The Value of Arab Lives

The New York Post, which can be accurately defined as a 'rag' in the most pejorative sense of the word, is having a field day describing the factional conflict in Gaza and Iraq. Jubilantly crowing about the Arab 'culture of violence and suicide', writers repeatedly speak in terms of 'having given the Arabs a chance' to govern themselves that has been squandered. They then declare it now to be time for civilised nations like the 'U.S.' and 'Israel' to intervene as if the U.S. and Zionist entity had not been involved in the destruction of the Arab Nation from the start!

What makes this sort of journalism dangerous is the fact that most Americans do not care about Iraq or Gaza enough to learn the facts that underline the factional conflicts. What makes it utterly outrageous is knowledge of the negligible value that the so-called 'civilised nations' determined for Arab lives in the first place.

An 'official' American assessment of the value of an Arab life is given in the following exchange.

In 1996, U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright was interviewed by Leslie Stahl on '60 Minutes' on the subject of the U.S. sanctions against Iraq as follows:

Lesley Stahl: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it.'

Remember that these deaths were caused solely by the economic sanctions against Iraq BEFORE the U.S. invasion. The death toll since the invasion has been far higher.
A Lancet study in 2006 estimated 654,965 excess deaths related to the war, the bulk of which have been civilians.

As of November 2006, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced to neighbouring countries. 1.6 million were displaced internally, with nearly 100,000 Iraqis fleeing to Syria and Jordan each month. As of 2007, over 3.9 million Iraqis, have lost their homes and become refugees. This price evidently is well 'worth it' in the general scheme of U.S. foreign policy.

'Legitimate targets' according both to the U.S. and Zionist military include 'dual use facilities'. A 'dual use facility' is defined as any structure that possibly could be used for 'military purposes' ranging from the storage of any inflammable substance to the temporary hiding place of a 'target', thus including every civilian home or place of business squarely within the definition. This is nothing new in war, however. Villages have been torched and razed to the ground by invading forces since the dawn of humanity. 'Civilised nations' evidently consider this practice to be justified even now, although bombs dropped by aircraft have taken the place of the hand-held wooden torch.

The low value placed on the lives of Arab children as well as the rest of the population has been demonstrated again and again in the continuing U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. 'Collateral damage' is the blanket term used to describe massacres of Iraqi civilians by the U.S. military machine. The U.S. Defence Minister stressed the importance of remembering that it was 'nearly impossible to eliminate collateral damage.' He cited weapons systems malfunctions, human error and the 'fog of war' as the culprits. The government surely could not be held accountable in such circumstances.

When it's a matter of killing 'insurgents', the term is 'mopping up' as if Arab patriots were nothing more than filth spilled on the floor of 'democracy'.

The Zionist perspective of the value of Arab lives:

In his eulogy for the American Zionist terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who murdered 27 unarmed worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in 1994, Rabbi Yaacov Perrin declared: 'The lives of 1 million Arabs are not worth a Jewish fingernail.'

As usual, the U.S. supported this assessment. On the official site of the JDL in Florida, the following declaration was published:

'How does JDL feel about Dr. Baruch Goldstein?...We feel that Goldstein took a preventative measure against yet another Arab attack. We understand his motivation, his grief and his actions. We are not ashamed to say that Goldstein was a charter member of the Jewish Defense League. We quote without comment the rabbi who conducted the services at Goldstein's funeral, "A MILLION ARABS ARE NOT WORTH ONE JEWISH FINGERNAIL."

These are the pronouncements of the 'civilised nations' so very superior in their 'values' to the Arab Nation, described as having 'dysfunctional values and antique social structures' that prevent them from governing 'themselves decently'.

Adding injury to insult, one reads views such as the following: 'We gave them a chance in Iraq. Israel 'gave back' the Gaza Strip to let the Palestinians build a model state. Arabs seized those opportunities to butcher each other.'

It is amazing that any one would take a pronoucement of this sort seriously but the abysmal degree of political ignorance combined with the incessant propaganda of the Zionists form an equation that almost guarantees that the circumstances that prevail both in Iraq and Gaza will continue.

The Arab government in Iraq BEFORE the U.S. and its allies imposed economic sanctions for over 13 years was a progressive and stable one. In terms of science, medicine, education, standard of living and rights for women, the government of Iraq could not be faulted.

The idea that the U.S. 'gave them a chance in Iraq' by destroying the entire infrastructure of the country first economically, then by military invasion, is absolutely outrageous.

As for the ludicrous statement that the Zionists 'gave back the Gaza strip to let the Palestinians build a model state', it is tragic that the degree of political ignorance in the States would allow any one to take this sort of nonsense seriously.

The generous act of 'giving back' the Gaza strip consists of the demolition of a few isolated illegal Zionist settlements that never should have been built in the first place. Illegal settlements in the West Bank have not only been sustained throughout but have been enlarged. Throughout the so-called Palestinian control of Gaza, the Zionists have continued to bomb and invade the area. Although many may not recognise the fact that the Zionist Occupation of the entire homeland of the Palestinian people is illicit, even the U.N. continues to maintain the illegality of the military Occupation of the lands seized in 1967. That territory includes not only Gaza, but the West Bank AND Jerusalem.

'Giving back' Gaza was a matter of the Zionists pulling down a few tiny settlements in Gaza while continuing to occupy the West Bank and Jerusalem and never ceasing to use military force in Gaza as well as throughout Palestine (and Lebanon when the mood takes them.) Of course, the Zionists have a god-given right to pre-emptively strike against any one or anything they may perceive to pose a possible threat to their interests at any point in time.

The only reason I quote the New York Post is that it represents an attitude that is far more widespread than the readership of that specific rag.

One therefore should take a moment to reflect upon the chances of the Palestinian people to create 'a model state' amidst the bombings by the Zionists, military incursions by the I.D.F. as well as economic and political interference and pressure by the U.S. and its European allies.

Notwithstanding attempts by foreign media to portray it otherwise, the P.L.O always has been a democratic organisation, with members from every political movement with very diverse ideological backgrounds and aims. The Palestinian Authority actually is less democratic in nature only because it was created pursuant to the Oslo Accords, making the Zionists a partner in its creation without any true autonomy. As such, it cannot represent a 'democratic ideal'. (I do not subscribe to the propaganda that insists 'democracy' to be the ultimate form of government in any case.) In point of fact, it is not a 'government' in the true sense of the world, as the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination was not met by the creation of a mere 'Authority' existing under the ultimate jurisdiction of the foreign Zionist entity. The P.L.O. remains the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

The organisation of the P.A. is based on the same model as that of the United States, with three separate branches, consisting of Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Unfortunately, as the Zionists have not relinquished their Occupation and control of Palestine, the Judiciary has not been formalised. The President of the P.A. is supposed to be elected directly by the people, although historically, neither the U.S. nor the Zionists have recognised any result that did not correspond with their policy requirements. It is the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) that constitutes the parliament and the appointment of the Prime Minister by the President as well as any officials appointed by the Prime Minister must be approved by the Council.

The composition of the PLC is as follows: half of the 132 seats are filled pursuant to direct elections in 16 localities in which all political parties participate. (More than 15 different political parties and alliances were on the ballot in the 2006 elections.) The other half are elected in proportion to party votes from a national pool of candidates.


In 2006, Hamas won control of the Palestinian Authority in the most recent election but, rather than accepting the 'democratic process' they so loudly extolled as the ideal, the U.S. and Europe withheld aid from the Palestinian people as a result.

The U.S. has provided arms and training for groups with the ambition to overthrow the government of Hamas and indeed urged Mahmoud Abbas to stage a coup against Hamas. Abbas now unilaterally has 'dismissed' the elected Hamas government and has seized control.

Meanwhile, under the spurious 'independence' of Gaza from Zionist control, taxes and customs duties owed to the Palestinians are collected by Israeli officials. The Zionist refusal to transfer tax receipts, coupled with the cessation of foreign aid, has brought a failing economy to the point of utter desperation. So much for U.S./Zionist claims that they created a situation in which Palestinian aspirations could flourish!

In Iraq, the 'democratic' values that purportedly comprised the aim of the foreign invasion, from the very start excluded any possibility of true independence or freedom. While urging elections upon the Iraqis, the U.S. and its allies categorically declared that certain forms of government would be unacceptable. 'Democratic election' evidently should be translated as an election in which only candidates approved by the U.S. are allowed to enter.

Both in Iraq and in Gaza, living conditions resemble those found in the worst refugee camps. Electricity and water are in short supply. Food is at a premium. Foreign military attack never has ceased.

As far as Hamas and its capacity to create a 'model state' or even to participate in the creation of ANY real Palestinian State is concerned, that possibility never was tested. The world never gave Hamas a chance. Abbas, the puppet leader who earned the U.S./Zionist stamp of approval, rather than working with Hamas, allowed himself to become even less of a true representative of the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations. It should be said here that Abbas and his cronies do not even represent Fatah. They represent a corrupt, foreign-influenced element of Fatah.

The factional conflicts that plague both Iraq and Gaza are a minor issue compared to the ongoing devastation caused by American/Zionist policies. When foreign invasion and occupation destroys the foundation of Arab civilisation and then proceeds to strangle the hope of any true independence, what is left but desperation?

Noam Chomsky on Lebanon and Gaza:

Nahr al Bared: Choose your Side

This past week, the news has featured reports of fighting between the Lebanese army and 'militants' in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al Bared. The Lebanese army is depicted as the legitimate representative of 'law and order' while the 'militants' are described as 'terrorists'. Statements describing Fatah al Islam as a group that is purportedly 'linked to Al Qaida' only serve to further marginalise the situation, making it appear to be no more than one of those nebulous threats that need to be eliminated by the righteous in their 'war on terror'.

According to an Associated Press report: 'The army is seeking to uproot a militant group called Fatah Islam, which arose late last year in the camp, on the outskirts of the northern port city of Tripoli. The group touts itself as a Palestinian liberation movement, but many view it as a nascent branch of al-Qaida-style terrorism with ambitions of carrying out attacks around the region.'

