The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel
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THE APARTHEID PARADIGM IN PALESTINE-ISRAEL: ISSUES OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY Desmond Tutu CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY FRIENDS OF SABEEL NORTH AMERICA HOSTED BY FRIENDS OF SABEEL NEW ENGLAND Noam Chomsky John Dugard OCTOBER 26 – 27, 2007 Naim Ateek OLD SOUTH CHURCH Diana Buttu 645 BOYLSTON ST BOSTON, MA Donald Wagner USA Jeff Halper Anat Biletzki Noura Erekat Farid Esack David Wildman Phyllis Bennis Joan Martin Nancy Murray photo: Anne Paq/activestills.org What is Apartheid? In 1973, the UN General Assembly adopted the international Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, a crime against humanity. The word ‘apartheid’ means separation in Afrikaans, a language spoken in South Africa. ‘Apartheid’ is defined by the UN as “…a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group … over another … and systematically oppressing them…” by creating ghettos, confiscating land, banning freedom of movement, speech and mixed-marriage and through illegal arrest and detention. Marcia Bushnell "Interrogation" oil/canvas What is Hafrada? The Hebrew word for separation has come to be used by Israeli policy makers to refer to the idea of creating deliberate divisions between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel's barrier carving through the Palestinian West Bank is a conspicuous example, planned to stretch more than 400 miles including the endless spans of 25-foot-high concrete wall still under construction. The structure is called a 'separation fence' in Hebrew. The expression 'unilateral disengagement' for Israel's actions, for example, in Gaza, is yet another way to frame the officially-sanctioned policy of apartheid. Marcia Bushnell "Run if You Can" oil/canvas Cover photo: Anne Paq/activestills.org From 5.00 a.m. onwards, Palestinian workers in Bethlehem queue for hours to try to enter Jerusalem seeking work. Nov. 2006 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS AND T HUMBNAIL OF C ONFERENCE P ROCEEDINGS Apartheid and Hafrada Defined........................................2 A Note from the Director...............................................4 Exhibit Announcement and Contemplation...........................5 Conference Schedule...................................................6-7 Friday Don Wagner Documentary Screenings Desmond Tutu Mahdi Bray Sara Roy Naim Ateek Keynote Diana Buttu John Dugard Jeff Halper Phyllis Bennis Saturday Worship Naim Ateek Anat Biletzki Farid Esack Joan Martin Noam Chomsky David Wildman Noura Erekat Nancy Murray Tom Shaw Desmond Tutu Keynote Rally on Copley Square Biographical Sketches..............................................8-11 List of Exhibitors......................................................12 Sponsor & Supporter Acknowledgments.......................13-14 Advertisements....................................................15-20 Notes pages........................................................21-22 Rally Announcement and Contact Info............................23 Quotable Notables (back cover) ...................................24 Photographs courtesy of Skip Schiel, teeksaphoto.org photo: Simon Bitton 3 Two installations not to miss at this conference are Marcia Bushnell's stirring oil-on-canvas depictions of dispossession and military aggression and an exhibit prepared by the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights (BCPR). The exhibit, “From Apartheid South Africa to Israel/Palestine: Making the Connections,” illustrates on 12 large panels how the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (GA Reso lution 2068) applies to Israel's practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Strangers' Pleasure Trip Mahmoud Darwish (Translated by Lena Jayyusi) I know the house from the sprig of sage, the first window inclines towards the butterflies....blue...red. I know the line of the clouds and at what well the village women will wait in the summer. I know what the dove says when it lays its eggs across the Marcia Bushnell "Expelled" oil/canvas barrel of the rifle. Marcia Bushnell: "These paintings depict the human suffering caused I know who opens the door to the jasmine bush as it both by war and the failure to see opens our dreams to the guests of the evening..... others as ourselves." The strangers' ship has not yet arrived I know the house from the waving of kerchiefs. The first pigeon weeps over my shoulders. And beneath the sky of gospels a child runs for no Bethlehem House with welcoming gate reason. Water runs, and the cypress runs, and the wind photo: Roxane Assaf runs in the wind, and the earth runs within itself. I said: Do not leave the house in a hurry.... Nothing prevents this place from waiting here a