Threats of Lawsuits and Remembering Nakba

As Israel's government stands accused of war crimes on several fronts, an Israeli law firm attempts legal action against an American writer.

Artwork by Carlos Latuff, friend of Salem-News.com located in Rio de Janeiro. To see more of his work, visit: Latuff Gallery

(CLERMONT, Fla.) - On the second day of 2012, I received my second threat of a legal action in an email with a letter attachment “regarding a libelous publication on wearewideawake.org” from a law firm in Tel Aviv.

My first threat of a lawsuit came on 5 February 2008, in an email from Walid Shoebat’s manager demanding I apologize and recant what I reported on February 3, 2008: USA Air Force Academy: Failure of Intelligence to Support the Troops . I responded on February 7, 2008: It maybe Ash Wednesday, but I am still laughing over Fat Tuesday morning and followed up on February 26, 2008: The Walid Shoebat Show and "America is Beautiful, but she has an ugly side"

The Tel Aviv threat concerns a 31 December 2009, article “Inside Intel/Bloody business in Africa” written by Yossi Melman originally published by Haaretz and which I had reposted as the end piece to the 5 January 2010 entry: “What SECURITY Can Never SECURE: The free flow of info”.

The Tel Aviv Attorney claims the article contained “libelous content” and as Haaretz had deleted the article I was to do the same “within 5 days” or his clients “will pursue the legal actions and remedies available to them under any applicable law and jurisdiction, including without limitation the initiation of legal proceedings by local counsel in the competent courts of law in the United States.”

I wondered how could a law firm in Israel even know about my small site, so I Googled “Inside Intel/Bloody business in Africa” by Yossi Melman and learned that on the 2^nd page the 2^nd entry led to 5 January 2010 at We Are Wide Awake.org - Eye Witness Reporting on Israel Palestine

I have now removed the Melman article but not the introduction which follows that was provided by an editor with Jewish Peace News http://www.jewishpeacenews.net:

 ...The three items below report on recent instances of corruption or serious investigations into corruption in Israeli "security" exports and industry...The third item highlights a different channel through which the supposedly democratic civic sphere – both inside and beyond Israel – integrates militarized practices, shading into violent coercion for profit and power, and into possible illegality. The item reports on a partnership of security consultants suspected of illegally peddling arms, military training and security systems to the new ex-military ruler of the African state of Guinea.

The partnership, including former Israeli officials such as former foreign minister Shlomo Ben Ami and former Tel Aviv police commander David Tzur, was contracted in part to "teach Guinean decision-makers in a 'strategic' workshop, for the stated purpose of increasing awareness of democratic values. Responsibility for the workshops was to have been placed in the hands of former foreign minister Ben-Ami and former deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh…(See Amnesty International's most recent press release on the current actions of Guinean decision-makers at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/guinea.) Following a September 2009 slaughter of demonstrators by the new president's freshly trained soldiers, "The French government and the United Nations approached Israel with a request to examine the involvement of Israeli military advisors in Guinea". The article reports on some of the surprising details of the still ongoing investigation. -Rela Mazali

What I wrote that proceeded that was a remembrance of Nakba and in defense of and exercise in freedom of the press, published first on 24 November 2008:

After passing inspection I was led back to my belongings and my 'companion' wrote down my passport number on a log sheet. Then I was led to the Continental desk labeled "Security" to receive my boarding pass and accompanied to Customs as I wondered, why doesn't SECURITY secure the human rights of human beings?

Learn More: THE Ongoing NAKBA and Vanunu  Read more...

Eileen Fleming is the Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu" Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org, Eileen is a Feature Correspondent for Arabisto.com, Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory" and the soon to be released "BEYOND NUCLEAR: Some of my Experiences of Mordechai Vanunu and the Holy Land: 2005-2010" youtube.com/user/eileenfleming. Eileen is a unique leader in her state and she intends to run for a Florida Congressional seat in the future, to help speed the process of change that is so demanded today. Like many who walk in similar steps, Eileen, like other writers at Salem-News.com, is an outspoken advocate for humanity and she has no tolerance for the oppressive forces of the world.

You can send Eileen Fleming an email at this address: ecumei@gmail.com