Israeli-Palestinian Children: Dying to Liberate Palestine, Israel and America
by Mohamed
Khodr
For 54
years
Israel
has
committed
atrocities
against
the
Palestinians,
Lebanese,
Syrians,
Jordanians,
Egyptians
and
Iraqi's
that no
nation
on earth
in the
20th
Century
would
have
been
able to
get away
with.
Only one
nation
on earth
has
supported
Israel
with
hundreds
of
billions
of
dollars,
the
latest
offensive
weapons,
nuclear
weapons,
and
protective
Vetoes
in the
United
Nations
that has
allowed
Israel
to get
away
with
murder--the
United
States
of
America.
Not even
President
Bush's
seven
days of
"pleading"
for
Sharon
to leave
the
re-invaded
Palestinian
territories,
to stop
his
brutal
offensive
of
flattening
entire
villages,
killing
innocent
civilians,
preventing
ambulances
and
medical
care to
reach
the
bleeding
wounded,
to allow
in food,
water,
and
medicine;
to stop
bombing
hospitals
and
water
mains,
to allow
the
burial
of
decomposed
bodies
that are
rapidly
spreading
infections,
to allow
international
human
rights
monitors
into the
besieged
villages,
and to
stop
from
killing
and
shooting
journalists
who can
uncover
Israel's
massacres,
mass
graves,
torturing
of
prisoners,
point
blank
execution
of
policemen,
even
destroying
and
attacking
mosques
and
churches,
including
the
holiest
Christian
site of
the
Church
of the
Nativity;
has
moved
Sharon
to stop
his
military
assault
on
Palestinian
towns,
cities,
and
refugee
camps.
As even
the New
York
Times
put
its:
"Sharon
Insults
America."
Bush who
has
placed
the
entire
world on
notice
for his
"war on
terrorism"
seems
weak and
confused
before
mighty
Israel.
Perhaps
we
should
ask
President
Bush:
"Sir,
are you
for
America's
interest
and
supremacy
or
against
us" when
it comes
to
Israel."
Joining
President
Bush's
unheeded
pleading
has been
the
Pope,
Europe,
the
United
Nations,
and the
entire
world,
"pleading"
with
Sharon
"the
Butcher
of
Beirut"
(title
for his
murder
of
20,000
Palestinian
and
Lebanese
civilians
in 1982)
to
please,
please
stop the
killing
and move
out of
Palestinian
controlled
areas.
Today (4/10) in Madrid, Spain, five organizations
and nations have asked Sharon to leave the killing fields of
Palestine: THE UNITED STATES, UNITED NATIONS, EUROPEAN UNION,
RUSSIA, AND SPAIN.
TO THE ENTIRE WORLD SHARON RESPONDS
WITH: Go To Hell. Israel is above all the world.
For 54 years of dealing with the
United States and the American people, Israel has learned one
consistent lesson. AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE THE GUTS TO STAND UP
TO ISRAEL AND EVEN WHEN IT INITIALLY OBJECTS, IT WIMPS OUT AND
BOWS TO ISRAEL. Why?
Three reasons:
A. Jewish
Power: money and swing votes in key states (as in J. J.
Goldberg book's title)
B.
Pro-Israeli Media and Hollywood that intimidates our Government
and people
C. A
Corrupt Pandering Congress that's willing to stand up for Israel's
interest above America's.
Two massacres 55 years apart still show the power
of Israel on our Government and Media where only Jewish Blood,
Jewish Security, Jewish Words and Images matter: During those
55 years Palestinian oppression, killing, ethnic cleansing, and
occupation continued and during those 55 years, Israel, yes,
Israel was the victim and the Palestinians were the
aggressors. Only in Oz and America can this happen.
APRIL 9, 1947: DEIR YASSINE MASSACRE:
The Unforgotten Six Months from Hell:
November 1947 -- May 1948
Between November 1947 when the United Nations
passed Resolution 181 dividing Palestine unfairly, giving the
larger better land to the minority Jews, and May 15 when Israel
declared its "independence"; two Jewish terrorist groups, the
Irgun headed by Menachem Begin and the Stern headed by Yitzhak
Shamir, as well as the Haganah (forerunner of the Israel Defense
Force) committed massive murders, massacres, expulsions and
demolition of 450 Palestinian villages to turn an Arab land into
a new Jewish land devoid of Arabs.
