Yousef Abudayyeh – Activist Errors Series: Setting Conditions on Solidarity
By Yousef Abudayyeh • Feb 1st, 2010 at 19:18 • Category: Culture and Heritage, Features, Newswire, Palestine, Resistance, Somoud: Arab Voices of Resistance, Zionism
Let Me Draw This Picture For You
Have you ever noticed that almost nothing the Palestinians and their resistance factions do is acceptable by the Palestine solidarity groups and Peace and Justice movements in the West?
Here are some of what some of this solidarity and anti war, peace organizations keep saying so they can get out of supporting the Palestinian struggle:
The Palestinian cause is very complicated.
The Palestinians should abandon armed struggle.
The Palestinians are asking “Israel” to give up too much.
The Arabs are the reason why “Israel” occupied Palestine, of course Palestine according to them is the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
And there are many more sayings that you all are familiar with.
I do not think that the Palestinian question and struggle for liberation and Return is actually that complicated.
Let me draw this picture for you ….I will use only black ink on white paper, so please use any color and or shade you like to color this picture. Anything you do to make you understand the picture is for sure much appreciated.
The region, the Arab World, is one of the oldest known to humans. Many civilizations took hold there. The three religions that proclaimed God a supreme being started there. This region is now called the Middle East because the Empire a couple of centuries back decided that by splitting brothers and sisters and giving them fake controls, Empire can reign and do what they want with the land, its resources and its people. To make sure its control will last, the Empire decided to implant a foreign mole made up of European collections of people in the heart of the Arab World. It thought that the best way to make sure this mole survives and maybe, in the future expands, like a cancerous cell, is by uprooting the indigenous people who lived there continuously for thousands of years.
They said, "we’ll give this land that has no people to the people who have no land."
Are you following the lines I am drawing in this picture? Empire wants to give Palestine to some Europeans, who obviously have a land, and take it from the Palestinians, who obviously lived on this land for hundreds of centuries.
Arab Palestinians, just like any other people on the face of Earth, would do whatever it takes to get their homeland back. They declared this from day one and never once wavered from the dream of going back to the homes that many still hold the keys for more than 60 years after they were forced to leave them.
In the meantime, the Zionist colonizers of Palestine also decided that they will stick it out so the purpose of their existence, which is serving the Empire's needs, will be fulfilled.
It is a well known fact that the Zionists employed and still employ the most deadly weapons they have so they can get rid of the Palestinians. No one should have a super memory in order to remember the war crimes that just happened in the Gaza Strip last year.
For almost a century the Palestinians have been facing the worst massacres known to man, and what makes it hard for them, is the one sided stance the world community is taking.
The Palestinians have no doubt that only by force they can get their land back. Actually, it’s becoming more evident to them now, that only by inflicting pain and causing a high cost on the foreign occupiers of Palestine, their allies and supporters that change will take place. Only by force they can accomplish Liberation, Freedom and Return. Their almost four decades of trying to negotiate a just solution to this problem has proven that the Zionist foreign colonizers of Palestine are not interested in that. They are not interested in finding a solution, because the struggle is not about borderlines but it’s about the very existence of the Palestinian people. The Zionist foreign invaders are coming to an empty Arab Palestine, their theory says.
But this theory is crumbling. None of its aspects will succeed, and the Zionist colonizers and the allies and supporters should know that by now. The signs are already on the wall and the racist acts that the Zionists are doing all over Palestine is a clear sign that the days for this unnatural growth, mole in the region are numbered. The continuous attack on the 1.3 million Palestinians who live in the 1948 occupied Palestine, the daily killings and jailing of Palestinians in what’s left of the West Bank and Gaza, the building of a snake-like separation racist wall and the war crimes committed by this rogue state are signs of a dying cancerous cell in the Arab World's body, and no one should have a doubt about that and no one can stop it or cure it.