Another article states that: 'The group’s leader has been identified as fugitive Shaker al-Absi, a Palestinian in his early 50s who has vilified America in media interviews and admitted he supports the ideology of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. He is believed to have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

'Fugitive' at least is one step up from 'refugee'. 'Fugitive' describes a refugee who has taken the initiative to try to take steps that ultimately would lead him back to his homeland.

These articles do not describe the refugee camp or the situation that created it. They make no mention of the Zionist Occupation of Palestine. According to these reports, it is simply another group of 'terrorists' seeking to disrupt the harmony and order of the State.

In the tangled web of Arab politics, one will find groups like the pernicious Welch Club giving support to militias and resistance groups simply in order to weaken Hizb'allah, perceived by the U.S. as one of the greatest threats to its interests. The CIA and its equivalents from other nations always have used clandestine support of revolutionary and resistance groups on the basis of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. In this particular case, however, it could be no more than an allegation designed to foment more sectarian hostility between Shi'a and Sunni.

On the other hand, whatever the truth about this particular group and its affiliations, one fact is clear: Palestinian resistance to the status quo should be unqualified.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that Palestinian expectations of support from the Arab Nation through the years have been met with every degree of betrayal, from oblique political repudiations of the unconditional right of the Palestinian people to the Palestinian homeland to the savage slaughter of unarmed refugees in camps throughout the Arab Nation. To live in a refugee camp for generations without resisting would be tantamount to accepting the role of lambs docilely awaiting their slaughter.

On Sunday, Fatah al Islam’s spokesman in Nahr el-Bared, Abu Salim, stated that the aim of the organisation was 'to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites and to protect Sunnis.'

For those who fail to grasp an elementary principle, I should make it clear that the liberation of Al Aqsa Mosque must be an aim of EVERY Muslim and EVERY Arab. It is not an aim to which Al Qaida can lay any proprietary claim!

As far as protecting Sunnis is concerned, the entire sectarian conflict between Shi'a and Sunni was created and nurtured by the foreign invaders of Iraq to further their own goals and Muslims must repudiate any attempt to further divide the Ummah. Rather than 'protecting Sunnis' or 'protecting Shi'a', Muslims must renew a common faith. Islam neither is a 'Sunni' nor a 'Shi'a' religion.

From my point of view, the membership of Fatah al Islam or its motivations are not the primary considerations here. It is the entire infrastructure of a system that has allowed Palestinian refugees to exist in appalling conditions of limbo for over half a century.

One can understand the conflict that is occurring at Nahr al Bared only if one is aware of the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are not allowed to work in many professions or to claim social security. They do not have the right either to own or to inherit property. Most of them struggle to survive, without means to obtain the basic necessitiies of life. They are denied citizenship in Lebanon.

Palestinians who attempt to find work outside the camps are subject to laws of discrimination. Many professions are restricted to Lebanese nationals. A policy of reciprocity with respect to work permits guarantees that no Palestinian will be allowed a permit: the right to a permit for foreign nationals is judged by the extent to which the foreign state grants that right to Lebanese nationals. As the Palestinian State remains under foreign Zionist occupation, there is no basis for reciprocity. Unemployment rates are at least 80%. The professions that are subject to this include those of accountant, cook, medical doctor, hairdresser, pharmacist, engineer, concierge and lawyer. Unemployment rates in the camps have been noted to be as high as 80%.

Living conditions in many of the camps are abominable. Open sewage is commonplace. Overcrowding has resulted in the creation of new unofficial refugee camps lacking even the basic services provided to the official camps.
Lebanese law prohibits Palestinians from owning real estate and bar them from inheriting property or from registering any property previously purchased. Although the law does not mention Palestinians explicily by name, it prohibits those who are not 'bearers of nationality of a recognised State', a description that applies primarily to Palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Lebanon's discriminatory practices against Palestinians violate international human rights law; they are in violation of its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Convention on the Rights of the Child. .

In many camps, new construction or redevelopment of any kind is prohibited. Cramped quarters and a lack of basic necessities, coupled with discriminatory practices that deny any hope of improvement to the Palestinian refugees, create a situation that is intolerable.

Lebanon claims that any offer of citizenship to Palestinian refugees would be a de facto admission of the Zionist pretensions to the Palestinian homeland. There is no excuse, however, for the legal discrimination being practiced by an Arab state against fellow Arabs.

Once again, instead of uniting against a common enemy, Arabs are determined to do the dirty work of their enemies for them. The Lebanese Army is involved in an operation against its own people rather than turning its guns and armaments against the Zionists who actually have invaded Lebanese territory more than once. Like the Lebanese murderers who participated with the Zionists in the terrible massacres of Palestinian refugees at Sabra, Shatila and Burj al Barajnah camps, the Lebanese Army now is operating to increase the 'security' of the Zionists against any threat to their continuing rape of Palestine.

From an eyewitness account of the situation in the camp: 'After three days of shelling and more than 100 dead and with no electricity or water, Nahr el-Baled reeks of burned and rotting flesh, charred houses with smoldering contents, raw sewage and the acrid smell of exploded mortars and tank rounds.

'Press figures of 30,000-32,000 are not accurate. 45,000 live in Bared! Contrary to some reports food and water still not being allowed in.

'15 to 70 percent of some areas destroyed. Some light shooting this morning and afternoon. Army shelling at rate of 10-18 shells per minute from 4:30 am to 10 am on Tuesday. Army will not allow Palestinian Red Crescent to move out civilians because they don't trust them. Only the Lebanese Red Cross is allowed. It is possible to enter Bared from the back (east side). The Army taking cameras of journalists they catch. The Lebanese government is controlling the information and don't want extent of damage known yet. Still unrecovered bodies. 40 per cent of the camp population have been evacuated. The rest don't want to leave out of fear of being shot or that they are losing their homes for the 5th time or more for some.'

Like the other Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Nahr al Bared is inhabited by Palestinians who were forced from their homes, land, and personal property in 1947-48 by the invading Jews.


Of the original 16 Refugee camps that were created to set up to house temporarily more than 100,000 refugees crossing the border into Lebanon from Palestine during the Nakba, 12 official ones remain. The camp at Tal El-Za`tar was ethnically cleansed by Christian Phalange forces at the beginning of the 1975-1990, Lebanese Civil War and the Nabatieh, Dikwaneh and Jisr el-Basha camps were destroyed by Zionist attacks and Lebanese militia and not rebuilt. Those remaining include the following which currently house more than half of Lebanon's 433,276 Palestinian refugees:

Al-Badawi, Burj El-Barajnah, Jal El-Bahr, Sabra and Shatilla, Ain El-Helwa, Nahr El-Bared, Rashidieh, Burj El Shemali, El-Buss, Wavel, Mieh Mieh and Mar Elias.

Again and again, rather than embracing their Palestinian brothers and sisters, factions in Lebanon have acquiesced or actively participated in the crimes committed against them, from ethnic cleansing to statutory descrimination.

Nahr al-Bared has the highest percentage of Palestinian refugees anywhere who are living in abject poverty and who are officially registered with the UN as 'special hardship' cases.

The general population of the refugee camp of Nahr al Baled ultimately will emerge as the worst victims in this 'clash' but they must recognise that the return to Palestine will not be accomplished by surrender to the dictates of the Lebanese Army or the U.S. It is only through resistance that hope will offer anything but a mirage.

When will the Arab Nation distinguish between shadows and substance, repudiate the temptation to embroil itself in sectarian clashes and embrace unity against a common foe?

When will the world reject the facile definitions of any resistance movement as a 'terrorist movement' and support the just aspirations of the dispossessed rather than acquiescing in campaigns of foreign occupation as it did in the war against Iraq?

When will the Arab Nation categorically repudiate the role of agent in the murky political battles fought for outside influences on Arab soil? It is time for the Arab people to refuse to act as pawns on the international chessboard. Arab fighting Arab... that is fantasy fulfillment for the Zionists and every one who desires an end to any possibility that a strong Arab Nation might emerge from the smouldering wreckage created by foreign invasions and occupations.

Ahmad al 'Arabi

When Marcel Khalife returned from his study of classical music in Russia, he created the operatic masterpiece, 'Ahmad al 'Arabi'. His is the music, but the words were written by Mahmoud Darwish. Translation into English words printed on a page is woefully inadequate to convey the magnificent power of the operatic work, which bridges classical traditions of East and West and embodies all the passion and longing of Arab Nationalism.

I believe these words were written during the first invasion of Lebanon by the Zionists. Now, over two decades later, we still look for the face of Ahmad. So many martyrs have watered the soil with their blood, but there yet is no end to the foreign occupation of the Arab homeland.

I salute those who endure the siege, who maintain their steadfastness in the face of deprivation, torture and threat of death.

'To those hands of zatar(thyme)
and darkened stone,
I voice this cry:
To Ahmad
Forgotten and alone.
The passing clouds have left me
Homeless and unknown,
And only mountains
Dare to hide me
In a barren home.

I emerge once more
From the ancient wounds.
I approach until I see
The details of the land.
I emerge once more
In the year the sea was breached
From the cities of ash,
When I found myself alone.

Ahmad was the sea,
Foaming among the bullets,
A camp that fiercely grew,
Raining thyme and fighters
On us.

'I am Ahmad al Arabi,'
he said:
I am bullets
And oranges
And dreams.'

'I am Ahmad al Arabi
LET THE SIEGE COME!
My body is the fortress,
LET THE SIEGE COME!'

'I am the line of fire
And I will besiege you in turn,
For my breast
Is the shelter for my people.
LET THE SIEGE COME!'

.... Oh Ahmad, born of stone and of thyme,
You say : 'NO!'


...Dying close to my blood
And rising in the wheat...

The birds have willed
Their songs to me,
And I have been gathered
To the heartbeat of the fields...

