Post 10 - Nakba Law

Hi everyone,

Please join us at Prince of Peace on Thursday, May 12, 7 pm. We'll have a chance to sit and chat with Father Mike about the situation in Israel. Hope to see you, I'll bring cake and coffee. May God guide the discussion and may the Holy Spirit refresh within us.

Here is something I had not heard about before: Nakba Law. On May 15th, some folks in Israel had gotten into the custom of marking the day that the Palestinians were pushed out of their homes: Nakba, which means Catastrophe. This past month, in a vote 37 - 25 of the Committee for Legislation, this tradition became an illegal act.

If caught mentioning, holding any sort gathering, teaching, or even listening to the history of the creation of Israel from the Palestinian's eyes and hearts, you are in for big trouble with the State. 

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/03/23/3086536/knesset-passes-nakba-law

Palestine Monitor
The Nakba law is yet another piece of racist and discriminatory legislation which will directly target the Palestinian minority in Israel. In essence, the law stifles freedom of expression and will punish this sector of society for commemorating the most traumatic event in their recent collective history, the Nakba...

Well, the 15th of May happens to be the end of our No-Show Pilgrimage. Amazing. How would one ever be able to translate this into international law?

Check out the United States Catholic Council of Bishops' letter of April 14, 2011 to President Obama, kind of weak, but at least written: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2011/11-076.shtml
or, for the full text:
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/PresidentObamaLetwEndorsersApril2011.pdf

Something else: did you know that listed in the major achievements in the Life and Ministry of Pope John Paul: February 15, 2000 - Basic Agreement is signed between the Holy See and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Very interesting.

Hope to see you here or at Prince of Peace,

Peggy