This week is the anniversary of the Deir Yassin massacre. It is ironic how the massacre’s anniversary is just few days apart from the one of the holocaust. It is like a historic pinup to remind the humanity that the Palestinian Diaspora is as hideous and bloody as the holocaust, for that matter the entity of Israel has no right to talk in the name of the holocaust’s victims – remember that Israel still collects compensation from Germany because of the Nazi’s deeds.
Yesterday I saw some pictures of what remained of the village of Deir Yassin. Some houses are still ruins, for the Zionist gangs slaughtered the villagers with bombs and rockets, and other houses were occupied by Jewish settlers. These images reminded me of a movie that talks about the houses in Jerusalem that belonged to Palestinians before the 1967 war, and now are inhabited by Jewish families.
When seeing these images and watching this movie, I wondered how the present inhabitants feel. I mean, these people are living in houses that belonged to people who were expelled from their houses. Matter of fact, they were terrorized out of their homes. So, if it was me, I would feel that I am living in a house that still has an owner, and thus, I need to get out of it because it is not mine.
Here, I did not mention the houses that had their Palestinian owners killed before the Jewish families moved in. It is similar to the indigenous people of America that were killed and terrorized so the new comers can live their instead.
Will the world recognize the genocide that happened and is still happening in Palestine? Or will they recognize it when it is too late, just like they did for the indigenous Americans? Only time will tell.
Some say that the ghosts of the ancestors are still roaming in the land, and I think that the ghosts of the ancestors are still roaming in these houses. Maybe they are not ghosts per se, but their souls fuel generations to come.
pic from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=556391227716456&set=pb.185129341509315.-2207520000.1365626626&type=3
Today is the 260th day of Samer Al-Issawi hunger strike protesting imprisoning him unlawfully by the Israeli authorities. I have been following his updates through his sister’s facebook page, who has been protesting almost every day with her mother for her brother’s life. We got used to ignoring any human case from Palestine, so it is not a surprise that Samer is still hanging to a thread for his life. However, Samer and the Palestinians are not asking for a pity but for justice. Matter of fact, Samer’s case is not a sad one; it is a story of triumph. This man is still continuing with his hunger strike, refusing to back down until he gets his rights. He is teaching the Palestinians like all the resistance movements before him, that your right, all your right, should be taken. It is not a compromise to accept less than your right, but it is surrendering.
For justice to prevail, you have to fight for your rights, and do not give up. In more straightforward terms, “Death before dishonor,” and this is literally what is happening with Samer. He’d rather die with dignity than to live with dishonor.
I’ve always wanted to fight back for my homeland, Palestine. However, I’ve always thought that it is useless, especially with the Israeli enormous machine of propaganda (a.k.a. media), and with military support of the United States. In addition, I had this idea that if I got captured I will just be useless; I won’t be able to offer anything. However, Samer proved me wrong. He proved that wherever you are and whatever is your situation, you can make a change. If you are righteous then never give up.
pic from: http://electronicintifada.net/content/samer-issawi-poem-susan-abulhawa/12208
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4hv_cpiA_Q
If you really want to support the Jewish people then you better treat them as equals to you in your own country because if you are a Moroccan, for instance, then you have a fellow Jewish citizen. The Jewish people in Morocco are Moroccans; they are not foreigners from another country. The same goes for other countries in the world like Tunisia, the country that received lately some concerns from some Israeli responsible that were worried about the Jewish people in Tunisia. The response of the Tunisian government was perfect. Their response was that the Israeli responsible has nothing to do with the Jewish Tunisians; they are Tunisian citizens, and thus, they are the concern of the Tunisian state, and Israel needs to stop interfering in other countries’ business.
Actually, it is an anti-Semitic act to try to dissect the Jewish people from their original countries, as the Zionist movement has done in Iraq by bombing a synagogue. Hence the Zionist movement is hurting the Jewish communities and not helping them, by explicitly saying that they are different from their original fellow citizens in their original countries, and by displacing them, and by creating a difference between Jews and Arabs (even though there are Arab Jews, and the first is a religion and the latter is a ‘race’ so they are incomparable), knowing that Jews lived peacefully in Muslim countries for ages before the creation of the state of Israel.
Last year, a Moroccan Jewish club called Maimouna, from Al-Akhawayn University, which is the university I have graduated from, visited Jerusalem. When the club was established, I had a conversation with one of the founders, and he told me that the club is concerned about the Moroccan-Jewish culture and thus, enhancing and promoting it in the Moroccan community by presenting it to students. However, this club promoted Israeli war criminals around the campus just because they are from Moroccan origins, and because of this act I started having my doubts about their intentions.
