We see hope in their eyes – Mazin Qumsiyeh
It remains a remarkable era that we live in and it is getting more
“interesting” every day. Take for example the poke in the eye that the
Zionists did through their vassal president Donald Trump in deciding that
the date to move the US Embassy to occupied Jerusalem will be May 15. This
is very significant because that date is Nakba Commemoration day when
against the wishes of the vast majority of inhabitants, a Jewish apartheid
state was created by force of arms. Before and after that date, the largest
post-WWII ethnic cleansing happened. Most of the native people of Palestine
(of various religions) were pushed out and 530 towns and villages were
depopulated. Today 7.5 million are refugees or displaced people. 6.3
million live under direct Israeli racist rule. None have sovereignty over
their lands. Immigrant Ashkenazi White European elites rule the apartheid
state. The 1.6 million Palestinians who had lived under martial law until
1966 and then given some citizenship “rights” but are subjected to further
ethnic cleansing, home demolitions, colonial settlement expansion just as
much as the Palestinians in the Gaza and the West Bank. There is a
meticulous and vicious program of slow genocide in Gaza. In Jerusalem (West
Bank), there are more and more pressures to Judaicize the city by programs
of denial of residency and recently the escalation of pressure on Christian
and Muslims to strip them of Church and Mosque property by overtaxing them
to bankruptcy in order to take their church and mosque property.
This week the Christian Churches including the Church of the Sepulcher
closed their doors in protest. To my knowledge, this has never happened
before (in 2000 years!). The world politicians are silent and the
Palestinian authority (representatives) issue feeble sounds of pleading for
the world community to implement International law and also to protect the
Palestinian people. Yet, they all continue their failed policies and do not
admit they made any mistakes. As any rational reader of history knows,
rights are never begged for from your oppressor. Oppressors must be forced
to give up their powers. Resistance must be built up in ALL its forms
sanctioned by International law (also see 4th Geneva Convention). Mahmoud
Abbas whose term expired years ago and whose health is deteriorating (wish
him to finally retire!) gave a speech at the UN Security Council in which
he admitted that his authority basically works for the Israeli occupiers.
Thus, the first and main obstacle now to liberation, return of refugees,
and self-determination in Palestine is the Vichy government in Ramallah. It
is long past time to end the charade of Oslo and create a real “Palestine
Liberation Organization”. To be clear: PALESTINE is all of Palestine not to
“disputed” (per Israeli language) 22% of it (WB & Gaza) for which they have
been “negotiating” endlessly. LIBERATION as in Liberty not accepting
apartheid or the racist notions of a “Jewish state” (this also includes
right of native Palestinians to return to their homes and lands).
ORGANIZATION as people organizing to capturing the amazing energy of the
12.5 million Palestinians around the world. That requires participatory
democracy not a clique of comprador elites (term limits of 6-8 years are
good idea for all leaders).
Every day here as we work the land and work with people we see the
incredible energy and incredible opportunities. Just this week we planted
over 200 native trees (carob, oak, azarole, pistacia) and worked with
children from age 3 to 83! We launched projects on climate change, on
sustainability, on biodiversity, on ecotourism, and on permaculture (one
funded by National Geographic!). The struggle continues against difficult
odds. We watch our friends in Israeli jail (like four members of the Tamimi
family and Munther Amayra). We miss some who departed recently. For example
we lost Gale Courey, a great friend of us and all of Palestine; we planted
a tree in her honor & a mutual friend is donating money to the museum in
her honor. Life goes on in all its ingredients: good ones and bad ones,
people who lie and cheat and people who help and donate and work and give
of themselves of others. We in Palestine and visiting and volunteer friends
from around the world remain “having joyful participation in the sorrows of
this world.” We trim the dead branches and see growth of new ones. Spring
in Palestine is beautiful with a tapestry of colors of plants, smell of
blossoms everywhere, taste of fresh winter crops from our garden and
greenhouse, and a spirit of people who defied all odds. 60% of our people
are under the age of 18 and we work with some of them regularly. We see
hope in their eyes. Life is still good. We savor it. Join us as we refuse
to behave like like dead fish but indeed swim against the current!
Collectively, we feel alive by the effort and perpetuate humanity.
Palestinian man dies following beating by IDF soldiers
https://972mag.com/idf-soldiers-beat-a-palestinian-man-to-death-in-jericho-will-they-face-investigation/133346/
Nikki Haley: the U.S. Embarrassment at the United Nations
[BRICUP] British Committee for the Universities of Palestine NEWSLETTER
http://www.bricup.org.uk/#nletter
Stay Human
Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
