Background
Plan Dalet was a Zionist military plan executed in the civil war phase of the 1948 Palestine war for the conquest of territory in Mandatory Palestine in preparation for the establishment of a Jewish state.
Zion’s early strife profound,
“Transfer” whispers, dark sound.
’37, Zurich’s Congress pain,
’48, Plan Dalet’s gain.
Post-Israel birth, Transfer’s hand,
Deir Yassin’s darkened land.
By ’48, a dire cost,
Nakba’s tale, echoes lost.
By Phalapoem editor , 10/12/2024
The Palestinian struggle has been defined by decades of illegal Israeli occupation, apartheid system, genocides, ethnic cleansing, and systemic oppression, leading to a pervasive sense of despair and a diminishing hope for a just and peaceful resolution. As the situation continues to deteriorate, the psychological and social toll on Palestinians has become increasingly profound, leaving many grappling with a reality where basic freedoms, stability, and dignity seem perpetually out of reach.
A Life Under Occupation
For Palestinians living in the occupied territories, despair stems from the constant realities of brutal and inhumane Israeli military control, land theft, and a lack of dignity. The expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has systematically eroded the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. Coupled with the demolition of homes and infrastructure, this encroachment has left many Palestinians feeling that their homeland is being steadily erased.
In Gaza, the blockade imposed since 2007 has created dire humanitarian conditions, with more than 2 million people enduring starvation, chronic shortages of clean water, electricity, and medical supplies. Repeated Israeli military strikes , like those in May 2021 and October 2023, have killed and injured hundreds of thousands further amplifying the sense of despair. For many, life in Gaza is marked by a cycle of destruction and rebuilding, with no end in sight.
Youth and the Loss of a Future
Young Palestinians, who make up a significant portion of the population, bear the brunt of these struggles. High unemployment rates, limited access to education, and travel restrictions stifle their ambitions. For many, the possibility of achieving a better life outside their circumstances feels unattainable. This has created a generation that, while resilient, often feels trapped in an apartheid system designed to deny them opportunities.
The psychological impact on youth is immense. Studies indicate high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Palestinian children and adolescents. The absence of hope for a stable future, combined with the loss of loved ones and exposure to constant Israeli violence, has created an environment where despair becomes a normalized aspect of life.
Diplomatic Stalemates and the Collapse of Hope
The failure of peace processes, such as the Oslo Accords, and the lack of meaningful international intervention have exacerbated the collective hopelessness. While the international community often issues statements of concern, tangible actions to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law remain absent. Palestinians increasingly view the global response as one of complicity or indifference.
Palestinian leadership has also faced criticism, with many accusing it of corruption and ineffectiveness. This lack of faith in both local and international actors deepens the sense of abandonment felt by many.
Resilience Amid Despair
Despite these challenges, Palestinians have continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Cultural preservation, grassroots activism, and international solidarity movements provide glimmers of hope. Nonviolent resistance efforts, such as protests against settlement expansions and creative expressions of Palestinian identity through art and literature, serve as reminders that the struggle is not only about survival but also about asserting a right to exist with dignity.
The Need for Justice and Accountability
For hope to be restored, tangible actions must be taken to address the root causes of despair. This includes holding parties accountable for human rights violations, ending the illegal Israeli occupation, and ensuring Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Without these steps, the current trajectory of despair and hopelessness will continue to deepen.
The Palestinian struggle is one of humanity’s enduring tragedies—a story of a people whose resilience is tested daily by Zionist forces that seek to erase their presence. Yet amid the despair, the Palestinian spirit endures, reminding the world that justice remains a universal aspiration, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Background:
500 innocent people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.
In the crowded hospital, where silence weeps,
The Serial Bomber in sorrow’s keeps.
Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, a fortress of pain,
500 souls lost, in a relentless rain.
Israeli storms, a merciless roar,
Innocence shattered, forevermore.
Burning rooms, a funeral pyre,
Images of despair, the world does tire.
Hospitals crumble, in a deadly embrace,
Innocent lives lost, without a trace.
A plea in the shadows, justice implores,
For humanity to heal, as sadness pours.
Guardian staff.
Thu 22 Feb 2024 17.58 GMT
Intel report says some accusations that aid workers participated in Hamas attacks credible but could not be independently verified
A US intelligence assessment of Israel’s claims that UN aid agency staff members participated in the Hamas attack on 7 October said some of the accusations were credible, though could not be independently verified, while also casting doubt on claims of wider links to militant groups.
