LEST WE FORGET:
COLLECTIVE MASSACRES,
LAND THEFT AND DEMOLITION OF HOMES
In order to achieve their pre-planned and pre-meditated goal of ethnic cleansing in Palestine, two major tools were used by the Zionists:
- Massacres to instill awe and cause flight.
- Demolition of Arab homes and villages to make sure that those who left have no place to return to.
The first massacre committed by the Zionists took place at Balad al-Shaikh on 31 December 1947 when the Haganah stormed the village killing hundreds of women and children, most of whose corpses were found inside the houses of the village.
On 10 April 1948, the Zionist gangs raided the Arab village of Deir Yassin at 2:00 a.m. and began killing everyone within shooting range. After this they began throwing bombs inside the houses to destroy them along with everyone in them.
Menachem Begin boasts about this massacre in a book of his, where he writes, "This operation had tremendous, unanticipated results. After hearing the news of Deir Yassin, the Arabs were panic-stricken and began fleeing in terror..."
This massacre in Deir Yassin resounded throughout Palestine, and coupled with other massacres in other villages, spread panic leading to a widespread exodus of Palestinian Arabs.
On 19 July 1948, a second truce in the war was agreed upon. On 24 July 1948, and inspite of the truce, Israel launched a military operation against the three villages of Jaba, Ijzim and Ein Ghazal comprising the 'Little Triangle' about 20 kilometers south of Haifa. Units of the Golani, Carmeli and Alexandroni brigades moved in and captured the three villages on 26 July, with almost all the inhabitants being forced to leave or spontaneously fleeing eastwards while Israeli soldiers and aircraft repeatedly fired upon the fleeing refugees.
On 15 October 1948, and again inspite of the truce, Israel launched an operation against the Egyptian army in the South.
Mass murder took place in many of the towns on the southern front during the October offensive. One of the worst massacres during the offensive took place at Dawayma.
A Company of the 89th Commando Battalion, which was composed of former Irgun and Stern terrorists, took Dawayma. A veteran of the unit has published an account of the massacre. He noted that in order "to kill the children they fractured their heads with sticks. There was not one house without corpses". After murdering the children, Israeli soldiers herded the women and men into houses where they were kept without food or water. Then the houses were blown up with the helpless civilians inside.
An Israeli veteran who revealed these events stressed that "Educated and well-mannered commanders who were considered good guys" committed them. They became "base murderers and this was not in the storm of battle but as a method of expulsion and extermination..."
On 17 November, Agriculture Minister Aharon Zisling told the Israeli Cabinet, "I feel that things are going on which are hurting my soul, the soul of my family and all of us here… Jews too have behaved like Nazis and my entire being has been shaken." (Michael Palumbo, The Palestinian Catastrophe, pp. xii-xiv, citing US State Dept. Files, National Archives – Washington D.C.; Davar, 6 September 1979; and Tom Segev, 1949, The First Israelis, p. 26)
Many other massacres were committed during the 1948 war and continued to be committed ever since. The list is long and includes, among many others, the massacres committed in Lydda (July 1948), Eilaboun (October 1948), Qibya (1October 1953), Kufur Qasim (October 1956), Sabra and Shatila (September 1982), al-Aqsa Mosque (October 1990), the Ibrahimi Mosque (February 1994) …
In addition to the massacres committed during the war in 1948, over 400 Arab villages were fully destroyed.
Massacres and killing of Palestinian Arabs as well as demolition of their homes are still going on to this day.
It is about time for the Arab Governments and rulers to wake up and support Palestinian struggle for Return and Restoration of Stolen Lands, Homes and Rights. Peace and Zionism are incompatible; stop this hopeless marathon of endless talks over an illusive peace.
Nizar Sakhnini, 21 April 2008
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