Government Press Office doing PR for the settler movement

It seems that every state agency in Israel is becoming a tool in the effort to further colonize the West Bank and deepen the control over the lives of Palestinians.

Soon after the government reached an internal “deal” with the settler movement that would keep the families who settled in a so-called “illegal” outpost on the ground, the Government Press Office – once in charge of handling press cards and other bureaucratic duties – is now engaging in propaganda efforts on behalf of the settlers.

A few days ago, the foreign press corps received the following mail, inviting members to an ideological tour in the heart of the settler land – “Samaria,” in the north of the West Bank (links appeared in the original):

Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs
Government Press Office
Jerusalem, 12 January 2012
TO: Foreign Journalists in Israel
FROM: Israel Government Press Office

GPO TOUR OF THE SHOMRON (SAMARIA) REGIONAL COUNCIL

We are pleased to invite you to a tour (in English) of the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council on Thursday, 19.1.12, from 09:30-16:30.  Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein will participate.

09:30  Departure from Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.

11:00-11:30  Visit to community of Barkan: Briefing by local resident Natalie Hershkowitz on the history of the community, westward view to the   Mediterranean Sea.

11:45-12:15  Barkan Industrial Park: Tour of plant that employs Palestinians,  briefing on effect of Arab boycott on the plant.

12:35-12:45  Itamar; stop at Fogel family residence.

12:45-13:15  Itamar: Meeting with local resident Leah Goldsmith at her home. Briefing on her move from the US, the establishment of Itamar & life in the community.

13:30-14:15  Lunch at Giv’ot Olam Organic Farm, with participation of Minister Edelstein, and Shomron Regional Council Chairman Gershon Mesika and Asst. Chairman Yossi Dagan (responsible for Council Strategic Affairs Dept).

14:30-15:00  Overlook of Nablus, Joseph’s Tomb and local communities from Mt. Gerizim; guided by David Haivri & with participation of Minister Edelstein.

15:00  Departure.

16:30  Return to Teddy Stadium.
Hila Tal
Government Press Office

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Solving the Itamar case does not justify the means the army used on Palestinians

Now that Israel has in custody two people who admitted to committing the murder in Itamar a month ago, I received several comments demanding I “update” my post on Awarta, meaning retract on the allegations in its last few paragraphs. I really don’t see a reason why. Hundreds of Palestinians were arrested and interrogated without due process. Such “investigation” would have never taken place were the suspects Jews. The legal system in the West Bank is purely Apartheid: One law for Jews and another for Arabs. The fact that alleged killers of Palestinians from Itamar were never located is further proof to that matter – Itamar was never terrorized the way Awarta was. When Awara tactics will be used everywhere—or preferably, when Palestinians enjoy due process—will there be a need to retract.

Unbelievable racism, hate-talk, from Prime Minister Sharon’s son

Following the murder at Itamar, Gilad Sharon, son of PM Ariel Sharon, published this piece on Israel’s most important tabloid, Yedioth Ahronoth. It pretty much speaks for itself. The only thing that needs to be added is that recently, the young Sharon has joined Kadima – a supposedly center-left party led by Tzipi Livni.

The article was translated and posted in English on the rightwing Israel National News (Arutz 7) site. bold is mine:

Gilad Sharon: PA Nationalism is Only an Offshoot of Zionism

by Gilad Sharon

Let us not forget with whom we are dealing here. You can take the wild Palestinian beast and put a mask on it, in the form of some fluent English-speaking spokesman. You can also put on it a three-piece suit and a silk tie. But every once in a while – during a new moon, or when a crow’s droppings hit a howling jackal, or when pita with hyssop doesn’t come out just right – the wild beast senses that this is its night, and out of ancient instinct, it sets off to stalk its prey.

They’ll explain to us, and we’ll also explain to ourselves, how nice and beautiful peace is. We will argue excitedly and with deep inner conviction whether there should be an immediate peace agreement, or perhaps a series of interim agreements. We will discuss these and other such questions, all based on the assumption that on the other side they also think like us and also want quiet and tranquility.

But such an assumption is a rape of reality. A society that can thus sanctify death, and whose best of its youth are baby-stabbers, is simply not like ours. Even their leaders… condemn these acts only by claiming that they “harm the Palestinian cause.” There’s no moral issue here; it’s just a question of harm to the cause. Their three-piece suit is sullied with blood stains, and the mask falls off… and the image of the beast they tried to hide is once again revealed.

They look at us. We are everything they never were and never will be. We have a history and culture thousands of years old, we have a functioning, developing society – while they are just the offshoot of our Zionism. Their entire national story was born in the wake of Zionism. Even their self-definition as a people has no subsistence without us.

They look at themselves through our image. The more we succeed and progress, the more their hatred intensifies. We are the proof that it is possible to do it differently, that failures are not the result of destiny, but primarily of decisions and actions.

In any arrangement that might or might not come about, remember with whom we are dealing. Our security must always remain in our hands.

Holy war: army Rabbinate in charge now of IDF’s “fighting spirit” / PL exclusive

bri-gen Avichai Rontzki, head of the army Rabbinate

The influence of radical Jewish thinking is spreading throughout the ranks of the IDF. The official IDF site is now stating that the role of the army Rabbinate – previously limited to providing the soldiers’ religious needs – includes now also a responsibility over the army’s “fighting spirit”.

The Rabbinate is providing on the army’s web site weekly lessons from the Torah portions, to be passed to the soldiers by the units’ Rabbis. These lessons include sometimes references to “holy war” and analogies between biblical battles and those of recent days.

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