Opening eyes series....Session # (1)
*A bit edited, thank you Ivana*
The truth is that I have been really confused in the last week, thinking of a way to gather thousands of years, hundreds of books, endless numbers of facts and numbers all about the Palestinian-"Israeli" conflict so that anyone that have lived his entire life hearing about it from the western biased media gets to hear it all the way from the beginning, hear the other version of the story this time.
And I had planned visits to certain people and certain universities and libraries, to collect the references I want to use, and to translate the ones that are in Arabic. I had it all planned in my head, and was full of sorrow knowing it will probably take months before I have the time to do all that, the most important point I wanted it to include is to remind people that what you call "Israel" today, was only born just a while ago, 1948, a little while in the terms of history, When Zionists started the fight and occupied the Palestinian land, the parents or grandparents of each one of you probably were there back then and witnessed it all. I know that my grandparents did, and Hundreds of thousands left their homes taking the keys with them, thinking they will go back next day, next week, next month maybe, now it has been almost 60 years and they didn't go back yet, and a lot of them still have the keys with them till now, although a lot of their houses are already demolished or taken over by Israel. My grandfather died couple of years ago and never managed to go back, and my grandmother is living in Jordan now, still hoping to go back one day.
(Nowadays you hardly ever see that little peace of information anywhere, in a 100 years of time, the history will be re written and the world would be told that "Israel" existed before Palestine!).
Alright, back to my point, I wanted it also to include the numbers of people that were killed on both sides, just to show you who is the real terrorist here, you will be shocked when you see the numbers, and it will give you a good reason to stop believing the western media, you will see who is the criminal here, and who is the victim, who is the occupier, and who is defending himself in the scene, this time for real I mean.
And I wanted to show you the numbers of UN resolutions that were made against "Israel", and how "Israel" ignored them since they all demand to either un-occupy Palestinian lands, or let the Palestinian refuges get back to their houses, or stop taking their rights, or giving them back some of them, and of course, none of that ever happened.
All the UN resolutions have numbers and you can check them using any source, even an Israeli one, any library, any UN office, while you find "Israel" ranting about how they want to fight till the UN resolution 1559 is enforced, just suddenly "Israel" respects the UN resolutions out of the blue! The country of democracy, ha?
Another ugly face of the story, is the really shameful American role in all this, and how the united states supported it, all the way from the beginning, and how it took every biased stand whenever it could, against the Palestinians, and today against the Lebanese (and don't even get me start talking about Iraqis), making all possible efforts not to stop the Israeli attack on civilians, but to make sure it doesn't stop, while the American laser-directed missiles are in their way to "Israel" to be used against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine, too.
And then yesterday, I was asking Mr. Google about things related to all that, and how lucky was I to find what I found, I found a site where people actually did all the work I wanted to do, just all of it, and put it all together, if I wanted to do it myself I don't think it would have been better, no well of course it would have, everything I do has to be just perfect you know.
so anyways let's forget about my ego for a moment and get back to the point: the site, I am giving you the link, and you need to do the rest, those people really made a lot of efforts to put it together, the least you can do is to read it! Still I have to say that they put only the head lines for all the issue, there are really hundreds of books to be read to see all the details, but the site at least takes your hand through class (Palestine-"Israel" 101). Probably 102 too.
*Note: "Lebanon..." post is still active, and all updates about Lebanon are posted in the comments section there*
The truth is that I have been really confused in the last week, thinking of a way to gather thousands of years, hundreds of books, endless numbers of facts and numbers all about the Palestinian-"Israeli" conflict so that anyone that have lived his entire life hearing about it from the western biased media gets to hear it all the way from the beginning, hear the other version of the story this time.
And I had planned visits to certain people and certain universities and libraries, to collect the references I want to use, and to translate the ones that are in Arabic. I had it all planned in my head, and was full of sorrow knowing it will probably take months before I have the time to do all that, the most important point I wanted it to include is to remind people that what you call "Israel" today, was only born just a while ago, 1948, a little while in the terms of history, When Zionists started the fight and occupied the Palestinian land, the parents or grandparents of each one of you probably were there back then and witnessed it all. I know that my grandparents did, and Hundreds of thousands left their homes taking the keys with them, thinking they will go back next day, next week, next month maybe, now it has been almost 60 years and they didn't go back yet, and a lot of them still have the keys with them till now, although a lot of their houses are already demolished or taken over by Israel. My grandfather died couple of years ago and never managed to go back, and my grandmother is living in Jordan now, still hoping to go back one day.
