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OPINION: CO-RESISTANCE VS. CO-EXISTENCE
By Maath Musleh
Ma'an News Agency
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=405314
July 14 2011
Palestine
For decades, many powers worked on portraying the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict as a problem of co-existence. Millions have been pumped into
co-existence projects, projects that have just reinforced relations
between the oppressor and the oppressed.
If any had had a little time to read history, they would know that
Palestine was actually the land of co-existence for hundreds of years.
It's the land that hosted the Armenians when they were massacred by
the Turks. It's the land that embraced the Jews who were oppressed in
Europe. And the co-resistance that takes place daily here is a clear
example that there isn't any co-existence problem. The real problem
is Zionism.
Zionism is not only the enemy of the Palestinians and Arabs, but also,
the enemy of the Jews worldwide.
A lot of Jews who were born with Israeli citizenship have realized
that Zionism and the Israeli regime is their enemy. It's our common
enemy. Thus, the trend of co-resistance has been evolving for years
in Palestine. Jews carrying Israeli citizenship have been part of
the popular resistance taking place in Palestine. Co-resistance is
a danger to the state of Israel.
Even the mainstream media has been avoiding recognizing those activists
as Israelis. The Israeli media refers to them as just "Anarchists".
Co-resisting with Israeli citizens has been also a sensitive topic
in the Palestinian community. A lot of activists fear to fall in the
trap of normalization. The basis to this fear is true. The PA and its
supporters tried on several occasions to counter Palestinian activists
that diverted from the PA's political path with rumors. They used
the fact that Palestinian activists co-operate with their Israeli
counterparts to spread distorted rumors of their involvement in
normalization work. The involvement of the left Zionists in several
demonstrations has added more vagueness to the issue.
We have to be open about the subject now more than ever. We have
to set the standards for our co-resistance. Yes we do co-operate
with the Jewish citizens of the State of Israel. But the standards
of this co-operation are clear. We work together with every Israeli
that opposes Zionism and fully recognizes the Palestinian rights,
freedom, equality, and the right of the return.
Together with them we co-resist the Israeli occupation and the Zionist
enemy. Together we call for the rights of the Palestinians that have
been disregarded not only by Israel and western powers, but also by
Arab regimes. Some Arab regimes have either prioritized their business
interests or just simply lost belief in the possibility of achieving
the full Palestinian rights. We still have the belief.
And those rights are indivisible. These are basic human rights. You
either believe in it, or you don't. Freedom, equality, and the right
of the return.
As Zionism is also the enemy of the Jews, those Israelis have the
right to resist it. Those activists are not only there for solidarity.
It's also their war. The Palestinians who try to portray the
co-resistance as normalization have to first go down to the front
line and resist. We have nothing to hide. Our work of co-resistance
is under the sun. It's not underground. And we oppose co-operating
with the leftist Zionists who take part in demonstrations or call
themselves peace activists.
Those left Zionists do not care about the Palestinian rights. They
just understood that the occupations' and settlers' practices will
harm their Zionist dream, a dream that disregards the Palestinians
from their rights in their homeland.
The State of Israel clearly does not speak for the Jews. Its practices
have started a new wave of hatred towards the Jews worldwide. To help
end that wave, the anti-Zionist Jews should file a lawsuit against
the State of Israel to forbid it from speaking in the name of Jews. A
lot of them have said it before, 'Not in our name'. But this shout
should be louder. And legal actions should be taken. The concept of
co-resistance will continue to grow larger.
The anti-Zionist Israeli activists are heroes and their courage
is admirable. Those activists have been marginalized in their own
communities. They went through a lot of trouble. They have been always
on the front lines. They have been beaten up, shot at, and arrested.
They come week after week knowing that they put their own lives in
danger. They do it because they have the belief, the belief in rights
and humanity.
They have principles and for that I respect them a lot more than
a lot of my people who have given up. Yes we co-operate with those
activists. They're our comrades. And this is co-resistance.