The worst massacre occurred on April 9, 1947,
where the Irgun and Stern terrorist gangs raped and massacred in
cold blood 254 men, women, and children in the village of Deir
Yassin. The terrorists quickly buried the dead in mass graves.
No Red Cross, or journalists were allowed to see the site.
Such a genocide occurred only two years after the Holocaust and
by the Holocaust survivors themselves. The Persecuted Jews
became the Jewish Persecutor. "NEVER FORGET" only applies to
Jewish blood.
APRIL 9, 2002: THE JENIN MASSACRE
Fifty five years later, Israel, the "democratic"
nation, sends its army, the fourth most powerful army in the
world, even more powerful than the American army in the region,
into the small Palestinian village of JENIN. Jenin, a small
compact crowded village of 15,000 Palestinians living in an area
less than one mile square underwent the heaviest attack by
Israel's devastating army for nine straight days until it fell
today (4/10). The Israeli army attacked the lightly armed
Palestinian resistance with American made and paid for F-16
fighter planes, Apache Helicopter missiles, Rockets, and dozens
of tanks and A.P.C.'s. A massive force against a lightly armed
village without electricity, food, water, and medicines. Today
reports are coming out of at least 200 bodies found dead, dozens
of homes demolished on top of their inhabitants, hundreds of
arrested youth, some even beaten to death according to
eyewitnesses, and dozens of militants rounded up and shot
execution style. Dozens of decomposed bodies were found in
destroyed mosques and lying in the streets.
Even Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres called what happened
at Jenin: "A MASSACRE" (Jerusalem Post 4/9/02)
Again, as is Israel's strategy in all its wars and massacres, no
Red Cross or Red Crescent personnel were allowed in to tend to the
injured, dead, or deliver emergency supplies; journalists were
kept miles away from the village, a French journalist was shot in
the chest (the third such journalist to be shot), and no human
rights investigators were allowed into the village. Again,
mass graves were seen being dug to bury the aftermath and crimes
of Israeli soldiers. Israel, the democracy, committing and
continuing its history of WAR CRIMES.
Why can Israel thumb its nose at the world, at
international law, at President Bush and the very nation that
supports it? The answer lies in the media and Congress.
Shockingly and without shame the Senate today bestowed an honor
upon Benjamin Netanyahu inviting him to speak to the Senate.
Netanyahu, a man accused of embezzlement, lying, and stealing
from his own government while Prime Minister. A man called
"criminal" by Shimon Peres, The pandering invitation came at
the very time Bush is being embarrassed and humiliated by
Sharon, a time when Powell is trying to reach a cease-fire, a
time when the entire world and media, including our allies, are
condemning Israel for its wanton killing and destruction of
Palestinians and their personal properties, our very Senate
thumbs its nose at Bush and the American people and invites
Netanyahu to tell them Israel will continue fighting with or
without America's support. So much for humble gratitude.
It's OUR fault as the generous, quite,
non-confrontational, believe what we hear Americans. After all
we've been lied to and indoctrinated for 54 years with: Israel
is a democracy, our ally, shares our values and all that crap.
We, Americans, surrendered our nation, our pride, our foreign
policy, our national interests, our friendships around the
world, and even our lives for Israel's benefit. Even when
Israel deliberately kills our soldiers our government covers it
up. Even when it comes to our government honoring our World War
II Veterans, the very Americans who died freeing Jews from Nazi
camps, our government shamefully dishonors our own Veterans by
having them beg for private money to build their memorial while
Congress funds the Holocaust Museum from our tax dollars in
Washington D.C. Where is the outrage among our dying Veterans
and their families? Why are Americans always silent when it
comes to Israel? For 54 years we've sent over $134 Billion to
Israel even when our nation had budget deficits and when our
people needed the money for their children's health and
education. One year Clinton asked for $5 Billion to renovate
America's schools, the Congress denied it claiming no money, yet
turned around and quickly sent the money to Israel. I don't
know about you but that makes my American blood boil.
