Musical Festival in Palestine/Israel is flagged as a Cover for Atrocity

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Saturday October 06, 2007 21:36 by PaddyK - None

The upcoming "OneMillion Voices" Music event by the One Voice Organisation violates the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) Boycott criteria and is a "Normalisation Project" that enables injustice and Human rights violations to become normalised to the mainstream, according to Electronic Intafada.

As highlighted by Electronic Intafada , an ongoing propaganda development which definitely should be flagged for scrutiny is the upcoming, October 18th, One Million Voices event in Israel/Palestine starring Bryan Adams, the Canadian Rock artist.

http://www.onemillionvoices.org/aboutonevoice/mandate.html

Advertised as a Peace gig, this event claims to promote the majority consensus of the two populations with a demand for a final push for a resolution to the Sixty year old conflict and the 40 year old occupation. The one Million Voice Gig is a product of the One Voice Organisation, with Head quarters in New York. http://www.onevoicemovement.org/wps/portal

It's mission statement that asserts :

++OneVoice aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but heretofore silent majority of Israelis and Palestinians who wish to end the conflict.++

++ Israelis wish to end terror and the existential threat to Israel; Palestinians wish to end the occupation and achieve an independent Palestinian state - the vast majority on each side agrees that these goals are achievable only by reaching a two-state solution.++

++ This consensus is supported by prior agreements and has been laid out in the Clinton Parameters - what remains is to demonstrate to the elected leadership on each side that Israelis & Palestinians want to end the conflict, and overwhelmingly support immediate negotiations toward that goal.++

One Voice claims to be unique, among other reasons, because:

++We are about the process and demanding accountability from ourselves and from political leaders.++

Apart from the fact that the language employed above sounds like a typical Israeli government statement there is a an elephant in the One Voice Living Room. It is the "One voice Mandate" which we are all invited to accept, sign and adhere to, if we are true supporters of either Palestinian or Israeli Human rights.

Here is their "Mandate" : http://www.onemillionvoices.org/aboutonevoice/mandate.html

Its short and sweet and accountability doesn't feature much but it includes this:

++Immediately commence uninterrupted negotiations until reaching an agreement, no later than October 18, 2008,++

So it looks like the pressure is on for some give and take in the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
That would be a good thing if the playing field was level. But, as we all know, the playing field has two levels, the Israeli side which is three quarters of the pitch bedecked with lush green grass and the Palestinian side which is the hole where the last section of the Israeli side hasn't been installed yet.
What is glaringly missing from the "mandate" is any reference to Israel's obligations to commit to long established international law in acknowledging the illegality of the settlements the apartheid wall and in ceasing the collective punishment of the citizens of Gaza with the ongoing barabric siege of Gaza Society.
Striking also, is how this One Million Voices Gig and the year of pressure kicks off in tandem with the much Hyped but little supported Middle East Peace Conference . That's a US sponsored event where the final agreement to the conflict is to be tabled and forged into some kind of a square peg which will in turn be hammered into whatever shaped hole Israel and America thinks needs to be filled. The democratically elected hole of Hamas has already stated it's objection to being made sqaure by the likes of Fatah and the obliging King of Jordan or Saudi Arabia and other such allies of Israel and the US. http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-06-voa14.cfm

++In an interview published in a Palestinian magazine Saturday, Haniyeh said Saudi Arabia and Egypt in particular should reconsider their decision to attend the conference. He also said Palestinians do not have much hope that the meetings will accomplish anything.++

One Voice is being touted as the groovy face of the peace movement and has the backing and support of Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt and Jannifer Anniston along with unwitting politicians and major businesses. I personally, have seen it being brandished on Self styled Internet Peace Dialogue Forums as some kind of a " You're either with us or against us" peace initiative and although it is not new, it seems to be about to have its Year in the sun.

Buyers Beware, Electronic Intafada has already issued a statement and made it's position clear :

++We call on Palestinian board members of the One Million Voices to withdraw their support for this movement that only serves to blind the Palestinian public and sidetrack it from struggling, with the solidarity of its international supporters, for its UN-sanctioned rights, for justice, equality and freedom. ++