Land Day

Another article I wrote:




"Tel Aviv-Yafo-Over 1,000 Arabs marched through the port city of Yaffa to protest Israel’s plans to move 500 Palestinian families out of Yaffa and to commemorate the killing of of six people in 1976 over the confiscation of Palestinian land. The Palestinian families have been issued notices to prove that they own the land that they reside in or to leave it. Given the sensitivity of a large Arab demography in a Jewish state, proving one’s prior residence is a long and hard legal battle that can take time. Palestinians claim that they are being evicted to pave the way for Jewish immigration from other countries.

Across Israel were other rallies commemorating Land Day. Land Day takes place on March 30th which was the date in 1976 when six unarmed protesters were shot demonstrating against a decision by the Israeli government to confiscate land in the Galilee region which is home to many Palestinians who stayed in Israeli following the war in 1948. Although the Israeli government claimed the land confiscations were for security reasons, they were used to build a military training camp and Jewish settlements. Protests and general strikes were held the 30th of March and during the protests, six demonstrators were shot and 100 people were wounded as the Israeli Occupation Forces and police fired into the crowd.

Land Day is attended by both Israelis and Palestinians who wish to see and end to the land confiscations. Banners in both Arabic and Hebrew denounced the Israeli policy of land confiscations. Although Arab citizens of Israel are supposed to be guaranteed equal rights under Israel’s basic laws, widespread discrimination is common particularly in areas such as housing and education."

This one was accepted for the newsletter.

"Road Blocks"

This is an article I wrote for a school newsletter but who knows if it fits the format.

"East Jerusalem-I was with some friends of mine when we were going through a checkpoint outside the neighborhood of his friends’ house. It was a wooden shack with two soldiers standing guard. I didn’t really want to go into the neighborhood because I knew that we would have to deal with the checkpoint on the way out. As the soldiers were looking through my passport, one of them came back and explained to me with my friend translating that he couldn’t find my Israeli visa. I showed it to him and we then argued back and forth about whether the visa was still valid (it turned out that the soldier couldn’t read well). After pointing out all the dates on my visa several times and even showing my e-ticket to prove that I wasn’t going to over stay my visa. Later, my friends explained that for Palestinians incidents at the checkpoints get much worse than that.

Israel has today pledged to remove 50 of these ”road blocks” in order to advance the peace process while also pledging to upgrade checkpoints to reduce the wait time without compromising security. However, these 50 are only a fraction of the 500+ checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and the number of checkpoints have only increased from Annapolis until now. The World Bank has found that checkpoints are the main factor that is stifling the economy in the West Bank and the Palestinians claim they are collective punishment.

Although Palestinian officials welcomed the move, both Palestinians and Israelis are deeply skeptical of a peace deal being concluded before Bush leaves office. Condoleezza Rice is in the Middle East to try to invigorate the peace process and may use this opportunity to claim that progress is being made. In the meantime, Israel is using this opportunity to pressure the Palestinian government to take “greater security responsibility” in the West Bank by allowing 600 Jordanian-trained security officers to be deployed to the West Bank city of Jenin. However, there does not seem to be great expectations for an improvement in security for the Israelis or substantial concessions for the Palestinians."

On another note I was accepted the Arabic program at AUB so I am officially awesome.

Where is the humanity?

This is part 2 of a very beautiful movie series that I think translates to "where is the humanity?" It was nice that they included what happened on Sept. 11th as well as the events in Iraq and Palestine. I'm just glad that the concept of Arab unity isn't completely dead if various artists can come together to produce this. This is one of the big reasons why I want to go to the Middle East, to try to find where the humanity is in all of it. Unlike a lot of the hippies around here, I'm willing to work for the U.S. gov't if it gets me to the Middle East for awhile. Although some would say these actions contribute to the very things I'm working against, I don't buy into this mentality of "lets talk shit about the U.S. gov't and don't actually do anything to solve this." The only way this would actually help is if you moved out of the U.S. (which I don't see many of these people do which is odd because they talk about how the U.S. is such an evil country) and stop paying taxes (what do they think is aiding the gov't the most?). I really hate how U.S. foreign policy has been under both democrats and republicans (essentially the same really) and I know that there is no one electable who can really solve these problems with their current rhetoric. That's why it is important for me to go there any way I can and try to actively work against what the American and Israeli gov't is doing any way I can.

Middle East Whiteness explained

Ever wonder why some people in the Middle East look as white as Americans, particularly in the regions of Palestine and Lebanon? This may be why.

The Hussien connection...

Early I trash talked the conspiracy theorists who think Obama is a Muslim in disguise. Many of these people think that the Muslims are out to take over the world by putting up candidates in elections. It turns out IT'S TRUE...though not in the way we expect. It appears that men who began the infiltration are Bush and Cheney who are both distantly related to Obama. How could I not see it?!?!?!? Bush and Cheney were sent to screw up our economy and bog us down in a unwinnable war that would bring the U.S. down. Looks like an Obama presidency where he makes Mecca the new capital is the final inevitable step in this final scheme. The only way to stop this is to send myself back in time and warn the people before its too late. But alas, the new Muslim theocracy will ban science and time travel will never be invented without an enlightened western innovation WHAT CRUEL FATE. I'm worried quite a few people in this country would take this scenario seriously.

Sinbad strikes back...

Coming out from the shadow of obscurity is Sinbad with his account of what was going on in Bosnia while Clinton was there. If even Sinbad can take Hillary down, how can she stand up to John McCain? Although Sinbad deserves some respect. He dealt with some tough situations like when he was wondering whether to eat at the restaurant he was at or the place down the street. CLEARLY HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE HIS NEXT MEAL WAS! I think I have to take a nap now. Thanks to the Washington Post's blog for this one.