The assault precipitated a full-scale invasion by Israel of Gaza that has killed upwards of 30,000 Palestinians. Earlier this year, Israel accused 12 employees of the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency (UNRWA) of participating in the 7 October attacks alongside Hamas. It also said 10% of all UNRWA workers were affiliated with Hamas.
The bombshell accusation led several countries, including the US, to cut off funding for the agency, which was a crucial vehicle for getting aid to Gaza in what has widely been described as a humanitarian crisis.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the intelligence report, released last week, assessed with “low confidence” that a handful of staff had participated in the attack, indicating that it considered the accusations to be credible though it could not independently confirm their veracity.
It cast doubt, however, on accusations that the UN agency was collaborating with Hamas in a wider way. The Journal said the report mentioned that although the UNRWA does coordinate with Hamas in order to deliver aid and operate in the region, there was a lack of evidence to suggest it partnered with the group.
It added that Israel has not “shared the raw intelligence behind its assessments with the US”.
In addition, the report notes Israel’s dislike towards the UNRWA, two sources familiar with it told the Journal. “There is a specific section that mentions how Israeli bias serves to mischaracterize much of their assessments on UNRWA and says this has resulted in distortions,” one source reportedly said.
The four-page report by the National Intelligence Council was circulated across US government officials last week, the Journal reported. Established in 1979, the NIC comprises senior and veteran intelligence analysts who work alongside US policymakers on American policy.
Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, said in January that Israel’s accusations were “highly, highly credible”. Nine of the staff accused were sacked by the head of agency, who said he followed “reverse due process” in doing so. Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the UNRWA, told a press conference in Jerusalem earlier in February that he had not investigated the evidence before the firing.
“I could have suspended them, but I have fired them. And now I have an investigation, and if the investigation tells us that this was wrong, in that case at the UN we will take a decision on how to properly compensate [them],” he said.
On Wednesday, Lazzarini told Haaretz that the agency was asking Israel to “fully cooperate to provide the evidence to the investigation team”.
Pointing to Israel’s claims that about 10% of the UNRWA’s workers are affiliated with Hamas, Lazzarini told the outlet: “I read in the newspapers about 190 or 1,200 [employees] we have not been notified [about] … We do not have this information, we do not know where this information is coming [from], we do not know if it is an estimate. We do not know if it is just speculation.”
With around 2 million Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israel’s attacks on Gaza since 7 October, the majority of survivors have been seeking refuge in Rafah. As Palestinians grapple with severe shortages of food, water, fuel and medical aid, the UN has warned of a looming public health disaster.
“We have completely geared from what I would [call] the traditional public-like services provided to the Palestinian refugees and a human development type of activities to an emergency type of response which is primarily lifesaving – how to help people find a shelter,” Lazzarini told Haaretz.
“We’re trying to keep our primary health care system afloat as much as possible in order that people do not overcrowd the hospitals that are overflowing with what I would call primary war surgery.”
Meanwhile, a separate UN report released on Monday by a group of UN experts expressed alarm over “credible allegations” of Palestinian women and girls being subjected to “multiple forms of sexual assault … by male Israeli army officers”.
The allegations include rape and detention of Palestinian women in cages, in addition to “photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances … reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online”.
“We remind the government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence,” the UN experts said.
Voice of Palestine
In the complex geopolitics of the Middle East, the issue of arms supply to Israel plays a significant role in shaping regional dynamics and conflicts. The flow of weapons into Israel raises questions about accountability, ethics, and the consequences of arming a nation involved in prolonged conflicts and human rights breaches. Understanding the sources and implications of Israel’s weapons supply is crucial for addressing the broader issues of conflict resolution, human rights, and international security.
69% of the primary sources of weapons for Israel is the United States, which has maintained a close military alliance with Israel since its establishment in 1948. Through foreign aid packages and military assistance programs, the U.S. has provided Israel with a wide array of advanced weaponry, including fighter jets, missile defense systems, and precision-guided munitions. The annual military aid package from the U.S. to Israel amounts to billions of dollars, making the United States the largest supplier of arms to Israel.
