A large collection of British Jews published the following letter in yesterday’s Guardian newspaper:
In May, Jewish organisations will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. This is understandable in the context of centuries of persecution culminating in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, we are Jews who will not be celebrating. Surely it is now time to acknowledge the narrative of the other, the price paid by another people for European anti-semitism and Hitler’s genocidal policies. As Edward Said emphasised, what the Holocaust is to the Jews, the Naqba is to the Palestinians.
In April 1948, the same month as the infamous massacre at Deir Yassin and the mortar attack on Palestinian civilians in Haifa’s market square, Plan Dalet was put into operation. This authorised the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the indigenous population outside the borders of the state. We will not be celebrating.
In July 1948, 70,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in Lydda and Ramleh in the heat of the summer with no food or water. Hundreds died. It was known as the Death March. We will not be celebrating.
In all, 750,000 Palestinians became refugees. Some 400 villages were wiped off the map. That did not end the ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Palestinians (Israeli citizens) were expelled from the Galilee in 1956. Many thousands more when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. Under international law and sanctioned by UN resolution 194, refugees from war have a right to return or compensation. Israel has never accepted that right. We will not be celebrating.
We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations.
We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.
Further: We said sorry to the Aborigines and hopefully are trying to fix our problems.
But when do we say sorry to the Iraqis for believing ‘wmd’ lies and then going and invading their country causing an intolerable number of deaths and misery, There are reports of 3 million Iraqi refugees.
Suppose our new government will carry on (despite appearances)as with the past and follow whatever the US says or does to expand the misery further with a bit more “shock and awe”.
Another “911″ false flag scenario is being foreshadowed by serious commentators and US politicians and could be the next Bush Cabal gambit.
If our Parliamentarians still believe the “official Bush believers nutty 911 Conspiracy theory”, then they are likely to be suckered again.
Bring on the war crimes tribunals as soon as possible.
Just look at 911blogger for 5 minutes per day for your countries sake.
For those dreamers who cannot envisage The US being under a military dictatorship in the foreseeable future, please do your research to ensure that we do not follow if it happens. Remember, the US Patriot act and other restrictive laws were drafted before 911
Antony, you can help!!! How about a reference to Devvy Kid’s article sent to you (and many Federal politicians) on 30th April 2008.