In Solidarity with Palestine: Occupation Unacceptable, Palestine is destined to Liberation
Zeinab Daher
The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine held its fourth annual convention in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut, entitled the Fourth Global Convention for Solidarity with Palestine: Entire al-Quds the Capital of Entire Palestine.
The gathering, which took place between March 11 and March 14, 2018, hosted a group of prominent activists from all over the world, most of whom were honored for their activism for the sake of the Palestinian cause.
Speakers voiced great support for Palestine and the Palestinian people, especially amid US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the "Israeli"-occupied holy city of al-Quds.
In this regard, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, an activist and spokesman for a minority branch of Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist group stated that:
"Since the beginning of Zionism, Torah Jews living in the holy land have been viciously beaten, arrested and murdered for simply voicing their opposition to the Zionist "Israel". They are likewise arrested and beaten for refusing to serve in the "Israeli" army."
He further stressed that: "Our hearts cry with all the victims, the Jews and Palestinians, all of us are suffering together under this satanic Zionist "Israel"."
"Let the world know, this is not a conflict between religions, Zionist "Israel" is not a Jewish state! It is only Zionist and should never be referred to as a Jewish state," Weiss added.
"The occupation of Palestine is simply an unacceptable occupation. We plead with the world bodies to rethink the justice in establishing a state against the will of its inhabitants, the original Muslims, the original Christians and the original Jewish community. We plead with the world leaders and those bodies to free Palestine and end its unjust occupation."
He further expressed sympathy saying "Our hearts are with al-Quds, our hearts are with Palestine."
On the sidelines of the convention, al-Ahed news website team interviewed prominent participating foreign figures among them the parents of martyred hero Rachel Corrie, the American activist who was massacred by an "Israeli" occupation forces armored bulldozer in a combat zone in Rafah, Palestine.
Mrs. Cindy and Mr. Craig Corrie stressed that: "For all of us that care so much about these issues, care about the Palestinian people, and care about people everywhere, it is important to connect. It is so exciting to connect with people all around the world, who are finding ways to respond to the needs that are here. It is very heartening to come together and see and hear directly from the people who are most affected by this, to hear what most on their minds at this moment, that helps us go home and share with people there where we need to focus."
They further considered that the Lebanese people are committed to helping the people of Palestine. "We all need to go back to our different places and of course those of us from the United States have an incredible another work to do on this issue and so many others. And having met people in solidarity with the people of Palestine, I think it is much easier to do it, and Inshallah (God's willing) we will make a change."
"There are steps that would come out of here (the conference). They may take time to see what those accomplish, and we may not realize when we are doing those steps what we are accomplishing. One thing we've learned with the 15 years since we've been working on this issue is that you don't know where the ripples will go. We certainly realize what our daughter Rachel has done and we hear that reflected back to us, and 15 years later from all over the world there's pretty amazing this young woman could have some impact like that. So, we try, we do what we can, and Inshallah we will help."
Commenting on Trump's decision regarding al-Quds, the Corries considered that only a little has been said about the decision. "We will hear more about that. We of course feel such great responsibility for that and discouragement about it, we object it strongly."
One thing we want the Palestinian people to know is that there are many organizations that support them. One of the heartening things to us here is to see people from all over the world. We just want them to know that support is there. There is much work to be done, they added.
"If there is any sort of good side to this is that it is clear and manifests to the world that the US is not any sort of broker for any deal between "Israel" and Palestine. Palestinians have known that for the entire time," Mrs. and Mr. Corrie stressed.
They further considered that the liberation of Palestine is inevitable. It has taken too long, and it may take a considerable time. It is clear that we have to work to our justice, and that will be to the benefit of all of us.
Meanwhile, in another interview, Gilad Atzmon, a British musician and an author, originally from the "Israeli" entity after renouncing his citizenship, he stressed that although he is not a Trump supporter, "I think that this is the best thing America has done for very many year, because it brought to light that America is not a negotiator, it is rather a side on the conflict. I'm not talking as a Trump supporter, but I think that everything Trump is doing somehow leads to very positive developments, it brings light to this conflict. We people have to take positions, and this is positive."
Elsewhere, he said that Palestine will be liberated, there is no question about that. Though there are few questions that remain open. "I don't have any doubt that "Israel" can't any longer sustain its existence. Some "Israelis" have been brave enough to stand up and to admit that "Israel" has never been founded."
For his part, Jimbo Simmons, an Indian American member of the Choctaw Nation and of the Governing Council of the American Indian Movement expressed that the Indian people's solidarity goes way back to the 1970s as the American Indian Movement when we received a solidarity message from the Palestinian people during our struggles.
