A black day in Israel - Human trategy

[thor at peace.is]

israel1
A black day in Israel

Peace 2000 witnesses a human tragety - We need a solution now!
By Thor Magnusson - Jerusalem 15th May 2001 - www.peace2000.org15th. May
2001.  It¥s aday remembered by Palestinians as the 'Black Day' - the day
that theylost their country to Israel.  It¥s a human tragety.  Violence is
escalating.

This photograph is from a Jerusalem suburb, on the wayto Ramala.Just before
Ramala, there isRam. Israeli soldiers on every courner. Suddenly a shot.

The car in front has been hit.

A father comes out with a crying daughter in his arms.In a
Ramalademonstration.  It looks peaceful.  Hundreds of people in the street
- Israeli soldiers inthe far distance.  Some 100 meters apart.

Suddenly shoots are fired.  The people startrunning away.Shot in the head.
Hisbrain is out.  They fight for his life.

The doctor does not expect him to live the night!The ambulance needs
cleaning. Blood being paid for what?The family patiently awaits inthe
hospital.  Will he survive?An Israeli hero - fighting toend the violnece:
Abrave young man of Israel is fighting for peace.  Peace 2000 hasrecognized
his contribution to end the violence.  Here is anextract of the speach
delivered by Thor Magnusson for Peace 2000 whenthe Leifr Eiriksson Peace
Award was presented to Gabriel Wolff who hasrefused to serve in the Israeli
military:

Theperson who many of us regard as the modern time Godfather of
peace,Mahatma Gandhi, said that an eye for an eye retaliation would soon
makethe whole world blind.  These words are as true today, as they were in
India in thelast century.

Fortunatelymy nation, the Icelanders, learned this lesson a thousand years
ago. The award we arepresenting here today is named after Leifr Eiriksson,
son of Iceland,discoverer of Vinland - the American continent in the year
1000. On thesame year, when

Icelandwas facedwith a civil war and an invasion by a foreign power, the
Vikingsgathered at the Althing in an attempt to resolve their differences
onreligion and land disputes.

Forthe last thousand years, Icelanders have solved their disputes
anddifferences in peaceful discussions at the Althing, which was
originallyfounded in the year 930 and is now the oldestcontinuous
legislative body on the planet.  At the beginning of its meeting in the
year 1000, a gravesituation faced the Althing.  Acivil war was eminent.
Christiansand the traditional Viking Godic worshippers had become divided
andbroken their association formed 70 years earlier when the Althing
wasoriginally founded.  Godicmembers were in great majority, but the
Christians had the support ofthe powerful Norwegian King. Christianity was
spreading throughoutEurope - often through massive bloodshed.

Itwas at this historic meeting at the Althing in the year 1000 thatThorgeir
LjÛsvetningago•i, a renowned wise man and peacemaker wasappointed as the
Law Speaker.  Afterdays of heated debate, the Althing delegates came to a
compromise whichwould make Christianity the religion of Iceland, but at the
same timeallowing private worship of the old Gods.

Afterhaving retired for some two days to his tent to carefully consider
thealternatives, Thorgeir presented his proposal. Despite being a Godic
worshipper himself he came forward with acontroversial proposal centered
upon great tolerance towards bothreligions.  The situationwas heated and he
had to carefully choose his words but through hisspeach he appealed to all
men to permanently lay down their arms andresort to solving their
differences through peaceful dialogues at theAlthing.  This became
thecornerstone of a culture of peace that has lasted ever since, apart
froma brief period in the thirteenth century. While violent wars plagued
the world, the Icelanders became theonly nation in the world to never carry
weapons. The LeifrEiriksson Peace Awardis presented to those people around
the worldwho today carry on this culture of peace.

Othercountries have followed in the footsteps of the Vikings with
greatsuccess.  Costa Ricaabolished their military establishment some 50
years ago. Former President, Nobel Price Laurette Oscar Arias Sanches
hascorrectly pointed out that almost in every instance a national armyposes
the greatest security threat to their own civilian population.

Thereis a growing population of war resisters in the world that in the
searchfor a lasting peace, we must abolish the national military concept.
That the long term security of our planet and peoples, theprosperity and
happiness of our societies will be greatly enhanced withour lands free of
armed forces.  Severalproposals have been made how this could be
implemented, which I will notgo into the details of now, but will mention
one outstanding report onthis issue, that is the United Nations report on
Common Security by theOlav Palme Commission which was done with the
participation ofrepresentatives from 16 nations around the world.

Ihave come here to present the Leifr Eiriksson Peace Award to
anextraordinary young man who has shown both courrage and extremededication
in restistance to the use of military forces against acivilian population.
He hasrefused to serve in the army, and has spent almost two months in
prisonfor it.  He was releasedfrom prison only yesterday, but is expecting
to be arrested again thiscoming Sunday as he will again refuse to enlist
into the military. This yount man is a bold representative of war
resisters, adedicated person of high morals that is ready to stand up for
hisbeliefs that a military solution cannot work for Israel and Palestine.
That the Israeli and Palestine people must learn to becomefriends and
together build this land into a great nation of prosperityand happiness as
one family ñ as one part of our human family whoultimately all share the
same destiny.

Itis with deep honor, I present this award to Gabriel Wolff, a ninteenyear
old talented Israeli Mucisian and a man of great foresight who
iswholehearterly devoted to peace.  May I please ask Gabriel to come here
to accept this awardfor himself and as a representative for the several
other youngconscientious objectors in Israel that with great courrage have
opposedthe armed forces and refused to hold a gun against their
fellowcitizents.

For more visit www.peace2000.org
Is this the future
law speaker of a new Althing in Jerusalem?
Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL3085.JPG:000663E7:4412BA64:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL1003.JPG:000663E8:78118A05:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL2029.JPG:000663E9:1E11D6FC:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL3074.JPG:000663EC:4412943E:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL4096.JPG:000663EE:6A12E08A:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL4105.JPG:000663F1:6A378A64:00000000:00000000Related: :Macintosh
HD:ROLL4121.JPG:000663F5:6A37D5CC:00000000:00000000