70 Years Ago Today Palestine Was Stolen

PALESTINE - ISRAEL, 21 May 2018

Askiah Adam – TRANSCEND Media Service

15 May 2018 – NAKBA or CATASTROPHE DAY is being remembered today in Palestine. The March of Return, which has been going on for over a month, culminates in its commemoration. The Nakba began when Palestinians were robbed of their homeland; when the genocide began; and, will not stop until the land is ethnically cleansed by the thieving multi-national Zionists ensconced in Tel Aviv. Yesterday, the main backer of these Zionists, the United States of America (USA) officially opened their new embassy in Jerusalem in breach of UN resolutions and international law, as if by doing so the crime perpetrated by the West more than 70 years ago will be erased.

The callousness of the current US President with regard the Palestinian suffering is abominable. His twisted logic argues that this action of recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will quickly resolve the problem. How? One apartheid, Jewish state solution where ethnic cleansing by Tel Aviv is condoned?

“We have suffered for so long…because of Israel. War after war after war. Bombing after bombing after bombing. You build a house. They destroy it. You raise a child. They kill him. Whatever they do — the United States, Israel, the whole world, we’ll keep resisting until the last one of us dies.”

This is what Suleiman Zghreibv has lived through for the past 30 years. (From the film “Killing Gaza”. Quote reproduced by Chris Hedges in his piece of the same name.)

The new US embassy drew blood even as it was being opened yesterday. Israel killed 52 Palestinian protesters and injured many more when it was officially opened. Like an ugly opening sequence to today’s remembrance of a bitter past that refuses to end, yesterday’s massacre will be just another episode of Israeli tyranny. It happened as if to fulfil Suleiman’s prophesy, “until the last one of us dies” said, surely, with much hate, a hatred Moshe Dayan, a terrorist who helped make the Jewish state and  later became its prime minister, reminded the Israelis of some 60 years ago. As the protests demonstrate, it is a hatred that has deepened with time.

And now the US has blocked the adoption of a UN Security Council statement calling for an investigation of this latest Israeli massacre of the Palestinians. This is mass killing with impunity, encouraged by the US.

Israel, the sole nuclear power in the region, harbours hegemonic designs over the Middle East which is couched in fear of victimisation by her Arab neighbours. Therefore, its security can only be guaranteed by more land grabs and conquests. And this at a time when her Arab neighbours are openly more accepting of her presence among their midst. So enamoured is the Saudi crown prince of this new found friendship he was reported as having abandoned any solidarity with the Palestinians telling them to accept whatever offer is on the table or shut up.

But Iran and Syria have not abandoned the Palestinians. What is more Syria and her allies, including Iran, have defeated the proxy army, the terrorists armed and trained by the US and her allies, thus thwarting their regime change agenda for Syria and Iran. While the Russians in the air have been instrumental in facilitating the ground war, Iran on the ground (and Hezbollah) with the Syrian Arab Army, make for a formidable force. Whereas, once upon a time, Israel would have no compunction about violating Syria’s air space, after the recent shooting down of one of its fighter jets that air superiority is now questionable. Furthermore, Syria’s implacability is boosted by Iran’s military strength. Iran, therefore, is what is keeping the region from coming under the control of Israel with Saudi Arabia and her Sunni cohorts lending this aspiration legitimacy. Iran, meanwhile, is Shi’ah. It is this Islamic schism that is being exploited to destabilise the region.

About a week ago Trump ditched the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal, one that took years to accomplish, a quid pro quo arrangement intended to prevent the nuclearisation of Iran. Of course, the obvious outcome of the JCPOA’s failure would be a nuclear arms race in the region. Saudi Arabia has already announced its intention to nuclearise if Iran resumes its uranium enrichment programme.

According to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Iran has adhered faithfully to the bargain, a fact verified by the US’s newly minted State Secretary, Mike Pompeo, during his confirmation hearing. So why did Trump opt to renege on the US’ obligations which were barely met any way?

Immediately after Trump’s announcement Israel began its bombing campaign targeting alleged Iranian military hardware on bases in Syria. Prior to this, Netanyahu had made much of these allegations arguing that it is menacing Israel.

Meanwhile, there has been speculation that America entered into the agreement on bad faith. It seems the JCPOA was never meant to succeed. Iran’s commitment was not expected. Instead, the belief was that Iran would fail to upkeep its end thus creating a pretext for war which both Israel and Saudi Arabia are trying to push Washington towards. And this is why Israel is desperately trying to frame Iran with a clandestine nuclear enrichment programme, which was flatly denied by the IAEA. But, why would Washington allow itself to be led into another war?

Washington’s Neo-cons have not stopped their agenda for world hegemony. While oil is a major spoil of war the globalisation agenda of the New World Order is about a one world government where the US dictates the global order.

The disaster that is Palestine, therefore, is but the beginning of a script the West has no wish to re-write. While non-Western leaders have voiced their support for Palestine and the Palestinians, their inaction turns the words into mere platitudes as if buying time for Israel to complete her ethnic cleansing exercise.

What then is left to the Palestinians if not to rise as a people against a diabolical tyranny? How about solidarity amongst peoples? Rachel Corrie was the finest example. She gave her life for the cause. However, united we the people can stand together without having to lay our lives on the altar of Neo-con greed and US global hegemony.

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Askiah Adam is Executive Director of the International Movement for a JUST World (JUST).

Join the BDS-BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, SANCTIONS campaign to protest the Israeli barbaric siege of Gaza, illegal occupation of the Palestine nation’s territory, the apartheid wall, its inhuman and degrading treatment of the Palestinian people, and the more than 7,000 Palestinian men, women, elderly and children arbitrarily locked up in Israeli prisons.

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This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 21 May 2018.

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