Palestine is Our Choice

Last night, I was reading a few articles here and there about Palestine and Israel, I also watched a few videos about the history of Palestine, the history of Israel, and so on...

The interesting point that you get, is that everyone is deciding on behalf of the Palestinians what their fate and future should be!! In none of those articles or videos did I see any consultation or opinion of the people, the Palestinians, the main stakeholders of all of this!! Can't we have a say in what we really want?!?! Weird right?? No it's not weird, it's actually cruel, unjust, tyrannical, savage, ignorant, and inhuman...

Palestinians are supposed to watch others decide their own destiny, get the support of the world, by diplomacy or force, while we,the Palestinians, wait for the mercy of others, wait for the verdict of others on whether we are real or not, whether we deserve a country or not, whether we will live or die!!! What world is that?!?

The world supported Southern Sudan to create a country, because they are different from the rest of Sudan. The world supported the division of Czechoslovakia into different smaller countries that guarantees a secure, safe, and prosperous future for the different ethnic groups of that country. The world supports Taiwan, Armenia, Pakistan, and so many more examples from history and the future... All under the mission of protecting the people, defending human rights, and the right to decide their destiny...

The irony is that it all stops at the doorsteps of Palestine!!! Suddenly the world is silent, tight handed, speechless, unable to move and defend and take action. For 65 years, no one seemed to care much to really solve the issue of the Palestinian People. Instead, we were left to figure it out on our own, facing the only DEMOCRACY of the Middle East!!

In fact, to be fair, there are so many out there who defend the Palestinians and they support the Palestinian struggle and cause. And it was apparent in the recent vote in the UN, when the majority of the world voted in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine. It was a fierce political battle that involved so much lobbying and negotiations and debate. And at the end Palestine prevailed and won it's recognition...

But in that vote, many were driven by a tremendous feeling of guilt!! Because they abandoned Palestinians all those years, because they let generations of Palestinians live as refugees, because they did not stand up to the basic rights of the people of Palestine!!! Nonetheless, thank you for everyone who voted in favor of Palestine. And for those who abstained, well, it's ok this time, maybe next time you should be more bold ;-)

As for the countries who voted against the recognition of the State of Palestine, mainly Israel, Canada, and the United States, it's a shame, a disgrace, and a disappointment for democracy, for human rights, for justice, for humanity... Not because they voted against, nope, it's their right of course, but for the way, the method, the approach, the speeches, the rhetoric, and the aggression they used against Palestinians!! For real, did these guys watch themselves again?? Were they stripped from their human soul? Were they talking about Palestinians or about insects!? Or maybe all of us are stupid, and those elite Trio know it all!!!

As a supporter of Human Rights, I do recognize and acknowledge the right of Israel to exist, and so many Palestinians around the world, and in Palestine, do recognize this, and on top of them is President Mahmoud Abbas. But it cannot be at the expense of the Human Rights, the dignity, and the future of the Palestinian People!! You cannot build and establish Israel by destroying and erasing Palestine!!! And of course, not Israel, not the US, and not anyone else has the right to decide our existence and future...

If the politicians are corrupt, looking for their interests and ignoring those of their people, then it is the duty of every citizen of humanity to seek the truth, seek justice, seek equality, defend the existence of Israel,while defending the existence of Palestine, equally, without prejudice!!

In a recent lecture by an Israeli professor that I attended lately, he was talking about how Israel cannot trust Palestinians to give them their own state, fearing for its security!! Well, what about Palestinians?!?! They can trust Israel, or should I say, they are supposed to trust Israel?!? Will Palestinians be safe at the end?!? Seriously, who should be afraid of who?!?! It's a funny scene, just like that of the elephant (Israel) and the mouse (Palestine)!!! And I only mean this in the military aspect of course :-) 

In the end it doesn't matter. We deserve a country of our own, we have the right for a country of our own!! Israel can have its fear or phobia or paranoia or whatever sentimental feelings from its own borders!! We are not in a marriage counseling here!! We are discussing the future of the People of Palestine...

Stop calling us Arabs instead of Palestinians. Stop calling it the Territories or Judea & Samaria instead of Palestine. Stop claiming we are fake people because we are as real as it gets. Stop calling it terrorism instead of activism (referring to non-violent resistance). Stop calling it AntiSemitism instead of Freedom of Speech or Expression of Opinion (referring to pure, valid, logical criticism of Israel or Jews). Stop claiming Palestine was a land with no people because it was a land full of Palestinians before all this conflict (Muslims, Christians, and Jews)! Stop defending Israel by attacking Palestine. Start defending Israel by defending Palestine! Stop building Israel on the ruins of Palestine. Stop war and begin Peace. Stop Hate and spread Love...

There is no easy path for all of us. But with a strong will everything can be achieved. Palestinians have resisted and struggled and stood proud in front of all tragedies, and we will continue doing so till Palestine is back, a beautiful independent and peaceful place for all Palestinians and everyone who loves Palestine. Israel will exist in peace and prosperity only when Palestine exists in peace and prosperity...

