Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2003, pages 72-78

Waging Peace

September 11 Anniversary Vigil

The District of Columbia Anti-War Network, (DAWN) marked the second anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with a vigil for peace at Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Several hundred people gathered around the fountain, listened to speakers and performers take the stage on an open microphone, and visited an information tent set up to disseminate literature on topics ranging from the U.S. occupation of Iraq to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

While remembering the tragic loss of innocent lives on Sept. 11, 2001, the vigil also served as an opportunity to remind the public that policy issues lead to such tragedy all too often. The open microphone format allowed for a variety of issues raised by those who wanted to speak. In keeping with the somberness of the occasion, some spoke about the continuing loss of life in Iraq—of Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers alike—as the result of U.S. occupation. The cost of the war on Iraq, and its cost in social programs in the U.S., was another topic that surfaced repeatedly in talks about issues such as joblessness and cuts in educational funding. Other speakers focused on the role of money in the Iraq war by citing the apparent war-profiteering of corporations with ties to the administration like Bechtel and Halliburton.

—Sara Powell

Three Years of Intifada Marked

International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) organized a demonstration to mark the third anniversary of the al-Aqsa intifada on Sept. 28 in New York City. Joining in global days of action which resulted in demonstrations in over 45 countries around the world, about 2,500 activists marched from Columbus Circle at the lower end of Central Park to the Israeli Consulate. En route they stopped at the Philippine, Colombian, and South Korean Consulates to call for an end to occupation around the world, from the U.S. occupation of Iraq to the U.S.-funded Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Countries that held marches in conjunction with the U.S. ANSWER demonstrations included Spain, where 25,000 marched in Barcelona, the UK, where 100,000 marched in London, Japan, Denmark, South Korea, France, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Belgium, Ireland, Lebanon, India, Italy, Finland, Germany and Poland, among others. In the U.S., major marches were held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit, as well as in New York, and smaller marches took place throughout the country.

Although there were fewer demonstrators in New York than in some other locations, even a cold rain at the beginning of the march and the infamous New York City police barriers erected to keep protesters penned in did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. A large contingent from a New Jersey mosque made its presence felt, as did another large group from New Jersey Solidarity, hosts of the upcoming third annual divestment conference to take place near Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Oct. 10 through 12.

The conference, which has faced both state and university obstacles spurred by Zionist elements, was a favorite topic of speakers at the demonstration. Among the other issues addressed were the PATRIOT Act and the prosecution of U.S. conscientious objectors, particularly Stephen Funk; the courage of the new Israeli refuseniks—the airmen; and U.S. intervention around the world, especially the war in Iraq and U.S. funding for Israel's occupation of Palestine. A number of speakers, including a young man from South Korea, invoked the legacy of Professor Edward Said as the saddened crowd mourned his death.

In front of the Israeli Consulate in New York, the city where Said lived in diaspora outside his native Palestine, one after another speaker repeated Said's final words to the rapt demonstrators. "Continue the struggle…continue unceasingly."

—Sara Powell

American Muslim Alliance Honors MECA's Barbara Lubin

At its 5th Annual National Convention in Irvine, CA on Sept. 30, 2000, the American Muslim Alliance presented its "Service to Humanity" award to Barbara Lubin, director of the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA). The award cited Lubin's "inextinguishable love for fellow beings, children in particular," and her "capacity to transcend religious boundaries."

MECA advocates and supports the well-being of Middle Eastern children, particularly the children of Palestine and Iraq. Its highly impressive advisory board includes such luminaries as Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark, Maya Angelou, John Conyers, Angela Davis, Casey Kasem, Riyad Khoury, Alice Walker and Maxine Waters, and the recently deceased Edward Said.

Along with other humanitarian organizations, MECA is reaching out to Iraqis and Iraqi children. Iraqi civilians continue to endure a great deal of hardship despite the end of "major hostilities" declared by President George W. Bush on May 1. Poverty, hunger, disease, looting, death and disruption of normal life are the order of the day. As one Iraqi child put it, "In Iraq, every day is 9/11."

