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Her Majesty’s Christmas message

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Urbi et Orbi: in English and Spanish / en Inglés y Español

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the pope
Pope Francis / Papa Francisco.

Urbi et Orbi

Pope Francis’s 2017 Christmas message

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Merry Christmas!


In Bethlehem, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born, not by the will of man, but by the gift of the love of God our Father, who “so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

This event is renewed today in the Church, a pilgrim in time. For the faith of the Christian people relives in the Christmas liturgy the mystery of the God who comes, who assumes our mortal human flesh, and who becomes lowly and poor in order to save us. And this moves us deeply, for great is the tenderness of our Father.

The first people to see the humble glory of the Savior, after Mary and Joseph, were the shepherds of Bethlehem. They recognized the sign proclaimed to them by the angels and adored the Child. Those humble and watchful men are an example for believers of every age who, before the mystery of Jesus, are not scandalized by his poverty. Rather, like Mary, they trust in God’s word and contemplate his glory with simple eyes. Before the mystery of the Word made flesh, Christians in every place confess with the words of the Evangelist John: “We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by good will to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.

We see Jesus in the faces of Syrian children still marked by the war that, in these years, has caused such bloodshed in that country. May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard for ethnic and religious membership. We see Jesus in the children of Iraq, wounded and torn by the conflicts that country has experienced in the last fifteen years, and in the children of Yemen, where there is an ongoing conflict that has been largely forgotten, with serious humanitarian implications for its people, who suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.

We see Jesus in the children of Africa, especially those who are suffering in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria.

We see Jesus in the children worldwide wherever peace and security are threatened by the danger of tensions and new conflicts. Let us pray that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean peninsula and that mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole. To the Baby Jesus we entrust Venezuela that it may resume a serene dialogue among the various elements of society for the benefit of all the beloved Venezuelan people. We see Jesus in children who, together with their families, suffer from the violence of the conflict in Ukraine and its grave humanitarian repercussions; we pray that the Lord may soon grant peace to this dear country.

We see Jesus in the children of unemployed parents who struggle to offer their children a secure and peaceful future. And in those whose childhood has been robbed and who, from a very young age, have been forced to work or to be enrolled as soldiers by unscrupulous mercenaries.

We see Jesus in the many children forced to leave their countries to travel alone in inhuman conditions and who become an easy target for human traffickers. Through their eyes we see the drama of all those forced to emigrate and risk their lives to face exhausting journeys that end at times in tragedy. I see Jesus again in the children I met during my recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, and it is my hope that the international community will not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one’s head. May our hearts not be closed as they were in the homes of Bethlehem.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,


The sign of Christmas has also been revealed to us: “a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Luke 2:12). Like the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we welcome in the Baby Jesus the love of God made man for us. And may we commit ourselves, with the help of his grace, to making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future.

~~

Urbi et Orbi

el mensaje de Navidad por Papa Francisco

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, feliz Navidad.

Jesús nació de María Virgen en Belén. No nació por voluntad humana, sino por el don de amor de Dios Padre, que “tanto amó al mundo, que entregó a su Unigénito, para que todo el que cree en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna” (Juan 3,16).

Este acontecimiento se renueva hoy en la Iglesia, peregrina en el tiempo: en la liturgia de la Navidad, la fe del pueblo cristiano revive el misterio de Dios que viene, que toma nuestra carne mortal, que se hace pequeño y pobre para salvarnos. Y esto nos llena de emoción, porque la ternura de nuestro Padre es inmensa.

Los primeros que vieron la humilde gloria del Salvador, después de María y José, fueron los pastores de Belén. Reconocieron la señal que los ángeles les habían dado y adoraron al Niño. Esos hombres humildes pero vigilantes son un ejemplo para los creyentes de todos los tiempos, los cuales, frente al misterio de Jesús, no se escandalizan por su pobreza, sino que, como María, confían en la palabra de Dios y contemplan su gloria con mirada sencilla. Ante el misterio del Verbo hecho carne, los cristianos de todas partes confiesan, con las palabras del evangelista Juan: “Hemos contemplado su gloria: gloria como del Unigénito del Padre, lleno de gracia y de verdad” (Juan 1,14).

Por esta razón, mientras el mundo se ve azotado por vientos de guerra y un modelo de desarrollo ya caduco sigue provocando degradación humana, social y ambiental, la Navidad nos invita a recordar la señal del Niño y a que lo reconozcamos en los rostros de los niños, especialmente de aquellos para los que, como Jesús, “no hay sitio en la posada” (Lucas 2,7).

