Apr 18, 2024

Australia and Palestine




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Mar 26, 2024

redirecting

 I am redirecting these emails and my blog ) for positive emphasis and less on describing human rights violations. I appreciate feedback on this “experiment”. I started emailing some thirty years ago. I reached perhaps hundreds of thousands of people through my writings and occasional emails (55,000 of you receive these messages and many more through ripple effect). I recently started using Facebook, X and Instagram more but even on those I will do redirection.  WHY do I want to cut down this aspect and increase another aspect? Three reasons:


1) There is now no shortage of information on the internet (if one looks for it and follows others who write/share). Ideas spread (memes). For example the shrinking map of Palestine first drawn by my son in 1998 is now ubiquitous. This flood of information and memes grew in the past 6 months despite the whitewashing and hiding of information in mainstream corporate media. Actions for Palestine has and will/must continue to grow including delivering information (important), direct action, BDS etc.

2) I need to focus more on positive alternatives and actions to make a better world. During the break, I will post inspiring stories of resilience and resistance (sumud) and actions globally that collectively should result in a better world (examples below).

3) My wife and I are full time volunteers (seven days a week 16 hours a day) at the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS). PIBS staff and volunteers are focused on our vision of sustainable human and natural communities and benefited thousands of human beings but also conserved nature (see palestinenature.org). Devoting more time to positive items helps to balance my life and make me more productive.

Feedback is appreciated. If you find the ten items below useful do let me know or suggest changes. Also if you want to share a particularly inspiring issue related to Palestine, then let me know.

ITEM 1: Writings and photography from young people give us a glimpse of a better world https://atmos.earth/

ITEM 2: The American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) was commissioned by the United Nations in 1948 to provide aid to Palestinian refugees in the Gaza strip and was the first international aid agency working on the ground. They still act based on the principles
https://civilianpublicservice.org/storycontinues/gaza  
https://afsc.org/programs/jerusalem-ramallah-gaza

ITEM 3: Few (of hundreds of thousands) inspiring Palestinians
Wael Al-Dahdouh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wael_Al-Dahdouh
Refaat Al-Areer https://afsc.org/newsroom/memory-refaat-alareer
Basil AlAraj https://popular-resistance.blogspot.com/2017/03/basil-of-al-walaja-rip.html
Shireen AbuAqleh https://cpnn-world.org/new/?p=27263
Ramzy Baroud https://ramzybaroud.net/
Salha Hamdin https://alray.ps/en/index.php?act=post&id=112
https://timesofmalta.com/article/Tough-Bedouin-life-wins-teen-a-fairy-tale-award.433644

ITEM 4: UNSC RESOLUTION 27/28 [Short and to the point. The resistance accepted, Israeli government rejected and will continue the genocide]
The Security Council, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling all of its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Reiterating its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and in this regard deploring all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism, and recalling that the taking of hostages is prohibited under international law; Expressing deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Acknowledging the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, aimed at reaching a cessation of hostilities, releasing the hostages and increasing the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid,
1. Demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire, and also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs, and further demands that the parties comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons they detain;
2. Emphasizes the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to and reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip and reiterates its demand for the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale, in line with international humanitarian law as well as resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023);
3. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

ITEM 5: A Digital Future of Hope and Connectivity
 https://thisweekinpalestine.com/a-digital-future-of-hope-and-connectivity/  

ITEM 6: Israel’s Conscientious Objectors Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
 https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/03/22/israels-conscientious-objectors-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-giants/

ITEM 7: To Exist Is To Resist: Sumud, Heroism, and the Everyday
https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/165375#

ITEM 8: Everyday life in the face of conflict: Sumud as a spatial quotidian practice in Palestine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8853419/

ITEM 9: We see so much charity and good will around for the needy Palestinians throughout Palestine from the Galilee to the West Bank to Gaza Strip. Ramadan brings the best in all people.  Giving as once said is twice blessed for the giver and the receiver.  We also give by holding to our humanity, doing good work like teaching our children and holding events for them at the museum and in the botanic garden. If you want to be inspired by what the team is doing, browse the posts and pictures at our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH

ITEM 10: Finally, we are grateful for the very good people organizing events for our speaking tour in Australia and New Zealand April 17 to 3 June. My wife and I are so much looking forward to a productive trip building support for Palestine. We are also grateful to many who write to encourage us in occupied Palestine or to tell us of actions they took. We love you all.

I do realize and cannot promise that this experimental change will make my emails shorter or more readable/palatable. You can always select which items to read or act on.  But in any case, do give us feedback.

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive
Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages
Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9
Institute https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH 

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Mar 17, 2024

Ego is the enemy

 Our email list was 51,000 before and increased by 4000 new people since early October 2023. In the past five months I gave over 52 talks to audiences around the world. >120 radio and TV interviews and sent over 70 emails with information and actions people do not see on mainstream media. We expected (logical) formation of a unity government in the West Bank and Gaza  during a genocidal war on our people. Instead we see that Mahmoud Abbas (whose term expired 15 years ago) appointed yet another "Prime Minister". The Oslo governments kept this heterogeneous mix of service (in some cases good service) to the community as an autonomy while also benefiting many in a corrupt system encouraged and facilitated by the US and Israel to keep divisive corrupt rule while protecting Israeli (colonial) security. It is what such a system was designed for under Oslo agreements. While those agreements were supposed to be interim for five years (to 1999) they are what is the maximum that was intended. All resistance including non-violent was squashed and the only resistance partially allowed was " diplomatic resistance" (even then the authority was not allowed to challenge Israel in international courts). This pathetic state of affairs has continued for 30 years with colonial settler population mushrooming from 150,000 to 950,000 and Israel kept drifting to the right to become the most fascist and racist society on earth while Palestinian politics remained frozen.  If I was asked why, the answer will be long.  As an academic and grassroots activist (not a politician), I have argued over the past 40 years for two themes: 1) more scientific and logical analysis of our situation which leads to different discourse, 2) For positive strong engagement not merely criticism. Let me explain.

THEME 1: I am not proud that the lessons from history predicted this dual state always repeated: innovative and amazing sumud and resistance by our people while pathetic and selfish leadership that leaves our people orphans to fend for themselves.  It is not difficult to see things coming and history repeating itself (a second Nakba with Arab and Palestinian collusion). See my earlier books like "Sharing the Land of Canaan" and "Popular Resistance in Palestine, a history of hope and empowerment" where I explain this redundant history in detail but where I also show points of optimism and especially emanating in every generation from young people. Young people born in the past 30 years of failed politics are in my opinion the generation of real liberation. This is tre not just in Palestine but globally (the global intifada is unfolding). I think young people intuitively understand the corruption and decadence of politicians. My only advice to the younger generation is to read more books.  Ho Chi Minh used to insist on a library in each of the tunnels dug to resist the American imperial genocide in Vietnam. This was a secret to success of the Vietnamese freedom struggle against the French and then the American genocidal occupation (3 million killed or starved to death). The same can be said for the Algerian and South African liberation struggle. It is not enough to have a just cause or to look for answers in ancient Holy Books. There is a body of knowledge that exists that developed over centuries. Ignorant masses are easier to manipulate than educated masses. Even empires collapsed (Roman, Umayyad, Spanish, Portuguese, Ottoman etc) or are collapsing now (US, Israeli) partly if not mostly due to intentional programs of distancing the people from real knowledge. Brainwashing them to be good consumers but not involved, educated, and critical thinkers.

One of the books that needs to be read by all people (including our frozen politicians) to achieve real success for our causes is "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday. Another is Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet". There are many others. Reading is empowerment but at the same time provides that needed humility to recognize how little we know and that scientific knowledge is both repeatable and falsifiable. We all make mistakes. Political factions and people who do not admit their mistakes and fallibility are not those who make history.

