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Free Palestine
The West Bank and Gaza Strip have been under an illegal Israeli military rule since they were occupied in the 1967 war, and today are referred to as the “Palestinian Occupied Territories”. East Jerusalem was also annexed illegally by Israel in 1967. For 60 years the Palestinians have been denied the right to self-determination and statehood.
The graphic shows the continual "shrinking" of Palestine as the lifeblood of its people is "drawn out" by Israel, with the financial and moral? support of the United States government, this "support" gives life to what can only be described as an oppressive and brutal regime. The in-humane treatment the Palestinian population have to endure at the hands of Israel would be considered "ethnic cleansing" anywhere else in the world, so why is it that the international community turns a "blind eye" to the ongoing human rights violations being committed against the Palistinian people by Israel?
(Updated 5th January 2009)
The Israeli 'War on Gaza' that began on the 27th of December 2008 is a war against humanity, the killing of innocent men, woman and children can never be justified.
The use of F16 airstrikes and field artillary weapons that fire high explosive shells including 'white phosporus' munitions (classed as a chemical weapon and currently banned under the Geneva convention) at civilian targets is barbaric, Israels 'War on Gaza' is not only a disproportionate use of force but shows the vindictiveness of the Israeli people who whole heartedly support their governments 'war of terror' against the civilian population of Gaza as a 'collective'. This war by Israel is an act of villainy were collateral damage in the form of 'loss of innocent life' is deemed unimportant, this statement is backed up by the choice of high powered munitions currently being used in civilian areas by the Israeli armed forces. The difference in weapons systems is reflected in the casualty figures from each side which shows that the word 'precision guided' munitions is a 'loosely based term, as bombs do not discriminate in densely populated areas. The international and Arab communities long silence regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a disgrace as is the defunct UNSC's inane rhetoric, the Gazan population as a 'collective' have been suffering under an Israeli seige for the last 18 months confined in the "worlds largest open air prison, Gaza", during this time the Israeli government have denied Gazans the most basic human rights, this treatment would be considered de-humanizing and criminal by any western government and considered to be a total violation of the human rights act, this statement can be backed up by the overwhelming number of United Nations resolutions against the Israeli government for their 'dire' ongoing treatment of the Palestinian people, although supported by a majority of UNSC members not one resolution has been passed out of 44 put forward since 1972 as 'all' were vetoed by Israels arms dealer and financier, the United States.
Israel is the American government's puppet in the Middle East as are the British government in Europe along with many other countries throughout the different continents of the world "were ever American interests may lie", Israel is a prime example as it is funded financially by the American government and therefore indirectly by the American taxpayer to the tune of 'Billions of dollars' each year, every penny of which is designated for military defence purposes i.e (Weapons), which leads onto the double standards applied by the United States regarding their irrational 'War on Terror' when they began to classify certain populations around the world as 'terrorist organisations' whilst supporting and arming various factions and groups themselves through 'back door' politics and "paperless" financing, these groups who were then deemed freeedom fighters when doing 'Americas bidding' are now viewed as terrorists?, America has often been involved in regime change in countries that were seen to be unco-operative or not pro-western, some examples of these double standards include Afghanistan were most of the weapons being used against the coalition forces today are ones that America supplied to the Muhdjadin and other localised factions to fight the Russians, Saddam Hussein in Iraq was also supported and equiped by the American government and more closer to home the IRA who had been carrying out many bombings across mainland Britain suddenly decided after 25 years to take the political road to peace and discontinue their armed struggle which coincidentally is when George 'despot' Bush launched his world de-stabilizing 'War on Terror' crusade after 9/11, why did the IRA stop when 9/11 happened?, they stopped because the long-time 'political goodwill' given to the IRA by the American government, and the financial support given through fund raising by certain elements of the American public to pay for arms to kill British people had dried up in an instant, so you could say that, 'on that one day in history the American support for the IRA cause well and truly ended'.
The point i am making is that the version of events put forward by western politicians who just toe the line because they are afraid to tread on Americas 'economically powerful toes' should be verified before being believed, this includes the sanitised "off the cuff" version of the Gaza conflict and the demonisation of all things Arab reported by western media organisations ("who can only guess what the Israeli military are doing in Gaza as they have all been denied access, why?"). Therefore western media reports are not always as fair and balanced as one is led to believe and in general due to cultural differences and a lack of understanding these sources of information do not give a fair account of the Palistinian people and their struggle for self determination and statehood.
(Updated 7th January 2009)
The following disproportionate use of force that resulted in the killing of innocent civilians in contradiction to (article 33, 4th ed, Geneva Convention) was comitted on the 6th January 2009 by Israel in the Gaza Strip and goes some way to substantiate a number of previous statements above regarding the international communities complicity in the tragic events 'being allowed' to unfold in Gaza, it also confirms Israels willingness to blatently breach international law on a day to day basis through it's total disregard for the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza.