Go deep into my blood,
Go deep into the bread,
So that we will have
A simple homeland
And a dream of jasmine yet to come...

Ahmad al Arabi,
RESIST!
We will journey
In this struggle
Until we reach the shore
Of bread and waves.
We will die
For the dream of a homeland
And of jasmine yet to come.

Oh Ahmad,
Secret like forests and flame,
Make your face known to us:
Read us your last will.

We will disperse in silence
To step back
That the dead may hear your words,
That the living may know
The features of your face.

Ahmad,
My brother, Ahmad,
We await your hero's death,
When will it be?
When will it be?
When will it be?'

Ahmad al 'Arabi is available now on CD. As a cri de coeur of Arab Nationalism but more than that, as an incredible musical achievement, I would recommend it to every one. The text in three languages, Arabic, French and English is included with the recording.

Here we will Stay

The great Palestinian poet, Tawfiq Zayyad wrote a number of resistance poems that have been passed from word to song to deed and thus immortalised. The inspirational song by Ahmad Qaboor, 'Unadikum' (I call to you!) was based on a poem by Tawfiq Zayyad.

Here is a rough translation of 'Unadikum':

'I call to you all:
I take your hand and hold it tightly.
I kiss the ground on which you place your feet.
I know that for you I would give my life.
My life I would give for you.

I offer you the light of my eyes,
The fire of my heart:
For this pain that I suffer
Is only a small part of your pain.

I never have sold my country
And I have been willing to serve,
To face the invader with steadfastness and courage,
An orphan willing to die.

Carrying my people on my shoulders,
You will see my flag raised high,
And a mountain clothed in the green of the olive branch
For those who will come after.

I call to you all!'

'Unadikum' is a call to all the people and not to an individual. 'I call to you all!' Indeed, this call, given wings by the music of Ahmad Qaboor, has echoed through the world, inspiring and continuing to inspire steadfastness and Resistance wherever it is heard. (A link to the right under the section entitled 'Music for Palestine' will take you to a page where you can listen to the song.)

This was not the only poem by Tawfiq Zayyad that has inspired the Palestinian people. My own personal favourite is 'Here we shall Stay.'

'Here we shall stay:

In Lydda, in Ramlah, in the Galilee,
We shall remain
Like a wall upon your chest,
And in your throat
Like a shard of glass,
A cactus thorn,
And in your eyes,
A sandstorm.

We shall remain
A wall upon your chest,
Cleaning dishes in your restaurants,
Serving drinks in your bars,
Sweeping the floors of your kitchens
In order to snatch a bite for our children
From your blue fangs.

Here we shall stay:
Singing our songs,
Taking to the angry streets,
Filling prisons with dignity.

In Lydda, in Ramlah, in the Galilee,
We shall remain,
Guarding the shade of the fig and the olive,
Fermenting rebellion in our children
As is yeast in the dough.'

English does not carry quite as much eloquence as the original Arabic lines, but the power of Tawfiq Zayyad is indisputable, and his poems have been translated, read and sung in other languages, inspiring a new generation to hold fast to the cause of the Palestinian people.

Tawfiq Zayyad lived under impossible conditions. In order to remain within Palestine, he was forced to accept the insupportable: he was a Palestinian who had to carry 'Israeli citizenship' in order to bear living witness to the continuing existence and presence of the Palestinian people within that part of Palestine that had been declared a 'state' by the Zionists in 1948.

He lived during a period when the Zionists almost had been able to convince most of the world to accept their lie of 'a land without a people for a people without a land'. It is only because of the determination and steadfastness of Palestinians who remained inside Palestine decade after decade under intolerable conditions of persecution and discrimination that the world now is aware of the existence of Palestinians as a people with a continuing right to self-determination.

Most Palestinian activists who continued to live within the Zionist entity's self-proclaimed 'state' were only able to do so through the Communist Party, an accepted political party within the Zionist political framework. Tawfiq Zayyad in fact served as a member of the Zionist 'Knesset', the spurious 'parliament' of the invaders. When he first became a member of the Knesset, his Hebrew was very poor. When asked where he had learned to speak Hebrew, he responded: 'In your prisons.'

For those of us who could not bear to lend any appearance of legitimacy to the illicit Zionist entity even by participation in its 'internal' politics, the choices that individuals like Tawfiq Zayyad were forced to make are extremely distasteful, but we must recognise that, without the continuing presence of Palestinians in Nazareth and Haifa as well as every other inch of land occupied in 1948, the struggle for Palestine would be severely weakened.

The United Nations recognises that the continuing occupation of Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza is illegal. It is vital to remind the world that Palestine is NOT divisible, and that the Zionist occupation of 1948 is as illicit as the occupation of 1967.

I salute Tawfiq Zayyad and all Palestinians who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their pride to remain: 'in Lydda, in Ramleh, in the Galilee'. One day, the lands occupied in 1948 and the lands occupied in 1967 will be united again as Palestine and the Zionist foreign government will be no more than a terrible memory.

From the yeast in the dough the bread will rise. From word to word and deed to deed, Resistance against Zionism will become an unstoppable tide to sweep the land clean.

Charity alleged to be a Crime in the U.S.

Over a decade ago, the U.S. government passed legislation that allowed it to create a 'blacklist' of organisations it deemed to be 'terrorist' in nature. Many organisations and groups placed on the list over the years are legitimate resistance groups. Palestinian resistance groups like Hamas, among others, have been defined as 'terrorist organisations' and pursuant to this legislation, any charitable act towards any one somehow connected to one of these organisations is deemed to be a crime.

When the legislation first passed, I wrote a long article for the Free Arab Voice delineating the dangers of this legislation and its far-reaching implications.
Shortly after the attacks of 11 September 2001, I wrote another article connecting Bush's imperial ambitions with a deliberate programme to restrict human rights and silence opposition. Unfortunately, events have shown that my predictions were entirely realistic.

These articles can be found at:
http://archivefav.blogspot.com/
http://www.freearabvoice.org/issueWarAgainstFreedom.htm#p1

Sending blankets to an orphanage run by Hamas, for example, could be considered a crime under this legislation and indeed, an individual was arrested and charged for doing nothing more than that. Now, a group of Zionists are attempting to widen the application of the law by suing Arab Bank, claiming that sums paid to the families of martyrs in charitable acts constitutes 'support of terrorism' and demanding a huge sum of money for themselves in a civil action.

It is important to stress the fact that the current action is civil in nature, which means that the Plaintiffs desire to profit financially from their allegations of 'support of terrorism' on the part of those who refuse to bow to the Zionist definition of the role that it plays in the world.

This outrageous allegation did not receive the contemptuous response it deserved from the presiding judge, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Gershon. Instead of throwing the case out of court, Gershon is allowing the case to proceed under the spurious argument that 'Arab Bank supplied necessary financial services to the organisations and administered the 'martyr' benefit plan... the financial services provided by ArabBank, and the administration of the banefit plan, are alleged to have provided substantial assistance to international terrorism.'

In practical terms, all this means is that Arab Bank paid charitable sums to the mothers and widows of martyrs and injured Palestinians, that it helped to distribute funds to Palestinian families who had lost their primary wage-earner and source of support a means to survive.

The current case is Oran Almog et al v Arab Bank. The Plaintiffs' allegations and claims read like a chapter from a Zionist propaganda text.

The legal arguments of the Plaintiffs are derived from designation of specific political organisations including Hamas, the PIJ, the AAMB and the PFLP as 'terrorist organisations'. The 1995 legislation and legislation enacted pursuant to it created 'terrorist titles' such as 'Specially Designated Terrorist Entity' , 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and finally 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity (SDGT).

The 'crime' that is alleged is a 'mission to topple and eradicate the State of Israel, murder or throw out the Jews, and liberate the area by replacing it with an Islamic and/or Palestinian state...' . The plaintiffs argue that these organisations are acting 'in support of terrorism' by providing financial support to the relatives of 'martyrs' and those injured in or imprisoned for perpetrating attacks.

The alleged 'terrorism' consists of a mission to liberate Palestine and 'topple' the Zionist entity, but there are no allegations that any of the named organisations ever had any programme to 'topple' the U.S. government nor indeed to commit any actions whatsoever within the U.S.

Unfortunately, the judge who has allowed the case to continue through the American judicial system apparently sees no discrepancy here between political organisations that are concerned only with actions against a foreign government and a case that is supposedly concerned with the American civil law of torts.

No Palestinian resistance organisation EVER has threatened the internal security of the United States. There is no justification whatsoever for any allegation that any of these organisations represent a 'global' threat. This is in contrast to the Zionist Mossad which does constitute a global threat, operating throughout the world, conducting sophisticated spying operations (against its 'allies' and enemies) as well as killing any one it deems to be a threat irrespective of the location of that individual.

In fact, when there was debate about approval for sales of F-16s to the Zionist entity some years ago, the Zionist government actually declared to the government of the United States that should continuing 'aid' and 'support' to the Zionist entity ever cease, the Zionist entity would become a 'rogue state' and would not hesitate to consider the 'nuclear option'. The threat to use a nuclear attack definitely could be defined as a 'global threat'.

The so-called 'actionable claim of the Plaintiffs in the Almog case is as follows:
'Plaintiffs allege that Arab Bank administered the financial infrastructure by which the Saudi Committee distributed a comprehensive benefit of $5,316.06 to designated famiilies of Palestinian martyrs and those wounded or imprisoned in perpetrating terrorist attacks.

As a lawyer correctly stated: 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter —that holding is binding on this court.' Kevin Walsh of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, lawyer for the defendant. The Zionists are foreign invaders in Palestine. Every resistance act, according to them, even that of a child who throws a stone at a tank and heavily-armed soldiers, is designated as a 'terrorist attack' by their propaganda machine.

