Illnesses and cures

Yesterday, several surreal items connected in my mind including the news of Swine flu epidemic [1], a child tortured to death in Jordan, home demolitions in Jerusalem [2], Israeli celebratory fireworks over these demolished homes in Jerusalem, and an overnight posting of hundreds of thousands of posters of Mahmoud Abbas all over the West Bank. The surrealism of celebrations on top of continuing ethnic cleansing perhaps is what got me most reflective. While many Israelis celebrate their victory with flag waving and parties, Palestinians (and conscientious Israelis) of course commemorate the period in our joint tragic history that marked the beginning of the Nakba (the large scale ethnic cleansing of Palestine that accompanied the formation of Israel on top of Palestine). This Nakba did not stop in 1949 when Israel managed to destroy 530 Palestinian villages and towns and drive their inhabitants out and then (contrary to International law) refused to allow them their right to return. I see little nakbas here every day. Perhaps my own little illness (no not swine flu) made me think about the larger illnesses in our societies. The illness of thinking that wars and nuclear weapons provide "safety" to Jews (when one individual could potentially kill thousands by just passing on a virus). The illness of an apartheid wall between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The illness of a half brother of the ruler of the Western backed leader of the United Arab Emirates who tortured an Afghani merchant and the illness of his getting away with it. The illness that caused the death of a five-year-old by torture from his relatives in Jordan. The illness of use of white phosphorous on civilian areas. The illness of the acts that Nazis and Zionists perpetuated [3]. The illness of those who try to justify all these other illnesses. But thinking of illnesses and viruses also make us think of viral transmission of ideas. While ideas like political Zionism and Bin Laden Islamism can spread, ideas of humanism can also spread (maybe these are the immune system against self-destruction). I believe the time will come when Israeli leaders finally publicly acknowledge the injustice inflicted on the Palestinians and begin the difficult process necessary for a durable peace: namely restorative justice. The sheer illogic of endless wars created to establish and strengthen a Jewish state in a multiethnic area is becoming hard to ignore for many people [4]. I believe this coming year will be pivotal. The number of people around the world who have seen this situation as what it is and the danger it poses to the world is unprecedented. Military might cannot secure a people's future on stolen lands at the expense of basic human rights. The massacres in Iraq (a war at the behest of Israel), the Israeli massacres in Lebanon in 2006, and the ongoing massacres in Gaza all made people think that the instability caused and created by the Zionist project in the Middle East cannot continue. But we cannot blame all our ills on Zionism and Imperialism. Corrupt Arab leaders, complacent publics, and indifferent people who actually can make a difference adds to all of this mess.

AIPAC, the foreign agents trying to influence US Policy in favor of Zionism at the expense of US interests [5] will hold their annual convention this weekend in Washington DC. It's time to expose AIPAC’s pro-war stance and take a stand in favor of human rights and international law. Join CODEPINK and other groups in Washington DC May 2-5 in a variety of activities planned throughout the convention. E-mail pam.codepink@gmail.com for more information. For example, two protests will be held Monday 8:30-10:45 a.m. just before and during the address to AIPAC by Israeli President Shimon Peres and 5-7 PM just before and during AIPAC's gala celebration, where all the attendees and their guests will be gathering in front of the DC Convention Center (555 13th St., NW). Dress in black.

In good news, President Obama wants aid to go to PA even if Hamas joins government. Despite attacks from Congressmen beholden to AIPAC lobbyists, "[Hillary] Clinton has defended the proposal, saying that the U.S. has continued to fund other governments in which designated terror groups are represented, including the Lebanese government which includes officials from the Hezbollah militant organization. [she stated] "We don't want to . . . bind our hands in the event that such an agreement is reached, and the government that they are part of agrees to our principles". Please send the President your thoughts, he actually even responds personally to some emails. Recent polls indicate that his supporters want the US to play an honest role and not continue to take the side of Israel [6]. You might want to tell him to at a minimum to force Israel to halt all settlement activities in all the occupied areas including Jerusalem. For links and resources for such action needed, see http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1867

Feel ready to take another action (those are the best pills against the illnesses)?
Hold Motorolla shareholders accountable for supporting Israeli war crimes
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1971

Or follow your conscience and do something you think important for fellow human beings.

[1] Information on Swine Flu (it is still Swine flu despite the attempt by Israeli health officials to change its name)
English: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cd-swineflu.shtml
Arabic: http://www.who.int/ar/index.html

[2] see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016258.stm

[3] This link shows pictures that compare situations faced by Palestinians to situations faced by victims of the Nazis
http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/GazaHolo/index.html

[4] The transmission of memes, like genes in population is now well recognized. The meme that Israel is an apartheid state is now well established for example. See Applicability of the crime of apartheid in Israel
http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php/reports/35-reports/1307-applicability-of-the-crime-of-apartheid-to-israel.html

[5] Please read an article I wrote about these folks and published a few years ago that is still relevant: http://www.qumsiyeh.org/continuamagazine/

[6] Surprising finding: Democrats’ and Republicans’ Divergent Views on Israeli-Arab Peace
http://www.aaiusa.org/washington-watch/