Anathoth Community Farm - Diary of a Cyber Bedouin 8/2/2010

Palestinian sources revealed a letter sent by Obama that outlines carrots and sticks approach to get Mahmoud Abbas to go to direct and endless negotiations so as to keep the disastrous Oslo cover for the occupation going a few more years. This revealed once and for all that Washington is indeed Israeli-occupied territory.

Art is survived by his wife Peggy Gish (herself an activist in Iraq and Palestine and author of “Iraq: A journey of hope and Peace” ). For an interview of Art and Peggy by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, please go to http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/10/five_years_after_helping_to_expose We will miss this gentle man who acted on his principles. He is an example for us to follow! You can purchase his book on Hebron from the Mennonite Publishing Network: http://store.mpn.net/productdetails.cfm?PC=271

The missing media headlines this week: Israeli forces killed 1 worker, injured 4 protesters and 1 journalist, abducted 21 civilians, conducted 25 major incursions, continued to fire at farmers, etc http://ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/missingheadlines.html

The US Army reported that 32 soldiers committed suicide in June. Dozens of others were killed. Wikileaks published US documents that basically should make every American question the illegal wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, the US media conveniently ignores all this and obediently publish the lies of their Zionist masters instead of exposing those who profit from wars and mayhem.

Preparations for WWIII: Crashed Israeli helicopter drilled perilous strikes on Iran-style mountain tunnels http://www.debka.com/article/8940/

The Israeli government extended for two more decades the closure on the information from 50 and 60 years ago that shows it had committed ethnic cleansing, war crimes, crimes against humanity, deception and lies (and ofcourse still doing it). See ‘A state afraid of its past’ by Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-state-afraid-of-its-past-1.304711 (make sure links are intact)

I am in Istanbul, Turkey where we (3 Palestinians plus 17 others from many countries) attended a workshop exploring development of curricula on nonviolent or popular resistance. The examples used include Eastern Europe, South Africa, Latin America, Palestine and elsewhere. It was a very useful opportunity to network and reflect on our common human struggles and strategize as to how to advance the causes of justice around the globe.

The country is very beautiful, grand mosques and grand parks, good food, and friendly down to earth people. Many Arabs are here on vacations. Mosques are busy. The city is bustling. Everyone who finds out we are Palestinian is happy to see us. I can see why Turkish people mobilized the humanitarian aid ships to break the illegal siege on Gaza. Today, we crossed from the European part of Istanbul to the Asian side of the same city. This is truly at the crossroad of Europe and Asia. I believe letting Turkey join the European Union and insisting on respect for human rights in all the countries bordering the Mediterranean (starting with Israel), would be in the best interest of Europe and Asia.

While here, the usual mix of bad and good news are received. In bad news, the Israeli occupied US congress is trying to pass a resolution that will give the green light to Israel to attack Iran! Meanwhile there is no resolution to condemn Israel for ethnically cleansing yet another village (to add to the hundreds of Palestinian villages depopulated in the past 62 years. Wikeleaks published on its cite thousands of classified documents on Afghanistan showing that US and NATO forces and intelligence community know this war is not winnable. The war now its 9^th year claims more lives and treasures. The documents validated my long-held belief that unless the US and Europe shed the policies that created fundamentalism, fundamentalism will continue to grow. These policies include a) the unconditional support of Israeli violations of human rights and International law, b) the support of ‘friendly’ dictators that are keeping their own societies in misery (while claiming verbally to support human rights and International Law).

In good news, the legal case for Al-Walaja moved in a positive direction as the court decided to reopen the case and ask the Israeli government to rethink why, if the wall is for security purposes, why can’t ot be built on the Green line. The Court also rejected a settler petition to include all Al-Walaja behin the wall on the so called ‘Israeli side’. (Article in Arabic on Al-Walaja decision http://www.panet.co.il/online/articles/1/2/S-317185,1,2.html). In other good news, Bishop Munib Younan was elected president of the Lutheran World Federation.

