<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[ZIODOLLAR$ FOR PEACE?]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p class="byline"> Posted  			by desertpeace			at PS.HADNEWS.COM on Friday, 			February 25, 			2011 			at 8:04 am. </p>
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<h1><strong> </strong><strong><span style="font-family:Arial Black;"><a href="http://desertpeace.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mcewan-accepting1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21758" title="mcewan accepting" src="https://desertpeace.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mcewan-accepting1.jpg?w=295&#038;h=171" alt="" width="295" height="171" /></a></span></strong></h1>
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<div><strong><span style="font-family:Arial Black;">Can something good  come out of a bad situation? It looks like it is possible. Ian McEwan  has been in Israel for the past week to receive the Jerusalem Prize for  Literature. He was <a href="http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/the-cultural-boycott-either-youre-with-us-or-youre-not/">urged not to come</a> by activists in the Boycott from Within Movement to refuse the prize and refuse to come here…. but he did. <a href="http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/trying-to-justify-a-bad-decision/">He tried to justify his position</a> by being critical of Israeli policies and taking part in the weekly demonstration at Sheikh Jarrah last Friday.</span></strong></div>
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<div><strong><span style="font-family:Arial Black;">Last night he  donated the $10,000 in Prize Money to an Israeli/Palestinian Peace  group, Combatants For Peace. For this, he must be commended ….. it might  result in the ‘Powers That Be’ being more selective of Prize Recipients  in the future, but for now, something good did come out of a bad  situation.</span></strong></div>
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<div>However, despite it all, the views of BDS activists can be seen in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/25/mcewans-criticism-appears-hypocritical"><strong>THIS</strong> </a>letter that appeared in today’s Guardian.</div>
<p><strong> I, as well, endorse this position despite commending his action.</strong></p>
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<h1><strong><span style="font-size:large;color:#808000;font-family:Verdana;">Ian McEwan donates Jerusalem Prize money to Israeli-Palestinian peace group</span></strong></h1>
<h2><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">A  representative of Combatants for Peace said the group pledges ‘to use  the contribution to further our activities against injustice, oppression  and denial of liberties – in the spirit of McEwan’s remarks at the  ceremony.’</span></strong></h2>
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<p><span style="font-family:Arial Black;"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial Black;"><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;"> </span></span></strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">The  British author Ian McEwan, who received the Jerusalem Prize at this  year’s International Book Fair, said he will be donating the $10,000  award to Combatants for Peace. </span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">The  group was founded by Palestinians and Israelis who had previously taken  an active part in fighting each other. Its representatives said they are  committed to working to end the occupation and achieve a two-state  solution. </span></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">McEwan  met Thursday with group representatives Bassem Ararmin, Muhammed  Aweida, Yoni Yahav and Roi Amit to hand them the prize money. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">The  novelist arrived in Israel to accept the prize on Sunday, despite calls  to boycott the event. During his acceptance speech for the award, given  every two years to a writer whose work deals with the “freedom of the  individual in society,” McEwan spoke out against Israeli policy  regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">He  said he hoped Jerusalem “will look to the future of its children and the  conflicts that potentially could engulf them, end the settlements and  encroachments and aspire creatively to the open, respectful, plural  condition of the novel.” </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">McEwan  also took part in the weekly demonstration in the East Jerusalem  neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, along with Israeli author David Grossman,  his personal friend. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">Representatives  of Combatants for Peace said they were pleased McEwan had decided to  donate the prize money – which the author had received from Mayor Nir  Barkat – to their group. According to one member, Barkat “implements the  heavy-handed policy and discrimination against the residents of the  city.” </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">A  representative of Combatants for Peace said the group pledges “to use  the contribution to further our activities against injustice, oppression  and denial of liberties – in the spirit of McEwan’s remarks at the  ceremony.” </span></strong></p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ian-mcewan-donates-jerusalem-prize-money-to-israeli-palestinian-peace-group-1.345551"><span style="font-size:medium;font-family:Verdana;">Source</span></a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://ps.hadnews.com/ziodollar-for-peace.htm">ZIODOLLAR$ FOR PEACE? at PS.HADNEWS.COM</a>.</div>
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