According to Israeli sources (Arutz news), Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated that the Israeli court's decision to ask for rerouting segments of the wall near Jerusalem "strengthens Israel's position ahead of the expected verdict by the International Court of Justice in The Hague which will be announcing its verdict regarding Israel's right to construct the fence. " When taken with the attempts at distraction by talk of future withdrawal from Gaza and combined with the court's earlier ruling that Israel has a right to confiscate Palestinian lands and create hardships for them as long as Israeli military commanders indicate it is related to security, this statement from Sharon suggests that Israel will proceed with its apartheid wall since it now has the stamp of approval from both George Bush, John Kerry, and congress. This monstrous project to impoverish and isolate the Palestinians in several Ghettos is a war crime and a crime against humanity. All people of conscience must protest and raise their voice. Pericles (430 B.C.) observed that "Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you. " Indeed all politics impacts our personal lives. Take our annual subsidy to Israel wich amounts to 30% of all foreign aid by the US Congress (according to Mark Twain, "the only native criminal class"). It is estimated that Israel cost US taxpayers over $250 billion so far. This is a conservative figure and does include ill will generated because of our support of apartheid, idecreased trade with over 1 billion Muslims around the world etc. Now ofcourse the US government has become complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity by endorsing and funding the ethnic cleansing of Palestinie (as in House Resolution 460 supporting bantustanization of Palestinains and rejection of such internationally recognized inalienable rights like the righst of refugees to return to their homes and lands).

Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset Azmi Bishara went on an open-ended hunger strike to bring attention to this unfolding human tragedy and break the silence (see http://www.qumsiyeh.org/bisharagoesonhungerstrike/ ). It is possible to do several things in your area (collectively we do make a difference, silence is complicity):

- Mock wall demonstrations and flyering pointing out US government hypocrisy and support for apartheid and segregation
- Writing to and visiting media outlets (print, TV, radio). See http://al-awda.org/mediaactivism/
- Writing to, visiting, and demonstrating at elected officials offices. Contacts can be made through http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm
- Hunger strikes, civil disobedience etc.

Now a note on Michael Moore's "documentary" Fahrenheit 9/11 which I just saw. It is conspicuous for what it leaves out: Israel and John Kerry. When asked about the special relation between the US and Israel in a later interview, Moore merely said that Israel is a "democracy"! I guess he knows nothing about Israeli basic laws (he should read the chapter in my book dealing with these laws, see http://qumsiyeh.org/sharingthelandofcanaan ). He also conveniently ignores facts like:

- Direct links between our support of Israeli apartheid, 9/11, and the illegal war on Iraq (see http://al-awda.org/thewaroniraq/ )
- The presence of Israeli Interrogators in Iraq prisons (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3863235.stm ),
- the support of leading democrats (with the exception of courageous folks like Cynthia McKinney, Dennis Kucinich, Conyers, Senator Byrd) for the same imperial policies as George Bush and his neo-conservatives
- The fact that the Saudi Royal family and other despotic regimes are dependent on US support to stay in power.

I emailed Michael Moore at mike@michaelmoore.com and urge you to do the same.