From Deir Yassin to Gaza

I am back in Palestine after a long 40 day book tour in which I visited 3 countries, 16 US states, gave talks 67 times and interviewed on TV and Radio extensively. Over 3000 wonderful contacts were made. I thank all who helped make this possible and all who attended my talks. My apologies for my poor name-face association with older age.  Yet, the sweet home coming occurred on 9 April, 2011 the anniversary of the massacre at Deir Yassin and, just in the past three days, 18 Palestinians were murdered in Gaza by the same occupation army; including a man and his grand-daughter. I penned a poem along the way:

April 9, 1948 to April 9, 2011: Deir Yassin to Gaza

(by Mazin Qumsiyeh, Written on the way back home, dedicated to Juliano*)

My kind old mother laments

Decades of memory that transcends

Fake Gods and fake peace offers

who bless nichsayon** and slaughter

our eyes fail to see or just lament

blood of a child licked off a pavement

By stray thirsty cats

with more morals than army brats

Our ears fail to hear

voice of Dr. Izzeldinne echoes

“I shall not hate” anguished cries

After three beautiful daughters

With a tank shell and a niece in slaughters

Our noses feail to smell

The whiff of death mixed with gun powder

Or the vomit of our tortured

Our hearts fail to feel

the punctured womb by the old home

the severed girl’s head by the mosque dome

Mutilated,

dismembered,

disconnected

Our fingers fail to touch

an anguished young mother

Looking for a child

Jews, Christian, Muslims wail

The lost humanity to no avail

the generals must have their joy

to test their newest toy

in Gaza white phosphorous back in use yesterday

impunity from war crimes thanks to the US of A

billionairs must make more dollars

zealots must sacrifice children at altars

Gabriel can stay a knife but not drones

And hate can murder a thousand Julianos

While the apathetic multitude watch TV

Obliviously focused on their shopping spree

Bypassing love and responsibility

Chasing gadgets, hate, and vanity

Next news bulletin.... get the experience

Next anniversary..awaken the conscience??

*The Jenin Freedom Theater and Juliano in his own words (excellent video by Jen Marlowe) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGqmLyunm0

**Nichsayon: Hebrew for Ethnic cleansing

Avnery on two new racist laws in Israel

http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1301161372

Associated Press biased reporting on Gaza

http://israelpalestinenews.wordpress.com/

‘The Goldstone Report’ now belongs to the world by ADAM HOROWITZ, LIZZY RATNER, AND PHIL WEISS

http://mondoweiss.net/2011/04/the-goldstone-report-now-belongs-to-the-world.html

And another opinion

The Goldstone Chronicles  By ROGER COHEN 

To “Goldstone”: (Colloq.) To sow confusion, hide a secret, create havoc. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/opinion/08iht-edcohen08.html?ref=opinion#