Lieberman's party proposes ban on Arab Nakba
Imagine if a German party proposed banning any commemoration of the Jewish holocaust!
Lieberman's party proposes ban on Arab Nakba
By Reuters
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's party wants to ban Israeli Arabs from marking the anniversary of what they term "the Catastrophe" or Nakba, when in 1948 some 700,000 Arabs lost their homes in the war that led to the establishment of the state of Israel.
The ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party said it would propose legislation next week for a ban on the practice and a jail term of up to three years for violators.
"The draft law is intended to strengthen unity in the state of Israel and to ban marking Independence Day as a day of mourning," said party spokesman Tal Nahum.
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The initiative could fuel racial tensions stoked by Lieberman's February election campaign call to make voting or the holding of public office in Israel contingent on pledging loyalty to the Jewish state.
Arabs, who make up 20 percent of Israel's population, said the allegiance demand was aimed at them and accused Lieberman of racism.
Israel celebrated its Independence Day this year on April 29, in accordance with the Hebrew lunar calendar. Palestinian refugees around the world and Israel's Arab citizens mark the Nakba on May 15, the day after the British mandate over Palestine ended in 1948.
Ceremonies in the West Bank were held a day early this year because May 15 falls on Friday, the Muslim day of rest.
In Ramallah, hundreds of Palestinians, some holding large wooden keys to symbolize the keys of homes from which they fled in 1948, took part in a rally.
"I came here to show that we believe that one day we will return. If not me, then my son," said Mohammad Hassan, 79.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a visit to Syria, was to make a televised address later in the day to mark the Nakba.
The right-leaning government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Lieberman's party is a key ally, has not endorsed the Western and Arab-backed goal of Palestinian statehood.
It also firmly opposes the division of Jerusalem and the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and Netanyahu recently introduced a demand that Palestinians, as part of any future peace agreement, recognize Israel as a "Jewish state".
Lieberman's party proposes ban on Arab Nakba
By Reuters
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's party wants to ban Israeli Arabs from marking the anniversary of what they term "the Catastrophe" or Nakba, when in 1948 some 700,000 Arabs lost their homes in the war that led to the establishment of the state of Israel.
The ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party said it would propose legislation next week for a ban on the practice and a jail term of up to three years for violators.
"The draft law is intended to strengthen unity in the state of Israel and to ban marking Independence Day as a day of mourning," said party spokesman Tal Nahum.
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The initiative could fuel racial tensions stoked by Lieberman's February election campaign call to make voting or the holding of public office in Israel contingent on pledging loyalty to the Jewish state.
Arabs, who make up 20 percent of Israel's population, said the allegiance demand was aimed at them and accused Lieberman of racism.
Israel celebrated its Independence Day this year on April 29, in accordance with the Hebrew lunar calendar. Palestinian refugees around the world and Israel's Arab citizens mark the Nakba on May 15, the day after the British mandate over Palestine ended in 1948.
Ceremonies in the West Bank were held a day early this year because May 15 falls on Friday, the Muslim day of rest.
In Ramallah, hundreds of Palestinians, some holding large wooden keys to symbolize the keys of homes from which they fled in 1948, took part in a rally.
"I came here to show that we believe that one day we will return. If not me, then my son," said Mohammad Hassan, 79.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a visit to Syria, was to make a televised address later in the day to mark the Nakba.
The right-leaning government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Lieberman's party is a key ally, has not endorsed the Western and Arab-backed goal of Palestinian statehood.
It also firmly opposes the division of Jerusalem and the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and Netanyahu recently introduced a demand that Palestinians, as part of any future peace agreement, recognize Israel as a "Jewish state".
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Neri Bar-On on -
Adam,
welcome, good to see you here.
Please note that this act of asking such law create awareness to the issue, This is a game in the public mind that create it to be in our minds and actions. Now we can resist that and I am sure the Israeli people will resist from the Jews to the Arabs citizens.
It also show the simplicity of thinking in the Lieberman camp. they cannot gain real power with this attitude.
with all that we should remember that the last Gaza events may not be last. Hamas inability to accept Fatah dominance in managing the issue of the Palestinian nation can bring Israel to another assault.
if we care for the Gazan people we need to think how can we contribute to the change in Palestine, and here such ideas are painful. for the palestinian perspective there is no doubt that this is an Israel voice now in power in the government, any accepting of Israel is accepting this voice.
so while it may lead resistance in Israel it flame the conflict in the palestinian side.
so we, the Israelis need to act fast and make sure this will not pass as we recognize the Nakba.
If any one want to do something practical in Israel is to send this message.
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Permalink Reply by Luc Hansen on -
Neri wrote:
Hamas inability to accept Fatah dominance in managing the issue of the Palestinian nation can bring Israel to another assault.
