Theater of the absurd-more from Mazin's journal

http://popular-resistance.blogspot.com/2011/06/theater-of-absurd.html

The theater of the criminal and absurd continue. Merril Lynch reported that
Israeli millionaires' net assets rose from $43 billion to $52 billion in
2010. Apartheid Prime minister Netanyahu announced that he will strip
Political prisoners held by Israel of basic rights like the right to
continue their education. It is believed this announcement came in response
to his unwillingness to exchange prisoners with Hamas (sad note: leaked
documents showed that Abbas authorities lobbied hard against any release of
prisoners in exchange for a captured apartheid soldier). Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) also invaded several Palestinian communities in the past few
days including setting up flying checkpoints in the middle of area A
(Palestinian "security forces" withdrew upon orders from Israeli
commanders). This also happened in my village of Beit Sahour (one young man
was kidnapped by the invading IOF criminals) the same day that our mayor had
departed town to Jordan. Syrian troops killed 15 demonstrators Friday.
Bil'in residents tried to bring down the apartheid wall separating them from
their land. NATO forces killed a Palestinian family in their raids in Libya
"Palestinian ambassador to Libya Atif Udah told Ma'an radio the family was
in a three-story building targeted by a NATO air attack. He identified the
victims as Abdullah Muhammad Ash-Shihab, his wife Karima and his 6-month-old
twins Khalid and Jumanah." And Fatah and Hamas seem to have backed down on
their promises to the Palestinian people about forming a technocrat
government and to allow for a representative PNC of the PLO.

It is difficult to know though what is happening behind the scenes: my
feeling is that the growing civil society participation and pressure on all
these governments and quasi-governments is putting them in a very difficult
spot. But more needs to be done by us to tip the balance and authorities
still resist doing what is right. Perhaps that is why the US government,
instead of demanding Israel comply with international humanitarian law, had
to send three outwardly threatening statements to its own citizen about
joining the freedom flotilla (see below). The European Union meanwhile,
while visibly showing no sign of weakening its complicity in war crimes, is
working feverishly behind the scenes to respond to the changing political
landscape. A high level official told me privately that what we are doing
at the grassroots level is getting lots of attention behind closed doors and
at the highest levels of Western capitals. I always reiterate that silence
is complicity especially at this extremely sensitive period in our history.
For us here in Palestine and abroad, activists are focusing on the flotilla
(http://www.freedomflotilla.eu/) and on the July 8-16 initiative
(http://palestinejn.org ). We hope you will give your support. Many
volunteers are needed especially to disseminate information via the internet
and increase pressure on mainstream media and politicians to finally make
the right choices and end the last remaining apartheid system on earth (as
defined by the UN Convention on the Suppression of the Crime of Apartheid
and Racial Discrimination).

Famous novelist Alice Walker writes in CNN: Why I'm sailing to Gaza
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/21/alice.walker.gaza/
An American Jew writes in Haaretz why he is joining the freedom flotilla
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-moment-before-boarding-the-ne
xt-flotilla-1.369336
An ex Jew (now Pagan) Starhawk writes brilliantly on the Gaza flotilla
http://starhawksblog.org/?p=546
State Department Made a Travel Warning: If You Try To Sail To Gaza, Israel
May Kill You
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/06/22/251355/state-travel-warning-isr
ael/
ACT NOW: Call the state Department (202-647-5291 and press 1 to leave
comment) then call the white house 202 456 1111 (I did it and it takes just
a few minutes and I talked to a real person)

Brilliant letter from "Boycott from within" Israeli citizens asking for
boycotts
http://boycottisrael.info/content/israeli-citizens-armin-van-buuren-please-d
ont-play-apartheid-eilat-israel

A good cause to donate to? Here are three examples
http://pal-youth.org/donate_to_support_PYN
http://pcr.ps/read/donate-pcr
http://www.alrowwad-acts.ps/etemplate.php?id=136

Great song released: Freedom for Palestine - OneWorld
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V28HnPTYz-I

The arc of the moral universe is long, But it bends toward justice.
-Abolitionist Theodore Parker, c. 1850's

The choice: A poem (I am not a poet so bear with me!)

Our choice is not between
Israelis vs Palestinians
Afghans vs Americans
Muslims vs Christians
seculars vs religious
collaborators vs rebelious

Our choice crystalizes when facing
A child who lost a leg ..moaning
A mother who lost a son.. grieving
A father jailed. yearning
An uprooted tree.. wilting
A Refugee . longing

in pained eyes, we look or stay away
the balance of where we sway
Between ignorance and compassion
Between love and hateful obsession
Between Justice and repression
Between might makes right
.and right makes might

Children not of "our tribe" wait silently
We must kneel to look at their faces intently
in those dark troubled eyes,
in the fleeting brief smiles
We see our reflection, our bonding
But we need to do the deciding
To find our inner voice
To finally make the choice
For dignified life not criminal apathy
To shun death and gain empathy
To shed paralyzing fears
To taste joyful tears
Now that our hearts get uncovered
Alas.love and humanity are (re)discovered

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org