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By Adib Kawar • Dec 17th, 2009 at 15:49 • Category: Israel, Maps, Newswire, Palestine, Somoud: Arab Voices of Resistance, Zionism
Part of Tlaxcala and Palestine Think Tank's "First Word War"Colonizers try to justify their invasion and colonization of other peoples’ lands by means of various claims, unlike the earlier western colonizers of the 18th and 19th and early 20th centuries, modern colonizers try to justify their invasion of these lands by claiming that they are aiming at democratizing and liberating the targeted countries, peoples and lands.
European invaders of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand etc., right away declared that their aim was to find new lands to colonize and exploit for their civilized white man without beating around the bush with unfounded justifications such as to modernize or to liberate the indigenous populations and democratize them. On the contrary, the invaders declared without shame that they were exterminating the indigenous populations in order to have empty lands for the European civilized white man to colonize.
The United States, which claims to be the greatest democracy in the world, invaded Iraq and justified their action by aiming at liberating Iraqi Arabs from their dictatorial regime and then to democratize them. The invasion by the two Bush presidents – father and son, resulted in great damage of Iraq – both people and land. Iraq was a state that enjoyed a considerably high standard and quality of infrastructure. The invasion ended in threatening the unity of Iraq, human casualties totaling about one and half million deaths, millions of wounded with a high percentage of total physical disablement, and many newborn babies were badly deformed as a result of bombarding the cities and towns with illegal weapons, especially using ammunitions coated with depleted uranium. Thousands of scientists and university professors were targeted and assassinated and whoever of them escaped death had to flee in order to save their lives, which resulted in the destruction of the Iraqi academic life and standards, about 4.7 million Iraqis had to flee their places of residence to safer places in Iraq and/or outside it, agriculture, industry and other types of sources of production and income were badly damaged in addition to destroying most every other aspect of their lives…
On the other hand, Zionists, who had the help of western colonialist powers, especially the United Kingdom, which forced the League of Nations after its occupation of Palestine and other Arab countries to grant it mandate over Palestine so as to fulfill its Balfour Declaration to establish a “national home for the Jews in Palestine”, ended in the total occupation of Palestine by the Zionist movement. Zionists started their ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs by force of arms, terror and massacres. The Zionists entity that claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, and to have the most moral army in the world employed all forms and means of the least democratic attitude to terrorize Palestinian Arabs to steal their land, movable and immovable property with the aim of driving them out of their homes as much as possible and to make the land of Palestine empty of its legal owners, Palestinian Arabs, and deprive them of their inalienable Right of Return to Palestine.
Awni Farsakh wrote in his Arabic language article dated Dec. 6th 2009 entitled: “What did Netanyahu Leave to be Negotiated About?!”
http://www.alkhaleej.ae/App_Themes/news/images/general/plainline.jpg
“The Zionist entity that claims to be willing to allow Palestinian Arabs to establish a Palestinian Arab state is continuously colonizing what was still unoccupied parts of Palestine up till 1967, continues colonizing the West Bank including occupied East Jerusalem, which it annexed to the Zionist entity as the indivisible capital of “Israel”, (that is what was occupied of Palestine in 1948). Netanyahu’s declaration regarding what he called freezing settlement (colonization) of the West Bank for a period of ten months without previous conditions, but he actually included in his declaration a number of clear, candid and implicit conditions.”Farsakh added: “The first of the clear conditions, that America agrees to keep silent about, is the condition to keep colonizing East Jerusalem and its extension to the depth of the occupied West Bank, stressing what Zionists agree upon, namely that Jerusalem is to be out of negotiation, although it was included in the Oslo agreement among “matters for final agreement”. This comes at the same time of the European Union’s insistence on establishing a Palestinian state within the borders of June 4th 1967."
Also at the same time on Dec. 6th 2009 the “2009 ACRI Annual report” was published, which highlights increasing racism and rights violations. The report though prepared by an “Israeli” organization, nevertheless unmasked the myth of the so-called democracy in the Zionist entity that claims to be “The only democracy in the Middle East”.
Dana Weiler-Polak wrote in the Zionist paper, “Haaretz” entitled: “Civil rights report details racism in Israel in all its many shades” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/0.gif,
“The realization of the entire spectrum of rights is now, more than ever, dependent on what we say or believe, what ethnic group we belong to, how much money we have, and more. We have the freedom to express ourselves and demonstrate – only if we don’t say anything displeasing; we have the right to equal treatment and opportunities – only if we are “loyal” to the State; we have the right to health care – only if we have enough money to afford treatments and medications; and we have the right to adequate housing – only if our ideologies and lifestyles are acceptable.” (What the report called “he is one of us”)
According to ACRI, “The conditioning of rights is contrary to the principle of the universality of human rights.”, and as ACRI President and renowned author Sammi Michael said,“Every individual has basic rights as a human being and these rights are inalienable. Just as rights cannot be conditioned, neither can democracy. As such, the conditioning of rights undermines the very foundations of Israeli democracy.” “Israel” as a colonialist entity that discriminates against various groups of it “citizens” that the report names cannot be considered as a democratic entity, because it contradicts the values and principles of International Human Rights.
