|
|
printable version
- email this article
- view hidden posts
Nakba, 58 years later, 2 accounts:
by Zionism = Racism
Saturday, May. 13, 2006 at 2:10 PM
It is that time of year again. Oversized Israeli flags fluttering above buildings, homes and cars, firecrackers lighting up the night May sky and Israelis packing up their cars with picnic baskets and beach balls as they kick off the 58th anniversary of Israel’s independence. In a place full of contradictions, double standards and hypocrisy, for many Palestinians, this occasion represents the worst hypocrisy of them all.
 palestinian_refugees.jpg, image/jpeg, 290x400
The Other Side of the Story By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH It is that time of year again. Oversized Israeli flags fluttering above buildings, homes and cars, firecrackers lighting up the night May sky and Israelis packing up their cars with picnic baskets and beach balls as they kick off the 58th anniversary of Israel’s independence. In a place full of contradictions, double standards and hypocrisy, for many Palestinians, this occasion represents the worst hypocrisy of them all. On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. Although it is not unprecedented in history that countries gain their independence through war, either by conquest or by flinging off the yoke of colonization, there are few examples in history that match the circumstances under which Israel was created. The Palestinians, the people at whose expense the Jewish state was established, have another word for Israel’s Independence Day – Al Nakba or The Catastrophe. In a matter of months, over 800,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes throughout Palestine. Hundreds of others were massacred by Jewish gangs in Deir Yassin and Ein Al Zaytoun as a tactic to terrorize people into fleeing. Villages were destroyed, people killed and homes left behind as horrified Palestinians fled the fighting between Jewish troops, Arab armies and Palestinian resistance groups, believing they would be allowed to return home in a matter of days. That was not to happen. As Jewish troops continued to launch attacks against both Palestinian resistance groups and unarmed civilian populations, pushing back the much weaker and far less organized Arab armies, more and more people fled the battle scenes, crossing borders in the north into Lebanon and Syria, across the river into Jordan and into the West Bank and Gaza in the south. As the fighting raged on, little did the Palestinians, the Arabs or even the international community realize a deep-rooted problem that would prove to be one of the thorniest issues in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, was in the making. Still, even after the war ended and Israel declared its independence, the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had left behind their entire lives still believed they would be allowed to return home. Thinking they would only be away from their homes for a few days at most, people took the bare minimum, trudging across the borders with thin mattresses slung over their backs, children on their hips and the keys to their homes securely hanging from their necks. The journey was to become the Palestinians’ worst nightmare. After months of sleeping in makeshift tents with whatever provisions they could scrap up or were provided them by their unexpecting host countries, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194 in December, 1948 which, “declared that in the context of a general peace agreement ‘refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so’ and that ‘compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return.’” And as history will later lend evidence to, this was just one of the many hypocrisies perpetrated by the international community and Israel against the Palestinians. Not only was the resolution disregarded by the fledgling Jewish state, it was swept under the rug by the West and the rest of the world. Fifty-eight years later, Palestinians across the board are asking for no more than for UN resolutions to be enforced as they so often are in other areas of conflict. However, as it became apparent that the refugees would not return to their homes in Palestine, now either destroyed or inhabited by new Jewish immigrants, the world was at least obliged to deal with the disaster that had come into being. On December 8, 1949, UN General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) called for the establishment of UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. The agency has since provided homes, schools, food and work for the approximately 4.3 million registered Palestinian refugees throughout its areas of operation. Now, 58 years later, the double standards of Israel – the self-proclaimed democracy of the Middle East – and the world at large have never been so stark. As Israel celebrates its day of independence, the Palestinians continue to languish in sprawling refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza under extremely poor living conditions and even poorer political horizons. The right of return for Palestinian refugees has been a “national constant” for the Palestinian leadership and people for over half a decade and a most serious sticking point for Israel, which claims it cannot allow the refugees to return to their prior homes for fear that this would sabatoge the demographic composition of its Jewish majority. In addition to the refugee problem, Israel has little to be proud of when it comes to its neighbors, the Palestinians. Crammed