Nakba

The Institute for Middle East Understanding

“We thought it would be a matter of weeks, only until the fighting died down. Of course, we were never allowed to go home.” Nina Saah, Washington, DC

“My family’s farm of oranges, grapefruits and lemons, centuries old, was gone.” Darwish Addassi, Walnut Creek, California

“Those of us who left unwillingly in 1948 are plagued with painful nostalgia. My house in West Jerusalem is an Israeli nursery school now.” Inea Bushnaq, New York, New York

“The people of New Orleans woke up one morning to complete devastation and had to flee. The Nakba was our Hurricane Katrina.” Abe Fawal, Birmingham, Alabama

Sixty years ago, more than 700,000 Palestinians lost their homes and belongings, their farms and businesses, their towns and cities. Jewish militias seeking to create a state with a Jewish majority in Palestine, and later, the Israeli army, drove them out. Israel rapidly moved Jews into the newly-emptied Palestinian homes. Nakba means “catastrophe” in Arabic, and Palestinians refer to the destruction of their society and the takeover of their homeland as an-Nakba, “The Catastrophe.”

Ten Facts about the Nakba

1. The Nakba is a root cause of the Israeli/Palestinian problem.

It is marked on May 15, the day after Israel declared its independence in 1948.

2. This traumatic event created the Palestinian refugee crisis.

By the end of 1948, two-thirds of the Palestinian population was exiled. It is estimated that more than 50% were driven out under direct military assault. Others fled as news spread of massacres committed by Jewish militias in Palestinian villages like Deir Yassin and Tantura.

3. Jewish leaders saw “transfer” as an important step in the establishment of Israel.

Jewish leaders spoke openly of the need to use military clashes to expel as many Palestinians as possible before other Arab countries could come to their defense. The Haganah militia’s Plan Dalet was the blueprint for this ethnic cleansing. Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, said “We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.” (See what other leading Israelis have said about transfer.)

4. Hundreds of Palestinian villages and towns were destroyed.

Jewish forces depopulated more than 450 Palestinian towns and villages, most of which were demolished.

5. Palestinian property and belongings were simply taken.

The newly-established Israeli government confiscated refugee land and properties without respect to Palestinian rights or desires to return to their homes.

Israeli historian Tom Segev reported that: “Entire cities and hundreds of villages left empty were repopulated with new [Jewish] immigrants… Free people - Arabs - had gone into exile and become destitute refugees; destitute refugees - Jews - took the exiles’ places in the first step in their lives as free people. One group [Palestinians] lost all they had while the other [Jews] found everything they needed - tables, chairs, closets, pots, pans, plates, sometimes clothes, family albums, books radios, pets….

6. Some Palestinians stayed in what became Israel.

While most Palestinians were driven out, some remained in what became Israel. Although citizens of the new state, they were subject to Israeli military rule until 1966. Today, Palestinian citizens of Israel comprise nearly 20 percent of Israel’s population. They have the right to vote and run for office, but more than 20 Israeli laws explicitly privilege Jews over non-Jews. Nearly one-quarter of Israel’s Palestinians are “internally displaced” persons, unable to return to the homes and lands that were taken from them.

7. There are still millions of Palestinian refugees dispersed around the world.

Today, there are 4.4 million Palestinian refugees registered as such with the United Nations, and at least another estimated 1 million who are not so registered. Thus a majority of the Palestinian people, around 10 million persons, are refugees.

8. Refugees have internationally-recognized rights.

All refugees enjoy internationally-recognized rights to return to areas from which they have fled or were forced out, to receive compensation for damages, and to either regain their properties or receive compensation and support for voluntary resettlement. This right has been explicitly acknowledged in recent peace agreements in Cambodia, Rwanda, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Darfur. This right was affirmed for the Palestinians by the United Nations Resolution 194 of 1948. Israel, however, does not allow Palestinian refugees to return, although a Jew from anywhere in the world can settle in Israel.

9. Justly resolving refugee rights is essential to Middle East peace.

An overwhelming majority of Palestinians believes that refugee rights must be fulfilled for peace between Palestinians and Israelis to endure. And according to an August 2007 poll by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center, nearly 70 percent believe that refugees should be allowed to return to “their original land”.

10. The Nakba has implications for Americans.

Israel’s ongoing denial of Palestinian rights - and unconditional U.S. financial and diplomatic support for Israel - fuels anti-American sentiment abroad. A 2002 Zogby poll, conducted in eight Arab countries showed that “the negative perception of the United States is based on American policies, not a dislike of the West.” The same poll showed that “the Palestinian issue was listed by many Arabs among the political issues that affect them most personally.” Resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue would undoubtedly improve America’s international image, by proving that the U.S. government supports the consistent application of international law.

source : http://adamite.wordpress.com/

Swedish human rights worker viciously attacked by Jewish extremists in Hebron

International Solidarity Movement 

bloodied-face.jpg

Tove Johansson with a bloodied face after attack by Hebron settlers. (ISM Hebron)

UPDATE, November 21: Tove is still in hospital where she will remain for the next few days before returning to Sweden to receive ongoing treatment there. As well as a broken cheekbone Tove has a fractured skull and damage to her eye muscles. A complaint was filed with the police in Kiryat Arba where eye-witness statements and photo evidence was submitted. However, according to a report by Israeli human rights group Yesh Din 90% of complaints filed against Israelis to the “Samaria and Judea District” police were closed without indictments being issued.

