This image reminds me of the genocide in Gaza during the last offensive war by the Netanyahu Regime against the defenceless Palestinian population, and which killed hundreds of innocent Palestinian children. What more needs to happen so that German and European politicians react to support the Palestinian people, living under occupation for decades?
Advent, Advent, Burning Palestine!
by Evelyn Hecht-Galinski, English Translation by Milena Rampoldi
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This image reminds me of the genocide in Gaza during the last offensive war by the Netanyahu Regime against the defenceless Palestinian population, and which killed hundreds of innocent Palestinian children. What more needs to happen so that German and European politicians react to support the Palestinian people, living under occupation for decades? (1) http://www.badische-zeitung.de/ausland-1/rechnung-an-netanjahu–146449683.html
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Despite the decades-long illegal occupation, Netanyahu is apparently welcome as guest in Brussels for breakfast with the EU foreign ministers. However, 56 members of the European Parliament presented the representative of the occupiers‘ regime a bill for 1,2 million Euros to compensate for humanitarian projects financed by the EU and destroyed by the Israeli occupation army in Palestine. This bill is a joke i considering that since Netanyahu’s coming to office in 2009, almost 400 buildings of all kinds were destroyed; settlements have massively expanded; almost every day there are new construction notifications; and Palestinians and Bedouins are dispossessed and expelled from their land.
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While the German and European tax payers continue to finance Israeli crimes against international law and the violation of human rights, the EU is still hesitant to finally draw consequences from this crying injustice and to adopt BDS measures. It would be an ideal opportunity to put wood behind the arrow and to act after this incredible Jerusalem provocation declared by Trump. While Federica Mogherini clearly stressed that for the EU only a “two-states-solution” should be supported – even if she does absolutely nothing to support it – some Eastern European countries stepped out of line. Even the right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, who is a personal friend of Netanyahu, toys with the idea of moving his embassy to Jerusalem. Also the Czech Republic, Poland, and other Eastern European countries could move this direction. Netanyahu saw his chance and impudently urged all EU states to recognise Jerusalem as capital of the “Jewish State.” At the moment, this step appears inconceivable for the EU, but after such a pressure, and the lack of a common position between Eastern and Western EU, unanimity is over. So there is a reason to fear that the more Eastern European countries are taken over by right-wing governments, the easier the game will be for Netanyahu and his politics.
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Following the triumph Netanyahu felt after Trump’s speech about Jerusalem as the eternal and united capital of the “Jewish State,” the peace talks and the two-state solution died. While the Arab League offered a very poor condemnation, the Turkish President Erdogan — who called the “Jewish State” by its name when he said that it is a terrorist state, killing children — wants to oppose to the recognition of Jerusalem as capital of the “Jewish State” with all means. Germany and the EU should decide to support him!
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We see the erosion of international law when we look at German politicians who get more upset over the burning of Star of David flags of the Occupiers’ state than for the decade-long illegal Israeli occupation and deprivation of rights of the Palestinian population and Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of the “Jewish State.” When the German minister of interior de Maiziere gets upset because Star of David flags are burnt because they stand for the illegal Jewish occupation and oppression of Palestine, then something is completely wrong because this has absolutely nothing to do with “Anti-Semitism.”
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The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany directly asked to nip things in the bud and to generally stop “anti-Semitic” rallies. However, by supporting the illegal occupation of Palestine, he clearly violates the law. He does not like slogans like “baby killer Israel” and accuses critics of Israel of anti-Semitism, even though that slogan is absolutely true, considering the genocide in Gaza. Again: Rallies against the occupation are legitimate and have nothing to do with Anti-Semitism. (2)https://www.nwzonline.de/politik/zentralratspraesident-den-anfaengen-wehren_a_50,0,1448745492.html
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It is time that Germany and its political representatives started putting the connection with Jewish citizens and the “Jewish State” to a normal level, away from a philo-Semite transfiguration, overlooking Jewish injustice, and unjustly reinterpreting legitimate Palestinian resistance. De Maiziere condemns criticism against the State of Israel – not against the Jews! And foreign minister Gabriel promptly follows him. It is simply shameful that German politicians do not condemn the real cause of evil, the anger over the incredible decision and in particular over the decade-long occupation, but support it. Palestinians were shamefully offended and overrun by Trump’s decision. German politicians have the duty to support Palestinian citizens in Germany. And burning this Star of David flag, the symbol of the illegal occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, is more than obvious!