ACTION: Help the legal struggles in different countries against Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity: http://www.humanrightsfund.org/

URGENT: Thousands of Israeli apartheid forces ethnically cleanse and demolished the Bedouin village of El-Araqib in the Negev. Pictures at http://www.amgadalarab.com/?todo=view&cat=2&id=00002880 Please write to media, politicians etc. Yeela Raanan wrote earlier ”The village of el-Araqib is between Rahat and Beer Sheva, and in a location that the Goldberg commission deemed outside of the areas allowed for the Negev Arabs... an area designated only for Jews... the JNF (Jewish National Fund) is planting a forest on this village lands - to make sure that the Bedouin cannot live on their village lands or use them for agriculture. The villagers turned to the Israeli courts, as the JNF were planting this forest at the bequest of the Israeli government... the people of el-Araqib won the court battle... but this morning it seems that the Government of Israel has started a war -- of the Government against its own citizens.” For more information: Dr. Yeela Raanan, Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages (RCUV). +972 54 7487005

It took over 10 hours to cross from Amman, Jordan to the Ghetto of Bethlehem, a distance of 60 miles. From the first moment on the bridge from Jordan, we begin to be immersed in Palestinian suffering. The 19 days outside of Palestine are not possible for most Palestinians. Yet, this was not a vacation and I gave many talks and spent lots of time in cars, trains, and planes. During the travel time, we can have time to think and reflect on many things and this short assay on Palestinian responsibility is a fruit of many hours of this.

During this trip I met many Palestinians, far more than before. Many were dedicated activists and others attended our talk out of curiosity or a sense of obligation. In Jordan we stayed with close friends (Palestinians originally from Hebron). We interacted with many others of all backgrounds. We even had a chance to briefly visit one of the many proliferating malls in Amman (this one is called ‘Mecca Mall’!). The mostly Palestinian population, like the rest of the society in Jordan, is divided between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. I was reminded of my visit with the Wheels of Justice bus tour to New Orleans months before the catastrophe of Katrina Hurricane and flooding. There in the deep South in richest country on earth was also a city that is deeply divided economically. The hundreds of customers whether in a rich mall in Amman or New Orleans have the same ‘choices’: Starbucks, United Colors of Benetton, and MacDonalds, trendy shops with latest lingerie and other fashions. The reality of life just 30 km to the west in the occupied areas is as alien to those Palestinian shoppers as it is to their American counterparts. I thus pondered on our collective human responsibility to address injustice. Nowhere else in the world today is there a more obvious example of massive and blatant injustice of ethnic cleansing, colonization, murder, and distortions of reality than that associated with creation and maintenance of a ‘Jewish [Zionist] state’. That this process was initiated and promoted by Europeans and later Americans leaves the people of these countries with the duty to act to rectify this injustice. Many take this very seriously. I was touched by the passion and dedication of many Italians to the Palestinian cause. But ultimately, the main responsibility for Palestinian liberation and wellbeing falls on us Palestinians.

In my visit to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, I was saddened to see the basically inhuman conditions of life. Yes, we must blame the Lebanese government for this but we also must look in the mirror. How many Palestinians who are of the ‘haves’ category are actually caring enough with deeds (and not mere words) about their fellow Palestinians. While we seek and appreciate solidarity and joint struggle with all people, we must rely on ourselves first and foremost. I just finished a book on history of popular resistance in Palestine. That there are millions of Palestinians in Palestine despite all the Zionist effort is testament to the efficacy and depth of this resistance and caring. That millions more who were forced to leave refuse to forget where they came from indicates the fallacy of the notion advocated by Zionists of ‘the old will die and the young will forget.’ But keeping the attachment and acting strongly to defend your right are two related but separate issues. And those who are truly dedicated to act for the cause in any nation remain a minority that we should try to grow.

How many people get involved and how many dedicate their life to the struggle can be the deciding factors in the success of any liberation movement. Success can come using mixtures of different tools. No two liberation movements follow the same paths. Lessons can be drawn from Places like Algeria, Vietnam, and South Africa but these stories are different and liberation in Palestine will be different when it comes (some would say if it comes). I believe we have significant and unique opportunities to move forward positively. Here are just five of hundreds of reasons for my optimism.

1. The International civil society is emerging and mobilizing in unprecedented large numbers to help challenge the oppression and colonization in Palestine (think of the growth of social media activism, websites, International Solidarity Movement, Free Gaza Movement, Freedom Flotilla etc.).

