Smeagol-Gollum
17-04-2004, 10:44
Vanunu will not be coming in from the cold
April 17, 2004
Whistleblower's crime was to offend against Israel's unifying creeds, writes Ed O'Loughlin in Jerusalem
Vanunu's crime was to offend grievously against all three of Israel's key unifying creeds - Zionism, Jewish identity and total loyalty to the government on questions of national security.
Vanunu became involved with left-wing and pro-Palestinian causes while studying philosophy as a mature student at Ben Gurion University. In 1985 he was laid off from his job as a technician at Israel's top secret nuclear facility at Dimona and left the country, ending up in Australia. There he worked at odd jobs in Sydney and committed his second act of disloyalty by embracing Anglicanism. His parents and most of his 10 siblings have since renounced him.
Vanunu's third and biggest offence came in 1986 when The Sunday Times of London published an expose, backed up by photos secretly taken by Vanunu, showing that Israel had produced a covert nuclear arsenal at the Dimona plant.
Vanunu's supporters say it was primarily his principled opposition to nuclear weapons which made him leak the story. But the fact that he was due to obtain $US100,000 from a related book and serialisation deal made him doubly odious in Israeli eyes.
Vanunu did not receive the money, or even see his story in print. Before The Sunday Times could publish the article an American Jewish woman working for Mossad lured him from London to Rome, where he was smuggled on board a disguised Israeli naval vessel.
When he was spotted again two months later, being hustled out of an Israeli court room, he revealed his plight to the world by writing the details of his abduction on the palm of his hand and holding it up towards press photographers.
A secret trial convicted him of treason and espionage, even though he had made no attempt to provide his secrets to foreign or hostile powers.
Vanunu spent most of the next 12 years in strict solitary confinement ostensibly on security grounds. His mail was heavily censored and visits severely restricted.
It emerged last month that Vanunu has written to the Israeli interior ministry formally applying to renounce his Israeli citizenship - a request that is not likely to be granted.
It is still not certain that Vanunu will even be allowed to leave Ashkelon prison on Wednesday. With the backing of Israel's spy chiefs the Attorney- General applied to have him detained without trial following the expiry of his sentence, arguing that Vanunu still has nuclear secrets which could damage Israel. Although the courts rejected this application, Vanunu might yet find himself reincarcerated if he breaches the Government's restrictions on his freedom, or perhaps even if he refuses to sign them.
SOURCE.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/16/1082055655992.html
COMMENT ON SOURCE.
For those who feel inclined to attack this source as somehow obscure, or biased, as recently occured, it is for the Sydnet Morning Herald, one of the more respected newspapers from Sydney, Australia, which is the largest capital city to where I live (on the Central Cost for those interested).
COMMENT ON ARTICLE.
Israel, of course, receives tremendous support from the US.
And yet here is a state prepared to kidnap, hold secret trials, and which has weapons of mass destruction.
Does it therefore qualify for membership of the notorious Axis of Evil?
I somehow doubt it.
April 17, 2004
Whistleblower's crime was to offend against Israel's unifying creeds, writes Ed O'Loughlin in Jerusalem
Vanunu's crime was to offend grievously against all three of Israel's key unifying creeds - Zionism, Jewish identity and total loyalty to the government on questions of national security.
Vanunu became involved with left-wing and pro-Palestinian causes while studying philosophy as a mature student at Ben Gurion University. In 1985 he was laid off from his job as a technician at Israel's top secret nuclear facility at Dimona and left the country, ending up in Australia. There he worked at odd jobs in Sydney and committed his second act of disloyalty by embracing Anglicanism. His parents and most of his 10 siblings have since renounced him.
Vanunu's third and biggest offence came in 1986 when The Sunday Times of London published an expose, backed up by photos secretly taken by Vanunu, showing that Israel had produced a covert nuclear arsenal at the Dimona plant.
Vanunu's supporters say it was primarily his principled opposition to nuclear weapons which made him leak the story. But the fact that he was due to obtain $US100,000 from a related book and serialisation deal made him doubly odious in Israeli eyes.
Vanunu did not receive the money, or even see his story in print. Before The Sunday Times could publish the article an American Jewish woman working for Mossad lured him from London to Rome, where he was smuggled on board a disguised Israeli naval vessel.
When he was spotted again two months later, being hustled out of an Israeli court room, he revealed his plight to the world by writing the details of his abduction on the palm of his hand and holding it up towards press photographers.
A secret trial convicted him of treason and espionage, even though he had made no attempt to provide his secrets to foreign or hostile powers.
Vanunu spent most of the next 12 years in strict solitary confinement ostensibly on security grounds. His mail was heavily censored and visits severely restricted.
It emerged last month that Vanunu has written to the Israeli interior ministry formally applying to renounce his Israeli citizenship - a request that is not likely to be granted.
It is still not certain that Vanunu will even be allowed to leave Ashkelon prison on Wednesday. With the backing of Israel's spy chiefs the Attorney- General applied to have him detained without trial following the expiry of his sentence, arguing that Vanunu still has nuclear secrets which could damage Israel. Although the courts rejected this application, Vanunu might yet find himself reincarcerated if he breaches the Government's restrictions on his freedom, or perhaps even if he refuses to sign them.
SOURCE.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/16/1082055655992.html
COMMENT ON SOURCE.
For those who feel inclined to attack this source as somehow obscure, or biased, as recently occured, it is for the Sydnet Morning Herald, one of the more respected newspapers from Sydney, Australia, which is the largest capital city to where I live (on the Central Cost for those interested).
COMMENT ON ARTICLE.
Israel, of course, receives tremendous support from the US.
And yet here is a state prepared to kidnap, hold secret trials, and which has weapons of mass destruction.
Does it therefore qualify for membership of the notorious Axis of Evil?
I somehow doubt it.