Nakba
Submitted by Thespian Lipsti... on Sat, 05/17/2008 - 6:33pm.
"Jewish villages were built in the place of Arab villages. You do not even know the names of these Arab villages, and I do not blame you because geography books no longer exist, not only do the books not exist, the Arab villages are not there either Nahlal arose in the place of Mahlul; Kibbbutz Gvat in the place of Jibta; Kibbutz Sarid in the place of Huneifis; and Kefar Yehushu'a in the place of Tal al- Shuman. There is not one single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab Population."
Moshe Dayan, Address to the Technion, Haifa ( as quated in Ha'aretz, 4 April 1969)
"By the end of the 1948 war, hundreds of entire villages had not only been depopulated but obliterated, their houses blown up or bulldozed. While many of the sites are difficult of access, to this day the observant traveler of Israeli roads and highways can see traces of their presence that would escape the notice of the casual passerby: a fenced-in area, often surmounting a gentle hill, of olive and other fruit trees left untended, of cactus hedges and domesticated plants run wild. Now and then a few crumbled houses are left standing, a neglected mosque or church, collapsing walls along the ghost of a village lane, but in the vast majority of cases, all that remains is a scattering of stones and rubble across a forgotten landscape."
The Right of Return of Palestinian Refugees
Israel, Palestine and the Occupied Territories:
The Right of Return of Palestinian Refugees
In 1948 the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194 on the Question of Palestine, which "resolves that refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return..."
Today there are more than 3.7 million Palestinian refugees living in refugee camps throughout the Middle East and many more exiles worldwide. Their right of return is clearly and unambiguously guaranteed by international law under the Geneva Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The refugees have a claim to citizenship, financial settlement and, in some cases, return to former homes and property in what is today Israel. The government of Israel, however, opposes Palestian immigration, in order to maintain the Jewish character of the state. Whatever the details of any future agreement, a lasting and effective settlement must find a solution for Palestinian refugees that recognizes and accommodates their “right of return” and their claim to full citizenship in a state they can call home.
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There you are..!
Nakba March
by Jonathan Cook / May 17th, 2008
Nazareth — It has been a week of adulation from world leaders, ostentatious displays of military prowess, and street parties. Heads of state have rubbed shoulders with celebrities to pay homage to the Jewish state on its 60th birthday, while a million Israelis reportedly headed off to the country’s forests to enjoy the national pastime: a barbecue.
But this year’s Independence Day festivities have concealed as much as they have revealed. The images of joy and celebration seen by the world have failed to acknowledge the reality of a deeply divided Israel, shared by two peoples with conflicting memories and claims...
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Palestinian al-Nakbah at 60: The Case of Unrecognized Villages
Sixty years after the terrorist catastrophe that drove over three quarters of a million Palestinians from 531 villages and towns during the Israeli war for independence in 1948, walls of division continue to be built, inhabited houses continue to be demolished, and an entire population in Gaza is being slowly starved of food, fuel, and medicine.
The incessant siege mentality and ubiquitous security infrastructure are ever more eroding the social fabric of Palestinian and Israeli societies alike. Ending the siege and occupation are crucial preconditions to the future security of both peoples. No matter what peaceful solution …
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Workable Solutions
for Peace in the Middle East
Many of us know pretty much the issues about Israel/Palestine. Activists have done much work educating and activating the population. However, there does not seem to be any talk of solutions. Sure Bush has good rhetoric about a future Palestinian state, in the occupied territories. But there is nothing about how hard this be in bringing about, given the "facts on the ground" in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, the land that international laws(Forth Geneva Convention) and UN Resolutions UN 242, 228. et al.) say Israel must vacate, and on which the Palestinians are to create a state. The US does not seem willing to pressure Israel into negotiating seriously. If this state of affairs continues, the likely outcome will be wars and an eventual military solution, one in which will be the loser .
What can activists do to avoid a military outcome?
What are your experiences as activists on these issues?**
Well...
my contribution to the peace process is NOT voting for a Democrat or a Republican...
Political Matter (Until we have democracy...)
If you think we can affect change now, political pressure, using means on hand, is necessary. Republicans are sometimes better on this issue than Democrats. Senior Bush forced Israel to negotiate in 1991. But still...
One reason AIPAC writes so many candidates' position papers on Israel is because the majority is shut out of the process. We can do something about this state of affairs, I believe.
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