Nadia Hasan - “America Don’t Worry! Israel is Behind You!”
By Nadia Hasan • May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 • Category: Analysis, Features, Israel, Nakba and Right of Return, Palestine, Somoud: Arab Voices of Resistance, War, Zionism
I remember a few years ago walking through the wonderful narrow streets of the occupied Old city of Jerusalem, seeing a small shop managed by an old Palestinian man who was selling souvenirs to the tourists. I entered the shop, not because I wanted to buy something, I am not a tourist in my own land (despite the Zionist entity who is occupying my land allowing me to enter there just as a tourist) but because I was captured by the smell of fresh coffee that beckoned me from inside the shop. As I know my people, I knew that as soon as I set foot inside the shop I would be welcomed with this hot and stimulating beverage. I was right, after just a minute I was enjoying my drink and having a nice talk with the man. I made the rounds of his shop, looking at the hundreds small plates, pictures, colorful fabrics of all kinds of imaginative and very original T-shirts hanging on one of the walls. T-shirts with pictures of Jerusalem, with Holy Land slogans, with IDF motives (always wondering who might buy one of those!) and I saw one that scared me the most because of its realism. It was a simple T-shirt with the slogan: “America Don’t worry, Israel is behind you!”
When I left the shop I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t get it, I was thinking that the right way to say it is “Israel Don’t worry, America is behind you!” but not the opposite. Anyway, after a few minutes of confusing thoughts about who comes first, the egg or the chicken, I forget the whole thing and continued my walk in the Old city of Jerusalem.
This happened 3 years ago.
Today, watching the news and thinking of what is going on in the Arab Homeland this slogan came to my mind out of the blue and I started to realize the real meaning of it.
The recent events in Lebanon and in recent months in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of Gaza Strip proves that certain international and regional powers are continuing efforts to implement their “master plan” of chaos for the region as the first step in a greater plan to make their domination permanent.
This is not a conspiracy theory as many are saying, is just the result of decades of efforts from the imperialistic powers to gain the control of certain strategic areas in the Arab Homeland and to control Arab oil and monopolize their market. For that reason these incidents are not limited just to Lebanon. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the huge amount of propaganda that we are not able to see the whole picture, the clear chain of events with similar patterns from the Gaza Strip to Baghdad to Somalia to Darfur to Beirut. Some elements can be different in each case, but they have one thing in common, the master colonialist project of United States and the high security risks that these events cause to its main settlement in the region, Israel. These places are strategically interconnected and the success of the US plan in the region depends being able to control them.
Today, US-led imperialism is threatening national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. All recent interventions of imperialistic powers in different regions have resulted in divisions of countries and separation of peoples by ongoing wars. Kosovo and Iraq are just examples of the implementation of “divide and rule” policy of imperialism. And the new states that are the outcome of these policies are not more than controlled states which serve as bases for imperialistic activities.
The Arab region is not an exception and as long as the Arab ruling classes are either unable to protest or are participating in these externally designed and oriented plans, the only alternative is popular resistance. Resistance movements of any kind are just a threat for this goal.
The pro-imperialistic Arab regimes understand that their position is extremely fragile since they don’t have the support of the masses, and they compromised their own people’s sovereignty and development for the sake of their own survival. Adel Samara, in his book “Epidemic of Globalization” describes this situation very well: “As long as each regime is guarding a set of foreign interests inside the Arab Homeland, that regime has no alternative but to oppress the popular classes whose interests are in contradiction with the ruling comprador and its western capitalist allies. These interests vary from the plunder of raw material and oil to an open market where the regime becomes the agent that saturates it with foreign products and permits the spread of multinational corporations with their branches in many Arab countries chasing cheap and oppressed labor“. [1]
To protect these interests and to guarantee their share, the trickle-down reward, Arab regimes suppressed all forms of liberties and the current situation in Lebanon is just an example of that. Siniora’s government didn’t have another option than to back down the parliament decision of last week to make the communication system of Hezbollah illegal due the pressure from the supporters of the resistance, but immediately the Arab League foreign ministers have expressed support for Siniora, despite the fact that they are aware of the root cause of Lebanon’s crisis.
Israel is not standing on the sidelines in what is going on here, in fact it is very afraid that any resistance movement against its own expansionist and imperialist plans can take the control over a portion of what it considers its own domains. Israel is the central Key in this puzzle due its strategic location. For that reason, Israel is also doing its part of the deal calling the International Community to take a look of the situation in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip and do whatever it can to stop this frightening crisis to the security of its own state. Indeed, insists that the International Community consider only the security interests of Israel alone as they attempt once again to convince us that religion and sectarian fights are the main reason for the disputes in the area. In doing so they cover the political motivations and especially the economic interests involved in the whole process.
How funny is that? Calling upon the International Community to take an action from a state who is ‘celebrating’ 60 years of occupation of others’ land, 60 years of dispossession of other people, 60 years of terror against civilians and 60 years of neglecting every single thing the international community has asked for.
If the US and all the western pro-imperialistic governments for that matters lose control over this area, the whole plan can came to an end, since they are not in a position to attack another country and take the control of all the natural resources without an some kind of convincing explanation for doing so, or at least not without a propagandistic campaign prior to the invasion to make it look like a “rescue plan” from the jaws of evil. What made the US hesitate launching new occupation is Iraqi resistance, which has truly worn down the US army. This is another reason why the target of all formal regimes in the west is resistance.
Escalation of tensions and conflicts in Lebanon and Palestine is in the American regime’s best interests because they know that no matter what happens Israel is there for doing what they have so far been doing better than anyone else: oppressing others, occupying, attacking and killing in “security’s name”, everything that is needed to make the master plan succeed. Anyway, they have more than 60 years’ experience doing just that.
