Palestinians Mark 1948 Uprooting!
nick cobb
Palestinians mark 1948 uprooting with rallies
May 15, 10:52 AM (ET)
By DALIA NAMMARI
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinians marked the 60th anniversary of
their uprooting with rallies, sirens and black balloons Thursday - an
annual ritual made even darker this year by crippling internal divisions
and diminishing independence hopes.
The memorial provided a stark contrast to Israel's all-out birthday
bash, which included a high-profile visit by President Bush for the 60th
independence day celebration.
Bush's embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians were mourning
was bound to further harm the tainted U.S. image in Palestinian areas
and across the Arab world.
Thursday's events commemorated the displacement of hundreds of thousands
of Palestinians who either fled or were driven out of their homes during
the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Palestinians call it their "nakba,"
Arabic for catastrophe.
The anniversary underscored the Palestinians' internal division. For
almost a year now, the Islamic militant group Hamas has ruled Gaza,
while the West Bank is run by moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas supporters stayed away from West Bank marches, while Hamas police
in Gaza prevented rallies by their political rivals, including Abbas'
Fatah movement.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands stood in silence in
downtown Manara Square as a siren wailed, then listened to a taped Abbas
speech. Some carried black flags, and at a separate event youngsters
released thousands of black balloons near a West Bank crossing into Israel.
In Gaza, several thousand Hamas supporters marched toward a sealed
Israeli border crossing to protest the near-complete closure of the
territory since Hamas' violent takeover last June. Later, several dozen
teens walked to Israeli positions on the border and threw stones.
Israeli forces fired live rounds and tear gas, and Hamas police said
three Palestinians were wounded.
Israel's military had sent reinforcements to the Gaza border and warned
that those trying to break through the border fence were risking their
lives.
In the Jebaliya refugee camp and the southern Gaza town of Rafah, Hamas
police banned nakba marches by rivals, tearing down political posters,
blocking streets and stopping cars. In Jebaliya, 20 Fatah supporters
were detained and several others beaten by police, Fatah organizers said.
Also in Gaza, Hamas' smaller Islamist rival, Islamic Jihad, organized a
march of about 500 elementary school children who marched in
military-style uniforms, carrying models of rockets and fake rifles
through Gaza City's main square.
This year's nakba commemorations come at a time when hopes for a peace
deal with Israel are increasingly dim.
Nonetheless, Abbas pledge to push ahead with the talks. In his taped
nakba speech, he warned Israel that it must not waste a peace
opportunity with its continued expansion of Israeli settlements on lands
the Palestinians seek for their state.
"On this beloved land, there are two peoples, one that celebrates its
independence and one that suffers its nakba," he said.
Several months of negotiations have produced no tangible results, an
Israeli prime minister weakened by a widening corruption probe is seen
as unlikely to take daring political steps, and opinion polls show
support for U.S.-backed Palestinian leaders seeking a peace deal is
plummeting.
The Palestinian economy remains stagnant, despite a massive injection of
foreign aid, in part because of Israel's reluctance to ease its
restrictions on movement and trade.
Meanwhile, the separation of Hamas-run Gaza and the Abbas-ruled West
Bank is deepening. The rivals are not on speaking terms, and the two
territories that were to make up the future state are cut off from one
another by Israeli travel bans.
"The level of hopelessness is very strong," said Palestinian pollster
Jamil Rabih, adding that a recent survey indicates that half the
Palestinians don't expect to see a state established within the next 25
years.
"There is nothing on the horizon for us," he added.
The gloomy mood has been compounded by Israeli independence day parties.
Last week, Israel celebrated the Hebrew calendar anniversary of its May
14, 1948 founding with fireworks, picnics and air force flyovers. A
second round of celebrations followed this week, with the participation
of Bush.
On Thursday, Bush addressed Israel's parliament pledging an unbreakable
bond with the country while criticizing the deadly tactics of extremist
groups and denouncing anti-Semitism.
"We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society,
so we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms whether by those who openly
question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them,"
Bush said.
Israel's government, meanwhile, came under mounting pressure to try to
oust Hamas, after a rocket fired from Gaza hit a medical clinic in an
Israeli shopping mall and seriously wounded four people, including a
2-year-old girl.
Israel's intelligence chief warned that within two years, Hamas would be
able to extend the range of its rockets to 25 miles and put more Israeli
cities at risk.
Wednesday's Grad rocket, which Israeli security officials said was made
in Iran, hit the coastal city of Ashkelon, about nine miles from Gaza.
"We have to put an end to the Hamas government," Vice Premier Haim Ramon
told Israel Radio. "If that decision is made, it will have clear
military significance. The army knows what it has to do, it can be done
in many ways that we are not doing now."
Defense officials were meeting Thursday to discuss a response to the
latest rocket attack.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has held off ordering a major military
offensive in Gaza, in part because Israel would not have a clear exit
strategy and because the fighting would likely bring peace talks with
the moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank to a halt.
---
Associated Press Writer Ibrahim Barzak in Beit Hanoun, Gaza contributed
to this report.
OrthodoxNews
to Abraham. The establishment of Israel was and still is God's will.