THEME 2: It is not enough to have an understanding of things or to criticize. It is not enough to protest or resist the evil that surrounds us. It is important to envision a better future AND WORK FOR IT. I am grateful that I am surrounded by groups of educated young people who share a vision of sustainable human and natural communities locally and globally. This is shared by hundreds of millions of people who work on environmental justice, climate justice, decolonization, and building shared sustainable communities (and these things are linked). Locally we work on the one democratic country (a country that is pluralistic and serves all people regardless of religion or background) and we work on sustaining indigenous people on their land while protecting nature (see palestinenature.org and browse our annual report). This second theme is reason why, while having built institutions in the US, I returned to Palestine 16 years ago to build things here where they are most needed. We have been very lucky in those years to find hundreds of volunteers, staff, and supporters to help build something positive in the midst of this chaos.

We keep the hope alive that we shall overcome someday. As before I welcome feedback.

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عن الغرور

 قائمة البريد الإلكتروني لدينا كانت تضم 51000 وزادت ب 4000 شخص جديد منذ أوائل أكتوبر 2023. في الأشهر الخمس الماضية، قدمت أكثر من 52 محاضرة للجماهير حول العالم. وعملت 120 مقابلة إذاعية وتلفزيونية وأرسلت أكثر من 70 رسالة بريد إلكتروني تحتوي على معلومات وإجراءات لا يراها الأشخاص في وسائل الإعلام الرئيسية. لقد أرسلت أشياء باللغة العربية كهذه موجهة إلى أهلنا في قطاع غزة أو هذا عن النواياالإسرائيلية أو هذا موجه إلى السلطةالفلسطينية أو هذا موجه للعرب

قائمة البريد الإلكتروني العربية هذه أصغر من القائمة الإنجليزية (11000 مقابل 55000). نادرا ما أنشر هنا ولا أعرف كمية من  يقرأ فعليا. كنا نتوقع (منطقياً) تشكيل حكومة وحدة وطنية في الضفة الغربية وغزة خلال حرب الإبادة الجماعية التي تعرض لها شعبنا. وبدلا من ذلك نرى أن محمود عباس (الذي انتهت ولايته قبل 15 عاما) عين "رئيسا للوزراء" آخر. احتفظت حكومات أوسلو بمزيج من الخدمة (في بعض الحالات الخدمة الجيدة) للمجتمع كحكم ذاتي بينما استفاد الكثيرين في نظام فاسد شجعته وتسهّلته الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل للحفاظ على الحكم الفاسد والإنقسام البغيض مع حماية الأمن الإسرائيلي (الاستعماري). . وهذا هو ما تم تصميم هذا النظام من أجله بموجب اتفاقيات أوسلو. كان من المفترض أن تكون هذه الاتفاقيات مؤقتة لمدة خمس سنوات (حتى عام 1999)، إلا أنها تمثل الحد الأقصى "المقصود". تم سحق كل المقاومة (بما في ذلك الشعبية) وكانت المقاومة الوحيدة المسموح بها جزئيًا هي "المقاومة الدبلوماسية" (وحتا هنا لم يُسمح للسلطة بتحدي إسرائيل في المحاكم الدولية). واستمر هذا الوضع المثير للشفقة لمدة 30 عامًا مع تزايد عدد المستوطنين الاستعماريين من 150 ألفًا إلى 950 ألفًا وهجرت إسرائيل عشرات الآف من شعبنا وظلت إسرائيل تنجرف نحو اليمين لتصبح المجتمع الأكثر فاشية وعنصرية على وجه الأرض بينما ظلت السياسة الفلسطينية مجمدة. ومن أفسد ما وجد هو السلك الدبلوماسي المهم (مع بعض الإستثنائات مثل حسام زملط). وإذا سئلت عن السبب لهذا الوضع المأساوي فإن الإجابة ستكون طويلة (ولا أستثني أيضا أخطاء ومشاكل الفصائل الأخرى غير فتح).  باعتباري أكاديميًا وناشطًا شعبيًا (ولست سياسي)، فقد جادلت على مدار الأربعين عامًا الماضية حول موضوعين: 1) المزيد من التحليل العلمي والمنطقي لوضعنا الذي يؤدي إلى مسار مختلف، 2) للمشاركة الإيجابية القوية وليس مجرد النقد. دعني أشرح.

الموضوع الأول: أنا لست فخوراً بأن الدروس المستفادة من التاريخ تنبأت بهذه الحالة التي تتكرر دائماً: الصمود المبتكر والمذهل والمقاومة من قبل شعبنا بينما القيادة المثيرة للشفقة والأنانية التي تترك شعبنا يتيماً ليعيل نفسه. وليس من الصعب أن نرى الأمور قادمة والتاريخ يعيد نفسه (نكبة ثانية بتواطؤ عربي وفلسطيني). راجع كتب أدوارد سعيد وكتبي السابقة مثل "مشاركة أرض كنعان" و"المقاومة الشعبية في فلسطين: تاريخ من الأمل والتمكين" حيث أشرح هذا التاريخ الصعب بالتفصيل ولكنني أظهر أيضًا نقاط التفاؤل وخاصة التي تنبع من الشباب في كل جيل. إن الشباب الذين ولدوا خلال الثلاثين عامًا الماضية من السياسة الفاشلة هم في رأيي جيل التحرر الحقيقي. وهذا أمر لا يحدث في فلسطين فحسب، بل في العالم أجمع (الانتفاضة العالمية تتكشف). أعتقد أن الشباب يفهمون بشكل حدسي فساد السياسيين وانحطاطهم. نصيحتي الوحيدة لجيل الشباب هي قراءة المزيد من الكتب.

القائد هو شي من أصر على وجود مكتبة في كل من الأنفاق التي تم حفرها لمقاومة الإبادة الجماعية الإمبريالية الأمريكية في فيتنام (3 ملايين قتلوا أو ماتوا جوعا).. وكان هذا سر نجاح النضال من أجل الحرية الفيتنامية ضد الفرنسيين ثم الاحتلال الأمريكي. ويمكن قول الشيء نفسه عن نضال التحرير في الجزائر وجنوب أفريقيا. لا يكفي أن يكون لديك قضية عادلة أو أن تبحث عن إجابات في الكتب المقدسة القديمة. هناك مجموعة كبيرة من المعرفة تطورت عبر القرون. إن التلاعب بالجماهير الجاهلة أسهل من التلاعب بالجماهير المتعلمة. حتى الإمبراطوريات انهارت (الرومانية والأموية والإسبانية والبرتغالية والعثمانية وغيرها) أو تنهار الآن (الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل) جزئيًا إن لم يكن معظمها بسبب البرامج المتعمدة لإبعاد الناس عن المعرفة الحقيقية. غسل أدمغتهم ليكونوا مستهلكين جيدين ولكن ليس مشاركين ومتعلمين ومفكرين نقديين.

أحد الكتب التي يجب أن يقرأها جميع الناس (بما في ذلك السياسيون المجمدون) لتحقيق نجاح حقيقي لقضايانا هو "الأنا هي العدو" بقلم رايان هوليداي (انظر https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =xeNChOWr0GY). وكتاب آخر هو "النبي" لخليل جبران (https://archive.org/details/ar108roman41/mode/2up). هناك العديد من الآخرين. القراءة هي التمكين ولكنها في الوقت نفسه توفر التواضع اللازم لإدراك مدى قلة ما نعرفه، وأن المعرفة العلمية قابلة للتكرار والدراسة النقدية  . نحن جميعا نرتكب الأخطاء. إن الفصائل السياسية والأشخاص الذين لا يعترفون بأخطائهم وقابليتهم للخطأ ليسوا هم من يصنعون التاريخ.

الموضوع الثاني: لا يكفي أن يكون لديك فهم للأشياء أو أن تنتقدها. لا يكفي أن نحتج أو نقاوم الشر (أو الهبل والفساد). من المهم تصور مستقبل أفضل والعمل من أجله. أنا ممتن لأنني محاط بمجموعات من الشباب المتعلمين الذين يتشاركون رؤية للمجتمعات البشرية والطبيعية المستدامة محليًا وعالميًا. ويتقاسم هذا الأمر مئات الملايين من الأشخاص الذين يعملون في مجال العدالة البيئية، والعدالة المناخية، وإنهاء الاستعمار، وبناء مجتمعات مستدامة مشتركة (وهذه الأشياء مترابطة). محليًا، نحن نعمل من أجل دولة ديمقراطية واحدة (دولة تعددية وتخدم جميع الناس بغض النظر عن الدين أو الخلفية) ونعمل على دعم السكان الأصليين على أراضيهم مع حماية الطبيعة (راجع PalestineNature.org وتصفح تقريرنا السنوي ) . هذا الموضوع الثاني هو السبب وراء عودتي إلى فلسطين قبل 16 عامًا، بعد أن قمت ببناء مؤسسات في الولايات المتحدة، لبناء الأشياء هنا حيث تشتد الحاجة إليها. لقد كنا محظوظين جدًا في تلك السنوات للعثور على مئات المتطوعين والموظفين والداعمين للمساعدة في بناء شيء إيجابي وسط هذه الفوضى.

