Walking the Land and Calling It 'The West Bank'

Some six weeks ago, sorry for the belated posting, America's Jerusalem Consulate announced that the U.S. Consul General had "launched a hiking journey across entire West Bank" as he had followed the 321 kilometer Masar Ibrahim Al-Khalil trail.  

Here he is:

The Consulate release informed us that the hike

kicked off on May 14 in Rummana village northwest of Jenin, famous for its hilly landscape and olive trees dating back to Roman times.  It ended in Burquin village at a community center renovated recently with support of USAID.   This first segment covered 18 kilometers and will be followed by 21 sequential hikes the Consul General will walk to complete the Abraham path in the coming year.

Consul General Donald Blome was joined by local officials and members of the Masar Ibrahim Al-Khalili organization (it's full name includes this: "Abraham's Path" which indicates the Islamic appropriation of Judaism and Jewish history) as he explained his reasons for launching the journey: “This journey is all about exploring the connection of the people with the land – deep roots formed through nature, culture, art, and agriculture.”

Dear CG Blome,

there is another people, a collective ethnic community, with a connection with the land – deep roots formed through nature, culture, art, and agriculture.

They are called ... Jews.

We wish you physical success in walking the Land of Israel (I don't think anyone refers to it as the Land of Ishmael) and much enjoyment as you pass through the landscape of the historic homeland of the Jewish People.

And, please, feel free to drop when you pass by Shiloh. You come close, I see:

We have archaeological excavations at Tel Shiloh, olive orchards, vineyards, industry, recreational grounds and good people.   The Consulate has my contact details.

____________

UPDATE

Elder of Ziyon has commented, too.

^

Is This State Department-Sponsored Discrimination?

Found at the US Jerusalem Consulate-General site:

The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the International Writing Program (IWP) for 2012. In partnership with the University of Iowa, this program offers a tenweek residency in Iowa City that brings together a wide range of international and U.S. writers to examine current trends in literature...details about the program are available on the IWP website: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/.

Participant Qualifications

 Poets, fiction writers, dramatists, and screenwriters are eligible for nomination; Literary translators and writers whose publications and careers focus on creative non-fiction (feature journalism, cultural commentary, biography, and memoirs) are also eligible for this program.

... Candidates must be Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, the West Bank or Gaza Strip.

Not, not residents of "Palestine" - which doesn't exist, or "Palestine residents" but "Palestinians" which, I am assuming, excludes Jews.

If you go to the Facebook page of the Consulate, you'll learn of other events and activities intended for one section of the population in Judea and Samaria: Arabs, like

Nicole Taylor in Jerusalem and West Bank


The U.S. Consulate General hosted American Arts Envoy Nicole Taylor, for a musical evening featuring a mix of classical and spiritual music with students from the Magnificat Institute on February 12 in Jerusalem. Taylor also lead music workshops and exhibitions throughout the West Bank.

America House Sponsors Women's Bazaar


The U.S. Consulate General’s America House hosted the 2nd Annual Women's Micro-Enterprise Bazaar and Fashion Show on December 15, at the Ambassador Hotel. The bazaar featured handicrafts by Palestinian women from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.

PalConnect Sparks Innovation and Networking


The U.S. Consulate General-sponsored social media conference “PalConnect” concluded on December 6. PalConnect provided a forum for Palestinians from the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip to discuss the Palestinian social media landscape and the potential roles and uses of social media in Palestinian society.


Legacy Jams with Audiences in Hebron and Jerusalem

The U.S. Consulate General was pleased to sponsor the visit of American hip hop group, Legacy, for a series of workshops and live concert performances in the West Bank and Jerusalem, December 1-3, 2011

As far as I know, Jews are excluded from these events by the simple method of only inviting Arabs.

American democracy or American discrimination?

^

"America, America..."

Reported:

A secret history of the United States government’s Nazi-hunting operation concludes that American intelligence officials created a “safe haven” in the United States for Nazis and their collaborators after World War II, and it details decades of clashes, often hidden, with other nations over war criminals here and abroad.

.

TIDE Means...?

Ever heard of

the so-called Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, a tally of 550,000 people worldwide who might be a threat to the United States

No?

Read the sorry story of botched US intelligence services.

Not Spying, Intelligence-Gathering

Reuters reports:

U.S. diplomats assessed Jewish settlement activity at an Israeli-occupied district near Jerusalem on Friday, in a public signal of greater activism by the Obama administration in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, confirmed the visit took place "as part of our ongoing observation activities in the area," which Israel sees as a critical link between Jerusalem and the sprawling settlement of Maale Adumim.