2. The Zionist project represents the antithesis of morality and justice in such a blatant way that no caring and decent human being can ignore. It is obvious to all that it is wrong to ethnically cleanse a country of its native inhabitants in order to bring people of a particular religion and create a state of such immigrants with a set of racist laws to ensure hegemony. Thus, it carries the seeds of its ultimate destruction within its own ideology. Its persistent war crimes and crimes against humanity (in Deir Yassin, Nablus, Jenin, Gaza, Lebanon, international waters etc) are but the natural symptoms of the pathology.

3. The Zionist project is now recognized internationally (despite the massive propaganda efforts) as a destabilizing force not only locally but internationally. From its inception in the 19th century, political Zionism survived only by creating divisions and wars. But people are tired of conflicts and wars. Wars also used to have little cost to the Zionist movement. In the last few years, the cost of war has risen and Zionists cannot wage wars without some blow back hitting them where it really hurts (think Lebanon in 2006 and Gaza in 2008/9).

4. The growth of the boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS movement) has been phenomenal (visit bdsmovement.net for details). The Israeli government is frantically trying to suppress this but they always end up promoting it by their own arrogance of power. The arrogance of power that allows Israel to lose Turkey as an ally or to forge passports of ‘friendly countries’ will lead them to lose what few allies they have left.

5. For every act of murder or destruction, for every attack on a human rights activist, Israel creates many folds more resistance. The murder of Rachel Corrie generated thousands of Rachel’s and her story is now known by millions (Google gives 1.9 million hits). After the attack on the flotilla of 6 ships, we will now have 60 ships arriving in September. Each of the hundreds of activists who were unjustly kidnapped in International waters, mistreated, and stripped of his/her belongings is now a lifelong activist for Palestine.

We cry over the Bassem AbuRahma (see videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlbzuZ_50mU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F91H8sR64Ro ) and thousands of other innocent Palestinian victims of Israeli crimes. We cry over the many internationals who lost their lives such as Rachel Corrie (see http://www.rachelcorrie.org/) and the victims of the Mavi Marmara (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/freegaza/?saved=1). To honor these martyrs for this good cause, we must turn tears into action and shatter any remaining ‘deafening silence’ and negativism among our people (and here I mean Palestinians and other fellow human beings). We do see corruption, defeatism, and lack of self confidence among many people (Palestinians and others). We must challenge these human frailties but this can only be done by putting out positive actions and examples. As we learn from basic physics, only the pluses can neutralize the minuses. The good news is that we see more and more pluses and more and more people deciding to get off the proverbial couch and get into the fields. Here the harsh winds blow, the vultures circle, the dogs bark, but the caravan of freedom moves on and we are getting good company and making great friends along the way.

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses."-Alphonse Karr

Italian famous tenor Joe Fallisi who we met in Italy had created operatic songs for Palestine

I was released from detention after investigation only with minor bruises, threats and warnings but both Israeli activists Shy and Yotam were brought in front of a judge on some false charges and judged to stay away from the wall for 30 days (last time for me it was 15 days) with hefty fines if they violate the order.

I was honored to share a few hours with them in detention. The past two days have not been easy (videos below). Yesterday (Tuesday June 8th), we witnessed how the land of Al-Walaja was being destroyed. Abu Nidal watched as Israeli colonizers uprooted olive trees that his family has planted decades ago and trees donated by Europeans 8 years ago. After the devastation, activists were determined to do something and this morning some even chained themselves to a bulldozer. The 'Border police' are known for being ruthless and mean. In this case, there was also the added complication of the Israeli army deciding to put a unit headed by a Druze officer named Asa'ad that included a mix of Ashkenazim and Druze and a token black soldier. One of the Ashkenazi soldiers was particularly aggressive. The Druze soldiers appeared out of place. Some soldiers confided that they are merely forced to serve. But Captain Asa'ad was clearly in command and interested in action. He was busy ordering his soldiers to push us around, instructing them to not talk to us, telling them to arrest us etc. After Yotam was arrested for chaining himself to the bulldozer, we were pushed up the hill toward the paved village road past the old destroyed fig tree that Zakhariya used to sit under every day for decades. We had a sit-in for over an hour at the side of the street. Towards the end of it, it was clear that this commander had it in for us. At two times as I was trying to talk to him and his soldiers, he came to tell me that I would be arrested. As we finally ended our sit-in and were moving away from the soldiers, the commander called for me and took my ID card and told me I was being detained. As his soldier led me away, other activists rushed to talk to the soldiers including the commander. I was thus not surprised to see Shy also arrested even though he did not do anything other than trying to talk to the occupation soldiers about why they detained me. I was released without charges four hours later with a strong warning and threat from Asa'ad that he would shackle me, hurt me, 'and worse' if he caught me near the wall work areas again. Shy and Yotam were given a suspended sentence but they must stay away from the wall areas for 30 days. If you know any Druze, I urge you to write to them. It is a shame what they are doing serving in an army of occupation. But it is also a shame for any human being to serve in such a sadistic brutalizing colonization force.
Heartbreaking video of devastation Tuesday June 8th at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrbMP9hRNeo
And the action and arrests on Wednesday June 9th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9rdBX0pvv0
And here is a report from Palestine monitor with great photos