MECA has delivered more than $4.5 millionworth of life-saving medicine to the children of Iraq, according to Lubin.

Another MECA project is building "playgrounds for peace," in Palestine. These are based on the theory that opportunities for play are very important in a child's life. If children instead grow up experiencing only anger, hatred and the horror of violence and deprivation, they will have many problems adjusting to life in a later peaceful environment. Therefore MECA is working to build not just playgrounds for Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank towns of Nablus and Al Bireh, but entire parks/play areas with recreation and learning centers, sports fields, fountains, pools, mazes, amphitheaters, miniature villages, orchid gardens, infant areas, climbing structures and more. These parks will be patterned on the best U.S. designs and child development theories and technologies, but with full consideration for Palestinian culture and tradition.

One such community center exists today in the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank. Called the Ibdaa Cultural Center (Ibdaa means "to create something out of nothing"), it was established in 1995. Today it serves over 1,500 children and youth annually, and employs over 60 families. The center includes a nursery, kindergarten, computer and Internet service, women's cooperative, sports center, guesthouse, income-generating projects, and many other organized cultural and educational activities.

On June 5 of this year another Ibdaa cultural center under construction in the Gaza city of Beit Hanoun was demolished by the Israeli army to create a buffer zone between Gaza and Israel. Undeterred by the setback, MECA continues its work.

To learn more about MECA call (510) 548-0542, fax (510) 548-0543, e-mail <meca@mecaforpeace.org> or visit the Web site <www.mecaforpeace.org>.

—Mariam Saeed

Is Iraq Another Vietnam?

International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) hosted a Sept. 3 panel discussion and press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, to consider the question of whether President George W. Bush had involved the U.S. in an untenable war—another Vietnam.

Among the speakers were International Action Center (IAC) founder Ramsey Clark, who was attorney general under President Lyndon Johnson at the height of the Vietnam war; Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit; Mahdi Bray of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation (MAS); Omar Matadar of the Muslim Student Association (MSA); and Gloria Jackson, the mother of a U.S. soldier stationed in Iraq. Other speakers represented the Partnership for Civil Justice (PCJ), the IAC, ANSWER, the Not in Our Name Project (NION), the Committee to Stop the U.S. War in Colombia, and the Nicaragua Network.

Brian Becker of the IAC mentioned the pre-emptive protests which occurred much sooner than any protests against Vietnam, and noted that all the anti-war movement's objections had proved valid—no weapons of mass destruction were found, there was no evidence of Iraqi ties with al-Qaeda, and the U.S. had not been welcomed as liberators.

Bishop Gumbleton pleaded with the American public to take the lead against the occupation of Iraq, and made a special appeal to Catholic bishops to speak out against the war. As was the case with the war in Vietnam, pointed out Peta Lindsay, ANSWER youth and student coordinator, the majority of those killed, both Iraqi and American, have been and will continue to be youth.

Jackson, whose daughter is currently serving in Kuwait, and whose son-in-law just returned from Iraq, gave an eloquent and moving talk. "I want her to come home…but I'm here for everybody. I want them all to come home." Jackson had tears in her eyes, and her voice shook slightly, as she revealed that she had encouraged her daughter to join the armed forces because Jackson could not afford to pay for her daughter's college education.

According to the MSA's Matadar, the lack of an international coalition and the opposition of world public opinion, as well as the lack of a plan for peace, were creating much anti-American sentiment in the Middle East. He advised the U.S. to borrow an Arab tradition and plant olive trees for the generations to follow, and bring the troops home immediately.

MaraVerheyden-Hilliard of the PCJ said it was now common knowledge that the Vietnam war had been built on lies—as, she said, had the invasion of Iraq. The occupation was itself a lie, she asserted, and the occupation of a sovereign land and people was as much an unwinnable situation in Iraq as it had been in Vietnam. Efia Nwangaza of NION revealed that she had a niece in Tikrit and a nephew in Baghdad with the armed services. While her sister couldn't be at the press conference, Nwangaza said, she prayed every day that her children will come home as "she waits by the telephone for a call telling her that the one taken in the night was hers." She added that NION stood with conscientious objector Stephen Funk, standing trial for desertion, and with the students demanding an end to ROTC on campus.

