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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Taro who wrote (295233)	7/17/2006 12:07:27 AM
From: Emile Vidrine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1573841

Some recent Israeli history A brief history of Israel Written by naufragus Monday, 17 July 2006 This was originally meant as a response to a another diary. It ended up being too long and would have really messed up the formatting and screwed that diary up. I decided to post it on its own because I believe it contains information that people should be aware of. This is to give some perspective on one of the players in the current conflict -- Israel. This is just a smattering of highlights of news stories that don't seem to get much play here in the US. Its just 6 months in the life of Israel. I think it is important to remember that after Israel killed a family on a beach in Gaza their first reaction was to deny it. Then they tried to pin it on Hamas. After the shrapnel evidence revealed that they were indeed behind it, they reluctantly admitted guilt. I believe that fits the pattern of how they operate and speaks to their character. The current Gaza situtation was not started by a soldier being captured. They are not a country that, in my opinion, represents our values but rather one we generally oppose. Feb 1, 2006 Israel halts tax payments to Palestinians Feb 3, 2006 Confirmed: Israelis kill 15-year-old inside Lebanon Feb 5, 2006 Israel tab for West Bank settlements $14B Feb 14, 2006 U.S., Israel Consider Plan to Starve Hamas Feb 17, 2006 Chertoff's Sweetheart Deal For Israeli-Owned Carnival Cruise Cruise Line Feb 26, 2006 Two killed, including a child, in Israeli re-invasion of Balata Refugee Camp Feb 26, 2006 Destruction of Voice of Palestine’s building. Reporters without Borders indignant at that new act of war against Palestinian media Feb 26, 2006 Israeli company stops petroleum supplies to Palestinian lands Mar 2, 2006 Israel gives military free rein Mar 2, 2006 Israeli Defense Minister: Israel will take 20% of remaining Palestinian land Mar 3, 2006 Syria flays Israel for 'nuclear dumping' Mar 3, 2006 Unrest after Israeli church attack Mar 3, 2006 Israel threatens to assassinate the future Palestinian Authority prime minister Mar 11, 2006 Israel deploys nuclear arms in submarines Mar 11, 2006 Documents reveal Labor-Likud plans for West Bank Mar 13, 2006 Israeli Soldiers Assault Family with Special Needs Mar 13, 2006 Israeli Government Threatens to Eliminate Haniya Mar 14, 2006 Israeli Police Assaults Venezuelan's Ambassador at Al-Aqsa Mosque Mar 18, 2006 Bread shortages loom in Gaza Mar 18, 2006 AP Erases Video of Israeli Soldier Shooting Palestinian Boy Mar 20, 2006 Britain condemns Israel over fatal shooting of a child Mar 20, 2006 Food runs low in Gaza after Israel closes key crossing Mar 22, 2006 "Israeli Human Rights: Starving the Palestinians" Mar 27, 2006 Israel's anti-Arab parties Apr 3, 2006 Israeli Wall in the West Bank: Post-Occupation Strategy to Deny Sovereignty to the Palestinian State Apr 3, 2006 UN aid workers: Gaza on verge of disaster Apr 4, 2006 Israel Fires Missiles into Abbas' Compound Apr 10, 2006 Israel to boycott inquest into death of British peace activist shot in Gaza Apr 10, 2006 Israel to boycott diplomats who meet Hamas officials Apr 11, 2006 Israeli military stands by its policy on shelling populated areas Apr 11, 2006 Israel rejects Hamas long-term truce: official Apr 14, 2006 U.S. blocks UN draft pressing Israel to end attacks Apr 14, 2006 Report: Hamas will recognize Israel Apr 15, 2006 Israel escalates threats to invade Gaza Strip Apr 19, 2006 High Court okays completion of separation fence around Jerusalem Apr 20, 2006 Israel Fires 400 Rockets on Gaza in 2 Days Apr 21, 2006 Israel Preparing to Retake Gaza Strip Apr 21, 2006 Israel completes half of West Bank barrier Apr 23, 2006 Jerusalem police stop Armenian pilgrims from attending Easter ceremony Apr 27, 2006 Israel nixes Abbas's peace summit bid May 1, 2006 Israeli forces ban Palestinian patients from treatment May 1, 2006 3-Year-Old Child's Skull Crushed at Israeli Checkpoint May 2, 2006 Israeli soldiers accused of raping 11-year-old May 3, 2006 