There are nearly fifty thousands readers of these email messages. Obviously many have different interests and I try to minimize both the length of the post and number of items covered even though there is so much going on. I also try to focus on action items: what readers can act on from wherever you are (125 countries represented). Some readers write asking for more about life in Palestine and thoughts on developments at the political or other spheres. But not all readers might be interested in this or that topic, so I decided to start a blog on my website with daily musings, reports etc on life under athe Israeli apartheid system for those interested. I share with you the first two entries (for today and yesterday) below BUT all future such material will be posted to http://qumsiyeh.org/
Thursday 19 March 2009
Arrests last night throughout the West Bank including in our area of Bethlehem. The reports on radio suggest that this was intended to apply pressure on Hamas because Israel wanted a deal to free the captured Israeli occupation soldier with minimal cost in terms of releasing native Palestinian political prisoners.
Later in the morning and after stopping by at the University (again seeing the settlements on all around), I gave a talk to a visiting group from the US. The group is from California and they came under the auspices of the “Geneva Initiative”. I was rather bluntly honest with them that this initiative cannot make a basis for a durable peace because as Amnesty International said about the Oslo process: it failed before it started because it ignored human rights.
To read more about the Geneva Initiative, please see
And my own article on it:
http://www.boykotisrael.dk/
The meeting lasts much longer than expected because of significant discussion. Having given hundreds of talks and engaged in lots of fruitful dialogs with Israeli and International Zionists almost daily, I believe that even when some individuals get emotional, that such a discussion is better than no discussion.
Later in the day I mention to my wife that I am struck that some who support political Zionism from outside have stronger views than Israeli Jews who support political Zionism. For example, very few Israeli Jews claim that the Palestinian refugees are not refugees or claim that it is possible to reject their international rights simply because "there is no space for them to return without displacing Jews" (this simply is not true as social and demographic studies show most of the places they left are not being utilized).
No, the only real objection Israeli Zionists give me is the more honest (and more understandable) reason for challenging the implementation of the right of return: that this would change the nature of the Jewish state. This latter, and more straight-forward opinion, can be dealt with; we can discuss for example what is the nature of the Jewish state, we can discuss the fact that there are already 5.5 million Palestinians within the state (1.5 million if one counts areas only within the Green Line). Anyway, it is possible to discuss these things and arrive at a way forward that respects human rights while allaying the fears of all people here (whether rational or irrational fears; and Palestinians have far more to fear in this situation than Israelis since 2/3rds of us are refugees and displaced people and we lost tens of thousands of civilians over the past 60 years).
The late Professor Edward Said once said in the 1960s that Palestinains are not allowed to tell their narratives. I think more and more Palestinians are telling their narratives (conflicting as they may be on political and other ideologies). I also think more and more Israelis are telling different narratives than the one dogmatic view of this conflict being tribal (the view of Zionism that there are "two sides" to this story, Israeli and Palestinian). I explained that certainly the conflict in South Africa was not about "Whites vs Blacks" but those who supported apartheid and those who did not (and there were blacks and whites who supported apartheid as well as whites and blacks who rejected it). It is the same here. But still, everytime I give a talk, I think I could have done better relaying reality on the ground here.
I then went back to Bethlehem University and workd with some students on projects then returned home. My small yard is now set with fast growing beans, sunflower, and peas in addition to all the trees. The trees are growing new leaves (on the lemons, figs, olives, and almonds). The green almond fruits are delicious and go well with salt and fresh lemons :-). Earlier this week we planted the seeds of Faqoos (small endemic kind of cucumber family) and Koosa (Like Zuchhini Squash). I got on the computer briefly to check e-mails. I engaged in discussion with Israelis and others on peace on mepeace.org.
On e-mails, I noted that the Pope is confirmed to visiting here in May and I received an email asking me to sign to request that he visits Gaza. “As in all times, the way of reconciliation exemplified by Jesus calls us to initiate social healing by visiting, eating with, listening to, and risking our safety in solidarity with the “least among us” -- in this case the people of Gaza.” This makes sense since Jesus asked his followers to consider that the poorest and most destitute are God’s body! (to sign go to http://www.petitiononline.com/
Our friend Dr. Haidar Eid from Gaza (the One Democratic State Group) posted an excellent article titled “Who Said Nearly 50 Years Ago that Israel was an Apartheid State?” by Ronnie Kasril, a Jewish South African and was minister of Intelligence in the post Apartheid era.
http://www.odsg.org/co/index.
