Rarely seen archival photographs alongside Palestinian survivors remembering the 1948 ‘ Nakba ‘ (Catastrophe), describing the expulsion from their land on which the suburbs of Tel Aviv have since been built and their subsequent struggles as refugees. Memories include the terror immediately prior to fleeing, the slow realisation that they would not be returning home soon, the struggle to rebuild their lives in cramped refugee camps, and the increased resistance that grew once the Israeli military pursued them to the refugee camps.
CrazyComposer said,
May 6, 2008 at 2:04 pm
What is the difference between the European Jews, just before HaShoa and the Palestinians from before and since the Nakba? The answer is easy: the Jews had family and political connections to gain some of them (sadly very few in the grand scheme of things) freedom and passage out of the “death zone”, though even then, some ended back in harm’s way (refugees to Holland, Belgium, etc.).
The Palestinians, on the other hand, have been abandoned by everyone; even their own people – other Arabs – refuse to give them homes amongst themselves. Why is this? I have just come to the realization that there is a serious problem here; aside from the fact that Israelis and Palestinians SHOULD be living together as brothers and sisters, why are the Palestinians NOT being given shelter in Egypt, Syria, Dubai (!!!), UAE, and etc. – countries that are filthy rich and … seemingly blind to the plight of their brothers and sisters living, literally, a stone’s throw away.
“We take care of our own,” is a phrase that one often hears at various nationalistic rallies – whether you like it or not – it is not necessarily a good principle to follow as we are all accountable to each other, but when one people are totally abandoned by their brethren it gives me pause and makes me wonder about the deeper issues at play here.
I was always taught that there was no difference between person x and person y, but I know that this is not true; people are different. It is a hard cold fact: there are some people who are incapable of living in peace, regardless of their ethnicity (Dick Chaney, for example). How do you discuss “peace” with someone who has a bomb strapped to their body? How do you convince someone to disarm the bomb when you have your hand on the finger of a missile launcher?
There is something not quite right here, and everyone knows it … they just don’t want to admit it … sort of like when someone farts in an elevator …..
Mudassar Rana said,
May 7, 2008 at 3:42 am
Illegal occupation of another’s land. had this been any other nation or race the world would have accounted them for being occupiers! Fortunately for the zionists they fund legislature in the US and to a lesser extent the UK. Hence the media in these lands always shows them as the oppressed as opposed to the oppressor.
The enormous Jewish influence in Washington is not limited to the government. In the Washingtonian media, a very significant part of the most important personages and of the presenters of the most popular programs on TV are warm Jews … and let us not forget, in this context, the Jewish predominance in the Washingtonian academic institutions.”
Avinoam Bar-Yosef, Ma’riv (Israeli daily newspaper), September 2, 1994 (translated by Israel Shahak).
Nevertheless times are never always the same and 60 years in terms of history are negligible. There will come a time when the rightful owners of Palestine will return, as promised.
The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said: “… If you see the black (meaning war) flags coming from Khurasan (Afghanistan), join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice, for this is the army of the Caliph, the Mahdi and no one can stop that army until it reaches Jerusalem.”
CrazyComposer said,
May 7, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Would it not be better to run towards the army and pray that they stop, that they try to use diplomatic solutions rather than these “tried and true” ones that have, for generations, failed to gain any satisfaction for either side. Sue for peace; that is the term used, in war, when the two sides negotiate an armistice.
Does this mean, Mudassar, that you see no hope for peace – even if the Israeli position comes around to one of reason and they start treating the Palestinians like humans? Does this mean that you want to see war? That you prefer the conflict over the idea of living next to someone who is not of your own religion, and yet described in the Qu’ran as one of the “people of the Book”?
Have not enough innocent lives died that we shouldn’t be using religion as an excuse to hate but rather to love? If your religion promotes that sort of hatred, promotes that divisiveness between your fellow men, then it is time to take a long hard look at what the Prophet actually taught – you say “peace be upon him”, and yet you promise death on others … is that not the height of hypocrisy?
Mudassar Rana said,
May 19, 2008 at 12:43 am
i think hypocrisy is when israel can get away with the usurping of another’s land and for 60 years use the best weapoinry against them and then get the worlds media to say that the palestinians are the perpetrators and they are the sufferers!
The law of the creator is that eventually justice will be restored. I only quoted a religious prophecy. the promise of death on others is not mine! Merely a quotation of hadith which predicts the eventual return of the islamic caliphate state and jerusalem as its capital.
I see no hope for peace because the israelis have never been interested in peace. They do not consider themselves as usurpers of another’s land but consider palestine as their birthright. Just because they have allowed a rubbish collection authority does not mean that they will ever let that envelop into a full blown state.
why is my religion one that promotes divisiveness or hatred? and yet all others promote peace? Does the jewish religion actually teach what the israelis have done and are doing? does the christian religion actually teach what the americans have done in iraq, vietnam, laos, japan,afghanistan. Do you care to count the number of people that the americans have murdered over the last century. Would you then say it is christianity or judaism.
My belief is that all three religions are in essence the same. for us it takes us out of the fold of islam to reject any of the biblical prophets. If you look to history then many jewish commentators highlight their lives under the islamic caliphate as their “golden era”. When the spanish inquisition occurred where did the jews seek asylum? under the ottomon caliphate. Dr Meyer kaplan an israeli profeesor back in 1999 said that the only way they would be peace in the middle east if there was an islamic caliphate.
I think its really bizarre and hypocritical that those that wish to wrong a great injustice are the ones that are labelled warmongers. When one points a finger he must remember that 3 point back at him.
When the Zionists start treating others as humans let me know.
Even today I am willing to volunteer to do the dirty work for Israel, to kill as many Arabs as necessary, to deport them, to expel and burn them, to have everyone hate us, to pull the rug from underneath the feet of the Diaspora Jews, so that they will be forced to run to us crying. Even if it means blowing up one or two synagogues here and there, I don’t care.” Ariel Sharon
“Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial.” Ariel Sharon
“If I were a Palestinian of the right age, I’d eventually join one of the terrorist organizations.” Ehud Barak
no sane person would expect this snake to change its colours.