True Voice

“Israel will never choose the path of peace willingly. For that to happen, circumstances must be fundamentally altered, balances of powers radically changed. No colonial power with imperialist tendencies ever conceded an inch without a fight, from Algeria to Gaza, from Cuba to Vietnam. It is the nature of colonial and anti-colonial conflicts since time immemorial.

Equating between the Palestinians – fighting from besieged spaces, lacking everything, including clean water – and Israel – a dominant, colonial country that has been implanted in the heart of the Middle East to serve a grand imperialist project, backed and armed with the same western benefactors and financiers who plotted its inception as they continue to contrive and defend its current crimes – is an offense against morality and is absent of any logic.

A colonial country has no ‘right to defend itself’ against victims of its continued crimes. It will regain that ‘right’ when it allows for the attainment of justice. A rapist should not be demanding a rape victim to stop fighting back; a thief should not expect the owners of a house to treat him kindly; a murderer should not complain when his would-be victim fires the first bullet. The victim has every right to fight back to obtain his/her denied rights. There is nothing revolutionary about this. Nothing extraordinary, but common sense that should hold true anywhere, anytime.

Please don’t apologize for Palestinian resistance. Instead allow it to inspire you - all of us. And under the harshest of circumstances, NEVER STOP RESISTING.” –Ramzy Baroud

Thank you Ramzy. I have been trying to put into words my feelings of resistence. I want no one to die, I truly do want peace! But the way the media is framing this is just awful. The way the WORLD is framing this. How can such powerful leaders make so many statements about the right to defense, and the deaths but not even say ONE WORD about Gaza. Over 100 people died in this “war”. But how is it a war when one side doesnt have an airforce, military tanks, drones, bombs, an iron dome, but only rockets while the other is raining all these powerful military devices? Gaza is not even allowed, by the international community, to have a legitimate government. When they vote someone in, we put higher sanctions and more restrictions.

Thank whoever you pray to, whether its Allah, Jesus, Mother Goddess, Nature, or your dog that the cease fire continues, alhumdallah. Let this last, Inshallah.

Threenights ago the PA evacuated Bethlehem, and let Israeli Military in. This is how my friend Mustafa casually explained it: “I went to bed around 2am and at 3am the Israeli come in. They Entered into our homes to secure the area and then they attack”. 5 were arrested that night in Aida. So far only two have been released. I hear that there has been arrests basically every night. As of yesterday, I heard 55 arrests throughout the West Bank. It probably rose last night/day. I mean this isnt just people my age, but kids! One arrested a couple of days ago, during the day at his work, was around 15-17 years old! It is so surreal the way I respond to things now. All this violence, resistence, etc is becoming normalized. I don’t flinch at booms anymore, because they are continuous from 8am till 3am, on a good day. Hearing “Attack” or “Jish!”(Israeli Military) and running from tear gas is just a daily thing. Its funny, “Jish”, which means Military in Arabic, also really sounds like “Jewish!”. The kids run up to you saying it a million timesto warn you if you are walking towards the riots.

Things are more calm here, but it was getting really heated. If this cease fire did not happen, I may have had to leave Aida Camp due to the threat of Curfews. We were told that the last “curfew” Israel put onto Aida Camp was one hour/day. Repeat: One Hour Per Day.

One hour for grocery shopping. One hour for the stores to stock up.One hour to see family and friends. 5000+ people in this camp going shopping at these DINKY holes in the wall for one hour. Crazy. Alhumdallah There is a moment of relative peace. But there is never truly peace here with Israeli displaying its constant presence in one way or another. They Occupy Palestine, period. It sucks, but people are lying out the ass on the realities of the people’s lives here. The tourists are back though.