While the world looks elsewhere, Israel continues its methodical assault on the West Bank. The video above was shot yesterday in the Palestinian village Wadi Rasha. The village is located north of Jerusalem and caught in the area between the green line (Israel's internationally recognized border) and the separation barrier. This area is called the seam zone and has been the site of the most intense ethnic cleansing in the West Bank as Israel is colonizing the area with the expectation that the barrier will become its new border if it is forced into a two state agreement.
The PLO Negotiations Affairs Department created the map on the right where you see Wadi Rasha, south of Qalqilya (click to enlarge). Wadi Rasha has already been subjected to home demolitions and intense restrictions over any freedom of movement. As the video shows, Israel is also destroying any chance for livelihood to force the residents out.
The resident of Wadi Rasha says it better than any commentator could:
The industrial area of Alfe Menashe was built on land stolen from us. Now they steal the land that you see here. We have no other income but through our land.
This village has been here since about 150-200 years ago. Givat Tal has been there for 3.5 or 4 years. Alfe Menashe has been there for 25 years. I am 38 years old, older than it. I was born in this village. I am not allowed to build houses. I am not allowed to pass (into Israel) to go to work. I am not even allowed to pass to my own land. As you see, they stole from me everything. They left all the village 33 dunams from 1500.
The courageous act of Palestinians to stay on their land in the face of this campaign is a profound act of daily nonviolent resistance that is often ignored. Additionally, as the video shows, international and Israeli activists offer much needed solidarity in the face of the destruction. Unfortunately it may be too late.
Another excellently succinct post, Adam. You may not get much thanks around here, but I welcome your sheer data-processing and presenting capacity. I think people need to spend as much time as they can watching e.g. Machsom Watch videos. There is a lot of hard work and courage behind them.
Thanks for the post.
I agree. Thanks for the post Adam. Keep it up!
The world looks away because people have lost faith that Palestinians are capable of running their own state. Terrible leadership and a prevalent shaheedi mindset. Reasonable people just can't take that seriously.
Hopefully this will end with Egypt and Jordan absorbing these areas and allowing for a more stable infrastructure–one that secures the Palestinians future AND does not pose a threat to Israel.
The phrase that comes to mind is "the banality of evil.'
Oh, wait . . .
I was gonna ask what Chris' Stools would think of this but one of them already showed up in form.
Thanks for your analysis, Suze: 'a prevalent shaheedi mindset'…
Have that piece of shrapnel in your head seen to: it's pushing your racist buttons…
Shaheedi is a Punjabi word which simply mean "martyrdom". In the Sikh faith, the concept of martyrdom is well understood and many leaders have and followers have sacrificed their lives for their faith and their beliefs. Are the Israeli settlers also shaeedi? Do they share many of the same mindset aspects? Just asking. And how about the Israeli government leaders who cater to them, while mouthing principles contrary? How can any people run their own state when they don't have one? Does the intentional systematic murder
of Palestinian leaders by Israeli assassins contribute to Palestinian lack of leadership? How about the intentional support of some Palestinian leaders at the expense of the others, even though the latter were democratically elected in a process better than most democratic elections in the Middle East?
Let's hope Obama will address these issues, rather than ignore them like past recent USA regimes.
Banal evil was recognized by Arendt when she focused on Eichmann. He didn't claim to be a religious
nut, or even a principled NAZI, that secular religion. He just did his job, like a person responsible for making the trains run on time a la Mussolini. It was not his job to look into what was in the boxcars, except to the
extent he worked with Zionists on what both thought was a win-win. Certainly there he did not look into the adhesion nature of any contract with them he sought to pursue. The guide for such banal
mentalities may be suggested by Landlord-Tenant law and relations, or credit card contracts in the contemporary USA. That banal.
well, yes: they used to refer to different groups of people as more or less "valuable genetic material."
How can people run a state when they don't have one? Ask the Jews how they ran pre-1948 Jewish Palestine before the Palestinian civil war.. Ask the Kosovars how they ran Kosovo before independance.
If the palestinians are too ignorant to run their lives without resorting to antisemitism to keep their group happy, perhaps they are better off being absorbed by Jordan, which is a Palestinian nation, the heir to the thrown being a Palestinian, and Egypt.
On FOX News LA last night, they covered the protest at Universal Studios where an AIPAC convention was being held. Protesters set up mock checkpoints, complte with toy assault rifles. The news reporter mentioned that though AIPAC usually talks to them right away with their response/rebuttal to the protests, this time they were silent and had no statement and did no interviews.
The coverage seemed downright positive. I was shocked.
Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton arrived on the scene soon after the protest began and personally demanded the group unchain themselves and end the blockade of the building. To avoid arrest, the group complied.
Eric Romann, 31, declared the effort a success because they had achieved their goal of shutting down the Israeli Consulate.
“I don’t believe Hamas is a terrorist organization,” Romann said. “I support a politically arranged situation in Israel-Palestine, where everyone has the same rights.”
StandWithUs President Roz Rothstein also quickly came to the scene, called there by Consulate officials. StandWithUs has staged multiple pro-Israel rallies across the region since the conflict began, including one drawing between 2,000 and 3,000 supporter last Sunday at the Federal Building.
“I think we’ve got to make sure that everybody understands this is one-sided propaganda given without context, with exaggerated use of terminology especially, when they invoke terms like ‘apartheid,’” Rothstein said.
“They neglect to recognize Hamas’ double war crimes—launching rockets from civilian populations into civilian populations. All the people standing here today? It’s not even in their vocabulary.”
The protest ended at about 11a.m., but the group said they plan to continue to protest at other locations, including outside City Hall to send their message to L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa.