Always keep in mind, Palestine is not anybody's call or decision, Palestine is Our Choice...

To Peace and Love...

BISS

Homeland

Homeland, as per wikipedia, means: the concept of the place (cultural geography) to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with, the country in which a particular national identity began...

It is pretty simple, unless you are still a child, or you are a fanatic stubborn ignorant person who refuses to understand it, right??

So when it comes to my Homeland, Palestine, I don't understand how the definition of HOMELAND above won't apply to Palestinians and Palestine?!? Yet, there seems to be a lot, and a lot, of research and theories and studies, marvelous discoveries, astonishing findings, lengthy papers and publications, just to say that Palestine, the geographical area we know at least since the 20th century, is the homeland for others, not for Palestinians!!!

As in every post I write, I have to clarify that I am no historian or politician or academic with extensive background and information about the Palestine/Israel conflict... Yet, I am an educated Palestinian, a son of two Palestinian refugees, an open-minded peace activist, a supporter of justice, human rights, and equality for all... And this qualifies me, as it qualifies so many people from around the globe, to comment and share their opinion about this issue...

So, going back, there is this simple question of "Who has the right to call this piece of land their HOMELAND?". Well, the answer is not that simple!! I know thousands, even millions, will say "The answer is simple, this is our HOMELAND!!". You will hear this from both sides, and everyone else. Israelis will say this is our historical homeland, Palestinians will say this is our homeland, period!! Others will choose a side, supporting and defending whoever suits their interests or way of thinking or whatever criteria...

Hmmmmm, so what's the answer? If we want to sit and dig and dissect history, and come up with theories and so on, we will wait another century maybe, or even more, if ever, before we reach an answer...

In fact, I believe this question and its answer is irrelevant!! Who cares after decades of war and deaths and inhumanity and terrorism, who cares about this answer!! Yes there are those who only care about scoring points, demonizing the other, insulting the other, demolishing the other!!! Those my friends are the inhumane group who value nothing but war, death, and destruction, and they care the least for the fate of humanity!! We, the Humane folks, should focus on another question: "How do we make this geographical area the HOMELAND for everyone living there?!?"

Palestinians have been living there, at least since the past century, they grew up there, they developed a culture, a national identity, which is different than the neighboring Arab countries. This is the part, the info, the fact that others do not want to understand, or is difficult to grasp!! We did not come from outer space, we did not come from Fiji, we did not come from Jordan or Lebanon or Syria or Egypt, we did not come from anywhere but Palestine!! We are Palestinians, we speak different, we eat different, we dress different, we think different, even our Kuffiyeh is different!! We are unique, like every other country or ethnic group around the world. So I don't understand, how any person who is not from the region, would come and judge a nation, Palestine, create theories, and act upon it, without understanding who those people are, without asking them or trying to know anything about them even, except for digging books and info from the Internet?!!? Hello, we are here, come talk to us!!!

Moving on, it is also a fact that Israelis lived in this area thousands of years ago. And for some reason, not because of Palestinians, they had to flee their HOMELAND. But this is the same with so many other nations throughout history. Unfortunately, we as Palestinians, have been a victim of this historical claim!!

Imagine this scenario: Mexico comes today to claim back all the southern states from the US, based on the historical tie to the land!! Would that be feasible?

But again, we are beyond history, we are in 2013, where this land has become the HOMELAND for all those Israelis who created the Jewish State 65 years ago. Regardless of how, regardless of the wars, regardless of all the details of the past 65 years, there are generations born and raised in Israel, and so it is their HOMELAND...

Hence we are in a dilemma today, where we have two nations who have every right to name this land their HOMELAND... So what's the solution? How to make both groups live in their HOMELAND??

Although it is so complicated to answer the detailed solution, there is a very simple broad answer: LIVE TOGETHER, acknowledge the other, respect the other, feel for the other, understand the other, work with the other to make this land the HOMELAND for everyone who has a tie to this land...

We all know this quote: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...

It is going to take a lot of effort and hard work and transformation, it needs courage and honesty, it needs positivity and determination, it will require compromise and trust... but it is possible. Both sides need to open their minds and hearts, treat each other as humans who want to live happily and peacefully... Remove the hatred and the prejudice, be patient and understanding of the other... Hear the other, compassionately...

No one alone can win this land, BOTH of us can win it, together, with peace and justice and equality, and love...

For starters, if you are an Israeli or a Jew, go make friends with some Palestinians, talk to them, understand the HUMAN Palestinian, not the textbook Palestinian. Know their story, discover their agony, feel their pain, and correct their perceptions about Israel and the Jews as well...

Palestinians, do the same, cross that bridge, break the taboos, and seek a peaceful future in our HOMELAND, for all of us...

If you live in Montreal, I will be more than happy to connect you to some groups that can help you make this connection... Anything for Peace my friends :)

Let's overcome the PAST, let's solve TODAY, and live for a better TOMORROW...