And what do we get from Israel, Sharon, our ally
for all this money, weapons, and pandering? We get Israel's
recurrent answer: "UP YOUR STAR SPANGLED BANNER" and "YOU
CAN'T TOUCH ISRAEL" and "SHUT UP, BE QUIET, GO TO HELL". Why?
Because Israel owns our Congress, the people's house, and the
mind, hearts, and wallets of our media, thus our media's
"Israel can't do no wrong" editorials from Jewish Americans
like: William Safire, Charles Krauthammer, Tom Friedman, Jeff
Jacoby, Mort Zuckerman, William Kristol ( who by the way went to
Israel and is taking credit for pushing Bush to wage war on
Iraq), Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, William Schneider, and their
Zionist supporters of George Will, Cal Thomas, Bill O'Reilly,
Sean Holmes, John Gibson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Franklin
Graham and so many more.
Ever wonder why you never see American Jews,
Christians, Muslims opposed to our doormat policy to Israel on
TV or in our newspapers? Or why there aren't any in our
Government for a balanced policy? In the Israeli Occupied City
of Washington DC, all the President hears is Pro-Israeli
positions from our Congress, the media, the Israeli supported
think tanks, and private organizations. In fact, out of all
American ethnic groups, only Jewish Americans have a special
Liaison Officer to the President in the White House.
For 54 years the Palestinians have endured death,
injury, disability, ethnic cleansing, military occupation,
humiliation, lack of jobs, education and health care, lack of
religious freedom, and the longest subjugation from a
"democratic U.S. supported ally". For decades, Palestinians
were ignored and neglected in the sands and swamps of their
refugee camps. They trusted the Arabs, the Europeans, the
United Nations, and even America to deliver them justice, peace,
and a homeland. Their silent and patient endurance at the
feet, hands, and guns of Holocaust survivors was only rewarded
with world silence. In 1987, they acted out of frustration
during the First Intifadah against Israeli occupation. Despite
Rabin's "Broken Bones" policy and brutal retaliation it did lead
to the Oslo Peace Process and the Rabin-Arafat handshake in
September 1993. Tragically America followed Israel's lead and
allowed Israel to push the Palestinians into a failed peace plan
at Camp David that would have left the Palestinians living in
three large divided reservations with no free passageways and
without control of their holy sites in Jerusalem. When Arafat
refused such a dishonorable offer it became the straw that broke
the Palestinian camel's back for freedom. Meanwhile, while the
"generous offer" was being played by our media and Congress,
Barak and Netanyahu kept stealing more Palestinian land and
building more settlements. That was the "Intifadah of Stones
".
Now the Second Intifadah that began after Sharon
with 1000 policemen in total arrogance and disrespect trampled
upon Islam's third holiest site in Jerusalem, the Al Aqsa
Mosque, simply to win election as Prime Minister. Quite a coup
for a disgraced General. After his election Sharon's strategy
has been--no matter what it takes, no matter how many Jews or
Palestinians die, I will cleanse Judea and Samaria of
Palestinians once and for all. Every time the Palestinians
declared a cease-fire he would deliberately assassinate and
murder their religious and political leaders to ignite their
fury thus allowing a more brutal response. Hitler used such
strategies in his "Final Solution" from the Warsaw Ghettos to
the Holocaust.:
Sharon's blood thirsty maniacal and murderous
drive to kill without any regard to anyone, any nation, any law,
or any President, including President Bush, has turned the
entire world against Israel, even many courageous Jews in
Israel, Europe, and America are marching for the end of
occupation and a two state solution.
Sharon has left Israel with no friends in the
world (except our Media and Congress, a world full of anger and
potential hatred against Jews that is most dangerous in the long
run. Sharon wanted a military solution to bring Peace and
Security to Israel, instead Israel is at its most fearful and
insecure moment in its history, even risking the loss of the
only country on earth that still stands by the rogue nation and
leader: The U.S.A.