Maath Musleh is a Palestinian from Jerusalem and an activist in the
Palestinian youth movement. He is a freelance social media consultant
and producer.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Maath Musleh
Ma'an News Agency
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=405314
July 14 2011
Palestine
For decades, many powers worked on portraying the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict as a problem of co-existence. Millions have been pumped into
co-existence projects, projects that have just reinforced relations
between the oppressor and the oppressed.
If any had had a little time to read history, they would know that
Palestine was actually the land of co-existence for hundreds of years.
It's the land that hosted the Armenians when they were massacred by
the Turks. It's the land that embraced the Jews who were oppressed in
Europe. And the co-resistance that takes place daily here is a clear
example that there isn't any co-existence problem. The real problem
is Zionism.
Zionism is not only the enemy of the Palestinians and Arabs, but also,
the enemy of the Jews worldwide.
A lot of Jews who were born with Israeli citizenship have realized
that Zionism and the Israeli regime is their enemy. It's our common
enemy. Thus, the trend of co-resistance has been evolving for years
in Palestine. Jews carrying Israeli citizenship have been part of
the popular resistance taking place in Palestine. Co-resistance is
a danger to the state of Israel.
Even the mainstream media has been avoiding recognizing those activists
as Israelis. The Israeli media refers to them as just "Anarchists".
Co-resisting with Israeli citizens has been also a sensitive topic
in the Palestinian community. A lot of activists fear to fall in the
trap of normalization. The basis to this fear is true. The PA and its
supporters tried on several occasions to counter Palestinian activists
that diverted from the PA's political path with rumors. They used
the fact that Palestinian activists co-operate with their Israeli
counterparts to spread distorted rumors of their involvement in
normalization work. The involvement of the left Zionists in several
demonstrations has added more vagueness to the issue.
We have to be open about the subject now more than ever. We have
to set the standards for our co-resistance. Yes we do co-operate
with the Jewish citizens of the State of Israel. But the standards
of this co-operation are clear. We work together with every Israeli
that opposes Zionism and fully recognizes the Palestinian rights,
freedom, equality, and the right of the return.
Together with them we co-resist the Israeli occupation and the Zionist
enemy. Together we call for the rights of the Palestinians that have
been disregarded not only by Israel and western powers, but also by
Arab regimes. Some Arab regimes have either prioritized their business
interests or just simply lost belief in the possibility of achieving
the full Palestinian rights. We still have the belief.
And those rights are indivisible. These are basic human rights. You
either believe in it, or you don't. Freedom, equality, and the right
of the return.
As Zionism is also the enemy of the Jews, those Israelis have the
right to resist it. Those activists are not only there for solidarity.
It's also their war. The Palestinians who try to portray the
co-resistance as normalization have to first go down to the front
line and resist. We have nothing to hide. Our work of co-resistance
is under the sun. It's not underground. And we oppose co-operating
with the leftist Zionists who take part in demonstrations or call
themselves peace activists.
Those left Zionists do not care about the Palestinian rights. They
just understood that the occupations' and settlers' practices will
harm their Zionist dream, a dream that disregards the Palestinians
from their rights in their homeland.
The State of Israel clearly does not speak for the Jews. Its practices
have started a new wave of hatred towards the Jews worldwide. To help
end that wave, the anti-Zionist Jews should file a lawsuit against
the State of Israel to forbid it from speaking in the name of Jews. A
lot of them have said it before, 'Not in our name'. But this shout
should be louder. And legal actions should be taken. The concept of
co-resistance will continue to grow larger.
The anti-Zionist Israeli activists are heroes and their courage
is admirable. Those activists have been marginalized in their own
communities. They went through a lot of trouble. They have been always
on the front lines. They have been beaten up, shot at, and arrested.
They come week after week knowing that they put their own lives in
danger. They do it because they have the belief, the belief in rights
and humanity.
They have principles and for that I respect them a lot more than
a lot of my people who have given up. Yes we co-operate with those
activists. They're our comrades. And this is co-resistance.
Maath Musleh is a Palestinian from Jerusalem and an activist in the
Palestinian youth movement. He is a freelance social media consultant
and producer.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress