The Olive Branch or The Gun?

by Jafar M Ramini

“Today I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter’s gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”
Yasser Arafat November 13th 1974 UN General Assembly.

The late Abu Ammar – Yasser Arafat -believed not only his Arab and Muslim brothers, but the whispers of Western leaders when they said, “only with negotiations can the Palestinians gain any independence or a state of their own”. Eventually, this olive branch was raised and the gun was holstered, if not to say, buried forever.

How could a leader of a Freedom Movement have believed those empty promises and resorted to so-called ‘peace negotiations’? I don’t know. But that is history. What I do know is that for any negotiations to succeed the teams must have equal power and equal positions internationally. We were, and still are, the weaker partner and we were, and now even more so, shunned and demonised by western powers who are ready to brand even the sight of a gun in our hands as ‘terrorism’.

We all know what the Oslo Accords and the peace negotiations brought to us since that fatal day on The White House lawn 26 years ago. Arafat, for his efforts to negotiate peace with the Israelis, was rewarded with imprisonment, isolation, humiliation and eventually assassination. The State of Palestine that he was promised never did materialise, and if you examine the conditions on the ground nowadays in Occupied Palestine there is no hope in hell of it ever happening.

What the Oslo Accords did give us was more land theft, more Palestinian blood-shed, more deportations and forcible removals, more imprisonment without charges or trial, instead torture and deprivation of basic requirements for a decent, civilised life. Two million Palestinians are encased and isolated in appalling, sub-human conditions, not even allowed a simple, clean sip of water or a light into their homes, or any basic needs of day-to-day life. On the contrary they are suffocated, bombarded and murdered.

The settlements in Occupied Palestine since the Accord have tripled in size. Nowadays there are 140 settlements and outposts and there are over 700,000 settlers living in them.

As for the olive branch? That was particularly targeted. Over a million olive trees in Palestine have been either chopped to pieces by chain-saws or unrooted and burnt. Every year the feral Jewish settlers on the land, protected and supported by the Israeli Occupation Forces hijack the olive harvest and prevent the Palestinian farmers from attending to their trees. No, brother Abu Ammar, I am afraid that peace with the people who are hell-bent on our total annihilation is simply not possible.

They don’t consider us as equals. Not even human beings. To them we are beasts. They don’t acknowledge our existence and they deny our very humanity. Many a Zionist leader has declared openly their intention to colonise the land by all means possible. And they have. Ben-Gurion, considered to be the founding father of Israel put it succinctly and clearly back in 1948.

“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.”

That was then and since that time many a Zionist leader has come out with more blatant statements to show their genocidal and expansionist intent. It is not limited to politicians or even army generals. Rabbi Kashtiel, is the head of the highest religious school for army veterans in the settlement of Illit. Besides being a religious authority, Rabbi Kashtiel is a major power in Israel especially in the military and political arena and his teaching, unashamedly, is on a Youtube video.

“Even if not one bullet was fired, even if the residents of Gaza would be constantly offering us flowers, with love-letters and drawing of hearts, we would be obliged, even on the Sabbath, to start a war to conquer Eretz Israel,” he says.

“We are in no danger. Our hand is strong. It our duty to conquer. It is a holy commandment.”

Enough said.

This belligerent and murderous mentality is commonplace in Israeli society. Poll after poll after poll show Israeli society’s over-whelming support for the hardest military doctrine and the harshest occupation, expulsion and annihilation of Palestinians.

Gideon Levy, renowned Israeli columnist for Haaretz daily Newspaper, reflecting on the latest intended and unnecessary massacre wrote these words In an article entitled, “No-one In Israel Knew They Were Committing a Massacre. And They Didn’t Care”

“None of our heroes knew. The ones who always know everything suddenly didn’t know. The ones who can track down the son of a wanted man in a Damascus suburb didn’t know that sleeping inside their miserable hovel in Dir al-Balah was an impoverished family.

“They, who serve in the most moral army and the most advanced intelligence services in the world, didn’t know that the flimsy tin shack had long since stopped being part of the “Islamic Jihad infrastructure,” and it’s doubtful that it ever was. They didn’t know and they didn’t bother to check — after all, what’s the worst that could happen?”

The worst that could happen did happen. The murder of eight members of the same family. Five of them were children under the age of 13. All were civilians with no connection to any of the factions operating from Gaza.

The reason that Israel can continue on its murderous, expansionist way with no care in the world and with impunity is because of the total support of most Western powers, especially the United States of America, the silence of the international community and I am ashamed to say, the collaboration of many of the members of the Arab League.

This blanket, subservient support has been multiplied a thousand-fold since Donald Trump entered The White House. His administration is manned to the brim with Zionist sympathisers, hardened Zionists and dual Israeli/American citizens. Since he came to power he supported every illegal move by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Far Right government. Last year, while the Israeli Occupation Forces were murdering Palestinian civilians during the March of Return at the security fence at Gaza Mr Trump gifted them Jerusalem.

Yesterday, as another 34 innocent Palestinian civilians were massacred and before their blood had even dried on the ground, Trump’s Secretary of State, Mr Pompeo announced that “The Trump Administration is reversing the Obama Administration’s approach towards Israeli settlements. Calling the establishment of civilian settlements ‘inconsistent with international law’ hasn’t worked.”

