Confucious says,”Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
Gilad Schalit. If you know anything about the intensification of the Gaza humanitarian crisis then you know this young Israeli soldiers name. If you don’t know this guy’s name.. I highly suggest you hop on google, type in his name and press the search button.
Once your done doing your back ground reading – get back to this blog post ASAP and then continue reading.
Since 2006 when Gilad was kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza in 2006 according to all media sources – the Israeli government has been trying in vain to get him back offering among other things rewards and prisoner swaps. The military has gotten in on the act with at least one failed rescue attempt. Since the armed branch of the Hama’s government is not willing to trade or swap Gilad Shalit for anything other than the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military forces, settlers and a totally independent free Gaza with borders controlled by the democratically elected government. There is a stale mate.
While Israeli officials see Gilad as important – he isn’t important enough to be willing to compromise or change the very core of their belief’s regarding the state of Israel – however his kidnap is a great excuse to increase the intensification of the siege of Gaza – because everything can be done under the umbrella of – its in an effort to A. Get Gilad back and B. Protect the homeland from another such kidnapping.
The sad thing is that Zionist in and outside Israel actually fall for these reasons because they live in such a state of fear and ignorance of the conditions of the Palestinians – they are just sheep following the herd.
Another sad thing is that this fear is taught by the parents to the children – how many times have I heard among my Jewish friends here in the United States say – “in the end they will hate you be because your a dirty Jew,” – this is something one of my Jewish friends told me their parents told them- this has kept them from making friends with many people outside the Jewish community – it’s what has kept them only dating Jewish individuals and then marrying a Jew because they feared that in the end they would just be “a dirty Jew.”
I can only say.. that every time I think about this I can only be shocked in how this was taught to small children. It’s also taught in other communities as well – African-American, Muslim, Arab, Asian and even “White” communities.. this isn’t a self-protection mechanism – it’s a self separation, tribalism and othering tactic at its subtle best. But I am not here to discuss that in this blog post.
Other reasons people whole heartedly support the Israeli government is because they believe in divine right. God gave them this land – so who cares what other people think or how our actions have affected the people living on the land prior to the majority of the Israeli population arriving there? Arrogant entitlement drives another significant portion of the population of Zionists. The popularly espoused myth is no one was living in Palestine when the first wave of Jewish immigrants arrived from Europe – this myth is false – Palestinians both Muslim, Jewish and Christian were living on the land when the immigrant Jews arrived.
No one questioned why suddenly Israel was intensifying there siege of Gaza.. there was simply no outrage for the Palestinians who on a daily basis are dying from a lack of medical care, lack of proper nutrition and clean water. These three things are things supposedly guaranteed in the declaration of universal human rights. Who in the White House or the Senate of the United States cares? Who cares when you can easily go back to your daily grind with your skinny non fat latte from Starbucks and pay your bills? Its easy to not care when you can’t see the suffering. Its easy to not care when you have already hardened your heart against the homeless on your own city streets. Why care for individuals half a world a way? People that the media and popular opinion would like you to continue to allow to suffer invisible to to world and in silence.
The irony of this all is that the same thing happened to the Jews, political thinkers, Roma and homosexuals in the Nazi concentration camps. The United States had proof as early as the late 1930’s what was going on but refused to believe. Why? Because nothing so atrocious could actually really be happening.
The ghettos were built and then liquidated. The refugee camps for the Palestinians were built and now are in the process of being liquidated through “acceptable loss ratios” during military activities on the part of the IDF, slow starvation of whole population as cited by the United Nations in September 25th, 2009 fact finding report on Human Rights in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories (Google it if you don’t believe me), the removal of any infrastructure that allows them to have an economy – through bombing or shelling, also through the restriction of all raw materials even flour and sugar are viewed by the Israeli military as threatening. Forcing out the those with enough education – to flee, or stay and suffer with the rest. The Palestinians like the Jews living in Nazi controlled area have special ID’s, check points they must go through, even separate roads from that of the Israelis and a whole separate airport from the main Israeli population.
