In the midst of Western sponsored genocides (and ecocides) in Palestine and Sudan, I would like to start by my favorite (optimistic) quote from Howard Zinn "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory." Howard Zinn (You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A personal history of our times, p. 208)
We just finished our olive picking in both the botanic garden and home. Less than 40% of last year's output (because of drought driven by climate change). But at least we managed to harvest. In the past two weeks alone: hundreds of attacks on olive pickers in the West Bank and burning of trees and stealing olives from Palestinian farmers is common. And essentially all of Gaza Strip olive trees were intentionally destroyed by the occupation army. Restrictions on movement and new gates installed around the ghettos/concentration camps in the West Bank also impede education. Israeli apartheid forces also destroy schools here in the West Bank. But this is still better than Gaza where released statistics shown over 20,000 students, 1037 teachers killed, and essentially all schools and universities destroyed or heavily damaged in the Gaza Strip in two years.
Now 60,000 dunums of land stolen and 48,000 Israeli "Jewish only" housing units were approved in the West Bank (against International law) by Smotrich/Netanyahu government using the fog of the genocidal war on Gaza (58% of its lands is now under Israeli management). The creeping annexation of the West Bank is almost complete now despite the Arab and Western Governments (even the US) claiming it will not happen and that they are working for the (fictional) two state "solution" (delusion, illusion, and collusion with colonial racism!) and as Israel devours the West Bank, self appointed Abbas clings on and "rearranges chairs on the deck of the sinking Titanic"
[bad] State of the climate report.
[bad] State of Gaza.
Crritical Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese Gaza Genocide: a collective crime.
US coverup of Israeli killing of a US Citizen.
Ex-Mossad chief, behind ICJ blackmail campaign, brags Israel has installed a global sabotage network [only area free of Mossad infiltration according to him was Gaza]
[must read] Craig Mokhiber (Foreign policy in focus): Terms of surrender.
Satanyahu brags about taking over the world.
I proposed in my 2004 book "Sharing the Land of Canaan" (available here) a way forward out of the delusions of ethnic cleansing, a Palestinian statelet, apartheid or other useless proposals. We have been working on these also via organizations like the 'One Democratic State Group.'. Sadly it is taking a genocide to make more people join us (e.g. see this book).
The author writes of experiences in Bethlehem and our institute.
Philip Weiss: Zohran Mamdani s historic run will also help free Jews, and U.S. politics, from Zionism. The money versus Mamdani in NYC mayor race.
Is Israel 'On the Brink?' (with Legendary Israeli Historian Ilan Papp)
Alon Mizrahi: AIPAC is in Taiwan, and I have Questions: Like why are they pushing for wars and making the 21st century's superpower the enemy of Jews? Deeper analysis of China.
Finally, the UN General Assembly voted 165 to 7, calling for end to US embargo on Cuba and 150 writers boycott New York Times over anti-Palestinian bias.
Stay Humane, act, and keep hope and Palestine alive
Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine
facebook pages Personal Institute
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