Vemos a Jesús en los niños de Oriente Medio, que siguen sufriendo por el aumento de las tensiones entre israelíes y palestinos. En este día de fiesta, invoquemos al Señor pidiendo la paz para Jerusalén y para toda la Tierra Santa; recemos para que entre las partes implicadas prevalezca la voluntad de reanudar el diálogo y se pueda finalmente alcanzar una solución negociada, que permita la coexistencia pacífica de dos Estados dentro de unas fronteras acordadas entre ellos y reconocidas a nivel internacional. Que el Señor sostenga también el esfuerzo de todos aquellos miembros de la Comunidad internacional que, movidos de buena voluntad, desean ayudar a esa tierra martirizada a encontrar, a pesar de los graves obstáculos, la armonía, la justicia y la seguridad que anhelan desde hace tanto tiempo.

Vemos a Jesús en los rostros de los niños sirios, marcados aún por la guerra que ha ensangrentado ese país en estos años. Que la amada Siria pueda finalmente volver a encontrar el respeto por la dignidad de cada persona, mediante el compromiso unánime de reconstruir el tejido social con independencia de la etnia o religión a la que se pertenezca. Vemos a Jesús en los niños de Irak, que todavía sigue herido y dividido por las hostilidades que lo han golpeado en los últimos quince años, y en los niños de Yemen, donde existe un conflicto en gran parte olvidado, con graves consecuencias humanitarias para la población que padece el hambre y la propagación de enfermedades.

Vemos a Jesús en los niños de África, especialmente en los que sufren en Sudán del Sur, en Somalia, en Burundi, en la República Democrática del Congo, en la República Centroafricana y en Nigeria.

Vemos a Jesús en todos los niños de aquellas zonas del mundo donde la paz y la seguridad se ven amenazadas por el peligro de las tensiones y de los nuevos conflictos. Recemos para que en la península coreana se superen los antagonismos y aumente la confianza mutua por el bien de todo el mundo. Confiamos Venezuela al Niño Jesús para que se pueda retomar un diálogo sereno entre los diversos componentes sociales por el bien de todo el querido pueblo venezolano. Vemos a Jesús en los niños que, junto con sus familias, sufren la violencia del conflicto en Ucrania, y sus graves repercusiones humanitarias, y recemos para que, cuanto antes, el Señor conceda la paz a ese querido país.

Vemos a Jesús en los niños cuyos padres no tienen trabajo y con gran esfuerzo intentan ofrecer a sus hijos un futuro seguro y pacífico. Y en aquellos cuya infancia fue robada, obligados a trabajar desde una edad temprana o alistados como soldados mercenarios sin escrúpulos.

Vemos a Jesús en tantos niños obligados a abandonar sus países, a viajar solos en condiciones inhumanas, siendo fácil presa para los traficantes de personas. En sus ojos vemos el drama de tantos emigrantes forzosos que arriesgan incluso sus vidas para emprender viajes agotadores que muchas veces terminan en una tragedia. Veo a Jesús en los niños que he encontrado durante mi último viaje a Myanmar y Bangladesh, y espero que la comunidad internacional no deje de trabajar para que se tutele adecuadamente la dignidad de las minorías que habitan en la Región. Jesús conoce bien el dolor de no ser acogido y la dificultad de no tener un lugar donde reclinar la cabeza. Que nuestros corazones no estén cerrados como las casas de Belén.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas:

También a nosotros se nos ha dado una señal de Navidad: “Un niño envuelto en pañales…” (Lucas 2,12). Como la Virgen María y san José, y los pastores de Belén, acojamos en el Niño Jesús el amor de Dios hecho hombre por nosotros, y esforcémonos, con su gracia, para hacer que nuestro mundo sea más humano, más digno de los niños de hoy y de mañana.

A vosotros queridos hermanos y hermanas, llegados a esta plaza de todas las partes del mundo, y a cuantos os unís desde diversos países por medio de la radio, la televisión y otros medios de comunicación, os dirijo mi cordial felicitación.

Que el nacimiento de Cristo Salvador renueve los corazones, suscite el deseo de construir un futuro más fraterno y solidario, y traiga a todos alegría y esperanza. Feliz Navidad.