The Israeli military on the 6th January 2009 launched airstrikes on three .U.N. run schools which were designated 'safe havens' for Palistinian 'non combatant' civilians, one of the schools UN-run al-Fakhora school in Jabalya refugee camp was hit by 3 missiles fired from an Israeli F16 jet killing 43 and injuring 55, all the victims were innocent men woman and children. Christopher Gunness of the .U.N. Relief and Works Agency, responsible for the school, said the agency is "99.9 percent certain there were no militants or military activity in its school". The Israeli military were well aware of the .U.N. schools position as they had been given it's GPS co-ordinates by .U.N. Officials at the school, the building had a large .U.N. Flag flying and the instalation is clearly marked .U.N., also the Israeli liason Officer to the .U.N. in Gaza had been informed of civilians sheltering in the school. Israel's claim that militants were operating outside the .U.N. school is unistablished and the third variation on their claim of a "return of fire" defence in wartime?. My point is even if this was the case the Israeli military has still knowingly breached international law under the Geneva Convention (article 33), how can firing high explosive shells within 'close' proximity of a group of (known) innocent civilians in order to hit a 'non-confirmed' target be justified? It is clearly a disproportionate use of force and under international law it is considered to be a 'war crime', there is a case to answer and if proven guilty Israel should be held to account at the Haig.
CONCLUSION
Palestinians killed during Israeli military offensive in Gaza, (27 Dec to 18 Jan)
Total dead: 1,434
Fighters: 235
Non-combatants: 906
Women: 121
Children under 16: 288
(Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights)
The logic behind the Israeli governments treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza during the siege and throughout this conflict is illogical, no one in their right mind could believe that inprisoning a population, punishing them as a 'collective', controlling their freedom of movement, denying them their basic human rights, laying siege to their home territory over a long period (18 mths), denying them their 'God' given right as any population has to self determination, killing their innocent men, woman and children with no regard for human life and with such barbarity, laying waste to their towns and cities, starving them, cuttting off their basic utilities and breaking down their social and enviromental infrastructures through psychological and forceful means in a vein attempt to make the population turn-in on their own democratically elected government is nonsensical. None of the above can be considered as measures to encourage moderate Palestinians to talk peace?, this Israeli conflict is not a 'hearts & mind' campaign as the Israelis portray, it is no more than 'state terrorism' that has not only put back the chance of any peace and co-operation between the Palestinians and Israelis in the near future it has also increased the prospect of more de-stabilization not only in the Middle East region but throughout the world. I find it very difficult to understand how a devout society like Israel with its 'own' history of persecution under a Nazi regime can so easily reconcile its barbaric persecution of innocent people with such ease of conscience?.
(Updated 17th July 2009)
Since the end of the Israeli 'War on Gaza' that began on the 27th of December 2008 a group of IDF soldiers calling themselves 'Breaking the Silence' have come forward to give first hand testimonies on a range of abuses that took place during the conflict which they believe stemmed from Israeli policy and rules of engagement, several testimonies describe rules of engagement which were either unclear, or which encouraged soldiers to prioritise protecting their own lives over determining whether a person in the vicinity was a civilian. Below in no particular order is a selection of sworn testimonies given by IDF operatives relating to abuses that were perpertrated during the conflict.
IDF Operative Testimony 51:
"We were told soldiers were to be secured by fire-power. The soldiers were made to understand that their lives were the most important, and that there was no way our soldiers would get killed for the sake of leaving civilians the benefit of the doubt… People were not instructed to shoot at everyone they see but they were told that from a certain distance when they approach a house, no matter who it is - even an old woman - take them down."
IDF Operative Testimony 49:
"Among other things, he strictly forbade us to climb up to roofs. He explained in fact that the air force has the 'go ahead' to fire at anyone seen on a roof."
IDF Operative Testimony 41:
"You can't identify too much at night and anything that moves you engage in order not to take risks. It was not defined this way officially, but it was obvious. Any movement on the ground at night was doomed."
IDF Operative's Testimonies 13 and 14: These describe an incident where an old man carrying a torch at night, walking towards an Israeli-held building.
IDF Operative Testimony 13:
An old man carrying a torch at night, walking towards an Israeli-held building, he approached from about 150 metres - and was allowed to approach to 25 metres with no deterrent fire, before he was shot dead.
IDF Operative Testimony 14:
"Everyone is shooting and shooting and the guy's screaming. The commander comes downstairs, glowing. 'Here's an opener for tonight'. He was asked why he wouldn't confirm deterrent fire. He said, "It's night time and this is a terrorist."
IDF Operative Testimony 1
[a soldier describing what he had heard from a commander]: "To every house we close in on, we send the neighbour in, 'the Johnnie'… Sometimes the force would enter while placing rifle barrels on a civilian's shoulder, advancing into a house and using him as a human shield. Commanders said these were the instructions and we had to do it…"
IDF Operative Testimony 2:
"Part of the concept of razing was what the Israeli army calls 'the day after' consideration. Obviously this campaign would end at some point… The question was in what condition we'd leave the area, whether more exposed, a state that would afford us better firing and observation conditions, and far greater control. This was the principle behind all that razing - namely razing for our benefit.