It's only a matter of time when the world will
finally break off the shackles of the Holocaust, the shackles of
Israel's lies and myths, the shackles of Israel's victimhood and
existential threat, the shackles of the Jewish lobby's money,
votes, and influence, the shackles of Israel's destruction of
the Church of the Nativity and Umar Al Khattab Mosque, the
shackles of fear of intimidation and the abused label of
"Anti-Semitism".
OUT of the innocent blood of
Israeli and Palestinian children will come a final end to the
lies that have perpetuated Israel's murderous occupation of
Palestinians for 35 years. OUT of their
innocent blood will come freedom from the occupation of
Palestinian land, the occupation of American Democracy,
Congress, and media, a freedom for all Israeli families to enjoy
their nation's prosperity in peace and acceptance in a region
that has suffered so much; a freedom to worship, travel, trade,
hug, smile, and yes even inter-marry. After thousands of years
of persecution, Jewish insecurity is understandable, but such
insecurity is not won by a gun but in mutual respect and
acceptance of neighbors and blood brothers and sisters. If
Israel will only trust in God and in human instincts and reach
out to the Arabs (as the Arab League has done) it will find
neighbors who will reach out their hands of friendship, after
all everyone is tired of war, fear, and dying loved ones.
We must make this dream come true now when the
entire world is turning against Sharon, his military solutions,
solutions of death, against Israel's occupation of 22% of former
Palestine and its illegal settlements built for militant crazed
Jewish settlers, most from America, who would rather kill fellow
Jews than compromise for peace. No Israeli mother wants to see
her children serve in the occupied territories for risk of death
or guilt from brutalizing another people. Thousands of brave
Israeli soldiers have the moral fortitude and strength to say NO
to occupying another people, tens of thousands of Israelis are
marching for peace, hundreds of thousands around the world are
marching for Palestinian independence and Israel's peace and
security that can only come from ending the occupation, hundreds
of brave American and European men and women of all faiths are
risking their lives protecting Arafat, Palestinian homes,
hospitals, schools, and delivering meager food, water, and
medicine to the injured besieged Palestinians. The real siege
is in Sharon's Zionist military mind where might is right. A
man unable to break from the past, not even for the sake of the
beautiful, intelligent, talented Israeli children who can offer
their nation and the world a rainbow of benefits. Must Israeli
and Palestinian children die because of Sharon's ego and the
world's impotence? Is this what we mean by a "civilized" world?
Israel was founded after 2600 years of exile and
a Holocaust of its people. Will its entire future, its legacy,
its manifestation of the beautiful faith of Judaism always be
linked to confiscating more land, killing civilians, occupying
an entire population, living on lies, myths, and public
relations spin?
From the ashes of the Holocaust and the
wilderness of the Diaspora came forth a new Jewish nation,
Israel, a resting home for its people. From the ashes of the
occupation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and Diaspora, it's time
the nation of Palestine springs forth for its people. The
creation of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its
Capitol will be the needed historical and moral cleansing for
Israel's "Original Sin".
Peace will depend on us Americans. This is our
chance to help both people find peace, security, and
livelihood. We do have the leverage on both sides to impose a
Peace and don't believe otherwise. We must find the will to
tell our Government, our President, to proceed and we'll support
him despite the whining of the Zionist Pro-war camp. We must
tell our Congress to support Peace or we'll find a Congress that
will. We must tell our media and the advertisers that pay for
them that we want positive pro-peace messages that respects
Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all faiths or we'll buy our
products elsewhere and cancel our subscription, after all, we
have the internet.
Let's make America proud again. The world
admires us for so many things but they hate us for our blind
support of Israel. This is how America will "win hearts and
minds and defeat terrorism". If it takes a national march on
Washington to deliver this message, it will be my honor to march
for my country's pride, independence from special interests, and
freedom from fear. Israel can save the millions it spends on
Lobbying and Lying to our Government and our nation and spend it
on Seeds of Peace for both peoples.
God bless America, the World, and The
Israeli and Palestinian Nations and Peoples.
Mr. Mohamed Khodr is an American Muslim physician and a
native from the Middle East. He has worked in Academic Medicine
and Public health with national and international health
experience. He is a freelance writer who often writes columns on
the Palestinian cause, Islam and on America's Foreign Policy in
the Middle East.
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