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The people are rising!
We are not free until Palestine is free.
We are not free until everyone is free.
And that goes for all living things!
Ultimately, this is so much bigger than Israel and Palestine, it is about colonialism and the manipulative tactics of politicians/media.
While we need to stay focused on the horrors happening in Gaza, protesting for Palestine is, automatically, a protest against all atrocities and for all human rights. This is pro-truth, pro-peace, pro one love!
Let it sink in: concerning this conflict, Biden and Trump are on the same side. (As are Sunak and Starmer). They both support the funding of the Israeli military. They both condone and encourage the shameful, harmful police brutality committed against US students and faculty. An older, male professor had 9 ribs broken by the police. I've broken 3, it's no joke. It is also important to note that some of the US police are trained by the Israeli military. (Police aggression is, of course, a European problem as well, with police coming down hard on protesters, especially in Germany).
This should make it very clear to everyone that the Democrats and Republicans are not here for the people, but solely money and power.
The plight of the Palestinians is another sickening example of the colonial/capitalist world we inhabit. A world that demeans some and elevates others, a world that plunders, enslaves and abuses. A world consumed by power and bereft of compassion. Indifference at best and racist, conniving and cruel at worst.
The people are seeing this now, really seeing it. The plight of the Palestinians and the reaction of Western powers and Israeli officials has opened our eyes so wide that we can't look away. The binds of conditioning and propaganda are straining as we push forward into a new way of being.
But this awareness, this heartfelt fire for justice and change, for peace has nothing to do with religion and ethnicity.
Just as the Palestinians didn't chose their oppressor, the protesters didn't chose them either. Therefore, accusing protesters of anti-Semitism is a cop out, a distraction, and a vile smear to undermine valid and needed calls for divestment and a ceasefire.
Zionism is colonialism and, ultimately, no different than the colonization of land now called the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. (The deeply misguided and brutal Chinese takeover of Tibet along with the Soviet Union-Eastern Bloc era fall into this category too).
Now, anti Semitism is a real and horrible problem, deeply tied in with the concept of Zionism. Because of European anti-Semitic attitudes and consequent actions, Jewish people have been terrorized and pushed out of their homes, therefore needing to find a place of their own to safely settle. Added to that, the religious aspect plays a huge part: the return to the promised land and the coming of the Messiah. But it is important to understand that Zionism was an English Evangelical concept and that the founder of political Zionism was inspired by an Anglican Priest.
(Excellent article on this topic)
And the British and fledgling UN are responsible for giving over and partitioning an inhabited land.
Alas, the Palestinians must pay the price for European and American anti-Semitism, and Christian fundamentalism that in turn ignited Judaic fanaticism. And sadder still, that victims of that anti-Semitism became the victimizers. (This, of course, is not to say there are no Islamic extremist, there obviously are. But this situation was not created by them, rather the situation cultivated the fertile soil for such extremism to grow).
European and US governments hide their own anti-Semitic history and tendencies by siding with Israel and transferring the blame onto Palestinians. They also get rid of Jewish people by sending them to the Middle East.
Detractors argue, though not in good faith, that if the pro-Palestinian protestors are genuine they should be protesting all the other wars and atrocities world wide. Why pick and choose unless you're anti-Semitic?
The answer being that while the West, in some capacity, likely, had/has a hand in any global conflict, the West doesn't blatantly support the bloodshed like it does with Israel and then pretend they are on the side of morality. Such Western gaslighting has awoken public awareness and fuels support for and interest in the horrors happening in Gaza.
And in the case of Ukraine, the West fully supports its right to defend itself against the oppressor, yet in the same breath supports the oppressor of Palestine. Hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy. Lies. Evasiveness. Omission. Performative outrage. Misleading. Misquoting. Lack of context.
The tools of suppression and division. See how headlines distort reality and manipulate reactions with calculated wording. Hone in on the language and tone of news reporters and politicians. Hear how they spin the same story to suit an agenda, to manipulate and deceive. Propaganda. To control. To stay in power.
This video really sums up some of the topsy turvy realities of this current moment.
The Kavernacle, "The Rise of Woke Fascism"
Naomi Klein's book, "Doppleganger" another excellent breakdown of these crazy times.
And her recent Seder in the Streets speech
For people that have never informed themselves about the founding of Israel, it may be easy to stay in the mindset of, yeah, I know there is a power imbalance, and I know that there was colonization and current occupation, but it's complicated and neither side is really in the right. And don't the Jewish people need their own land after all the horrors they've endured. I don't want to take sides.
I understand this mindset. It is one I have, more or less, had myself. The full details of the founding of Israel and continued atrocities, have been swept away like the memory of thriving Palestinian villages and cities destroyed and eclipsed by the building of Israel.
But the utterly shocking and disturbing details are there, found in memoirs, diaries, notes, witness accounts.
The Israeli historian Ilan Pappé has compiled such information and presents it in a harrowing read called, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine". Mind blowing! The Zionist even assassinated a UN official who advocated for Palestinian right of return. Mind blowing, that the world sanctioned and/or ignored the cruel cleansing campaign especially so soon after the Holocaust, and that the founders of Israel committed such atrocities so soon after the Holocaust (before and during as well). It is so telling and disturbing that the crimes Israel accuses others of, Israeli soldiers carried out then and still do. Rapes, the burning to death of villagers, and frenzied murder, for example.
This world movement in all its many forms: street protests, student protests, confronting law makers, disrupting political speeches and events is exciting and necessary, and an example of a positive aspect of the internet. One of the negatives being the conspiracy theories now doing the rounds that undermine the true meaning and impact of these protests. Yawn! Sigh! These theories usually revolve around a particular Jewish billionaire. Talk about anti-Semitic.