"nick cobb" <ni...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:9XYWj.4533$nW2...@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com...
nick cobb
"The People of God" are. No theological understanding of Christianity
and certainly none of the Orthodox faith.
nick cobb
people of God." If you read the Old Testament you see that when the Jews
fell away from God, Jerusalem was destroyed and captured, time and
again. Most prominently we see this with the Babylonian captivity and
in 70 AD with the Romans destroying the temple, Jerusalem and dispersing
the Jews throughout the world. The "People of God" are those who
accepted Jesus Christ as King and God. Many Jews did, but many more did
not. So, you can't say the territory of Palestine belongs to the Jews
because they are the TRUE "people of God." Not in Christian context.
They occupy the territory of Israel now because the US & Britain gave it
to them "uprooting" all the indigenous Palestinians living there.
Killing many families, burning homes, destroying towns and putting these
displaced people in "concentration camps." Until Israel TRULY seeks
peace and makes reparations with the people they have abused for the
last 60 years, how can there be real, long-lasting peace?
OrthodoxNews
you...
***God didn't promise any land to Abraham?
"nick cobb" <ni...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:Xn%Wj.4545$nW2....@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com...
OrthodoxNews
along with Hamas and Hezbollah, stop attacking Israel. Israel is and always
has been in defense mode.
"nick cobb" <ni...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:P50Xj.3204$ah4....@flpi148.ffdc.sbc.com...
nick cobb
dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa
> ***Long-lasting peace will come when the Palestinian Islamic jihadists,
> along with Hamas and Hezbollah, stop attacking Israel. Israel is and always
> has been in defense mode
Yeah, tell that to Rachel Cory.
Oh, wait, you can't: She's dead. She was run over and murdered by an
Israeli driving a bulldozer to demolish a Palestinian's house!
OrthodoxNews
"dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa" <drm...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:cccb535f-dee9-423f...@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
***It was her decision to become a martyr, was it not?
OrthodoxNews
your ability to be rational. Israel would live in peace if the Arab/Persian
Islamic dirt bags would leave them alone to live in the land God wants them
to live in.
"nick cobb" <ni...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:Pf4Xj.148$mh5...@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com...
dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa
> "dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa" <drm...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:cccb535f-dee9-423f...@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On May 15, 3:18 pm, "OrthodoxNews" <OrthoN...@nospam04.net> wrote:
>
> > ***Long-lasting peace will come when the Palestinian Islamic jihadists,
> > along with Hamas and Hezbollah, stop attacking Israel. Israel is and
> > always
> > has been in defense mode
>
> Yeah, tell that to Rachel Cory.
>
> Oh, wait, you can't: She's dead. She was run over and murdered by an
> Israeli driving a bulldozer to demolish a Palestinian's house!
>
> ***It was her decision to become a martyr, was it not?
do you ever SEE the forest? EVER??
Joe Orthodox
He's more of a swamp guy. Forests are for cutting down.
--
"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we’ve
experienced it would be expected that he would retire or resign." -
William F. Buckley, Jr.
nick cobb
real peace can only be established if she tries to right the wrongs of
her past. Anyone looking at the history of the establishment of the
state of Israel can clearly see how she treated the Palestinian people
(Christians & Muslims). What really needs to be done is a REAL
negotiation to repair the atrocities against these people. Reparations
in some manner. To think that 60 years has past and Israel still treats
the Palestinians, Christians & Muslims, like dogs. How will this bring
REAL peace? Why hasn't Israel learned a lesson from South Africa and
apartheid? Here in America we still bear the united guilt of how we
treated the American Indian tribes. Are allowing them to have and run
casinos the answer?
Abdul's Casino & Lounge?
OrthodoxNews
"Joe Orthodox" <j...@joenolikeyourspam.net> wrote in message
news:482d0e63$0$4075$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
> dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa wrote:
>> On May 15, 8:49 pm, "OrthodoxNews" <OrthoN...@nospam04.net> wrote:
>>> "dmitri mosier/iowa city, iowa" <drm...@gmail.com> wrote in
>>> messagenews:cccb535f-dee9-423f...@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>>> On May 15, 3:18 pm, "OrthodoxNews" <OrthoN...@nospam04.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> ***Long-lasting peace will come when the Palestinian Islamic jihadists,
>>>> along with Hamas and Hezbollah, stop attacking Israel. Israel is and
>>>> always
>>>> has been in defense mode
>>> Yeah, tell that to Rachel Cory.
>>>
>>> Oh, wait, you can't: She's dead. She was run over and murdered by an
>>> Israeli driving a bulldozer to demolish a Palestinian's house!
>>>
>>> ***It was her decision to become a martyr, was it not?
>>
>> do you ever SEE the forest? EVER??
>
>
> He's more of a swamp guy. Forests are for cutting down.
***Not only do I live in the forest, but I burn wood for winter warmth (as
do most of my neighbors) which sure beats the heck out of propane or oil!!
OrthodoxNews
Reservation and spun a few roulette wheels!!!
"nick cobb" <ni...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:NgfXj.1655$l97....@flpi144.ffdc.sbc.com...
OrthodoxNews
***I live in the damn forest!!