This destruction is carried on while the US administration bribes Mahmoud Abbas with more millions in aid for more streets and government buildings and security forces to ensure we do not have any demonstrations against the occupation. This is done as the US shields Israel from International law and sends more arms shipments to Israel in violation of US law (which demands weapons not be used to violate human rights)
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/c/o/colindale/2010/06/explosive-document-that-needs.php

Israeli Murders, NATO and Afghanistan By Craig Murray
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25596.htm

PLEASE ACT on the call from Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/710 and continue to write and demonstrate and increase the pressure on the supine media and politicians.

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://www.qumsiyeh.org
Professor, Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities
Chairman of the Board, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, http://www.pcr.ps

Israeli government refuses an International probe into its illegal piracy and massacre of Gaza humanitarian aid ships and ‘accidentally distributed a video mocking the humanitarian activists. The Israeli occupation forces admitted doctoring one audiotape from the Mavi Marmara ship. The lies are beginning to crumple with testimonies from survivors (see below). But we will not drop this case because it may yet prove to be the straw that breaks the back of International complicity. Today in Beit Jala, we had a mock coffin, a mock ship, Turkish and international flags and of course the obligatory Israeli tear gas and harassment. One Israeli peace activist, Roni Barkan, was arrested. We are dismayed that Palestinian security in coordination with Israeli security decided to prevent us from going to demonstrate from downtown Beit Jala (or to return to downtown) but we keep going from another location and we show Israeli war criminals that we care about the land and we care about the people of Gaza and we care about the victims of the massacre committed at sea Monday (see video of the event in Beit Jala at http://www.youtube.

We also commemorate the aggression 43 years ago that expanded the occupied areas from 78% to 100% of historic Palestine. Thus for 43 years, we had one contiguous state of oppression and since then we have been working to transform this state from a fascist oppressive racist state to one of a democratic state for all its people. Yet, the trauma of the massacres committed before and after that pivotal date in June 1967 continue. From the massacres in the 1940s, 1950s, to the mass execution of prisoners of war in the Sinai desert by Israeli generals who became prime ministers (a war crime since forgiven by the puppet regime in Egypt), to the massacres in the 1970s, the 1980s (in Lebanon and Palestine) and on and on. Personally, I keep seeing friends, colleagues, and those who I identify with gunned down, murdered or injured without protection by a fascist regime that feels it can act with impunity because of US government support. Many good people are imprisoned and psychologically and/or physically tortured. I cry regularly for all victims, those I personally knew who were killed (e.g. Basem Abu Rahma), injured (e.g. Emily Henochowicz who lost her eye), unfairly imprisoned and mistreated (e.g. Lubna Masarwa) and those I did not know personally but who are kindred in spirit (e.g. 19 year old Turkish American Furkan Dagan who was gunned down on the freedom flotilla). It is really hard to express how one feels. Perhaps this peace by Alice Walker sums it up: ‘You will have no protection’ http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11319.shtml

May they never be forgotten: Meet the victims of the Israeli massacre: names, pictures and brief biographies http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/2010/06/putting-names-to-faces.html

And here are interviews and reports of the injured and kidnapped that contradict Israeli stories

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/they-came-from-the-villages-to-aid-the-orphans-1.294407

(By the way, Israeli forces have stolen passports and belongings from dozens of activists)