(Nowadays you hardly ever see that little peace of information anywhere, in a 100 years of time, the history will be re written and the world would be told that "Israel" existed before Palestine!).
Alright, back to my point, I wanted it also to include the numbers of people that were killed on both sides, just to show you who is the real terrorist here, you will be shocked when you see the numbers, and it will give you a good reason to stop believing the western media, you will see who is the criminal here, and who is the victim, who is the occupier, and who is defending himself in the scene, this time for real I mean.
And I wanted to show you the numbers of UN resolutions that were made against "Israel", and how "Israel" ignored them since they all demand to either un-occupy Palestinian lands, or let the Palestinian refuges get back to their houses, or stop taking their rights, or giving them back some of them, and of course, none of that ever happened.
All the UN resolutions have numbers and you can check them using any source, even an Israeli one, any library, any UN office, while you find "Israel" ranting about how they want to fight till the UN resolution 1559 is enforced, just suddenly "Israel" respects the UN resolutions out of the blue! The country of democracy, ha?
Another ugly face of the story, is the really shameful American role in all this, and how the united states supported it, all the way from the beginning, and how it took every biased stand whenever it could, against the Palestinians, and today against the Lebanese (and don't even get me start talking about Iraqis), making all possible efforts not to stop the Israeli attack on civilians, but to make sure it doesn't stop, while the American laser-directed missiles are in their way to "Israel" to be used against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine, too.
And then yesterday, I was asking Mr. Google about things related to all that, and how lucky was I to find what I found, I found a site where people actually did all the work I wanted to do, just all of it, and put it all together, if I wanted to do it myself I don't think it would have been better, no well of course it would have, everything I do has to be just perfect you know.
so anyways let's forget about my ego for a moment and get back to the point: the site, I am giving you the link, and you need to do the rest, those people really made a lot of efforts to put it together, the least you can do is to read it! Still I have to say that they put only the head lines for all the issue, there are really hundreds of books to be read to see all the details, but the site at least takes your hand through class (Palestine-"Israel" 101). Probably 102 too.
*Note: "Lebanon..." post is still active, and all updates about Lebanon are posted in the comments section there*
posted by Khalid at 1:31 PM
19 Comments:
Awwwwww Khalid! You with hold your more perfect research from us! Mean Khalid:))hahahahaha. Better you finish college so Julia will allow you to marry;)
This should be a good one. Oh and your forgot to mention that in 1948, Israel was created by a UN mandate. Maybe you need to read those books again.
Khalid, would you please post the link to the website you reference. I am having a hard time understanding why the western world is standing by and allowing this to happen. Perhaps a history lesson is just what I need?! Please keep blogging, you were missed from April to present.
Best,
Kelly
S
haha:) kiss Julia for me and tell her i will make sure to get her blessings when i one day get married!:)
how old is she now?
madtom
oh i was meaning to write that info while i was writting the post and then i forgot! but its in the site though!
Kelly
I am sorry its bloggers mistake i posted the link and it just wouldnt appear! now i tried and it worked.
:)
I am gonna recommend some good references too for further reading soon.
Why waste the extra money on laser and sat guided bombs if we wish to kill Lebanese civilians? We still have warehouses full of the dumb bombs that would serve that purpose just fine. If we are to do war, let's give fair warning and then just do it. If civilians choose to serve as sheilds, they are no longer civilian and are culpable in the acts of those they allow to operate in their midst. Isn't that what the Palestinians have been doing for decades? Interpretation of ancient history is for eggheads who will never put their own well being at stake, and they all have their own spin--who cares and what possible differnce will it make? History is written by the winners, so somebody win already.
why use smart bombs?
to kill more civillians! (and UN staff while you are at it too)
over 400 till now, and counting.
when you are at your house, and a bomb fall on you, in some city, how do you explain that as being serving as shield?
hate blinds eyes, and makes what some people say look shamefuly hateful.
shame on you, be a human. for a moment at least.
