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The "Road Map" to Further Colonization by Mazin Qumsiyeh. Ph.D. I think it is rather telling that the so called "road map" for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict failed to include the words: "international law" and "human rights." That these four simple words can be skipped in a document of 2221 words suggests that this latest effort will not produce peace. The map also seems to ignore the wall of apartheid being built and there is no mention of getting input from people affected regarding their future. Like the defunct Oslo accords these latest trials were also based on an underlying assumption that with the disparity of power, Israel can dictate agreements. Israeli leaders wanted and got recognition of sovereignty on 78% of Palestine (land they stole from native Palestinians). But they want more. They want parts of the remaining 22%, they want acceptance of their demand to forfeit the most elemental of human rights such as the right of refugees to return to their homes and lands (all simply because they are not Jewish). What this means is that the victims of Israeli colonialism are expected to certify that it is OK for Israel to remain the only country in the world that identifies its lands as belonging not to its citizens but to "Jewish people everywhere". The Palestinians must recognize that Israel can remain the only country in the world that gives members of a particular religion (including converts) automatic rights (citizenship, land, homes, subsidies) that supersede and mostly replace those of "citizens" and native people who belong to other religions. Israel grants automatic citizenship to any individual who has one Jewish grandparent while denying citizenship to native Christians and Muslims simply for being of the wrong religion. Israel is the only country in the world whose legitimacy does not flow from rights of self-determination of natives but Zionist claim of biblical authority. Without consulting the inhabitants (Jews, Christians, and Muslims), a UN general assembly resolution in 1947 called for partition of a native land to give 55% of the land to a colonial people who at the time represented 30% of the population and owned 7% of the land. Yet, this same resolution, while unfair and accomplished by much arm-twisting by the US, rejected any population transfer and insisted on Internationalizing Jerusalem, on an economic union, and on free movement of people (all these provisions where and are still unacceptable to the Zionist leaders). Armed and supported by the British Empire and then the US (today's Empire?), the Zionist movement grew to become a dominant political/military ideology. In the process, this movement succeeded in removing over 70% of the native inhabitants of the land of Palestine and precipitate unrest and violence that is now engulfing many other areas of the world. The majority of Palestinians were made refugees or displaced persons and the remaining are losing their lands daily. The foreign policy of the only remaining superpower was hijacked by Sharon's Zionist cronies in DC (Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, Wurmser and their cabal of "neoconservatives"). They are content to lead us into endless "preemptive" wars for "securing the [Israeli] realm" (as Perle and company put it in a 1996 document submitted to the Israeli government). CNN/MSNBC/Fox and US politicians beholden to special interest money help perpetuate this historic injustice and shield the public from the truth. Israel violated over 70 UN Security Council resolutions and was protected from 35 others by US veto. Sharon and Bush speak of "eventually" having a Palestinian "state" but this is analogous to South Africa speaking about having states for blacks (what became known as Bantustans or large Ghettos). But unless annihilated (a difficult task in the 21st century), no native people have ever succumbed to their oppressors, however ruthless. If we want peace in the Holy Land, all is needed is to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If this is not good enough, why not apply relevant UN resolutions on the issue (including UNGA 194 also calling for return of refugees). Israel promised to comply with relevant UN resolutions when it was admitted to the UN. If they continue to refuse, perhaps it is time to get Israel out of the community of nations. The US Congress should also then cut off the billions of our tax dollars we send to allow continued violations of human rights and International law. Unless this is done, all the maps in the world will not lead to peace. Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh is co-founder and national treasurer of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition. (http://Al-Awda.org) He can be reached via e-mail at: mazin@al-awda.org
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