Also see Address by Ronnie Kasrils at "Israel Apartheid Week":
http://world.mediamonitors.
You can read more about this and donate (tax deductible) to the nursery and other peace activities of the now “Open House” at: http://www.friendsofopenhouse.
The day ended on a sour note: Palestinian factions (with very limited participation of 13 indepenedents) ended their scheduled meetings in Cairo without really solving the most problematical issue - the nature of the Palestinain interim authority that will set the stage for new elections for us (the prisoners in the ghettos/cantons of the West Bank and Gaza. I myself blame everyone including myself for not pressing them enough to end the bickering and get on with real unity based on a program of struggle for freedom. I wonder in my mind how many of them read this appeal for unity
http://www.cipmo.org/1501-
and how many really understand what it means that in 2-4 weeks we will have a Russian racist, who calls openly for ethnic cleansing, as Israel’s foreign minister? (other Israeli leaders engage in ethnic cleansing but have more clever and diplomatically covered ways of doing it). I thought of the saying taht Fate/God does not change what is to happen to a peopel unless they change what is within themselves. Israelis and Palestinains (each one of us) needs to look more in the mirror (as Jesus said not look at the speck in our brothers eye but mind the log in our own eyes). I wonder if we humans will rise to the challenge in the next few weeks or sink further into posturing and slogans.
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Last night we saw a film produced by an Israeli on the nonviolent resistance in Bilin. I had seen this film before but I was again impressed by the extent of ingenuity of the villagers (supported by Internationals and some Israelis). The apartheid (the term used for it is Hafrada or Segregation in Hebrew) wall is built on their village lands and behind the wall lies over half of their best agricultural lands that were taken to expand an illegal colonial Jewish settlement. Variations of forms of resistance to the apartheid wall and land confiscation includes:
- Tying themelves with chains to olive trees being uprooted
- Marching silently with English, Arabic, and Hebrew signs
- Marching loudly and telling soldiers to refuse service
- Cutting the fences built there
- Building a mock fence with Palestinians chained under it on their land so that soldiers were forced to “dismantle” the mock fence
- Putting a caravan on their land and staying in it (many settlements buildings were built without even a permit from the Israeli occupation forces so this tests selective law enforcement).
- When the caravan is destroyed, putting an actual permanent structure overnight
- And on and on
All these tactics are met with violent responses ranging from using sonic booms, to high pressure water hoses, to stun grenades, to tear gas (spiked with other chemicals), to salt pellet guns, to rubber coated steel bullets, and to live ammunition. Everything was tried. These weekly demonstrations happen in many other villages with land loss. Many villagers were injured, some killed, many imprisoned and bankrupted with large fines etc. Yet, the world’s sleazy politicians hypocritically ignore thousands of Palestinians killed and focus on any Israelis injured or killed. But the people are by and large waking up to the nature of this racist system of Apartheid.
I woke up today and had a great and refreshing cup of Arabic coffee and think to myself: life is still good. I checked emails; hundreds with news and views and actions and from students and from scientific colleagues and on and on. But I lingered on one email from a British volunteer who was attacked in a peaceful demonstration in Palestine and was beaten, detained, jailed and then deported by the Israeli colonial state. Excerpt:
so im back in my home town, … it was a bit unexpected being whisked away from all that i was absorbed in, stuck in jail for 4 days and then stuck on a plane back to the uk, but im getting back into the swing of things…..the palestinians know how to live and love. the folk here have been bombarded with wealth for so long that they fail to see any other plausible way of living and so take their luxury life style with a pinch of salt…give me palestine any day….sadly i've got a ten year ban on coming back so i cant even get into the west bank. i am gutted, but i will return one day.….
everyday i get anxious feelings about the work i personally left uncompleted and the people i left disappointed….all the people i never got the chance to say a proper goodbye to. i never thought it would come to deportation. after my second court appearance it seemed that all would be fine if i could get a new visa, just an application for a new visa by the time of my next bail date at kiriyat arba police station in hebron. however, first the israel ministry of the interior in jerusalem told me that as i was living in bethlehem i must get a visa from the palestinian authority. so i got an application in process in bethlehem only to be told by the israeli police that this wasn’t good enough and that the matter would be transferred to israeli immigration.
