Opinion Editorials, June 2010

The Israeli government refuses an International probe into its illegal piracy and massacre of Gaza humanitarian aid ships and ‘accidentally distributed a video mocking the humanitarian activists.  The Israeli occupation forces admitted doctoring one audiotape from the Mavi Marmara ship.  The lies are beginning to crumple with testimonies from survivors (see below).  But we will not drop this case because it may yet prove to be the straw that breaks the back of International complicity.  Today in Beit Jala, we had a mock coffin, a mock ship, Turkish and international flags and of course the obligatory Israeli tear gas and harassment.  One Israeli peace activist, Roni Barkan, was arrested.  We are dismayed that Palestinian security in coordination with Israeli security decided to prevent us from going to demonstrate from downtown Beit Jala (or to return to downtown) but we keep going from another location and we show Israeli war criminals that we care about the land and we care about the people of Gaza and we care about the victims of the massacre committed at sea Monday (see video of the event in Beit Jala at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ClXZWokq0).  
 
We also commemorate the aggression 43 years ago that expanded the occupied areas from 78% to 100% of historic Palestine.  Thus for 43 years, we had one contiguous state of oppression and since then we have been working to transform this state from a fascist oppressive racist state to one of a democratic state for all its people.  Yet, the trauma of the massacres committed before and after that pivotal date in June 1967 continue.  From the massacres in the 1940s, 1950s, to the mass execution of prisoners of war in the Sinai desert by Israeli generals who became prime ministers (a war crime since forgiven by the puppet regime in Egypt), to the massacres in the 1970s, the 1980s (in Lebanon and Palestine) and on and on. Personally,  I keep seeing friends, colleagues, and those who I identify with gunned down, murdered or injured without protection by a fascist regime that feels it can act with impunity because of US government support.  Many good people are imprisoned and psychologically and/or physically tortured.  I cry regularly for all victims, those I personally knew who were killed (e.g. Basem Abu Rahma), injured (e.g. Emily Henochowicz who lost her eye), unfairly imprisoned and mistreated (e.g. Lubna Masarwa) and those I did not know personally but who are kindred in spirit (e.g. 19 year old Turkish American Furkan Dagan who was gunned down on the freedom flotilla).   It is really hard to express how one feels.  Perhaps this peace by Alice Walker sums it up: ‘You will have no protection’ http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11319.shtml
 
May they never be forgotten: Meet the victims of the Israeli massacre: names, pictures and brief biographies http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/2010/06/putting-names-to-faces.html
 
And here are interviews and reports of the injured and kidnapped that contradict Israeli stories
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeUhwELoKWo
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/06/2010656545562651.html
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/they-came-from-the-villages-to-aid-the-orphans-1.294407
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNLhjCkiZ9k
(By the way, Israeli forces have stolen passports and belongings from dozens of activists)
 
Even in Israel within the green line, there were demonstrations against the massacres, this one in Tel Aviv drew 15-20,000 participants (and right-wing thugs tried to attack 86 year old Uri Avnery after the crowds dispersed) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMjVp9IR-Y
 
and watch the Knesset fascists try to stop an Arab member of the Knesset from speaking and then attacking her (Haneen Zuabi has received many death threats and hundreds have signed onto a facebook page calling for her execution; so much for ‘democracy’ in the racist apartheid state) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7OEzB1GgRs
 
ACTIONS: Protest at Israeli missions, Israeli government appearances, and write to media, and politicians to demand that Israel be held accountable and end the siege on Gaza. Call representative to Israel http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Israel
 
Call or send an email to US representatives
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3973
Call the White House: 1.202.456.1111, Department of State: 1.202.647.4000
Finally and most importantly, support the call from Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/710
 
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://www.qumsiyeh.org   
Professor, Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities
Chairman of the Board, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, http://www.pcr.ps

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