Israel Marks Independence Day with $1.7 Billion Budget May 3, 2006 Irish MP slams EU "hypocrisy," calls for suspension of EU-Israel agreement May 8, 2006 U.N. Report: Jews are Terrorists, Not Palestinians May 9, 2006 Pain of Hamas boycott worse than feared for Gaza's people May 9, 2006 Report: Israel responsible for PA collapse May 12, 2006 Majority of Israelis Want Gov´t to Encourage Arabs to Leave May 14, 2006 Palestinians restricted from living with families in Israel May 15, 2006 Israeli Soldiers Shoot Two International Peace Activists In The Head at Bil'in May 16, 2006 'Racist' marriage law upheld by Israel May 20, 2006 Olmert denies humanitarian crisis in Gaza May 21, 2006 Israel expands settlements May 22, 2006 Israel frees (some) Palestinian funds May 22, 2006 Israel to boycott racism conference May 22, 2006 Israel's economy leaving Palestinians far behind May 23, 2006 U.S. group warns of humanitarian disaster in Gaza May 23, 2006 Amnesty International slams Israel May 24, 2006 Israel is now booming as a result of shutting down its competition, the Palestinian economy May 24, 2006 Olmert says Israel will draw own borders May 28, 2006 Israeli jets strike Palestinian bases in Lebanon May 30, 2006 Palestinians: IDF chopper attacked rescue workers May 31, 2006 IDF razes toilets of Palestinian cave dwellers in West Bank Jun 1, 2006 British war crimes lawyer denied entry Jun 2, 2006 Israeli troops kill 2 Egyptian officers Jun 5, 2006 Israel Jails Hundreds of Sudanese Refugees Jun 10, 2006 Palestinians killed on Gaza beach by Israeli gunboats Jun 11, 2006 Israel introduces new travel restrictions Jun 12, 2006 Israel steps up threats against Palestinian PM Jun 12, 2006 Israel plans new homes in West Bank settlement Jun 12, 2006 Book links Begin to 1952 plot to kill then-German Chancellor Adenauer Jun 14, 2006 Israeli spy network in Lebanon uncovered Jun 15, 2006 Lebanese man confesses to killings on behalf of Israel Jun 18, 2006 Huge rise in number of houses IDF is razing during arrest ops Jun 19, 2006 Hamas, Fatah edge toward compromise on Israel Jun 24, 2006 Israeli Troops Launch Incursion in Gaza Jun 27, 2006 Israel won't let Abbas out of Gaza Strip Jun 28, 2006 Israeli warplanes buzz palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad Jun 28, 2006 Ultra-Orthodox Jews attack Christian tourists in Jerusalem Jun 28, 2006 Israel bombs Islamic University in Gaza: witnesses Jul 1, 2006 U.S. to pay $48 million to cover damages to Gaza power station Jul 2, 2006 Israel's Infrastructure Warfare Jul 3, 2006 IOF storm Palestinian hospitals, wreak havoc in civil society institutions Jul 3, 2006 Israel drafting special laws for "non Jews" Jul 8, 2006 Israel rejects Palestinian call for truce Jul 10, 2006 Israel bars Palestinian Americans for first time since 1967 Jul 12, 2006 Israelis use unprecedented type of projectiles on Palestinians Jul 12, 2006 Israel 'is using chemical ammunition' Message 22629319

To: Taro who wrote (295233)	7/17/2006 2:19:42 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1573841

France adjusts to racially diverse team By John Ward Anderson PARIS — In the French National Assembly, 11 of the 577 members are minorities. In French boardrooms, white men are the rule. But on the French national soccer team, 17 of the 23 players are minorities, and that gave the black and Arab population here added cause for celebration when France beat Portugal last week to advance to today's World Cup final match. "I think the French team reflects the cultural diversity of France," said Amely-James Koh-Bela, 42, who immigrated here from Cameroon in 1985 and has been seeking French citizenship ever since. "There's nothing like it in the social, political or business fields. This is why I love the French team." France endured weeks of rioting last fall by minority youths protesting deep-seated discrimination and lack of opportunities, particularly in housing, employment and education. But when it comes to supporting the national soccer team, many minority members said they set hard feelings aside, because the team represents multiethnic France at its finest — even if it underscores the country's failures in other areas. "I like what they stand for, and I love