into demeaning cantons, each city severed from the next, fighting off poverty, unemployment and international condemnation for resisting 39 years of Israeli military occupation, the Palestinians are clear proof that Israel is a country based on racism and double standards. As it oppresses, occupies and aims to annihilate the national cause of an entire people, it portrays itself to the world as a democracy and a peace-loving nation under fire. Even Israelis themselves have truly come to believe this fallacy. On May 3, as Israelis marked the beginning of independence celebrations, Acting Knesset Speaker Shimon Peres said Israeli citizens can look back on their past with satisfaction. Peres was also quick to add the Palestinians into the mix as well. "I turn, first and foremost, to our neighbors the Palestinians. This evening too we are proffering beautiful days of peace, the squeeze of a handshake of peace rather than a squeezing of the trigger," he said. After 58 years of displacement, expulsion and oppression, when will the world finally realize that the Palestinians have and continue to be on the receiving end of the gun? Joharah Baker is a Writer for the Media and Information Programme at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She could be contacted at mip@miftah.org http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=10148&CategoryId=5 My Nakba ...After 58 years of Al Nakba By: Fadi Abu Sada * Bethlehem – The hour was approaching 10:00 at night, and as usual I was updating the Palestine News Network site, with what was the latest news. My child snored quietly in his sleep after a long day playing with the children in the house. At the same time I was keeping my eye on one of the political programs on a satellite channels. This is what I remember. And in a moment, split seconds, huge explosions began and violent shooting hit near the house. Our home is just meters the expanding Israeli Abu Ghoneim (Har Homa) Settlement and Bethlehem on the other side. Often Bethlehem resistance fighters exchange fire with the settlement. But this time was different because the shooting was thicker, the sound fuller with noisier explosions. The first thing that flashed through my mind was my child asleep in his bedroom which is in the general direct line of fire when there is an exchange between the Israeli soldiers at the settlement and the Bethlehem area resistance. I ran quickly and seized my small son from his bed, waking him from his free childhood dreams, so that I could put him in a safer place in the house. Usually I chose the kitchen as it is the safest room. I was thinking that as usual the shooting would stop within moments and life could go back to normal, as with regret I say that this is routine and part of our daily life. But my thoughts suddenly seemed out of place and I was filled with doubts about what I had become accustomed to because the shooting was increasing with a peculiar sharpness, and the sound of explosions rose in volume. Nothing came to my mind about what was happening outside other than the first night of the war on Iraq when American planes began to rumble through the sky, directing their fire on to what they turned into a battle field. I felt that I did not possess many choices and that I was not moving quickly enough to decide what to do, considering the time-factor extremely important. I was trying to clear my mind in order to know if I wanted to leave the house and my family, taking a huge risk, in order to see which direction the firing was coming from, still having no idea of the truth of what really was taking place outside. In my decision-making it came to me alone that I must go outside to the main balcony, directly in the line of fire between Abu Ghoneim’s settlers and Bethlehem. This seemed my only option as to go outside blindly with my entire family was impossible without knowing the exact direction of the shooting. All of this took place in just a few moments, while the shooting and explosions seemed to be coming from all sides. I began sneaking several meters toward the gate leading to the main balcony, the line of fire, but still sticking to the wall that would soon end and leave me exposed to the line of fire. But at least if I knew, I could make a clear decision. For a few moments I could see the settlement and what can I describe other than that I found the sky lit up as if it were Doomsday. And then it came to me. I knew what was taking place. And as I stood, still feeling the terror that had seized me, I realized the painful truth that my last moments were in vain. In that moment I did not know whether to laugh at the intensity of my stupidity or to weep from the pain I had felt from what I saw. But the truth is I could not hold back my tears because I realized then that Israel, through a beautiful display of fireworks in all colors, was lighting the sky. They were celebrating their Independence Day, while I am still living in the Nakba, my Disaster, that I toil to forget, and do often forget. But even if I can and do forget the creation of their state, which is our Nakba, our Disaster for 58 years, they will remind me of it, even in this way. * The director of the Palestine News Network site. http://www.amin.org/eng/uncat/2006/may/may4-0.html Learn more about Israeli aparthied terrorism at http://www.voicesofpalestine.org and http://www.palestineremembered.com
www.endtheoccupation.org
Report this post as:
LATEST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
Listed below are the 10 latest comments of 93 posted about this article.