'More than 1600 plaintiffs, consisting of United States and foreign nationals, bring claims for damages against Defendant Arab Bank, for knowingly providing banking and administrative services to various organisations identified by the U.S. government as terrorist organisations... The U.S. nationals assert claims under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) U.S.C. 2331 et seq. The foreign nationals make similar factual allegations, but assert violations of the law of nations and base jurisdiction on the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATS) 28 U.S.C. 1350. Both the U.S. nationals and the foreign nationals also assert federal common law claims, namely assisting in the intentional injury of others, reckless disregard of injury to others, wrongful death, survival, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Defendant moves to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.'

All this legal jargon, however sophisticated in its terms, serves to disguise the fact that there is NO actionable case here. It is outrageous to claim that foreign Zionists have any claim whatsoever in an American court. The fact that the claim based on some oblique relationship between sums distributed to widows and orphaned children and 'support of terrorism' is even more outrageous.

In a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, obiter dicta suggested that only the foreign victims of the most egregious human rights violations such as genocide or slavery, can file suit under the Alien Tort Claims Act. The Supreme Court suggested that one standard should be whether or not the lawsuit is based on violation of 'norms' accepted by 'civilised nations.' If the U.S. considers itself a 'civilised nation', then it must accept that its own history is based on acts of Resistance during the Revolutionary War not dissimilar from the Palestinian struggle for liberation from a foreign Occupation. The Alien Tort Statute, by the way, is 217 years old. It was not designed to protect an occupying foreign power from the legitimate acts of resistance of a native population. Furthermore, in this instance, the Zionist plaintiffs do not even attempt to claim that the defendant actually committed any act apart from the distribution of charitable sums. In such a case, how can any action even be brought pursuant to the Alien Tort Statute?

N.B. 'Obiter dicta' are statements made by judges in the course of rendering their judgement that while they do not constitute binding precedent, nonetheless are considered to have considerable 'persuasive authority' in future cases. The Supreme Court often uses a specific case as an opportunity to give its general opinions about the topics involved in the case at hand. These 'obiter dicta' act as guiding principles in determining whether a future case even is actionable. In other words, the judge in the Almog case did not even look at the precedents, preferring to support Zionism without having any legal basis for her decision.

In this context, it is worth noting that the Zionist entity operates according to old British Mandate military Occupation laws in dealing with the land it occupied in 1967. The Defence Emergency Regulations created by the British during the Mandate are used now by the Zionists. Ironically, in 1946, the Hebrew Lawyers Union condemned these laws, stating that: 'The powers given to the ruling authority in the Emergency Regulations deny the inhabitants of Palestine their basic human rights. These regulations undermine the foundation of law and justice; they constitute a serious danger to individual freedom, and they institute a regime of arbitrariness without any judicial supervision.' A Zionist who later became a Minister of Justice for the Zionist entity, Yaakov Shapira himself stated: 'The regime built in Palestine in the Defence Emergency Regulations has no parallel in any civilised nation. Even in Nazi Germany there were no such laws... Only in an occupied country do you find a system resembling ours.'

Yet these same Defence Emergency Regulations were incorporated into the laws of the Zionist entity and actually have been augmented by further oppressive provisions.

Under these laws of military occupation, a military commander (at present the Military Governor) can, at his sole discretion and without judicial review:

Imprison people indefinitely;
Prohibit travel within or outside pre-1967 Occupied Palestine and the territories occupied since 1967;
Expel any individual permanently;
Restrict any person to his/her home, locality, village or town;
Forbid any one to make use of his/her own property;
Order the demolition of homes;
Impose police surveillance on any individual and order him/her to report to a police station several times a day;
Declare any area closed as a security zone, whether it be a farm owned by a family, an inhabited village, refugee campe or tribal lands;
Censor all media, requiring all articles, leaflets and books to be approved, and banning their distribution;
Raid people's homes and confiscate entire libraries;
Forbid the gathering of ten or more people for the purpose of discussing politics;
Forbid membership in an organisation.

Further military edicts appended to the Regulations forbid the planting of crops (tomatoes and aubergines specifically), the planting of any fruit tree, any repairs to a house or structure, and the digging of any wells for drinking water or irrigation, unless written permission is given. Incidentally, written permission has not been given to a Palestinian for the digging of any well in years, despite the fact that illegal Zionist settlements have diverted existing water sources, thereby depriving Palestinian homes and villages of their water. Any Palestinian actions against this brutal and oppressive foreign Occupation constitutes legitimate resistance.

The Plaintiffs are attempting to profit from legitimate acts of resistance committed during the Second Intifada, and allege that the Palestinian acts were unprovoked acts of aggression in defiance of the Oslo Agreement. In fact, throughout the period when the Zionists supposedly were bound by the Oslo Agreement, they continued to appropriate huge amounts of land contrary to international law and continued to force Palestinians into exile. Nor did the killing of Palestinians by the Zionist military ever cease.

Despite this writer's conviction that the Zionist entity is totally illegal and that there is no distinction between land occupied in 1948 and land occupied in 1967, it is the Zionists rather than the Palestinians who failed to honour the Oslo Agreement.

Regrettably, the District Court Judge obviously had little knowledge of the history of Palestine and did not scrutinise the legal basis for this ridiculous lawsuit, choosing instead to be influenced by the spurious arguments of the Plaintiffs.

For a start, if 'genocide' can be alleged anywhere in Palestine, it is the Palestinian people who are the victim, not the Jews, who cannot be defined legitimately either as a 'race' or as a 'religion'. Secondly, the population has a right of resistance to foreign invasion under international law. The Zionist entity is a foreign Occupying Power in Palestine. Moreover, the United Nations has passed numerous resolutions denouncing the Zionist military Occupation of Palestine.

Thirdly, the history of the conflict between the Palestinian people and the Zionist invader is a history that shows a huge preponderance of loss on the Palestinian side, a loss not only of land and homes but of life and furthermore it can be proven that this has occurred pursuant to a political programme of ethnic cleansing and genocide called Zionism.

One need look only at the bare statistics, stripped of media propaganda:

From 2000 to 2004:

122 Zionist children killed
869 Palestinian children killed
1084 Zionists killed
4406 Palestinians killed
7633 Zionists injured
31217 Palestinians injured

There is only 1 Zionist held prisoner by Palestinians while 9599 Palestinians are being held prisoner by Zionists (apart from the general collective imprisonment of ALL Palestinians by the Zionist Occupation itself).

No Zionist homes have been demolished by Palestinians but 4170 Palestinian homes have been demolished by the Zionists.

In Gaza alone, from June-October 2006, total Palestinian fatalities at the hands of the Zionists were 247. Of those 57 were children. The total number of Palestinians wounded by the Zionists was 996 of which 34% were children.

Recently, the Zionists have committed 248 'targeted murders' of Palestinians. In the process, they killed 198 bystanders, defining it as 'collateral damage'. That is the real terrorism. State-sponsored terrorism is the entire basis of the Zionist Occupation of Palestine.

The Zionists who have brought this unconscionable legal action to court apparently not only believe that the idea of a 'wholly Jewish state' built on the foundation of the bones of Palestinian martyrs is worthy of their support and furthermore believe that the families of Palestinians who have been martyred do not deserve to live. They argue that any charitable payments made to the bereaved are to be defined as 'support of terrorism', thereby producing further proof that the Zionist programme against the Palestinian people is one ultimately of careful genocide.

After all, it is similar to the strategy that forces pregnant women to wait at chequepoints rather than allowing them to reach hospital in order to give birth. It is the same strategy that deprives Palestinians of their livelihhoods by not allowing them to reach their jobs, through policies of 'closures' and curfews and chequepoints. It is the same strategy used to build a wall to separate Palestinians from their homes and livelihoods permanently after bulldozing their houses and imprisoning or murdering the heads of their households.

If one is to punish terrorism by striking at its financial infrastructure, an appropriate target for legal action surely would be the U.S. 'State of Israel Bonds' organisation, a self-confessed 'Development Corporation for Israel'.

The very foundation of the 'Israel Bonds' organisation was terrorist in nature. Ben Gurion conceived of the idea in order to bankroll Zionist terrorism in Palestine. Sales of 'Israel Bonds' in the first year were $52 milliion.

In a report by this Zionist terrorist organisation in 2007, it stated: 'Today, Israel has again turned to the Bonds organization as the nation copes with the war against Hezbollah and its aftermath. ... Israel Bonds has already taken enormous steps to keep the economy stable. In August, the Bonds organization held solidarity meetings across North America , producing millions of dollars in new funding. In the coming weeks and months, Israel Bonds will accelerate efforts on every level to ensure that Israel’s economic needs continue to be met.'

Although this organisation has been operating since 1950, organisations have been in existence since 1901 for Zionist 'support of terrorism'. The Jewish National Fund (JNF) was established in 1901 and the Palestine Land Development Company (PLDC) was founded in 1908. These organisations were created solely for the purpose of supporting the Zionist programme to dispossess the Palestinian people of their homeland. Another overseas fundraising mechanism named 'Keren Hayesod' was established for the same purpose.

The systematic killing and dispossession of Palestinians from their homes was the basis of the Zionist programme from its inception. Ben Gurion stated: 'The compulsory transfer of the [Palestinian] Arabs from the valleys of the proposed Jewish state could give us something which we never had, even when we stood on our own during the days of the first and second Temples. . . We are given an opportunity which we never dared to dream of in our wildest imaginings. This is MORE than a state, government and sovereignty.' He also wrote: 'With compulsory transfer we [would] have a vast area [for settlement] .... I support compulsory transfer. I don't see anything immoral in it.' Later he wrote: 'It is impossible to imagine general evacuation without compulsion, and brutal compulsion.' (See 'Righteous Victims' by Benny Morris. The first quote is from Ben Gurion's diary entry of 12 July 1937. All quotes are taken from declassified Zionist documents.)

