By Hameed Abdul Karim –

For Mr. Angelo Jansen and his ilk, (Ceylon Today Thursday 17 July, 2014) like the Israeli spin doctor Mark Regev and all Israeli worshipers, it seems like history of the Palestinians’ tragedy began last week when Hamas fired rockets into Israel in retaliation to Israeli atrocities in Occupied Palestine.

So for those of us who do not know, the Palestinian catastrophe began when about a hundred years ago Zionist Jews supported by white supremacists in Europe and America, who now call themselves the ‘international community, brought European Ashkenazi Jews to Palestine. At first the Palestinians Arabs, both Muslims and Christians, welcomed their ‘cousins’ with open arms in sympathy because they were fleeing the enormous and horrible  butchery committed on them (the Jews) by white European Christians.

Taken for a ride

As time went by the Palestinians realised they were being taken for a ride and their homes and hearths and their very lives were at stake. But it was too late. By that time the Zionist Jews had already entrenched themselves in the land of their ‘cousins’ and were now preparing to drive them out of the land their forefathers had tilled for centuries. In 1948 the Zionist Jews destroyed hundreds of villages and expelled 750,000 Palestinians from their land and made these proud people beggars to wallow in refugee camps in other countries. Prior to the expulsion, or ethnic cleansing, the Zionist Jews (I make a distinction between Jews and Zionist Jews because all Jews are not Zionist racists and all Zionist racists are not Jews).

Jewish terrorism

Jewish terrorist groups like the Hagganah, Stern Gang, Lehi and Irgun had slaughtered thousands of Palestinians in their bid for an exclusive Jewish supremacist state. Deir Yassin comes to mind. In this village alone extremist Talmud orientated Jewish terrorists killed 280 unarmed men, women, and children by lining them up against the walls of the humble homes. Their churches were razed to the ground. Yes Deir Yassin was a Christian village but no mention of this is ever made in the west’s media for obvious reason. The leader of this extremist Jewish terrorist organisation was none other than Menachem Begin, who later went on to become Prime Minister of Israel and also bagged the Nobel Prize for Peace of all things. It was the same Begin that was wanted by the British for bombing the King David Hotel in Jerusalem killing over 70 British soldiers. For this act of terrorism the British offered a reward of 35,000 pound sterling for Menachem Begin dead or alive! Of course a few Arabs also died in that attack, but that wouldn’t matter for the likes of Angelo Jansen. Palestinian lives are cheap, after all, as we see even today.

Another massacre that pops up in my mind is the horrifying attack on the village of Qibya by Ariel Sharon. In this attack the future Prime Minster of Israel butchered 69 Palestinians, two third of them women and children, as they slept in their homes. Forty five homes, a school and a mosque were destroyed. Even the US state department condemned this act of terror unlike today where we have President Barack Obama (and Prime Minster David Cameron) supporting Israel’s reign of terror in Gaza and the rest of Occupied  Palestine with absolutely no qualms.

Miko Peled

Mr. Jansen then goes on to accuse Hamas for using civilians as human shields ignoring the fact that Gaza is the most densely populated region in the world. There is no place without civilians and no place to hide. Miko Peled a former Israeli general made a telling point when he said that the last time around when Israel bombed Gaza the racist regime timed it so as to catch school children as they went to school or home from school. This way they could kill as many children (future terrorists, as some Zionists call them) as they could.  ‘This’ Peled says ‘was the most disgraceful day for Jews all around the world’. But I am sure Mr. Jansen wouldn’t even have heard of the incident. Be that as it may, what shall we call Miko Peled who supports and campaigns for Palestinian freedom anywhere and everywhere in the world? Ah! The Zionist Jewish barbarians have a tag for Jews like him. They call him ‘self hating Jew’. Bear in mind the last time around the so called ‘Jewish’ state used chemical weapon on civilian targets such as schools and hospitals called ‘White Phosphorus Gas’.  This time too they have bombed a hospital for the disabled and a mosque too. But then it is all the fault of the Palestinians after all. Who told them to be in hospitals and why did they go to a mosque for worship during the month of Ramadan?