نحافظ على الأمل وسننتصر حتما يومًا ما—يقرب اليوم بالعمل على هذين الموضوعين أعلاه.

 أرحب بالتعليقات والتوضيحات حول هذه الأفكار.

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Feb 18, 2024

أفيقوا واستيقظوا يا عرب

فرضت إسرائيل مجاعة جماعية، وترتكب كل يوم مجازر. ما حصل كان كله متوقعًا. لقد كتبت كتابًا عن هذا سابقًا قبل 20 سنة .  يعيش الأطفال الآن في الشوارع والخيام وسط البرد القارس. أجسادهم الضعيفة الهشة تمزقها القذائف أو تموت من الجوع ويعاني أكثر من 700 ألف شخص من أمراض مرتبطة بالمجاعة ونقص المياه النظيفة ونقص الصرف الصحي. وعلى الرغم من وجود أناس جائعين ومضطهدين آخرين في أماكن أخرى (العراق واليمن والسودان والصحراء الغربية وغيرها)، إلا أن وضعنا فريد من نوعه. الصور مروعة ولدينا إبادة جماعية نشطة ومتعمدة من قبل قوة استعمارية تدعمها حكومات العديد من القوى الاستعمارية (الولايات المتحدة والمملكة المتحدة وفرنسا وألمانيا وأستراليا). يتم بث الإبادة الجماعية على الهواء مباشرة ولا يتم إخفاؤها. ولا يمكن لأحد أن يدعي أنه لم يعرف. كل إنسان على هذه الأرض يعرف (بما في ذلك الجناة والشركاء في الجريمة)، لكن موضوعي هنا ليس المعرفة؛ فالفساد هو الذي يؤدي إلى هذه الأشياء.


من المؤكد أن هناك ما يكفي من الموارد لإطعام وكساء وإيواء كل فرد على هذا الكوكب. 3% مما تنفقه الولايات المتحدة على الجيش يكفي للقضاء على الجوع في العالم. يمكن للسودان وحده أن يغذي العالم العربي، لكنه الآن غارق في صراع تقوده قوى نخبوية من إسرائيل وإثيوبيا والإمارات العربية المتحدة. وكانت سوريا أيضاً دولة مزدهرة. كانت فلسطين كانت جنة على الأرض. الجميع يعرف الأسباب ويبدو أن الشمال العالمي الذي تسيطر عليه شركات الإعلام التابعة له، لا يهتم إلا إذا قُتل الأوروبيون البيض، ويهتف عندما يُقتل السكان الأصليون بشكل جماعي لدعم النخبة والسياسية الغربية وأذيالهم. في المائة عام الماضية، قُتل ما لا يقل عن 200 مليون شخص أو ماتوا جوعا في الجنوب العالمي، ويرتبط ذلك بشكل أساسي بحصول النخب على موارد تلك البلدان. من البنك الدولي، وصندوق النقد الدولي، والقوات المسلحة للدول، أصبحت المكائد الرامية إلى فرض هذه السيطرة والتسبب في عمليات القتل والحروب التي لا نهاية لها مفهومة جيدًا الآن من قبل الجماهير في جميع أنحاء العالم. إن المذبحة التي شهدتها فلسطين على مدى السنوات الـ 76 الماضية تشهد ولكنها تضيء المعرفة أيضًا وتُسقط الأقنعة. فلسطين عبارة عن إسفين جغرافي بين المنطقتين اللتين تتمتعان بأهمية جيوسياسية كبيرة: شمال أفريقيا وغرب آسيا (كل منهما عربية ومسلمة إلى حد كبير). كان في كلتا المنطقتين عدد كبير من السكان الأصليين المسلمين واليهود والمسيحيين وأتباع الديانات الأخرى الذين يعيشون في وئام . ثم جاءت الصهيونية واتفاقاتها الجانبية: وعد بلفور وكامبون. وسايكس بيكو، ومؤتمر سان ريمو، ومؤتمر "السلام" في باريس ألخ. كان من المفترض أن يؤدي ذلك إلى إنشاء دويلات صغيرة على خلاف مع بعضها البعض و"دولة يهودية" تقسم إسفينًا في هذا العالم العربي والإسلامي وتمارس الهيمنة الشاملة. أصبح المشروع الصهيوني أساسياً في التدمير الغربي للعالم العربي والإسلامي بدءاً من فلسطين ولكن متفرعاً إلى الحروب على ليبيا واليمن وسوريا ولبنان والعراق والصومال وغيرها. يجب أن تُفهم "إسرائيل" كما قال البروفيسور إيلان بابي على أنها مشروع صهيوني، مشروع الصهيونية العالمية والإمبريالية، وكلاهما كان موجودًا قبل إسرائيل ومن المرجح أن يكون موجودًا (على الرغم من ضعفه) بعد انهيار إسرائيل. والحكومات الأميركية والغربية التي تدعم المشروع وتغطيه ستتخلى عنه وتنتقل إلى مشاريع أخرى.

كانت ولا تزال سياسة فرق تسد هي السياسة المتبعة. إيجاد أي اختلافات صغيرة بين بعض الأشخاص (الدين، الطوائف، الجغرافيا) وتحريضهم ضد بعضهم البعض. ولكن للقيام بذلك كانت هناك حاجة إلى خلق "قادة" على استعداد للامتثال ومحاربة أي شخص لا يرغب في الامتثال. بعد أن أنشأ البريطانيون والفرنسيون "دولاً" قاموا بتركيب دُماهم في تلك الدول. ومن بين الدول الـ 22 التي تسكنها أغلبية عربية، فإن أكثر من ثلثيها تُدار من قبل دمى غربية (أنظمة حكم كليبتوقراطية مثل حكام المملكة العربية السعودية، والإمارات العربية المتحدة، ومصر، بين دول أخرى كثيرة). ويساعد هؤلاء الحكام في تنفيذ المشاريع التي تطيل أمد الحروب والإبادة الجماعية. الديكتاتور المصري السيسي يساعد في محاصرة 2.3 مليون شخص في غزة. الممر التجاري البري الذي يمر من الإمارات العربية المتحدة عبر المملكة العربية السعودية عبر الأردن أنقذ الاقتصاد الإسرائيلي بينما امتثل اليمن للقانون الدولي لوقف السفن المتجهة إلى إسرائيل لوقف الإبادة الجماعية.