Moshe Sharett, first foreign minister of the Zionist entity, wrote: 'We have forgotten that we have not come to an empty land to inherit it, but we have come to conquer a country from people inhabiting it, that governs it by the virtue of its language and savage culture ..... Recently there has been appearing in our newspapers the clarification about 'the mutual misunderstanding' between us and the Arabs, about 'common interests' [and] about 'the possibility of unity and peace between two fraternal peoples.' ..... [But] we must not allow ourselves to be deluded by such illusive hopes ..... for if we cease to look upon our land, the Land of Israel, as ours alone and we allow a partner into our estate- all content and meaning will be lost to our enterprise.'

In August of 1948, Yitzhak Avira, in charge of the destruction of the Palestinian village of Huj, wrote to Ezra Danin, a member of the 'Transfer Committee': 'Recently a view has come to prevail among us that the [Palestinian] Arabs are nothing. Every [Palestinian] Arab is a murderer, all of them should be slaughtered, all the [Palestinian] villages that are conquered should be burned . . . I . . . see a danger in the prevalence of an attitude that everything of theirs should be murdered, destroyed, and made to vanish.'

Danin's response: 'War is complicated and lacking in sentimentality. If the commanders believe that by destruction, murder, and human suffering they will reach their goal more quickly---I would not stand in their way. If we do not hurry up and do [things]---our enemies will do these things to us.'

Detailed accounts of Zionist massacres from the 1940s onwards can be found at:
http://www.soundofegypt.com/palestinian/adult/massacres.htm

Declassified Zionist documents quoted above can be found in: 'Righteous Victims' by Benny Morris and 'The Birth of Israel: Myths and Realities' by Simha Flapan. I am giving Jewish sources here rather than Palestinian sources because it is more compelling if they convict themselves 'out of their own mouths'.

This is the work funded by the Jewish National Fund, the Palestinian Land Development Committe and the 'Israel Bonds'. The invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was bankrolled by these organisations as was the Zionist invasion of Lebanon last summer.

In fact, a recent report by the U.S. government shows that the Zionist entity violated American laws in its use of cluster bombs in Lebanon both during the 1982 invasion and its invasion last summer.

In the summer of 2006, more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed, and one million others displaced as a result of the Zionist month-long offensive. Zionist forces dropped up to a million cluster bomblets in populated areas in southern Lebanon, 90% of which were fired in the last three days of fighting.

'What is shocking and completely immoral is 90% of the cluster bomb strikes occurred in the last 72 hours of the conflict, when we knew there would be a resolution,' said the UN humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, referring to the UN-brokered ceasefire that ended fighting on 14 August.

Even a commander of the Zionist occupation forces' MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) unit declared that: 'We covered entire villages with cluster bombs, what we did there was crazy and monstrous.'

Apart from the more egregious crimes against humanity, the U.S. government report shows that the Zionists committed violations of an U.S. statute governing arms sales, the Arms Export Control Act.

The twin pillars upon which the Zionist programme was founded were the dispossession of the native Palestinian population and its replacement by a foreign Jewish population. In Palestine at the time of the inception of the Zionist programme, the native Jewish population consisted of 5% of the total population. Jews who subsequently 'emigrated' to Palestine did so in order to promote its Occupation by a foreign power. The European Jews who formed the terrorist organisations such as the 'Stern Gang' and the 'Haganah' had no legitimate claim to Palestine and certainly no right to dispossess and murder its inhabitants. Furthermore, any individuals who go to Palestine under Zionist auspices to further the Zionist goal of creating a 'wholly Jewish state' are guilty of a continuing conspiracy to commit genocide against the Palestinian native population. If they even can be termed 'civilians', which is moot, given the Zionist requirement that every one serve in the armed forces, they are NOT innocent civilians. The Plaintiffs' description of Jewish 'civilians' therefore is a misrepresentation of fact.

Moreover, Americans who support the Zionist entity through their financial or political contributions are guilty of 'support of terrorism'.

It can be shown that the money supplied to the Zionist entity by 'Israel Bonds' is used to fund the Zionist military occupation as well as other Zionist acts of aggression and terrorism.

The 'Israel Bonds' are marketed by a firm in the U.S., the DCI or Development Corporation for Israel, which in turn is owned by a 'non-profit organisation', the American Society for the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Israel. Since 1950, the year of its creation, the corporation has sold an estimated 8.6 billion (U.S.) in bonds worldwide. About 85% of sales are in the U.S.

These bonds are 'privately placed', which means they are sold directly to individual investors and cannot be traded on the open market. Under U.S. Securities Laws, DCI and other private placement dealers are able to avoid many of the disclosure requirements imposed on companies that trade in the public financial markets.

Bond proceeds are used to fund roads, factories and other 'projects' in Occupied Palestine. These 'development projects' include the creation and support of new and existing illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza as well as schemes to bulldoze and dispossess more Palestinians throughout the homeland.

Moreover, bond revenues are transferred from the Zionist governments development account to its ordinary budget, to be spent on the military, the Zionist intelligence services and other agencies, according to the statistical abstract published each year by the Zionist entity.

In other words, there is clear and compelling proof that these bonds support state-sponsored terrorism in the form of the policies of the Zionist entity. Such policies include but are not limited to murder and genocide.

All Zionist fundraising organisations in the United States and abroad unconditionally support Zionist aims and programmes in securing a 'wholly Jewish State' by any means whatsoever.

Here is stark evidence of foreign terrorist organisations operating throughout North America to provide funding for its state-sponsored terrorism against the Palestinian people. Let us not forget either that Zionist terrorism is not limited to Palestine but operates across the globe in the form of unilateral military strikes against sovereign nations such as the strike against a nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981 and a proposed strike against Iran in 2007. Pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Zionist entity should be designated as a Specially Designated Terrorist Entity (SDT) and further designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). In fact, it truly meets the requirements to be categorised officially as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity (SDGT). It is submitted that a legal action should be undertaken not only against the terrorist 'State of Israel Bonds' but against every Zionist Bank.

At the same time that an American judge has allowed a case against a bank distributing charitable sums to the widows and families of martyrs, Zionist organisations are mounting a new campaign for support of illicit Jewish settlements.

The Amana organisation which defines itself as the 'settlement movement of Gush Emunim, with the primary goal of developing communities in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, the Galilee and the Negev' is launching a campaign to sell 'second homes' in Occupied Palestine to American Jews.

In their advertisements, they urge American Jews to purchase a second home in an illegal settlement, declaring it to be a 'zero risk venture'. They advertise that: 'Your investment is insured, protected and 100% legal.'

As the government of the Zionist entity actually does not authorise new construction projects in the West Bank at this point, Zionists who proclaim themselves as citizens of that entity are wary of investing their money in the area. Yesha and Amana therefore decided to market their political programme to Americans in the guise of creating a 'dream home' in the hills of Palestine: a cottage in Kiryat Arba or a villa iin Karnei Shomron. The houses are priced from $94,000 to $170,000.

A Yesha Council leader, Pinchas Wallerstein met with Jewish community leaders in the U.S. in January 2007 to pitch his idea of organising groups or individual investors who might be interested in the region.

'They were afraid at first,' Wallerstein admitted, 'They asked a lot of difficult questions about what will become of the houses if it is again decided to evacuate part of the Land of Israel. They were concerned but very receptive to our offer.

Following their initial visit to the U.S., the Amana organisation decided to participate in a housing fair in New Jersey, where they will endeavour to market homes in these illegal settlements.

The fair will be held in Teaneck, New Jersey on Sunday, 25 February 2007 to sell these homes in violation of international law.

According to their marketing advertisement: 'You too can own a home and strengthen the Zionist dream.'

The 'Zionist dream' of making Palestine 'a land without people for a people without a land' is founded on dispossession and genocide. Support of Zionism constitutes 'support of terrorism' under any objective study of the facts.

In the circumstances, it is only further evidence of the stranglehold that Zionist lobbies have on the American government and society that an American judge U.S. can allow a case that designates the charitable payment of $5000. to a widow and her family as an act 'sponsoring terrorism' while the U.S. government actively promotes the continuing Occupation of Palestine by a foreign terrorist entity and funds that terrorist entity both officially in the form of U.S. government grants and loans that need not be repaid as well as the private funding by its citizens through grants to Jewish organisations. In 1997, the U.S. government sponsored Zionist terrorism daily in the amount of $15,139,178. This amount has increased rather than decreased since then.

One wonders how many of the Plaintiffs who have brought the current action against the Arab Bank support the state-sponsored terrorism of the Zionist entity through their 'gifts' of financial aid. The propaganda that extols this outrageous legal action as a 'victory against terrorism' continues to portray the Jews as victims in a war that has as its avowed aim a 'wholly Jewish state'. A 'wholly Jewish state' is predicated upon the disappearance or obliteration of the native Palestinian population from the homeland. As the contemporary Palestinian group DAM asks: 'Min Irhabi?' Who is the terrorist here?

One final point needs to be stressed: Judge Nina Gershon has allowed the case to progress but the Plaintiffs' claims and allegations have not been proven in any court of law. The Zionist propaganda relating to this case must be countered by facts, and with a barrage of media publicity making the public aware of the true nature of the continuing Zionist occupation of Palestine as well as the intrinsic legitimate right of any occupied nation to defend itself and resist that foreign occupation.

If we remain silent in the face of this incredible mockery of justice, then we betray our brothers and sisters who have given their lives for freedom and justice. It is our duty to confront these lies and to dismantle the entire structure of Zionist propaganda in order to make it impossible for any one to claim ignorance where the continuing Occupation of Palestine is concerned. The Zionists have profited decade after decade from the Occupation of Palestine. We cannot allow them to make a financial profit from the blood of Palestinian martyrs as well. That is the purpose of Almog v. Arab Bank. It is as simple as that.

The Real Nuclear Threat

The head of state of a powerful nation at an international conference today declared that there is a nation that poses a huge threat to peace in its 'almost unconditional' use of force in the world, as well as its encouragement of other countries to acquire nuclear weapons. This nation has plans to develop more missile defence systems throughout the world. He further declared that the world is 'witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations' and that 'one state has overstepped its national borders in every way.'

