GOD SHOWS INCREDIBLY POOR JUDGEMENTWHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING PEOPLE

From THE MUSLIM NEWS:

A group of extremist Israeli settlers, living at the Beit Ayin illegal settlement built on Palestinian lands belonging to Beit Ummar village, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, attacked on Saturday Palestinian orchards, and uprooted twenty Olive trees. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers were present in the area, but did not stop the settlers, yet, the soldiers prevented the residents from reaching their vineyards and olive orchards.

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Israeli authorities forced Mahmoud Aramin to demolish his house in East Jerusalem Sunday, or risk having it destroyed by an Israeli bulldozer. Aramin had already paid thousands of dollars in fines to the Jerusalem municipality in monthly installments, for having built an 'unlicensed' house in East Jerusalem. Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem have not been granted building permits since 1967, and face frequent demolitions of their homes by Israeli authorities. The forced demolition comes just days after the Israeli authorities authorized the construction of a 50-unit Jewish settlement in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood of East Jerusalem, not far from the home of Mahmoud Aramin.

From EKKLESIA:

A resolution calling for a UK ban of goods from unlawful Israeli settlements has had to be withdrawn as a result of the threat posed by proposed legislation in Israel which could make such a call a criminal offence subject to judicial and financial punishment. But the Kirk's national decision-making body nevertheless passed Deliverance 48, which "instruct[s] the Church and Society Council to work with ecumenical and civil society partners to continue to lobby for the introduction of labelling of products in the UK which clearly identify whether they are from an illegal Israeli settlement."

It was reported to the Assembly, meeting on the Mound in Edinburgh, that the terms of proposed legislation going before the Israeli Knesset are that anyone who calls for a boycott of Israeli goods, or goods related to Israel, will be made subject to punishment and made financially liable for the economic impact of such action, as determined by the Israeli authorities. The Church of Scotland has assets and staff in Israel-Palestine.

The General Assembly "may take this legislation to be intimidatory", said the Kirk's Church and Society Council convenor, the Rev Ian Galloway, adding sorrowfully: "We are intimidated."

COMMENT: Well, I have no assets in Israel/Palestine (in fact, I don't have any assets worth anything anywhere). So OCICBW... hereby calls for a boycott of all goods from unlawful Israeli settlements. Of course, the only way to make sure you don't buy such goods is to not buy anything that comes from Israel.

So, sue me, Israel!