The below article was reprinted here with expressed permission of the author, Mary Sparrowdancer. The source where I found this excellent article is Vive le Canada.
Monday, June 11 2007 @ 12:11 PM MDT
War and Peace
The Invisible Holocaust By Mary Sparrowdancer
Contributed by: Diogenes
Palestine -The Invisible Holocaust
By Mary Sparrowdancer
©. 2007 Mary Sparrowdancer
6-10-7
As we celebrate Israel's 40th anniversary of their illegal military "occupation" of Palestinian homes and lands, it is perhaps time for the world to take a good, close look at Israel-an experimental, communist war camp that is posing as a religious state in need of protection. The entire world is afraid to even question the activities of the state of Israel, or hold it to international human rights laws. It is time for the world to spend a few hours with the invisible Palestinian refugees. The Palestinians are a nation of victims who have been brutally "occupied" against their will within a Zionist-created Holocaust for almost sixty years now.
"Occupation" is a sanitized word that no one seems to question or care about. The truth, however, is that "occupation" or "occupied land" does not begin to tell the full story of what has been done to the Palestinians. In order to more fully understand the matter, we will have to go back to the year 1948, the year in which Israel declared itself a state within the nation of Palestine, and then go back even further to see how this was orchestrated.
First, however, imagine if you will the Roman Catholics or Southern Baptists declaring for themselves a "state" within the U.S., in which they will recognize the human rights of only members of their own religion, and in which they intend to seize homes, lands, orchards, properties and water rights belonging to others, and then drive out the residents who had previously resided in and around their newly claimed "state." Such a situation would not be permitted because it is clearly illegal.
The creation of a "homeland" for Zionists did not happen overnight. Zionist Israel did not simply erupt into existence in 1948. Instead, its plans were drafted and crafted on various papers in England, dating back to the early 1900s. In a 2002 interview with BBC News, previous UK Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, blamed much of the current and ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict on the activities of "Britain's imperial past." It was the "Balfour Declaration" of 1917, in which England "gave" the land of the Palestinians to the Zionists. (1) (2)
Zionist Israel was born, one might say, as the product of explosives. In the early 1900s, Dr. Chaim Weizmann discovered a way to use industrial fermentation to facilitate the manufacture of cordite. This proved to be immensely helpful to British war efforts, and when he was asked how he wished to be compensated for the services he rendered to Britain, Weizmann reportedly answered, "There is only one thing I want-a national home for my people." Specifically, he desired Palestine. The Balfour Declaration would soon be written, and Dr Weizmann would eventually become the first president of a new state called "Israel." (3)
With the Balfour Declaration, one nation promised a nation not yet in existence the land already inhabited by a third nation. The third nation was not consulted. Balfour would later write, "For in Palestine we do not propose even to go through the form of consulting the wishes of the present inhabitants of the country" and, he further wrote of Palestine, "Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-long tradition, in present needs, in future hopes, of far profounder importance than the desire and prejudicies of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land."
With his own personal prejudices, Lord Balfour put pen to paper and ultimately ruined the lives of human beings now numbering in the millions. He apparently failed to realize that many of the Palestinians had been living on their ancestral lands in Palestine for a thousand years, or longer. Giving ancestral Palestinian homes and land to the Zionists and Jewish settlers from all other countries around the globe, gave Jewish immigrants a new home if they desired to have one, but it turned all of the Palestinians into refugees in their own land. The outrage and despair of such an inhumane "declaration" has led to sixty years of violence throughout Palestine, much of which the world knows nothing about, because the situation and the Palestinians, themselves, remain largely invisible to us. (4)
As the fighting escalated when Israel declared itself a state within Palestine in 1948, Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat, was sent there in an attempt to establish rules of fairness that would hopefully bring peace. This is what Bernadotte had to say about Israel: "A Jewish State called Israel exists in Palestine and there are no sound reasons for assuming that it will not continue to do so." He devised a plan that would limit the borders of Israel within Palestine, and would also allow the Palestinian refugees-who had fled in terror from the heavily armed Israeli military-to return to their homes. After writing the plan, the Count was ambushed and assassinated by outraged Zionist terrorists. (5)
Much of what has gone on in the Middle East has been censored by the state-controlled major news media. The censorship has been so heavy, that the truth has rarely made its way to the public's awareness. Because of this, it was perhaps inevitable that frustrated journalists would eventually come together and create professional, independent news media, such as Al-Jazeera, in order to present what they were witnessing without censorship. Al-Jazeera does not seek a stamp of approval from the U.S., from Israel, or from England prior to publishing its news features, comments, and documentaries. It has presented a great deal of unexpected photographic coverage of U.S. and Israeli aggression that is so embarrassing, Al-Jazeera's Arab news offices and clearly marked vehicles have been bombed and fired upon by U.S. warplanes and U.S. and British tanks. (6) (7) (8)
A recent Al-Jazeera debate on their program, Inside Story, focused on a "damning report" written by Amnesty International regarding Israel's 40 years of illegal military occupation of Palestine. The Amnesty report outlined a host of human rights violations against Israel, as well as violations of international law. Al-Jazeera journalist, Darren Jordan, asked the question, "Why isn't the international community doing more to help end the suffering?" Unfortunately, the simple answer is that for the most part, the international community does not know about the suffering, because most are still receiving their "news" from the state-controlled propaganda media. We have not been given honest news about Israel for almost sixty years. (9)
None of the state-run major news media have presented a fair picture of the Zionist-Israeli military takeover of Palestinian. It has not been in the news for the simple reason that Israel does not want the international community to know what Israel has been doing to the Palestinians.