Bray of MAS wished that he could say he was happy to be in attendance, but that he was not. He asked how many years ago "we stood here to protest the Vietnam war, and now, as a grandfather, I'm still here. What does that say about us?" The victims were the Iraqi people, he said, and wondered who would count the bodies of those who died from sanctions. He maintained that the U.S. troops were another victim of the war, with the final victim being "we the people." In conclusion, Bray sent a message to the "modern pharaoh in the White House" to "stop this occupation and bring the troops home."

Teresa Gutierrez of the Committee to Stop the U.S. War in Colombia pointed out that one of the first soldiers to die for the United States in its war on Iraq was a young Guatemalan who had not even been a U.S. citizen, despite having tried. In fact, she said, one of every 10 U.S. soldiers in Iraq were not citizens, and most of them were Latin American—specifically targeted with Latino recruiting in Los Angeles high schools, and an official army Web site entitled "GI Jose."

Chuck Kaufman of the Nicaragua Network expanded on Gutierrez' remarks about Latinos suffering under U.S. military policy to include all Latin Americans—from Colombia to Cuba to Vieques (Puerto Rico) to Nicaragua. Here at home, he pointed out, Americans also were suffering under budget priorities that favored "death and destruction to life and health." Over the past year alone, he said, the U.S. military budget exceeded the combined military expenditures of all the NATO countries as well as Russia, China, Japan, North Korea and Iraq.

Howard University student and ANSWER activist Caneisha Mills also spoke on the war's cost, specifically with regard to students. She cited Washington, DC program cuts that would eliminate adult literacy programs, cut school lunch programs, and compromise the summer school program—all in a system already seriously underfunded.

Finally, keynote speaker Ramsey Clark pointed out that, in invading both Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. had committed the most serious war crime defined in the Nuremburg war crimes trials following World War II—a war of aggression. Asking if any in the audience had been in a veteran's hospital lately, Clark pointed out that at least 4,500 soldiers have been returned to the U.S., either sick or disabled, and that probably at least 30,000 Iraqis, many of them civilians, had been killed. Clark scorned the Bush administration for asking the U.N. to share the burden, saying the U.S. had created the burden and the U.S. should pay. He advised taking 10 percent of the U.S. military budget and giving it to Iraqis, cutting another 30 percent and using it to let Iraqis rebuild Iraq in their own way.

We Americans are at risk of losing our national character, he warned, if we allow the PATRIOT Act and the breaches of international law at the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay to continue unchecked. He called on Americans to impeach President George W. Bush for "high crimes and misdemeanors" and asked all people of conscience to attend the upcoming Oct. 25 demonstration in Washington, DC against the occupation.

—Sara Powell

Pew Forum Examines Democracy in the Muslim World

On Sept. 17, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and Boston University's Institute on Religion and World Affairs held a seminar at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC to discuss findings of a project on pluralism and democracy in the Muslim world.

At the seminar's opening session, Boston University Professor Robert Hefner assured the audience that the jointly sponsored project, which examined the possibility of democratization in Muslim countries, was not a "knee-jerk reaction to Sept. 11."

Hefner went on to announce the study's three major findings: first, the Muslim world is not monolithic, but rather quite diverse. Secondly, that the differences that define the future of the Muslim world lie in a struggle between militancy and plurality. Finally, Hefner said, the study found that the influence of the heart and soul of the Muslim world lies in the West, which must work with, not against, the proponents of democracy.

Bahman Baktiari, a professor at the University of Maine, next discussed democratization and repression in post-Khomeini Iran. Contrary to popular belief, he said, "a mosaic of forces brought down the shah" during the Iranian revolution of 1979. Many secular Iranians who detested the U.S.-installed shah's iron-fist rule also participated in the struggle to oust him.

