Those People in Gaza: Where Do They Come From, And Why Are They So Mad? . In it, she compiles a number of photos from the Palestine Remembered site with other historical materials, to create a photo essay to challenge the myths that hold dominance about the land of Palestine.
Who is the Terrorist?
Lawrence of Cyberia and Gilad Atzmon (below) dismantle the false dichotomies of Jew/Arab or Israeli/Palestinian, to show that, whatever our ethnicity, religion, skin colour, "race", or nationality, we meet in cultures of resistance that transcend all boundaries.
Gilad Atzmon, a Jewish jazz sax musician born in Israel but who "feels no sympathy, compassion or nostalgia toward the occupying state of Israel" lives in the UK and is an anti-Zionist human rights activist. Atzmon was interviewed recently and has this to say about his former homeland:
"What we see in Gaza is holocaust denial in its making. The Jewish state exercises hardcore barbarism. Yet, the world keeps silent. Once again we are confronted with the realization that giving a mandate for a national home for the Jewish people has been demonstrated to be a grave lethal mistake. The only question is how to dismantle this monstrous suicidal hawkish creature without turning our planet into a fireball."
His message to the Palestinian people of Gaza:
"My Dearest brothers and sisters. It is heartbreaking to watch the death and carnage inflicted on you by the Jewish state. We all see what you are going through and we all know that justice is on your side. I beg you not to lose hope. Evil always comes to an end and Israeli evil is no different. Israel will come to an end though we may have to do something to bring this end about.
However, one thing is rather clear. The so called ‘liberal’ west failed to save you, sadly enough; the Arab states failed to join your struggle yet. As sad as it may be, as much as justice is on your side, you are alone here confronted with the ultimate evil.
Israel has many bombs in its arsenal. But you Palestinian brothers and sisters have a few things they do not have: Justice is [on] your side, humanity is in your streets, you have the spirit and you have the ultimate bomb, namely the demographic one.
Palestine is the land, Israel is a state; States come and go, land stays forever. Long live Palestine."
Gilad Atzmon & Nizar Al-Issa Cultures of Resistance Jul 07
10 comments:
Though I feel for the Palestinian and Israeli people there is a lot of mis-information that I hear in the news and from other folks in regards to who is who and what belongs to who.
First off...though all Jews are Hebrew...not all Hebrews are Jews. The Jews basically came "mostly" from the Tribe of Judah..which is only 1/12th of the original Israel (not counting the tribes of Mannesah and Ephraim). So there are 10 other so called "lost tribes" that are still in existence today (spread out around the world). It just so happens that Jesus Christ came from the tribe of Judah (but I won't go into a whole religious tift here...though it's all related).
Anyways..as far as the land is concerned the Hebrews did occupy the land before the Arabs. But Israel was not reocognized as an independent political party because the region was being ruled by the Byzanthine Empire. That is fact. In fact it was the tribe of Judah...or the Jews that lived there. The people that lived there before the Jews were the Philistines...whom the people of today's Palestine has no relation to at all. The Palestinians are basically decendants of the Arabs that "occupied" the land "after" the Jews. They adopted the name "Palestinians" from a term "Palaestina",coined orginally from the Greeks and used by the Romans (meaning Mediterrain Boundry of the Promised Land). But in all actuality...they are not related to the original Philistine inhabitants.
So what it seems is history has a way of repeating itself...going full circle (the occupiee is now the occupier). So...what I recognize as happening in 1948 was just basically a re-establishment of what was there to begin with.
To try and put things in another perspective:
Let's make the Byzanthine Empire the Equivalent of today's Saddam Hussein in Iraq (ruling Dictator). Let's look at the United States as the equivalent of the (conquering) Arabs of that day. Finally let's look at the inhabitants of today's Iraq as the equivalent to the inhabitants of Israel during the Byzanthine Empire. The story of both generations plays the same.
PRESENT TIMES:
1. The invading nation (United States) comes (welcomed by the inhabiting resistance movement from within) into Iraq to help rid the Iraq people of it's tyrant dictator. The Unites States succeeds. In it's occupation of Iraq the US has a choice to stay and build their own empire within the country or leave and let the Iraq people decide for themselves (this outcome is still a work in progress).
HISTORIC TIMES:
2. The invading Arab people comes (welcomed by the inhabiting Jewish resistance from within) into Israel to help the Israeli people get rid Of the tyranical Byzathine rule in their area. The Arabs/Jewish movement succeeds. In its occupation of Israel...the Arabs set up shop and keeps Israel as its own (this is a short synopsis of what actually happened).
so...where are we today? As mentioned above...just repeating history. It's just in the Historic example...the invaders kept the spoils for themselves...while today...the United States is trying to figure out how the heck to get outta there.
Dear Gaby, I've read your extensive comment. OK, Palestine originally belonged to the Jews and, I can assure you, that if the new colonizers in 1948 would have accepted normal co-habitation with the locals, everything would've gone velvety... but, the invaders didn't want a civilized cohabitation with the original land-owners (Palestinians) for the past I-don't-know-how-many- centuries. This is where it all started. The invaders wanted only a Jewish state, thereby, killing, stealing, taking over Palestinian's people and land. This is what was wrong. A terrible mistake. I'm sure that if the new Jewish settlers would've been able to co-habit with the Palestinians, we wouldn't have the problems that we have nowadays. Think about it, dear Gaby. Hugs, M.
I'm amused at your selective memory. Sure the rockets from the Palestinian area started after the Israeli occupation. The Israeli occupation started after Egypt put 100,000 troops on the border of Israel in addition to Jordanian and Syrian troops, so your comment doesn't wash. So far you've been successful in dispelling what sympathy I had for your cause.