These comments are anonymously submitted by the website visitors.
| TITLE |
AUTHOR |
DATE |
| What happened? |
What they said back then |
Monday, May. 15, 2006 at 3:28 PM |
| Truth ends the thread |
Not a Dhimmi No More! |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 10:32 AM |
| Zionism and It's Impact |
TruthTeller |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 10:35 AM |
| The "Catastrophe" was that the Jews weren't genocided |
Becky Johnson |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 6:07 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 6:31 PM |
| The Truth about Arab Refugees in 1948 |
Becky Johnson |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 6:59 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky-"I know Ralph Shoenman" |
Sheepdog |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 7:12 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006 at 7:24 PM |
| "630,000 Jews and 1,300,000 Palestinian Arabs" |
map |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 12:15 AM |
| Hey! Ididn't know zionists had such a role in the holocaust!!! |
autoblocked@indybay |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 7:25 AM |
| Once again I'm forging |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 7:27 AM |
| Really good link for those who are spitirual |
Schtarker Yid |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 7:28 AM |
| Now I'm forging Yid |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 7:35 AM |
| Hey, these posts aren't me |
autoblocked@indybay |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 7:57 AM |
| Now I'm trying find an escape route with dignity |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 8:08 AM |
| Hey, this is getting confusing |
autoblocked@indybay |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 8:09 AM |
| Now I'm trying to find an escape route with dignity |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 8:13 AM |
| Yeah, forget this |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 8:24 AM |
| Hey, who is this indybay guy? |
Not a Dhimmi No More! |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 8:32 AM |
| Schtarker Yid |
Confused again |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 2:24 PM |
| SchtarkerYid |
Its easy |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 2:28 PM |
| Jews for dhimmitude now!!!!!!!!!!! |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 2:30 PM |
| Jews for dhimmitude now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 2:44 PM |
| Zionist Lies |
Shime`on ben Kosiba |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 3:24 PM |
| I'm back from lunch, forging another 'autoblocked' nym |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 3:28 PM |
| That was a forgery |
Indybay editor |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 3:35 PM |
| SchtarkerYid |
Toady, you are just pitiful |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 5:11 PM |
| Speaking of Ralph Shoenman.... |
Becky Johnson |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 5:44 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 6:37 PM |
| Becky Johnson |
Getting perspective |
Thursday, May. 18, 2006 at 6:50 PM |
| forgery is bad |
gehrig |
Friday, May. 19, 2006 at 6:27 AM |
| The above is a forgery |
gehrig |
Friday, May. 19, 2006 at 6:45 AM |
| tragic consequences |
Sheepdog |
Friday, May. 19, 2006 at 6:12 PM |
| Made up |
where, when, who |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 2:27 PM |
| from the "chaver" |
fr. "chaver": Tia, is that you? |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 2:35 PM |
| You're right, but I won't associate with you anymore |
tIA |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 3:22 PM |
| I'll just wait out this dance, thank you |
Tia |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 4:59 PM |
| The above message is a forgery |
Tia |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 5:29 PM |
| it'll be good fun |
charismatic megafauna |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 5:59 PM |
| Hey, megafauna! |
Tia |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 6:27 PM |
| ah yes |
