The colonial kill verses the peace will

10/20/202210/20/2022 الصفصاف

This past week two Israeli soldiers and 11 Palestinian civilaisn were
killed in the West Bank. That included a doctor tending patients and three
teens and a seven year old child. Settlers protected by Israeli soldiers
are also going in a rampage in Palestinian areas. Israel also used
collective punishment even for minor acts of resistance. 100,000 residents
of Shufat Refugee camp in Jerusalem are blockaded! Civil disobedience
started. The Israeli apartheid regime (colonialism) is concerned there is
an uprising starting in the West Bank. In fact it is interesting to note
that Israel is concerned about that but not concerned at all about the
gathering of Palestinian factions in Algeria issuing yet another
declaration (this one is even weaker than previous unfulfilled
declarations). Very few are talking about peace whether here or in Ukraine
or elsewhere. Why? Because there is money to be made from conflict. While
global stock markets are slumping, Israeli and US arms manufacturers are
making handsome profits.

Our life continues with its sweet and sour parts. Sometimes I actually
think it is a miracle that life goes on despite colonial oppression,
corruption within our own society and globally (high), devastated
infrastructure, poor educational system and much more. Yesterday we had
people planting in our community garden, I taught master students advanced
molecular biology, we had a meeting with university leadership, we received
international delegations, I gave a talk via zoom to 25 people in the UK on
food sovereignty, we submitted a grant proposal for community empowerment
around a protected area, we worked on a quarterly report for another grant,
I worked on clinical laboratory cases (we have an advanced genetics
laboratory), and we had a farewell dinner to two productive volunteers.
Today, I am now attending Muwatin conference, an interesting discussion on
the status of Palestine and we have more international visitors. Next week
we organized a two day conference on human and biological diversity; we
only accepted 120 for in person and 430 will attend online (registration is
closed but let me know if you really want to attend online). Human
diversity, like biodiversity, is healthy and critical to sustainability!
Next week we also have four delegations visiting our institute who, like
other visitors, end up joining a growing global movement against
ap[artheid, war, and colonialism (and for peace and environmental justice).