Human shield

Talking of human shields Mr. Jansen must watch Jon Snow on Channel 4 excoriate Israel’s chief spin doctor Mark Regev when he used the same trite propaganda twist, as does Mr. Jansen, to justify Israel’s latest bombardment of Gaza. Snow hinted that Regev was not speaking the truth pointing out that children who were playing football on the beach were deliberately targeted and killed when an U.S. supplied Israeli warship fired on them in broad daylight leaving four children dead. All of them were cousins. But then again it’s not really Israel’s fault. Why should Palestinian children play football on the beach? Eh?

Mr. Jansen then goes on to carry water for the Israelis when he moans the murder of three Israeli teenagers in Occupied Gaza. For three weeks Israeli agencies knew the boys were dead but did not expose the information choosing the opportunity instead to mount a propaganda campaign against Hamas claiming it were they who had kidnapped the youths. Never mind the fact that Hamas had denied the allegation. Hundreds of Palestinians were arrested and flung into Israel’s notorious prisons. Some Palestinian children were killed (but that doesn’t matter, does it?). Israel destroyed homes as a collective punishment akin to the Nazi way of retribution violating all known aspects of international law. British parliamentarians called Israel’s latest assault on unarmed civilians in Gaza as a war crime. But then who are we to complain? Israelis are above international law as long as it has the US to back them to the hilt in all their war crimes.

Divide  and rule

To this day we do not know for sure who was responsible for the deaths of the Israeli youths. Maybe it was a rogue operation or maybe it were Israelis after all. Who knows? One thing is for sure Israeli took advantage of this opportunity to blame the Hamas and PLO unity deal which Benjamin Netanyahu condemned from the very start. It’s the age old imperialist ploy of divide and rule. How dare the Palestinians unite to defend themselves against the aggressor! Maybe the situation was created (certainly it was abused). Again who knows? Only time will tell.

Palestinian lives less valuable

The deaths of the three Israelis became international news within a few days but the willful murders by Israelis of over 100 Palestinian teenagers since the beginning of this year did not make it into even the corners of newspapers. There was a video of an Israeli sniper shooting dead a Palestinian for the whole world to see, but it did not matter. The victim was a Palestinian after all. And their cold blooded murders are just run of the mill stuff.

Gaza Withdrawal

Mr. Jansen describes the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a gesture of goodwill when the fact of the matter is that the resistance proved too much for the Israelis. Besides, the cost of the occupation was becoming unbearable for Israel in both economic and military terms. Same goes for the occupation and eventual Israeli retreat from Lebanon. Don’t forget that the Intifada then was taking a heavy toll on Israeli lives and economy. Mr. Jansen’s claim that the Israelis left behind greenhouses for the use of the useless Palestinians were all destroyed by Hamas is indeed a big joke. Can any sensible person imagine Israel will behave so altruistically towards the Palestinians? Surely if the matter was not so serious for the Palestinians half the population will die laughing!

Islamic Terrorists

Mr. Jansen’s constant use of the sound bite ‘Islamic Terrorists’ is of course catering to the ones who have heard of the conflict from western news agencies like the BBC, CNN, Fox News, Sky News and newspapers like the New York Times, Jerusalem Post Wall Street Journal among scores of others which are notorious for their shameless slants and support for Israel. Not to mention the extremist fundamentalist Christian church groups who believe Jesus Christ (peace be on him)  will only return only when all the Goy (Gentiles) are driven out of Palestine and Israel becomes a ‘pure’ Jewish state. At the same time these very groups will talk to you about how much ‘Jesus Loves You’ and how much he cares for the meek and the downtrodden. He had said the meek shall inherit the earth. Ironically these fundamentalist Christians don’t see the paradox in their preaching.

Christian ‘terrorists’

But here’s news for Mr. Jansen. There have been and continue to be Palestinian Christians who have been in the forefront of Palestinian resistance. One that I recall was George Habash of the PFLP.