ولم يكن "القادة" الفلسطينيون في مأمن من الخطط الغربية ووقعوا بخطأ تاريخي. كانت هناك اتفاقيات تم توقيعها في واشنطن العاصمة 1993 و 1994. ولصرف انتباهنا يسمونها "اتفاقيات أوسلو"، ولكن ينبغي أن تسمى اتفاقيات واشنطن. وما تبعها أنهاء دور منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية في محاولة تحرير فلسطين وتحويل القيادة الفلسطينية إلى "السلطة الفلسطينية" المسؤولة بشكل رئيسي عن توفير الأمن للمحتلين الإسرائيليين (المستوطنين والجنود) وتخفيف العبء المالي للاحتلال باستخدام المساعدات الخارجية لدعم حكم هيئات خدمية للشعب المحتل ومعظمها ليست ناجحة. الاقتصاد للفلسطينيين تدهور (ما عدا المستنفعين "من عظام الرقبة") بينما منحت الإتفاقيات الحكومة الإسرائيلية إحتلالُ هو الأكثر ربحية في التاريخ. وارتفع عدد المستوطنين من 150 ألفاً إلى 930 ألفاً خلال 30 عاماً من "عملية السلام" التي تم تنظيمها لترسيخ الاستعمار والفصل العنصري. وهذا ما حققته اتفاقيات واشنطن (المعروفة أيضاً باسم أوسلو). لقد دمرت منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية، ودمرت ولايتها، بل وزعمت أنها غيرت دستورها (وهذا كان اجتماع غير قانوني). الرئيس عرفات ضمنيا وليس علنبا عاد إلى المقاومة ولذ سمموه وعينوا بديلا

بينما تزعم حكومة محمود عباس والحكومات العربية والغربية أنها عاجزة عن لجم إسرائيل ووقف الإبادة الجماعية، فإن الحقائق على الأرض تظهر العكس. كيف يمكن لغزة المحاصرة والفقيرة أن تهزم الجيش الإسرائيلي في 7 أكتوبر وتصمد أمام قصف الإبادة الجماعية للشهر الخامس بينما تتسبب في مقتل أكثر من 800 (بعض التقديرات 4000) جندي إسرائيلي وتُكلف الاقتصاد الإسرائيلي 33 مليار دولار؟ كيف يمكن للبنان المحاصر والفقير أن يُلحق خسائر فادحة بإسرائيل العنصرية، ويُجبر 100 ألف مستوطن يعيشون على الأراضي المسروقة في الجليل على المغادرة؟ كيف تمكن اليمن المحاصر والفقير من إغلاق الشحن من وإلى دولة إسرائيل التي تمارس الإبادة الجماعية. إذن نحن نعلم الآن أن حرب 1948 و"حرب الأيام الستة" عام 1967 لم تكن حروب! بل إن هؤلاء القادة العرب المتواطئين لم يفكروا جدياً في الحرب، ناهيك عن عمل حرب. وكثير من قيادات السلطة الفلسطينية التي تدعي دعم "المقاومة السلمية" تعاونت في الواقع مع إسرائيل لتدمير كل أشكال المقاومة (أنظر كتابي المقاومة الشعبية في فلسطين ).

طبعا هنالك من الشرفاء في كل التنظيمات السياسية ومنها فتح وأستطيع أن أسمي العديد منهم وأملنا أن يقودوا فصائلهم وتتجدد قيادات. رغم كل التواطؤ العربي والإسلامي، فإن فلسطين تعيش والفلسطينيون يشكلون درعا ضد التوسع الذي كانت الصهيونية تأمل فيه لإنشاء إمبراطورية تمتد على الأقل من النيل إلى الفرات. في الواقع يزعم الصهاينة المتدينون علنًا أن جميع غير اليهود سيكونون عبيدًا لهم ,بأننا في آخر الزمان. ولعل بطولة وصمود الملايين من أبناء شعبنا (هنا وفي المنفى) والشرفاء الفلسطينيون القادة ومنهم الشهداء (أي غير المتخاذلين والمستنفعين) على مدى 76 عاما. والتضحيات لن تضيع: 140 ألف شهيد, مليون ممن جربو السجون. 800 ألف  جريح. عدم استسلام 99% من شعبنا جعلت من عدونا يفقد توازنه ويمعن في القتل والخسة والقسوة والوحشية
ولكن لن ينقظه ذلك
سيحاول مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة إصدار قرار يدعو إلى وقف إطلاق النار (يجب أن يسمى قرارًا لإنهاء الإبادة الجماعية) لكن من المتوقع أن تستخدم الولايات المتحدة حق النقض (الفيتو) وبالتالي تنتهك قوانينها مرة أخرى وكذلك اتفاقية الإبادة الجماعية. ولكن هنالك صحوة عالمية بعد أن أسقطت غزة وفلسطين كل الأقنعة الكاذبة. خاصة بين مئات الملايين من جيل الشباب والشابات والذين يغيرون هذا العالم النتن وسيسقط معه كل من استنفع أو خان ضميره. وقد أعذر من أنذر وتاب ورجع لضميره ولأمته ...ولكل زمان كلام

كما أنذرنا جورج أنطونيوس قبل حوالي مئة عام: أفيقوا واستيقظوا يا عرب
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pathetic state of our World

We look around our world that is sinking in a spiral of violence and wonder why we humans cannot learn the way of peace, harmony, and coexistence. What are the main factors that lead to such a situation? In the Gaza strip we see a microcosm and a more blatant and severe forms of oppression. Israel forced mass starvation and is every day committing over a dozen massacres causing hundreds of civilians casualties (vast majority of them women and children). It was all so predictable. I wrote a book about this earlier (http://qumsiyeh.org/sharingthelandofcanaan/)


Children are now living in streets and tents in the bitter cold. Their frail bodies, with ribs showing, reminds one of other concentration camps and starvations like those of Ireland, Eastern Europe, Manchuria, Korea...etc. More than 700,000 have diseases related to starvation, lack of clean water, and lack of sanitation. Though there are other hungry and oppressed people elsewhere (Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Western Sahara etc), there is a uniqueness about our situation. Eating grass and drinking water from polluted street puddles, the images are harrowing. We have an active, deliberate, and premeditated genocide by a colonial power supported by governments of several colonial powers (US, UK, France, Germany, Australia). Genocide is broadcast live and is not hidden. Over the past four months I shared with you >120 links with evidence including from independent sources like the all agencies of UN, governments, and non-governmental human rights organizations. No one can claim they did not know. Just about every human being on this earth knows (including the perpetrators and the partners in crime), but my subject here is not knowledge; it is the corruption that leads to these things.

Yesterday, I and a group of researchers risked our lives to visit and study an area of Palestine that is off-limits to Palestinians. We noted how there is great potential if we end the Zionist nightmare-- potential for all to live in harmony again. Tourism in our country alone (religious tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism) would provide enough income to millions (Palestinians and even the colonial Jewish settlers). The Gaza strip would be a very prosperous province of Palestine like it was before 1948. It had a beautiful beach, natural resources like Gas (now being stolen by the Israeli occupation), and rich cultural history that goes back thousands of years. There are certainly enough resources to feed, to cloth, and to shelter everyone on this planet. 3% of what the US spends on the military is enough to end world hunger. Sudan alone could feed the Arab world but is now plunged into conflict driven by elitist powers from Israel, Ethiopia, United Arab emirates. Syria was also such a prosperous country. Palestine was a heaven on earth, a land of milk and honey as we heard even in the Jewish Torah (which is a collection of stories of deities from other cultures like Greek, Egyptian, Persian).

Everyone knows the reasons for the global carnage that affects mostly the global south. The global north with its controlled corporate media seems to care only if white Europeans are killed and cheers when indigenous people are killed en masse to support a corporate and political Western elite. In the past 100 years, at least 200 million were killed or starved to death in the global south mainly related to the benefit of elites getting the resources of those countries. From the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the armed forces of states the machinations to do this control and to cause the killings and endless wars are now well understood by masses around the world. The carnage in Palestine over the past 76 years bears witness but also lights the knowledge. Palestine is a geographic wedge between the two areas of significant geopolitical interests in the West: North Africa and Western Asia (both largely Arab and Muslim). Both areas had a large population of natives who are Muslim, Jewish, Christian and followers of other religions living in relative harmony. Then came Zionism and its side agreements: Balfour and Cambon declarations. Sykes-Pico, San Rimo Conference, Paris "peace" conference. This was supposed to create mini states at odds with each other and a "Jewish state" dividing wedge in this world and exerting overall hegemony. The Zionist project became key in Western destruction of the Arab and Islamic world beginning with its epicenter Palestine but branching to wars on Libya, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia etc.. "Israel" should be understood as Prof Ilan Pappe said as a Zionist project, a project of global Zionism and imperialism and both of those existed before Israel and will likely exist (though weakened) after Israel as a project collapses. Jews and Israelis will prosper better without this nefarious project. The US and Western governments that prop it and give cover to it will finally give up on it and move to other projects.