 

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¿Wappin? Merry Christmas ~ Feliz Navidad

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Church of the Nativity
Christmas Midnight Mass as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine. Photo by A. Morgan, Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel

Merry Christmas ~ Feliz Navidad

Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá – Concierto de Navidad en Atalaya
https://www.youtu.be/aDWSLj79uIU

Aretha Franklin – The First Noël
https://youtu.be/1UTTg8oKU-E

Simone – Árvore de Natal na Lagoa
https://youtu.be/sdsr1aP_qQg

Jose Feliciano – Feliz Navidad
https://youtu.be/xMtuVP8Mj4o

Dawit Getachew Kedus Let – Amharic Christmas song
https://youtu.be/fgNvm44OmWE

Gilberto Santa Rosa – Navidad en Panamá
https://youtu.be/264RUjyz7-Q

Patti Smith – O Holy Night
https://youtu.be/cZmc-44YHug

The Piano Guys – Carol of the Bells
https://youtu.be/e9GtPX6c_kg

Trinidad Steel Pan Christmas Parang Mix
https://youtu.be/MJwJiCN2rkc

Christmas songs in Arabic
https://youtu.be/0EuYXulMhhc

Luciano Pavarotti – Cantique de Noël, Montreal 1978
https://youtu.be/iM5IDFRRfaY

Georgiy Chelyabinsk Church Choir – Russian Christmas Carols
https://youtu.be/yzN7YJjqWpo

Johnny Cash & Family & Friends 1978 Christmas Show
https://youtu.be/QpRke1CPRXs

Julieta Venegas – Ya Vienen Los Reyes
https://youtu.be/coQMf8B0mqE

El Mesias de Händel
https://youtu.be/D5T3y4ljlTU

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Allegation that Roberto Roy took a bribe may have many implications

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RR

Bribe router says that the Minister of Canal Affairs
and head of the Metro took a bribe from FCC

by Eric Jackson

 

I remember a case of a bribe that Roberto Roy received, which FCC paid. … André Rabello was complaining because he tried to pay Roberto Roy but he didn’t take the money because he wanted money from the Spanish company because as he saw it, he was more sure not to be discovered or to be suspected of receiving bribes.
Rodrigo Tacla Durán

 

Out of respect for the citizenry and love for my family, I feel an obligation to respond, categorically, to a lie told against me.
Roberto Roy

 

In his public persona, Roberto Roy wears two hats. He is a member of Juan Carlos Varela’s cabinet in the role of Minister of Canal Affairs. As canal minister he is president of the Panama Canal Authority board of directors. He is also secretary general of the Metro commuter train system. The alleged bribe was in connection with a Metro construction contract, in which the companies awarded the job were a consortium of the notorious Brazilian company Odebrecht, with Spain’s FCC as a junior partner.

In his private business life, which he apparently has not entirely set aside over the three decades in which he has held various public posts, Roy is the founding president of R-M Construction and former president of the Panamanian Chamber of Construction, a former director of Bancolat and a former director of La Prensa. Public posts that he has occupied include membership on a panel that studied canal expansion possibilities in the mid and late 90s when the canal was under US administration, and membership on the boards of directors of the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Maritime Authority and the state-owned Caja de Ahorros.

And so it is that the Panama Canal Authority that already had two of its board members in hiding with INTERPOL warrants out for their arrests now has a third board member, the Minister of Canal Affairs who presides over the body, immersed in scandal. The timing of and route by which Roy is called out in public is obscure and a bit odd. Mr. Tacla Durán’s testimony was given in Spain last July, the prosecutors of the Public Ministry got those data in early November — so the ministry says — and in any case the ordinary prosecutors would not have jurisdiction over the allegations highlighted over the long Christmas holiday weekend. Tacla names President Varela and Roy, who by virtue of their jobs could only be investigates and tried by the National Assembly; and former president Ricardo Martinelli, who as a member of the Central American Parliament many only be investigated and tried by the Supreme Court.

The testimony indicates that Roy took a bribe from the Spanish construction company FCC. That company is now controlled by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim but at the apparent time of the alleged transaction he was only a minority shareholder. Slim, the owner of Claro.com, is also the biggest shareholder in The New York Times.

On the face of it, some or all of Tacla’s story may be hearsay. He was the external lawyer for Odebrecht in charge of setting up secret bank accounts through which billions in bribes going to public officials in more than a dozen countries were laundered, mainly through shell companies. The Odebrecht executive in charge of the “structured transactions” bribery and kickback unit was André Rabello. In Brazil, Rabello turned state’s evidence some time ago and would be expected to either support Tacla’s version or deny it, such that there would be less of a hearsay problem. In Panamanian law there is not as strict a ban on hearsay as in the US system, but “(s)he told me” tales are given much less weight than the stories of those who were direct participants in a transaction.