This foreign body is on its way to the surgical table and the Solidarity movements, the Peace and Justice groups and you should help the Palestinian people do it fast. It will, and it’s better if you and they take the correct stand by supporting the oppressed and the occupied and reject the colonizers and invaders. It’s really not that complicated. You and they always take the correct stand on pretty much every issue – complicated or not, but always struggle with the Palestinian issue which is black and white.
The Palestinians want you to be celebrating with them when they liberate their homeland. They would want to recognize you for your courageous unwavering support to all just causes, and it would be a shame for you not to be there. What excuse can anyone have for supporting the Zionist colonizers of Palestine? What excuses can they have for not supporting the Palestinians' liberation of their homeland and return to it? How can anyone be able to be for peace and justice for all but not the Palestinians? Why should anyone dictate to the Palestinians what they can and can not do to get their land back? And why should be the Palestinians be only ones who would get this honor?
Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea because:
- All colonizers all through history came and are long gone.
- The Palestinians are the owners of this Arab land.
- The Zionist colonizers are no more than a collection of Europeans, they are foreign to the land, its inhabitants and its surrounding, and they will not be able to survive there unless they give up their racist mentality and become part of a democratic secular popular Palestinian Arab state.
- No super power will be able to defend and save a foreign body that is threatening the survival of an Arab World regardless of the methods they apply.
- People eventually will be free, this is what we learned from history, and Palestinians are no different, and to achieve this goal, they will use whatever method they see viable, people through history did that, and no one will be able to stop this.
Is the Picture clear now? Is the Palestinians issue really that complicated? Please share this picture with others.
Yousef Abudayyeh is a long time activist, founding member of the National Council of Arab Americans, a member of the coordinating committee of the Beirut meeting, member of Al-Awda, the right of Return Coalition and National Coordinator of the Free Palestine Alliance, USA. Married with two children and lives in San Diego ,California USA
http://www.wewillreturn.blogspot.com
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[...] by Yousef Abudayyeh, source [...]
This issue is simple.
Rockets and statements like "from the river to the sea" undermine Palestine's power and legitimacy.
Here. Try this on for size.
The global peace movement can withdraw it's support from any 'bad idea', and focus it, in all of it's forms, toward anyone we want. Palestine actually has good solid leaders. If you want the global peace movement behind you, pursue your goals like a legitimate state. We'll help build your power. If you want to resort to violence, we'll help you undermine your power, but not Palestine's. Palestine rises without sacrifice. The peace movement is interfering in your politics. We will focus our support where we want it.
Keep reading, this is important for you to understand and pass on. Start with the anti-Muslim prejudice in America. We know how that was shaped, and know how to correct it. We're working on that, and it will shift the balance of power. Now be absolutely clear on this. That prejudice can either be eliminated or shifted onto you. Not onto Palestine, but on to any group or individual continuing to resort to violence and hostile rhetoric.
Hamas had it laid on them. They didn't like it because it undermined their support. People will follow the leaders who pursue their goals most effectively. How did those rockets pan out for Gaza last year? Did Israel open the borders out of fear and terror of more rockets? Or keep them closed because of it?
Let me try another angle to make this clear. We are on the side of peace.
We have allies and enemies in both Israel and Palestine. We will support our allies, and undermine our enemies. This is easy. Our allies are united, and our enemies are divided. The main goal is recruiting everyone to our side. That is peace.
We stand in solidarity with those who suffer from war and terror, and support those in pursuit of peace.
War and terror are our enemies. We will never stop undermining those who pursue them. Your flag has nothing to do with it. Your political affiliation or ideology has nothing to do with it.
War and terror are my enemies.
Pessimism and fear are my enemies.
Impatience and ignorance are my enemies.
Desperation and prejudice are my enemies.
War and terror make our security non existent.
War and terror kill our children.
War and terror make Zionism powerful and Palestine weak.
If you want to attach your name to these things, we will help you. You know how this works. But wait. This time you do not get Islam or Palestine as shelter. You will not be allowed to represent either of those names.
Your's is Yousef Abudayyeh. Attach that to whatever you want. Good or Bad. We'll help you. Count on it.
Take a look at what limits Palestine's political influence in America.
Polls on prejudice…
43% against Muslims.
