Bin Laden and Nakba

There is a western media frenzy about the reported ‘taking-out’ of Osama Bin Laden (the previous ally turned enemy). Israeli papers reported a high level US security official as saying the instruction was not to capture Bin Laden alive but to liquidate him. But everyone already knew this since there would be a messy business if the US soldiers captured such a person alive (he may even spill the beans on his US and Pakistani intelligence links). Most people went about their daily lives of apathy. Even the stock market did not go up as pundits predicted. Soon the dollar will resume its downward spiral.

The US military may feel vindicated and Pakistanis will feel their country's sovereignty challenged. Some may chose to retaliate with violence giving the neo-cons and neo-liberals an excuse to pursue their policies. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the military-industrial complex needed a new enemy to sustain its massive structure and, conveniently, ‘Islamic terrorism’ materialised. Of course, there are fanatical Muslims (and Jews and Christians and Hindus) who are willing to kill. Yet, the US did not have to invade Iraq and Afghanistan and create more such fanatics. But a more sober analysis shows that things will change.

Bin Laden was killed a while ago, not physically but as an idea. The idea suffered significant blows with the Arab Spring revolutions, which showed that it does not take violence to change our societies and remove US/Israeli backed dictators. Bin Laden's assassination and the continued state terrorism practiced by the US government and its allies, especially Israel, attempts to entrench the idea of violence as an answer.

The brutal assault on Syrian, Yemeni, Saudi and Bahraini demonstrators and the continued US military attacks in countries around the world are part of this human foolishness. They represent that wing of our global society that believes violence is the answer: the win-lose scenario. The hopeful ideas of popular resistance, freedom, democracy and an end to exploitation successfully challenged the notions of a ‘clash of civilization’ and ‘might makes right’.

We thus remain hopeful, despite all the false news planted around us and all the false-flag operations, and despite the one million Iraqis and 50,000 Afghans killed by these wars.

Here in Palestine, most people went about their lives focusing on how to find the next loaf of bread under Israeli colonial occupation. Hardly a mention was made of Bin Laden. If we take just one village called Izbet Al-Tabib, a tiny village of 247 residents (60 per cent of them children), we see one example of what was on people's minds. The Israeli decision to take their land was met with a protest tent on the threatened land to try and make their story known. The Israeli military came and attacked the villagers and the international volunteers, severely injuring an elderly American woman and arresting three other internationals (see http://palsolidarity.org/2011/05/18071/). At night more than 200 soldiers invaded the village, terrorising its population to try and stem the growing popular resistance. And last night, the Israeli army arrested several Palestinians in major cities including Bethlehem (this happens regularly in defiance of the Oslo accords and with the knowledge of ‘Palestinian security’ forces).

In a few days, there will be events and commemorations surrounding the Nakba day. The Nakba is the Palestinian catastrophe etched into every living Palestinian mind. It is the fact that from January 1948 to the end of 1949, more than two-thirds of our people who lived in the land that became the (Jewish) state of Israel were ethnically cleansed. Sixty-three years later, nearly seven million Palestinians are refugees or internally displaced people. This is the largest and most tragic and persistent post World War II atrocity. For information, visit PalestineRemembered.com

It is important that we all join in activities to challenge colonialism on this anniversary of the Nakba. Below are some events but do look for events in your area or organise your own events. In the US, you can also get some printed material (a Nakba Pak) from here http://ifamericansknew.org/about_us/packs.html

From Lebanon and Jordan, see details here
http://returntopalestine.blogspot.com/

Hellerup, Kobenhavn, Denmark
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221525124531256
Israëlische ambassade, Sterrewachtlaan 40 1180 Ukkel - Avenue de l'Observatoire 40 1180 Brussel (UCCLE)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200013603371184
Madrid. C/ Velázquez 150, 7º
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180589978657757
Ambassade d'Israel - Paris
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179953362056178
Bern (Bern, Switzerland)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168998889823873
Houston, TX
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123540217721453
Consulate General of Israel, 6380 Wilshire blvd. Suite 1700, Los Angeles CA, 90048 & Consulate General of Israel, 456 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, 94104
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140344946036616

Israeli Embassy
122 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge
Dublin, Ireland
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205349512829240
Ambasciata d'Israele, via Michele Mercati 12, Roma
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178215672227437
Israelische Botschaft Auguste-Viktoria-Str. 74-76 14193 Berlin
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118993821513426
Boston Israeli Consulate
20 Park Plaza
Boston, MA
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=210024405683124
Israeli Embassy, 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197040297000383

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* Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh teaches and does research at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities in occupied Palestine. He serves as chairman of the board of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People and coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Sahour. He is author of 'Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle' and the forthcoming book 'Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment. http://qumsiyeh.org Note: If you emailed me at [email][email protected] in the past few weeks, please resend your message here as I have lost access to that account. Also ignore any emails that may come from that email account. You can email me at [email][email protected]
* This article was originally published on Popular Resistance blog.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.