Divide and conquer was and still is the policy. Finding any small differences among some people (religion, sects, geographic) and pitting them against each other. But to do that there was a need for creating "leaders" willing to comply and fighting any not willing to comply. Hence after the British and the French created "states" they installed their puppets in those states. Of the 22 states that are largely Arab, more than two thirds are run by Western puppets (kleptocracies like the rulers of "Saudi" Arabia , UAE, and Egypt among many others). These rulers help execute projects that prolong wars and genocide. Egyptian dictator Sisi helping besiege 2.3 million people in Gaza. The land trade corridor passing from UAE through Saudi Arabi through Jordan that saved Israeli economy when Yemen complied with International law to stop Israeli bound ships to stop the ongoing genocide.

Palestinian "leaders" were not immune from becoming puppets. There were accords signed in Washington DC. To distract us they call them the "Oslo accords" but they should be called the Washington accords. That ended the PLOs role in attempting liberation of Palestine to transform Palestinian leadership into the "Palestinian authority" which is mainly responsible for providing security for the Israeli occupiers (settlers and soldiers) and alleviating the financial burden of occupation by using foreign aid to support governance/service bodies for the occupied people. A pauper economy developed for the Palestinians while giving the Israeli government the most profitable occupation in history. Settler population went from 150,000 to 930,000 in 30 years of a "peace process" that was structured to entrench colonization and apartheid. That is what the Washington (aka Oslo) process achieved. It gutted the Palestine Liberation organization, destroyed its mandate and even claimed to have changed its charter.

While the Mahmoud Abbas government and the Arab and Western government claim to be helpless to stop the genocide, the facts on the ground show they are lying. Blockaded and impoverished Gaza could defeat the Israeli army on 7 October and withstand its genocidal bombardment for a fifth month while inflicting killing over 800 (some estimates 4000) Israeli soldiers and costing the Israeli economy $33 billion. Blockaded and impoverished Lebanon is inflicting heavy casualties on apartheid Israel and forced 100,000 settlers living on stolen lands in Galilee to leave! Blockaded and impoverished Yemen was able to essentially close down shipping from and to the apartheid genocidal state of Israel. So we now know that the 1948 war and the 1967 "6 day war" were no wars! That those corrupt and collusionist Arab leaders never seriously thought about war, let alone plan for a war. And the Palestinian authority which claims to support "non-violent resistance" actually collaborated with Israel to destroy all forms of resistance (see my book Popular Resistance in Palestine http://qumsiyeh.org/popularresistanceinpalestine/). And today they help prop the colonial regime. But despite all the Arab and Muslim collusion, Palestine lives and the Palestinians provide a shield against the expansion that Zionism had hoped for to create an empire stretching at least from the Nile to the Euphrates. Actually religious Zionists claim openly that all non-Jews (Goyim/Gentiles) will be willing slaves to them. That we are in the end of time. Perhaps the heroism and sumud (persistence/resilience) of millions of our people (here and in forced exile) over the past 76 years (despite 140,000 martyrs, 95% of them civilian) is the main reason for the meanness, callousness, and wanton and deliberate murder of some 13,000 children (average age 5 years) and a second Nakba of ethnic cleansing of 1.9 million (all just since 7 October).

The UN Security counsel will try to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire (really should be called a resolution to end the genocide) but the US is expected to veto it thus violating its own laws again as well as the genocide convention... Stay tuned..watch the show

What is happening in Palestine now? I see some 300 videos every week that break my heart. Here is a list of less graphic items I saw last two days
https://israelpalestinenews.org/rafahs-displaced-we-read-last-prayers-every-night-day-131/
https://twitter.com/SaulStaniforth/status/1757716300921450747
https://www.btselem.org/video/2023_gaza_videos_of_life_under_war
https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1759216698648047912?s=20
https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1759194763960672522
https://twitter.com/mohammedakunjee/status/1759047553998278672
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3669937966559693
https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1758990206169125343
https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1759117117960704340

American doctor reports on what he saw in Gaza: not a war, it is annihilation
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-16/rafah-gaza-hospitals-surgery-israel-bombing-ground-offensive-children

Funny how western governments forget that Jewish leaders of Israel were Jewish terrorists
https://twitter.com/Bsonja5/status/1759170447655031109?s=20

Palestinians in Gaza Do Have Somewhere to Go: Their Homes in What is Now Israel
https://husseini.substack.com/p/palestinians-in-gaza-do-have-somewhere

Gaza Nasser hopital has catastrophic situation
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/15/catastrophic-situation-at-gazas-nasser-hospital-amid-israeli-raid

75% of Journalists killed in 2023 were killed in Gaza
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/15/nearly-75-of-journalists-killed-in-2023-died-in-israels-war-on-gaza-cpj
While Israel killed 1.2% of the civilian population of Gaza it killed >15% of the Gaza journalists (silencing the truth)

U.S. citizens detained by Israel in West Bank, Gaza, families say
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/08/israel-arrest-american-west-bank
[ofcourse the US will not start a war liberate those kidnapped American hostages or even care about them]

Likely regional conflict? https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2024/2/16/how-likely-is-a-regional-conflict-in-the-middle-east

Prof. Ilan Pappe: It is dark before the dawn, but Israeli settler colonialism is at an end
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/it-is-dark-before-the-dawn-but-israeli-settler-colonialism-is-at-an-end/

Petition: Airdrop aid to Gaza https://chng.it/b5RPF4YnLd

Israeli army gassed my son like Auschwitz , mother of slain Israeli soldier says
https://thegrayzone.com/2024/01/18/israeli-army-gassed-auschwitz-soldier/

Having ethnically cleansed the Rafah people from the Sinai (the Egyptian Rafav). Egypt building a new concentration camp in Sinai for the Palestinians to be ethnically cleansed by Israel
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/egypt-building-walled-enclosure-in-sinai-for-rafah-refugees-videos-suggest

UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia quietly help Israel with supplies and allow Gaza people to starve to death
https://www.timesofisrael.com/houthi-bypass-quietly-goods-forge-overland-path-to-israel-via-saudi-arabia-jordan/
[Egypt also]

Edward Said seems like a prophet: 20 years on, ‘there’s hunger for his narrative’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/15/edward-said-palestine-israel-gaza

Lift your spirit: Jerusalema Dance Challenge from Palestine by Popular Art Centre https://youtu.be/kbuJ61WBdpo

Egypt building wall to create a ,mini concentration camp for people of Gaza in Sinai
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/egypt-building-walled-enclosure-in-sinai-for-rafah-refugees-videos-suggest

The last American war: The U.S. supports Israel unconditionally because it sees the entire Western project in the Middle East at risk today in Gaza. While it may seem these our darkest days, it is also clear that the U.S. and Israel are bound to fail. https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/the-last-american-war/

Merchants of death tribunal
https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/person/neta-crawford
https://www.elgaronline.com/view/journals/cilj/11/1/article-p75.xml

& revisiting the genocide convention
https://original.antiwar.com/john-mearsheimer/2024/01/07/the-case-for-genocide-in-gaza/

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Feb 13, 2024

Genocide accelerates while elites prosper



Day 130 of the ongoing genocide: Total killed 28340 (+some 7,000 under the rubble to be added) and injured 67984. 72% are women and children. This also does not count the thousands dead from lack of food, clean water, medicine and from infectious diseases and cold exposure. Desperate situation for over 2 million people in Gaza strip. Meanwhile as you expect, the news is mixed. Some groups speaking out and acting to end the genocide while others work to accelerate it. For example while UNRWA (https://www.unrwa.org/) tries to do its mandate of humanitarian aid, Israeli authorities with support of the complicit puppet western governments are shutting its operations and hobbling it. And yes the Palestinian authority is permeated with corruption like the Israeli authorities. Both are like this by design with no democracy or rule of independent judiciary that serves everyone. In the case of Tel Aviv, the judiciary serves Zionist elites and in the case of Ramallah it serves the Fatah elites. In both cases common people suffer and the genocide in the Gaza strip is left to go on. And we continue to see heartbreaking stories like the two sisters who were so happy one moment and the next were hugging each other as shattered bodies hanging on a wall in their house.
Amouna and Suzanna Hassouna