charismatic megafauna |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 6:29 PM |
| Hey, CM! |
Tia |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 6:38 PM |
| Now that's some real dialogue! |
Zionists are deep--NOT |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 7:08 PM |
| We love |
you too |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 7:26 PM |
| Just who do you think is lowering the bar? |
Becky Johnson |
Saturday, May. 20, 2006 at 9:44 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 12:26 AM |
| Quieted down |
Tia |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 2:22 PM |
| wouldn't surprise me |
gehrig |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 2:44 PM |
| Call me crazy, I somehow doubt it |
Scapegoated Jew |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 3:19 PM |
| "scapegoat"? |
Tia |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 10:44 PM |
| hooray |
charismatic megafauna |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 10:50 PM |
| Oh, wait...is this gloating? |
Tia |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 11:01 PM |
| psh |
charismatic megafauna |
Sunday, May. 21, 2006 at 11:18 PM |
| Moral High ground" who cares--well Israel doesn't that's for sure |
Islam is Scapegoated |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 6:51 AM |
| "Moral High ground" - also Israel does for sure |
Islam is unjustly exalted |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 7:48 AM |
| autoblocked is still steaming about the slapping he received at indybay |
Keeping it real |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 7:58 AM |
| Wow! Looks like someone hit a nerve w/ auto-nut |
Seeking alternatives |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 8:29 AM |
| he's right, Toady's wrong |
gehrig |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 9:20 AM |
| "cripple" |
typical Zionist doubletalk |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 9:39 AM |
| "They haven't "crippled" their site. " |
heard it before |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 9:51 AM |
| Nope. Its on life support |
Tia |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 9:59 AM |
| Tia, about Schtarker Yid |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 10:15 AM |
| three kinds of crippled |
gehrig |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 10:20 AM |
| Re: Yid -understood |
Tia |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 10:49 AM |
| Chaver |
Tia |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 10:57 AM |
| Hey Yid? Was it because you didn't scare us with your infantile psycho-threats? |
Good reason to w/draw. |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:03 AM |
| There's only your own frothed mouthed hypocrisy |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:09 AM |
| wrong |
Tia |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:11 AM |
| Notice auto-whiner's frothing at the mouth again |
Schtarker Yid |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:14 AM |
| LMAO... forges, mimics verbatim, then |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:26 AM |
| LMFAO, forges, spams, copies our language |
Not auto-nut |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 11:48 AM |
| remember the catastrophe |
topical |
Monday, May. 22, 2006 at 7:33 PM |
| But if the press is bad.... |
Becky Johnson |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 6:42 AM |
| Notice Becky-swine's racism |
G-d |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 7:25 AM |
| I've changed my mind |
gehrig |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 7:44 AM |
| You're right Becky, the Jews are just superior |
G-d |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 7:59 AM |
| Schtarker Yid |
never heard a Jew say that |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 5:03 PM |
| Behold |
Scapegoated Jew |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 5:16 PM |
| Project Mockingbecky -propaganda puppet |
Sheepdog |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 5:36 PM |
| "They have proven that open debate and discussion does not serve their purpose." |