Roy is in taunting mode, saying that there is no evidence against him and threatening unspecified consequences if anyone brings a charge against him. But of course the testimony of Tacla is evidence, as would be any testimony of Rabello if he has essentially the same story to tell. Then there are some unusual circumstances by which Odebrecht and FCC got contracts for the Metro and circumstantial evidence can also be devastating proof. Starting from those things one conducting an investigation would go in search of a corroborating paper trail. Be all that as it may, the legislature almost surely will investigate neither Varela nor Roy.

Roy has invoked his family, and on Twitter there is a flurry of character witness tweeting, generally to the point that Roy is a wonderful guy from a great family. That may work, given the way that Panama works. However, most Panamanians are not members of the illustrious families and a lot of them resent those who are and who flaunt such ties for personal gain or protection. While the current political, judicial and prosecutorial castes will be unmoved by any public disgust, this sort of thing is likely to be a central issue of 2019 elections.

Perhaps of more consequence are resentments harbored abroad, of companies that didn’t get Panamanian contracts because they were unwilling to play Odebrecht games, of governments losing tax revenue due to their cheating citizens laundering assets through the Panamanian banking and construction industries.

Who is related and what is related is a favorite rabiblanco pseudo-scientific shell game. The misdirection breaks down, however, as institutions like the European Union express their weariness with Panamanian games by imposing financial sanctions on this country. Even if all the most respectable spokespeople for all the right families say that there is no relationship between situations like this and a reputation that gets Panama sanctioned.

 

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What Democrats are saying

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Unity Reform Commission

What Democrats are saying

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What Republicans are saying

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GOP

What Republicans are saying

 

 

 

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Rodriguez, Puerto Ricans aren’t giving up on Christmas

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File 20171220 4985 1okldjw.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1
Though much of Puerto Rico remains devastated by Hurricane Maria, people are preparing to celebrate the holidays. Lorie Shaull/flickr, CC BY-SA
 

Puerto Ricans aren’t giving up on Christmas

by Evelyn Milagros Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico – Humacao

Some say Puerto Rico has the longest Christmas in the world.

For Puerto Ricans, who are 85 percent Catholic, Christmas starts after Thanksgiving, continues through Christmas Day, and extends beyond Three Kings Day, on January 6, with the “octavitas” — an eight-day street party that concludes in the St. Sebastian Festival in Old San Juan in mid-January. Christmas trees and decorations stay up for almost two months. The new year is greeted in noisy fashion, with street concerts and fireworks and guns fired celebratorily — albeit dangerously — into the air.

At least, that’s the tradition in my country. This year everything is different. In September, hurricanes Irma and Maria both battered Puerto Rico, killing perhaps as many as a thousand people and destroying much of the island.

Three months later, most Puerto Ricans still contend with some combination of unsafe water, no electricity, blocked highways, broken bridges, lack of internet and food shortages. Some 600 people are still living in shelters.

Can Christmas survive this catastrophe?

Survival first

I’m considering this question from my home in San Juan, the capital, where a Christmas miracle has occurred: Last week electricity was restored to parts of the neighborhood.

Currently, about 65 percent of the island has electrical power, and everyone else is constantly hunting for it.

But we’re also seeking another kind of power, I think — the strength to get through this national disaster.

Rural governments are still trying to tend to thousands of people left without water, electricity and medicine. Meanwhile, Governor Ricardo Roselló is handling Puerto Rico’s hurricane aftermath while also reckoning with the island’s bankruptcy. Everyone has been working so hard for so long.

There are signs of desperation. Suicides and post-traumatic stress are a reality here now. It will be a long time before anything here starts to look normal again, and we know some things may never be the same.

At my job, as a special collections librarian at the University of Puerto Rico’s Humacao campus, our team is working from a tent outside while the library gets a deep clean. The building that houses the library leaked during Maria, so it soon became mold-infested. We lost our reference collection completely, along with all the furniture and computer equipment.

For a while there, I thought maybe Christmas might be one more thing lost to Maria.

The University of Puerto Rico in Humacao has reopened for classes since Hurricane Maria, though some buildings remain closed. Milagros Rodriguez, author provided.
 

After the celebrations

Puerto Ricans, as it happens, are good at adversity. It’s a legacy of our colonial history.

Either way, the country’s resilience is on full display this Christmas season. Despite the blackouts that still affect even places where power’s been restored and the cold showers, we will have our holiday.