I don't see palestinian rockets being too choosy about who they kill. But when some idiot launches a rocket from the town square, or a front yard, and Israel sends a barage back to same spot, it will kill a bunch of people around the launch site. That's just dumb. Smuggling weapons into civilian areas and using tunnels has obviously been so beneficial. (NOT)
Take it the other direction. One Israeli not killed means 100 Palestinians not killed.
It's your choice. Do you want your children to die and your towns to be in rubble? Keep it up. You want something different? You have that opportunity.
Excuse my ignorance, but just how long after your country has been attacked is the proper and diginifed amount of time to stage a retaliation?
Its easy for us in the US (and other countries) to sit back an criticize Israel, but all bets are off when a kindergarten in YOUR neighborhood is targeted for attack. And since a subtle approach hasn't worked in the past, then overwhelming force is perhaps the only way to prevent an unwarranted, unprovoked attack from re-occurring. Case in point, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I don't see the situation profoundly changing in a hurry. A treaty may be signed, territories agreed etc, but deep and lasting peace and empthy will not come to certain parts of the world for decades, if at all.
I don't think they enjoy fighting at all. But I honestly don't believe that they care about their own people so much as they do their ideology and their hatred for Israel. I think we both agree that the fighting and killing sucks. All of my opposition is focused on Hamas and any other terror organization, not the Palestinian people. I would agree that Israel should loosen restrictions on the Palestinian people, if only Hamas could behave itself for any length of time. But they never do. They hate the very existence of a state of Israel. And eventually there's someone within the organization that cuts loose, to the tune of 20 or so schoolchildren dead on a bus. Unfortunately, the rest of the Palestinians have to pay with tighter restrictions and further alienation when this happens because there is no possible way to restrict only the radical element. They all dress the same, act the same, etc, until someone extends their arms, looks skyward, and detonates himself in the middle of the crowd. Every time a homicide bombing happens, Hamas further alienates the Palestinian people from the non-Arab world. They are, plain and simply, a terrorist organization.
Dear Gaby, I don't know if your reply is to NORTHSHOREWOMAN or to me. You're so mixed up, my dear! Really, your comment is so riddled and confused that I really can't make heads or tails! Hamas is NOT a terrorist organization but a RESISTANCE movement. What would YOU do if your land was stolen, destroyed, boycotted, not being able to buy anything, food, clothing, not having access to healthcare, seeing how your children died in front of your eyes?? Wouldn't you fight back with whatever you had, such as home-made rockets??? I would. It's only a human defensive reaction. No, my dear, Israel cannot be defended in any way for their cruel, cold and selfish massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. Hugs, M.
I SOOOOO AGREEE with Merche Pallares and SOOOOO DISSAGREE with Gaby. Thankyou Merche you are soo right. but Gaby you really are stuiped cause what do u call when izrael doesnt want justice for palestine or peace and then you say Hamas is terrorist?? seriously come on you know thats not right so dont lie to yourself and i am Palestinian and to be more persific from Gaza but my parents were from Ariha which is in Palestian obviously i do not think there is such a thing as izrael but i beleive there is some jewish people that dont want peace and fighting Palestinians even Jewish Palestinians. Palestians opened their heart to jewish and all religions all religions were living in peace in Palestine so there was no need for the "izraelians" that are very domb about their desicion. I am only 12 years old but when i was 7 years my building was bombed while i was in it i remember it ver well me my mum and sister do you not call that trrorism?
aND I WOULD ALSO WANT TO ADD to my comment Palestin WAS NEVER FOR JEWS!!!! first thing alll profits were in Palestin jewish chritian and muslim so yuo have no right to say what you said!!!
19 pro-Palestinian peace activists killed by Israel!!! 60 injured in a blasphemous raid on an unarmed humanitarian mission headed to occupied Gaza by the accursed Israelis...Terrorism? No, they will say it and justify it by saying the ships were carrying WMD. The world will do nothing...Join me in dedicating your status......es against this holocaust by Israel!! If this is not terrorism ,, I don't know what is!!
Dear gaby, go f urself...same goes for all the fkin jews. I hope 1 day all the muslim countries gang up on the pathetic israeli race and rape the women and little girls and then shoot them on their face...give them taste of their own medicine
Anonymous,
That is racist, sexist, rude, and offensive. The issue is not with Jews but with the state of Israel and Zionists. Jewish people are as beloved as others. I don't believe you know the issue of Palestine at all as no one would suggest such a terrible thing as you said. Living together is the solution; not more violence. Are you pretending to be a supporter? Someone trying to add more problems for the Palestinians?
I also agree with Merche Pallarés. I feel your comments are well thought out and convincing. I as an American sympathize with the Palestinians, which makes me a minority, technically. I honestly couldn't say that I know many Americans who share my views, but the media we receive is not always kind toward the Arab/Islamic nations.
Gaby, it's not that I think you're wrong, but your comments make you seem more like a book rather than a person; I feel you don't really understand the extreme pain, humiliation, and anger Palestinians feel. I grew up wanting Jews and Palestinians to co-exisit, but as I grew older I realized it is impossible for Palestinians to want to co-exisit with a state of people who are making life hell on earth for them.
As for the person who made the comment about Arabs raping and killing Jews, grow up. That was wildly inappropriate and disturbing.
Apollo18,
Thank you for visiting and sharing your views. We need more folks like you speaking out, folks who know the difficulties and complexities of the Israel/Palestine issue but are committed to finding solutions.
Mainstream Canadian media is not favorable to the Palestinians, either, although I think some of the AMerican tv and radio shows go way too far in allowing intolerant remarks, racism, and other divisive rants that increase the likelihood of people misunderstanding each other.
Post a Comment