In addition to the United States, other Western countries, including Germany(29%), United Kingdom and France have also supplied weapons to Israel. These countries have sold various types of military hardware to Israel, ranging from armored vehicles and artillery systems to surveillance technology and electronic warfare capabilities. While these sales are often conducted through official government channels, they have drawn criticism from human rights organizations and activists for fueling conflict and violence in the region.m adm particular the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Furthermore, Israel has developed its own indigenous arms industry, which produces a wide range of weapons and military equipment for domestic use and export. Israeli defense companies, such as Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Elbit Systems, are globally renowned for their expertise in areas such as missile defense, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and electronic warfare. These companies not only supply the Israeli military but also export their products to countries around the world, further complicating the issue of arms proliferation and regional instability.
Beyond traditional state actors, the global arms trade also involves private arms dealers and brokers who facilitate the sale of weapons to Israel and other countries. These shadowy networks operate in the murky world of illicit arms trafficking, often evading international regulations and sanctions to profit from conflict and instability. The involvement of private actors in arms supply raises concerns about transparency, accountability, and the role of the international community in regulating the flow of weapons to conflict zones.
The consequences of arms supply to Israel extend beyond the battlefield, with significant implications for human rights, international law, and peace-building efforts. The use of weapons supplied by foreign governments in conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in civilian casualties, displacement, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian crises and starvation raising questions about the ethical responsibilities of arms suppliers and the need for stricter arms control measures international measures to protect Palestinian civilians and punish these suppliers who had been reached the latest ICJ ruling on participation in genocide.
The issue of arms supply to Israel is a complex and contentious aspect of the global arms trade, with far-reaching implications for regional stability, human rights, and international security. By understanding the sources and consequences of Israel’s weapons supply, the international community can work towards more responsible and accountable arms transfer policies that prioritise end of occupation, peace and dismantling of the apartheid system to reassure security, stability and respect for human rights in Palestine and beyond.
Voice of Palestine , 26/03/24
In the ongoing saga of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the United States’ consistent exercise of its veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been a formidable obstacle to Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty. The American veto has repeatedly thwarted efforts to advance Palestinian interests on the international stage, perpetuating a cycle of frustration and stagnation in the quest for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.
Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the United States has employed its veto power in the UNSC to shield Israeli occupation from accountability numerous times. In total, the US has cast over 40 vetoes to protect Israel, making it the most frequent user of the veto in the history of the UN Security Council. These vetoes have ranged from resolutions condemning illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood.
In recent years, the American veto has been particularly consequential in obstructing international efforts to alleviate the starvation and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Despite widespread condemnation of genicidal Israeli war on Gazans and calls for immediate ceasefires, the US has consistently blocked UNSC resolutions calling for an end to genocide and the provision of humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza.
Three such instances occurred since 7/10/23, when the UNSC considered a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by Israeli aggression that left more than 100000 killed and injured. Despite overwhelming international support for the resolution, the United States vetoed it, citing concerns about its potential impact on Israeli security.
This veto, like many before it, underscored the entrenched pro-Israel bias in American foreign policy and the significant influence wielded by pro-Israel lobbying groups within the United States. It perpetuated the cycle of violence and suffering in Gaza, denying Palestinians the urgent relief they desperately needed.
Moreover, the American veto against ceasefire resolutions reflects a broader failure of political will and moral courage in the international community to address the Israeli war crimes and collective punishment in Gaza and the root causes of the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime. It sends a message that Palestinian lives do not matter and that Israel is immune to accountability for its deliberate destruction of infrastructure, starvation of 2.4 million people, indiscriminate killing and ethnic cleansing.
In light of these Western double standards, there is an urgent need for a fundamental shift in American policy towards the illegal Israeli occupation. The US must recognize the inherent injustice of its unconditional support for Israel and its role in perpetuating the occupation. It must acknowledge the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for statehood, self-determination, and human rights.
To this end, the US should support multilateral efforts to advance a just and comprehensive resolution to the occupation, including through the UN and other international forums. It should refrain from using its veto power to shield Israel from accountability and instead work to hold it accountable for its actions in accordance with international law.
Israeli occupation cannot stay protected and unpunished for breaching the international law. Until the US and its allies are willing to dismantle the Israeli apartheid and end the illegal occupation of Palestine and advocate for self determination , the prospects for peace and stability in the region will remain elusive.
This Passover, we don’t need or want the false idol of Zionism. We want freedom from the project that commits genocide in our name
Wed 24 Apr 2024 09.27
I’ve been thinking about Moses, and his rage when he came down from the mount to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf.
