Recent discoveries show that the Eastern Mediterranean area
has huge energy fields which together with water resources could provide the
impetus for new conflicts/wars. The initial estimates is that the area in the
sea facing Palestine (present day Israel and the Gaza Strip), Lebanon, and Syria holds 1.7 billion
barrels of oil, 5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, and an astounding 122
trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. Already Israel uses nearly 10
times more of our water per capita than we the native Palestinians use. Already Israel controls most of the lucrative
tourism industry in Palestine and most of our agricultural lands and other resources.
Already Israel has very many millionaires and a few billionaires while 25% of
Israeli Children live in poverty (and nearly half the Palestinian Children in
Gaza and the West Bank). I guess there are those chosen and those who are even
more chosen.
Meanwhile, there were large demonstrations demanding the Palestinian
dueling authorities (in Ramallah and Gaza) stop political arrests. And
while our people are busy with local municipal elections, the Zionists
intensify their assault on common decency.
Avigdor Lieberman and over 100 settlers came to my town of Beit Sahour
Thursday wanting to build a new colonial settlement in the area of Ush Ghrab to
be called Shdema. So now the local
committee is re-emerging to try to deal with this new challenge. And today
(Saturday) Israeli authorities discovered a fairly sophisticated unmanned drone
that apparently was hovering in the Neqeb (Negev) area and shot it down. That shook the Israeli public and showed that
all the sophisticated military gear in the world will not protect you from such
efforts. The world is changing and only
justice to the native Palestinians can bring security and peace here.
In this week's compilation of links below: evaluation of Zionism
versus Judaism, BDS as key to just peace, Russell Tribunal on Palestine,
Lutherans look at Israeli military, 5 broken cameras, why I dislike Israel, and
why Oslo must go.
Very good analysis: A Basic History of Zionism and Its
Relation to Judaism By Hanna Braun.
BDS key to a "just peace," says Palestinian
Christian boycott activist . Joe Catron
Russell Tribunal on Palestine: Live proceedings from New
York
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and other churches call for investigation of military aid to
Israel
The documentary that should make every decent Israeli
ashamed: No moments of reprieve in the probing documentary by Emad Burnat and
Guy Davidi, "5 Broken Cameras," which chronicles the struggle in the
West Bank Palestinian village of Bil'in. By Gideon Levy
Giraldi: Why I Dislike Israel
Why Oslo Must Go
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Chair, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People
Professor, occupied Palestine
World Social Forum Free Palestine http://www.wsfpalestine.net