IDF Operative Testimony 52:
"Most of the destruction that went on there was not necessary."
IDF Operative Testimony 43 :
"One guy said he just couldn't finish this operation without killing someone… [describes the shooting of a man "apparently some sort of lookout"] … I can definitely say he was not armed. I can definitely say the soldier regarded this as some children's game and was delighted and laughing after this. I think that a normal person, even having killed an armed terrorist, would not be amused."
IDF Operative Testimony 50:
"The atmosphere was not one of fear but rather people too eager to shoot other people."
IDF Operative Testimony 39:
"The guys would simply break stuff. Some were out to destroy and trash the whole time. They drew a disgusting drawing on the wall. They threw out sofas. They took down a picture from the wall just to shatter it."
IDF Operative Testimony 52:
Q: Was there boredom at any point during these two weeks?
A: Much boredom.
Q: So what does one do to relieve this boredom?
A: I told you, fire at water tanks, I don't know, out of boredom. When there's nothing else to shoot at, you fire at water tanks."
IDF Operative Testimony 8:
Q: Why fire phosphorus?
A: Because it's fun. Cool… I don't know what it's used for… I don't understand what it's even doing in our supplies if we're not supposed to use such ammo. It's ridiculous.
IDF Operative Testimony 11:
"There was an area of about 200-300 square meters of glazed sand.... We understood this resulted from white phosphorus, and it was upsetting… in training you learn that white phosphorus is not used, and you're taught that it's not humane. You watch films and see what it does to people who are hit, and you say, 'There, we're doing it too.' That's not what I expected to see. Until that moment I had thought I belonged to the most humane army in the world."
IDF Operative Testimony 15:
[describing a talk by a military rabbi]: "Lots of pathos, the kind of religious discourse I'm a bit familiar with: war of choice, holy war - differing rules. He spoke less in religious terminology… and was much more into militant faith. He aimed at inspiring the men with courage, cruelty, aggressiveness, expressions such as 'no pity, God protects you, everything you do is sanctified'. The gist of these statements was perhaps to bring things into agreement with religion, with God and whoever this man was supposed to represent, that everything or nearly everything is permissible. "
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Quote - Sydney J. Harris
"Terrorism" is what we call the violence of the weak, and we condemn it; "war" is what we call the violence of the strong, and we glorify it".
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~ free texture ~ creative commons license ~ by attribution ~ alicepopkorn
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texture by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47283811@N06/4340778822/"> alicepopkorn </a>
free her from the nightfall
free her from the dust
we can see the violence when we read thoes eyes
we can see the future when you care
Black Lights "The Enemy"
Hello Flickr Friends :)
I just wanted to let you know that I've made my Autumn Punch Lightroom preset available for free instant download.
It's just a basic preset to help brighten the exposure of dull autumn photos and to make the yellows, reds and oranges stand out. It's ideal for tree/leave photos and indoor photos.
I have provided a link to an instant download here (as well as instructions for installing it):
helenogbourn.com/2013/11/05/autumn-punch-free-basic-light...
I'm off for some urban photography tomorrow...looking forward to it already :)
Free and alone in the Lónsöræfi Nature Reserve. Lónsöræfi is one of the most remote hiking areas in Iceland and offers amazing views of the rugged landscapes to the east of Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull.
I took this shot alongside the Noosa River in Australia. One of my favourite models to work with and nothing is too much trouble. Funny! I had a bag full of Nikons and yet took this shot on an old Fuji (Domestic) number!!
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Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
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I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures Vol 2~
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“We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.”
~Luciano de Crescenzo
All images copyright of Karen Wyatt and any use without permission is illegal
These last few are part of a seven-year-old photo archive that has been missing for years. While working to free up space on an old hard drive, I found about 90 days worth of photos from a long-ago summer, a delight to revisit and re-process...
Free texture. If you use this texture please credit my name under your picture, and put a copy of your work in a comment box under my texture. I would love to see the results of your work. More texture in the set Free Textures.
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.
I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures Vol 2~
If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group
'Free 'Will': one of the latest troll creations from Thomas Dambo, out of recycled wood, in Maribo, Denmark.
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.
I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures Vol 2~
If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.
I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures~
If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group at
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible.
I would love to see the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures Vol 2~
If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my group
This texture is free to use in your creative works.
Please do not redistribute or make small changes and claim it as your own.
Please provide credit via a link under your work back to this image or to my account where possible, thank you .
I love seeing the results of your work, so please leave me a link or a small copy in my comment box below.
Thank you,
Brenda.
I belong to this set. ~Textures~
If you are looking for more stock images and textures, please check out my new group at