There have been many Palestinian Christians who have taken on the world in defense of their rights. Edward Said that great Palestinian intellectual, Hanan Ashrawi Rev. Father Elias Chacour come to mind. And I wonder why Mr. Jansen, the fundamentalist churches, the Christian Zionist varieties, the Jewish Zionists don’t call them ‘Christian Terrorists’? After all they are fighting for the same cause as their ‘Islamic terrorists’ brethren!

I have had the pleasure of meeting two representatives of a Palestinian Christian group called ‘KAIROS’ here in Sri Lanka on an invitation by Bishop Duleep Chicera of the Anglican Church. One was Rifat Kasis and the other was Michel (I can’t remember his second name). For your information, Mr. Jansen, KAIROS’ mission is to call all Christians all over the world to help fight the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. In its proclamation it calls on all Christians to take note of the Palestinian suffering under the Israeli (Jewish) regime. More than 3000 Palestinian Christians have signed the proclamation. Are you listening Mr. Jansen, if you are Christian as your name suggests? Or would you prefer to call them ‘Christian Terrorists’? The choice is yours.

Apart from this I have had the pleasure of meeting Michel Soliman, Sri Lanka’s consul general in Jerusalem. He is also Christian and very much with his Muslim brethren for the freedom of all Palestinians. I was deeply honoured when he offered to take me to the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. Opposite the Church is the Mosque where Caliph Omar offered his prayers. I will never forget this emotional experience for as long as I live.

I must relate another incident to convince readers of the ground realities in Occupied Palestine. I, like every Muslim, had the wish to prayer at the Baithul Maqdis. This ‘Dome of the Rock Mosque’ in Jerusalem is so entrenched in Islamic history that is the third holiest site in Islam. But guess what? The Israelis refused us permission to enter the Mosque. And I thought, what’s this? I am supposed to be the bad guy in the movie so called ‘Islamic Terrorist’ and all that, and the Jews are supposed to be the good guys and here they are refusing to do a good deed? That’s how oppressive the Occupation is after all. But divine providence prevailed and we went under the radar with the help of a few good Samaritans and I was able to fulfill my religious obligation. But it had to be quick; I was told, before the gun toting Israelis came along. Time was short and I couldn’t gather the memories I would have like to.

Jewish Support Palestine

If you happen to be a Jew then please take note there are a large number of Jews who support Palestinian freedom. Among them are a group of Jews who call themselves ‘Jewish Voices for Peace’, ‘Code Pink, ‘ Jews for Justice’ and of course the Netrei Karta. So you see Mr. Jansen we Palestinian supporters are not alone.

I am sure readers would have heard of the famous American linguist and intellectual Noam Chomsky. He says quite categorically that Israel’s current assault on Gaza and the previous ones are an act of genocide. ‘War’, he explains ‘is fought between two armies’. Chomsky is a Jew. What shall we call him? Let’s have Mark Regev say he’s a ‘self hating Jew’ and see what the outcome will be. I dare him. Palestinians have no army, battleships, jet fighters or tanks. All they have are ineffective homemade rockets which have not caused any harm to Israelis, though over 200 Palestinians have been killed by the Israelis and more than 1500 injured in this latest round of violence by the apartheid state of Israel.

Palestine wiped off the Map

Mr. Jansen’s claim that Iran had pledged to ‘wipe Israel from the face of the map’ is so blatantly false and so hackneyed that the West’s media which first promoted this fable has since stopped the propaganda in shame. Ahmedinejad never said what the western media says he said. All that he said, quoting Ayotollah Khomeini, was that Israel will cease to exist as a racist state in time to come. And he’s not alone in that assertion. Henry Kissinger has said that Israel will cease to exist in another tem years time. Henry Kissinger is a Jew. He also happens to be a war criminal. And what’s more a Nobel laureate too! To his credit Le Duc Tho refused to share the Nobel peace prize with him claiming that Kissinger was a war criminal and he would not have his name linked with him.

