Hindu by Thavam

Government wakes up from its slumber : says MaRa’s sudden tour of US was in view of a pre-planned appointment




(Lanka-e-News- 24.Aug.2014, 8.30PM) It is by now a well known fact that some media websites including Lanka e news which publish parallel reports posted the news that Medamulana Percy Mahendra Rajapakse was struck by a sudden illness and taken abroad immediately . 

Following these reports the government which strangely remained silent for a day and slept with eyes widely opened , had suddenly woken up as suddenly as Medamulana Percy Mahendra Rajapakse flew to the US ,and made an official announcement .

No matter what , it is a fact that Percy Mahendra Rajapkse was flown to Houston city , Texas , America on Satureday (23) at about 2.30 p.m. USA time.

Dudley Rajapakse a citizen of America residing at Houston is a brother of Percy Mahendra Rajapakse . They have both left for America together on this trip. Previously on two occasions ,when Percy Mahendra Rajapakse fell ill , he received treatment at M.D. Anderson cancer center hospital , Houston .

In any case ,the announcement made by the government that Percy Mahendra Rajapakse left for America on account of a prior appointment made by him is debunked by the following data :

All appointments made by him have been cancelled suddenly until the 29 th.

Percy Mahendra Rajapakse already had chosen Friday to declare open the shopping complex before his sudden tour ,but this was cancelled citing rain as an excuse . It is worthy of note that it is never a custom in Sri Lanka (SL) to cancel inauguration ceremonies because of rain , since the date and time of inauguration ceremonies are fixed based on auspicious times carefully calculated , and rain is considered as an additional blessing by the people of SL.

President leaves to US secretly

SUNDAY, 24 AUGUST 2014  

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has suddenly gone abroad stating it is a private visit. However, certain sources say the President was taken to the USA on the 22nd as he was suddenly taken very ill.

A flight that was scheduled to leave on the 22nd had been cancelled and the President was flown with a special medical team say these sources. However, the government has not disclosed any information regarding this. According to sources all arrangements have been made under the supervision of President’s brother Dudley Rajapaksa, who is a US citizen.

Intelligence sections had reported to the government that Rajapaksa government is not faring well at the Uva PC election campaign. Meanwhile, the internal conflict of Rajapaksa family has developed and the feud between Namal and Shaeendra  had taken a center stage. Also, Defense Secretary, despite President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s opposition, had made all arrangements to come to politics from Colombo.

The talk about the President secretly going abroad is going round under such an environment.

Sri Lanka’s Secrets.How Rajapaksa gets away 

with murder Book Launch

 Sunday, 24 August 2014

Sri Lanka’s Secrets” is published by Monash University Publishing with a foreword by eminent human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC. Grant said that the motivation to write this book came out of life stories that he kept hearing from Tamil asylum-seekers in Australia.

“I work closely with these people as a convenor with the Tamil Refugee Council, helping torture victims, presenting the Tamil Manifest show on Melbourne radio 3CR and driving a van to deliver clothing, food and furniture to those struggling to exist under Australia's heartless refugee policy. In my travels I heard horrendous tales about the precarious existence for Tamils in their traditional homeland, before, during and after the war,” he said.

“I have been a journalist in the mainstream Australian media for 45 years. I know how to decipher fact from fiction. It was soon obvious to me that there was nothing false about these stories. They were real, alright, and, soon enough, I also discovered the extent of the evil complicity that had allowed a brutal regime to slaughter tens of thousands of innocent people and then carry on with its' genocidal plan, without so much as a UN Security Council censure.”

“It made be ashamed of my country, knowing that after wiping out the bulk of its' indigenous population, it is complicit in another genocide,” he added.

While carious human rights groups in the west are content with only counting the trees with respect to the island, Grant minces no words in calling a spade a spade.

‘Sri Lanka’s Secrets’, which is illustrated with graphic photos of the war and its aftermath, has poignant eye-witness accounts of survivors who experienced the war, torture and rape first-hand.

However, the book is not a tale of suffering devoid of political content because the author contextualizes the local and international scenario in which these atrocities happened.

Grant recognizes that the brutalities meted out to the Tamils are not just about the Rajapaksa regime but that the current president is “simply the most successful at it, in a long line of Sinhalese rulers whose desire to contain and destroy the Tamil identity and culture has known no bounds.”

The author notes how foreign powers tilted the balance in favour of the Sri Lankan government. He also exposes in detail the level of complicity that Australia has in legitimizing Sri Lanka, elaborating on Australia’s cruel treatment of Tamil asylum seekers.

He explains that “the Australian Government has been party to giving a nod and a wink to the Sri Lankan government to continue its persecution of Tamils and, thus, has contributed to the flight of asylum seekers they are trying to stop.”