Palestinians say building in what Israel calls E1, an area of occupied land between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, would deny them a viable state by cutting the West Bank in two and isolating Arab East Jerusalem, which they want as their capital.

An assessment of Israeli activities, prepared by the diplomats, will be sent to Washington.

The visit comes just days before Benjamin Netanyahu takes over as Israeli prime minister...

...Hagit Ofran of the Israeli Peace Now organization, which tracks settlement growth, said the Obama administration was concerned about future building plans under Netanyahu.

She said Friday's visit was "a signal to say to the new Israeli government that the Americans are interested in what's going on the ground and that they don't want to see the Israelis constructing in E1."

U.S. diplomats frequently visit East Jerusalem and the West Bank to monitor Israeli settlement building, but such visits are rarely public.

"We keep track of all developments in the West Bank and Jerusalem on an ongoing basis and report regularly to Washington," Schweitzer-Bluhm said.

Well, perhaps human rights groups from abroad should visit immigration detention centers, the fence near Mexico, Indian reservations?

There's A Contradiction Here

C. David Welch
Assistant Secretary, Near Eastern Affairs Bureau
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia

“U.S. Assistance to the Middle East”

Chairman Ackerman, Congressman Pence, and distinguished Members of the Committee, it is a privilege to appear before you today.

Our Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 budget request reflects the centrality of the Middle East to United States foreign policy, our strategic commitment to our partners’ security, and our enduring interests in the region. This request reflects an integrated approach managed by the office of the Director of Foreign Assistance between the Department of State and USAID.

...Our concept for the region is to support peaceful solutions and to strengthen the hand of democratic leaders against extremists who use violence, repress fundamental freedoms and seek to undermine our interests and our friends. Our FY 2009 budget reflects our continued focus on providing security assistance to our allies to promote our objectives--building well-governed, democratic states, promoting human rights and reducing poverty requires a foundation in security.

Our diplomacy is married up with our programmatic activities across the region in pursuit of our priorities. These priorities begin with a positive outcome in Iraq. Other key U.S. priorities include sustaining the security of Israel; advancing a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

You did catch the contradiction, did you not?

U.S. Report Biased

The U.S. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, is out.

Here's from the section on "Israel and the occupied territories":-

c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading

...according to the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Mossawa Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel (Mossawa).

...On March 6, the NGO B'Tselem alleged....

...In a report released December 10, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) cited...

...The NGO Hotline for Migrant Workers reported...

So, no independent research?

So, who else can provide material?

In the second report (below), I found in this regard:-

Israeli activists reported numerous examples in which PA television shows invoked messages that activists considered anti-Semitic or that attempted to de-legitimize Jewish history in general.

Notice that, some nebulous "activists". No name. Not like the above respectable groups which aren't necessarily tained by being "Israeli" (although they are).

And a parallel report has this to say about the Temple Mount, inter alia:-

...The Haram al-Sharif is administered, however, by the Islamic Waqf, a Jordanian-funded and administered Muslim religious trust for East Jerusalem with ties to the PA. The Israeli police have exclusive control of the Mughrabi Gate entrance to the compound and limit access to the compound from all entrances. The Waqf can object to entrance of particular persons, such as non-Muslim religious radicals, or to prohibited activities, such as prayer by non-Muslims or disrespectful clothing or behavior, but lacks effective authority to remove anyone from the site. In practice Waqf officials claimed that police often allowed religious radicals (such as Jews seeking to remove the mosques and to rebuild the ancient temple on the site) and immodestly dressed persons to enter and often were not responsive to enforcing the site's rules. During Passover in 2007, Israeli police escorted more than 100 activists affiliated with the right-wing group "The Temple Mount Faithful" to enter the compound on two consecutive days, the second day while carrying a model of the Second Temple[!!!].

The Israeli Government, as a matter of stated policy, has opposed worship at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount by non-Muslims since 1967. Israeli police generally did not permit public prayer by non-Muslims and publicly indicated that this policy has not changed in light of the renewed visits of non-Muslims to the compound. However, Waqf officials contended that Israeli police, in contravention of their stated policy and the religious status quo, have allowed members of radical Jewish groups to enter and to worship at the site, including during Passover 2007. Representatives for these Jewish groups claimed successful attempts to pray inside the compound in interviews with the Israeli media. The Waqf interpreted police actions as part of an Israeli policy to incrementally reduce Waqf authority over the site and to give non-Muslims rights of worship in parts of the compound.

