<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1255"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First in Feburary, Peace Now attempted to cancel a large demonstration organized by a peace coalition of numerous anti-occupation organizations.  Peace Now refused to co-sponsor a rally that would have conscientious objectors (refusniks) speaking at it.  They sent out a mass e-mail saying the demonstration was off, but when the rest of the organizers said they would still have the protest, Peace Now said they were having their's a week later.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yesterday, Peace Now struck again...  During a protest at the Ministry of Defence, organized by several anti-occupation organizations, Peace Now went to the police and got several activists arrested over 2 signs Peace Now was not comfortable with (Mainly a sign which said "The IDF is a terrorist organization").  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It seems that Peace Now is not happy to be in a coalition of equals, but tries again and again to dictate the limits of left discourse in Israel.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bryan</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----------------------------------------------------------</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace Now and the Freedom of Speech  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>by Guy West 6:49pm Sun Mar 17 '02  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>phone: 972-67-276376</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="mailto:guy@indymedia.org.il">guy@indymedia.org.il</A>  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace Now and the Freedom of Speech </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One would think that the struggle for peace in the region and the defense of Freedom of Speech go hand in hand. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>However, the organization "Peace Now" seems to believe these are contradictory concepts. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If this were not so, why did "Peace Now" complain (snitch) to the police on other peace activists, with whom they merely had conceptual disagreements with? </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would like to refer you to an incident that occurred last night. Though I was not personally present at the peace rally, I have collected the information from reliable activists who witnessed the entire event. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>During an anti-occupation rally organized by a coalition of peace organizations in front of the Ministry of Defense (Kiryah) compound in Tel-Aviv, five radical peace activists held up two signs containing the texts "The IDF is a terrorist organization" and "Profile 21" (a military term that refers to people that are incapable of serving in the army for medical or mental reasons). </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The activists were aware in advance that a portion of the protest organizers had a strong desire to appear as mainstream as possible and would find this type of content objectionable. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A few minutes after beginning to hold up the signs, a member of the 'peace coalition' attempted to snatch the "Profile 21" sign from the activists, and a few women barked at them that their sons are serving in the army. The controversial activists agreed to move to the end of the row. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Minutes later "Peace Now" activists approached them again and violently tried to snatch their "IDF is a terrorist organization" sign. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A short time later a policeman arrived to arrest them on incitement and disrupting public order. The activists were taken for questioning, the police claiming that criticism of the army is illegal (a ridiculous claim) and therefore incitement. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>At the questioning the police reveled the fact that it was "Peace Now" who made the complaint. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The activists got house arrest for a week, and are required to pay bail of 1000 NIS (220$). </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Peace Now" has joined the reactionary coalition in their actions to silence free speech; this was no more than an act of thuggery. "Peace Now" is continuing the mistakes of the Oslo peace agreement, by forcing their monolithic voice and silencing the spectrum of voices and ideas, which are coming out from the left. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This was not the first time of late that "Peace Now" has attempted to dictate the agenda of the whole left. They have tried to silence the genuine call for abstaining army service in the occupied territories. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you feel angered at the actions of "Peace Now", please contact them and express what you think about this incident. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.peacenow.org.il">http://www.peacenow.org.il</A> <A href="mailto:info@peacenow.org.il">mailto:info@peacenow.org.il</A> </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A personal account of the event yesterday: <A href="http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/17450.html">http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/17450.html</A> </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Guy West</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>