On Friday, all demonstrations in many Palestinian villages
had the theme against the Prawer Plan. On Saturday in 30 countries, events were
held to counter the Prawer plan to ethnically cleanse 40,000 Palestinians from
the Negev in the 65 year colonial Zionist program to make Palestine a “Jewish
state”. The demonstrations locally in
Palestine were held in Haifa, the Triangle, Jerusalem, AlBireh, and the Negeb
with the same message: Prawer shall not be passed or implemented and we
emphasize the unity of all 12 million Palestinians. All local demonstrations were attacked viciously
by the apartheid forces. I personally
noted the absence of the key symbols of the Palestinian authority which should
have joined the demonstration in Jerusalem (many of the leaders have VIP cards
and can travel to Jerusalem). Will these “leaders” finally listen to the
people?
Saturday we had a meeting to evaluate 5 years of our master
of biotechnology program (joint program by Bethlehem University and Polytechnic
University). Sunday, we had Bethlehem tree lighting ceremony and we welcomes a
Gaza child who will be rehabilitated here (spinal cord cancer that was mostly
resolved but that left the 8 year old child unable to walk). Monday we
decorated a tree in the manger square with spent tear gas canisters and stun
grenades (made in America, used by Israel).
We posted signs that showed our displeasure at the USAID giving money to
the municipality for Christmas celebrations! Typical hypocrisy of the US
funding our starvation and killing while also giving symbolically to
celebrations and roads to make life under occupation a bit more tolerable.
Unfortunately the “Palestinian police” removed our exhibit. They act as
subcontractors for the Israeli occupation preventing free speech and carry8ing
out a policy of Mahmoud Abbas friendly to US policies (a policy made in Tel
Aviv).
The people of Nablus meantime buried their latest victim of Israeli
racism. An Israeli simply shot him at
point blank range. The murderer claimed
he was looking for illegal Palestinian workers and that the Palestinian guy
acted aggressively. Family and friends on the other hand point to the fact that
this young worker was two weeks away from his wedding, had a legal job with
Israelis in the area now named Ramat Gan, and had good friendly relations to
Israelis who were invited to his wedding.
He would have no reason to attack Israelis two weeks before his
wedding. But let us face it, his killer
is free and he will be added to the list of >70,000 Palestinians killed by
Israel for being a Palestinian in Palestine, a country being transformed to a
Jewish state of Israel.
Saturday we celebrated the 4th anniversary of the
launch of Kairos Palestine, a moment of truth (see http://www.kairospalestine.ps). As Palestinian Christians around the world
come to this season of joy and celebration in December and January, we
Palestinian Christians with help of our fellow Muslim and Jewish human rights
activists remind all to work to end Israeli racist apartheid. We must end this suffering that lasted some 65
years and that left 7 million refugees and displaced people in order to create
this monstrosity called the “Jewish state of Israel”, a racist apartheid state. We must evolve towards a secular pluralistic
democracy with a clear affirmative action plan to restore the rights of the
native Palestinians.
Meeting Thursday at 11 AM at Izbet Tabib (Qalqilia
district) to discuss because the Israeli military just blocked the main road to the village.
Videos from various locations
Nebi Saleh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx25ItuoIF4
Near Ramallah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2AaNMCho2o
Pictures from around the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0NTW3LLHE
UNRWA released its archives material including photographs
of Palestinian refugees right after the Nakba http://archive.unrwa.org/license/home/unrwa.do
Do you use the term "genocide" for Israel? The Latin root means "tribe-killing", and this can be by means of removing any of the resources that the "tribe" needs to survive, such as sewage treatment services, a police force, a representative to negotiate with foreign states: as well as by the actual killing of members of the "tribe" by any means.
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