There were several violent clashes during the reporting period between Israeli police and Muslim worshippers on the Haram al-Sharif, which Waqf officials alleged were due to the large police contingent kept on the site. At times Muslim worshippers threw stones at police, and police fired tear gas and stun grenades at worshippers. Muslim worshippers also held demonstrations at the site to protest reported right-wing Israeli nationalist plans to damage the mosques or create a Jewish worship area at the site. Israeli security officials and police were generally proactive and effective in dealing with such threats.

...There were also disputes between the Muslim administrators of the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and Israeli authorities regarding Israeli restrictions on Waqf attempts to carry out repairs and physical improvements on the compound and its mosques. Israeli authorities prevented the Waqf from conducting several improvement projects and removing debris from previous restorations to the site, alleging that the Waqf was attempting to alter the nature of the site or to discard antiquities of Jewish origin. Israeli authorities began excavations near the Mughrabi gate, preparing to build a permanent ramp onto the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. Waqf officials were not allowed access to the excavations in early 2007 and claimed they were not consulted in any part of the planning process for either the excavations or the ramp that will be constructed to replace the existing ramp. At the end of this reporting period, the excavations were suspended.

And what about Waqf excavations destroying Jewish historical artifacts?

Found this further on in the report:-

There were instances of right-wing Israeli nationalists harassing Muslims. On several occasions, a group known as the Temple Mount Faithful attempted to force their way inside the wall enclosing the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. [that's harrassment or a demand for equal religious freedom?] In addition, the same group periodically attempted to lay a cornerstone for the building of a new Jewish temple that would replace the Islamic Dome of the Rock, an act that Muslims considered provocative and offensive. Members of this organization were allowed access to the Haram a-Sharif/Temple Mount, including access to the Dome of the Rock, during Passover 2007.

And in the section, Abuses of Religious Freedom, we read:-

During Jewish holidays the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) closes to Muslims the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, the second most important mosque for Muslims in the Occupied Territories after Al Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount. The IDF reopens the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron to Muslim worship for times other than during Jewish holidays. During the reporting period, Israeli officers at times prevented the muezzin at the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron from sounding the call to prayer when Jews were praying in their portion of the shrine.

But (a) this is the agreement as a result of Oslo; and (b) preventing interference noise is a matter of common courtesy, no?

Invading?

Did you know that the United States had attempted, thrice, to invade Canada...in 1812?

War of 1812
IV. First Phase of the War

The first phase of the fighting began with the declaration of war on June 18, 1812, and continued through the winter of 1812 and 1813. During this time, Britain was preoccupied with its engagements in Europe and tried to end the American war by diplomacy, sending few reinforcements to North America. As a result, the United States decided to invade Canada, and U.S. naval vessels operated effectively to stop British commerce to North America.

A. Attempts to Invade Canada

Soon after the war began, American leaders began to worry about the exposed Western fort of Detroit, a strategic settlement in the Michigan Territory. The U.S. hastily dispatched Brigadier General William Hull with reinforcements to the fort. In July General Hull decided to cross the Detroit River into Upper Canada. Hull's men, many of whom came from the Ohio militia, were poorly equipped, and, except for one small regiment, proved insubordinate and unreliable.

When Hull learned of an approaching force made up of British troops, Canadian militia, and Native Americans, he quickly withdrew to Detroit without fighting a battle. Major General Isaac Brock, an able and energetic officer, led the British unit. He followed the retreating American army with close to 1300 men, nearly half of whom were Native Americans. Brock boldly ordered Hull to surrender Detroit, and on August 16 the American general gave up, never firing a shot. The United States thus lost control of the entire Great Lakes region, and British troops soon invaded northern Ohio.

In October the Americans made a second attempt to invade Canada, this time on the Niagara frontier at the eastern end of Upper Canada. A small force crossed the Niagara River and with great gallantry stormed the key British position on the heights above the city of Queenston (see Queenston Heights, Battle of). The British promptly sent in more troops to counterattack, but the Americans received no additional support. A New York militia officer named Stephen Van Rensselaer, who commanded the reinforcements, could not induce his regiments to cross into Canada to assist the advance unit. The militia, stubbornly maintaining that they could not legally be sent out of the United States, stood on the riverbank and watched the defeat and final surrender of their comrades. In the same engagement British general Brock, who had used his naval command of Lake Erie to transfer troops by water from the Detroit area to the Niagara River, lost his life.

Major General Henry Dearborn led a third American effort to invade Canada. This expedition also ended ingloriously in November north of Plattsburgh, New York. Once again the militia refused to cross into Canada in support of a small advance force, and instead marched back to winter quarters at Plattsburgh.