It may not be the longest Christmas in the world this year. And there may not be a lot of decorated trees, wreaths or parties. But in homes across the country people are roasting suckling pig right now, preparing blood sausages and stewing rice and peas.

We may have to cook over a charcoal fire, but to be sure: There will be bananas for our pasteles, meat-filled pastries served wrapped in a leaf.

Families hum along to holiday favorites — “Navidad,” a salsa tune by José Nogueras, and “Los reyes no llegaron,” a Christmas bolero by Victoria Sanabria — accompanied by the roar of generators.

José Nogueras’s ‘Navidad’ is a classic Puerto Rican holiday song.
 

Since my house has electricity, we’re stringing the Christmas lights and planning to party. Even in homes without power, that’s sometimes the case. As I heard one caller say on the radio, “We’ll turn on the Christmas lights even if it means plugging them into a generator.”

At work, the library team hung a Three Wise Men-themed decoration on our temporary library tent.

Elsewhere, sadness is more tangible. By November, 100,000 Puerto Ricans had fled Hurricane Maria’s aftermath, a number that grows daily. Many families will be missing their loved ones this Christmas.

Tragedy unites us all right now. In some places — like Santa Isabel, on Puerto Rico’s southern coast, and Moca, a town near Aguadilla — locals have decked out the main square, transforming storm debris into makeshift Christmas trees and wooden nativity scenes, all strung up with lights.

Such scenes reflect the national sentiment that not destruction, or terrible crisis management, or bankruptcy can take Christmas from Puerto Rico. Celebrating the holidays this year means feeling, if only for a moment, normal. It’s a sign of survival.
Evelyn Milagros Rodriguez, Research, Reference and Special Collections Librarian, University of Puerto Rico – Humacao

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Christmas is on.

 

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Testigo implicó a Roberto Roy en coimas, Roy lo negó

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Metro
Dicen los gringos: “Let sleeping dogs lie.” El editor es un panagringo diferente. Foto por Eric Jackson.

Testimonio sin comentario y una repuesta

p1

p2

p3

 

p4

Repuesta de Roy:

RR denies

 

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¿Wappin? ‘Twas the playlist before the Christmas one, and it’s classical

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DS
Dmitri Shostakovich, the Russian composer.

¿Wappin? Classical music before the Christmas show
¿Wappin? Música clásica antes del espectáculo de Navidad

On Christmas, sometimes Christmas Eve, The Panama News always features a mostly classical Christmas-oriented selection. It’s not quite Christmas, but it’s never too early to get into the great symphonies.

En Navidad, a veces en Nochebuena, The Panama News siempre presenta una selección principalmente clásica orientada a la Navidad. No es Navidad, pero nunca es demasiado temprano para entrar en las grandes sinfonías.

Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
https://youtu.be/SQNymNaTr-Y

Shostakovich – Symphony No. 8 (1943)
https://youtu.be/JYpqi5QP9ng

Sibelius – Symphony No. 5
https://youtu.be/dACRUFfmMeo

Mahler — Symphony No. 2
https://youtu.be/sHsFIv8VA7w

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Avnery: Cry, beloved country

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Cry, Beloved Country

by Uri Avnery — Gush Shalom

Anyone proposing the death penalty is either a complete fool, an incorrigible cynic or mentally disturbed — or all of these.

There is no effective therapy for any of these defects. I wouldn’t even try.

A fool would not understand the overwhelming evidence for the conclusion. For a cynic, advocacy of the death penalty is a proven votecatcher. A mentally disturbed person derives pleasure from the very thought of an execution. I am not addressing any of these, but ordinary citizens of Israel.

Let me start by repeating the story of my own personal experience.

In 1936, the Arab population of Palestine launched a violent uprising. The Nazi persecution in Germany drove many Jews to Palestine (including my own family), and the local Arabs saw their country slipping away from under their feet. They started to react violently. They called it the Great Rebellion, the British talked of “disturbances” and we called it “the events.”

Groups of young Arabs attacked Jewish and British vehicles on the roads. When caught, some of them were sent by the British courts to the gallows. When the Arab attacks did not stop, some right-wing Zionists started a campaign of “retaliation” and shot at Arab vehicles.

One of these was caught by the British. His name was Shlomo Ben-Yosef, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Poland, a member of the right-wing youth organization Betar. He threw a grenade at an Arab bus, which failed to explode, and fired some shots that hit nobody. But the British saw an opportunity to prove their impartiality.

Ben-Yosef was sentenced to death. The Jewish population was shocked. Even those who were totally opposed to “retaliation” pleaded for clemency, rabbis prayed. Slowly the day of the execution drew near. Many expected a reprieve at the last moment. It did not come.