November 18 - A 19-year old Swedish human rights worker had her cheekbone broken by a Jewish extremist in Hebron today. Earlier the same day at least five Palestinians, including a 3-year-old child, were injured by the settler-supporting extremists, who rampaged through Tel Rumeida hurling stones and bottles at local residents. Palestinian schoolchildren on their way home were also attacked. The Israeli army, which was intensively deployed in the area, did not intervene to stop the attacks.

Tove Johansson from Stockholm walked through the Tel Rumeida checkpoint with a small group of human rights workers (HRWs) to accompany Palestinian schoolchildren to their homes. They were confronted by about 100 Jewish extremists in small groups. They started chanting in Hebrew “We killed Jesus, we’ll kill you too!” - a refrain the settlers had been repeating to internationals in Tel Rumeida all day.

After about thirty seconds of waiting, a small group of very aggressive male Jewish extremists surrounded the international volunteers and began spitting at them, so much so that the internationals described it as “like rain.” Then men from the back of the crowd began jumping up and spitting, while others from the back and side of the crowd kicked the volunteers.

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Tove Johansson, human rights volunteer, after attack by Hebron settlers. (ISM Hebron)

The soldiers, who were standing at the checkpoint just a few feet behind the HRWs, looked on as they were being attacked.

One settler then hit Tove on the left side of her face with an empty bottle, breaking it on her face and leaving her with a broken cheekbone. She immediately fell to the ground and the group of Jewish extremists who were watching began to clap, cheer, and chant. The soldiers, who had only watched until this point, then came forward and motioned at the settlers, in a manner which the internationals described as “ok, that’s enough guys.”

The extremists, however, were allowed to stay in the area and continued watching and clapping as the HRWs tried to stop the flow of blood from the young woman’s face. Some, who were coming down the hill even tried to take photos of themselves next to her bleeding face, giving the camera a “thumbs-up” sign.

At this point, a HRW was taken into a police van and asked to identify who had attacked the group. The HRW did this, pointing out three Jewish extremists who the police took into their police vehicles. However, the extremists were all driven to different areas of the neighborhood and released nearly immediately. When one of the three was released on Shuhada Street, the crowd that was still celebrating the woman’s injuries applauded and cheered.

A settler medic came to the scene about 15 minutes after the attack and immediately began interrogating the internationals who had been attacked about why they were in Hebron. He refused to help the bleeding woman lying on the street in any way.

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Tove Johannsson on the ground after she was attacked by Hebron settlers. (ISM Hebron)

Five minutes after the settler medic arrived, the army medic arrived and began treating the injured woman. When she was later put on a stretcher, the crowd again clapped and cheered.

Police officers at the scene then began threatening to arrest the remaining HRWs if they did not immediately leave the area, even though they had just been attacked.

The injured woman was taken to Kiryat Arba settlement and then to Hadassah Ein Keren hospital in Jerusalem.

HRWs were later told by the police that they had not even taken the names of those who were identified as having attacked the HRWs and that one of the main assailants had simply told the police that he was due at the airport in two hours to fly back to France.

The incident was the latest attack by extremist Jews in Hebron. The small group of Khannist settlers in Tel Rumeida regularly attack and harass Palestinians in the area. The violence sometimes spills over to the international human rights workers who accompany Palestinians in an attempt to protect them from settler attack.

The settlers in Tel Rumeida encourage Jewish tourists to come to support them, as a way of making up for their small numbers. Today, hundreds had come from tours in Israel for a special event ù many from overseas: France, England and the United States.

For more details and photos contact:
Tove - 054 747 9225
ISM media office 02 2971824 or 059 943 157

Starbucks

Written by Howard Schultz
Tuesday, 11 July 2006

Dear Starbucks Customer,

First and foremost I want to thank you for making Starbucks the $6.4 billion global company it is today, with more than 90,000 employees, 9,700 stores, and 33 million weekly customers. Every latte and macchiato you drink at Starbucks is a contribution to the close alliance between the United States and Israel, in fact it is - as I was assured when being honoured with the “Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award” - key to Israel’s long-term PR success. Your daily chocolate chips frappucino helps paying for student projects in North America and Israel, presenting them with the badly needed Israeli perspective of the Intifada.Starbucks, through the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah, an international network of Jewish education centres, sponsors Israeli military arms fairs in an effort to strengthen the special connection between the American, European and Israeli defense industries and to showcase the newest Israeli innovations in defense. As my contribution to the fight against the global rise of anti-Semitism, the reason behind the current conflict in the Middle-East, I help Aish HaTorah sponsoring the website "honestreporting.com” and produce material informing of Israel’s side of the story.

