Background
Three Israeli hostages were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Gaza while holding a white cloth, because they were ‘mistakenly considered as Palestinians’.
Shirtless cries in shadows’ decree,
White flags plead, a desperate plea.
Owen Jones wonders, in stark tones,
If Israelis endure, what for Palestinians’ owns?
Background:
The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Before the Nakba, Palestine was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society.
Zionism’s 19th-century scheme,
Herzl’s call, Palestine’s dark gleam.
Ben-Gurion’s voice, transfer’s ruthless theme,
Post-WWI, immigration’s haunting scheme.
Nazi horror, ’33 to ’36,
Arab Revolt, turmoil’s crushing fix.
’44, war declared,
’47’s strife, echoes declared.
Ethnic cleansing, lives laid bare,
Nakba’s tale, tragedy’s despair.
No master plan, chaos’ cruel sheen,
History mourns, echoes unseen.
AstroMystic, 30/11/25
The complex history of Zionist movements reveals a strategic vision aimed at establishing a Jewish homeland in Palestine. These movements, often characterized as political forces, implemented well-thought-out strategies to secure control over the land. Below is a concise list of key Zionist organizations and their roles in shaping the territorial landscape of the region. The following eight Zionist organizations played integral roles in the strategic pursuit of territorial objectives in Palestine, contributing to the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and financing the systematic killing of Palestinians and dispossessing their homes and lands.
▪ Lovers of Zion (חובבי ציון)
Emerging in Russia in 1881 as a response to restrictions imposed on Jewish communities, the Lovers of Zion aimed to combat assimilation and promote the return to Zion. They laid the foundation for political Zionism and contributed significantly to the establishment of Jewish colonies in Palestine.
▪ Jewish Colonization Association (ייִק”אַ)
Established in 1891, the JCA, led by Baron Maurice de Hirsch, focused on relocating oppressed Jews to various parts of the world, including Palestine. It played a pivotal role in managing existing colonies, purchasing lands, and establishing new Jewish settlements, contributing substantially to the Zionist cause.
▪ World Zionist Organization (ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית)
Founded in 1897 after the First Zionist Congress, the WZO aimed to establish a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. It played a crucial role in the creation of strategic institutions, including the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Colonial Trust, setting the stage for long-term Zionist objectives.
▪ Halutzim (Pioneers)
During the Second Aliyah (1904–1914), the Halutzim, or pioneers, migrated to Palestine to become agricultural workers, aligning their endeavors with the goal of territorial control. They laid the foundation for Zionist terrorist gangs, such as Hashomerand Haganah, which later integrated into the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
▪ Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) – Jewish National Fund(קרן קיימת לישראל)
Established in 1901, KKL focused on acquiring and developing lands in Palestine. By the end of 1947, it possessed a substantial portion of the land area in Palestine, contributing significantly to the Zionist colonization effort.
▪ Keren Hayesod (קרן היסוד)
Established in 1920, Keren Hayesod (translated as The Foundation Fund) played a vital role in financing immigration and settlement activities in Palestine. It became the primary source of funds for the Jewish Agency, contributing extensively to the development of agricultural settlements, infrastructure, and various industries.
▪ Jewish National Council (הוועד הלאומי)
Founded in 1920, the Jewish National Council supported Zionist presence in Palestine until the establishment of the interim government in 1948. It collaborated closely with the Jewish Agency, representing Jewish settlers and outlining comprehensive political, economic, and military programs.
▪ Jewish Agency for Israel (הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל)
Established in 1929, the Jewish Agency became a quasi-government for Jewish settlers in Palestine during the British Mandate. Its goals included increasing Jewish immigration, purchasing land, encouraging agricultural settlement, and preserving Hebrew language and heritage.
Background: There are heartless ‘poets’ on allpoetry platform who had shamelessly expressed white supremacy, racism of being Islamophobic and anti-Muslim, anti -Arab and anti-Palestinian. They also expressed their opinion of not feeling sorry for the death of thousands of innocent Palestinians who were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Ink stained, a 'poet' bereft of heart, Unleashing venomous verse, a masterful art. White supremacy and racism, a venomous brew, Islamophobia, anti-Muslim, a distorted view. Contempt for Arabs, Palestinians, laid bare, A paucity of empathy, innocence in despair. Labeled 'human shields,' a callous guise, Denying the agony in innocent eyes. Patrons of child killers, proudly they stand, Championing actions none can comprehend. Anger surges as truths are laid bare, In poems that demand justice with fervent flair. Apartheid's thievery, a nation's soul defiled, The oppressor's narrative, spoken with guile. Hypocrites weave verses with deceptive grace, Preaching tolerance, veiling lies to embrace. Profile pictures with grandchildren, a façade, Harboring views that lack all moral ode. "Don't teach racism," a plea, scorned and defied, Ignoring tears of the innocent, left undenied. Genocide's truth, a script darkly spun, A plea to conscience, a vital war drum. Support humanity, transcend partisan pride, Stand with the oppressed, justice as your guide. In the echoes of history, apartheid's collapse, South Africa's tale, the time for Israel’s apartheid end perhaps. Listen to the tale of a child so young, Life stolen, a melody left unsung. Socks purchased with love, a grandfather's care, Worn before burial, a poignant layer. Yet, some cling to views, twisted and bold, Referring to 'savages' in stories told. Does humanity persist, a plea profound, Or does discourse with callous fools resound? Wasting time in futile argument's refrain, For a spark of empathy, a torrent of humane.
Background: During the genocide on Gaza, the Israeli airstrikes had deliberately targeted and destroyed not only civilians who were ethnically cleansed by pushing them out of northern Gaza, but also targeted everything associated with life including hospitals, schools, and bakeries etc. They targeted ambulances and destroyed the roads to make it even more difficult for the medical staff to help injured people. A tale of horror, Israel's cruel unfold, Strikes with disdain, stories left untold. Civilians targeted, life's essence torn, Northern Gaza weeps, an ethnic storm. Hospitals crumble, schools adrift at sea, Shelters, mosques erased silently. Ambulances marked, roads torn wide, Gaza silenced, a relentless tide. Starvation wields, a collective plight, In the shadows of Israel's heartless night. Twenty thousand gone, destruction's roar, A twisted tale, Israel's morality core. Self-defense claimed, as children fall, Collateral damage, Israel's sinister call. In the ruins, truth denied, Humanity weeps, in Israel's shadows confide.
Phalapoem editor, 14/08/26
Gaza's tears, a tale of sorrow untold: Israel claimed 11, 422, a story bold. Genocide's shadow beneath the sky, Western regimes complicit, echoes amplify. In 11 weeks, innocence erased, Palestinian dreams laid bare, a chilling case. Echoes of grief, resounding keen, End the plight, let empathy convene.
AstroMystic, 28/12/23
• Date: October 29, 1948
• Attackers: Israeli Occupation Force’s (IOF) 89th Commando Battalion during Operation Yoav
• Casualty count: Uncertain, but estimates suggest the number is 455 and among them 170 children.
Description of the event: The al-Dawayima massacre, occurring during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, was a significant and particularly gruesome event. Unlike massacres carried out by paramilitary groups, this tragedy involved regular armed forces with operational planning capacity – the Israeli Occupation Force’s (IOF) 89th Commando Battalion during Operation Yoav. Al-Dawayima, one of the largest villages in the Hebron subdistrict, faced relentless battles in the months following the UN Partition Plan. In October 1948, as Israeli forces advanced, the village became surrounded. Despite attempts to seek protection from Arab armies, the villagers were left defenseless. On October 29 1948, the IOF carried out a brutal assault, causing mass casualties in three stages: first, in homes and alleyways; second, in the village mosque; and third, in a cave. The exact death toll remains uncertain but is estimated in the hundreds. Shockingly, this atrocity, involving heinous acts described by an Israeli soldier, did not garner the same attention as the Deir Yasin massacre. After the massacre, survivors dispersed to refugee camps, and in 1955, the settlement of Amatzya was established on the ruins of al-Dawayima. The Jewish soldiers who took part in the massacre reported horrific scenes: babies whose skulls were cracked open, women raped or burned alive in houses and men stabbed to death.
References:
[1] Abu Sitta, Salman, Daleen Saah. Ed Dawayima 1948 Massacre. London: MEMO publishers, 2023.
[2] Ofir, Jonathan. “‘Barbarism by an Educated and Cultured People.’ Dawayima Massacre Was Worse than Deir Yassin,” at Mondoweiss.net
[3] Palumbo, Michael. The Palestinian Catastrophe: The 1948 Expulsion of a People from Their Homeland. London: Faber & Faber, 1987.
[4] Muslih, Nour al-Din. “Expelling the Palestinians: The Concept of ‘Transfer’ in Zionist Thought and Planning, 1882 – 1948.” Beirut: Institute for Palestine Studies, 1992.
[5] Hadawi, Sami. Bitter Harvest: A Modern History of Palestine. New York: Olive Branch Press, 1991.
[6] Morris, Benny. The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
[7] Ilan Pappe. The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine. Oxford , England, 2006.
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