Was this international leader speaking of North Korea or Iran, two nations that have been the topic of daily reports and editorials with respect to the question of nuclear power? It was neither Iran nor North Korea that provoked this criticism. It was the United States.

In a security forum in Munich today, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that: 'This is very dangerous, nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law.' The word 'hide' in this context carries the implication of great fear and helplessness. International law should act as a shield for the less powerful or helpless, but one should not be required actually to 'hide' from aggression behind it.

The path that the U.S. has taken since the attacks of 11 September cannot be justified by any foreign threat, international events or the policies of any foreign power. Moreover, the U.S. government has concentrated too much power in the hands of the Executive Branch. It has become possible now for George Bush and his inner circle to engage in new wars and increase U.S. participation in existing wars AGAINST the will of the people as well as the will of the judiciary and the legislature.

Having invaded Iraq pursuant to spurious threats to the U.S. that had no foundation in reality, Bush is determined to send more troops into Iraq as cannon fodder, despite domestic opposition to this plan on all fronts.

Furthermore, the same sort of media propaganda that encouraged Bush's invasion of Iraq now is encouraging a 'military strike' against Iran. Evidently the fact that Iran never has posed any threat to the U.S. is immaterial.

The fact that the President of Iran has cast doubts upon the 'Holocaust' is sufficient. Not only has the Jewish 'Holocaust' been elevated to the position of unquestionable religious dogma, but it now is a justifiable casus belli!

Again and again, Zionists proclaim that Iran must be attacked because 'they doubt the Holocaust AND they want nuclear power.' No one appears to be concerned by the fact that there IS a real threat to world peace in the form of the Zionist entity, a 'Nation' that has possessed nuclear power for decades and has expressed the full intention to use it should it feel such action to be necessary.

The Zionist entity refuses to sign the 'Non-Proliferation Treaty'. 'Israel', having stolen nuclear secrets and components from the U.S., proceeded to create and test its nuclear weapons without regard to international law or the interests of world peace. In fact, the old apartheid regime of South Africa was the main partner of the Zionist entity in its nuclear programme.

Bush created his 'axis of evil' as future targets of U.S. aggression when he first assumed the presidency of the United States. He has proceeded to widen the scope of American military interference in the world inexorably, and there is no doubt that he is willing to sacrifice any number of lives and all principles of justice and law in pursuit of his goals. Taking the Zionist entity as his model of conduct, he creates his own facts to support his plans and is unembarrassed when his deceit is exposed.

Zionist interests are served by weakening all other potential strong governments in the region. First Iraq, now Iran... and it would be a mistake to forget that Syria is on the list as well. Hostility between the Arab Nation and its ancient rival Iran is encouraged by U.S./Zionist agents as any possibility that Iran and the Arab Nation might unite in opposition to the Zionist/American programme could spell ruin to the future of the Zionist entity. Iran unfortunately has placed its own personal ambitions above any considerations of creating a strong Arab-Iranian alliance against a common foe. It is not too late, however, for Iran to demonstrate good faith and to disavow any personal ambitions towards control of any part of the Arab Nation.

As far as the Arab Nation is concerned, blood-letting may remove poison from a body but ultimately it will weaken the body to the point of death. It is time to find a position that would allow Unity without sacrificing the cause of Arab Nationalism. Otherwise, while Iran and the Arab Nation both fall prey to Zionist machinations and the continuing aggression of the U.S. and its international allies, it is only the Zionist entity that will benefit.

Factional struggles minimise Zionist crimes

Factional clashes in Palestine, whatever their justification, ultimately serve to minimise the Zionists' role in its continuing Occupation of the homeland. The international media is filled with reports of the clashes between elements of Hamas and Fatah, while the Zionist plan to rob Palestinians of more land in the West Bank in its construction of its infamous Wall is virtually ignored.

Recently, the Zionist government has made a proposal to move its 'separation barrier' deeper into the West Bank, leaving about 20,000 Palestinians on the Zionist side of the Wall and incorporating two more illegal Jewish settlements. Notwithstanding the fact that every inch of Palestine occupied by the Zionist entity is illegally occupied, its 'Wall' makes the lives of ordinary Palestinians impossible. The Wall often serves to separate Palestinians from their land, their jobs and their families and is a more pernicious and permanent obstacle than the ever-present Zionist 'chequepoints' that prevent the ordinary Palestinians from one location to another.

When complete, the massive complex of concrete walls, barbed wire and electronic sensors will be about 680km long. The Wall has been declared illegal under international law, yet the Zionists as usual ignore all considerations apart from their own interests.

The Wall serves as another excuse for demolishing Palestinians homes. In the past year, over 400 Palestinian homes have been demolished because of spurious building permit issues or because they were 'too close to the Wall'.

This continuing erosion of the Palestinian presence in Palestine itself goes on unabated but international media chooses to focus on the internal Palestinian struggles between factions.

The Zionists rejoice to see Palestinians kill Palestinians and are particularly delighted when leaders of either faction are killed. In the circumstances, would it not be far better to concentrate all Palestinian energies on the destruction of the Zionist entity and only after this is achieved, sort out internal political issues?

Of course, that would require that BOTH sides be uncompromising in a determination never to accept the existence of the Zionist entity, nor to be persuaded by foreign bribes or threats of intimidation on the part of the U.S. or any one else.

This internal power struggle is destroying the lives of ordinary Palestinians while allowing the Zionists to freely pursue their goals. While Palestinian confronts Palestinian, the Zionists continue to demolish more homes and appropriate more land and their actions either are ignored or considered less newsworthy than any conflict between elements in Fatah and Hamas. Obviously, media coverage is designed for the most part to advance Zionist goals as well, and any internal Palestinian conflicts will be greatly publicised.

Palestinians, like the Iraqi people, find themselves in an impossible situation. What is the solution? I submit that Unity in Resistance against the foreign Occupiers is the only answer here. Get rid of the foreign Occupation first. Only then will there be ANY viable future for any political group or political agenda for the Arab Nation.

Blind Hatred and Violence

This morning, as I struggled to place my walker (zimmerframe) in the boot of my old car, an old man came up to me. I mistakenly supposed that he would offer to help me, but I could not have been more wrong about that. Instead, he shouted at me: 'I hope some one bombs your car and blows you up!' Evidently this did not suffice to express his hatred, as he then shouted: 'I should get a bomb and blow you up!'

Evidently, this outburst was prompted by a sticker on the back of the car that said nothing more than: 'Got Freedom? Iraqis and Palestinians don't.'

What is interesting about this man's response is the fact that most negative responses to a political message of this kind are extremely violent in nature. He was absolutely incandescent with hatred and rage. I had done nothing but paste a sticker on the back of a car. I had not behaved provocatively or forced him to react to anything.

In like manner, an old Jewish woman upon seeing an anti-Zionist sticker once screamed at me: 'I wish we could put YOU in a gas oven!'

Why should a simple phrase or sentence prompt such hatred and expressions of violence? I would understand if some one engaged me in dialogue in an attempt to persuade me of the 'error of my ways'. That seldom occurs, however.

In fact, it is precisely because there is no logic whatsoever to their responses that they are so violent in nature. Evidently the truth threatens people like this.

After telling me that he was going to find an explosive to blow me to kingdom come, the old man proceeded to call me a 'whore'. As I was clothed very modestly from head to toe with only my face and hands exposed to the world, it could not have been my physical appearance that inspired this assessment. He then told me he was going to do everything in his power to make certain that I would 'get to those 72 virgins you can't wait to have for yourself in Heaven'.

This, of course, was totally bizarre. The entire outburst was peculiar, to say the least, but it is not the first time that I have taken abuse because of my political stance. What distinguished this particular confrontation from others was the fact that, despite the fact that I was a woman and a disabled woman at that, his first impulse was to call me a 'whore' and then to rant about '72 virgins'.

The man apparently believes all Arabs are Muslims and terrorists and that jihad consists only of a simple compelling desire for death in the interest of a future existence surrounded by '72 virgins' irrespective of gender.

None of this would be worth recounting except for one fact that is rather frightening: the man never looked at ME.

He knew nothing whatsoever about me, nor did he take even a moment to acquire any knowledge based on simple observation. This demonstrates the ultimate dehumanisation of the 'Enemy' through propaganda. The old man was so consumed by ignorance and hatred engendered by media and/or social propaganda that he did not see me as an individual. His remark about the virgins, so completely irrelevant in the circumstances, made that perfectly clear.

I was not intimidated by his pathetic performance but there are people who are victimised every day by ignorant individuals like him. Moreover, it is from individuals like this that support for the spurious 'war against terror' is derived and sustained.

People like this do not know that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, nor do they know that Muslims are not all Arabs nor are all Arabs Muslims. They tell Palestinians to 'go home', not realising that the very crux of the problem is that Palestine is occupied by a foreign invader. The Zionist entity will not allow the Palestinian people to 'go home' and furthermore continue to drive those who remain in Palestine into exile.

In this modern age, when technology makes it possible for people to become aware of news instantaneously anywhere in the world, people continue to live in abysmal and inexcusable ignorance. How can any one be unaware of the simple facts about Islam and Palestine that I have enumerated here? How indeed?

Media propaganda is partly to blame, but there are other factors involved in this situation as well. Personal selfishness and the greed born of consumerism cause people to focus on their own desires and 'needs' to the point where they are blinded to anything else. If the government lowers a tax or offers a rebate of some kind, however trivial it may be when compared to all the increased costs levied on society, that is all that matters to most people. They are too involved with their quest for a bigger house or a better car to question the reports of the government or media. When those reports are challenged or even proven false by any one, few take the time or trouble to give the matter any attention at all.

This is true of government representatives as well as individuals. Corruption in government would not exist in any substantial way were it not for greed and the promise or hope of gain. Government officials make political and moral compromises daily for the sake of profit, whether for themselves or their consituencies.
Beyond that, however, ignorance is possible on a grand scale only because of general indifference to anything that does not appear to affect an individual personally.

For example, there are quite a few who believe that Saddam Hussein was involved somehow with the attacks on the Twin Towers without any evidence whatsoever, and who continue to believe that Iraq had 'weapons of mass destruction', despite all evidence to the contrary. It would be laughable, were it not for the fact that it is from ignorance and misinformation like this that support for the spurious 'war against terror' is derived and sustained.

I was not intimidated by the man's pathetic performance today but there are people who are victimised every day by individuals like him. After the attacks of 11 September, Muslims in the West had to endure many terrorist threats based on nothing more than ignorance. It was hardest perhaps for the children who had to suffer through many nasty encounters very similar to the one I experienced this morning. Their innocence was lost the first time they were insulted or terrorised simply because they wore hijab. Instead of being seen as the symbol of modesty and purity that it actually represents, hijab was perceived as the badge of a terrorist.

Furthermore, it is this sort of ignorance and dehumanisation that encourages rapes, torture and murders by American soldiers in Iraq as well as the inhumane and despicable treatment of prisoners by Americans and their allies throughout the world. It is said that every serial or thrill killer is able to kill because he/she first dehumanises his/her victims.

And yet, if we fall into the same error, there will be no hope for the future. Rather than spitting hatred back at that horrible little man, I told myself that if only one person sees that sticker and begins to question the American government's policy towards the Arab Nation, it is worth every insult or threat that I may be forced to experience from others.

Even so, how can any one truly wonder why people in the streets in the Arab Nation celebrated when they saw the Twin Towers crumble? When faced day after day with the sort of blind arrogance and unreasoning hatred this old man exhibited, is it any wonder that there were those who did not mourn when they witnessed a symbol of that arrogance fall into dust? When the deaths of thousands of Arabs as 'collateral damage' in acts of terror committed by the U.S. and its allies meet with indifference or violent glee from individuals like this old man, is it any wonder that Americans sometimes are perceived as ignorant and selfish?

Whose duty is it to change that perception? I submit that Americans and members of other Western nations have a responsibility and duty to prevent men like this from speaking or acting in their name. I would like to believe that there are enough people out there who would be humiliated, embarrassed or even outraged enough by this sort of behaviour to do something to change American foreign policy rather than allowing this appalling state of affairs to continue. Of course, I never have been entirely cured of my idealistic principles...

Ashura and the Arab Nation

A few years ago, I wrote an article entitled 'Ashura, A Call to Action' for the Free Arab Voice, urging the world to oppose the U.S. plans to invade Iraq in the interests of justice. Unfortunately, the world stood aside for the most part as Iraq was invaded, its government, social and economic infrastructure demolished, and a new era of anarchy under a puppet government was brought into being under the auspices of the U.S. and its allies.

Meanwhile, the world has seen another invasion of Lebanon by the Zionists and the heroic stuggle of the Resistance under Hizb'allah. Rather than supporting the Resistance uncompromisingly, there have been the usual petty divisive movements even within the Arab Nation among leaders and other organisations to distance themselves from anything that threatens their precarious standing with the U.S. and its allies.

The lesson of Husayn at Karbala is one that transcends any religion. Husayn is a hero of the Arab Nation. His refusal to compromise with a corrupt government, even in order to save his life and the lives of his family and friends, should be an example for the entire world. Husayn is the ultimate example of the pure martyr. In his death, he bore witness to Honour and Truth. This story does not belong to the Shi'a alone. It belongs to the entire Arab Nation and in fact, to all of humanity.

'Ashura is here again and yet, instead of unity against the U.S. and the puppet government it has installed in Iraq, we see Shi'a and Sunni at one another's throats. We see corruption and unrestrained greed for power and money on both sides. Iran, rather than supporting the Resistance unconditionally, is making a bid for power for itself and its own agents in Iraq. The President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein has been hanged like a common criminal while his enemies rejoice, obviously ignorant of the full significance of this infamous act.

Sect against sect, family against family, and above it all, the pernicious influence of the policy of the U.S. and its allies, which is dedicated to the proposition that a weakened Arab Nation is the best possible result.

There is neither excuse nor justification for this and no one is entirely blameless. Sunni and Shi'a alike co-existed in the Arab Nation as well as in the rest of the world, both members of a single Ummah. Before the Western media began its propaganda campaign to create enmity between Shi'a and Sunni, few non-Muslims even were aware of the distinction between the two. In truth, there is no more distinction than there is between Roman Catholic and Anglican in Christianity. 'La ilaha ilallah wa Muhammadan rasulullah' is the common belief that binds all Muslims in a single Ummah. ('There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.)

It is not only Shi'a and Sunni who are guilty of allowing these divisions to widen. Now Christians, Muslims and secularists all must unite under the banner of Arab Nationalism to defeat a common enemy.

Saddam Hussein's last words reportedly were 'Palestine is Arab'. He was a secularist and yet he was a Muslim as well. He was President of Iraq and yet the Palestinian people were in his heart always. As long as people pursue their own small selfish interests rather than uniting under the banner of Arab Nationalism, this will lead lead only to the defeat of ALL ultimately.

Shame on the heads of those Shi'a who support the puppet government and corrupt leaders like the criminal Chelabi. Shame on the heads of those Sunni who do not consider Shi'a as their brothers, not only within the Ummah but in the Arab Nation as well. Shame on all those who foment this secularism, whatever their motivations.

Husayn at Karbala stood for justice and the refusal to compromise. Heavily outnumbered, he still choose to fight with honour and to die with honour. A Western writer wrote: 'Husayn marched with his little company not to glory, not to power or wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice and every member of that gallant band, male and female, knew that the foes were implacable, were not only ready to fight but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under a burning sun, amid scorching sands yet no one faltered for a moment and bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.'

With this example before us, how can any one choose personal gain or petty persecution over steadfastness to the noble cause of the Arab Nation? It is not only in Iraq that this poison can be seen at work, but in the Lebanon as well. Sisters and brothers, we must refuse to compromise, whether motivated from fear or by promise of gain. To work for or to support the puppet government that the U.S. has installed in Iraq is to be a traitor. To turn one's back on the Resistance movement in Lebanon would be a betrayal. The strength of the Arab Nation can be found only in Unity. To use the anarchy in Iraq or the political situation in Lebanon at this time in order to build a personal sphere of political, military or social influence is to be a traitor to the people. We must have resistance until death, but there must be Unity in this Resistance or it becomes nothing better than the squabbling of petty chieftains over war trophies that ultimately only will bleed the Nation dry.

There is no distinction between Iraq, Lebanon or Palestine. All are vital parts of a single Arab Nation and to focus on divisions instead of promoting unity is to be blind to the reality of the immense danger that threatens to overwhelm any hope of strength for the future. Strength is found only in a categorical refusal to bow to any foreign pressure whether in the form of intimidation or bribery. It is time for every one to support the cause of liberation. This liberation cannot be achieved at the hands of any foreign intervention or false pretense of 'democracy'. The Arab Nation must be steadfast in Resistance until Victory.

Resistance through Music

Music can provide a powerful rallying point for Resistance movements. This post reviews ''Ila Mataa?' by Rima Tarazi and Tania Tamari Nasir, a collection of songs dedicated to the Palestinian Resistance against the Zionist Occupation.

In 1986, Rima Tarazi and Tania Tamari Nasir recorded a number of extraordinarily powerful songs about Palestine. The songs were written by Rima Tarazi and sung by Tania primarily to the accompaniment of piano. Although both artists were born and raised in Palestine, the music represents a synthesis of East and West through its use of piano as well as Western operatic influence, yet firmly rooted in the realities of Palestinian culture and tradition.

Rima Tarazi evidently played and loved the piano from early childhood. Her use of the piano as accompanying instrument is a distinguishing feature of her music. The quality of the singer's voice is operatic and her musical background basically is a classical one. The choral accompaniment in some of her songs is characteristic of her compositions as well. Often listeners familiar only with Western classical music who listen to these songs without knowing their provenance mistakenly identify them as arias from Western classical opera. That does not make this music less genuinely Palestinian, but adds another element to its power, as the songs resonate with every one who appreciates classical music while maintaining their unique Palestinian roots and voice. The opera 'Ahmad al Arabi' by Marcel Khalife has the same effect. Music that transcends cultural boundaries yet remains true to its own cultural heritage possesses a potency that gives it a timeless universal quality.

I bought the cassette of 'Songs of Palestine' shortly after it was produced in the 1980s. Listening to it again and again through the years, it never has failed to move me.

In 1992, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra listened to the same cassette and wrote from Baghdad: 'I have to tell you that as I listened to the songs, I could not hold back my tears and my tears only flow whenever I come face to face with wondrous beauty! ... May this creativity be a constant source of inspiration to all of us as we reunite with our people in our Palestinian towns and villages so that this creative grief may be transformed into the creative joy we are forever awaiting...'

Now, two decades later, a CD has been produced that combines the songs on that cassette with new songs. Under the title of ''Ila Mataa?' ('Until When?') this incredible music is made available to a new generation.

One of the earliest songs, 'Song of the Bird' was written for the Society of Al Inash al Usra and dedicated and performed during the International Year of the Child in 1979.

The songs for the most part eulogise actual martyrs of Palestine. From a song for Hania, a 14 year old girl shot by the Zionists to songs dedicated to famous artists, writers and political leaders assassinated through the years, the songs remind us of the sea of blood on which the Zionist entity floats. They speak eloquently of Palestinian courage, determination and hope as well, inspiring our hearts to soar with pride and hope while allowing us to weep.

From Hania:

'I'm only a child, dear mother,
Why would they shoot me, dear mother?...

Hania, Hania, Hania,
Your injuries sing praises to the free,
They are the hymns of victory...

Our little ones, our dear ones, beloved ones,
Your blood shall always light our troubled earth,
It shall bring forth our renewed birth.'