little here, while you don the shirt of day, and wear on your feet the shoes of the air The strangers' legend has not yet arrived...... None has arrived An Israeli tour bus discharges Perhaps the strangers have mistaken the road to the visitors to Rachel's Tomb (out of strangers' pleasure trip! frame right), now cut off from the rest of Bethlehem by a concrete wall and solid metal gate. photo: Roxane Assaf Micky Mouse Freedom Lucky Dube Together as One Lucky Dube Mickey Mouse freedom/independence Too many people hate apartheid. Me come ina you country Why do you like it? answers.com That is said to be free We've got to come all together as one. Lucky Dube, South Me sight corruption African anti-apartheid Me sight starvation reggae artist, was shot and killed last week. Walking like a millionaire 'cause you think you country is free Peace to his soul. One thing you don't know is that your country is being remote controlled 4 Mickey Mouse freedom/independence A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR 4 Dear Friends, 26 October 2007 Welcome to the conference "The Apartheid Paradigm in Palestine-Israel: Issues of Justice and Equality" sponsored by Friends of Sabeel North America and hosted by Friends of SaTwobeel installatNew Engliand.ons notIt is to so b geood missed to be bac at kthis in Bos confereton at nthece Oldare SoutMarhc ia Bushnell's stirring oil- Church. Muchon-canvas gratitude isdepictions due to our hosof dispossets, sponsorsssi andon andorganizers milita fryor a callingggres togesionther and an exhibit such an extrapreparedordinary asse by mblythe Bostonof conce rCoalitionned souls andfor Palestiniansterling advoc Ratesigh tfors ( BpeaceCPR and). T he exhibit, “From justice. Apartheid South Africa to Israel/Palestine: Making the Connections,” illustrates on 12 Nobellarge Peace panels Laureate how Archb the iinternationalshop Desmond Tutu'sconvention world- onrenowned Human cou Riragegh tins applies to Israel's confronting thepractices oppression in the of apartheid Occupie ind PalestiniaSouth African Territories.provides both a model and a beacon for those of us working to free Palestine from further decimation by means of non-violent resistance. I am deeply touched that the Archbishop has accepted the invitation to speak at this conference as Patron of Sabeel International since 2003. His visit to Jerusalem during the first Intifada instilled in many of us an unwavering sense of the Archbishop's genuine understanding of the parallels between South African apartheid and Israeli hafrada. It is not often that the idea of history repeating itself evokes a feeling of optimism. But since we know that past walls of separation – both figurative and physical – have been forced to fail, we may take heart in the hope that the constructed separations in Palestine-Israel can succumb to the will of the people who seek peace. Meanwhile, let the "great and high wall" of Jerusalem remain inspirational as described by John the seer in the book of Revelation, with its gates wide open and ever embracing. Let us see that in celebrating Sabeel's spirit of ecumenism, we endorse in both word and action an ideology of inclusiveness and not exclusivity. It is in working together that our rejection of false securities and earthly empires can result in victory for the unarmed seeker of justice and tranquility. Yours in Peace, Desmond Tutu addresses a crowd in front of Boston's Old South Church in 2002 with Naim Ateek looking on. Rev. Canon Dr. Naim Ateek Dir. Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Ctr. Jerusalem After 30 years of parish ministry, Naim Ateek took an early retirement and dedicated his time to the ministry of Sabeel, Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center that he helped to found at the beginning of the 1990’s. As the president and director of Sabeel, he expanded Sabeel’s ministry both inside the country as well as abroad. In addition to the work of justice and peace, it includes the ecumenical ministry within the Christian community and the inter-faith work between Christians and Muslims. Sabeel has expanded internationally, and Friends of Sabeel chapters have been established in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Australia, and Ireland. Chapters are forming in France & Germany. Pictured left with Desmond Tutu: Canon Dr. Richard Toll, and Sr. Elaine Kelley, FOSNA Steering Committee Chair and Administrative Officer, respectively. 5 F RIDAY 26 O CTOBER 2007 2:30 – 6:00pm REGISTRATION [CHURCH FOYER] Networking, book sales, exhibits and information tables Meal tickets issued at registration for early dinner meal [DISPLAY AREA AND FOOD SALES SECOND FLOOR] 2:45 – 3:45pm DOCUMENTARY SCREENING [FOURTH FLOOR] “The Iron Wall” 3:00 – 4:00pm TEACH-IN [GORDON CHAPEL – ENTRANCE LEVEL] Donald Wagner "Anxious about Armageddon? Challenging Christian