The right of a population to resist being occupied by a foreign country/military/corporation is a basic human right that has been enshrined in international law.
I recognize that the person who killed my son, Casey, in Iraq had every right to do so. I am not in any way happy about it, but if Casey’s commander-in-chief and vice commander-in-chief had not placed him (immorally AND illegally) in the country of Iraq to be a an occupier, then the Iraqi would not have killed him. George and Dick knowingly put Casey in harm’s way and I won’t rest until I see justice for Casey’s (and over one-million others) murder. That is also my right: redress for wrong and to see justice finally consummated.
Let’s play the “al-Qaeda committed 9-11” game. If so, I believe and Osama bin Laden has confirmed it: one of the reasons that we were attacked on 9-11 is the USA’s overwhelming support of Israel in Israel’s violent and inhumane occupation of Palestine and oppression of the Palestinian people. I have visited Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and I have spoken to many, many Iraqis and I have a deep sympathy for the plight of all occupied peoples, but I don’t really have empathy because, even though our country has been taken over by fascist pigs, we are not overtly occupied here in America.
However, I am sitting here wondering what it would feel like to be micro-occupied. I imagine sitting at home in my comfortable house with plenty of room for my family. Suddenly, another family, from far away that doesn’t even speak my language or know anything about my family’s culture, violently invades my home and isolates my family in a back bedroom where we slowly starve to death; or are forced to go through many checkpoints and security checks with a real danger of being killed, to go out and buy food and other supplies. Complaining to law enforcement does no good because my occupiers have bought the legal system with bribes or intimidation.
I don’t think I would like that. I don’t think I would like a foreign country to come to America and occupy my community…I think I may even resist that occupation and call myself a “freedom fighter” or “patriot,” but never a “terrorist.”
This micro scenario is what the peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine must undergo on a macro and daily basis from the “super-religious” Judeo/Christian cultures of Israel/America. The US may not have soldiers on the ground or in the air in Israel, but every bomb dropped or bullet fired has been purchased with a portion of the billions of dollars of blood money that we the taxpayers of the US fork over to the government of Israel every year (another good argument not to pay your federal taxes). The people of Palestine have been “complaining” internationally for decades and they get little, if any relief or justice. An Iraqi man that I met in Istanbul asked me: “Doesn’t the world care about us?” And the people of Afghanistan have no voice at all.
With dual-citizen, Rahm Emanuel as Obama’s chief of staff and ultra-Zionists, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in tip-top positions, I see no relief for the people of Palestine (or Iraq/Afghanistan, for that matter) in the near future, but this issue is one that must take precedence in the new regime.
An equitable and humane solution to the crisis must be worked out so Palestinians have the right of return to their homes/homeland and autonomy in deciding what kind of government that THEY want.
The Jesus that the Christians worship, whose story originated in that part of the world said: “No one can serve two masters (Mt 6:4).” It is time that the Israeli lobby’s (AIPAC) influence be eliminated from our government and it is time that our elected politicians first think of what’s good for America and Americans—being Israel’s proxy in the international community and supporting Israel financially and defending its abominable behavior to the Palestinians has proven to be disastrous for our country.
There are many citizens in Israel who abhor the behavior of their government, as many of us abhor the behavior of our government—rejecting state-sponsored violence and occupation doesn’t make one “anti-Semitic” or “anti-American” it makes one “pro-Human.” Such accusations are puerile and meant to demean the person who is “pro-Human” because the message of peace cannot be credibly attacked.
Please join the ANSWER Coalition, many human rights’ groups and Cindy for Congress, 2010, for a protest in front of the Israeli consulate on Wednesday, December 30th at 5PM. The consulate is at: 456 Montgomery Street, SF. Cindy will be speaking. Hope to see you there. Let’s stand in solidarity not only with the people of Palestine, but with all occupied peoples and against the tyranny of all occupations.