a racist is a racist is a racist |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 5:53 PM |
| SchtarkerYid |
And,yes Nessie, you are a racist |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 6:16 PM |
| We can also establish he's inconsequential |
Scapegoated Jew |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 7:02 PM |
| Judasgoat is confused |
Judasgoat's imp |
Tuesday, May. 23, 2006 at 7:09 PM |
| Reviewing Zionist lies |
God smells |
Wednesday, May. 24, 2006 at 10:16 AM |
| From someone who was there |
Tia |
Wednesday, May. 24, 2006 at 10:28 AM |
| Wasn't "Weir" |
Inaccurate ad hominem |
Wednesday, May. 24, 2006 at 11:48 AM |
|
|
|
Local News
Atenco PRESENTE!! en California
N22 7:50PM
Thirteen new photos from inside occupied Carter-Huggins Hall (UCLA/Campbell Hall)
N22 3:43PM
A few pictures from inside occupied Campbell-Huggins Hall
N22 1:39PM
Report Back From Inside the Occupation of Campbell Hall, UCLA
N21 3:29PM
Dedication of Transgender Memorial Ends Years of Struggle
N21 2:48PM
PFP Gubernatorial Candidate Alexander Condemns UC Tuition Hikes
N21 5:56AM
UC Strike - UCLA Nov.19th
N21 3:34AM
Anti-war protests expected next week
N20 4:16PM
Campbell Hall de-occupied last night at 6pm
N20 12:21PM
UC Police break up UCLA protest
N20 12:18PM
Students and Workers Resist Privatization at UCLA Regents Meeting
N20 10:47AM
VIDEO: Students Pepper Sprayed at UCLA protest
N20 8:09AM
UC Students Fight Tuition Hike, Occupy Campus
N19 1:58PM
STOP STUPAK Rally
N19 12:56PM
Eye-witness report back of UCLA protests
N19 10:43AM
Students occupy Campbell Hall at UCLA
N19 3:07AM
SIgnage from UCLA Protest
N18 10:09PM
MP3 AUDIO – Interview with UCLA Student on Protesting the Regents
N18 9:42PM
KPFK's LSB meeting to attend and be part of the vocal community too
N18 12:48PM
BREAKING: Protests on UCLA Campus at Regent Meeting, Reports of arrests
N18 10:31AM
LA Eastside: Street Food Vendor Situation
N18 9:56AM
Transgender Memorial Dedication - Nov. 20
N18 9:37AM
Southern California: First Cop on Trial for Murder in History of State Is Headed Your Way
N18 8:48AM
The war on public-sector unions
N17 5:02PM
Horowitz's hate speech at USC
N17 4:30PM
UCLA CRISIS FEST: Protest for education
N17 6:14AM
Checkpoints this weekend / Retenes este fin de semana (12-14/Nov)
N12 12:33PM
Campaign Demands NBA Discipline Clippers Owner and Condemn Racist Housing Discrimination
N12 10:54AM
More Local News...
Other/Breaking News
Health Bill Ignores Industrial Health Harms
N23 9:15PM
Injunction Hearing Set in WBAI Election Suit
N23 7:37PM
The End of Poverty? in theatres and FREE TICKETS
N23 6:29PM
Two Anniversaries: Berlin and Seattle
N23 6:07PM
The Neolbieral Restructuring of California State Government
N23 5:58PM
AF3IRM/GABNet/Mariposa Alliance Statement: 16 DAYS OF RAGE; 365 OF ACTIVISM
N23 5:42PM
Dahr Jamail Celebrates U.S. Military’s “Will to Resist” in Iraq, Afghanistan
N23 5:41PM
Queer Democrats Endorse Saldaña, Take No Position on County Term Limits
N23 5:29PM
Steve Hadley: Council Candidate's Odyssey from Pulpit to Politics
N23 5:08PM
AJLPP CONDEMNS MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE
N23 3:35PM
Solidarity with the UC Student Protests; Education is our right!
N23 1:50PM
Targeting Muslim Charities in America
N23 12:58PM
CUBANUESTRA. LA KAKISTOCRACIA DE FERNANDO LUGO
N23 10:53AM
Conscious Forces Will Bring Us Certain Victory
N23 10:52AM
CALIFORNIA STUDENTS FIGHT BACK
N23 9:31AM
The whitewash in the British Iraq war inquiry is already in place.
N23 9:09AM
Powerful Weekend Resisting Violence & Oppression
N23 8:58AM
VIDEO and transcript: Nomi Prins' "It Takes a Pillage"
N23 5:59AM
Editorial Cartoon: "2012: They Were Warned"
N23 4:32AM
A day in the Castro
N23 4:16AM
MESSAGE TO NEW YORK TIMES
N23 3:16AM
AYpearl.com lead the Stone jewelry is becoming the fashion
N23 12:50AM
Enough is Enough
N22 2:55PM
DE RODE JAREN - Radikaal links in Nederland 60-70
N22 3:58AM
Peres goes to Cairo
N22 2:57AM
Honduran President Zelaya earns high marks for governance
N21 5:40PM
MIDDLE~CLASS & WORKING POOR AMERICANS TAXES ARE BEING USED TO SUPPORT U.S. BILLIONAIRES
N21 4:48PM
Responding to Harmful Government Inaction, Protestors Stop Blasting on Coal River Mountain
N21 10:27AM
More Breaking News...
|