The ecofeminist in me was always uneasy about this story: what kind of God is jealous of animals? What kind of God wants to hoard all the sacredness of the Earth for himself?
But there is a less literal way of understanding this story. It is about false idols. About the human tendency to worship the profane and shiny, to look to the small and material rather than the large and transcendent.
What I want to say to you tonight at this revolutionary and historic Seder in the Streets is that too many of our people are worshipping a false idol once again. They are enraptured by it. Drunk on it. Profaned by it.
That false idol is called Zionism. Zionism is a false idol that has taken the idea of the promised land and turned it into a deed of sale for a militaristic ethnostate
It is a false idol that has taken the transcendent idea of the promised land – a metaphor for human liberation that has traveled across multiple faiths to every corner of this globe – and dared to turn it into a deed of sale for a militaristic ethnostate.
It is a false idol that takes our most profound biblical stories of justice and emancipation from slavery – the story of Passover itself – and turns them into brutalist weapons of colonial land theft, roadmaps for ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Political Zionism’s version of liberation is itself profane. From the start, it required the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and ancestral lands in the Nakba.
From the start it has been at war with dreams of liberation. At a Seder it is worth remembering that this includes the dreams of liberation and self-determination of the Egyptian people. This false idol of Zionism equates Israeli safety with Egyptian dictatorship and client states.
From the start it has produced an ugly kind of freedom that saw Palestinian children not as human beings but as demographic threats – much as the pharaoh in the Book of Exodus feared the growing population of Israelites, and thus ordered the death of their sons.
Zionism has brought us to our present moment of cataclysm and it is time that we said clearly: it has always been leading us here.
It is a false idol that has led far too many of our own people down a deeply immoral path that now has them justifying the shredding of core commandments: thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet. We, in these streets for months and months, are the exodus. The exodus from Zionism
It is a false idol that equates Jewish freedom with cluster bombs that kill and maim Palestinian children.
Zionism is a false idol that has betrayed every Jewish value, including the value we place on questioning – a practice embedded in the Seder with its four questions asked by the youngest child.
Including the love we have as a people for text and for education.
Today, this false idol justifies the bombing of every university in Gaza; the destruction of countless schools, of archives, of printing presses; the killing of hundreds of academics, of journalists, of poets – this is what Palestinians call scholasticide, the killing of the means of education.
Meanwhile, in this city, the universities call in the NYPD and barricade themselves against the grave threat posed by their own students daring to ask them basic questions, such as: how can you claim to believe in anything at all, least of all us, while you enable, invest in and collaborate with this genocide?
The false idol of Zionism has been allowed to grow unchecked for far too long.
So tonight we say: it ends here.
Our Judaism cannot be contained by an ethnostate, for our Judaism is internationalist by nature.
Our Judaism cannot be protected by the rampaging military of that state, for all that military does is sow sorrow and reap hatred – including against us as Jews.
Our Judaism is not threatened by people raising their voices in solidarity with Palestine across lines of race, ethnicity, physical ability, gender identity and generations.
Our Judaism is one of those voices and knows that in that chorus lies both our safety and our collective liberation.
Our Judaism is the Judaism of the Passover Seder: the gathering in ceremony to share food and wine with loved ones and strangers alike, the ritual that is inherently portable, light enough to carry on our backs, in need of nothing but each other: no walls, no temple, no rabbi, a role for everyone, even – especially – the smallest child. The Seder is a diaspora technology if ever there was one, made for collective grieving, contemplation, questioning, remembering and reviving the revolutionary spirt.
So look around. This, here, is our Judaism. As waters rise and forests burn and nothing is certain, we pray at the altar of solidarity and mutual aid, no matter the cost.
We don’t need or want the false idol of Zionism. We want freedom from the project that commits genocide in our name. Freedom from an ideology that has no plan for peace other than deals with murderous theocratic petrostates next door, while selling the technologies of robo-assassinations to the world.
We seek to liberate Judaism from an ethnostate that wants Jews to be perennially afraid, that wants our children to be afraid, that wants us to believe the world is against us so that we go running to its fortress and beneath its iron dome, or at least keep the weapons and donations flowing.
That is the false idol.
And it’s not just Netanyahu, it’s the world he made and that made him – it’s Zionism.
What are we? We, in these streets for months and months, are the exodus. The exodus from Zionism.
And to the Chuck Schumers of this world, we do not say: “Let our people go.”
We say: “We have already gone. And your kids? They’re with us now.”