While Muslim clerics initially attempted to shut down these forces, he went on, they realize that's no longer possible. "Ruling clerics understand that repression does not pay off in the long run," Baktiari said.

The U.S. must let Iran deal with its internal changes without interference, he argued. Labeling the country part of an "axis of evil" certainly does not help, he pointed out. Nor do statements from Washington advocating uprisings, Baktiari said, referring to the Bush administration's recent push for more vocal student demonstrations. Noting that "many people in Iran view the students as radicals," he concluded,"The forces of change are more complicated."

Following Baktiari's presentation, Boston University's Jenny White discussed Islamism in Turkish politics. After last November's elections were won by Justice and Development, a Turkish Islamic party, many secularists were very nervous, White said—but "the results surprised everyone." The new government since has passed several democratic reforms, in hopes that the country will be allowed into the European Union.

Justice and Development came into power because it was more responsive to grassroots opinion than other parties, White explained. The party also is considerably more moderate than many initially believed, she added. According to White, there are a number of reasons why "radical Islam is dead in Turkey." Even though the Turkish military has shut down a number of Islamist parties in the past, she noted, these parties also have been given opportunities to reform and reenter the political system. The absence from Turkish politics of the clergy, who are under tight government control, is another key to controlling Islamist influence, and polls show that there is little support for political Islam among the Turkish people. Finally, White said, the lure of EU membership checks what little support radical Islam would garner.

The Boston University professorthen enumerated policy reforms she believes worked in Turkey and could just as easily apply to other Muslim societies. She advocated that the U.S. support the state's educational system to undercut independent religious schools, and also provide a "carrot," such as the possibility of EU membership for Turkey, to appeal to Muslim countries' geo-political interests. Finally, she said, Washington should "rethink policies that prop up weaker Muslim groups which appear friendly," and instead "support groups with people behind them."

While White presented a positive example of democratization in a Muslim society, her Boston University colleague, Augustus Norton, provided a case study of Egypt's failure to democratize.

Norton prefaced his talk by pointing out an interesting shift in attitude from the Clinton administration—which was "quick to pour water on prospects of democratization in the Arab world"—to the Bush White House, which, according to Norton, has "embraced the idea of political reform and democracy in the Arab world."

Studies have shown that Egyptian society has become much more religious in recent years, he noted, especially among the middle classes. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before Islamist parties emerged in a country that Norton described as "more marked by public religious displays than Iran."

In the 1980s, he pointed out, when the Muslim Brotherhood fared well in legislative elections, the government responded by repressing the group and arresting many of its members. This, he explained, helped contribute to the emergence in the 1990s of Hizb Al-Wasat, a moderate Islamic group that emerged from professional sectors and included many former members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

With its moderate interpretation of Islamic religious law, its inclusion of Christian members and promotion of pluralism, Norton said, Hizb Al-Wasat would seemingly have had a positive impact on Egyptian politics.

Opposition from the Muslim Brotherhood, however, along with the ruling government's refusal to renew its operating license, make it a failed model for democratization, he argued. Yet all is not lost, Norton concluded: Islamic parties in other Muslim countries can look to Hizb Al-Wasat as " a prototype in its political content and social character."

—Laila Al-Arian

Poll on Iraqi Public Opinion

American Enterprise magazine unveiled the results of its recent poll on Iraqi public opinion at a Sept. 10 press conference at its offices in Washington, DC. The magazine is published by the American Enterprise Institute, the neoconservative think tank whose former trustees include Vice President Dick Cheney and Enron CEO Kenneth Lay.

American Enterprise editor-in-chief Karl Zinsmeister, who was embedded with the 82nd Airborne Division during the war on Iraq, said misconceptions about the situation in Iraq and the Iraqi people, largely perpetuated by the media, encouraged him to commission the poll. "We were surprised and puzzled by the disconnect of what we saw in Iraq and what was reported by the media," he said.