The author also criticizes the inaction of the UN during the war and after for being responsible for the genocidal atrocities committed on the Tamils, condemning it for “callous indifference and abject incompetence.”

Despite elaborate accounts of the horrific crimes endured by Tamil survivors, Grant’s book is not defeatist as its conclusion shows.

“There is always one thing that despots forget as they go about their business of murder and terror. You can kill thousands of people, but you can never kill the human spirit.”

India now boasts of 18 firms with market capitalisation of INR 1 trillion each! 

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN-August 23, 2014,

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, August 23: India Inc’s coveted club of companies with market capitalisation (m-cap) of more than one trillion rupees (US$ 166.6 billion) each now boasts of 18 members. The current market rally, which has seen benchmark indices gain about 40 per cent in a year, has added five companies to the coveted club.

During the peak of the previous bull market in 2008, there were only 13 companies on this list.

In the past year, ICICI Bank, Sun Pharmaceutical, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Motors and HCL Technologies have joined the elite club.

Since May 16 this year, the day the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced, only one company has found its way into the list—HCL Technologies.

In the past year, the overall m-cap of India’s companies has swelled by INR 33 trillion to INR 92.5 trillion, of which the 18 companies with m-cap of more than INR 1 trillion account for 43 per cent. This suggests that concentration of wealth among the top companies has increased. In 2008, the 13 companies on the list accounted for 34 per cent of the overall m-cap.

Companies that have dropped from the list include realty major DLF, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications MMTC, NMDC, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Steel Authority of India Ltd. The stocks of these companies have come off sharply since 2008.

Currently, Tata Consultancy Services, which wasn’t part of this club in 2008, is at the top of the list. Tahe technology major’s market value is about INR 1.16 trillion more than Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s, the second on the list.

Reliance Industries, at the top of the list in 2008, is now third; its m-cap is INR 1.2 trillion less than what it was then.

In the past year, the list of companies with m-cap of more than INR 500 billion has almost doubled to 40. Thanks to a twofold increase in their stocks, automobile makers Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Hero MotoCorp have seen their market value breach the half-a-trillion-rupee mark. This club includes UltraTech Cement, Hindustan Zinc and Asian Paints.

Accuntability, Efficiency And Pluralism: The Need And The Possibility Of Urgent Reform

By Rajiva Wijesinha -August 24, 2014

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

It is not likely that the President will be awakened swiftly from the enchantment cast upon him by his closest advisers. However, if and when he does realize that a change is essential if he is to preserve not just his legacy, but even perhaps his Presidency, he has some obviously desirable remedies to hand.

For though the Parliamentary Select Committee has thus far achieved nothing, it has had some very sensible proposals brought before it by moderates within government. The Liberal Party made suggestions made on its experience of acting as a link between successive governments and representatives of Tamil parties, but even more important were the suggestions made by Vasantha Senanayake on behalf of a group of young politicians and professionals. Subsequently the Liberal Party, after studying the proposals, wrote to the PSC endorsing them.

Vasantha was the scion of a great political family. His great grandfather D S Senanayake had been Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister, and his great uncle Dudley had been elected Prime Minister three times. Both had presided over Cabinets with representation from popular Tamil political parties.

Vasantha however had left the United National Party, which his great grand father had founded, and now sat in Parliament as a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, to which the President belonged. He, like many other promising youngsters, had been sidelined by Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had, on the pattern of his mother’s cousin, J R Jayewardene, wanted absolute control of his party, and thought ability less important than personal loyalty.                                                    Read More

Basic Social Etiquette For The Buddha

By Darshanie Ratnawalli -August 24, 2014

Darshanie Ratnawalli

“Buddhaghosa’s role, as well as that of Mahanama, the author of the Mahavamsa, was to translate the available material into Pali (see Mhv. Tika, i, 36, etc., loc. cit., pp. Ivi). As the Tika states, the Mahavamsa was a faithful rendering of the original Sinhalese source-material with the only change that it was put into Pali verse. Compared with the previous clumsy attempt at versification in the Dipavarnsa, Mahavamsa stands out as a work of considerable poetic achievement though it falls short of the elegant poetry of the Canonical metrical literature. The fact that it was a metrical rendering could have placed certain restrictions and limitations on the author as regards presenting a faithful rendering of the original material. In the case of the Bahiranidana there were no such restrictions, and undoubtedly one may suppose that it is even more faithful to the original Sinhalese source than the more elegant literary product, the Mahavamsa. It is partly on this basis that minor discrepancies in some proper names between the Bahiranidana and the Chronicles are to be explained, e.g. Issaranimmana, Kalingakula, Pakundaka, Tavakka, etc. (see notes to Translation). However, the word-for-word similarity between wholesale passages of the Bahiranidana and the Chronicles (see Geiger, the Dipavarnsa and Mahavamsa, 106 ff.) shows that there were no wide divergences between them. This similarity does not presuppose the fact that the chronologically later work was based on the earlier work, but that they go back to a common tradition.” - (p XXIV, N.A. Jayawickrama;1962^[i]- full text)