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Furthermore, according to the police, burning these flags is not a violation against penal law, as long as they did not hang on public buildings before. It is also part of the freedom of opinion and assembly that also emotions like the burning of these hated symbols must be tolerated. It was an important sign, that in Berlin more than 2500 people assembled to protest against the decision of a unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as capital of a “Jewish State.” When the governing mayor Müller declared that he will not tolerate any anti-Semitism and racism during rallies, I asked myself why he remains silent when it is about the racism and the occupation of the “Jewish State” violating international law which is the real cause of these rallies?
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Why do German politicians say nothing about what happens in the Jewish Apartheid State, about the illegal blockade of Gaza and the inhuman occupation crimes, like the constant land grabbing, the dispossession, the razzias, tortures, desecration of mosques, discrimination, harvest and water theft, and so forth. Has the red line not been crossed since long a go? What has still to happen?
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The olive-green politician Özdemir condemns anti-Semitism at the Anne Will Talk Show. However, he cowardly remains silent about racism in the “Jewish State.” And he is as unreliable as the majority of our politicians of all orientations, which all produce the same inedible philo-Semite mash.
Also the AJC (American Jewish Committee) asked for a prompt political reaction against these rallies, by remaining silent about Trump’s affront and its consequences. The Central Council of Jews did not comment on Trump’s declaration: Its former president Knobloch made a remark about the “gallows” sentence about Merkel, without saying one word about Trump.
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All condemn the burning of the hated Star of David flag as symbol of the occupation, but when Palestine burns, they only see the so called “right for self-defence” of Jews.
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What about the constant effort to silence us all, by defaming all criticism against the “Jewish State” as anti-Semitism and Jewish hatred, while the crimes of the “Jewish State” are legitimised as self-defence.
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In any case, with this deal opposing to international law, the USA and Trump have definitively disqualified themselves as “peace mediators”!
Now even the Israel war minister screams “do not buy from Arabs” by repeating Goebbels’ slogan against Jews. And by “Arabs” he meant the Palestinian citizens in Northern Israel who had dared to demonstrate against Trump after his Jerusalem decision. He accused them of being “unwanted persons” who have no connection with the “Jewish State.”
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Lieberman has already passed the red line. An Israeli minister dealing with wars and weapons and make such racist declarations should make us and our politicians all upset.
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The helpless anger of young Palestinians is absolutely understandable. They grew up under occupation, without any freedom, always experienced harassment, abuse, fear, and Jewish occupiers’ despotism. The only weapon against the illegal Jewish occupation which now also wants to take their capital Jerusalem from them are stones and knifes. Who wants to mind them if they defend their rights by the exercise of legitimate violence? They are left alone in their struggle, instead of being supported. We should never forget them in their resistance struggle and never leave them alone, but express our deep solidarity with them as the victims of a brutal occupation.
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In this context, resistance is a duty, when occupation becomes the law.
In fact, the Israeli army, armed to the teeth, and co-financed by the USA and Germany, has nothing to fear from resistance by Palestinian who have neither an army nor weapons. It is not the burning of Star of David flags that should be condemned, but the burning of the Palestinian population, left alone by the so-called community of “values.”
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Palestine should become a free homeland for all ethnic groups and religions, instead of being the start of the Zionist objective of “Eretz Israel” by violating the local Palestinian population.
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We have to join the violence-free BDS campaign until the “Jewish State” stops the violations its of international law; ends the occupation and colonisation of Palestine; demolishes the Apartheid wall; and recognises the total equality of basic rights of the Palestinian citizens in Israel and the legal rights of Palestinian refugees in their homeland Palestine according to the UN resolution 194. The BDS movement opposes the occupier state Israel and has absolutely nothing to do with the slogan “do not buy from Jews.”
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It is not our campaign which is racist, but the “Jewish State” with its racism!
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Advent, Advent, burning Palestine!
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Then, to all of you, a pleasant Advent Season.
Originally published AT
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