The hanging of Ben-Yosef on June 29, 1938 sent a powerful shockwave through the Jewish public. It caused a profound change in my own life. I decided to fill his place. I joined the Irgun, the most extreme armed underground organization. I was just 15 years old.

I repeat this story because the lesson is so important. An oppressive regime, especially a foreign one, always thinks that executing “terrorists” will frighten others away from joining the rebels.

This idea stems from the arrogance of the rulers, who think of their subjects as inferior human beings. The real result is always the opposite: the executed rebel becomes a national hero, for every rebel executed, dozens of others join the fight. The execution breeds hatred, the hatred leads to more violence. If the family is also punished, the flames of hatred rise even higher.

Simple logic. But logic is beyond the reach of the rulers.

Just a thought: some 2000 years ago, a simple carpenter was executed in Palestine by crucifixion. Look at the results.

In every army, there are a number of sadists posing as patriots.

In my army days, I once wrote that in every squad there is at least one sadist and one moral soldier. The others are neither. They are influenced by either of them, depends on which of the two has the stronger character.

Last week something horrible happened. Since the announcement of the American Clown-In-Chief about Jerusalem, there have been daily demonstrations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip approach the separation fence and throw stones at the soldiers on the Israeli side. The soldiers are instructed to shoot. Every day Palestinians are wounded, every few days Palestinians are killed.

One of the demonstrators was Ibrahim Abu-Thuraya, a 29-year-old legless Arab fisherman. Both of his legs were amputated nine years ago, after he was injured in an Israeli air-strike on Gaza.

He was pushed in his wheelchair over the rough terrain towards the fence when an army sharpshooter took aim and killed him. He was unarmed, just “inciting.”

The killer was not an ordinary soldier, who may have shot without aiming in the melee. He was a professional, a sharpshooter, used to identify his victim, take careful aim and hit the exact spot.

I try to think about what went on in the shooter’s brain before shooting. The victim was close. There was absolutely no way not to see the wheelchair. Ibrahim posed absolutely no threat to the shooter or to anyone else.

(A cruel Israeli joke was born immediately: the sharpshooters were ordered to hit the lower parts of the bodies of the demonstrators. Since Ibrahim had no lower parts, the soldier had no choice but shoot him in the head.)

This was a criminal act, pure and simple. An abhorrent war crime. So, did the army — yes, my army! — arrest him? Not at all. Every day, a new excuse was found, each more ridiculous than the other. The shooter’s name was kept secret.

My God, what is happening to this country? What is the occupation doing to us?

Ibrahim, of course, became overnight a Palestinian national hero. His death will spur other Palestinians to join the fight.

Are there no rays of light? Yes there are. Though not many.

A few days after the murder of Ibrahim Abu-Thuraya, an almost comic scene was immortalized.

In the Palestinian village Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank, two fully armed Israeli soldiers are standing. One is an officer, the other a sergeant. A group of three or four Arab girls, about 15 or 16 years old, approach them. They shout at the soldiers and make abusive gestures. The soldiers pretend not to notice them.

One girl, Ahd Tamimi, approaches a soldier and hits him. The soldier, much taller than her, does not react.

The girl comes even closer and hits the face of the soldier. He defends his face with his arms. Another girl records the scene with her smartphone.

And then the incredible happens: both soldiers walk backwards and leave the scene. (Later it appears that the cousin of one of the girls was shot in the head a few days earlier.)

The army was shocked by the fact that the two soldiers did not shoot the girl. It promised an investigation. The girl and her mother were detained that night. The soldiers are in for a rebuke.

For me, the two soldiers are real heroes. Sadly, they are the exceptions.

Every human being has the right to be proud of his or her country. To my mind, it’s a basic human right as well as a basic human need.

But how can one be proud of a country that is trading in human bodies?

In Islam, it is very important to bury the dead as soon as possible. Knowing this, the Israeli government is withholding the bodies of dozens of “terrorists,” to be used as trading chips for the return of Jewish bodies held by the other side.

Logical? Sure. Abhorrent? Yes.

This is not the Israel I helped to found and fought for. My Israel would return the bodies to the fathers and mothers. Even if it means giving up some trading chips. Isn’t losing a son punishment enough?

What has become of our common human decency?

 

Uri Avnery, a member of the Gush Shalom Israeli peace bloc, is an Israeli combat veteran who was wounded in the war of independence and is a former member of the Knesset.

 

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