A simple no thanks anyone?

Looks like the U.S. container ship was a no smoking voyage. Too bad no one told these guys. I know its annoying when people try to sell you random stuff and you may want to shoot at them but still. I'm just wondering what they shot at them with if it was a container ship. Too bad this guy couldn't get rid of his unwanted guests. In the Israelis' defense, one of the guy's neighbors must have told them that his wife makes great maqloobeh.

Sami Al-Arian...

Over the spring break, I was talking with my father about the Sami Al-Arian case and found out that we knew someone who was working on the case. The case of Sami Al-Arian has been going on for about 5 years now. Despite being acquitted in 2006 he has still not been freed. When I wrote his attorney, he told me that the best way to help was to write letters. To find out who they need to be sent to click here. More about the case can be read here and here.

It really never ends...

Truly there is never a shortage of crazy news stories. Now Israelis can sue the PA for suicide bombers. Since state governments cannot be the target of lawsuits, this means that Israel does not recognize Palestine (yet they expect Palestine to recognize Israel but how can something that’s not a state recognize another state..argh...it hurts the mind). What is even funnier is when you remember Annapolis (does anyone?) about how everyone pledged to support Abbas’ government in the West Bank. How does this help him? Maybe it wouldn’t seem so truly insane if the Palestinians could sue the Israeli military for the death of innocent civilians. I’m sure there is someone out there who would say I’m anti-semitic for holding Israel to a double standard.

Report on Anti-Semitism may fuel anti-semitism...

The U.S. State Department released a new report today that claims anti-semitism is on the rise across the globe. This is actually not a surprise since the report defines anti-semitic activity as not only includes the usual hate crimes (like attacks and defamation against the Jewish people) but also has Anti-Zoinism and “demonization” of the state of Israel. Now aside from the fact that Arabs are also semitic, this is a pretty broad category. If you believe that Arabs and Jews should live as equals in one state, you are anti-semitic (Anti-Zoinist). If you talk about the evils of the occupation and ethnic cleansing committed in the formation of Israel, you are also anti-semitic (demonization of Israel).

Meanwhile, a whole race of people are considered “a demographic threat” just because they are Arab and not Jewish. This is in a state where 74 percent of people think Arabs are unclean (excluding Israeli Arabs). Almost 40 percent of the people in the lands Israel controls have no political rights but comparisons to Nazis are termed anti-Semitic by the report. This is part of the new anti-semitism that is “is common throughout the Middle East and in Muslim communities in Europe, but it is not confined to these populations (read: pro-Palestinian activists)." The report even goes so far as to say that criticism of Israel in the UN that does not mention other regimes is anti-semitic (although criticism of human rights abuses by other regimes need not mention Israel). With everything considered anti-Semitic, it is no wonder global anti-semitism is on the rise.

*Sigh

I know I should be writing my paper but this one from fox just got to me. Or maybe it was the straw that broke the came..er..donk..uh.. horse's back. Yea horse's back. I've heard many rumors going around like Obama is a Muslim who will not cite the pledge of allegiance or that Obama wanted to be sworn in on the Koran. Okay to the people who push this bull$#!^, I know you don't travel much but others of us do. And when we travel, particularly to Muslim countries, we have to answer for your BS. It's really annoying and I'd appreciate it if you would stop. Please. Anyway if this doesn't change your views, try this.

Welcome to Lebanon...

It's been a long day and I'm really tired. Enjoy. Here is the link.

False sympathies...

For one of my psychology projects, I had to rent the movie Uncle Saddam. Since the movie came out right before the invasion of Iraq, I knew there would be some pro-war comment somewhere. One of the people says "Anyone who has doubts about Operation Iraqi Freedom should try and view this film...It becomes clear that the Baathist/marxist policies of Saddam do nothing to elevate the lives of the average Iraqi and merely spread the misery equally among anyone outside Saddam's circle of influence in Iraq." Aside from the fact that he doesn't mention other factors about Iraq (the Iran-Iraq War, The Gulf War, and the sanctions regime), his sympathies for the average Iraqi seem feigned. It's not that Saddam wasn't bad for Iraq, but how does this guy feel about Iraqis if they ask for the American troops to leave? Suddenly I could imagine a different story.

And of course I see headlines like this that make me want to gag. It begs the question that if the U.S., the most powerful and influential country in the world, is so committed to the Palestinian people, why is this happening? It's because the U.S. doesn't care. The only honest people in their attitudes are the people in the streets of Gaza celebrating and the Israelis outside the school screaming death to Arabs. It is as one of my professors said, first we must admit that we utterly hate the people of the other side and then recognize they aren't going anywhere. Then we can talk peace.

Good God, Sderot awareness...

While the situation in Gaza is the worst since 1967, this video about a benefit concert from LA caught my attention. What I'm still trying to understand is Larry Miller saying "I've been to dodger's stadium and I've been to San Monica and that's how wide Israel is and that's why I'm here." WTF!?!?!? Not because of attacks on either side but because of how wide a place is. I see troubled times ahead as this country enters a new age of slim fast diplomacy. The solutions for Gaza: Starve more until you lose enough weight and then Larry Miller will attend a benefit concert for you. Yum.

It was also interesting that teenagers from Sderot were flown over to highlight the suffering and give them a break because that's not available to teenagers from Gaza. Oh yea and FYI to McCain, if your going to talk about a place, know how to pronounce it. I can only imagine Huckabee speaking at this event. One final note, the clip mentions that the organizers hope to raise awareness about the situation, but what do they propose as a solution? To bomb Gaza more or make a truce with Hamas?

phew finally...

Well I was going to post something but it's midnight so I'll leave it for tomorrow. Have fun with this in the meantime...