People who have never broken free of conditioning and stereotypes disparage the youth for pushing beyond the accepted boundaries. They disparage anyone who challenges the status quo. Labelling them as "woke", bleeding hearts, virtue signaling, social justice warriors, naïve about the ways of the world. For them, change is frightening.
To avoid change, they will look for heroes to save them. They will believe anything that keeps their world narrowed down to a nice black and white story. A world where all would be where it should be if those pesky protesters would just accept it. Surely. they must be funded, surely, it must be some nefarious plan to take over the world. Peace and unity and rights for all living things, nah, that's not the message. The protesters are actually the evil ones hellbent on ruining civilized society. Anyway, never mind all that "woke" peace and unity, the world is the way it has always been, grow up and get real.
But deep down these people know there's something wrong with how humanity functions, and it's tragic to see them defending a system that works against them just because they are too scared and unimaginative to envision a world beyond capitalism and hierarchy, beyond rigid notions of West good, East bad, Islam bad. They'd rather succumb to conspiracy theories that, while they contain grains of truth, strengthen division, confusion, and the positions of those in power. Divide and conquer, as they say!
Activism, in its many forms, is how cultures and humanity, at large, evolve.
A culture is not acceptable because it is established, if things are wrong, change is needed.
An all out defense of societal norms is, ultimately, an affront to life.
Change is part of life!
Of course, going against the status quo will also bring out the typical, accusations (as if the following are inherently bad) of Marxist, extreme leftist, and a new one I'm seeing, Marxist-Islamist. These names are now being thrown at professors, students, or anyone who speaks out for Palestinian rights. Same ol' blah blah always used against people that strive for change or stand up for human rights whether they have specifically challenged capitalism or not. But what makes these accusations against opponents of Israeli apartheid and genocide even more infuriating and sad, as well as humorous, is that David Ben-Gurion (AKA David Gruen), the founder of Israel, identified as a Marxist. Whoops! 😂
Another example of the topsy turvy world we inhabit.
And here's another: During covid time, it became blatantly obvious that many with a right leaning, conservative mindset (and, eventually, those with a new age vibe, which became an odd and frustrating crossover. Naomi Klein has an excellent analysis of why this happened), were supporting conspiracy theories based on anti- Semitic tropes. Many outright knew what they were propagating, others were told, some chose to ignore. Yet, here we are with the
Gaza horror show and many of these same people side with Israel. A counter protest attacker of the UCLA pro-Palestine encampment was identified as a ardent anti-Semite. They obviously hate Islam more.
Excellent break down of this.
This shows the utter disingenuousness of their current allegiance and it also confirms what we all know, or should, that Zionism has nothing to do with being Jewish, but has everything to do with supremacy, racism, bigotry and maintaining the power structures of the status quo. (The pro Palestinian protester now labelled anti-Semitic, were, in many case, the same people calling out the anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists during covid).
That far right align with Israeli occupation and barbarism is not, in any way, surprising, it was an obvious outcome from the get go. But it is incredibly sad. It thwarts the evolution of humanity and the potential to create a better world for all.
During covid they ranted on and on about freedom and toppling the elite. They posted ad nauseum about the lying mainstream media, how we were being divided with culture wars and kept down with fear. And here when the path is right before them to unite with the people and achieve their goals, they side with the prevailing narrative and power structures. This is a movement they were dreaming of. Where are they now?
Sadly, they have always found excuses to dismiss positive, powerful movements. Looking for any flaws to discredit them, honing in on any bad apples. bitching about the media when they don't like a particular spin, but gulping down any perspective that confirms their bias. They would rather align themselves with their neo-liberal enemies then welcome in change. There is one (and maybe a couple more) American politician who does not support money going to Israel, but his reasoning is not based on compassion for Palestinians, but rather keeping American money in America. For what? I would wager not to feed, house and educate the poor. Nor for free medical care.
Bigotry, racism, sexism are all symptoms of fear exploited by those in power.
Challenging the West's status quo will also bring out the same ol' allegations that Russia/China (as well as Middle Eastern countries) are behind the movement. Currently, TikTok is in the hot seat, with claims that through this platform China is successfully propagandizing the American youth to be pro-Palestine. Utterly ludicrous, not only because TikTok data is dealt with by a US company owned by a huge Zionist supporter, but also because it's implying that young people would never be outraged by genocide of their own accord.
And on that note. How can one NOT be outraged? How can anyone defend mass murder? Or barging into someone's home, kicking them out and expelling them. Or lining up the males from 10 to 50 and executing them. I could go on and on with the historical and present crimes Israel has/is committed/committing. Indefensible!
People can use biblical (you gotta love that God ordained violence), and historical reasons to defend the decades long violence against Palestinians. They can insist there is no such thing as Palestine (what does that even really mean? All countries are made up. Sammy Obeid has some good jokes about this thought process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYS4ST4oysg).
Even if all the arguments they can come up with were logical and true, what has happened and is happening to the Palestinians is indefensible and it really says a lot about a person (their conditioning/brainwashing, their defensiveness and lack of compassion) if they aim to justify such crimes.
Even if all the arguments were logical and true, there were people already established on the land that the Zionist coveted, you can't just waltz in and expel, brutalize and kill them.
So, ignore these arguments. It excuses NOTHING!
There are times when we can understand how someone gets to the mental and emotional place where they do harm to others, but it should never, ever be condoned. This is not about excusing one side. Ultimately, this is not about taking sides. The only side is freedom and peace. For all peoples. No one should feel threatened, no one should be brutalized and/or murdered. This is about shedding light on a system that feeds the lucrative war machine through manipulation. Let's not fall for it anymore. Let's not do their work for them by taking sides. Let's look at humanity as a whole and always, always strive for justice and peace. No peace without justice!
