Enduring Occupation: Sabbah's Thoughts

From our dear friend Haitham Sabbah's blog.

Enduring Occupation

05. June 2007 2236hrs
Part of Haitham's adventure in Palestine, Israel, Human Rights, War, Middle East, War Crimes, History

Other posts by Haitham

Today marks the 40^th sad anniversary of ‘Naksa’ (setback), as Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser described the defeat in his resignation announcement on the fifth day if the ‘Six Day War’.

On June 5^th 1967, the Israel occupation forces launched ‘Operation Focus’, which toke by surprise three Arab armies; the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian and ended up with Israeli occupation of West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and Golan Heights.

In the last few days, and few more days to come, the anniversary is the main subjects for many around the world. Not only journalists, but some politicians will continue to practice some of their amazing skills and cry on the past, kill us with their useless analysis of the reasons why Arab lost the war, but no one actually offers any solution for the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which is dramatizing and going from bad to worse day by day, thanks to the Israeli occupation.

Not to forget that the plight of Palestinians is not better for those living in the ’safe’ of host countries as refugees. Best example to describe their situation is summed up by these few words by Dr. Marcy Newman reporting Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in Lebanon. She wrote:

When we finally reached Badawi camp to deliver the medicine we were learned that one refugee from Nahr al-Bared camp, who passed through a checkpoint earlier today, was told by a Lebanese soldier, “I hope that we can round up all the Palestinians, throw benzene on you, and light a fire.” This is a truth that Lebanon does not want told. These are the stories that must be told and they far outweigh and out number the story of one prominent, wealthy Lebanese leader’s international tribunal.

Unfortunately, similar stories were heard several times from eyewitness refugees on different media channels in the past two weeks.

Now, despite this hate for Palestinians around the world, lets keep our focus on the reason behind the plight of the Palestinians, all Palestinians, under occupation and in refugee capms.

I like to keep repeating these words by Hasan Abu Nimah because they carry in them the starting point for a just soultion:

Has the time not come to determine precisely and fairly where the chain of events starts, in order to be able to accordingly determine who retaliates for what? Should one not start with the occupation? Are 40 years of continued, severe, harsh, oppressive and humiliating occupation not aggression? Who gave Israel the right to occupy the Palestinians and rule their lives for that long, in full contravention of international law and the simplest principles of human rights? Who gave Israel the right to leave Gaza but lay siege to it, controlling every movement of people and goods to and from, and to seek European help to participate in controlling the siege? When the starved Palestinians dug tunnels to break their isolation, they were condemned and punished worldwide. Who gave the Israelis the right to impose total financial and political boycott as an act of punishment for all Palestinians for practising their democratic right and electing a government which Israel did not like, and the whole world went along with this additional injustice, tightening the boycott indefinitely?

That’s true. The Israeli occupation is the reason, ending the occupation is the ONLY solution for all the conflicts in the region. However, this is not happening. Not today at least. Not while Israeli is still dragging the area to Armageddon.

Few days ago, Amnesty International published this ‘must-read’ report (52 pages), Enduring Occupation.

I was not surprised with the info that the report provided, maybe because I’m a Palestinian. But the following map will tell you the untold stories in the media. It will tell you why peace is not coming tomorrow. It will tell you why Palestinians will never stop resisting:

This is the remains of West Bank today. The map is taken from Amnesty International report, which I mentioned above and can downloaded at:
http://www.amnesty.org/resources/Israel_Report0706/

Also don’t miss this Interactive Map of the West Bank apartheid fence/wall.

40 years after its conquest by Israel in the Six Day War, this map gives the most definitive picture so far of a territory in which 2.5m Palestinians are confined to dozens of enclaves separated by Israeli roads, settlements, apartheid fences and military zones.

As the report describes, the impact of Israeli civilian and military infrastructure is to render 40 per cent of the West Bank territories, which is roughly the size of the US state of Delaware or the English county of Norfolk, off-limits to Palestinians.

The rest of the territory, including main centres such as Nablus and Jericho, is split into isolated spots. Movement between them is restricted by 450 roadblocks and 70 manned checkpoints. Just imagine that you have to go from Jenin (at north) to Al-Khalil (Hebron, at south). It’s like going to moon.

The process of enclosing the civilian enclaves has accelerated in the years since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in 2000, and the reintroduction by Israel of its military rule even in areas previously under Palestinian Authority security control.

A network of ‘Jews ONLY’ roads in the ‘ONLY RACIST DEMOCRACY’ of the world is designed to ease the movement of Jewish settlers and limits access between Palestinian enclaves.

Some 450,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and occupied east Jerusalem and settlements are growing day by day. What do you expect the Palestinians to do but resist with all mean.

This is the story of 40 years of occupation. I can’t promise you that this story will end in the coming 40 years, or less, or more. What I can promise you is that Palestinians will never, ever drop or stop their fight and struggle to obtain and return their stolen properties and rights. 40 years passed and Palestinians are still resisting because they don’t watch calenders or count days/years. It might take another 40 years/decades/centuries, but Palestinians will not give up. You can bit on that.

Wishing for an end to reports and the start of an occupation-free life.

ONE DAY, WE WILL RETURN!

Yes you will Haitham, Inshallah, and there will be peace in the Holy Land as our creator holds ALL of his children in the palm of his hand.

National Anthem of Palestine