It appears that Israel is asking the UN to vacate southern Lebanon, and i'm sure this would follow current US policy as well. I think if things start getting too rough for Hezbollah you'll find the Us paying a higher price in Iraq And perhaps Mr. Maliki is letting the US kow this. The idea that Israel can continue to pulvarise Palestinian people at their whim for so long is unbelievable.
Thanks for the link. it looks like the link only talks about the most recent israel-palestinian conflict. what about 2,000 years ago when there were no muslims? who owned the land then? guess what, the jews owned the land then. then the muslims kicked them out. then the jews kicked them out. now the muslims are trying to kick them out again. back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. it will never end.
Anonymous, "The Jews" didn't own the land in quite the way you are painting the picture.
While I agree with the point you are trying to make, that Jewish people inhabited the land that is Israel long before Islam was created, you are unfortunately looking at the scenario through today's window.
Go back before Islam was invented, and then before Christianity was invented, and the associations people have attached to "The Jews" as a religion in resistance to Christianity and Islam all of a sudden dissapear.
People just lived there, that was all.
Now, more importantly. Khalid. For goodness sake I implore you, read to improve your own mind - forget about trying to change other peoples'. It is more important that you as a youth begin to read other peoples' histories as well as your own if you really want this conflict to end. By all means share what you read but please understand that a lot of people reading your blog are web readers - often people who already have what you might call a world view, as opposed to a nationalistic one.
This may shock you, but I find a lot of what has been written about Palestine since 1948 is nothing but propaganda. It disappoints me. There seem to be very few objective writers recording history as it happens, because academics, many influenced by marxism, tend to record history as they would like people to read it. Unfortunately, this undermines a lot of what Pro-Palestinian authors have to say.
Show me a history I haven't heard...
Maybe you could try a project where you look for comparisons between what you call "western" and "arabic" literatures. Instead of trying to validate one view or the other, look for the similarities and the differences. Ask yourself, are the similarities and the differences, actually the same thing? There is more cross cultural writing then your post implies, something that has been going on for thousands of years, even before the internet... can readers really honestly split literature into two geographically defined stereotypes when writers themselves are always crossing the borders?
Earlier today, I left a post on another blog which included the following comment - "how ironic is it that the lessons taught the Jewish people by the Nazis in Germany should now be brought to bear on other people whom Israelis consider to be their enemies?"
Interesting that when I went to the site you linked today, someone in the film trailer said nearly the same thing.
Today I also saw a photo of an ambulance with an explosion hole precisely in the middle of the red cross on the top. The "mistake" made by Israeli troops caused a 5-year-old to lose his lower left leg.
What surprises me is that the Israelis are not quivering behind locked doors and hoping the invading Arabic soldiers will bypass them. What surprises me is that there has been no further damage done by Arabs in the US for nearly 5 years. How can we behave as vilely as we do and not expect anger and retaliation to be the response?
Somehow I believe the truth will get out, for I've found more truth on the internet in the last 4 years than in US news of any kind for the previous 50.
Maybe if the world can hold together for another few years, the lies will all be refuted and the truth will be understood by everyone. We can only hope.
Sally
When people speak of the Jews living in Israel so many centuries ago, I'm reminded of what their own history says about why they left in the first place.
Seems God frequently got pissed at them and sent them to wander the desert for a while to contemplate the error of the ways.
A stiff necked people.
I suspect God may have some more desert tours in their future. For surely God does not approve of the lies and slaughter being carried out right now.
Amazing that no one is sponsering the US Natives complete reclaiming of their homeland.
How ironic it is that when Jewish people resist and fight back, in self-defense, socialist organisations conveniently ignore it.
Seems like the lessons of national socialist Germany still haven't been learnt by marxists yet.