Even in Israel within the green line, there were demonstrations against the massacres, this one in Tel Aviv drew 15-20,000 participants (and right-wing thugs tried to attack 86 year old Uri Avnery after the crowds dispersed) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMjVp9IR-Y

and watch the Knesset fascists try to stop an Arab member of the Knesset from speaking and then attacking her (Haneen Zuabi has received many death threats and hundreds have signed onto a facebook page calling for her execution; so much for ‘democracy’ in the racist apartheid state) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7OEzB1GgRs

ACTIONS: Protest at Israeli missions, Israeli government appearances, and write to media, and politicians to demand that Israel be held accountable and end the siege on Gaza. Call representative to Israel http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Israel

Mass outrage in Turkey as they buried the victims of the Israeli massacre dominated the news in the Islamic world (see amazing video of the funeral at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa8XvaR6-ZA ) . A US citizen was among those murdered: Furkan Dogan, 19 year old, was shot multiple times at close range (http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june042010/amp-flotilla.php ). The 380 Turkish survivors were welcomed home as heroes. The same for their comrades, the Greek members of the freedom flotilla (In the last seconds, you can see American citizen Dr. Paul Larudee showing the signs of his beating from Israeli authorities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC-BcEvD_1w).

In other news, a statement issued by hundreds of civil society organizations in the Arab World condemning the crime committed against the relief convoy and demanding the dismantling of the blockade on Gaza and the turnover of the Israeli`s war criminals to International Justice. The Rachel Corrie ship is on its way to Gaza and expected to arrive Saturday morning local time so stay tuned and keep up the pressure on the apartheid system (see for updates http://freedomforward.org ). Also we heard of a European Jewish ship planning to depart in July (details will be released just before the trip to avoid the Israeli sabotage). Money for three other ships for the second flotilla of ships (called Freedom Flotilla 2) has been raised. In other good news, the Klaxons and the Gorillaz Sound System have both canceled their performances in Israel this week, apparently due to Israel's deadly raid on the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla and the ensuing worldwide political fallout over the incident.

Video: The Palestinian idyllic village of Wad Rahhal, like all villages trapped between the wall and the Green line is in dire situation. The 2500 people of the village are 'unwanted' but their land is coveted by Israel (the apartheid Jewish state). The illegal colonial settlement of Efrat swallowed much of the native land and now the wall that is planned will swallow much more (again the Zionist mantra of maximum geography with minimum demography). Weekly demonstrations are now held. This is an example of the demonstrations. This one, like hundreds this week, was also to support the Gaza freedom flotilla and thank Turkey for its principled stance (hence Turkish flags were flown). ended peacefully. Last week, tear gas was thrown.

Pictures of demonstrations in Bir Al-Saba’ (Beersheba) Umm AlFahem and elsewhere within the green line and in other places about the act of piracy and war crimes committed against the flotilla of aid http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/show/

Israel foreign ministry fake pictures of weapons on the freedom flotilla (no wonder they refuse an independent investigation)

Also along the same vein: Israel bans books, music and clothes from entering Gaza , Amira Hass, Haaretz

Evergreen State college students voted overwhelmingly in support of divestments (this is the college where Rachel Corrie studied before she was murdered by Israeli apartheid)

It is a cumulative process - each successive outrage has diminished the reserve of goodwill and forbearance Israel enjoyed. Even if most governments are not quite ready to go from words to effective actions, growing public outrage will eventually push them to impose official sanctions….

Not many atrocities can be less controversial than Israel’s attack on the Turkish-based flotilla heading to Gaza yesterday. Like Somali pirates, Israel attacked the boats in international waters. Like the darkest regimes, Israeli forces opened fire on unarmed civilians who had not posed a threat to anybody, except to the siege that Israel (with Egyptian co-operation and U.S. backing) imposes on Gaza. Condemnation of what the Turkish prime minister rightly termed “an act of state terrorism” has been global, except for the shameful mumbling of the American government (but what can you expect from the complicit?).

