ICAHD

Halper’s new book sheds light on the arms industry, arguing that Israel is now the go-to nation for armies and police forces around the world

Jonathan Cook, August 29, 2015

Middle East Eye

For 18 years Jeff Halper has been on the front lines of the Israel-Palestine conflict, helping to rebuild Palestinian homes in the occupied territories demolished by Israel. As he prepares to step down as head of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), he is publishing a new book on Israel.

Halper’s main conclusion is disturbing. Israel, he says, is globalising Palestine.

The former anthropology professor’s wide-ranging research has forced him into an expertise he is not entirely comfortable with: the global arms industry.

Halper argues that Israel is cashing in – both financially and diplomatically – on systems of control it has developed in the occupied territories. It is exporting its know-how to global elites keen to protect their privileges from both external and internal challengers.

In a world supposedly mired in an endless war on terror, we may all be facing a future as Palestinians.

Halper’s book, entitled War Against the People, due out next month, suggests that Israel provides a unique window on some of the most important recent developments in what he terms "securocratic warfare".

The book’s central thesis emerged as he tried to understand why tiny Israel hits way beyond its weight economically, politically and militarily. How does Israel have so much clout – not only in the US and Europe but, more surprisingly in countries as diverse as India, Brazil and China?
None of the usual explanations – Holocaust guilt, the power of lobbies, even the growth in Christian fundamentalism – seemed to provide a complete answer.

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ICAHD Resources

Fundraising Insert
Resource List
Action Resource

Jeff Halper Tour

Jeff Halper visit 12 cities in Canada on a nation-wide speaking tour,
from January 17-February 13, 2015 

Jeff is an academic, anthropologist, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

He is co-founder and director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).
Click here for a message from Jeff Halper.
Watch video of Jeff Halper live-streamed in Surrey, BC

Listen also to Jeff Halper on CBC Radio Feb 11/15

ICAHD 

Since its founding, ICAHD has been educating internationals and Israelis about the effects of the Israeli military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem on Palestinian, and advocating for the rights of Palestinians living there.  
ICAHD has produced
many helpful resources. 
See www.icahd.org/eng

ICAHD rebuilds destroyed homes...
             to change Israeli policy.

The past several years ICAHD has organized a summer work camp, bringing together Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals to rebuild a Palestinian home.  The rebuilding of a destroyed Palestinian home is symbolic.  It is done for humanitarian reasons as well as for political reasons.

Israeli reasons
       for destroying Palestinian homes...

Palestinian homes are destroyed by the Israeli authorities for a number of reasons—collective punishment for something done illegally by one member of the family or for building without permission, when Palestinians are seldom granted permission to build--are two of the reasons for demolishing a family home.  Whatever the reason, having one’s home destroyed is devastating for the family involved.

Demolishing a family home...
   - a way of destroying the family’s life

Demolishing a family home is not only destroying a house, but it is a way of destroying the family’s life, often leaving the family with no place to go and a debt to pay for the destruction of their own home.  Having their home rebuilt is a way of giving the family new hope and telling the Israeli authorities that the Palestinians are there to stay.  Rebuilding a Palestinian home has also been used by ICAHD to work for a change of Israeli policy concerning house demolitions.