so they arrested and took 4 days to deport me during which time i was moved around various jails ending up in ramle amongst african refugees. this really was an eye opener. refugees held in prison, some for 3 years without any notification as to how long they might spend there. none of them had money for lawyers and none of them had a country to return to. israel was threatening most of them with deportation even though they were pleading political assylum. i was told by a few that if they returned they would likely be killed..
the lawyer that saw me told me that if i didnt hire her services i was looking at spending 3 months in jail. i knew she was lying just to make me panic and get my money. i had already been told that the british consulate would get me out in at most a week. so, you can imagine how much money she must have swindled out of these captive refugees, those with any money that is. i would love to hear from you all. take care for now, much love…”
I drove to Bethlehem University where I met a Dean in the Parking lot who was angry that the Israelis at the checkpoint delayed him for one hour demanding he dismantle the spare tire on his car (he has a Jerusalem ID and thus a yellow license plate so could drive his car unlike me with a West Bank white/green license plate). He asked them to do it themselves and search whatever they want but it is not his job to take things apart for them! Acts of civil resistance like this are done by the millions everyday in Palestine.
In a Palestinian newspaper I read that the Israeli supreme court (after delays of five years) refused a petition that requests it to issue a ruling that Muslim Holy Sites should be treated by the Israeli government just like Jewish Holy Sites (in terms of maintenance, protection etc). The court claimed in this racist ruling that it was due to difficulty for the Jewish state to determine Muslim Holy Sites (obviously there is no “difficulty” about deciding Jewish holy sites). Hundreds of mosques have already been demolished in the past 60 years and others turned into things like nightclubs and art galleries. The remaining Muslim ancient sites are pillaged, buried, ignored, etc. while Israel spends millions to maintain and build (and in some cases even fabricate) Jewish Holy Sites.
In the web version of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, I read that Israeli leaders blamed Hamas for failure of prisoner swap and have then taken more political prisoners to pressure Hamas. A reader response caught my eyes: “This is insane what Zionists keep indulging in, an exercise of unabashed narcissism. It`s nothing more than a self-righteous sanctimonious orgy of self-gratification and self-glorification. What are they drinking in Zion to be so out there in the stratosphere? Israel murdered over 1,300 people just a month or so ago, injured over 5,000 - majority civilians and kids, and bombed 100% civilian infrastructure (since no military infrastructure exists) and Zionists got the chutzpah to talk about 'blood on their hands'? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
To top all of that, Israel has locked up and rounded up thousands (over 11,000 to be exact) of Palestinians who today rot in prisons somewhere in the desert and their only crime was to be born NOT JEWISH. Only in Israel, POW exchanges are performed by bleeding heart puritans. Give me a break, just because a slaughterhouse is kosher doesn`t mean it`s any less bloody than non-kosher slaughterhouses. Israel has more war criminals/terrorists than Las Vegas has gamblers. It`s time for the holier than thou act to end”. Part of me wants to think the worst is yet to come here with an extreme right government in Israel. The other part of me sees the growing chorus of Jews and non-Jews engaged in telling the reality and challenging the stereotypes and racism.
In the same newspaper website edition, we learn that “During Operation Cast Lead (Gaza Invasion earlier this year), Israeli forces killed Palestinian civilians under permissive rules of engagement and intentionally destroyed their property, say soldiers who fought in the offensive….The speakers included combat pilots and infantry soldiers. Their testimony runs counter to the Israel Defense Forces' claims that Israeli troops observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation.”
In the afternoon, we met with new people (Two US citizens who are Fullbright fellows in Jordan and another US citizen visiting on her own) and toured the apartheid wall and the settlements that now ring Bethlehem area on all sides. I show new groups or inividuals things here almost every day. Each time, I am always amazed at how connected we are. How especially Jewish and non-Jewish young people (19-28 year olds) catch on very quickly to what is going on here even when they get no history background.
But we also have fun (eating Knaffa, wonderful Palestinian sweets) and have good walks in abandoned military posts that get our circulation going while watching a beautiful sunset over Bethlehem. In the evening we watched “Walz With Bashir”, an Israeli documentary using animation to relay experiences of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. These experiences include machine gun attacks on civilian cars killing an entire family, and lighting the sky and observing as Israeli trained and equipped Lebanese Phallange Militias massacre hundreds of Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps (September, 1982).
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Asks the Possible of the Impossible, "Where is your dwelling-place?" "In the dreams of the Impotent," comes the answer. Rabindranth Tagore
Join us in Palestine for the Palestine Summer Celebration
http://www.sirajcenter.org/
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