In this digest: The meaning of Nakba and the right of return, video of events in Bethlehem area including our Nakba commemoration in Al-Maasara , review of popular actions this week including in Sheikh Jarrah, Bil’in etc Today is the day we actually commemorate Nakba Day, 14 May 1948, the date the state of Israel was declared. However, it is not the beginning of our Nakba (catastrophe) nor its end. Over 200 villages were ethnically cleansed in the six months before 14 May 1948. This simple fact illustrate that it is not the founding of the militarized state of Israel that began the Nakba but that it was a pivotal moment in it. After that date, the wave of ethnic cleansing was being done in a name of a nation-state established by and for Jews from Europe and not just the terrorist underground Jewish militias. The ethnic cleansing accompanying the foundation of this apartheid Jewish state and its maintenance meant the destruction of 530 villages and towns and meant that in the past 9 years alone over 10,000 homes were destroyed in the West Bank (including occupied Jerusalem), Gaza, and the Negev.

Today 7 million of the 11 million Palestinians around the world are refugees or displaced people. The Israeli population according to the Israeli central bureau of statistics is 7,510,000 of which 5,984,500 are “Jews and others” (presumably the others are Druze, Russian non-Jews, and similar categories) and 1,525,500 Palestinian Arabs (1). The population of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is 4 million allowed to live on areas A & B, small parts of the 22% of Palestine occupied since 1967 (2). The total area allowed for Palestinian use is 2.5% of the area of pre-1967 Israel (3) plus areas A & B of the West Bank . In total this comes to 2.5% of 78% and 29% of the 22% that is the West Bank and Gaza (4). The total geographic access to all remaining Palestinians(5.525 million) is thus 1.95%+6.38%=8.33% while the Jewish and other population (Zionist preferred) consists of 5.5 million with access to the remaining lands comprising 91.67% of historic Palestine. What this means is that the Jewish population (most of it new immigrants) has access to about 9 times more land per person than the remaining native Palestinians. If we add the Palestinian refugees outside the country (total Palestinian population per PCBS is 10.9 million), the disparity only gets more pronounced. When you consider that before the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948, 93% of the land was used by Palestinian natives and now only 8.3%, you can see the colossal level of land theft.
Endless negotiations are ongoing between increasingly fascist Israeli governments and a gutted Palestinian political echelon. While different factions have agreed to reconstitute the Palestine Liberation Organization weakened and fractured for the past two decades, this has yet to happen. IOt is no wonder that in these two decades of negotiations, Israel (supported by an occupied Washington) has dictated terms and they include focus on security to the colonizers (in other words accepting the theft of the land) and shredding of International law. It is clear that International law supports the right of refugees and their descendents to return to their homes and lands. Israel had to accept UN General Assembly Resolution 194 in order to be allowed entry into the UN. But most of its key provisions remain violated by this rogue state:

Resolves that the Holy Places - including Nazareth - religious buildings and sites in Palestine should be protected and free access to them assured, in accordance with existing rights and historical practice….

Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible;

Video: Palestine/Israel History since 1878, A short documentary that shows how Israel was made over Palestinian bodies and the occupation's early days massacres. http://blip.tv/file/3467330

In many events of popular resistance today around Palestine, Palestinains and their supporters recognized the historical continuity between land theft, racism, and ethnic cleansing that happened in 1948 and that happening today. In Sheikh Jarrah today, hundreds of protesters including Israelis with Rabbis for human rights congregated and protested the evictions of Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem. The occupation forces dragged many away and arrested others (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwEubxCsnGc ).

The popular committee reported from Bil’in that “Representatives from the Fatah, Hamas, and PFLP movements, along with members of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, marched carrying a giant key to represent the rightful return of the refugees. The demonstration was visited by Handala, the Palestinian symbol who was created to represent the children who left their homelands and were forced to settle in refugee camps. Demonstrators processed to the site of the Wall and endured large amounts of tear gas as Israeli soldiers tried to force them to retreat. A Palestinian TV journalist was arrested when the soldiers crossed the fence. The fields around the Wall quickly caught fire due to the high afternoon heat and the tear gas canisters, and demonstrators tried to extinguish the flames with olive branches. ..”

