Tuesday, June 22, 2010
In case you were closely following the non-prosecution of individuals who knowingly aid and abet officially designated terrorist groups (like HAMAS), you may have missed the lengthy jail sentences not meted out to Noam Chomsky, Joel Beinin, Sara Roy and the scores of others who have traveled to Gaza to lend their support to their favorite terrorist regime.
Well, now, the Supreme Court has had the final say on terrorist aid, be it in the form of money, weapons, services, or "expert assistance". According to Robert Sugarman, chief counsel at the Washington Legal Foundation:
"There is no such thing as 'good' aid to a terrorist group, because all aid is fungible".
This morning there must be plenty of consternation in the hate-Israel camp, and plenty of second thoughts about mounting more flotillas to Gaza. Since the law was passed in 1996, law enforcement officials have been reluctant, to say the least, to prosecute individuals who have clearly attempted to aid terror groups. In yesterday's Supreme Court decision, the majority ruled that:
"Congress has amended the definition of "material support or resources" periodically, but at present it is defined as follows: "[T]he term 'material support or resources' means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities,weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel or more individuals who may be or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious materials."
That means that Noam Chomsky's 2006 embraceable moment with Hezbollah's chief, Sheikh Nasrallah, in which he said...
"I think Nasrallah has a reasoned argument and persuasive argument that they - (the arms) -should be in the hands of Hezbollah as a deterrent to potential aggression, and there is plenty of background reasons for that. So until, I think his position reporting it correctly and it seems to me reasonable position, is that until there is a general political settlement in the region, the threat of aggression and violence is reduced or eliminated there has to be a deterrent, and the Lebanese army can't be a deterrent."
...is clearly felonious.
At the very least, Chomsky's passport should have been revoked by the State Department. And that same standard should have been applied to Edward Said in his famous stone throwing episode on the Lebanese border.
Similarly, the Gaza Flotilla wannabees, whose "expert assistance" is being offered to HAMAS, must be prosecuted. A case in point is a current initiative by a Boston Group of "Jews" planning to assist the genociders of Gaza, The AJJP or American Jews for a Just Peace. Have look at their graphics:
[Two Things to Note: Judaism is Relegated to a Small Panel on the Right and the Familiar Keyhole Representing Palestinian Keys to All of "Palestine"]
"AJJP is proud to announce that we will serve as the U.S. Coordinator for the "Jewish Boat to Gaza." The boat, sponsored by a coalition of international Jewish organizations dedicated to peace with justice in Israel/Palestine, is scheduled to sail from an undisclosed location in the Mediterranean this July. It will head toward Gaza in an effort to break the siege imposed by Israel in 2006. Passengers will include Jews from Germany, the U.K., and the United States, including at least one survivor of the Nazi Holocaust.
AJJP joins the "Jüdische Stimme" ('Jewish Voice' for a Just Peace in the Near East) and Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK) in sending a call to the leaders of the world: help Israel find her way to reason, to a sense of humanity and a life without fear.
The Jewish Boat's captain, Glyn Secker, is a British Jew and a longtime activist with Jews for Justice for Palestinians in the UK. In an impassioned speech at a London demonstration protesting the attack on the Gaza flotilla on May 31, Secker told the crowd, "As Jews we should stand as a beacon for human rights not as an internationally known perpetrator of atrocities." Secker confirmed that the boat will carry school bags and books, donated by German schoolchildren, musical instruments, and art materials, as well as essential medicines and small medical equipment.
Absolutely no weapons will be on board, and all passengers and crew will be trained in and committed to the principles of non-violent action. Organizers are requesting that the Israeli government, the British government, the German government and the Obama Administration guarantee safe passage for the boat, its passengers and cargo.
Please help spread the word. The organizers have asked for support from Jews and allies around the world.
- Sign and circulate our petition to President Obama asking for safe passage for the Jewish Boat. Sign our on-line petition.
- Donate to The Jewish Boat to Gaza via PayPal by clicking here.
- Learn more about the Jewish Boat at www.jewish-ship-to-gaza.jimdo.com.
The moral imperative to end the siege of Gaza is absolute. When governments fail to act, ordinary people must organize to intervene. As ordinary people of conscience, we are determined to act on behalf of the people in Gaza deprived of their right to ordinary lives.
Click here to contribute." [Link redacted.]
This group does not even attempt to circumvent the law by avoiding HAMAS officials. Like every other boat that has brought "humanitarian" aid to Gaza, it has been greeted by Ismail Haniyeh's representatives. Congressmen who have served as apologists for HAMAS, like Steve Lynch, (more about him later) of Massachusetts have at least kept up the appearance of avoiding official contacts with the terror-designated group. Not so with this group. They have met publicly with Hamas representatives in Gaza and in Bethlehem.
Howie Lenow of the Proposed Boston to Gaza Boat
The appeal specifically calls for donations, another clear violation of the law. We can only hope that our lawmakers will finally reinvigorate their spines and carry out their sworn duty to uphold the law and prosecute these felons.
[Crossposted from JStreetJive.]
Hillel, does this mean you won't be coming on the Jewish boat to Gaza or signing our petition?
Don't hold your breath ...
I agree! Anybody who systematically terrorizes a people by bulldozing their homes and taking over their land killing civilians in the process as part of their foreign policy is a terrorist and needs to be prosecuted! Oops, wait a second. Are we talking about Hamas or Israel here? Gee, I'm so confused by the misinformation. Could this piece be pure propaganda? Nooooo. That doesn't happen does it?(rolls eyes)
AnonymASS,
Anybody who systematically terrorizes people by shooting, stabbing, hijacking planes, hijacking olympics, honor killing, using poison gas on the Kurds, truck bombing buildings and taking over their land killing civilians in the process as part of their foreign policy is a terrorist and needs to be prosecuted! Oops, wait a second. Are we talking about Hamas or Israel here?
It's islamofascism, al qada, hamass, hezbullah, wahabbism, islamofascist solidarity, national socialism, apartheid, muslim only cities.
Howie, No I won't be joining the Carnival Cruise of Sick, putatively "Jewish" antisemites. If you do so I look forward to attending your arraignment on felony charges brought by the U.S. Attorney.
over at the Hudson Institute's website, there's a great post on the mood in Turkey re: Erdogan and it seems he isn't quite the hero to the average Turk that he is to the "activism tourists".
Turkey in Crisis
by Harold Rhode
June 23, 2010 at 5:00 am
http://www.hudson-ny.org/1383/turkey-in-crisis