Why Bishop Tutu would be an excellent resource to help Israeli neo-cons get out of a tight corner

Bishop Desmond Tutu is one of the most revered human beings alive. He even won the freaking Nobel Prize! You don't get much more revered than that. Bishop Tutu showed the world that war is NOT the best way to deal with a conflict. Both Americans and Isrealis should be taking notes on everything this man says instead of fawning all over the likes of "phony soldiers" like Cheney, Bush and Ehud Olmert. But, sadly, such is not the case.

According to Jewish Voice for Peace, "A peace and justice group at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota has been forced by the university president to cancel an appearance by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The cancellation was accompanied by the removal of the chair of the Justice and Peace Studies program, Prof. Cris Toffolo from her position as chair. She has tenure, but no longer heads the department."

Well. The Israel neo-cons who organized this cancellation made a BIG mistake. They thought they were supporting Israel by dissing this man? That's totally wrong! Olmert and them could use all the help they can get -- and Bishop Tutu is just the man for the job. The neo-con leadership of Israel today appears to be following George Bush's "Disaster Capitalism" plan of purposely creating chaos and then raking in the profits when the Average Joe (Yehud?) becomes dazed and confused as a result. This is good for the Bushes and good for the Israeli neo-cons but VERY bad for the average citizen of Israel and America -- because according to Disaster Capitalism's fundamental rules of engagement, if you don't own stock in a major weapons manufacturing company, you're screwed.

Bishop Tutu can teach us all a lot. Bishop, you are welcome to speak in my community any time. Just let me know your schedule. I'll be honored and delighted to pencil you in!!!!!

PS: After spending over a month in South Africa, I have definite thoughts on the subject of Truth and Reconciliation. Here they are:

Truth & Reconciliation: The Israeli neo-cons need to 'fess up!

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was able to heal the terrible rift between the oppressors and the oppressed by allowing men who had done terrible things to their fellow men in the name of Apartheid to confess their crimes and be absolved.

"Where in the world did you get the compassion and courage to forgive men who had placed y6ou in Bantustans and treated you like cattle?" I recently asked a black South African friend.

“We did it because of Nelson Mandela,” replied my friend. “He said that he had looked into the results of other countries’ actions under similar circumstances where no one was forgiven and bloody civil wars resulted. He asked us to do it and we did.”

Ehud Olmert and the Israeli neo-cons are currently doing terrible things to Palestinians in the name of Apartheid. Maybe they should be allowed to confess and be forgiven too! “I turned Gaza into a Bantustan,” Olmert would confess. “I herded a million people into townships and I stripped them of their dignity and their livihoods and their education and their human rights. I made them carry passes and treated them like they were less than human. I’m sorry that I did this. Please forgive me. And then the Palestinians forgave the Israeli neo-cons and a strong nation was formed? Not exactly.

“You also have to remember,” said my Black South African friend, “that even though we in the townships held the moral high ground, Apartheid would never have ended – would have stretched on forever – if we hadn’t also cut off the South African Defense Force’s money. Always remember that it was the divestment strategies, not the hatred of injustice or even the protests, that ended Apartheid.” Oh.

Wanna end Apartheid in Israel and Palestine by following the South African model? Wanna create peace and harmony in the Holy Land? Truth and reconciliation is a wonderful second step to take right now. But never forget that the first step toward healing and redemption is to cut off the oppressors’ funds – beginning with the billions of $$$ that American neo-cons pour into the Israeli neo-cons’ coffers each year.

“Amandla, guys!”