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CHICAGO: A dozen pro-Palestinian audio system, from Palestinian chief Hanan Ashrawi to Pink Floyd singer and songwriter Roger Waters, advised a gathering of activists in Washington D.C. Friday that Israel manipulates information media protection and hides behind accusations of anti-Semitism to justify its hypocritical insurance policies on Palestine.

The annual convention entitled “Transcending the Israel Foyer at Dwelling and Overseas,” attended nearly by Arab Information, scaled the large breadth of anti-Palestinian insurance policies not solely in Israel but in addition from America and challenges that exist with the present administration of President Joe Biden.

Ashrawi stated a skinny line separates the “poisonous insurance policies” of Donald Trump and the “indecisiveness” of Biden.

“Settlers are on a rampage in all places in Palestine. The annexation and growth of settlements and residential demolitions are occurring at twice the speed by which they had been carried out throughout within the Trump interval. Throughout Biden, the escalation of violations is unimaginable and is gigantic. The additional-judicial executions, day by day killings of our individuals proceed with full impunity,” Ashrawi stated from her house in Ramallah in Occupied Palestine.

“And Israel, as they are saying, is profiting from the US weak spot and indecision. They’re very pleased that they consider the Biden administration as indecisive, and they’re fairly pleased to dwell with timid verbal reprimands with no penalties. The speed at which the destruction is happening and the killings is so accelerated.”

Ashrawi stated Biden opposes “settlement growth” however doesn’t converse out to confront current “unlawful settlements,” a significant change from earlier administrations. She stated the Biden administration permits Israel’s authorities to “set the insurance policies” for America, together with having to “ask” Israel for permission to do issues they’ve the facility to do, corresponding to re-opening the consulate in East Jerusalem or re-joining organizations corresponding to UNESCO.

American coverage modified dramatically, Ashrawi stated, below Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who declared US insurance policies needed to “pivot away from the Center East” as a result of attaining peace was troublesome.

Sut Jhally, professor of communication on the College of Massachusetts Amherst and govt director of the Media Training Basis, stated most of the challenges Palestinian face is the results of a deliberate propaganda marketing campaign by Israel to outline Palestinians as terrorists and Israelis as defenders.

Jhally stated that till late within the Nineteen Eighties, the mainstream information media was truthful and sometimes criticized and challenged Israeli actions. 

“Such protection is unthinkable at present … Journalism within the US doesn’t exist at present,” Jhally stated. One technique was to counter justice for Palestinians with threats of terrorism in opposition to Israelis. Reverse the truth, he stated Israelis had been suggested, and all the time begin their propaganda with repetitive phrases corresponding to “Hamas rockets” and “Palestinian terrorism,” not with Israeli violence.

Jhally stated that within the Nineties, Israelis gathered advertising and marketing and media specialists to redefine how the battle was being offered to the general public, dubbed “Hasbara,” and strategize on managing information media protection. “Propaganda isn’t a unclean phrase,” Jhally stated media specialists advised Israel. The Hasbara strategists additionally really useful to “keep away from historical past and keep away from info” in talking to People, Western audiences and media.

Waters, who has organized boycotts of Israel by a few of the world’s most well-known artists, stated he’s typically attacked as being “anti-Semitic” as a result of he helps human rights for Palestinians. 

“I assist the battle for human rights of all individuals in all places,” Waters stated defiantly.

Waters, who has known as Israel a “terrorist, apartheid regime,” stated there’s a optimistic affect for Palestinians from the artist boycotts on Israel, educating followers about Israel’s apartheid insurance policies and violence.

He stated he speaks out in protection of human rights the world over, however stated his voice in assist of Palestinians “by far attracts probably the most ire.”

“We all know what anti-Semitism means and it doesn’t imply criticizing the state of Israel, you a——,” Waters stated to cheers. “No dialog about Israel is feasible with out utilizing the phrase apartheid. As a result of Israel is an apartheid nation.”

Audio system addressing the convention included Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy, who stated Israelis merely shut their eyes to actuality, denouncing the occupation and violence in Ukraine whereas saying nothing about occupation and violence within the occupied West Financial institution.

Rev. Donald Wagner, former nationwide director of Buddies of Sabeel-North America and Center East research professor, spent years learning “Christian Zionism” and defined the highly effective affect American Christians from the far proper have on US coverage in opposition to the Palestinians. Satirically, the Christian Palestinian inhabitants has dropped considerably from 13 p.c at first of the 1967 occupation to below 1 p.c, at present.

Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the Worldwide Solidarity Motion (ISM) and who’s operating as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Michigan’s tenth District, stated her activism preventing for Palestinian human rights prepares her for preventing for the rights of households in her district.

“Round me, my neighbors, there are human rights violations being dedicated day-after-day. They don’t seem to be the identical as what I noticed in Palestine, for certain,” Arraf stated.

“When you must resolve between placing meals on the desk and heating your property, you aren’t free … when you must ration your remedy, if you end up afraid to go to the hospital since you can’t afford the hospital invoice, you might be being denied, you aren’t free.”

She stated her focus is “placing individuals on the heart of our insurance policies whether or not they’re overseas or proper right here.”

Arraf stated she expects her critics to keep away from the true points and as a substitute assault her falsely within the marketing campaign as being “anti-Semitic.”

The convention was organized by the Washington Report on Center East Affairs journal, based mostly in Washington D.C., and the Institute for Analysis and Center East Coverage.