What Israel Gets away with and why
by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh
(Saturday 10 July 2004)
"Walls like the Berlin wall are ultimately destined to fall. But this
happens only if the psychological walls of misinformation, lies, and
distortions are torn down. Only then will we have justice, freedom and
democracy in Palestine/Israel , broadly in the Arab world, and also
here in the US."
The International Court of Justice just ruled that the so called
"separation barrier" that Israel is building in occupied areas is
illegal and should be dismantled. This barrier is a series of
fortified walls, ditches, fences, and moats that are built on
Palestinian land. It isolates Palestinians from each other, villages
from cities, farmers from their fields, and students from their
schools. Israel is counting on more US armtwisting of other countries
and, should that fail, yet another US veto at the UN to protect it
from sanctions and from any meaningful enforcement of International
law.
What the wall does is literally make concrete existing atrocities and
adds to them by isolating Palestinians in virtual ghettos/prisons.
Israeli occupation forces have already confiscated some 30-40% of the
land of the occupied territories (West Bank including East Jerusalem
and Gaza) for illegal colonies that now house over 400,000 Jews from
all over the world. The areas controlled by these colonies are not
random. They include major hilltops, the water aquifers, the so called
Jerusalem envelope, and the best agricultural areas (including the
Jordan River Valley). These are the real reasons for the
settlements/colonies.
The West Bank and Gaza together are a mere 22% of historic Palestine.
Israel seems to have gotten away with ethnically cleansing the other
78% of most native inhabitants. Between 1947-1949 over 3/4th of the
native Palestinians (Christians and Muslims) were driven out (by
Zionist terminology the land was "cleansed"). Over 530 villages and
towns were completely removed off the face of the map. Israeli
historians clearly documented through declassified material the
meticulous nature of the cruel program that led to the creation of the
largest remaining refugee problem in the world. Defying International
law and its own promises when joining the UN, Israel refuses to alow
them to return and instituted laws to remove the remaining inhabitants
from their lands. Hence the anomaly of 300,000 "citizens" of the state
of Israel who are considered by law "present absentees."They are
internally displaced people whose homes and lands were taken over
under the so-called "absentee property laws" and turned over to the
Jewish Agency for use by Jews only. Through this process, some 93% of
the land that was owned by Palestinians is now off-limits to non-Jews.
Fencing people in to force them to starve into leaving is not a new
tactic. For example, after the end of hostilities in 1949, the
remaining 1500 residents of the town of Al-Majdal were pinned down and
fenced in with no access to their fields or jobs until they
"voluntarily decided to join their relatives" in the refugee camps in
Gaza. This was late 1950; no wars, just economic pressures. Al-Majdal
was promptly renamed Ashkelon and now houses the largest number of
Palestinian political prisoners from the Gaza strip. Israel holds some
7000 prisoners. On a Palestinian population basis, this would be
equivalent to 700,000 Americans thrown in jail for resisting
occupation by a foreign government.
Atrocities did not end in 1950. Just in the past three years Israeli
occupation forces left some 35,000 Palestinians homeless. All of this
is supported and paid for by the US government. The US used its veto
power at the UN no less than 36 times to protect the Zionist program
of colonization. I myself became politically active in the late 1980s
when the US used its veto power to block a resolution asking Israel to
lift the siege on my biblical town of Beit Sahour (the Shepherds'
field). Why was there a siege? Because residents were tired of paying
taxes to the army which used it to build Jewish only settlements on
their lands, to buid Jewish-only roads, to fund the occupation while
Palestinian schools and hospitals were decaying. The army laid siege
with tanks for over 40 days while they rampaged and stole furniture,
TVs, cars, and everything of value in the predominantly Christian
town.
US citizens would be up in arms if they learned the facts of the
massive ethnic cleansing program, of the massive killing of civilian
natives (3000 murdered in less than 3 years, 35,000 injured), and of
the opinion of the majority of the public around the world. They would
be outraged if they learned of the real cost to them (in blood and
treasure) that the unconditional support given to Israel. They would
be appalled at the incredible grip on the political process that AIPAC
(Israel's lobby in Washington) has over both democrats and
republicans. But much of this knowledge is shielded from the public by
a largely subservient media.
Walls like the Berlin wall are ultimately destined to fall. But this
happens only if the psychological walls of misinformation, lies, and
distortions are torn down. Only then will we have justice, freedom and
democracy in Palestine/Israel , broadly in the Arab world, and also
here in the US. Democracy requires full disclosure and an informed
public. Truly cultured citizens interested in a more rational
discourse on globalization, justice, truth, and equality around the
world do well to start the hard work of going around all the
propaganda and obstacles created by the media concentration in the
hands of the few. Memo to Mr. Sharon: tear down this wall. Memo to Mr.
Bush and Mr. Kerry: tear down the walls of misinformation and stop
funding and shielding colonial occupation.
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