Ivana says welcome :)
when will israel recognize the palestinians' (and other arabs) right to exist -- and conterminously the right to self defense??? please, someone, answer this query. why is this demand never foisted upon israel, only vis-a-versa.
israel, bottom line, lacks any legitimacy making demands they themselves can neither return nor satisfy. the right to exist and prosper belongs to all of humanity, not just hegemonic entities supported by sophisticated weaponry, such as israel and amreka.
truth be told, the 3 to 1 ratio of palestinian to israeli casualties speaks for itself, exposing the lack of fidelity in the israeli/western narrative of the occupation in palestine. these are brute facts no one can scant if they hope for a solution to this interminable conflict....
-------akkadia
Looks like you might have some competition
Zogby
Akkadia, I don't see Israel demanding any other country be "wiped off the map".
What Israel doesn't seem to like, is being bullied by the play ground thug who hides behind the infant room.
What an utter Irony lost on you, Israel was-is perfectly happy for Palestine to exist. Only a few decades ago, Palestinians refused to acknowledge Palestine. Go figure.
"Akkadia, I don't see Israel demanding any other country be "wiped off the map". "
No, they've already managed to wipe the Palestinians off the map. Their job is done. No more need for the terrorist Stern and Irgun, right? Now the terror can be via airplanes and artillery, so much more genteel.
interesting....!
Palestinian children in Israeli prison
Najib Farag , PNN
(Bethlehem)
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
The Palestinian Prisoner Society, legal and childhood rights institutions, and the international and local Red Cross, are pushing for the immediate release of Palestinian minors from Israeli prisons.
Children in Telmond Prison are in dire psychological and physical straights as reported by the Prisoner Society Wednesday. Israeli forces arrested 11 year old Mohammad Abdullah Mousa Othman and 13 year old Rafiq Mohammad Al Eisha nearly three weeks ago.
The western Ramallah’s Beit Ur At Tahta Village boys have been subject to severe beatings at the hands of Israeli soldiers. Members of the intelligence in charge of interrogating the children have beaten and threatened both and forced them to sign statements.
Prisoner Society lawyer Adal Khalaila met with the boys on 11 September and described their situation as "tragic."
Khalaila said, "The minors have been thrown in with their elders and have no knowledge of the rules of law, and are clearly too young to adapt to prison life."
He described Othman as a "tall, skinny boy in prison contrary to all norms of international law. It is also contrary to Israeli law which does not allow arresting Palestinians under 12 years old."
The lawyer reported that Israeli soldiers arrested the 11 year old from the streets of his village on 25 August under the pretext that he had thrown stones at Israeli forces.
The boy was taken to a mountain high above the town and held there for seven to eight hours. He was handcuffed and blindfolded the entire time. One of the Israeli soldiers put his cigarette out in the boy’s hand. Othman was then taken to a military installation for investigation in the Israeli settlement of Givat Ze’ev west of Ramallah in the West Bank. He was interrogated into the morning hours of the second day.
Khalaila stated that due to the boy’s young age and lack of maturity or knowledge of how to handle the torturous investigations that most Palestinian males undergo at some point in their lives, he signed the investigators’ report without knowing the content. "He was under threat and intimidation, beatings and insults."
None of the child’s family members have been allowed to visit him and it remains unknown when or if he will be released. The Israeli military court has held three hearings for the boy since his arrest.
The second minor that the Palestinian Prisoner Society focused on in today’s report is 13 year old Rafiq Mohammad Al Aisha. Israeli soldiers took him in the same manner as the 11 year old: from the streets of Beit Ur At Tahta Village, west of Ramallah, accusing him of throwing stones at Israeli forces.
Khalaila sat with Al Aisha as he reported what has happened to him. Israeli soldiers and interrogators have repeatedly punched the 13 year old in the face and kicked him in the legs and backside. The boy said that he was not throwing stones, denying the charge against him. He was forced under threat to sign a statement of unknown content.
The Prisoner Society attorney reported that both children are experiencing difficulty speaking and expressing themselves, and in understanding what is being said to them. Khalaila concluded reporting the sworn statements by saying that the boys are not pronouncing words clearly.
The Israeli authorities have arrested over 5,000 Palestinian minors since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. Still in Israeli prisons are 350 Palestinians aged 11 through 17 years.
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