The invasion of 1967 was followed by the Zionist invasion of Lebanon... The First Intifada was followed by the Second. We have witnessed another invasion of Lebanon by the Zionists and Palestine remains under Occupation even now.

Knowing this, a song dedicated to Al Quds must find an echo in the soul of every Palestinian:

Because I was born Palestinian,
Because my roots are deeply imprinted in history,
Because I was born Arab and in Jerusalem have lived since the dawn of time,
I die every day.

Al Quds has always been ours.
In our hearts it lives and will never die.
Every alley and every home bears my name,
My dreams and memories ae engraved in its walls,
Reminding us all Al Quds is Arab, it shall never die.

Because I dream of light and right,
Because I refuse to be a false witness and suppress the truth,
Because I am steadfast, as solid as a rock,
I die every day...

Al Quds is Arab,
Al Quds will never die.'

Nor will the spirit and actions of Resistance die.

Songs like these may carry with them the sorrow of loss but at the same time they bear the scent of the oranges and thyme of Palestine and the hope of a future that will not be denied. Steadfastness and memory are the twin pillars that support the strength of the Palestinian people. The identity of Palestine cannot be destroyed by bullet or bulldozer, by force or intimidation, by foreign declarations or by false propaganda. Palestine endures.

I urge every one to experience the magnificent talents of Rima Tarazi and Tania Tamari Nasir for themselves. The CD is available from the Palestine Online Store. No doubt other sources exist as well, but a link to the Palestine Online Store can be found in the Links section of this page.

N.B. If any one wishes to send me links to other sites that advance the cause of Palestine by offering items from Palestine, please feel free to do so.

Traditional arts and identity of Palestine

I intended to write about a current political situation today but decided to work on another aspect of Palestinian heritage that is dear to my heart. I was going to combine all aspects of Palestinian culture and affairs on a single site, but now have decided to create a separate page for folktales and traditional Palestinian arts. The new page, 'Symbols of Palestine' can be found in a link at the right of this page.

Facts about Palestine

It is easy to be swept by emotion when dealing with the Zionist Occupation of the Palestinian homeland, and indeed some of the most powerful denunciations of this genocidal regime have been created in the form of poems or songs. On the other hand, it is only through hard facts that the intense Zionist media propaganda can be countered, especially when one wishes to educate those who primarily focus on their own private lives, blissfully unaware of Zionist machinations and how they affect every one, whether directly or obliquely.

In recommending a factual source of information, there is nothing really to equal the incredible work of Issa Nakhleh's 'Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem'. As a member of the Bar, educated at London University to become an honourable member of Lincoln's Temple, Issa Nakhleh, although a passionate Palestinian patriot, approached the 'problem' of justice for Palestine in a strictly legal fashion. His work comprises 41 chapters with over a thousand pages of text, accompanied by extensive footnotes and photographic evidence. In his work, Issa Nakhleh provides a narrative of the history of Palestine from ancient to contemporary times. Beyond that, he manages to address every argument propounded by the Zionists and their supporters and to defeat every false theory, cutting at the very root of Zionism to utterly destroy any vestige of legitimacy either of the philosophy of Zionism or of its realisation in Palestine.

It has been difficult to find a copy of this book in recent years, but I was delighted to find that it has been published online. A link to the entire work is given in the link section dealing with the History of Palestine.
For those who wish to purchase books on the history of Palestine as well as current aspects of the situation, the Institute of Palestine Studies continues to offer academic works both in English and Arabic. Among them are the books by Walid Khalidi that have influenced more than one generation in making certain that neither Palestine nor the crimes of the Zionists ever would be forgotten. 'All that Remains' was one of the first efforts to create a precise catalogue that would make the world see how the Zionists had 'made the desert bloom' by soaking the land in Palestinian blood, destroying Palestinian villages and massacring or driving the inhabitants into exile.

This work inspired others and many projects now exist that are dedicated to the preservation of the memory of every Palestinian family and village. In terms of photography and photo-journalism, there are other excellent and inspiring works such as Edward Said's 'After the Last Sky' and the works of Azar on the Zionist invasion of Lebanon and the Intifada. Despite Edward Said's undoubted brilliance, I personally always have had a problem with 'After the Last Sky', finding its attitude nostalgic and defeatist rather than offering an aggressive promise of hope to the Palestinian people.

There are Jewish writers like Pappe, Benny Morris and Noam Chomsky who have made some contributions to history, and demonstrated some courage in discrediting Zionism. Unfortunately, when 'push comes to shove', most of them retreat into the fortress of racism that distinguishes the entire premise of a 'chosen people'. Even Noam Chomsky ultimately supports the racist Zionist state in limited form, choosing fantasy over reality rather than confronting the fundamental basis of Zionism as intrinsically racist and genocidal. These writers represent a group who are willing at least to debunk some of the Zionist propaganda but who will not support an unequivocal end to the Zionist entity. In failing to do so, they show themselves to be less than entirely trustworthy. Ilan Pappe, for example, attempts to argue that Zionist 'ethnic cleansing' of the Palestinian people, however criminal, is quite different in nature from genocide and he persists in supporting the special sanctity of the Jewish Hollowcause.

In fact, many of these writers will try to argue that their willingness to uncover the Zionist machinations that led to the Nakba as well as the continuing Occupation of the Palestinian homeland only proves that Jews somehow are the guardians of some higher standard of ethics and morality. Their work is rather like plea-bargaining in court: they will admit to some crimes in order to be exonerated of others. By admitting the facts of the Nakba, they appear to believe that the Palestinian people should be bound to compromise with respect to the continuing existence of the racist Zionist entity. In fact, the entire concept of the two-state solution, with its acceptance of a racist Zionist regime in part of the Palestinian homeland, fails to recognise the total lack of justification for the very existence of a political entity of this nature anywhere in this world.

In terms of the history of Palestine, however, original Jewish sources in the form of documents such as Moshe Sharett's diary are extremely important, as they provide unassailable evidence as to the truth of Zionism and its historical programme of destruction with respect to the Arab Nation as well as its aims with respect to the international community and nations throughout the world. If one examines the facts and the facts alone, one will be incapable of arguing in favour of the continuing existence of this 'rogue state' that threatens not only the Arab Nation but the entire world.

The Purpose of an Online Journal

As this online journal known as a 'blog' joins others on the internet, I wonder why it is that we feel compelled to raise our voices or type out our words, joining a seemingly endless stream or procession of others who walk the same path. 'I Blog for Palestine' in itself deserves some explanation...

Many write in order to express the reality of a homeland denied, a culture that has survived the onslaught of over a century of Zionist propaganda designed to promote the lie of 'A Land without People for a People without a Homeland'. The Zionist propaganda that depicted Palestine as an unoccupied 'desert' which they would cause to 'bloom' while its proponents worked tirelessly to destroy Palestinian villages and create a permanent foreign occupation of the Palestinian homeland.

Every Palestinian bears witness to the reality that Palestine is Arab and that truth cannot be bulldozed out of existence no matter how many villages are razed, or how many Palestinian children are murdered by Zionist bullets.

Nostalgia may motivate some writers but beyond that, there is the duty to preserve Palestinian history, art and culture for posterity. One day, the Zionist entity will crumble into dust and Palestine will reclaim its land and its heritage. The idea that a fragment of the West Bank or a piece of Gaza can serve as the Palestinian homeland is absurd. The idea that a foreign Jewish invasion could dispossess the Palestinian people from their homes on a permanent basis is one that must be proven false, and is being proven false on a daily basis by every refugee who carries the memory as well as evidence of his/her right to return wherever he/she may be in this world. The time when the Zionists may have hoped to wipe out an entire people has passed. The entire world now bears witness to each Zionist murder and each new crime committed by this foreign Occupation.

This is the other motivation that drives writers: the duty to bear witness. The word for martyr in Arabic comes from the verb 'to bear witness'. The death of every martyr bears witness not only to the cause for which he or she died/was murdered but bears witness to the crime that set the martyrdom into motion. For the human bomb, that crime is the foreign Occupation of the Arab homeland. For the martyr slain by a Zionist bullet, his/her death bears witness to the inherently murderous nature of that Occupation.

Many write about Palestine in order to bring the plight of the Palestinian people to the attention of the world. One therefore must attempt to conquer prejudice and ignorance as well as delineating facts. Do we write only to proclaim known truths to those who share our knowledge or do we write to bring the truth to those whose eyes are blinded to it by Western/Zionist media propaganda? Often the sheer weight of the ignorance and prejudice proclaiming all Arabs or all Muslims to be 'terrorists' and all Jews to be 'innocent victims' threatens to overwhelm many of us. How long can human beings remain ignorant to the facts? How many murders and demolitions must the Palestinian people endure before the world finally demonstrates any willingness to put Zionism on trial?

In every false protestation by the Zionists as to their desire for 'peace', there is a renewed Zionist campaign to appropriate more Palestinian land, as well as an effort to further reduce the Palestinian population either with bullets or exile in the cause of creating a wholly Jewish presence in Palestine. When will the world assume responsibility for its criminal negligence and even recklessness in allowing the Zionist entity to maintain its stranglehold over Palestine? At the heart of any call for 'Peace' must be a call for Justice. Until the Zionist entity is totally dismantled, there can be no true justice not only for Palestine but for humanity itself.

Meanwhile, make no mistake about it: silence cannot be imposed by any means whatsoever on the cause of justice for Palestine and the Arab Nation. If one voice is silenced, another will take its place. The blood of every martyr creates its own resounding message and its own presence in history. The death of every hero and martyr is an example to future generations as well as a rallying point here and now for those who will not accept the vision that the Zionists and their morally bankrupt allies seek to impose upon the world.
The path of Resistance only becomes wider and deeper as time goes on. It is through Resistance rather than compromise that this war will be won. Compromise only allows lies and half-lies to prevail and in the end, those lies will not serve the cause of justice. Resistance until Victory!