For example, Zinsmeister said, the April pilgrimages to holy sites that drew hundreds of thousands of Shi'i Iraqis were described in the U.S. media as anti-American. In reality, however, no such demonstrations occurred. "[The media's portrayal] did not match what I knew of the Shi'i people," he said.

Rather than rely on anecdotal evidence, Zinsmeister said he and his colleagues wanted to "seek harder, scientific information about what's really going on in the Iraqi mind." Pollster John Zogby conducted the poll with the help of 17 researchers, including Iraqi nationals. While Zinsmeister drafted the questions, Zogby developed the methodology to conduct the poll. The two also consulted Eastern European pollsters about conducting surveys in countries where people were not accustomed to expressing their true feelings about politics.

Both men said four Iraqi cities were carefully chosen to represent the diversity of the Iraqi people: Basra (Iraq's second largest city), Mosul (the provincial capital of northern Iraq and a city with Christian residents), Kirkuk (the center of Iraq's oil industry and home to a sizable Kurdish population), and Al Ramadi (a hotbed of resistance in the "Sunni triangle").

Before disclosing the specific findings of the poll, Zinsmeister said, "As the results of the poll will show, contrary to much of what we hear, the Iraqi public is more sensible, stable and sympathetic to the path that the U.S. has set up for itself."

Of the 600 Iraqis polled, nearly 70 percent believe their country and their personal lives will be better in five years. A majority (67 percent) said politics, not economics, is the most difficult aspect of rebuilding their nation. When asked which statement was closer to their perspective—"Democracy is a Western way of doing things" or "Democracy can work well in Iraq"—five of 10 Iraqis said democracy is a Western political system that would not work well in Iraq, while four of 10 disagreed. Zogby pointed out that Sunni Iraqis—against democracy by more than 2 to 1—were less enthusiastic about democracy than their Shi'i countrymen.

Other differences in opinion also manifested themselves along Sunni-Shi'i lines. When asked whether Iraq should have an Islamic government or "let everyone practice their own religion," 50 percent of Sunnis and 27 percent of Shi'i favored an Islamic government. However, as subsequent questions clearly indicated, Iraq is to a large extent a secularized nation. When asked how often they had attended Friday prayer in the past month, 43 percent of Iraqis answered, "never."

When asked which of five countries' governments—Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, or the United States—they would most like Iraq to resemble, the U.S. model was the favorite among 37 percent of Iraqis—more than Iran, Egypt and Syria combined. Saudi Arabia was second at 28 percent.

While most Iraqis chose the American model of government over other countries in the region, the majority (60 percent) also think the U.S. and Britain should allow Iraqis to set up their own government, without outside intervention.

While the Bush administration attempted to link Osama bin Laden with Saddam Hussain prior to the Iraq war, the al-Qaeda leader clearly lacks support in most of Iraq. An unfavorable view of Bin Laden was held by 57 percent of Iraqis, including 41 percent who said they had a very unfavorable view.

After revealing the highlights of their study, Zinsmeister and Zogby took audience questions. When asked if the exclusion of Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, hurt the study's credibility, Zogby replied that Baghdad was "simply too hot" to conduct the study, explaining that it would have been difficult to approach its residents, who are in "dire conditions, without electricity or sufficient water."

Zogby concluded the event by expressing what he believes is a shared sentiment among most Iraqis. "Iraqis have a sense that they want to control their own destiny," he said. "They believe it is time to move forward, but not as a colony."

—Laila Al-Arian

"Palestine Unabridged" Opens in Ames, Iowa

"Palestine Unabridged: Films about Life within the Conflict" opened Sept. 11 to a standing-room-only audience of about 175 people. They had come to see "Rana's Wedding" on the big screen in the Ames Public Library (APL)'s Farwell T. Brown auditorium.

"Not only were we able to bring people together to talk about issues that are important to our community," said Lynne Carey, who is in charge of APL's adult programming, "but it has been a wonderful opportunity for the library board and staff to come together to solidify our commitment to freedom of expression."