The invisible Palestinians are not safe from the Israeli military even in the refugee camps in Palestine. Many of the Palestinians have no homes, they have no lives, they have no rights, they have no protected existence, they have no voice, and they have no place to go. They are sometimes stripped naked at the numerous checkpoints and roadblocks within their own communities, and forced to walk naked in front of Israeli soldiers and everyone else present, including family, neighbors, and witnesses. They are forced to carry Identification Papers with them at all times if they wish to pass from one checkpoint to another into their own homes and land. They are sometimes detained for many hours. They are forced to submit to authority without redress. They are openly beaten, shot, and terrorized. For almost sixty years, they have waited for someone to hear them and help them, but for almost sixty years, the Israeli experiment in human rights abuse has been allowed to continue without comment by the nations "supporting" Israel, such as the United States.
Throughout this time, the world has been led by the major news media to form less than charitable opinions about the Palestinians. We do not hear about the slaughter of Palestinian children and unarmed civilians by the Israelis. We hear little about the enormous walls, electric fences and razor wire that the Israelis are placing on land that is not theirs, sometimes cutting farmers off from their own farmlands. We do not hear about the Israeli bombardment and destruction of neighborhoods with bulldozers, tanks, mortars, F16s and Black Hawk helicopters. We hear instead about the Palestinian "suicide bombers," to such a degree that many now think that the word "Palestinian" is synonymous with "terrorist." One should keep in mind that the Palestinians are primarily armed with rocks and slingshots. Perhaps we should also keep in mind the fact that suicide is always an act of despair. It is time for us to finally ask what might be causing such horrifying despair. (10) (11) (12) (13)
Independent journalists are now risking their lives in order to create documentaries so that we can see with our own eyes what state-owned media will not show us. They are videotaping what is actually happening in the land called Israel-and beyond-where Israel, as well as the U.S. and others are trespassing and bombing homes and lands that belong to citizens of other nations, and are killing and maiming those unarmed civilians. We can now watch actual footage of what is happening, and after so many years of lies, we can finally ask ourselves who the real terrorists are.
While spending some time with the Palestinians in the following videos, imagine yourself within the crowds, largely unarmed with the exception of those rocks and slingshots mentioned above, running from the tanks and other military vehicles from which random shots of live ammunition and mortar shells are being fired at buildings, shops, fruit stands, and at the people. As the crowds of refugees are running, some can be seen carrying bags of bread with them. This is a sight that one will not quickly or easily forget. To see people running from Zionist soldiers while clutching bags of bread suggests that the refugees are running with the hope that they might live long enough to see their next meal.
On this particular day of filming, however, in the first video linked below, one six-year-old child will not be so fortunate. She will not live to share another meal with her family. She accompanied her father to the bakery and waited in their car while he went inside and bought the family's daily bread. While she waited, she was shot in the chest and stomach. Imagine being her father and coming out of the bakery to find that the child who was beautiful and vibrant moments earlier, is now dying. Imagine carrying her to the hospital in a futile attempt to save her innocent life. Imagine having to go back to the car that is drenched with the blood of the now-dead child. The loaves of bread are still sitting on the hood of the car where the father left them.