Dana Weiler-Polak wrote in his article, “Civil rights report details racism in Israel in all its many shades”, saying: “Basic rights in Israel are increasingly conditioned on the identity and gender of those who seek to realize them”, according to the annual report which the Association for Civil Rights in Israel prepared, it describes a reality in which “Arabs receive education, work, and maybe citizenship only if they serve in the army or perform national service.” But the report clearly points out that discrimination and racism is not targeted only against Arabs who are called “Israeli Arabs”, it covers at the same time various categories of Jews in the so called “Jewish state”, which as we mentioned above claims to be “the only democracy in the Middle East”. The report includes among others who are considered “Israeli citizens”: Falasha Ethiopian Jews who were imported like the roughly 300,000 non-Jewish Russians (it is well known that among the one million Russians who were imported and settled in the Zionist entity to increase the number of non Arabs among those who live in the so-called “Jewish state” for racist reasons), also religious or disabled people, as well as single-sex and single-parent families.
The report gives several examples on how far the Zionist entity is away from being a democracy, a democracy that was established by terrorism and the force of arms, and is still proceeding with this policy to try to exterminate the indigenous Arab population to build the “Jewish state” following the same means and methods that European white colonialists resorted to in the new world, which was called the Americas that is exactly the same policy European invaders resorted to in establishing what they called “The major democracy of the world”, which protects, finances and arms its protectorate, namely its colonialist long arm in the Arab homeland and the Islamic world. Both resorted to ethnic cleansing of the indigenous populations of the lands they invaded to colonize with the claim of establishing white European democracies!!!
Jim Holstun, professor of English at University at Buffalo wrote an introduction in Counterpunch for Benny Morris’ interview with Haaretz correspondent, Ari Shavit, on January 16, 2004 entitled “Survival of the Fittest”,
Note: Benny Morris is the dean of Israeli 'new historians', who have done so much to create a critical vision of Zionism–its expulsion and continuing oppression of the Palestinians, its pressing need for moral and political atonement. His 1987 book, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, chronicled the Zionist murders, terrorism, and ethnic cleansing that drove 600,000-750,000 Palestinians from their homes in 1948, thus refuting the myth that they fled under the orders of Arab leaders. A second edition of this book is due out this month, chronicling even more massacres, and a previously unsuspected number of rapes and murders of Palestinian women. Thus Morris continues to provide crucial documentation for Palestinians fighting the heritage of Al-Nakbah, "The Catastrophe."Holstun added:
But in an astonishing recent Ha'aretz interview, after summarizing his new research, Morris proceeds to argue for the necessity of ethnic cleansing in 1948. He faults David Ben-Gurion for failing to expel all Arab Israelis, and hints that it may be necessary to finish the job in the future. Though he calls himself a left-wing Zionist, he invokes and praises the fascist Vladimir Jabotinsky in calling for an "iron wall" solution to the current crisis. Referring to Sharon's Security Wall, he says, "Something like a cage has to be built for them. I know that sounds terrible. It is really cruel. But there is no choice. There is a wild animal there that has to be locked up in one way or another." He calls the conflict between Israelis and Arabs a struggle between civilization and barbarism, and suggests an analogy frequently drawn by Palestinians, though from the other side of the Winchester: "Even the great American democracy could not have been created without the annihilation of the Indians."And proceeded saying:
“Morris's chilling candor effectively removes him from the realm of rational argument, and hauls Sharon's fascist vision of a Greater Israel out into the light of day. There's no point in saying, "You're talking about ethnic cleansing!" for Morris says bluntly, "There are circumstances in history that justify ethnic cleansing." There's no point in saying, "You're denying Palestinian suffering!" for after chronicling that suffering in scrupulous detail, he observes brightly, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. You have to dirty your hands."Returning to Dana Weiler-Polak, who proceeded quoting the ACRI report to criticize the Zionist colonialist so-called democracy:
“Concerning freedom of expression the report says: – “In 2009, there has been a disturbing increase in infringements on freedom of expression, specifically when individuals and organizations criticized the government.Weiler-Polak continues saying:
In the context of the legal and non-violent campaign against “Operation Cast Lead”, demonstrations were diffused, protesters arrested for no valid reason, and some requests to hold demonstrations not granted – because of the messages conveyed.