Last year they have visited Jerusalem, as I have mentioned before, and thus, stating implicitly that the Jews in Morocco are not Moroccans and this is an unfair act toward the Moroccan Jews. Allow me to explain. Jerusalem is suffering from a forced change of its identity, not only by kicking out its people ‘al-ma9disiyiin’ - Jerusalemites المقدسيين, but also by destroying historic buildings. Therefore, going to this holy city as a Jewish club with Israel as the host is nothing but a statement that Moroccan Jews are not Moroccans and they are foreigners, for they are not represented by Morocco, but, according to the club’s visit, by Israel. I believe that this is a racist and an anti-Semitic act that I, as a human, reject. Plus, stating that Jerusalem is a Jewish city promotes the wrong idea that the conflict is religious. Again, I state here, as I have stated before, the conflict got nothing to do with religion. We as Palestinians are fighting for our right to return to our father’s and grandfather’s houses. We do not want to live in Diaspora and as refugees. We do not want people’s pity. This is why we fight, and we will never surrender.
“على كرسي متحرك خائر القوى وبالكاد استجمع قواه من شدة الالم ولا اجد كلمات لاصف حالته من شدة صدمتي لرؤيته وقد اصبح وزنه 45 كغم ولم ار الا العظام واصرار مقاوم وابتسامة لم تفارق معالم وجهه بارادة قوية لا تنكسر ومعنويات تعانق السماء”
بهذه الكلمات بدا المحامي محمود ابو سنينة حديثه معي بعد ان زار البطل سامر عيساوي اليوم الخميس 14-2-2013 في المستشفى وحمله هذه الامانة:
“تحية الى جميع ابناء الشعب الفلسطيني واحرار العالم المشاركين معي في هذه المعركة العظيمة معركة الوفاء لدماء الشهدا, معركة البقاء والوجود واثبات الذات. اطير لكم تحية مليئة بالاشواق والمحبة من داخل زنزانتي الحقير كحقارة الاحتلال, وتحية مليئة بالوفاء والاخلاص لاعظم شعب على الوجود ولاحرار العالم يا من تسطرون اعظم ايات التضحية والاصرار من اجل رفع راية الحرية فهذه معركتكم انتم ولولا نضالكم واصراركم على تحقيق اهداف هذه المعركة لما وصلنا الى ما وصلنا اليه حتى اللحظة فانتم اليوم تدافعون عن الكرامة الفلسطينية والعربية لان الاحتلال حاول الاستهتار بالامة العربية وابناء الشعب الفلسطيني بمحاولته الالتفاف على ما تم تحقيقه في صفقة وفاء الاحرار ولكن اليوم ومن خلال هذه المعركة العظيمة التي تخوضونها من اقصى الجنوب الى اقصى الشمال الفلسطيني ومعكم احرار العالم وابناء امتنا العربية قد اثبتم للاحتلال باننا اصحاب الحق وباقون هنا متوحدين حتى زوال الاحتلال قريبا ان شاء الله, وان سامر عيساوي اليوم جندي في الصفوف الخلفية في المعركة التي اصبحت معركتكم وانتم في الصفةف الامامية, فاليوم تخوضوا انتم معركة تحافظون فيها على المسجد الاقصى وكنيسة القيامة وتواجهون سياسة تهويد المدينة واثبتم للاحتلال بان القدس عربية وسياسة التهويد فاشلة واننا باقون هنا متمسكين بحقنا بالعيش على ارضنا بحرية وكرامة, ومن هنا اقبل هذه الايادي الطاهرة التي مرغت انف الاحتلال بالوحل والطين وكسرت جبروته وغطرسته وهذا ليس بجديد على الشعب الفلسطيني الذي ذكره الرسول محمد عليه الصلاة والسلام, واقبل الايادي التي تشارك من خلال المواقع الاجتماعية واحيي جميع الشعراء الذين يشاركون في هذه المعركة بكتابة الشعر وايضا لجميع النانين والفنانات الذين من خلال ريشتهم وحناجرهم يوثقون هذه المعركة ويظهرون صورة الاحتلال القبيحة ويعكسون ايضا صورة الحرية المنيرة, وتحيتي لجميع الجنود المجهولين من صحفيين ووسائل اعلام مرئية او مسموعة او مكتوبة لدورهم في هذه المعركة ونقل الصورة الحقيقية الى كافة انحاء العالم. احييكم جميعا دون استثناء وباذن الله الحرية قريبة ويكون ملتقانا او نلتقي في جنات الخلد مع الانبياء والشهداء والصديقين وحسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل.
واقسم انني مستمر في اضرابي فاما الحرية او الشهادة واؤكد انني لن اطعن الشهداء من ابناء الشعب الفلسطيني عامة وشهداء غزة خاصة وجرحى غزة وابنائها, ومهندس صفقة وفاء الاحرار احمد الجعبري وابطال الوهم المتبدد الذين ضحوا بارواحهم وكل ما يملكون من اجل اتمام صفقة وفاء الاحرار, وحريتي هي حرية الشعب الفلسطيني فقضيتي هي قضية وطنية وليست شخصية وقد وصلت الى نهاية النفق ولا ارى الا نور الحرية او الشهادة وموعدنا قريب باذن الله.
اما مناشدتي الاخيرة الى السلطة الفلسطينية والقيادة المصرية اذا لم يتمكنوا من تحريري حيا فارجوكم اذا استشهدت ان تمنعوا الاحتلال من تشريح جسدي, وان يصلى علي في المسجد الاقصى وادفن بجوار شقيقي الشهيد فادي عيساوي.
