I am back in Beirut at the Fourth Global Convention of Solidarity with Palestine. Last night I, along with 9 others thinkers, activists and warriors was honored by The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine for our contribution for the cause.
This was my short acceptance speech.
Thanks so much for inviting me to this spiritually uplifting conference. Watching you tonight reminds me what resistance is all about.
Thanks to Sukran as well for appreciating my work.
For the last 20 years I’ve been subject to endless smear campaigns. I’ve been subject to constant slander and abuse at the hands of Zionists but also ‘anti’ Zionists. In 2012, as I was raising funds for the March to Jerusalem, a group of 20 Palestinians called for “my disavowal.” They probably didn’t want to march to Jerusalem… fair enough. I’ve seen the publishing house that dared to print The Wandering Who bought by an Israeli. I’ve seen the record company that released my best selling albums bought by an Israeli. I have seen many doors closing, but my plight is really insignificantly small in comparison with the Palestinians’ suffering.
Let me tell you, if I had to relive my life, I would do-exactly the same things.
Yes, I might have lost some lucrative concerts, a few publishing deals, but when I wake up in the morning I recognise the person I see in the mirror.
Dear friends, Palestine is now a universal struggle.
We are all Palestinians.
Like the Palestinians, we can’t utter the name of our oppressor.
Like the Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Libyans, we in the West: Americans, Germans, French, Brits, are uprooted and dispossessed. We also want to return home, to see our family values reinstated. We want to speak our minds , to say, for instance, what we think about Israel without being suspended by Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, we want to see a prospect of a future for our children.
I will make it short and clear. In this fight for the right of return we are one people and our enemy is also one!
If they want to burn it , you want to read it..
Being in Time – A Post Political Manifesto
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