Several legislative bills attempted to limit freedom of expression in an unprecedented manner: the “Nakbah Law” would have rendered marking Israel’s Independence Day as a day of mourning (many members of the Arab minority mark this day as the "Nakbah" or catastrophe) punishable with imprisonment and the “Loyalty Law” would have ordered the cancellation of the citizenship of those who do not pledge loyalty to the State.”
“Treatment of Human rights defenders and activists is by no means different from the Zionist entity’s reaction to freedom of expression when it opposes the Zionist ideology, as thus human rights and activists as the report says: “Decision-makers and senior officials within the Israeli government have worked to silence activists and members of social change organizations, whose messages do not correspond to their own. This included aggressive media campaigns, demonization, the diffusion of false information, and attempts to sabotage their funding. Earlier this year, for example, the IDF Spokesperson savagely attacked “Breaking the Silence,” a group which collects testimonies from soldiers who served in the Occupied Territories. In another instance among many, Interior Ministry Eli Yishai called organizations defending migrant workers’ rights a “threat to the Zionist enterprise.”Arabs in occupied Palestine who are supposed to be citizens of the Zionist entity, the rulers of which prefer to call “The Jewish state”, as thus at least 20% of its so-called citizens (Palestinian Arabs) who are not of the Jewish faith cannot be considered as real citizens, the thing that the vast majority of its Jewish citizens would be more than happy to confirm. These are Palestinian Arabs who were not expelled from their homes and land by Zionist terrorism with the help of the British mandate/occupation starting with 1947/1948 and 1967 Zionist wars of aggression against the indigenous Arab population of Palestine, and are being continuously forced by one way or another out of occupied Palestine. Many Israelis would like to see them uprooted to follow their brothers and sisters as refugees all round the world and have them replaced by imported Jews and non-Arabs from the four quarters of the world, the vast majority of them were converted to Judaism or claim to be Jews. The report added:
“Arab Citizens of Israel – Rights, if you are loyal: Though Arab citizens of Israel have suffered entrenched discrimination since the establishment of the State, they have faced particularly vicious attacks on their political and civil rights in the past year. Many of the trends mentioned above have affected Israel’s minority most acutely such as the proposed “Nakbah Law” and “Loyalty Law.” Moreover, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that whoever did not serve in the military or complete national service would not be accepted to the Foreign Ministry’s training course; Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced plans to offer financial incentives for schools with high military induction rates. These conditions blatantly infringe on the rights of Arab citizens to equality because they generally do not serve in the army.(Of course this is an excuse and cover for many other more racial ‘excuses’ against Palestinians in Particular and Arabs in general).
but the conditions also discriminate against Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews), people with disabilities, and others. The proposals also reinforce the notion – held among many – that Arab citizens constitute a fifth column.”Below is a sample of the statistics presented in ACRI’s 2009 report:
Racism: Only half of Jewish Israelis believe Jews and Arabs should have equal rights. Fifty-five percent believe the State should encourage Arabs to emigrate, 78 percent oppose the inclusion of Arab political parties in the government and 74 percent of Jewish youth think Arabs are unclean.
“Deprivation: Some 100,000 East Jerusalem Arab residents have no legal access to water, causing unsanitary conditions and the spread of diseases such as Hepatitis A. (This is while as mentioned above, 74 percent of Jewish youth think Arabs are unclean.) Only 55 out of 15,000 kindergarten aged Arab children in East Jerusalem are in municipal kindergartens.“Health: Infant mortality in southern Israel is 7.6 per 1,000 live births compared to 3.3 in Central Israel. Thirty percent of low wage earners and 20 percent of the chronically ill forego medical treatment or medication not covered by government insurance.
“Unchecked Police Violence: In 2005-2006 only 35 percent of complaints of police violence were investigated and the police officers involved were prosecuted in only three percent of the instances.
Read more about the ACRI report HYPERLINK "http://www.nif.org/about/success-stories/.il/?id=1434&file_loc=430&btnmain=11373"heree.
Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondent wrote in her article entitled: “How Israel manipulates its citizens”: said:
“Do the settlers clashing with the forces of law and order not know that those who have committed crimes – from racist threats and blocking roads, to wholesale cutting down of trees, arson and beating and murdering Palestinians – have not been investigated or have been forgiven and forgotten with a wink?By: Adib S. Kawar edited by Mary Rizzo
“The settlers' feeling of betrayal is natural. Haven't the state and its institutions taught us that the settler is superior to everyone else?”
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