In other words, the settlements are suddenly legal. Mr Trump and his Secretary of State are unilaterally re-writing the international rule book in favour of their friends and allies in Israel. And when you are the most powerful empire known to man ruled by a sociopath and narcissist who has surrounded himself with evangelical Zionists, who is going to stop you?

To all the leaders of the PLO in Ramallah, do you think that there are any more manoeuvres left for you to make?

To all the factions of the resistance in Gaza, after yet another massacre of our people do you think that it is time to re-think your policies?

To the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, the picture of our future in Palestine and that of our children and grandchildren could not be more bleak at this time. Do you think it is time to put your political differences and ambitions aside and unite as one against an enemy who is hell-bent on our annihilation?

To all my Palestinian brothers and sisters, no matter where you are, do you think that we should continue raising the olive branch?

Jafar M Ramini is a Palestinian writer and political analyst, based in London, presently in Perth, Western Australia. He was born in Jenin in 1943 and was five years old when he and his family had to flee the terror of the Urgun and Stern gangs. Justice for the people of Palestine is a life-long commitment.

The Shameful Deal of the Century

by Dr Elias Akleh

Much have been said and written about the so-called “Deal of the Century”, also called by different names depending on the perspective of different parties. The deal has been in development for two years and is eventually being unveiled this week in Manama, Bahrain after long periods of postponement.  It was headed by Trump’s son-in-law; Jared Kushner, with the assistance of Jason Dov Greenblatt and David Melech Friedman.

Kushner is a young real-estate investor and developer, who was made Trump’s senior advisor. Kushner is still a young kid; a 38 years old kid maneuvering through adult world. He is politically inexperienced, and totally ignorant of the history of the Middle East. One wonders what kind of political experience he has to be nominated as senior advisor to president Trump. Kushner is an ardent Zionist Jew, who backs and finances Israeli settlements (colonies) in occupied West Bank. The Kushner family foundation contributed financial donations to the Israeli settlement Bet El.

Jason Dov Greenblatt was the personal lawyer for Donald Trump and The Trump Organization. After becoming president, Trump appointed Greenblatt as his advisor on Israel and assistant for international negotiations. Greenblatt is an ardent Zionist Jew, who is a backer and financer of Israeli settlements (colonies) in occupied West Bank claiming that these colonies are not obstacles to peace.

David Melech Friedman was a bankruptcy lawyer and the chairman and president of The Trump Organization, who was appointed later by president Trump as the US Ambassador to Israel. Friedman is the son of a rabbi at Temple Hillel in North Woodmere, New York. He is an ardent Zionist Jew who supports and finances Israeli settlements (colonies) in occupied West Bank. In an interview with The New York Times June 8th. Friedman stated that Israel has the right to annex parts of occupied West Bank.

Yet this Zionist Jewish team claims that it has an economic plan (Deal) to improve the lives of Palestinians by investing money (Gulf Arab money) to invigorate Palestinian economy. They claim that this economic deal would eventually lead to a political deal that would lead to peace and prosperity. It is worth noting that this team does not include a Palestinian or even an Arab member, who would represent the Palestinian side. It is as if this Zionist team see themselves as “light onto nations” with their solutions believing that Palestinians are incapable of understanding or planning an economic plan for themselves.

Kushner’s team is approaching the issue with the mentality of a business transaction, where money can buy everything and the price depends on skillful negotiations. During a Reuter’s interview, whose reporter seems to boringly read questions from an already prepared transcript, Jared Kushner unveiled portion of his economic deal. He talked about “a global investment fund” of $50 billion used to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab States’ economies and a $5 billion fund to build a transportation corridor connecting the West Bank and Gaza.

Kushner explained that $25 billion would be spent in Palestinian territories over a 10-years period, while the rest of the money would be split between Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon to boost their own economies. Some of the projects would be in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where Palestinians from Gaza Strip could benefit from.

The necessary funds for this plan, Kushner explained, would come from wealthy Arab Gulf States, nations from Europe and Asia (but not America), and from private investors. It is implied here that most if not all of the money would come from Saudi Arabia and UAE. Kushner explained that the international economic “workshop” in Bahrain on June 25th and 26th will bring together government and business leaders to launch the plan.

In this “Peace to Prosperity Workshop” or as Kushner called it “The Opportunity of the Century”compared to “The deal of the Century” Kushner gave a business presentation on developing the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Stating that Israel is not the problem he blamed the Palestinians for sabotaging previous political plans to solve the conflict due to their poor political decisions. Throughout his speech one detects that he believes that Palestinians are not well educated and are incapable of having a vision of prosperous future.

Kushner’s plan is built on the bases that building economy would lead to peace as he kept stressing in all his media interviews and in his presentation in Bahrain. Yet during his speech he contradicts this premise many times by sentences like “… if we have real peace and we don’t have fear of terrorism … then we can thin the borders and allow for much flow of goods and people”, and “… all these plans could be phased in real time if there is a real seize fire and real peace” and “ … how to make a safe environment so people can invest in the area” among others. Kushner’s economic plan puts the cart in front of the horse, for how a country’s economy would be developed if the government does not know where its political borders are?