"Palestine Unabridged," scheduled to run through Dec. 11, is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Corrie, the Olympia, Washington college student and human rights activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer operator in March as she tried to protect the Gaza home of Dr. Samir Masri, a Palestinian physician.In a ceremony opening the film festival, Carey presented a plaque to Barbara Brodersen, Rachel Corrie's aunt and a University of Iowa library assistant, as Brodersen's son, Samuel Rodriguez, and sister, Colette Brodersen, an Iowa City therapist, looked on.The family has strong Iowa ties.Corrie's parents are alumni of Drake University in Des Moines, and her grandmother, Doris Corrie, lives in Des Moines.

The film festival, a major cultural event in Ames, has been a topic of some controversy in the community.On Aug. 21, a group of some 40 citizens presented to the APL board a letter describing the series of films as "biased" and criticizing APL for its sponsorship of "Palestine Unabridged."Citing its public information mission, the library declined to withdraw its support or press for changes in selection of films included. The film festival, which features films showing on alternate Thursdays and discussions on the intervening Thursdays, is co-sponsored by the APL, the Ames Interfaith Council (AIC), the Arab Student Association of Iowa State University (ISU), and the Axiom Foundation.

"Our cabinet voted unanimously to co-sponsor ÔPalestine Unabridged' with the APL and to help fund the film festival, which many people now understand is a valuable learning experience for the entire community," said Sana Akili, AIC vice chair and ISU Arab Student Association faculty adviser."This is part of a healthy and vital interfaith dialogue. We are proud of Ames and glad that our city has venues for interfaith dialogue."

In addition to "Rana's Wedding"—a comedy-drama depicting a hectic day in the life of a young Palestinian Muslim woman who challenges the customs of her own community even as she overcomes the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of life under Israeli occupation—"Palestine Unabridged" features 12 additional films. Mostly documentaries by Palestinian, Israeli, British and American filmmakers, theyinclude John Pilger's "Palestine is Still the Issue"; Hazim Bitar's "Jerusalem's High Cost of Living"; James Langley's "Gaza Strip"; Michel Khleifi's "Tale of the Three Jewels"; Micha X. Peled's "Inside God's Bunker"; Muhammad Bakri's "Jenin, Jenin"; Sabhi al-Zabaidi's "Crossing Kalandia"; and Yahya Barakat's "The House of God."

All of the commercial films in the series have been featured in other U.S. or foreign film festivals, including the annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival, and several have won awards at Cannes or other major international film festivals.

Betsy Mayfield, executive director of Axiom Foundation and producer of "Palestine Unabridged," credited many people with the film festival's success."Many individuals have made ÔPalestine Unabridged' possible," she noted. "Some gave financial assistance through The Axiom Foundation, others helped us find and select the best films available, and a special few encouraged us with kind words and provided cookies to sustain us during long meetings.In addition," she said, "staff members of several organizations worked on book lists, and a group of Ames film aficionados are conducting a film viewing and award program for the Palestinian filmmakers who have shared their talents with us."

Mayfield cited the organizations providing assistance in the production of "Palestine Unabridged":American Educational Trust, Washington, DC; Borders Books, Ames and West Des Moines; Chicago Palestine Film Festival, 2003; churches and community groups in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames and the surrounding area; Columbia University, Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures, New York, New York; Des Moines Area Community College; Grandview College Center for the Exploration and Practice of Nonviolence; Host Productions and North Park University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies; Partners for Peace, Washington, DC; Octagon Center for the Arts; Trans-Arab Research Institute, Inc., Dartmouth University; The Tribune, Ames; and Safford Productions, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Film distributors who provided works include Arab Film Distribution; Bullfrog Films, Inc.; Columbia University Department of Middle East Languages & Cultures Film Library; The Chicago Film Festival; VPRO, The Netherlands; Birzeit University; and Film Program/Partners for Peace.