"For me, I still long to learn more how we as native people and indigenous peoples in North America could support the Palestinians in their struggle more effectively. That's why I'm here to learn more in this respect," he said.
"I like for the Palestinians to know that Trump doesn't represent Indian people and Indian nations, he only represents his own self-interest. So, what he's doing will not end support and will never end support of America," Simmons noted.
Sometime, all of us will be liberated in the future, but we have to struggle. Some of us won't see the enemy's up, but at the end it is a generation struggle, so it continues and continues' and my children, as well as the Palestinians' children will live to see that accomplishment in their lifetime, Simmons said when asked about any hope of Palestine being liberated.
For her part, Ms. Emily Hurndall, mother of Tom Hurndall, a British volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement, and an activist against the "Israeli" occupation of Palestine who was shot in the head in the Gaza Strip by a Zionist soldier, said:
"I've come to understand that so many people over the world are operating, agencies, campaigners and people from different sort of disciplines. Everybody is working separately and everybody is using their skills and knowledge to support the Palestinians in their human rights, but if we can find a way to disseminate, unite and work together even better in a concentrated way, because it takes so much effort and time to overcome Zionist lies and "Israelis'" lies... so much time is wasted. If we can find a way to cut through all that, and just work more effectively to use our time better...."
To the Palestinians, Mrs. Hurndall expressed anger on their behalf "because it could not be more designed to provoke, it cuts to the quick of everything that means to be Palestinian; that their identity is wrapped up with al-Quds, it is just the center of their identity, and therefore it is deep-rooted and it says everything about Trump."
Trump has total ignorance and lack of awareness, and lack of empathy to everything that means to be Palestinian, she said.
"Given the steps the Palestinians have made, I know it is incredibly slow, but given the steps of these last years, and given social media, there is no going back now. This is not an issue that people want to let go. There is no question of people letting it go. And the messages are spreading internationally, we are getting much better spreading the message. And therefore, there is no way it is going to succeed without horrendous battle or real struggle. Freeing Palestine is going to happen, but the more people know about it we can't let it go," the lady concluded.
Source: Al-Ahed
The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine held its fourth annual convention in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut, entitled the Fourth Global Convention for Solidarity with Palestine: Entire al-Quds the Capital of Entire Palestine.
The gathering, which took place between March 11 and March 14, 2018, hosted a group of prominent activists from all over the world, most of whom were honored for their activism for the sake of the Palestinian cause.
Speakers voiced great support for Palestine and the Palestinian people, especially amid US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the "Israeli"-occupied holy city of al-Quds.
In this regard, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, an activist and spokesman for a minority branch of Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist group stated that:
"Since the beginning of Zionism, Torah Jews living in the holy land have been viciously beaten, arrested and murdered for simply voicing their opposition to the Zionist "Israel". They are likewise arrested and beaten for refusing to serve in the "Israeli" army."
He further stressed that: "Our hearts cry with all the victims, the Jews and Palestinians, all of us are suffering together under this satanic Zionist "Israel"."
"Let the world know, this is not a conflict between religions, Zionist "Israel" is not a Jewish state! It is only Zionist and should never be referred to as a Jewish state," Weiss added.
"The occupation of Palestine is simply an unacceptable occupation. We plead with the world bodies to rethink the justice in establishing a state against the will of its inhabitants, the original Muslims, the original Christians and the original Jewish community. We plead with the world leaders and those bodies to free Palestine and end its unjust occupation."
He further expressed sympathy saying "Our hearts are with al-Quds, our hearts are with Palestine."
On the sidelines of the convention, al-Ahed news website team interviewed prominent participating foreign figures among them the parents of martyred hero Rachel Corrie, the American activist who was massacred by an "Israeli" occupation forces armored bulldozer in a combat zone in Rafah, Palestine.
Mrs. Cindy and Mr. Craig Corrie stressed that: "For all of us that care so much about these issues, care about the Palestinian people, and care about people everywhere, it is important to connect. It is so exciting to connect with people all around the world, who are finding ways to respond to the needs that are here. It is very heartening to come together and see and hear directly from the people who are most affected by this, to hear what most on their minds at this moment, that helps us go home and share with people there where we need to focus."
They further considered that the Lebanese people are committed to helping the people of Palestine. "We all need to go back to our different places and of course those of us from the United States have an incredible another work to do on this issue and so many others. And having met people in solidarity with the people of Palestine, I think it is much easier to do it, and Inshallah (God's willing) we will make a change."