You mean another massacre, Neri.
More practice runs by the IDF cowards lazily circling the giant Israeli prison called Gaza, killing hundreds and hundreds of men, women and children. And most thrilling for Israelis, even more thrilling than killing children, Palestine's future, are the victims maimed for life, hobbling through the prison as living testaments to the Israeli sado-masochistic masturbation fetish.
That's how most of the world sees it, Neri.
And the excuse next time? Oh, of course, new elections will reaffirm Hamas' popularity, returning it to power to replace the quisling Fatah party, those collaborating prison guards, so Israel, who DOES NOT OCCUPY Gaza, according to Paul, will teach those upstart Palestinians another lesson for daring to think holding elections somehow means they can exercise freedom of choice.
You gotta keep those uppity Arabs in their place, right?
If I was Palestinian I would vote Hamas, too.
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Permalink Reply by Paul RETI on -
Hamas has a very real pragmatic choice: govern Gaza for the benefit of the Gazan people, or play war and ensure that more Gazans and Israelis are killed.
Go to Gaza Luc. Live under Hamas' benevolent rule. Should you do that, please do not take your family.
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Permalink Reply by Igor Gonev on -
Paul.
I just love non Jewish foreigners having the gall to counsel Israel on their course of actions. I am not sure of their motives and frankly do not care.
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Permalink Reply by Neri Bar-On on
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You mean another massacre, Neri.
I think you over use the name, I think that from Israel side it would be a fight to end it all. If Hamas will be stupid it may end with many dead. I am only expalin what I think going to happened and not what I think should happened.
That's how most of the world sees it, Neri.
No this is how you see it. but because you see it that way, and use this world you cannot see what need to be done.. the "excuse " will be to be able to have peace with the palestinians Israel will need a partner, and if the Palestinians cannot agree to have peace, and the Hamas continue to build threat on Israel so ther only way is using force.
because you this kind of image of israel in your mind you cannot see how they motivated. Israel actions are rational base of the goal to protect Israel. if you care for Palestine future preach them to unite politically and focus on their future and not focus to convince the New Zilanders that the whole world against them. The Israeli think that because the whole world against them they must have no choice then use all their force.
If I was Palestinian I would vote Hamas, too.
yes and you support Hamas tactic to make Israel come to stop their actions so they can use it to show that Israel come and kill palestinians. instead of supporting the Palestinians need for one political system that can make the agreement on borders and actions toward peace possible.
Did you notice the words you use, in your age? is it your 2nd childhood that you have to swear ?
are you in
you are sympathetic with the weak, so I am. but this Hamas extremists are bringing death on palestinians because they use words like you and fight for their high idealism.
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Permalink Reply by Mazin Qumsiyeh on -
Hamas. Hamas. Hamas. There was no Hamas before 1988 when Israeli intelligence folks pushed them up from obscurity. What prevented Israel fronm ending its occupation of Gasza before 1988. The fixation on violent resistance is however emblematic with colonial powers who like to justify what tehy do by blaming it on teh native resistance (whiel red indians, savage aborigines, black devisl etc). And Igor, Luc has more of a right to speak on the subject than a colonial settler thief who comes from another country to oppress and take part in war crimes.
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Permalink Reply by Mazin Qumsiyeh on
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This declaration is from three independent Palestinain political trends in Haifa about Nakba
النكبة
القوى الوطنية في حيفا:
لا تنازل عن حق العودة ولا عودة عن مشروع العودة
جماهير حيفا الأعزاء:
يحيي شعبنا العربي الفلسطيني في تاريخ 15.5 ذكرى 61 عامًا على النكبة والتشريد وسلب الوطن. في العام الحادي والستين من النكبة نؤكد مجدّدًا أن النكبة هي الجريمة الكبرى التي حلّت بشعبنا وهي تعني احتلال الوطن واقتلاع غالبية أهله وهدم بلداتهم ونهب خيرات الوطن والشعب الجماعية والفردية وقيام دولة إسرائيل على أنقاض شعبنا. ونؤكد أن النكبة بالنسبة لنا ليست جزءا من الماضي بل إننا نعيش آثارها منذ واحد وستين عاما، فشعبنا العربي الفلسطيني يتعرض لأبشع أنواع التعذيب والقهر والقمع، ولا زالت قضيتنا الوطنية تمر في واحدة من أصعب لحظاتها، حيث تمعن إسرائيل في تنكرها لحقوقنا الوطنية والتاريخية والسياسية، وعلى رأسها حق شعبنا في العودة إلى أراضيه ومدنه وقراه التي هجر منها عام 1948م، وتصر إسرائيل على المضي بسياساتها الاستيطانية التوسعية من خلال نهب وسلب الأراضي، كما تمارس عملية تهويد غير مسبوقة لمدينة القدس من خلال الإغلاق، والعزل، وطرد السكان، ورفع الضرائب، وتغيير المعالم والطابع العربي لها، انطلاقا من فرض حقائق جديدة على الأرض وقطع الطريق أمام أية تسوية سياسية.