I know I'm being too idealistic, but then again, that's what we all wish for, right?!! I leave the practical details for you to think about & share...

And for those who did not like what I wrote, or got mad because of my opinion, apologies for being ME!!

To Peace and Love...

BISS

Palestine: Peace at Home

It has been a packed couple of weeks for Palestinians across the globe, from the 63rd Nakba Anniversary and the launch of the 3rd Intifada, to the Obama Middle East speech and then the AIPAC speech, followed by Natenyahu's visit to the White House and then the AIPAC and Congress Speech, following with all the world reactions to all those events...

When it came to the Nakba and 3rd Intifada, it was Palestinians and friends taking the lead in deciding to go to the streets, PEACEFULLY, to tell the world that we are still here, REFUGEES, after 63 years, still waiting to go back home... Palestinians planned, coordinated, promoted, organized, and took action in PEACEFUL events around the globe... Sadly on May 15th 2011, those PEACEFUL UNARMED protests and demonstrations were met by gunfire, death, and blood... And the world watched silently, no condemnations, no remarks, no words at all... Even the media chose to ignore covering those PEACEFUL events around the world, and instead chose to highlight that Palestinians attacked the Israeli borders, and attacked the Israeli soldiers inside Palestine!! Why? Because when it comes to Israel, maybe every non-Israeli or non-Jewish human has no value, totally and cheaply dispensable... What a shame to see the world reach to this level of humanity...

Moving on, the world was waiting for another major event that concerns Palestinians: The Obama Middle East Speech. It was an event to respond to the Palestinian political movement towards gaining Palestinian Statehood in September when a UN vote will take place. It was also a preparation and an outline for the Peace process that President Obama was laying down ahead of Natenyahu’s visit to the US...

To be fair and square, President Obama did cross the normal lines that a US president would stay behind when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He boldly told Israel what the Palestinian borders should be, which is the 1967 lines “with agreed swappable land” to compensate for the illegal Israeli settlements inside the 1967 lines... Of course there in the speech was emphasis about the unshakable relationship between Israel and the US, as well as a soft wanring about the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, and above all, sidelining the major two points of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: the future of Jerusalem, and the Right of Return for the Palestinian Refugees to their homes... Oh and let’s not forget his answer to the Palestinian move to declare a Palestinian State in September: NO WAY...

Although for most Palestinians, this was totally disappointing, it was even a more disappointing and outrageous for the Israeli’s that are not used to being told what to do!! All the attacks on President Obama after his speech, never mind those from Palestinians and Arabs, but those coming from Israeli’s and Jews were so fierce, that eventually Obama had to change and tweak a few words when he gave the AIPAC 2011 speech, gaining a few ovations and applauds here and there in his speech. Politically, as a US President running for re-election, this is what exactly had to be done... But as a Peace moderator, as an advocate for Justice and Equal Human Rights, this was far far from being right!!!

Non the less, the Israeli PM stood firm by his non-compromising attitude, bluntly rejecting Obama’s speech, sticking to his points: No Return to 1967 lines, no partitioning of Jerusalem, no Right of Return for Palestinians, no negotiations with Hamas... He was arrogantly slamming the door infront of any possible Peace negotiations, in a way, telling Palestinians to DROP DEAD as per one article recently published (MJ Rosenberg: Congress to Palestinians: Drop Dead http://huff.to/lgEp0g). And yet, the amount of ovations and support and and cheering that he received from the US Congress surpassed that given to a US figure!!! It was like a political showdown between the US President and the Israeli PM, pure politics and tactics...

It was pathetic, at least for me as a Palestinian, to see this reaction to a guy bluntly killing an hope for relaunching PeaceNegotiations. More pathetic was also the media coverage, which mostly headlined the only few positive yet tricky sentences of Natenyahu about his willingness to give up GENEROUSLY some land to Palestinians in return for Peace!!!

True these days it’s all about politics and money and power and connections, it’s all about playing it right, it’s all about allies and lobbies, it’s about winning your way and not about doing the RIGHT and JUST thing...

But for me as a Palestinian, a simple human being, I don’t care about Politics, I don’t care about Obama’s re-election, I don’t care about speeches and ovations and applauds, I don’t care about a UN recognition of Palestine... As a Palestinian, all I want is a place to call HOME, a place to live PEACEFULLY, a place to have my basic human rights, to live equal to others, to have the same rights as others, to be free to do what the law tells everyone to do...

All we are asking for is for the world to look at the Palestinian people as Humans, as people who are suffering, deprived of their dignity and human rights, deprived of their home...

Look at those people, read the laws, the international laws, the Human Rights laws, read history, and then take a stand, not a side, a stand to defend Israelis and Palestinians alike, to protect the right to exist for both Palestinians and Israelis, to secure PEACE and prosperity to both Israelis and Palestinians, to let both people live in a place they call HOME...

May we all find PEACE at HOME soon, always, and forever...