The two business men; Mr. Stephen Schwarzman, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Blackstone Group, the world’s largest equity investment firm, and Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, the Emirati leading developer and chairman of Emaar Properties famous for building the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, speaking as a panelist stated clearly that safety, security and the rule of law meaning peace are prerequisite for any investments. An independent country with secured border and a government are essential prerequisites for investment and building an economy.

Kushner kept pushing the statement of “help the Palestinian people” when what he really means is “help the Israelis”, who will eventually control all these projects as what had happened during all the previous peace agreements. This so-called economic plan (Deal of the Century) is the same as all previous economic and political peace agreements between Arab countries and Israel that promised peace and prosperity to the region. The 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, the 1994 Wadi Araba Treaty between Israel and Jordan, and the 1994 Paris Protocol and later 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO allowed Israeli goods through and in Arab countries improving Israeli economy but not the other way around. The Oslo Accords gave Israel total control of Palestinian economy; control over customs, taxes, agriculture, industry and all gates to the world economy.

To prevent Palestinian and Arab economies from competing with its own economy, Israel had violated all these treaties and had broken international laws. Israel would take control of all Kushner’s proposed economic projects built mainly by Arab Gulf states.

Kushner stated that his plan has two parts; the economic plan is the initial part followed by political part hoped to be released next November. Everybody knows that the political part had already preceded the economic plan when President Trump declared al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel, closed the PA office in Washington, withdrew support to UNRWA, recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, and indirectly hinted that Israel should also annex large parts of the West Bank. This is Trump’s favorite mafia technique of imposing life threatening pressure in order to enforce his Deal of the Century.

Other leaked political plans for the region include forcing Jordan to give the fertile Baqoura area; where the Yarmouk River flows into the Jordan River, to Israel. In return Saudi Arabia would give Jordan part of its northern desert. Saudi and Emirati money would buy Al-Arish area in Sinai Peninsula south of Gaza Strip as well as Tiran and Sanafir islands at the mouth of Gulf of Aqaba leading to the Red Sea. According to Kushner’s plan a Saudi oil refinery and a water desalination plant would be built in al-Arish to benefit Palestinians living in Gaza. Tiran and Sanafir islands would be turned to and controlled by Israel, which gives Israel free access to the Red Sea. This territorial division will be the cause of even more future conflicts.

This Deal of the Century is similar to Sikes-Picot agreement, Balfour Declaration and all the other Arab/Israeli agreements, which in reality are progressive phases of implementing the Zionist Greater Israel Project. The main goals of this Deal are the elimination of the Palestinian refugee’s issue and the establishment and confirmation of the state of Israel as a legitimate state in the region, who could normalize relationships with some Arab countries and even become their military and intelligence partner against outside enemy; namely Iran. This also means the end of the two-state solution and making the PA an Israeli security apparatus keeping any Palestinian dissent into check.

The Deal of the Century was faced with strong rejection since its first inception by Palestinians as a whole including the PA and all the Palestinians factions. The Palestinian factions called for mass demonstrations in every city in the West Bank and in Gaza Strip starting on June 24th and continue until the 26th for the duration of Bahraini conference under banners calling “The Manama Workshop is Treason” and “Palestine is not for sale.”

The Deal was also rejected by all Arab countries and populations except by the leaderships of Saudi Arabia, its occupied Bahrain and the UAE. Mass protests have been taken place throughout the whole Arab world extending from the Persian Gulf all the way west through north African countries to Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. In Bahrain, itself, every house raised the Palestinian flag in solidarity with Palestinians against Kushner’s economic workshop.

It is not just the Arabs who are giving the Deal of the Century the cold shoulder. The EU, who has always supported the two-state solution, had also rejected the Deal. High-ranking former European politicians; 25 former foreign ministers, six former prime ministers, and two former NATO secretary generals, signed a letter to the EU calling for the rejection of the Deal and the implementation of the two-state solution with Israel and Palestinian state living side by side.

This Deal is destined to fail. Even US Secretary of State; Mike Pompeo acknowledge that the Deal will fail in a speech to Jewish leaders in New York calling it “a deal that only the Israelis could love” and admitted that the plan is “un-executable”, and “it may be rejected”

The economic conference will serve only to intensify the Palestinian and in general the Arab’s hatred to Saudi Arabia and UAE, who claim their goal is to help the Palestinians. If they really wanted to help they could have done so directly and without the American pro-Israeli mediation.

The Palestinians have learned the hard lesson not to depend on Arab leaders. The only method of liberating the whole Palestine and rebuilding their state is through armed resistance. They have done so generation after generation throughout the last 71 years. Last generation used stones and knifes, this generation is using rockets that could reach Tel Aviv.

Dr. Elias Akleh is an Arab American from a Palestinian descent. His family was evicted from Haifa, Palestine, after the 1948 Nakba when the Zionists stole his family’s property. Then the family was evicted again from the West Bank during the 1967 Naksah, after the Zionist, again, occupied the rest of Palestine.