ونؤكد إنها ليست مناسبة للذكرى فحسب بل مناسبة لمنع المجرمين أن ينسوا جريمتهم ومنعهم أن ينسونا جريمتهم، وهي بالأساس جزء من مراكمة العمل والتفاعل من أجل تعزيز مشروع العودة – عودة اللاجئين إلى وطنهم وبلداتهم وممتلكاتهم والذي نتمسك بتحقيقه.
في وقت تتكاثر فيه الاجتهادات لاستنباط بدائل لحق العودة وتطبيقه وتتداخل فيها أصوات أجنبية وإسرائيلية وعربية وفلسطينية، فإننا نؤكد انه لا توجد "بدائل" ولا "حلول" لمسألة اللاجئين، بل حل واحد هو العودة. وهو ما تؤكده الشرعية الدولية والمنطق الإنساني. وهو إرادة كل لأجيء ولاجئة وكل فلسطيني أينما كان كأفراد وكشعب. ونؤكد أن حق العودة ليس بالأمر البعيد عنا ولا يمكن أن نتنصّل من مسؤوليتنا تجاه اللاجئين فهم أهلنا وشعبنا خصوصًا أن غالبية سكان مدينة حيفا هم مهجرّون في وطنهم. ونؤكد أن حق العودة غير القابل للتصرف ولا الانتقاص هو حق فردي وجماعي لا يجوز لأحد مهما كان موقعه العبث به. وإرادة الشعب الفلسطيني هي الضمان الأول والأخير لإحقاق هذا الحق عاجلا أم آجلا.
يا جماهير شعبنا،
لقد دمرت النكبة بنية الشعب الفلسطيني، وأخلّت بنسيجه الاجتماعي، وهددت وجوده الوطني على أرضه التاريخية، وكادت أن تشطب فلسطين والى الأبد عن الخارطة السياسية اثر إعلان قيام دولة إسرائيل على جزء كبير من أرضنا. ولقد راهن الجميع على اندثار الشعب الفلسطيني عبر ذوبانه في مجتمعات اللجوء أو في المجتمع الإسرائيلي، غير أن الحقيقة كانت عكس ذلك تماما، إذ سرعان ما نهض الأحرار من شعبنا بجراحهم، وقدّموا الغالي والنفيس دفاعًا عن بلادنا، وصاغوا عبر معارك التصدّي والصمود في الأرض أركان الهوية الوطنية الفلسطينية. فالحفاظ على الهوية العربية الفلسطينية هو الأساس لمواجهة الأسرلة والنسيان والتشويه خصوصًا على ضوء تنامي العنصرية والفاشية في المجتمع الإسرائيلي والطروحات الجديدة / القديمة ليبرمان والترانسفير والترحيل والتشويه "واشتراط الحقوق بالواجبات" ونزع شرعية وجود العرب الفلسطينيين في الداخل.
اليوم ونحن نحي ذكرى النكبة التي ارتكبت بحق شعبنا الفلسطيني، إنما نجدد العهد بأننا هنا لنبقى ولن نتزحزح قيد أنملة عن بلادنا وعن نضالنا لاستعادة الحقوق. ونتعهد أن نبقي حق العودة راية مرفوعة نتشبّث بضرورة تحقيقه لضمان حل عادل لقضيتنا على أرضنا.
ألف تحية إلى شعبنا في حيفا والوطن والشتات
الحركة الإسلامية التجمع الوطني الديمقراطي حركة أبناء البلد
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Permalink Reply by Luc Hansen on
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Paul, Hamas is a pragmatic organisation, which, in my opinion, would have governed the territories well if Israel and the US had worked with it, not against it.
Hamas has demonstrated in the past the ability to modify it's political goals without necessarily abandoning its main purpose. It invokes sabr to justify temporary departures from the armed struggle its charter calls for.
I have no doubt Israel would have enjoyed a prolonged period of peace with Hamas in power. How long would depend on how serious Israel was in negotiations.
The seige against Gaza is nothing to do with a few oversized fireworks (we call them crackers), which look pretty insipid beside the carnage on Israel's roads I hear about, it is collective punishment on the population of Gaza for daring to vote overwhelmingly for Hamas.
I am not going to live in Palestine because I am very happy where I am, thank you.
Igor: The more I read what is posted on here by Israelis and Jews outside Israel, the callousness, the cynical reinterpretation of international law, the blind denial of the total wrong inflicted on Palestinian Arabs since the beginning of the 19th century, encourages me to continue to do what I can to inform as many people as I can of the reality of Israel's genocidal actions. Outside activists like me do have an important role to play, which is to inform our own fellow citizens.