Yeah, Chris we are familiar with how Jewish groups ran Brit Mandate Palestine, via terrorist groups like Stern Gang and Irgun et al. And what was the background of the first leader of the state of Israel? What's your point? And what makes you think the Pals wish to go to Jordan? You actually think all Arabs think alike? Do all Jews? Then what are you doing here in the USA? Again, what's your point? Give Israel all the land in a way least inconvenient for Israeli jews? At least be honest about it instead of bombarding us with your less than half-baked reasoning.
thanks for that post, Chris!
The restraint of the people who have continuously suffered from having their lands, fields, homes and children taken from them is remarkable.
Chris: I'm curious. Where did you learn that Jordan is a Palestinian state?
Do you have any formal schooling?
I'm don't have to ask Suzanne that as it's clear she doesn't.
She learns from Chris, apparently.
“They neglect to recognize Hamas’ double war crimes—launching rockets from civilian populations into civilian populations. All the people standing here today? It’s not even in their vocabulary.”
Err not quite. And not very clever to follow up utter rubbish by insulting those protesting true war crimes.
At the very least the simpleton would realize that those are the very things Israel has been doing for years – and without the context of defending themselves from fanatical colonists who continue to rob them of their land and basic human rights.
And you wonder why it seems like those who don't have half the resources seem better organized to you, Suzanne?
Wonder no more.
Kind of funny that the Israeli Consulate was too chickshit to make a statement themselves, but had to call a front group to do their talking.
Of course, you do realize, Chris, that the consulate action was months before the protest against AIPAC that LD just described?
Does anyone know why some of the observers were arrested, and some not? Was there a uniform standard being followed, or was it arbitrary?
@ stevieb | March 09, 2009 at 02:42 PM
I always assumed that it was merely because Jordanian citizenry is, correct me if I am wrong, 40-50% ethnically Palestinian. Of course by the same metric America is a European state and Israel is a Palestinian state … Hmmm.
Colin,
There's more about the story at the link:
http://awalls.org/activists_stop_bulldozers_at_wad_arrasha
Apparently at this non-violent demonstration only one Israeli activist was detained, and he was released soon afterward. From my reading and talking to friends who have been there, my impression is that, in many cases, Palestinians who appear to be leading non-violent protests are usually the ones being arrested, and often put under "administrative detention"-which means no right to trial, or right to know the charges lodged against you. Israelis who may be arrested are oftentimes released almost immediately, although some are later charged with an offense. According to Israeli law, it is illegal for any Israeli who is not a settler to be present in the Occupied Territories.
To my mind, this is what we should be wholeheartedly supporting. If wholesale violence is to be stopped, these are the people who will lead the way in stopping it. I've seen it firsthand how Jewish Israelis and Palestinians have forged strong bonds by working for justice together. Working together for justice for all will overcome the distrust and the stereotypes. Unfortunately, at the moment the number of Jewish Israelis committing to this non-violent action is minuscule. If more Jewish Israelis would commit to joining their fellow humans, the Palestinians,in working for justice and equality in Israel/Palestine, then the bloodshed would end. The problem is not a lack of non-violent action by Palestinians, the problem is a lack of non-violent action for justice from Israeli Jews. The injustice of Jim Crow didn't just end because there were sufficient blacks that were brave enough to take a stand against it. It ended because there were enough whites who were willing to either fight for, or at least accept, the idea of racial equality. Whites had the power to determine the outcome in the US, just as Jews have the power to determine the outcome in Israel. If the Israelis want non-violence, then they have to adopt it themselves, just as the anarchists against the wall, and other small Israeli groups fighting for justice and equality have.
Jewish Israelis committed to joining their fellow humans are more often found in the IDF defending the typical Israeli citizen from Palestinian terrorism.
I always assumed that it was merely because Jordanian citizenry is, correct me if I am wrong, 40-50% ethnically Palestinian. Of course by the same metric America is a European state and Israel is a Palestinian state … Hmmm.
Posted by: Colin Murray
Jordan is about 70% ethnic Palestinian. Before Jordan lost the west bank of the jordan river and Jerusalem, during Israel's defense against Jordanian shelling in 67, Jordan was about 80% ethnic Palestinian. The heir to the Jordanian throne is an ethnic Palestinain.
In 1820, you could say that America was basically an ethnically white european nation.
I notice you left off the part about joining their fellow humans "working for justice and equality" since joining the IDF is not about justice or equality. Look at all the IDF soldiers in the video. There isn't a single Palestinian terrorist to be found, nor are they defending any Israeli in the video. They are instead harassing Jewish Israeli citizens and participating in the theft and destruction of Palestinian land. Way to go to stop that terrorism! (Not.) You are a sad, sorry bigot of an apologist for Israeli immorality.
Chris,
Heir to Jordanian throne is not ethnic Palestinian – he is half Palestinian (via mother) and quarter English (via grandmother). His father was half English but nobody would argue that he was ethnic English – the ethnicity of the mother is not important to the degree it is in Jewish communities.
I wonder where you got your figure of 80% are you confusing the term "Syro-Palestinian" with Palestinian? – UNHCR indicate 1.6 million out of 6 million as Palestinians and Wikipedia mentions 48%.
Obviously, as his majority ethnic component is Palestinian, then he is a Palestinian. UNHCR indicates those who retain refugee status and wikipedia is not a reliable source. Reliable sources put the percentage at approx 70%. The 80% includes the Palestinians absorbed into Transjordan in 1949 when they annexed those particualr palestinian regions.
I am more than willing to concede that the vast Majority of Palesitnians identified themselves as southern Syrians before the re-establishment of the Israeli nation.