"There are steps that would come out of here (the conference). They may take time to see what those accomplish, and we may not realize when we are doing those steps what we are accomplishing. One thing we've learned with the 15 years since we've been working on this issue is that you don't know where the ripples will go. We certainly realize what our daughter Rachel has done and we hear that reflected back to us, and 15 years later from all over the world there's pretty amazing this young woman could have some impact like that. So, we try, we do what we can, and Inshallah we will help."
Commenting on Trump's decision regarding al-Quds, the Corries considered that only a little has been said about the decision. "We will hear more about that. We of course feel such great responsibility for that and discouragement about it, we object it strongly."
One thing we want the Palestinian people to know is that there are many organizations that support them. One of the heartening things to us here is to see people from all over the world. We just want them to know that support is there. There is much work to be done, they added.
"If there is any sort of good side to this is that it is clear and manifests to the world that the US is not any sort of broker for any deal between "Israel" and Palestine. Palestinians have known that for the entire time," Mrs. and Mr. Corrie stressed.
They further considered that the liberation of Palestine is inevitable. It has taken too long, and it may take a considerable time. It is clear that we have to work to our justice, and that will be to the benefit of all of us.
Meanwhile, in another interview, Gilad Atzmon, a British musician and an author, originally from the "Israeli" entity after renouncing his citizenship, he stressed that although he is not a Trump supporter, "I think that this is the best thing America has done for very many year, because it brought to light that America is not a negotiator, it is rather a side on the conflict. I'm not talking as a Trump supporter, but I think that everything Trump is doing somehow leads to very positive developments, it brings light to this conflict. We people have to take positions, and this is positive."
Elsewhere, he said that Palestine will be liberated, there is no question about that. Though there are few questions that remain open. "I don't have any doubt that "Israel" can't any longer sustain its existence. Some "Israelis" have been brave enough to stand up and to admit that "Israel" has never been founded."
For his part, Jimbo Simmons, an Indian American member of the Choctaw Nation and of the Governing Council of the American Indian Movement expressed that the Indian people's solidarity goes way back to the 1970s as the American Indian Movement when we received a solidarity message from the Palestinian people during our struggles.
"For me, I still long to learn more how we as native people and indigenous peoples in North America could support the Palestinians in their struggle more effectively. That's why I'm here to learn more in this respect," he said.
"I like for the Palestinians to know that Trump doesn't represent Indian people and Indian nations, he only represents his own self-interest. So, what he's doing will not end support and will never end support of America," Simmons noted.
Sometime, all of us will be liberated in the future, but we have to struggle. Some of us won't see the enemy's up, but at the end it is a generation struggle, so it continues and continues' and my children, as well as the Palestinians' children will live to see that accomplishment in their lifetime, Simmons said when asked about any hope of Palestine being liberated.
For her part, Ms. Emily Hurndall, mother of Tom Hurndall, a British volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement, and an activist against the "Israeli" occupation of Palestine who was shot in the head in the Gaza Strip by a Zionist soldier, said:
"I've come to understand that so many people over the world are operating, agencies, campaigners and people from different sort of disciplines. Everybody is working separately and everybody is using their skills and knowledge to support the Palestinians in their human rights, but if we can find a way to disseminate, unite and work together even better in a concentrated way, because it takes so much effort and time to overcome Zionist lies and "Israelis'" lies... so much time is wasted. If we can find a way to cut through all that, and just work more effectively to use our time better...."
To the Palestinians, Mrs. Hurndall expressed anger on their behalf "because it could not be more designed to provoke, it cuts to the quick of everything that means to be Palestinian; that their identity is wrapped up with al-Quds, it is just the center of their identity, and therefore it is deep-rooted and it says everything about Trump."
Trump has total ignorance and lack of awareness, and lack of empathy to everything that means to be Palestinian, she said.
"Given the steps the Palestinians have made, I know it is incredibly slow, but given the steps of these last years, and given social media, there is no going back now. This is not an issue that people want to let go. There is no question of people letting it go. And the messages are spreading internationally, we are getting much better spreading the message. And therefore, there is no way it is going to succeed without horrendous battle or real struggle. Freeing Palestine is going to happen, but the more people know about it we can't let it go," the lady concluded.
Amid hopes to see the occupied lands liberated from the Zionist settlers, there is no doubt that a very hard work needs to be done on different levels until this ultimate goal is achieved when the sun of freedom rises over every grain of the entire Palestinian soil.
Photo Credit: Moussa Husseini
Source: Al-Ahed
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