France," said Salah Zerouki, 38, who was born in France to Algerian parents. But, he said, "It's racist to have the feeling that minorities can only make it in sports" and not in fields such as politics. "That showcases the reality of France — a mixed sports team but not mixed politics." The French national team had to confront the issue of its racial mix when the former French presidential candidate from the far-right National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, told the daily sport newspaper L'Equipe that "perhaps the coach went overboard on the proportion of colored players." "The French don't feel totally represented, which surely explains why the crowds are not as supportive as eight years ago," when France won the World Cup, he said. The rallying cry of the '98 team was "black, blanc, beur" (black, white, Arab), to celebrate its broad racial mix. "Hurrah for France — not the one he wants, the real one!" responded Lilian Thuram, 34, a black member of the national team from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. "Mr. Le Pen is not aware that there are black, blond and brown French people," he told L'Equipe. "It's like looking at the U.S. basketball team and being shocked that there are black people in the U.S.A." Following the riots last fall, French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut created controversy by telling Israel's Haaretz newspaper that despite its earlier slogan, "the French national team is in fact black-black-black." He added: "France is made fun of all around Europe because of that." "I think a lot of work remains to be done for this France called 'black-white-Arab' to be a reality, beyond the moments of national gathering like great soccer victories," French government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope said last week on Radio J. "That is our goal." In France, it is illegal to collect data on race and ethnicity, and affirmative action is frowned upon. By unofficial estimates, about 10 percent of France's 61 million residents are of Arab or African descent. But few people dispute that discrimination is rampant across society — French-born children of immigrants suffer unemployment rates as high as 40 percent, double those of whites — and that was one reason why many said they took special pride in the French team. Koceila Bouhanik, 21, a French student from north of Paris whose parents came from Algeria, noted the large number of minorities on the team "who speak and think like me" — including the captain, Zinedine Zidane, also of Algerian descent. He called the team "a model of integration and success." But Nicolas Bonachera, 21, a semiemployed white man from western Paris, doubted what practical influence the team can have. "This team has the power to make a nation dream of diversity and success, but I think it's an illusion," he said. "I can't believe that everybody feels united over soccer, whereas nobody is [united] on other issues the rest of the year." "The French football team shows the mix and the diversity of French society as a whole, but it doesn't represent what is occurring in French society today," said Dogad Dogoui, 42, president of Africagora, a group that promotes racial integration and diversity. Especially in business and political spheres, he said, "Power is in the hands of a small ruling minority that doesn't represent France as a whole. A real cultural revolution has to occur here for the situation to change." Camille Gauthier, 23, a white business-school student in the city of Lyon, sees racial progress in how the team has been received. In Gauthier's view, people haven't made as much of the racial composition of this year's national team as they did for the one eight years ago, because French fans are now accustomed to having a mixed squad. "It takes more time in society than in sports" for integration to take hold, Gauthier said. "In soccer, if you are good, you are on the field no matter how you look." This year's World Cup has been largely free of racist incidents. An exception was monkey chanting by Spanish fans before France's June 27 game against Spain. France won 3-1. Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company seattletimes.nwsource.com