Bolivia Cuts Ties with Israel over Gaza

[magbana]

(This was circulated through the Africans for Cuba news list. If I find a source URL, I'll add it.)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
19:46 Mecca time, 16:46 GMT

Bolivia cuts Israel ties over Gaza

Hundreds of civilians have died in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began

Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, says he is breaking off ties with Israel in protest against its war in Gaza, which has left more than 1,000 Palestinians dead.

Morales said on Wednesday that he would seek to get top Israeli officials, including Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, charged with "genocide" in the International Criminal Court.

The Bolivian president also dismissed the United Nations and its "Insecurity Council" for its "lukewarm" response to the crisis and said the general assembly should hold an emergency session to condemn the invasion.

"Considering these grave attacks against ... humanity, Bolivia will stop having diplomatic relations with Israel," Morales told diplomats in the Bolivian capital, La Paz.

He also said that Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, should be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize for failing to stop the invasion.

Palestinian 'holocaust'

Morales's move follows the decision by his ally Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, to expel Israel's ambassador in the country because of the offensive, calling it a "holocaust".

Morales expelled the US ambassador from Bolivia in September after accusing him of encouraging violent protests against his government.

Chavez did the same not long afterwards in "solidarity" with Morales.

More than 1,000 Palestinians have now died in Israel's offensive in Gaza, around 40 per cent of whom were civilians, aid agencies and Palestinian medics say.

Thirteen Israelis have also died, four from rocket fire from Gaza.

Source: Agencies

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Finally the story is getting around. Here's CNN's official version:

updated 1 hour, 33 minutes ago
Bolivia breaks ties with Israel over Gaza

LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivia broke diplomatic relations with Israel on Wednesday over the Israeli incursion into Gaza, President Evo Morales announced.

Morales also said his government will ask that Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert be declared war criminals.

"The Israeli government's crimes affect global stability and peace and have returned the world to the worst stage of crimes against humanity that we hadn't seen except in World War II and in the last years in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda," Morales said.

There was no immediate reaction from the Israeli government.

Bolivia is the second Latin American government to take action against Israel in response to the military operation that started December 27.

More:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/14/bolivia.israel/

These US-based stories always serve corporate interests, unfortunately. Wonder how many generations will pass before anyone starts seeing them serving in the capacity everyone expects of them: informing people of real events, in a legitimate, trustworthy way with absolutely NO pitch and no spin whatsoever, no information left out, no attempt to mold your perception for you instead of allowing you the benefit of the FACTS which are available, since we all can't go everywhere and collect all the facts for ourselves. You'd think they'd take their responsibility seriously or leave it for the honest people who will, wouldn't you?

So many twisted, dirty bastards trying to get in the road. The people are STILL going to win, regardless.

Morales is right. An official UN condemnation is certainly OVERDUE.

Thanks for the news on South America's second country to take a stand.