Palestinian human rights groups reject anti-terror conditions on USAID mon

[Gimel]

By Arnon Regular



Palestinian human rights organizations in Gaza and the West Bank have announced their intention to refuse aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a U.S. government organization that provides humanitarian assistance worldwide.

The refusal of the Palestinian groups stems from USAID's requirement that they sign a declaration that they do not receive funds from, or grant funds to, terror organizations. A list containing the names of thousands of terror organizations and corporations identified with terrorist elements was compiled by executive order of U.S. President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks. In addition, hundreds of heads of terror organizations are listed, from Al-Qaida down to insignificant organizations.

Continued here...

Is this a tactical choice? Support for terrorists is a hard habit to break, evidently.

[_Jumper_]

1. What can we do to help them break that habit?

Not only is terrorism immoral, it has been a miserable failure for the Palestinians. How do we reduce the appetite to kill their Jewish counterparts among young Palestinian extremists? How can we reduce extremism there and get them to realize that a strategy of terror has failed?

[el_gato]

2. Go ask the IDF to do the same

[Gimel]

3. The Peace Fence

...is non-violent.

[Resistance]

4. Peace Bullets aren't

[Gimel]

5. Your choice

bullets or a peace fence.

[Resistance]

16. How about Israel stop all its terrorism?

[Gimel]

17. It is possible

that there is confusion here. The wall will take the place of troops, stationed to prevent terrorist infiltration. The cities of Jenin and Nablus, with the PA in charge, will of course put a stop to terrorist activity once the IDF has redeployed.

[Resistance]

18. Putting aside the issue of land theft

that is the obvious goal of the Apartheid Wall, who do you think is going to stop IDF terrorist activity?

[Gimel]

19. I think

that terrorist activity is done by the terrorist groups which practice genocide on Israeli citizens. IDF soldiers have the duty and obligation to arrest and detain terrorists of the said variety. Of course, outlaws always consider the law their enemy. (Hence the word terrorist is applied to the IDF in propaganda posted by terrorist organizations.)

[Resistance]

20. So what is the definition, then

of IDF terrorist activity on Palestinian civilians? (since you object to applying the term "terrorist")

[Gimel]

24. Contradiction

There is none and can be none, for you are begging the question be answered your way.

[forgethell]

6. Terrorists first,

the IDF will continue to defend Israel. Palestinians have always held their own fate in their hands and continue tto drop it.

There are 2 parties, one has been willing to take risks for peace, the other has simply demanded that they get what they want without givng anything up.

I leave it to you to decide which is which.

[meti57b]

9. well-said ....

"Not only is terrorism immoral, it has been a miserable failure for the Palestinians."

Immoral ... and it surely has been a miserable failure for them! Changing the minds of young terrorists is indeed difficult, as they are being brainwashed into committing suicide by the adult terrorist pros of hamas and ij, who aren't about to do it themselves. Their using kids for this is even more immoral and despicable.

[bluesoul]

10. The occupation

is immoral as well. Not even mentioning the rest of it (house demolishment, IDF killing civilians, destroying water reservates, denying access to medical aid...)

[_Jumper_]

23. Things are even worse

The PA incites terrorism and hatred in its school system and media outlets. Terrorists are considered heroes by many Palestinians. In many places in the West Bank and Gaza walls are adorned with pictures of terrorists. What exists there is a pervasive culture of death the glorifies terrorism. Until that is changed there will be no peace in the Middle East. This also affects us because the same ideology that drives Hamas and Islamic Jihad drive Al-Qaeda. There are subcultures of death among extremist elements all over the Muslim world that glorify suicide bombers.

We will still live in affluent socities, though. The people that are hurt the most by radical Islamist violence are Muslims. They live in poverty already and suffer further as a result of terrorism. It will take generations for the hatred in the Middle East and many other parts of the Muslim world to end. The only way to achieve peace is to get everyone to realize what the costs of conflict are. We need to do that and we should launch a major effort to do so immediately.

[drdon326]

26. I agree....

however there are people who would give you an argument
about that.

[Violet_Crumble]

27. My solution...

We must teach these NGOs that like us, they must accept that the Bush administration is the sole authority on defining terrorism, and like us, they must place so much trust in any list that the Bush administration puts together that they won't even need to see the list to know that it's a good, true and moral list that must be complied with. After all, wasn't the US just so good, true and moral when it labelled the ANC as a terrorist group? ;)

Like us, they must not be concerned when they are confronted with demands like the one described in the article: 'The elements of the Bush order that especially anger the heads of the various organizations are those that prohibit assistance to widows and orphans of PLO activists killed during the intifada, or providing assistance to the families of prisoners of the military wing of the PLO, even food to the needy.' Don't they understand that the role of NGOs is no longer to give aid to people, but to play politics?

Violet...

[drdon326]

7. So...

Palestinian human rights organizations refuse to sign a declaration that they do not receive funds from, or grant funds to, terror organizations.....wow......

some human rights group.

They borrowed that logic from the terror supporting ISM.

Simple question...does anyone or any pal. group want to stop the
blowing up of israeli busses and cafes or all they all brainwashed
from PA-TV ?? I'm serious.


:shrug:

[bluesoul]

8. Does any pro-Israeli group

want to stop killing Palestinians, the occupation, the daily harrasment...?

[bemildred]

11. Yes there are several.

They, however, are not being asked to sign loyalty pledges.
But perhaps I should not have brought that up, someone might
get ideas.

[bluesoul]

12. Actually Bemildred those you have in mind

aren't even considered pro-Israel by some folks. They're (Gush Shalom, anti-war left, Avnery) "misguided" and even "pro-Pal". ;)

[bemildred]

13. Opinions will vary, Avnery considers himself a Zionist, IIRC.

There is nothing in Zionism as such that requires one to
disrespect the human and legal rights of the Palestinians.

[drdon326]

14. huh???

you call forcing them not to give money to people who
commit murder a "loyality pledge""??

youre kidding, right??

[bluesoul]

15. And giving money to others (IDF)

that commit muder is OK?

[bemildred]

21. There is no force involved. nt

[dudeness]

22. a very broadbrush approach by USAID

to simply classify many thousands of organisations as supporting terrorism (as implied by this document) seems to take on a scattergun approach. Cetainly any "charity' organisation that funnels funds to support terror activities must be exposed and the full weight of the law applied. However in this case NGOs are being determined as guilty before onus of proof is established. Perhaps the form of relief needs to configured to suit the needs of the recepients, rather than cash assistance (which can be passed on to a third party) aid should take the form of material assistance..rebuilding infrastructure..education ..health care..etc..and channeled through a centralised agency which is accountable to the fundees and the citizens it supports..

[Gimel]

25. Specific

Aid in terms of food commodities should, of course, be considered acceptable. It is difficult to prove decisively where funds given to these organizations actually go. Organizations which deal in direct aid, as you have mentioned, should be given credibility.