Maya704 rants on…

Part of my immediate family and some of my favourite people ever happen to be Jewish, not that I particularly care either way. I was raised not to identify, categorise or judge people by their religious allegiances. I can’t remember my parents ever referring to a neighbour or a friend’s religious background. It was a private matter of no importance. Today I live by the same rule, who you pray to or not is none of my business.

As a child of immigrants who landed on these shores while fleeing the atrocities of WW2, I was educated about fascism and its consequences from a very young age. I understand the importance of protecting Jews from the enduring threat of anti-Semitism and the Jewish holocaust is a subject which touches me deeply. I believe it is our duty as human beings to prevent this sort of ugliness from ever happening again, to anyone.

And this is why I find myself so concerned by the monstrosities now facing Palestinians on a daily basis.

A Palestinian family cut off from their home by the Green Line.

UNRWA Photo Archive UNRWA photographs can be reproduced for editorial purposes only. They may not be used in advertising. All photos used must show the UNRWA photo credit line.

Israel, a state created 50 years ago by superpowers wanting to “make the Jewish problem go away.” A land invaded, torn apart, divided unfairly by a Partition plan designed by others. Nearly 5 million of its original Arab inhabitants, tolerant people who had lived in relative harmony with their Jewish and Christians neighbours for centuries, expropriated, expelled or forced to flee their home, loosing everything. 1.4 million are currently living in refugee camps.

Following repeated Israeli military action, the remaining 3.5 million Palestinians, half of them children, are now sequestrated in the West Bank and Gaza, a fraction of what was once their homeland. Held hostage by Israel, they struggle to survive, cut off from food, water and most daily life necessities by the Gaza blockade. They hold on by sheer will and determination as Israeli settlers backed by a right-wing Prime Minister and a bullying army, rob them of more land each day.

In the Gaza Massacre of 2009 which left 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead (4 of these killed by Israeli forces in “friendly fire” incidents), the Israel Defense Forces, large, modern and highly trained, with far-reaching high-precision weapons, fought Palestinian peasants armed with stones, low-grade rockets and mortar shells. Israeli forces deliberately aimed at civilian targets, ambulances and medical crews, killing several medical workers while they were attempting to rescue the wounded and recover the dead. On several occasions the IDF used civilians, many children, to serve as “human shields”.

Following this barbaric offensive, the UN Goldstone report condemned Israel for having committed serious war crimes and having breached humanitarian laws, possibly amounting to crimes against humanity. Israel was also found guilty of using forbidden weapons, one of which, white phosphorus, they bombarded a UN-run school and residential areas with.

Then a month ago they carried out a night attack against humanitarian aid ships in international waters with elite troops launching grenades from choppers. They killed 9 peace activists and wounding dozens more. Regardless of their nonsensical justifications, there is no doubt who the true victims were.

And sadly these weren’t the first peace activists killed by the Israeli military. I will remember Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurndall, journalist James Miller,  and 10 more killed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 1992. Tristan Anderson was luckier, if you can call it that, as he survived with major brain damage. On 13th March 2009 he was shot in the head at close range by Israeli military while taking photos of a farmers demonstration against the apartheid wall in the West Bank. And there’s also  Emily Henochowicz, Brian Avery and nameless others.

The casualty numbers speak for themselves. As per B’Tselem , since Dec. 1987 there were 1500 Israelis (143 of those children) and 7973 Palestinians (1593 children) killed. That’s a 1 to 5+  ratio. Nobody is buying the self-defense charade anymore.

Why wont the US and the rest of the world take a decisive stance against these crimes? Why isn’t Obama standing by his own words? Why aren’t there real measures and economic sanctions taken against Israel until it shows the world it can behave in a civilised manner? Why aren’t more Jews speaking out against this insanity? How can they not feel tarnished by these actions?

Regardless of what the mass media and right-wing Jewish thinkers may propagate, speaking out in opposition of the atrocities which Israel keeps inflicting on Palestine is not being anti-semitic. Speaking out against Israel’s obscene actions is simply a display of decent morality and solidarity with long oppressed Palestinians and I, along with million others world-wide, will not be deterred by these cheap and easy allegations.