‘Holmes, if we were to introduce this lady to the sources of Mahavamsa through carefully selected paragraphs like the above, do you think it would make any difference?’    Read More  

                             

Brown vs America vs the Islamic State – and 

the rest of us, spectators 

Rajan Philips-August 23, 2014,

President Obama is under siege. Not enough having to put out fires in far flung places he was suddenly faced with a domestic flair in Ferguson, Missouri. The brutal shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year old unarmed African American kid, by a white policeman, brought Ferguson, a quiet rundown St. Louis suburb, to the brink of civil unrest. The rest of the country was put on edge.

Brown vs America vs the Islamic State – and by Thavam

The conflict between Israel and Gaza: Silence of UN and US led world

by Dr. Siri Gamage 

- on 08/24/2014 

On again and off again ceasefires, rocket launches, bombings and killings involving Israel and Gaza dominate television news at this time. When the indirect talks between the two sides fail in Cairo, the military campaigns restart and the destruction caused by Israeli bombings in Gaza is there for all of us to see. Buildings with several stories, UN schools, civilian areas, shops, electricity generating facilities or any other civilian facility is not out of bound for the Israeli military forces if they believe there are Hamas fighters in them. By now over 2000 casualties and over 10000 injured have been reported in Gaza whereas the Israeli casualty figure is less than 70, overwhelming majority being military personnel. In the meantime, rockets from Gaza keep coming to Southern Israel and other parts but they are ineffective and crude creations as the US funded and provided Dome shield is capturing and destroying them once in the air.  These rockets fall largely in vacant areas of land causing no major injury to the civilians in Israel. The casualty rate from such rockets has been remarkably low. Yet the fear caused by these rockets seems to be vey high among the population in Israel subjected to such attacks.  Fear –real and constructed- is an important weapon in modern warfare.

The scale of firepower available to Israel vs Gaza militants is drastically uneven. Israel has a regular army, airforce, navy, and intelligence services well funded by the government of Israel. It is receiving ammunition, rockets, bombs, armed vehicles, guns, planes and ships from major arms suppliers from around the world on the top of Israel’s own capacity to manufacture such weapons legally. Added to this, Israel also seems to employ a well-funded, highly professional public relations machinery to provide its version of the events to the world through international media.

The world leaders, in particular President Obama, are alarmingly but not surprisingly silent about the ongoing carnage going on in Gaza due to the close relationship between Israel and the US as allies and friends in the Western sphere. Middle Eastern countries that had voiced their concerns in previous episodes of military conflict are also silent on this occasion. Even the humanitarian catastrophic unfolding in Gaza with Israeli bombings does not seem to be moving Obamas of this world to either exert greater influence on Israel or to condemn its disproportionate attacks in Gaza causing enormous amount of civilian casualties.

It appears that the strategy on the part of the US and other Western powers is to allow enough time and space for Israel to continue its military campaign to such a point that Hamas, the elected government in Gaza, and it’s armed wing plus other armed groups are annihilated beyond repair. Unlike in other armed conflicts, there don’t seem to be concerns about collateral damage this time when it comes to Gaza attacks by Israel. Israel, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, is hitting hard, and hitting at any target if Israeli war planners deem it necessary to teach a lesson to Hamas and bring its carders to their knees. The publicly pronounced goal however is to secure Israeli populations security and stop the rockets coming from Gaza. Israel leadership argues that so long as rockets keep coming from Gaza, there will be no talks with Palestinians in Cairo, and Israel will employ disproportionate lethal “weapons of deep penetration and destruction”(WDPD) to hit hard at Hamas.

The UN seems to be irrelevant in this time of human destruction, carnage, and terror unleashed by Israel on the Gaza population except as providers of humanitarian assistance and temporary refuge. Security Council is hamstrung in taking any meaningful decisions because historically the US has used its veto power when discussions on this conflict took place. It is also important to note that the US tried to negotiate a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians without success before and while the current round of hostilities started.  The world body responsible for world peace and security is busy issuing statements about the rise of Islamic terrorists in northern Iraq or the Ukrainian conflict. Both these conflicts are much more important to Western powers than the Israeli and Palestinian conflict because the Western governments know that Israel has the upper hand in that conflict compared to Palestinians who are under long-term occupation and oppression. To obtain an understanding of the extent of Israeli occupation and Palestinian oppression, see this video produced by some human rights activists who visited the West Bank:

Though the root cause of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians is the former’s occupation of Palestinian land and numerous check points, settlements, roads and other facilities created exclusively for the Jews, dispossession plus the daily humiliation caused, the Israeli, Australian, British and US media give prominence to the Israeli line of argument as to why the current military campaign was started? Namely, it is to provide security to the Israeli population. For this to happen and quietness to dawn on Israel, the argument goes that the rockets from Gaza has to stop completely. The implication drawing from this line of argument is that the carnage being created in Gaza by Israel is justified, irrespective of the human and physical destruction, the imbalance in fire power between the two sides, and the disproportionality of fire power used by Israel. Furthermore, these media in Western capitals also adopt the Israeli line that Hamas has to be blamed for the destruction caused by Israel. So for Israel and its backers in the Western capitals, the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, in this case in Gaza, starts from the fact of firing rockets and disturbing peace and quiet in Israeli life.

What about the ‘peace and quiet’ of the Palestinians? This is a secondary issue for the above players in the world stage. For those who are supporting the Israeli view, when and if Hamas stop firing rockets to Israel from Gaza, the heavens will open, and people in Gaza will be able to live happily thereafter because Israel will stop bombings and other targeted killings. Is this so? Not quite. One has to listen to the Palestinians to understand why? From their point of view, the Israeli occupation and the blockade of Gaza from air, land, and sea will not stop, even if the rockets being fired from Gaza are stopped. In the view of Palestinians, including Hamas, it is the Israeli occupation that is the root cause of the conflict. Until a permanent solution to this is found through negotiations, peace in Israel is not secured.

But who can negotiate such a peace deal? Could the US be the broker for peace while at the same time being a close ally of Israel? There is differing opinion about this. But the intention of this article is not to dwell on this topic. It is basically to question the world powers’ conscience and the inability of the current world system and it’s multilateral agencies to exert enough pressure on Israel, being the occupying power, to move in the direction of peace negotiations rather than a military solution. Though it is reported that over 300,000 Jews live in the West Bank in well-secured settlements with government subsidies, and the hard line, conservative parties in the coalition are pressing for further expansion of such settlements -not less- from a long-term perspective, it makes every sense to reach a settlement with Palestinians. Yet Israel seems to be unwilling to do so citing its long-term security. The question one has to ask in this situation is whether Israel has much to lose materially if the occupation is ended, now that it has built a security wall separating so called Palestinians areas from the so called Jewish areas? Water seems to be a crucial factor for Israel along with the land, more than security that is driving its cravings for Palestinian occupation at any cost.

Those Western governments that are advocating human rights, civil rights, and political rights of peoples governed by tyrants or semi dictators in the name of democracy in various parts of the world thus do not seem to have legitimacy for their calls for such rights so long as they are simultaneously supporting Israel’s occupation of Palestine, modern day apartheid being implemented on Palestinians’ land, and the ongoing carnage and human misery in Gaza. For such governments, there can’t be one logic applied to Israel as a nation among nations and another to various other nations who engage in mischief. The US and it’s allies need to try to resolve the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinians by investing more resources and political will instead of repeating the Israeli line and setting aside the issue saying either it is too difficult or it is up to the warring parties to settle for peace.  The Palestinians have two choices in this context:  Succumb to Western and US pressure and accept the minimum to enjoy modern amenities of life in relative peace or suffer the consequences of a world system and its inaction if they choose to ask for their lost land, equal rights, self determination and liberation from occupation.

The disenfranchised and humiliated Palestinian population under occupation and modern apartheid deserve the same quality of life, security, and opportunities as those desired by Israelis. In an age where Russian or Chinese expansionism is criticised by Western governments and it’s media as unacceptable and wrong in international law, it is very difficult for the observers of international affairs to understand how these governments can tolerate and almost accept Israeli expansionism that has been at play for over thirty years, against so many UN resolutions?

Countries like China, Russia, and India also have a special duty to exert their political and moral power on the world stage to canvass support for a negotiated settlement.  So should all peace loving peoples, organisations, and individuals around the world.  When the mainstream media are biased, one option for these individuals and groups to obtain a balance of reports about the conflict is to access various online media and sites.  We are living in an age where governments are increasingly controlling-not only governing- our lives.  The tide can be reversed if as informed citizens we look at alternative news sources to obtain accurate reports about what’s happening in the world.

Netanyahu warns Gaza civilians after Israel destroys apartment tower

A Palestinian boy looks out a car window driving past the rubble of a residential tower, which witnesses said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City August 24, 2014.

BY NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI AND JEFFREY HELLER-GAZA/JERUSALEM Sun Aug 24, 2014

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Palestinian civilians on Sunday to leave immediately any site where militants are operating, one day after Israel took the Gaza war to a new level by flattening a 13-storey apartment tower.
Netanyahu Warns Gaza Civilians After Israel Destroys Apartment Tower by Thavam