15% against Jews.
If you're here on the net, you have already put down your gun. You're not on a battle field. Might doesn't make right here. This isn't about Israel or Palestine. This is about crushing the idea that war and terror will get you what you want. This is about what is acceptable. What is intelligent. Whether you can have power in your people's eyes or not.
You want to attach war and terror to your name? You want to beat your chest and see how we react?
Check it out! This is my reaction so far, and I'm not done yet.
I'm sure your name and this subject could fit into thousands of comments. In fact, you've been a great catalyst. A lot of what I just said will be repeated. Thanks for helping me to articulate this.
Are we clear yet? Probably not.
Let me take this one step further, because you may believe you have power over me here. You may think you can beat me by banning me from this site. Pay attention.
The most common mistake activists make is putting up a site, and expecting the world to come to them. You're a drop in an endless sea, and the majority of the people, and the power you're after are out there, not here.
I don't comment here very often because you're ineffective and absolutely not functioning as a think tank. You are a mouth piece for a think, and you're undermining you're own support. This is, however, a good place to monitor progress on some of the major obstacles, like pessimism, impatience, prejudice, desperation, etc…
The intent is great. Maybe a little catalysts is all you need. I hope this fuels the fire.
Peace goes forward as planned.
What fringe extremist faction do you represent?
Maybe we can get a little attention given to your cause. I'm sure the world would love to know your names, and hear your intentions. Let's bring you into the spot light so the world can take a look.
Maybe Hamas can be motivated to explain this too you. Shall we rehash the Gaza war, and how Hamas armed Israel's propaganda machine with everything they needed to bomb all the hate they wanted to into Gaza before Obama ever had the power to do anything but prove he didn't have the power to do anything?
Pressure will be applied everywhere it is needed. If the 'terrorists' are allowed to stand between two nations seeking peace, the 'terrorist' wins. No legitimate nation can allow them that power and reward. This is where terror and war are defeated. Monitoring public opinion can very scientifically expose a hostile threat or the obvious pursuit of peace. Public opinion is always shaped first. We're tracing it back to it's roots. Who is trying to legitimize war and terror? You're not used to this kind of attention are you?
Change the emotion.
Palestine needs to recognize some of their own as people who will be remembered as the founding fathers of world peace. People talking about 'informal education', people reaching out to the world saying "if America only knew'. People who came to America and entertained friends, smiled a lot, and told us a different story of Palestine. One that wasn't about wanting to fight, but about wanting peace. Your people united the world. You're not used to this kind of attention are you?
Palestine has been 'out of focus' for a few months. However the mass movement has grown significantly across the region. The anti-war, anti-terror movement is fanning a huge leadership movement, with a surge of media cooperation, education, and essential new knowledge that started in Palestine and spread as the global peace movement united around it.
We needed a bigger force. We're getting it. We needed to prove ground, and we are. We needed Israel to understand that the 'security card' can be taken away. I think they're starting to get it. Think about all the things Israel would have never said, words like Apartheid, Palestine, you get the point. They do too. When I got involved in this, saying "Palestine" got you attacked. Searching for "Palestine" in the news had no results. You had to search for "Palestinian", and settle for territories.
We would prefer to speak well of Yousef Abudayyeh. Can you help us out with that?
Ally with peace.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Palestine Think Tank, News From Palestine and palestinalibre.org, JDigest News. JDigest News said: #jerusalemnews Yousef Abudayyeh – Activist Errors Series: Setting Conditions on Solidarity http://tinyurl.com/ykkn4rz [...]
I'm not sure whose writings preceding mine on this page contain more nonsense – Yousef Abudayyeh's or James Hovland's. But for now I'll deal with some points in the lead article.
Y.A.: "For almost a century the Palestinians have been facing the worst massacres known to man"
Such a statement manifests either ethnic/national tunnel vision or utter contempt for the suffering of people of other nationalities and ethnicities. While Palestinians have suffered enormously, with tens of thousands massacred in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and elsewhere, there have been much larger massacres, both in absolute numbers and in proportion to population, of Armenians, Jews, Roma, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Tutsis, Hutus, and Salvadoran and Guatemalan indigenous, to name just a few that come to mind.