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
اخوكم وابنكم سامر عيساوي “
From the page of Samer’s sister on facebook
http://karmelfalastin.tumblr.com/post/43075642401/samerissawimsg
Inspired by a Tedx talk about this platform that allows you to program in an easy way, I wanted to try to create a game, as a test. As Palestine is always in my mind, I picked the kid of the Intifada as a subject for the game. Help him dodge the bullets. Arrows are to move up and down.
It is a first trial, so I know that it is not good.. But I believe that it is worth sharing. Enjoy!
Play here.
I believe that it was around midnight. I was glued to my laptop’s screen following this documentary on Al-Jazeera, getting frustrated every time the page is refreshed on it own. It was a documentary about the Mossad’s attempt to assassinate Khaled Mechaal in 1997. I remember that I heard about it when I was young, and I remember in a blurry way, some TV footage of Jordan’s hospitals and the late king Hussein giving a speech. I have always wondered how the Mossad could reach him, so I really wanted to watch it to clarify some aspects.
The story as narrated by Mossad officials and Hamas (Khaled Mechaal, his guards, and officials) matched. The reason for choosing Khaled Mechaal was mainly because the Mossad could not target another Hamas personal for he holds the American nationality. Anyhow, the whole plan seemed to be filled with vengeance and child-like planning. Political consequences were expected, such the fail of the newly signed peace treaty with Jordan, but they were ignored.
The weapon used for the attempted assassination was malicious. It was a poison that was developed in their laboratories, and nobody had the antidote.
What really impressed me is the way the ‘agents’ (spies) were handled by the Hamas members (Mechaal’s guards). I have been hearing a lot about the Mossad’s operations to assassinate Palestinian figures. These stories have put the Mossad as this invincible entity. It was like the continuum to the legend of the invincible Army that was beaten by the Palestinian commandos in Jordan and the Egyptian Army in Suez. In this documentary, this Mossad legend was humanized. More than this, this documentary shows that we are able in achieving things. Instead of rolling over and submit, we can fight and snatch our rights.
Another point, this documentary showed how the late king of Jordan, Hussein, handled the situation as an Arab and as a leader. He was loyal to the Palestinian cause. He was determined to throw the treaty if Khaled Mechaal died. It might sound like a small gesture, but it means a lot, in a time where your own brother is willing to sell you out.
.. He survived…
Picture from: lexpress.fr (http://twelfthbough.blogspot.nl/)
Since the last attack on Gaza, I have been hearing people saying that ‘Gaza triumphed,’ and I hear the news saying ‘the conflict between Gaza and Israel.’
First of all, Gaza is part of Palestine. The conflict is with the Palestinians. It is a shame when it is reduced to the Gaza strip. Using such expressions and identifications would have one purpose, which is trying to alienate Palestinians from each others struggle. Who were bombed and massacred in the Gaza strip are Palestinians before being Gazans. However, we are still one, and a simple proof is the confrontations all over the west bank between the Palestinian youth and the Israeli Army.
I see here a transition that looks like when the Arab-Israeli conflict was transformed into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which means more fragmentation that leads to a weaker position than where we are. If the Arab (including the PA) systems refuses to be united in facing a common enemy then at least let us be united as people. Let us start by stopping the use of terms such as‘ Gaza strip’ and ‘west bank’ and use ‘Palestine’ instead. Let us raise the Palestinian flag and only the Palestinian flag, instead of the different parties’ flags.
So now we have a state. It is a non-member observer state, so it is like an audit student in a class. It does not matter if (s)he is present or absent. Is it a victory? I am not sure about this. I think that this membership is like changing your position in your sleep, so you can rest better because they say “Now we can sue Israel for its crimes against humanity.” Of course, this is the first time the world recognizes, in a way, the state of Palestine, and I appreciate the efforts of Abbas to follow the ‘peace’ route. However, it is like they recognized our right to exist, and why we need others to recognize our existence.
The two states solution does not feel appealing. Let’s say that now there are two states in Palestine. It will always be composed of the bully - Israeli Entity - and the bullied. After the Oslo agreement that was giving in to oppression more than justice, the entity of Israel kept on oppressing the Palestinians with checkpoints, apartheid, settlements, controlling the water, more occupied lands, more trees destruction, and homes demolition. Here, the question is, does the entity of Israel want peace? My answer would be “Definitely No!” All it wants is more control of the land and expelling (transfer) more Palestinians out of their homeland. How can this entity be trusted?
A more improbable option is having a one state solution. Now Why I am bringing this up? Well, rights need to be giving completely, and this is what the Palestinians have been struggling for, for more than 60 years. The west bank and the Gaza strip are not Palestine. Palestinians want Palestine for all the Palestinians: in the west bank, Gaza strip, land of 48, refugees camps, and all over the world. All this encapsulate the right to return. I am from Haifa, and I want to have the choice to go back to my grandfather’s house on Mount Carmel. Everyone would be treated equally. This talk about a Jewish state is the embodiment of racism. Palestine was, before the Zionist penetration and terrorism (Haganah, later the IDF) in the holy land - a land for everybody to live in. Why give privilege to a religion over another?