16 leading humanitarian and human rights organizations call to stop arms transfers to Israel, Palestinian armed groups: An Open Call to all UN Member States to stop fuelling the crisis in Gaza and avert further humanitarian catastrophe and loss of civilian lifehttps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/01/16-leading-humanitarian-and-human-rights-organizations-call-to-stop-arms-transfers-to-israel-palestinian-armed-groups/

Detailed Amnesty International report on the massacres in Rafah even before the intensification of bombing of this supposed safe area (that Israeli occupation asked people to move to). https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-opt-new-evidence-of-unlawful-israeli-attacks-in-gaza-causing-mass-civilian-casualties-amid-real-risk-of-genocide/

Since then, Israeli forces started attacking starving/famined civilians in a blitz in the past two days that killed over 140 people in Rafah alone (the supposed safe zone). See these
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36hkN42K2KY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avybJRm_QaE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGofjde1uSA
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zp0faWK5yZU
https://vimeo.com/900618438
https://vimeo.com/896624159
https://vimeo.com/912346597

and a Canadian doctor describes the desperate healthcare situation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TbSRxVNOpE

Fifteen days after ICJ ruling, Israel’s genocide in Gaza Strip continues on the same scale
https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6147/Fifteen-days-after-ICJ-ruling,-Israel%E2%80%99s-genocide-in-Gaza-Strip-continues-on-the-same-scale

Most Western supine media are silent and do not cover massacres. Instead they are covering the "rescue" of two elderly hostages [yet those were kept in a family home and were not held by the resistance forces]. Western media accepts the version of events as fed by the Israeli government (known for its lies, see ongaza.org) . They do not even qualify by noting source of information. These mainstream media in the words of Malcolm X “have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses. The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make the criminal look like he’s a the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”This is so obvious to any casual observer who compares "mainstream" /corporate (bought) media coverage of current events with that seen in other more watched media like democracynow.org (and others listed on ongaza.org). The world is changing and hundreds of millions are getting the truth of this genocide live through these and the power of the internet/social media.

Israel faces more danger from the ICC than the ICJ legally. Here is why
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-786722

To my father: A documentary about Gaza https://vimeo.com/56683139

Son of Israeli victim speaks out for peace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZwuor_5wQA

Zionists threaten South African minister and her children
http://www.defenddemocracy.press/mossad-threatens-south-african-minister-and-her-children/

Netherland court Judge orders dutch government to stop sending parts for F-35 jets (used in the genocide). And Niragua joins the South African government in pressing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

[Shameful Court] CIA Whistleblower Joshua Schulte given Draconian Sentence of forty years for allegedly passing documents that exposed nefarious CIA practices

https://covertactionmagazine.com/2024/02/12/cia-whistleblower-given-draconian-sentence-after-being-found-guilty-of-leaking-documents-to-wikileaks/

EU foreign policy head Borrell speaks out [if you claim you want to stop the violence against civilians, then stop arming it]
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/12/eus-borrell-suggests-us-stop-arming-israel-amid-fears-over-rafah-assault
Yet we need actions not words from the EU https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1757241522465227166

I want to live, a song by John Denver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQer3hk53oU

Ilan Pappe: It is dark before the dawn, but Israeli settler colonialism is at an end
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/it-is-dark-before-the-dawn-but-israeli-settler-colonialism-is-at-an-end/

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages
Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9
Institute https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH
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Feb 11, 2024

Hind and more

Her family members murdered, the ambulance that came to rescue her attacked, and her rescuers killed. Israel murdered 6-year-old Hind, family members and ambulance crew & left to decompose
https://www.channel4.com/news/six-year-old-hind-rajab-found-dead-in-gaza-days-after-plea-for-help-2
https://israelpalestinenews.org/6-year-old-hind-never-stood-chance-day-126/
https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1756336005529923704
[while one of hundreds of stories like that, this murder captured the hearts of millions. Though the western coverage is still sparse and biased]

No Evidence to Support Israel’s UNRWA Allegations
https://paju.org/scandal-israeli-dossier-provides-no-evidence-for-claims-against-unrwa-staff/
https://truthout.org/articles/report-finds-no-evidence-in-key-dossier-to-support-israels-unrwa-allegations/
https://www.patreon.com/posts/peter-oborne-98159676
[Even if nine of the 30,000 UNRWA employees were shown to support Hamas, western countries cutting off funding to a humanitarian organizations while increasing funding to Israeli regime proven to commit state terrorism and genocide is the height of hypocrisy and we can also call it a nauseating sycophancy to please their masters, the Zionist lobby]

Visit http://ongaza.org and share links

Global Rally with really good 30+ speakers (I spoke briefly at 1:16:20) 1 February LINK

Rima noted: "This young man [Mohammed Al-Kurd] is really remarkable. Besides everything else, he displays wisdom and depth of thinking. Jerusalem should be proud of him and of the struggle of his family in the face of Israeli brutality that is threatening the lives and mere existence of our people in Jerusalem and all over Palestine. I especially appreciate his take on Zionism.." https://youtu.be/3QKeBb3UKWQ?si
[Palestine will survive. How do I know? Because we have many young people like this!]

To the hundreds of well-funded museums around the world that emphasize Jewish suffering (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Holocaust_memorials_and_museums) and sometimes marginally touch the suffering and the genocides/holocausts of other religions and other people (yet never mention Palestinians): To have credibility, you must NOW make exhibits of the ongoing holocaust of the Palestinian people. If you don't then you should be boycotted for hypocrisy (to say the least).

Zionist Patriots owner Robert Kraft spends $7m to use Super Bowl as political soapbox (again to confuse anti-racism/anti-genocide with “anti-Semitism”
https://therealnews.com/patriots-owner-robert-kraft-buys-7-million-pro-israel-super-bowl-ad-during-gaza-genocide
[The "super bowl" should instead hold a moment of silence of >105,000 casualties (killed and injured) in the ongoing US tax-payer funded genocide]

Israel's Allies PANIC In Desperate Effort To Deflect Blame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRTHMRKqA2I

Finally: Israel is threatening to commit MORE genocidal actions in the crowded area of Rafah the supposed "safe haven" (now 28,000 people per square kilometers) and allow the famine and disease to kill hundreds of thousands unless the resistance forces and the international community agree to Israeli fascist regime's demands. To drive home the message, Israeli occupation army has been shelling Rafah area for week and intensified it last two weeks committing many massacres against innocent civilians]


My friend Rich carries a sign that reads "When do we Jews realize that Israel is mad"
I add that if the world does not stop this genocidal regime NOW, there will be millions of victims (regional and global war is now very likely over this). A solution is easy: justice, peace, equality and this https://onestatecampaign.org/en/ !!

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages
Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9
Institute https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH


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Feb 9, 2024

Four months

Donation to UNRWA’s work in Gaza https://donate.unrwa.org/gaza/

What is the bottom line after 4 months of onslaught following the initial October 7 Gaza Ghetto Uprising? Where are we?
 
In Gaza: The killing of 27,967 Palestinians (including 12,345 children, 8,000 women, 339 medical workers, 223 journalists, 152 UN employees and 46 civil defence). This is not counting thousands under the rubble. The wounding of 71,378 Palestinians. The destruction of 79,000 houses and 25,010 buildings (including banks, markets, bakeries…), partially damaged housing units 290,000, and destruction of 30 hospitals, 99 schools and universities (334 partially destroyed schools and universities), 161 Mosques, 3 Churches, 140 Government Buildings (including the Legislative Council building, the Gaza Municipality building, the public library and theatre, the cultural centre, water and electricity stations…), 122 ambulances, and 195 heritage sites some dating back to 800 BC. The displacement of 2,000,000 Palestinians. The detention of 4,000 Palestinians. And the final stage of Israel's genocide is unfolding with mass starvation while the International Community will not stop it.
In the West Bank: The killing of 382 Palestinians (including 101 children). The wounding of 4,400 Palestinians. The detention of 6,870 Palestinians. The devastation of the economy and the educational system due to ghettoization and apartheid colonial policies.