—Michael Gillespie

SUSTAIN Looks at Caterpillar's Role in Demolishing Peace

To commemorate the third anniversary of the current Palestinian intifada, SUSTAIN (Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now) held a public forum at the University of the District of Columbia on Sept. 28.

One of the forum's smaller breakout sessions focused on the Caterpillar Corporation's role in "demolishing peace." Based in Peoria, Illinois, Caterpillar manufactures construction equipment, including bulldozers used by the Israeli army to demolish Palestinian homes, construct illegal Jewish settlements and build the separation wall.

According to Adam Shapiro, one of the co-founders of the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led group that resists the Israeli occupation through nonviolent means, "Caterpillar machines are an absolute integral part of building the [separation] wall." The bulldozers are owned by private companies hired by Israel to construct the wall, and often are driven by Palestinians living in Israel who are desperate for jobs.

Meanwhile, Shapiro continued, Israeli soldiers drive Caterpillar bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes, since these operations normally are done under the auspices of "Israeli security." As it is Israel's policy to maintain perimeters outside of Jewish settlements, the army uses D-9 Caterpillar bulldozers, which can weigh over 60 tons, to destroy Palestinian homes around new or expanding settlements. Shapiro described a D-9 bulldozer as "really mammoth… it towers over you." In addition to leveling homes, Caterpillar's D-9 bulldozers are also used to uproot Palestinians' olive trees to clear the land for Jewish settlements.

"Since a person should never kill a tree in Judaism, [soldiers] dig down in the earth, scoop up the tree and send them to Israel where they're resold for a much higher price," Shapiro said.

Home demolitions are common in Rafah, an area on the border of Gaza and Egypt. Since underground tunnels have been found connecting Egypt and Gaza, Israel demolishes Palestinian homes under the pretext of destroying the tunnels. "In many cases," however, Shapiro noted, "homes were destroyed and no evidence of tunnels was found."

In Jerusalem, home demolitions are not as random as in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian citizens of Israel must ask the government's permission to renovate or expand their homes, and they are rarely authorized to build. Out of necessity, some families decide to build anyway, and the Israeli government responds by demolishing their homes, Shapiro said.

Following Shapiro's overview of Caterpillar's prominent role in Israel's wall-building and home demolitions, SUSTAIN's Sarah Capper described her group's activities regarding Caterpillar. Last year, SUSTAIN members requested a meeting with Caterpillar executives and were swiftly denied. A few weeks later, in October 2002, SUSTAIN activists stormed Caterpillar's Washington, DC offices and issued "citizens arrests" to its executives.

In late March 2003, after the brutal killing of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed by a D-9 Caterpillar bulldozer as she peacefully tried to prevent a home demolition in Gaza, SUSTAIN members presented photos of Corrie to Caterpillar officials. Most recently, a coalition of groups launched a Web site, <www.catdestroyshomes.com>, to raise awareness about the campaign against Caterpillar.

—Laila Al-Arian

SUSTAIN Street Theater

During the height of rush hour traffic on Sept. 29, SUSTAIN (Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now) engaged in street theater in downtown Washington, DC, to mark the third anniversary of the current Palestinian intifada.

At approximately 4:45 pm, over 20 members of SUSTAIN began a compelling performance simulating the daily struggles of Palestinians. Wearing a green cardboard Israeli tank with the words "Paid for by the American Taxpayer" in yellow paint, David Kirshbaum acted as an Israeli soldier, yelling, "MOVE!" at unsuspecting Palestinian civilians.

A large banner symbolizing the controversial separation wall that Israel currently is constructing read, "Israeli Apartheid Wall, Brought to you by: The Caterpillar Corporation. Funded by U.S. Tax $."

Carol Moore of Washington, DC carried a poster with the words, "Another Palestinian Civilian Killed," while fellow SUSTAIN member Yusuf Farsakh wore a cardboard box representing a Palestinian home that was demolished to make room for Israel's separation wall.

—Laila Al-Arian