EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION BANS PALESTINE'S FLAG FROM EUROVISION

European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has banned Palestine's flag as the only among United Nations member and observer states (the only other one in the latter category currently being the Vatican) from the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden in May 10-14th.

EBU claims that Palestine's flag would be against its rules, but the rules only ban commercial, regional and religious flags or those with political messages - which of course each map of a state is, a political message of its existence and independence.

Palestine's flag was especially mentioned in a "specifically not allowed" ten flags' list which EBU itself claims was not 'exhaustive' - and whose appearance in public EBU has apologized for, but not for its existence; EBU thinks that the banning of flags is not insulting, only mentioning the ban in public is.

Spain has reacted angrily, for domestic political purposes, to the banning of the Basque flag. In its attempt to please oppressive states like Israel EBU has clearly not think very far and has waded in deeper, more troubling waters as it think, as it now has to claim that it would ban for example the flag of Scotland also.

One has to ask would the Swedish organizers really ban the Scottish flag - or for example the flags of autonomous Nordic polities like the Aland Islands and Faroe Islands, of which the former is a Swedish speaking autonomous archipelago of Finland just a few hours ferry travel from Stockholm itself?

EBU is not the only European organization trying to ban Palestine's flag from public; UEFA fines football clubs if Palestine's flag appears among the audience in their matches, refusing to explain why the flag of a FIFA member state is a 'political message' that can't be allowed, unlike the appearance of Israel's flag among audiences of clubs that have historical roots in local Jewish communities, like Ajax or Tottenham.

After being expelled from Asian organizations after 1967 Israel has made its way to membership of various European organizations - including both EBU and UEFA, the latter under the leadership of the now disgraced Michel Platini notoriously allowing Israel to held its U-21 championships in 2013.

SOURCES:

Eurovision bans Crimean Tatar, Kosovo flags alongside ISIL
http://www.middleeasteye.net/…/palestinian-islamic-state-fl…

Palestinian Flag Banned From Eurovision Song Contest
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/1.717009

Palestinian, Islamic State flags banned at Eurovision song contest
http://www.middleeasteye.net/…/palestinian-islamic-state-fl…

Spain furious after Eurovision bans Basque flag alongside Islamic State
http://www.news.com.au/…/n…/b855855cd19c799bb7a49eb02baca2d0

Why Eurovision banned Islamic State and Palestinian flags and the Scottish Saltire
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/why-eurovision-banned-islamic…/

ISRAEL'S 'USEFUL IDIOTS' - RISE IN HOME DEMOLITIONS BY ISRAELI OCCUPATION AS FRANCE SABOTAGES UN RESOLUTION AGAINST ILLEGAL COLONIES

According to the United Nations, Israel has destroyed 588 structures in the occupied territories owned by Palestinians, leaving 808 Palestinians homeless as a result, when the number of Palestinians whose homes were destroyed by Israel was 1177 for entire last year.

All homes in the Jordan Valley village of Khirbet Tana has been destroyed this year as part of Israel's drive to ethnically cleanse the whole of 'Area C' - which it directly controls - of the West Bank from Palestinians.

These numbers and the plans behind them have gotten practically no reaction from the 'Western' governments, who oppose any Palestinian attempt to oppose or end the occupation more than the Israeli occupation itself.

From the United Nations' representatives and its emasculated Secretary General the Israeli occupation demolitions get the standard laments about the end of the two state solution combined with the usual inaction.

In the latest episode, France's government pressured Palestinian Authority to freeze its attempt to get a new UN resolution to condemn Israel's illegal colonies because it supposedly hurt its own peace plan (one in a series of abortive French peace plans going back to 2011) - for Israel's government to announce afterwards that it won't attend France's peace plan meeting.

Israel's government then announced that it is ready to start 'direct' peace negotiations - as long as Palestinians don't demand that illegal colony building would be frozen and that these negotiations would include East Jerusalem, borders or refugees!

One has to ask is the 'Western' governments behaviour -exemplified by France in this case - just incurable, Panglossian naivety or them deliberately being 'useful idiots' for Israel?

Considering the apparent ease with which 'Western' governments like that of Hollande's in France take what to any outside observer seem like a large-scale public humiliation by Israel's leadership, the answer seems clear.

SOURCES:

Ethnic cleansing in Palestine: home demolitions on the rise

http://www.daysofpalestine.com/features/ethnic-cleansing-palestine-home-demolitions-rise/

Hamas slams PA, Fatah on delay in UN resolution against settlements

http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771310

Netanyahu rejects French peace plan for 'distancing' Palestinians from direct talks

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Netanyahu-slams-French-peace-plan-as-distancing-Palestinians-from-direct-talks-452604

Israel renews opposition to French peace initiative

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-renews-opposition-french-peace-initiative-1613540710

Palestine slams Israel’s rejection of French peace plan

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/palestine-slams-israels-rejection-french-peace-plan-160428191248559.html

Palestinians protest surge in home demolitions by Israeli army

http://972mag.com/palestinians-protest-surge-in-home-demolitions-by-israeli-army/118476/

PA's UN draft resolution condemning settlements left in question

http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771242

PLO slams Israel’s rejection of French initiative

http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771331

UN: Four-fold increase in Israeli demolitions this year

http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771336

TWO SIBLINGS KILLED AT QALANDIYA CROSSING BY ISRAELI OCCUPATION

Siblings Maram(23) and Ibrahim Salih Hassan Abu Ismail(16) were shot and left to die without medical aid by Israel's occupation forces this morning at Qalandiya crossing.

According to eye-witnesses Maram was shot first, 15 times, and Ibrahim was shot when he went to his sister's aid. Witnesses differ on how close they were to each other when the shooting began, but at the time she was shot Maram was an estimated 20-30 meters away from Israel's occupation soldiers and could pose no threat to them.

It has been claimed that the occupation soldiers were yelling orders to the siblings in Hebrew, which they didn't understand, and were shot when they tried to back away.

Israeli occupation soldiers allegedly approached the siblings after they had fallen on the ground and shot them again.

Ibrahim's body was first stripped in public before the remains were taken away in Israeli ambulances operating illegally in the occupied territories. Palestinian medics had not been allowed to approach the victims by Israel's occupation forces.

Israeli occupation representative have both made the standard claim of an attempted 'stabbing' and that Maram would have "thrown a knife" at the direction of Israel's occupation soldiers.

So far nothing supports these contradictory claims. No bladed instrument or instruments can be seen in the photographs and videos from the site. No excuse has been made for Ibrahim's killing so far.

Maram leaves two young daughters, Rimas and Sarah. She lived in Beit Surik and according to one source was five months pregnant.

SOURCES:

Israeli forces execute woman, child in West Bank
http://www.daysofpalestine.com/…/israeli-forces-execute-wo…/

Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Palestinians At The Qalandia Terminal
http://imemc.org/…/israeli-soldiers-kill-two-palestinians-…/

IOF shot dead Palestinian woman and minor at Qalandia, Wednesday morning
http://english.pnn.ps/…/iof-shot-dead-palestinian-woman-an…/

Young woman, youth shot dead by Israeli soldiers near Qalandiya
http://english.palinfo.com/site/pages/details.aspx…

Witnesses: Palestinian siblings posed no threat when shot dead
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771316