Please keep in mind while watching these videos that the Israeli government was trespassing in Jenin where these atrocities occurred. It has no legal right to "occupy" the Palestinian lands, to use live ammunition against the refugees there, nor does it have the legal right to terrorize the refugees or enforce curfews and horrific humilities upon them. Also, please keep in mind that those defending Israeli actions are claiming that there is no Holocaust happening in Palestine.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2347953151064740545
Next, a two-part video, each 17 minutes long. These contain more footage and personal accounts of the horrific destruction and terrorism in Jenin.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2373468531206028191&q=jenin&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3216988889570484470&q=jenin&hl=en
A four-minute slide show set to music. Do you know where your tax money is going? Are you inadvertently aiding and paying for the Palestinian Holocaust that is being carried out by Israel?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKQqItZu4Is
Next is a brief video of a young Zionist male who is expressing the opinion that has been taught to him by some, that Palestine "is my land, God gave it to me." (Warning: Extremely foul language.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O9W3UsdRyM&NR=1
Finally, below is a link to a brief portion of a documentary by independent news journalist, William Hughes. In the video, a Jewish rabbi speaks on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Jews. The rabbi explains why the state of Israel has nothing to do with Judaism-or with the Jewish God. The rabbi, who is demonstrating in Washington with fellow Jews against AIPAC ("America's pro-Israel Lobby"), states that neither AIPAC nor the state of Israel represents Judaism. He states that the establishment of the state of Israel and its subsequent subjugation of the Palestinian people is in complete violation of the Torah and Judaism, and was an act against God. He further states that "the state of Israel, with God's help, should be speedily and peacefully dismantled, so we can once again live in harmony and brotherhood with the Arabs and Muslims as we have for hundreds of years."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nClbNB-qNRA&NR=1
The path to peace is actually so simple, even a child can understand it and memorize it. A peacemaker who loved the Palestinians enough to appear before them-a dignitary some have called, "Jesus"-once summed it up this way: "Love one another as I have loved you."
The world can do this. We can give Palestine back to the Palestinians, and we can protect all human beings from all Holocausts-with the help of independent, honest news reporting. We can hope for peace and we can bring about peace, because we are hope whenever we think for ourselves. Some of the Israeli fighter pilots and military personnel are now refusing military orders that might result in the further harm of Palestinian civilians. The whole world should embrace them as heroes at a time when Christ-like heroes are badly needed.
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Mary Sparrowdancer is a writer, an independent journalist, and the author of The Love Song, which sold out last year after becoming the #2 in-house bestseller at her former publishing house. The special edition is due to be printed soon. www.sparrowdancer.com She can be reached here: sparrowdancer1@earthlink.net
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References, and photographs.
1. Jack Straw British Colonialism. 6/9/2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2481371.stm
2. Balfour Declaration: Give Palestine to the Zionists. 6/9/2007
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/balfour.htm
3. Time Magazine, October 11, 1948, "After a Small Pause," 6/9/2007
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887906,00.html
4. Said, Edward "The Question of Palestine," quoting Balfour, pages 16 and 17, Vintage, 1992.
5. Bernadotte's Second Plan: Jewish state inside Palestine. 6/9/2007
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/decade/decad170.htm
6. US Bombs Al-Jazeera 6/9/2007
http://electroniciraq.net/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/10/582
7. Al-Jazeera, U.S. attacks reporters. 6/9/2007
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=5945
8. British and U.S. tanks target Al-Jazeera 6/9/2007
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1843
9. Al-Jazeera, Inside Story 6/9/2007
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ECA2123D-10B7
-4F71-A3DB-D98C2F224FC2.htm
This video can also be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_znUvv9ag
10. Human Rights Watch: Jenin Refugee Camp, demolished. 6/10/2007
http://hrw.org/photos/2002/jenin/pages/11.htm
11. Human Rights Watch: Walking in demolished refugee camp, Jenin. 6/10/2007
http://hrw.org/photos/2002/jenin/pages/8.htm
12. Human Rights Watch: Removing the white flag from flattened wheelchair of Kamal Zghair, who was shot, killed, and then run over by an Israeli tank. 6/10/2007
http://hrw.org/photos/2002/jenin/pages/17.htm
13. Prout News Photo Tank inside a destroyed Jenin house.
http://proutnewsnetwork.org/NWO/files/img/jenin_4_13_02.JPG
http://www.rense.com/general76/palest.htm
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