This post is found at the blog link
My family is Greek Orthodox and Christmas falls on 7 January but we do not celebrate. Only religious observances. After all as a recipient of these messages (Paul) summed it well: "Every day, Israel is killing 50 to 100 or more Palestinians in Gaza, who are already enduring unbearable suffering. 70% of those killed are women and children, which reflects the composition of the population. This gives the lie to any claims that Israel tries to minimise harm to civilians." But it is not just in Gaza. Two children were murdered in the West Bank Tuesday (our Eastern Christmas).
The Israeli interior minister who is in charge of police and of the West Bank (Smotrich) stated that he has a plan that would make the Palestinian cities " including Al-Funduq, Nablus and Jenin LOOK LIKE Jabalya [devastated area in northern Gaza]". We had a project in the area of Al-Funduq to protect a rare wetland ecosystem but this is threatened by the Israeli plans of colonial expansion. The army and settlers (is there a difference?) are already engaged in pogroms and infrastructure destruction in the North West Bank while letting the Palestinian Authority try to root out resistance in Jenin Refugee Camp. This is ethnic cleansing in the West Bank as in Gaza Strip as in what happened in 1948 and 1967 in service of an expansionist and western supported displacement settler colonial project (that is all it is!). This project's military juggernaut has now taken control of most of Southern Syria including six major water sources!!!
This is expansion of the smaller empire (Israel, "mini-me") and its sponsor (the US empire) where its new emperor (Trump) is now talking about annexing Canada and Greenland (Denmark area). But is it true that: "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must"? (attributed to Thucydides). Millions of people resisting empire around the world say NO. Further, I asked AI to tell me about empires that expanded and did horrific things just before their collapse due to overstretching resources and hubris. AI gave me MANY examples; in fact maybe just about every empire in the past 2000 years. But the stakes are much higher now. Conflicts and climate change both driven by greed can destroy humanity. From 1200 years, there is the Shambhala prophecy that talks of a time when the earth is in a perilous position (climate change-- see fires in California raging now as evidence and signs of global catastrophic war); the leaders will be interested in destruction but the people will then have access to amazing new technologies and come together to save the world and each other.
- More on Hospitals and kidnapped medical staff from WHO.
- Palestinians are once again being burned alive in their tents.
- What Zionists really think and how they brag about killing and torturing indigenous people.
ANALYSIS
Review of film from ground zero.
Jimmy Carter who recently died at age 100 had this interview with Amy Goodman focused on Palestine (note while in office did much to damage the Palestinian cause including pressuring Egypt to a shameful surrender agreement isolating Palestine)
- First AI assisted genocide
- Exposing Big Tech's Complicity in Genocide | The Chris Hedges Report
- Role of energy issues in empire calculations
UPLIFTING ITEMS
- Daughters of Jerusalem song
- Salute to Gaza Song
- Palestinian-American explains why he is suing the State Department over U.S. support for Israel
- Unprecedented lawsuit filed against N. Calif. Congresspersons for funding genocide (press conference here)
- BDS Victory in California
- Judge rules anti-Zionism is not hate
ACTIONS ACT
Statement signed by 200 organizations
Finally, here are some images of Palestine that show it was a fertile populated land with indigenous people before colonialism. Despite all odds, collusion of politicians and governments around the world (even some Palestinian leaders) we Palestinians will NEVER give-up our homeland (we are willing to share it but will never give it up even after genocide).
Stay Humane and keep hope alive
Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine
facebook pages Personal Institute
French