T
Israel's problem with Hamas is that it knows Hamas can't be bribed like Fatah into giving up the right of return. This is what the ongoing killing is all about. Israel is desperate for that right to be extinguished.
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Permalink Reply by Mazin Qumsiyeh on
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From Sarah Anne Minkin
Jewish Peace News
On May 14, the annual day for commemorating the Nakba, the catastrophe that befell the Palestinians with the establishment of the state of Israel, Ha’aretz announced the proposal of a new law in Israel banning all commemorations of the Nakba. The law was proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu, the political party of Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman. The proposed legislation threatens three years imprisonment for anyone who commemorates the Nakba http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1085588.html
Yisrael Beiteinu’s party spokesman is quoted as saying that the law intends “to strengthen unity in the state of Israel.” That statement, and this proposed law, should set off anti-fascism alarms. In the name of “unity,” here is a proposal to criminalize acts of memory, collective identity, and cultural and political expression. In the name of Israel’s majority group, this proposal seeks to criminalize memory and memory-makers, effectively criminalizing the group-identity of Israel’s largest minority population. The very existence of a culture relies on its memory, which comprises the stories a culture tells about itself. This law would threaten the existence of Palestinians as a remembering, culture-producing, history-bearing people, and would prevent the possibility of Israel becoming a truly pluralistic society where every group’s history can be told. And by forbidding the remembering of the Nakba, the law aims to erase the 1948 dispossession of Palestinians - including the destruction of more than 400 villages, multiple massacres and the creation of more than 700,00 refugees, and the confiscation of thousands of acres of land - even as this same political party’s platform threatens another form of dispossession, that is, removing citizenship from Palestinian citizens http://jewishpeacenews.blogspot.com/2009/02/growing-trend-toward-fa...
Reports of the proposed law say it will punish anyone who commemorates the Nakba, not just Palestinians. In this way, the proposed law signals other recent developments in Israel, whereby Israeli Jews are being targeted in campaigns aiming to silence their protest, similar to ways in which Palestinians - both inside of Israel and in the occupied Territories - are also targeted for silencing. (For more on this targeting and the recent persecution of the Israeli Jewish group New Profile, see here: http://jewishpeacenews.blogspot.com/2009/05/rela-mazali-israels-war.... The threat to imprison anyone who commemorates the Nakba is also a reminder that everyone engaged with the state of Israel has an obligation to know and remember the Nakba.
A good source for information and commemoration is the Israeli organization “Zochrot,” which offers extensive education on the Nakba, both on their website, http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?lang=english and in actual tours of Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948. Zochrot’s “links” page also offers many different sources of information, maps, and testimonies on the Nakba http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?id=379. Norma Musih of Zochrot writes, “Awareness and recognition of the Nakba by Jewish-Israeli people, and taking responsibility for this tragedy, are essential to ending the struggle and starting a process of reconciliation between the people of Palestine-Israel” http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?id=642.
As an American Jew, I think it’s just as important for Americans, and for Jews, to recognize the tragedy of the Nakba, so that we, too, can understand what Palestinians have suffered and what is at stake for them in this conflict.
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Permalink Reply by Neri Bar-On on
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I was involved with zochrot when it started, and they are doing grate work
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Permalink Reply by Igor Gonev on
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Mazin :
They want to commemorate,let them have a separate memorila day that is other than Israel independence day and i will gladly lobby for such a day. They can also visit the graves of the fallen on that particular day.
But the "naqba" is simply a day to commemorate the establishment of Israel as a Jewish Democratic State.
Mazin, this is an accomplished fact so just get over it. Israel is not becoming a multinational state and Jewish Israelis are not leaving. So pleeeeaaaase GET OVER IT. It is a non starter.
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Permalink Reply by Luc Hansen on
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And no doubt, Igor, you are busy cleaning and oiling your Uzi so you can threaten the indigenous population as you swagger on the earth you have stolen.
You should remember this, my friend: defeat is never total, victory is never complete, tension never ending, and all the gains and losses are merely marginal and temporary as winners fall out and losers regroup.
The romantic Zionist ideal has collapsed into a nasty, dirty, corrupt, crime-riddled entity that won't last.
It's good of you to "allow" Nakba commemoration - even better would be to hand back the villages and land you stole.
Here in New Zealand, we have handed back hundreds of thousand of hectares to our indigenous population, with monetary compensation and apologies. Even after 160 odd years of European occupation (we Europeans have got a lot to answer for when we get to the Pearly Gates!), and not one full-blooded Maori living, we are still dealing with the past.
Palestinians will not have to wait that long.
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