Access to water, farm animals and land is being cut off either through the restrictions of movement of goods or just being taken through the building of the wall so it gives more land to the Israelis – no one is allowed to check and make sure the boundary lines give the owner of the land the full area they actually own and paid for.
The settlements are built on top of the hills, have full access to water to the point they can waste it by using it it water features instead of for drinking – in such an arid and harsh land this in itself is insulting, fully guarded by IDF.. and built on land owned by the Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories backed by a lot of US tax dollars. See the article written about Tax Exempt Settlements -(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/world/middleeast/06settle.html) Like the individuals who moved into the apartments, homes and farms now dead Jews owned during the Nazi regime – the settlers are unwilling to move out of the Palestinian Territories should a peace agreement be brokered and the Israeli government isn’t slowing down in granting permits for the settlers to build nor are they slowing down in rejecting the Palestianians who live in the West Bank, Gaza or in Jerusalem permission to purchase or build homes in these areas.
Its reached an all new low with the IDF using Palestinians as shields and taking Palestinian children prisoner and interrogating them. Its also become something of an increasing worry for me – maybe others – the radicalization of the Jewish Orthodox youth – who are now joining the IDF in rising numbers.
Yet the treatment of the Palestinians has just worsen with the kidnap of Galid Shalit – The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) told the Muslims to treat your prisoners and slaves well. Why? because its a reflection on who you are as a person.. if your slave or prisoner lives in worse condition than you.. why would they feel favorably towards you? Where as if you treat them as you would want to be treated – indeed they have more reason to view you favorably. The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) also said that freeing a slave or one being oppressed was a greater deed than any other a Muslim could hope of doing. I am reminding myself as much as the Palestinians and Israelis. We can all treat each other with more compassion and understanding at all times.
Even if Gilad Schlit was returned alive to his family and the IDF – the siege of Gaza would continue because why stop when no one is outraged in the international political community? Obama hasn’t said anything except.. the bond with Israel is “unbreakable” Everyone else in the international community who continues to do business with Israel as usual despite the recent event of the murder of nine civilians including one American citizen. Many more have died American – non American have died to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. The question that bugs me – is when is it going to be enough? Which death will be the tipping point for the tide of public opinion to sway against Israel as it scrambles to save face by wearing the facade of the victim again? How does the international community continue to allow Israel to kill without saying a word? Shame. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is whats right.
Today Obama announced Israel is willing to take risks for peace. If this is the case – then following things will be done – an independent investigation into the killing of all activists and journalists killed by IDF – including the Flotilla. An immediate and permanent stop of the siege of Gaza and the building of the wall. A permanent stop to settlements in the Palestinian Territories and a removal of all settlers. All Israeli military removed from within the borders of the Palestinian Territories. The movement of goods and people allowed freely between Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and neighboring countries. An end to deporting Palestinians to the location their ID had been issued is the case with the new military order give by the IDF – (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/04/2010422124915701529.html) Israel with actively help rebuild the infrastructure it destroyed – medical, educational, agricultural, waste management systems, roads and businesses to help Palestine prosper.
I however don’t believe the Israeli military and government want peace.. why else would they be creating the enemy they seek through the inhuman treatment of the Palestinians? If you want peace you keep moving towards it – conditions will never be ideal – so Israel if they are serious about peace need to grow up accept the reality they created and get to work creating the peace they want thorough cooperation, equal treatment and follow through. Peace requires action and the willingness to compromise not bull shitting, posturing and dick measuring. I hope Israel has dug two graves because this level of hate, revenge and radicalization they are expressing no longer supports their long held victim mentality. Israel is now the aggressor and needs to deal the facts – the victim of abuse has become the abuser. They can put in one grave themselves and the other any shred or creditability they once had. There is no turning the clock back now or ever – there is only moving forward hopefully to a future where peace is possible. Viva Palestina.
American Muslimahs Musings 