Why we are celebrating
Monday, May 12, 2008
ON THURSDAY, May 8, during an incursion into the town of New Abasan, east of Khan Yunis in the occupied land of Palestinian, Zionist Israeli soldiers killed Wafa Shaker El-Daghma. The troops blew up the wooden door of the family home, and the force of the blast killed the 33-year-mother of three instantly. The IOF troops then stormed into the house, and detained her 3 children, who had all witnessed the killing. The children, including a 2-year-old, were then confined inside a room of their house for six and a half hours until the occupation troops withdrew.
For this reason alone, we should be mourning the continued occupation of Palestine by the Zionist Israel. It was on May 14, 1948 when the Zionist militias destroyed over 500 Palestinian villages and violently displaced the Muslims and the Christians from Palestine in order to create a Jewish state in a land where the majority was not Jewish. That means 60 years of An-Nakbah (catastrophe) and continued monstrous injustice which is this week being celebrated by Israel and the United States.
The occupation government of Israel has invited famous people to come to the occupied land and celebrate Israel 60 with them, including US President George Bush. No surprise there. Recently, in fact, the US House of Representatives voted to recognise and reaffirm the Jewish state's creation and the United States' ongoing friendship and cooperation with Israel. Lest there are any proponents of democracy who think that a change is around the corner with the upcoming US elections, they should think again: the forerunners among the US presidential hopefuls are avowed friends of Israel.
In the meantime, Israel is continuing with its campaign of displacement, violence, and occupation. Inside of the 1948 borders of Israel, Palestinian citizens are denied equal rights to Jews under the law. Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem are denied access to land, water, healthcare, and other basic resources. Palestinians throughout historic Palestine experience international isolation, economic devastation aided by the erection of a 730-kilometer wall, and continued closures and invasions including the current horrific siege of Gaza.
Today there are more than 6 million Palestinian refugees around the world, all of whom are denied their internationally recognised Right of Return to their homes and land. Many of them and their supporters are now crying against the use of the word "celebration" to mark their An-Nakbah. They are calling on the world to pay attention that May 14 is actually a day of mourning for all the loss and suffering that has been inflicted on them for the past 60 years.
A celebration of Israel's independence is a celebration of an ethnic cleansing. There are, therefore, at least six millions of reasons to turn that day into a day of mourning.
We note and share the pain of the Palestinians, but we see that there is actually a reason to mark the day with celebration indeed. If anything, this week should mark 60 years of Palestinians resistance to Israel's violence. We should celebrate their courage and struggle to reclaim their homeland, their families, their lives, and their dignity. We should salute their forbearance and be part of the campaign to protect their human rights.
In response to the historical events and a call from Palestine to mark their significance, we are therefore refusing to celebrate Israel 60 but we are celebrating Palestinian resistance 60. We are honouring the memory of Wafa Shaker El-Daghma and we are honouring those Palestinians who have lost their lives and worldly possessions to resist the Zionist occupations.
For this reason alone, we should be mourning the continued occupation of Palestine by the Zionist Israel. It was on May 14, 1948 when the Zionist militias destroyed over 500 Palestinian villages and violently displaced the Muslims and the Christians from Palestine in order to create a Jewish state in a land where the majority was not Jewish. That means 60 years of An-Nakbah (catastrophe) and continued monstrous injustice which is this week being celebrated by Israel and the United States.
The occupation government of Israel has invited famous people to come to the occupied land and celebrate Israel 60 with them, including US President George Bush. No surprise there. Recently, in fact, the US House of Representatives voted to recognise and reaffirm the Jewish state's creation and the United States' ongoing friendship and cooperation with Israel. Lest there are any proponents of democracy who think that a change is around the corner with the upcoming US elections, they should think again: the forerunners among the US presidential hopefuls are avowed friends of Israel.
In the meantime, Israel is continuing with its campaign of displacement, violence, and occupation. Inside of the 1948 borders of Israel, Palestinian citizens are denied equal rights to Jews under the law. Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem are denied access to land, water, healthcare, and other basic resources. Palestinians throughout historic Palestine experience international isolation, economic devastation aided by the erection of a 730-kilometer wall, and continued closures and invasions including the current horrific siege of Gaza.
Today there are more than 6 million Palestinian refugees around the world, all of whom are denied their internationally recognised Right of Return to their homes and land. Many of them and their supporters are now crying against the use of the word "celebration" to mark their An-Nakbah. They are calling on the world to pay attention that May 14 is actually a day of mourning for all the loss and suffering that has been inflicted on them for the past 60 years.
A celebration of Israel's independence is a celebration of an ethnic cleansing. There are, therefore, at least six millions of reasons to turn that day into a day of mourning.
We note and share the pain of the Palestinians, but we see that there is actually a reason to mark the day with celebration indeed. If anything, this week should mark 60 years of Palestinians resistance to Israel's violence. We should celebrate their courage and struggle to reclaim their homeland, their families, their lives, and their dignity. We should salute their forbearance and be part of the campaign to protect their human rights.
In response to the historical events and a call from Palestine to mark their significance, we are therefore refusing to celebrate Israel 60 but we are celebrating Palestinian resistance 60. We are honouring the memory of Wafa Shaker El-Daghma and we are honouring those Palestinians who have lost their lives and worldly possessions to resist the Zionist occupations.
Business Besides Oil