Many Arabs like myself during those walks in the Old city of Jerusalem 3 years ago, developed a false thinking that the Jews control the US. This is a miserable way of thinking. Israel is the product of the interests and needs of the capitalist core two centuries before the Zionist organization of Theodor Herzl was even founded. Israel is doing a job in the Arab Homeland; its role is a functional. The last proof of that is the fact that, while Israel tried to end its aggression against Lebanon 2006 given the unsuccessful campaign, the US ordered Israel to continue until its final defeat!
And yes, America Don´t worry, Israel is behind you!
[1] Samara, Adel, Epidemic of Globalization: Ventures in World Order, Arab Nation and Zionism, pp 30, Palestine Research and Publishing Foundation
Nadia Hasan is a Palestinian activist who was born in Chile and who lives between various nations of South America and the Middle East. Her site is Palestina Resiste! and she dreams of the day when all Palestinians can exercise their Right of Return.
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We have had 60 years of experimenting about the Israeli- Palestinian struggle. The region would need help before we will be dragged into a World War III.
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were resettled in 722 B.C. in Iran. Iranian Jews are descendent of these exiled tribes. Their exile is a historical fact. Often, the people defeated were scattered and exiled. Judah and Benjamin, two tribes later known as the Jews, claim Israel as their as their ancient homeland.
Jews and the Palestinians, whatever they were called then, were both in Middle East at the same time. Both Arabs and Jews have historical claims to the Palestine land.
No one can reject the fact that creation of Israel on the Palestinian land has created tremendous political and economical problems for the United States and the world. World (the United Nation) may have to look outside of the box to diffuse the problems.
One solution would be for Israel joining us as a member of the Unites States’ Common Wealth. The United States are already supporting Israel economically, politically and by sharing intelligence and military hardware. In addition, some Israeli Americans with both Israeli and American citizenships serve in the Israeli Armed Forces. Our great American Armed Forces will protect the common wealth as they would the homeland.
Would it be politically more advantages for the United States to manage the Jewish state as a member of our Common Wealth?
The Israeli Common Wealth will be free to exercise the religious freedom that our great nation would offer without being isolated among the hostile Arabs.
The Common Wealth would have to include the Arabs who were forced to leave the land when Zionist invaded the land. It should also include all of the land called by Palestinian as their homeland and by Israeli as their state. I don’t suggest this proposal would work or be acceptable by Israel. In my opinion, this may be more destructive for the USA and would not help the Middle Eastern conflict in the future.
Then, what next?
Would really two nation model for Palestinian and Israeli work in the future? Many experts on the Middle Eastern politics and people would suggest that a two state solution in not viable model. We have struggled with it for nearly 60 years.
Should we be looking at the region as a Federal States with one government elected by all of the people? This model may have a much better chance of survival as a solution for both Israeli and Arabs.
We have been forced into one box by the Israeli Lobby; we need to look outside of this box. We can’t fight wars after wars to support a non-working model of a two state solution. We can’t afford war after war to support a failed two state model.
Both Jewish and Palestinians have paid a high price for a failed system; they have failed to consider the human side of the Israeli-Jewish struggle for a lasting peace.
I suggest that only as one nation, Federal State of Israel-Palestine, the peace may endure. We, Americans, have failed to see the both side of the struggle for a lasting peace. The two cousins may have to kiss and forgive for all the hurt they have caused and endured. As Semitic people, they have common historical and religious heritage.
Can the Palestinians say, DO NOT WORRY, we are united?
Let us intensify the efforts for the LOVE of Palestine. Do your part and perform your responsibility toward the Palestinian human rights. Silence is complicity, no actions means approval.
Mark you calendar for May 23-25 where we assert the Palestinian National rights. We will say it loud that we will never forget. Palestinians are the Key holders of peace. Join the thousands and strengthen the network of the thousands of activists. Express your opinion and let the many panelists know of where Palestine should go. Support our efforts to empower our community and assert the Palestinians right of return. Join the many Palestinian Americans and their supporters in Chicago commemorating the 60th year of the forced exile of the Palestinian people. Be pro active, ask questions to the Panelists and discuss the current event. We must empower ourselves and make a strong network for Justice, Peace and Freedom. Be pro active. Enough talks, Register NOW
Excellent post! You have inspired me to look more deeply into this topic, and it’s changing my understanding of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Now, I’m beginning to see it as much more akin to Indonesia under Suharto or Chile under Pinochet - a free-market Friedmanite paradise with little responsiveness to the needs of its people and completely dependent on economic and military aid, which then drives internal and external policy.
Thank you!
My Correction:
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were resettled in 722 B.C. in Iran. Assyria, the nation that is now Iraq, took the 10 tribes captive and relocated them in Iran (historic Persia). Iranian Jews are descendent of these exiled tribes. Their exile is a historical fact. Often, the people defeated were scattered and exiled. Judah and Benjamin, two tribes later known as the Jews, claim Israel as their as their ancient homeland.
Saint Michael - are you an “anti-Semite”!!! How can you forget my Pushtoon tribe of Yusufzai - which according to Jewish woman writer for The Christian Science Monitor claimed too be one of “Lost Tribes of Israel”, being named after prophet Yusuf (one of 12 sons of prophet Jacob aka Israel).
The other two “Lost Tribes of Israel” were recently found - one among native Peru Indians and one among native untouchable Hindus in India. Both of these have been airlifted to Israel. And if we add the largest “Tribe of Israel” - the Mongolian Khazars - we come to total of “Fourteen Tribes of Israel”.
The Zionists will “bulldoze” anything they can. Even peace activists.
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[...] El artículo original fue escrito en inglés para Palestine Think Tank y ha sido traducido al castellano por la autora. Sobre la autora [...]