In Al-Ma’sara, we gathered and heard speeches from the minister of culture, listened to music from Palestinian artist Reem Al-Banna, heard poets, and enjoyed dabka. In the background three tents representing three villages from over 530 destroyed towns and villages were depicted. In the distance, the Mediterranean was visible (but off-limits to us). The local popular committee had a brilliant event in support of the right of return even though the Israeli army had invaded the village the night before and threatened organizers Mohammed and Hasan Breijiya and others. We did a video also includes last week in Al-Ma’sara and interview with Daoud Nassar of the Tent of Nations (http://www.tentofnations.org/). The video is posted here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ezoe_k5FgY

What had happened here in the past 62 years was not what was originally planned by the Zionists, a relatively pure Jewish state with few or no natives left. What is the case today is that despite all the Zionist migrations and colonial activity, we remain here. It is a scrambled egg to be sure: Jewish colonies dominate with 5.5 million Palestinians remaining in ghettos totaling 8.3% of the land. But this egg cannot be unscrambled into a “two-state solution.” The more people realize this, the more will join us in the same kind of struggle carried for nearly 120 years in South Africa. It is a struggle for justice and for human rights supported by International law. It is a struggle against racism. It is long past time for refugees to return.

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org

A poll reveals that a majority of Israeli's are willing to see the banning of human rights organization in the ‘Jewish state’ and a bill was introduced in the Knesset to outlaw any Israeli human rights organization which exposes Israeli war crimes. Yesterday, one peaceful protester hurt and 6 detained in Bilin weekly protest against the apartheid wall (itself declared a war crime in violation of the 4th Geneva convention).

Those arrested include our friends Ashraf Abu Rahma (28, who was videotaped at another event as he was blindfolded and shot, brother of martyr Bassem killed at peaceful protest), Abed Al-Fattah Burnat (Committee member, 53), Haitham Al-Khatib (34, Photographer)

, Roy Vackner, and Uri Baytman (Israelis), and a 27 year old US citizen Stormy. And Israeli secret agents arrested a Palestinian leader in Haifa (head of Ittijah organization, Ameer Makhoul) on secret evidence and puts a gag order on the media. And the Israeli government will ‘legalize’ outposts in the West Bank (that is how most of settlements came to get Israeli government recognition even if they are illegal per International law). And settlers continue to harass Palestinians. Thus, we descend further into fascism in this apartheid racist state even as the Israeli propaganda machine still babbles about ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’. But the demonstrations yesterday in Bil’in, Ni’lin, and elsewhere went on successfully. In Al-Ma’sara demonstration, something unusual happened. As always, village people walked towards their lands and the soldiers blocked the road with razor wire and armed jeeps. But after a while and some negotiations, the officers allowed the marchers to march along the main road to their lands. Something new happens here every day.

Better and shorter videos of our arrests in Al-Walaja
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFwlD4ToF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfglnJeNUUk
and pictures of popular resistance including in Al-Walaja
http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills

Israeli military shoot dead a Gaza farmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSECq3kxT4I
and attack fishermen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAUzugKX1AE&feature=related

Inspiring event showing how isolated Israel is becoming (except by spineless government officials who need to be challenged). Activists disrupt “Israel Technology” event at Boston Museum of Science (a propaganda effort). Report on event here http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/210522/index.php
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLhtRA45Ac

ACTION: We need to act in a last push to stop Israel’s accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development . Read this OECD Bends Rules for Israel http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=2317
Then act here http://holdisraelaccountable.net/

ACTION: Join Palestinians in peaceful expressionand commemoration of Nakba in Washington DC, Saturday May 15th, 2010 3:30 – 6:00 PM. The boat leaves at 4:00 PM, we will start meeting at 3:30 PM. Washington Harbour, 3000 Mass Ave., NW. at the bottom of 31st St in Georgetown. Additional Information: The boat ride is 1 hour, we will regroup afterwards around our digital billboard truck that will be displaying documentary video and pictures of the Nakba 1948 and the continued ethnic
cleansing of Palestinians today. Bring posters that read: Free Palestine, End the Occupation, Nakba...62 years is enough, Stop U.S. tax Dollars to Israel, End the siege of Gaza. Please do not deviate from this theme. If you have a boat, please join our flotilla on the Potomac. If you do not wish to ride the boat, we need supporters cheering the boat from the Key Bridge; we also need photographers and videographers to document this event and help us submit a video to the Gaza Freedom March Nakba competition. The first prize will be $100 donated to the Free Gaza Flotilla. This is a Family Friendly Event, bring your children for a beautiful ride on the Potomac. We'll be singing songs from the 60's. Sponsored by: Washington Peace Center, Gaza Freedom March, Free Gaza Movement, US Campaign To End The Occupation. RSVP and more info: ,