But never mind that. Have you had a look at the world map lately Mr. Jansen? Look you won’t find Palestine anymore. Palestine has been wiped off the map by the Zionist Jews and renamed Israel! All claims, Biblical or otherwise, that there was a state called Israel once upon a time is patently false. There never was a state called Israel. There was always Palestine. Jesus Christ (peace be on him) lived in Palestine. Read the New Testament, if you are Christian or the Old Testament if you are a Jew.

Israeli altruism

Mr. Jansen claims that Israel allows Palestinians inside Israel for medical treatment and then these ‘terrorists’ used the opportunity to bomb the kind and altruistic Israelis. This is a fable that you might find in Israeli school books. However, I will agree that Israel allows Palestinian doctors into Israel. One such doctor was Izzeldin Abuleasih who operated in an Israeli hospital treating and caring for Jewish mothers. What fate befell that poor man will make the whole non-Zionists world cry. While he was at work delivering Jewish babies, Israel bombed his home in Gaza blowing to bits his three daughters. Can you imagine his anguish his agony, Mr. Jansen? And yet he, being morally upright, wrote a book titled ‘I Shall Not Hate’.

Gaza Open Concentration Camp

We have heard of concentration camps in which European Christians had incarcerated thousands of Jews and whenever we hear these stories, which are quite often, we grieve for humanity. Gaza is similar to those concentration camps run by the European Nazis. Today these same Jews have incarcerated over 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza blockading the entire area. Not even drinking water is allowed except under Israeli supervision. Every now and then Israel bombs the water resources, electricity and sewage systems not for the heck of it but so as to expel the entire population to achieve its objective of Erretz Israel. And Mr. Jansen wonders why Hamas is firing rockets at Israel. The word used for such violence is resistance. It is the same variety of resistance the French offered to rid their country of the Nazis. You could add the ANC to the list if you like. Why then is Palestinian resistance referred to as ‘terrorism’?  What would you call the leading Sri Lankans who fought for independence from British rule? And once we are finished answering that question tell me, Mr. Jansen, how would you categorise Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or Nelson Mandela or Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu?

1967 War

A whole lot of fiction had gone into the 1967 war. Jamal Abdul Nasser had no intention of going to war with Israel nor had any other Arab nations any such notion. They were war weary fighting the British and then the Ottoman Empire for and on behalf of the British and the French. The British had promised the Arabs full independence if they joined them in fighting the Turks. The Arabs fell for the trap and are still suffering on account of that betrayal. The Sykes-Picot agreement put paid to all Arab hopes.

To dispel the boring propaganda of the ’67 war in a nutshell let me quote Menachem Begin from his book ‘Revolt’. He had said the Arabs had no desire to go to war with Israel. We created the propaganda. It was we who created the war.

By the way, have we wondered why Israel’s wars don’t end in six days anymore?

Fibbing

In one part of his lengthy propaganda harangue on behalf of Israel Mr. Jansen claims that Hamas’ rockets have ‘destroyed many Israeli schools, hospitals, homes and so on…’ Come off it, sir. This is ridiculous and patently false. Not even the Israeli hasbara  ( propaganda) machinery have claimed such fables. Why, if this were true, America, that great champion of human rights, democracy, and war crimes, would have nuked the remaining Palestinians. After all Americans always do the dirty work for Israel, even after it was revealed that Israel had spied on them and sold their secrets to Russia.

Israeli democracy

There is often talk of Israel being ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’ but even that fable has been dropped by the hasbara because it is clear that Israel can be anything but a democracy after its leaders’ claim that they want to be an exclusive Jewish state. Israel is an ‘ethnocracy’. Israel is an apartheid stat no different to South Africa under white supremacy rule.

There are many things on the ground in Israel and Occupied Palestine that prove that Israel is a racist state. I will go only into one aspect because of space constraints. There are roads that are exclusive for Jews. No Goy (gentile) is allowed to use these roads. If the Mayor of New York was to bar Jews from certain sections of the state one can only imagine the international furor that would ensue.

Suffice it to say that no less a person that the champion anti apartheid fighter Arch Bishop emeritus Desmond Tutu has said that Israel is apartheid states worse than South Africa in some aspects. Need I say more?