Without you, my valued customer, I wouldn’t be able to raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks and keep reminding every Jew in America, to defend Israel at any cost. $5 billion per year from the US government are no way near enough to pay for all the weaponry, bulldozers and security fences needed to protect innocent Israeli citizens from anti-Semitic Muslim terrorism. Corporate sponsorships are essential.
Having the bigger picture in mind, Starbucks have donated a store to the US army to help in the “War on Terror”. I cannot emphasise enough, how vital the “War on Terror” is for the continued viability and prospering of the Jewish State.
So next time you feel like chilling out at a Starbucks store, please remember that with every cup you drink at Starbucks you are helping with a noble cause.
Howard Schultz
Chairman & Chief Global Strategist
Starbucks Coffee Stores

Israeli Massacre - Jenin and Nablus

Gulf News, Dubai, May 4, 2002 

As many as 650 Palestinians were martyred and seven others injured in Jenin and Nablus, said Riadh Al Zaanoon, Palestinian Minister of Health.

"Only seven Palestinians were injured in Jenin and Nablus but those killed are 650. The Israelis did not want to see wounded persons in the Jenin refugee camp. All what they wanted is death, death and more deaths," Al Zaanoon was quoted by the Arabic daily Al Bayan yesterday.

"As the Israelis invaded the camp after a heroic steadfastness and the Palestinian resistance ran out of their ammunition, there were may casualties who would have recovered if they have been medically treated. But Israeli forces intentions were clear and decisive; there should be no wounded people in the camp. So they killed them in cold blood, brutality and in violation of all laws and ethics which forbids killing a wounded person."

"The crime which should be made clear to the world is that of the 380 martyrs in Jenin alone, 280 or two-thirds were women and children. If they regard men as a threat, why should women and children be massacred in these numbers?"

"Another crime is the destruction of the camp, rendering its residents homeless. Hundreds of men above 45 years were separated from their families as they were dispersed to different villages."

"Yet another crime is of 13,000 residents in the camp, more than 2,000 were detained."

"Since the outbreak of the Palestinian intifada up to Israel's incursion into Jenin and Nablus, 1,500 Palestinians were killed and 35,800 injured. As Israel invaded Jenin and Nablus, 650 more were added to the death toll in 20 days," Al Zaanoon said."

Amnesty International : 

This report looks specifically at the actions of the IDF in Jenin and Nablus between April and June 2002. It examines allegations of unlawful killings; the use of "human shields"; torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of people detained; blocking of medical assistance, food and water; and the destruction of property, including damage or destruction of the civil infrastructure, commercial buildings, historic and religious buildings and homes. The report also reflects the means employed by the State of Israel to keep its human rights practices shielded from internal and external scrutiny.

Source : http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE15/143/2002

What Israel Doesn`t Want The World To See.

What the Israelis don’t want the whole world to see The First Massacre in the 21st Century The Dirtiest Bloodshed in the history of Mankind The Massacres of Nablus and Jenin in Palestine Cities that were turned into empty “ghost houses” by the Israeli armies within 10 days only Claiming to fight terrorism But they were unable to perform the “complete crime” WARNING:  The following pictures are harsh and inhumane.    Jenin refugee camp destroyed by the Israeli bulldozers, a destruction  that even earthquakes can never make    Just imagine if this were your house …      Even bedrooms are no more safe to sleep in …      A “city of ghosts” can be the only way to describe this disaster  In Jenin, a new holocaust was committed,  but what is different about it is that people  were not taken into arresting camps, but  they were burnt in their houses by burning  missiles …         Burning bodies was not enough, demolishing houses was  necessary to prevent the escape of people from their houses …      Was this body burnt dead or alive before burying it  under the rubble ?    Dozens of corpses collected in a small room, aid workers  unable to work due to lack of equipment and due to fear  of spread of epidemics    In Nablus, the massacre was just indescribable…    Does this old man deserve such a death ?      Cotton placed in cavities … what kind of weapon was used  against this man ?      Head broken into pieces …          The old woman’s body shredded into pieces  … where’s the world community ?  No Comment               --- May God bless our Martyrs,  may they rest in peace up in  the heavens        THE FACTS     During the last Israeli incursions in Jenin and Nablus,  more than 500 Palestinians were reported killed …     Ambulances and red cross workers were prevented from  saving injured people by the Israeli Forces      More than 8,000 Palestinians were arrested for nothing  What is your role now ? Just watch? Cry?  I don’t think so …  You have now seen the unrevealed, but others have not  Be responsible, take this matter seriously  Let the people know the truth, forward this Slideshow to family and friends …  Whether you are a Muslim, Christian, or other, as long as you are a human being …  … Keep this in your mind  And remember, don’t be fooled with what you’re fed by the media