Israeli regime and regionally: Israeli fascist regime climbed up a tree that involved committing genocide to make the Palestinians surrender. Palestinian resistance did not surrender and inflicted heavy casualties on the Israeli army trying to invade Gaza strip. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers were killed and thousands injured. Over 1000 tanks and APCs were destroyed or damaged. As the global demonstrations continued to grow, only blackmailed and/or bribed western politicians (and the media arms) stayed in support of the genocidal and apartheid Zionist regime. But even those are now trying to have their cake and eat it too: they physically support the genocide militarily and diplomatically while verbally expressing "concern" about "humanitarian situation in Gaza". No one believes them. That is how we understand the US and British government positions. But among the people there is a paradigm shift. More than 800 civil servants from the U.S., the UK, and the European Union released a statement criticizing their governments’ support of Israel in its war in Gaza, warning that such policies could be contributing to war crimes and violations of international law.

As for Israeli positions as I predicted 20 years ago, they get more and more fascist. Benjamin Mileikowski (fake name Netanyahu) while Hitlerian in his views and actions is more mild than the ascending populist ultra hitlers: Gantz (who called Palestinains human animals and cut off water, fuel, food, and medicine) to BenGvir (who armed marauding zionazi settlers to hundt Palestinians) to Smotrich (a settler who called for ethnic cleansing and genocide by hunger and who sas finance minister stole Palestinain money). These three will be the face of "Israel" in a post-Likud government. The fact that Israel sent Blinken empty handed and rejected the fair offer of the resistance and wants to keep the genocide ongoing is an indication of where things are headed.

Regionally, the local banana republic presidents and leaders will need to assess whether the US and Israel can keep them on as their tools against the wishes of their people or will they face the fate of Shah Pahlavi of Iran. From the Moroccan King to Egyptian Dictator Sisi who destroyed Egyptian Economy) to the spoiled brat ruling the UAE and all in between. A rising tide of resistance is spreading in our regions and the US, UK, Germany et al. continue to make terrible decisions against their own national interest in other places too (see this conversation with Vladimir Putin)

MUST WATCH: Palestinian American doctor tells of losing some 100 family members

Important Palestine Human Rights Organizations Council statement: Palestinian Organizations Express Disappointment and Call for an Inquiry Regarding the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide’s Failure to Fulfil Her Mandate in Addressing Israel’s Ongoing Genocide in Gaza

Israeli civil organizations call for immediate ceasefire

Israeli Gas Exploration Licenses in Palestine’s Maritime Areas are Illegal and Violate International Law

U.S. Court Concludes Israel’s Assault on Gaza Is Plausible Case of Genocide

Anti-Zionism as Decolonisation

Zionists Epstein and Maxwell worked for Mossad to extort politicians including Trump

Israel attacking their own ultra orthodox citizens. Many ultra orthodox Jews are not for war or violence, as opposed to the Zionist settlers who are sick sadists, and want nothing but blood, starvation, and carnage on a path to Judea.

Former Israeli Negotiator Daniel Levy states: Only U.S. Pressure on Israel Can End Gaza Assault, Lead to Truce

McDonald's and Starbucks admit BDS is working [we need more boycotts of US and "Israeli" products.

Donation to UNRWA’s work in Gaza https://donate.unrwa.org/gaza/

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages
Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9
Institute https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH

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Feb 4, 2024

What surprises

[please continue to share and speak out and act- and look for my next message in a few days with good news and reflections] 

Thank you to the many of you who wrote to us about the annual report (and many who decided to donate or contacted us about helping in other ways). Many in the world were surprised that we do such great environmental work in very difficult circumstances to say the least (plus the genocide in Gaza). But we Palestinians are resilient, we do resist oppression on the one hand and build for a better future on the other (even when Zionists keep destroying). We have and cherish our life. For those who did not have a chance, please do read this and do contact us https://www.palestinenature.org/annual-reports/2023-PIBS-report.pdf

Many people in the west were surprised at events and news. This week I highlight eleven:

1) That there is an American base in Northern Jordan and that sadly 3 black soldiers were killed (usually the rich get richer and the poor poorer or killed/used as canon-fodder). But the US has over 1400 bases in 80 countries to control and subjugate and act against the will of people in those countries. While spending hundreds of billions annually on this military and enriching <1% of ts people, infrastructure and education and healthcare in the US suffers and the 99% suffer. The US then bombed (illegally) many targets in Yemen, Syria and Iraq in supposed "retaliation" (but really to sustain the genocide ongoing against the Palestinians.


2) That 1.5 million of its 2.3 million people are now squeezed into the area around Rafah which is <15% (about 50 square kilometers) of the Gaza enclave. Famine and death is everywhere.

3) That the Israeli leadership is losing the war against resistance fighters 120 days/4 months after 7 October and the onslaught in Gaza, the resistance fighters are winning against tanks, airplanes, navy ships etc. All Israel can do is destroy more civilians and civilain infrastructure with US weapons and US cover.

4) That genocide and mass graves are allowed to continue for months and ethnic cleansing for decades as if we humans lewarn nothing from history. Some of us who are awake watch videos like this https://www.facebook.com/reel/2076517426040497 and are stunned by the horrors.

5) Yemen while bombed illegally by the US and the UK continues to defend itself and abide by its obligation to do something to stop the genocide of Palestinians

6) Dozens of US cities passed resolutions in support of cease fire (the Zionist lobby having spent millions is losing in its strongest hold the US. Here is Chicago just after San Francisco https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nni9vyTKrkE

7) Within a week of of the ICJ ruling, not only did the axis of evil led by the US/UK/Israel shut off funding to UN refugee and work agency and started threatening other agencies like the Red Cross and Red Crescent to exacerbate the genocide but continue to do (or fund and arm) the genocide. See https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/2/one-week-after-icj-ruling-is-israel-following-the-courts-orders and And after the ICJ ruling bodies of ‘torture victims’ found at Gaza school. The killing of dozens of people whose bodies were found at a Gaza school was a clear war crime, according to a Palestinian human rights lawyer who spoke to Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/2/1/bodies-of-torture-victims-found-at-gaza-school

8) The US government placed mild sanctions on 4 colonial settlers terrorizing Palestinians and asked Israel to look into its own army violations of human rights in the West Bank. And the UK government says it is considering recognizing a "Palestinian state". These hypocritical and cynical statements intended for public relations are not working anymore. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis engaged in racist attacks against Palestinians before 7 Oct 2023. Recognition of a Palestinian state could have been done in 1948, 1967, 1988, 1993 etc. But more important implementing peace could have been done based on human rights and equality any day in the past 76 years by simply stopping the support of the apartheid genocidal regime (the Israeli regime cannot maintain its colonization and oppression one day without that western support)

9) That social media is 95% supportive of Palestine/human rights while corporate mainstream media (CNN, BBC, AP, Reuters, FoxNews, New York times etc) is 95% supportive of genocide. See how mainstream media kills the truth
https://popular-resistance.blogspot.com/2023/11/mainstream-media-kills-truth.html
and Western coverage of Gaza: A textbook case of coloniser’s journalism
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/2/western-coverage-of-gaza-a-textbook-case-of-colonisers-journalism. Some western media under pressure (which must be increased) are starting to do some marginal stories, e.g. CNN CATCHES IDF Cemetery Atrocity Lie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UoNCuwc5eU
But they are still not coming close to telling the truth about the resistance, what happened 7 October etc (see ongaza.org and links therein of sites where you can get real information)

10) that free speech in supposedly democratic Western Countries does not exist when it comes to Palestine. Someone once quipped tat if you want to know who really has control in any country, watch who you cannot criticize. You cannot criticize Zionism (the racist idea of a Jewish state created by ethnic cleansing of indigineous people). Here is just one of millions of examples: How Power Creates and Entrenches Health Inequities
https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/31/silencing-the-messenger-how-power-creates-and-entrenches-health-inequities/

11) that colonial regimes lie incessantly. See ongaza.org item #9 and http://qumsiyeh.org/liesandtruths/

I do not know why the surprises. What is happening here in Palestine has a cause and has effects that are easily predictable. You find one of my lectures where I explain this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHUgFIEWr1g and ere are links to cause and effect:

CAUSE
https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9/posts/10160919216451181 (Netanyahu long before this genocidal action)
https://www.facebook.com/reel/308177298660625
https://www.facebook.com/reel/344969104608291
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1011580826776519
https://www.facebook.com/639657926/videos/278246188002507
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1064433681228536
https://www.facebook.com/reel/878806363683585
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1251209615555565
https://www.facebook.com/reel/352778063985760
https://www.facebook.com/reel/301757522765342
https://www.facebook.com/reel/247973378257499
https://www.facebook.com/reel/680580910501209
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1366276930991636
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160213-the-wild-beast-of-israeli-racism/
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/israel-defense-minister-human-animals-gaza-palestine_n_6524220ae4b09f4b8d412e0a
https://thewire.in/world/northern-gaza-israel-palestine-conflict

EFFECT
see this visual impact of numbers from the UN
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-118
Then view some of these videos for personal impact
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1347070282669691
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1005924534038932
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1028640151677022
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1036127130871914
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1064396378055298
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1064433681228536
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1140383236935021
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1409846396240215
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1446631016070266
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1498305100905240
https://www.facebook.com/reel/171654876013486
https://www.facebook.com/reel/193003723844677
https://www.facebook.com/reel/219322117715756
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2492508067598176
https://www.facebook.com/reel/267515342935773
https://www.facebook.com/reel/295754560044998
https://www.facebook.com/reel/342182358463855
https://www.facebook.com/reel/342910481573714
https://www.facebook.com/reel/343736248313472
https://www.facebook.com/reel/354972273758525
https://www.facebook.com/reel/358677136723546
https://www.facebook.com/reel/616704703797190
https://www.facebook.com/reel/622474083189011
https://www.facebook.com/reel/821410706397348
https://www.facebook.com/reel/848844680040608
https://www.facebook.com/reel/858262825800295
https://www.facebook.com/reel/865675955015882
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=235642535962085
https://twitter.com/jacksonhinklle/status/1722049139465154862

Stay human



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Jan 31, 2024

Negative and positive news

 2,269 massacres committed by the occupation army, 33,751 martyrs and missing persons (26,751 arrived in hospitals), 11,500 child martyrs and now some These are not numbers. These are people with dreams and aspirations and no different than any other area on earth where indigenous people also struggled to stay on their lands. People like renowned Palestinian psychologist Fadel Abu Hein [1].  Western Media under pressure of public opinion are starting to show what is going on which is horrific [2]


The International Court of Justice ruling that there is sufficient evidence to order Israel to halt the genocidal acts was important even though the ruling was weak basically saying Israel may continue its war on Palestine, but without killing a lot of Palestinians. What was the Zionist regime's (and the Western governments) response to the ruling. Rejection and intensification of the genocide and also trying to liquidate a UN agency that takes care of 5 million Palestinian refugees and whose constricted help to Gaza which will is already diminishing will mean acceleration of genocide [3]. As Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur to the Palestinian Occupied Territories stated "Western governments have suspended #UNRWA funds due to serious ALLEGATIONS against 12 staff. Same governments have not suspended ties with the state whose army has killed 26k ppl in Gaza in 3.5m,though ICJ said it may plausibly constitute GENOCIDE. Double standards? Yes, big time."

The genocide in Gaza is supported by many governments including Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan [4]. Palestinians uncovered a mass grave in the yard of a hospital that was besieged by Israeli forces where 30 bodies were found buried of people blindfolded, hands tied behind their backs and executed by the occupation army. You can see atrocities documented at the website of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor [5]. But the endless genocidal attacks on the local people also carry an environmental cost [6].

The carnage is also in the West Bank, for example the was an illegal Israeli raiding of Jenin hospital dressed as doctors and nurses to engage in extrajudicial execution of three young men [7]. Imagine if this happened in any other hospital in the world! collaborators likely informed about them being in hospital and where is the so called Palestinian authority?)

The history of the colonial Zionist project in Palestine needs to be told and retold in the Western World because it is hidden intentionally [8]. Bottom line is, through Zionist terror and massacres, Palestine was and still is being transformed from a  thriving multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi religious and even multi-lingual society to become a "Jewish state of Israel". Hence 8 million of us are refugees or displaced people and colonizers now "own" (stole) 92% of historic Palestine and those of us remaining are squeezed in 8% under an apartheid occupation regime.

We Palestinians teach life [9]. We resist the hate and death cult of colonial racist ideas like Zionism. Over 105 years of colonization and oppressions, we engaged in all forms of resistance to try and get our inalienable rights of return and self determination. Most of our resistance has been non-violent - we prefer to call it Popular Resistance [10].  We in the one Democratic State proposed our plan for a post colonial Palestine [11]. The Islamic resistance movement presented its post-war preferred scenario: election / self determination for the Palestinians people to counter the US/Israeli plans for post-war (of ethnic cleansing, continued slaughter and continued occupation and strangulation) [12]. This struggle for freedom and dignity against a ruthless enemy that tries to dehumanize and liquidate us (and the two go hand-in-hand). This struggle is now joined by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews also joined this struggle in the thousands (e.g. see Jewish Voice for Peace). More than 500 staffers of Jewish groups, most of them progressive, appeal to Biden to press for ceasefire [13]. But even some Zionists are speaking out [14].  

Palestinians speak out also regularly so listen to us. Just today (Wednesday) I was honored to see some of my friends speaking including Dr. Haidar Eid [15]. I have not heard his voice for months. Many of us Palestinians reflect on our duties and responsibilities in this genocidal epoch [16].  The highly respected group of Elders call for ceasefire and immediate implementation by Israel of ICJ ruling [17].

Demonstrations around the world are astounding. Half a million in London, hundred thousand in Washington DC and large numbers in over 200 cities world wide. Over 50 cities in the USA defied the Zionist hegemony of the federal government and the media and issued resolutions to ceasefire.  Most gratifying, over 11 million Yemeni citizens filled the streets and their government obeyed International law by trying to stop the genocide [18]. We shall overcome someday. The refugees will return and Palestine will be free but we have to get rid of collaborators, and collusionists and awaken more people.

Notes/references
[1] https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-prominent-professor-al-aqsa-university-killed-israel
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68006607
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2024/jan/30/how-war-destroyed-gazas-neighbourhoods-visual-investigation
[3] https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/israels-allies-accelerate-genocide-freezing-unrwa-funds
[4] see the land bridge to supply Israel exposed in an Israeli channel https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9/posts/pfbid0tqR6Ld3vjF4pADa637wsq2YvguqGaihzpzuijydvGMKZdZ5QiLmE9wguPKSFHkuNl 
[5] https://euromedmonitor.org/en/country/1/Israel-Palestinian-Territory
[6]  War and Climate Change
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/emissions-gaza-israel-hamas-war-climate-change
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/09/emission-from-war-military-gaza-ukraine-climate-change
Waste in Gaza
https://www.passblue.com/2024/01/23/gaza-is-cleaning-up-its-piles-of-garbage-from-the-war-including-human-waste/
[7]   https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-mustaribeen-undercover-agents-history-dressing-arab-palestine
[8]  see Edward Said's book The Question of Palestine and my book http://qumsiyeh.org/sharingthelandofcanaan/ and Dr. Ramzy Baroud: on How Palestinians have become the victims of Zionist history https://www.arabnews.com/node/2438011  
[9]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKucPh9xHtM
[10]  see http://qumsiyeh.org/popularresistanceinpalestine/
[11]  https://onestatecampaign.org/en/
[12] https://mondoweiss.net/2023/12/hamas-official-calls-for-palestinian-elections-national-unity-in-the-day-after-the-war/  
[13]  https://www.jta.org/2023/12/07/politics/more-than-500-staffers-of-jewish-groups-most-of-them-progressive-appeal-to-biden-to-press-for-ceasefire-in-israel-hamas-war
[14]  E.g. ore than 50 Israeli soldiers speak out https://youtu.be/tirugvJc_ag
[15]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQbN8rfem6U 
[16] What Does It Mean to Be Palestinian Now?
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/what-does-it-mean-to-be-palestinian-now/]
[17]  https://balfourproject.org/the-elders-call-for-immediate-compliance-by-israel-with-icj-provisional-measures/
[18]  Yemen position with interview/letter to Europeans
https://www.defenddemocracy.press/message-of-yemenis-to-europeans/
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