Y.A.: "All colonizers all through history came and are long gone."
Tell that to the indigenous peoples of North America. They seem to be under the illusion that they're still surrounded by, and largely dominated by, Europeans
Now that I've responded to some of the most obvious nonsense in the article, I'll take a break to deal with my life on my side of my computer screen.
James Hovland: "The global peace movement can withdraw it's support from any 'bad idea', and focus it, in all of it's forms, toward anyone we want."
Who, where and what is this "global peace movement" you claim to speak for, and how did you become its representative? Sounds to me like you have serious delusions of grandeur. Are you clinically paranoid, or just suffering from an excess of chutzpah?
Aaron,
Do you have a problem with our freedom to withdraw support from bad ideas?
Do you have a problem with our freedom to focus our support where we want it?
Are you aware that 'peace' is the ultimate goal of a peace activist?
Considering your expressed ignorance of the global peace movement, I can see how, from your point of view, any abilities may seem grand, but the delusion is all yours.
Am I out of line? Should I be too weak to stand up for my cause or dare to be empowered?
Do you think I need a rank, title, or position to claim excellence and prosperity for those who lead the way to peace, and leave the desperate acts of war and terror nothing but squalor?
People who advocate either of these failed strategies want us to be desperate. They would like for us to believe that we have no options, no power, no ability to effect change, and that nobody else does either.
I have news for you…
While most of the world’s people are awakening to a confident new era of opportunity and advancement, both capable and compelled to unite for the first time in human history, it remains unfortunate and painful to us all that we still have among us a few misguided individuals, clinging to the ill conceived violence of our tragic past.
Even in our darkest days we can see millions of bright lights shining around the world. Who will the people be following in this decade of promise and opportunity?
Leaders who strive for excellence, empower people to re-build nations and bring prosperity?
Or men of far less merit and ability who try to bring us down to their level and squalor?
Yousef my friend,
What is the right thing to do? Do you accept that the blind will always be blind? Or do you open their eyes?
You need to see where the different paths of applied pressure lead.
Blame is an attempt to apply pressure.
When blame is placed on bad ideas or actions, it's a path to the rejection of those ideas, which will further our goal of uniting around better ideas. This is the most productive use of blame because it attaches emotions to ideas rather than people.
If blame is placed on a person or group it leads to hate and prejudice which mostly frustrates our goals and divides the people. This use is unstable and can cause unfavorable results, even when it seems to be a good option.
Keep your wits about you, and your goals in sight.
From the Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0211/Peaceful-Palestinian-resistance-is-paying-off
More
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/blogs/archive/2010/02/10/israeli-attempts-to-silence-palestinian-nonviolent-movement-on-the-rise.aspx
On this site, tho, i may be the only one who advises pal'ns not to resist militarily own occupation.
The main factor that caused me to advise that is the fact that what had been lost in a war or in a war of aggression can only be gotten back by war[s].
Partisans did not resist just militarily- they had also engaged in military battles. Even at the very begining, partisans had some free territory as well. And not to mention only one leadership;and an impious one as well.
Another factor for my position is that nearly ?all countries that matter are against or appear to be against a viable second state in expalestine. These countries and evil empires are also against ROR.
And even most prominent 'jewish' dissenters are against ROR.
Palestinians have s'mthing. It is people and their desire never ever to give up on their rights! Still, i do not advise pal'ns to wage a war even with all arab and other muslim's in full involvement.
They wld lose big. And i think that all arabs see that. So they wait and wait and wait. Encouraging facts point out to change in policies of christian lands. That 'jews' still don't have a state for 'jews' only and no country yet, leads us to a conclusion that some lands are preventing that.
Thus it seems to me that both of the shemitic peoples are used. The nonshemitic people as we know shun israel. They are quite happy liiving in diaspora; probably also hate own cultists with the dark skin.
Wait and multiply. tnx