Israeli occupation is worst form of violence
By Beth Daoud, Special to the News
January 18, 2002
Never in my life have I seen such disregard for human life as I have seen toward the Palestinians by Israel. Having just returned from the West Bank and Gaza Strip on a month-long trip, I have a heavy heart.
I traveled to the illegally occupied territories of Palestine with four fellow members of the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace. Our group joined with 320 other internationals to collectively form the International Solidarity Movement.
The purpose of ISM is to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in actively yet nonviolently resisting the occupation by Israel, to serve as international monitors, and to become human shields when needed to protect the Palestinians from Israeli brutality.
There are no words to sufficiently explain the depth of suffering inflicted on the Palestinians by Israel. Sadly, this suffering rarely, if ever, gets accurately portrayed by the media.
Americans are being cheated out of the truth concerning what is truly happening to the Palestinians at the hands of Israel. This lack of knowledge prevents most of us from reaching out in compassion to the Palestinians, a people who so desperately need it.
Each and every Palestinian lives under a constant state of punishment and oppression. Israel controls every aspect of a Palestinian's life. Their beloved homeland is a prison controlled by Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks. The Palestinians are virtually helpless to protect themselves against Israel's brutality. Much of their police force now operates out of tents.
Except for three miles out from the shores of Gaza strip, Palestinians are not allowed on the Mediterranean Sea. While Israeli settlers are allowed to walk down the street with M-16s, a Palestinian will be killed for having a gun.
Israelis attacking Palestinians are rarely punished, while Palestinians will be jailed, tortured or killed for attacking an Israeli. Under international law, an occupied people have the right to arm themselves to resist occupation. The media portrays any resistance by the Palestinians as terrorism, when the first and worst form of violence is the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel.
Every step a Palestinian takes to try to better the terrible circumstances he lives in, is undermined or destroyed by Israel.
Europe donated $10 million to build the only Palestinian seaport in the Gaza Strip. This would have allowed the Palestinians to buy goods from other countries instead of paying inflated Israeli prices, and to export goods, bringing much needed money into their economy. Israel destroyed this seaport before it was even finished.
The runways of the airport in Gaza Strip have been destroyed. Palestinian land and water have been poisoned by the raw sewage coming from the illegal Israeli settlements. Wells and water pipelines have been intentionally damaged and destroyed.
The headquarters of organizations that teach Palestinians how to grow fruits and vegetables to feed their families have been destroyed over and over again. I could go on and on. These acts of destruction by Israel are not the acts of a nation that wants peace, they are acts of a nation that simply wants the Palestinians to disappear at any cost.
Though killing innocent people is never justified, the rage of the suicide bombers is. The rage of each and every Palestinian is justified.
If they nonviolently protest in the streets, they are shot at and dragged off to jail. If they organize a group to resist the occupation, it's labeled a terrorist organization. No matter what form of resistance the Palestinians use, they are beaten down.
Every human being is entitled to basic rights. Israel continues to grossly abuse the human rights of the Palestinians. As Americans we would never accept being treated with such disregard, and neither should the Palestinians.
Beth Daoud, a member of the Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace, is a Denver peace activist.
[NOTE: The following are online reader comments at the Rocky Mountain News website.]
READER COMMENTS:
"What a disgusting, freaky, leftist editorial. And the responses from some of your readers... Jews contro this and that and everything. Blame Enron on the Jews, too."
January 18, 2002, 2:17 PM
"Great op-ed. Many of us are so sick of the pro-Israel propaganda and lies. Occupation can never be justified, no matter how hard Israel's apologists try. They just sound stupid and racist."
January 18, 2002, 2:15 PM
"Congratulations to Beth, but more to RMN. To speak out against Israel now is the same as speaking out against the Nazis in Germany. Now the Jews are the genocidal ones. May God give us clarity of sight."
January 18, 2002, 2:07 PM
"The solution is simple, build a time machine, return to anytime prior to 1967 and convince the Arabs to accept Israel's right to exist. Either that or stop being terrorists."
January 18, 2002, 1:56 PM
""Though killing innocent people is never justified, the rage of the suicide bombers is. The rage of each and every Palestinian is justified." That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard someone say."
January 18, 2002, 1:31 PM
"Ms Daoud, Your heavy heart should be directed internally, not externally. I was in the middle East in July of 2001, when the Palestinians were given the most generous of offers - land, self governance, control over portions of old"
January 18, 2002, 1:02 PM
"We all need to first believe in ourselves, and then we must believe in our neighboors. We must believe that the idea of oneness right here on earth has more rewards and benefits than living a life where confusion, hatred, and lack of"
January 18, 2002, 12:37 PM
"Generally, Americans are not very educated about world affairs, and its bias against Palestinians is evidence of this. The media is a culprit because of its own bias and ignorance. But mainly the Americans are guilty of being complacent."
January 18, 2002, 12:33 PM
"Bravo. Americans rarely see the true face of the racist settler-colony we finance. Those who believe that all resistance is terrorism are truly brainwashed."
January 18, 2002, 12:30 PM
"how ironic that this opinion is printed on the same day a palestinian terrorist kills 6 israelis. are you a "peace activist" or a one-sided idiot?"
January 18, 2002, 12:17 PM
"Bravo. It takes courage to stand up and speak the truth. The Zionists in the media and elsewhere can not and will not suilence the truth. The problem is the Occupation."
January 18, 2002, 12:17 PM
"It's all so easy for you jews because your better(choosen) than the babies of innocent Palestinians! There lives matter and until you realize that your dammed to have reprisals!"
January 18, 2002, 12:13 PM
"If Mrs. Daoud is so much one of them how come she lives in Colorado and not in Palestine. The rage of suicide bombers is justified including the killing of innocents? They are brain-washed as is the author. How can a decent paper"
January 18, 2002, 12:09 PM
"How much regard for human life did you friends who just went after 12-year old girls at a birthday party. Your lies are only overwhelmed by your ignorance. There has never been a Palestine. The name was put in place by the Romans to deny"
January 18, 2002, 12:00 PM
"I agree that the occupation must end. The Palestinians must be removed from Samaria, Judeah and Gaza as soon as possible. If you want a Palestinian State, you might want to give them Wyoming. I hear that there are plenty of Nazi militias"
January 18, 2002, 11:57 AM
""Never in my life have I seen such disregard for human life...". WHat kind of monster are you Beth?"
January 18, 2002, 11:54 AM
"It is amazing how much our political ethics are determined by the media, which in turn is shaped by powerful lobbying groups. Imagine that the Palestinians were blacks. With our large black population would we ever support Isreal in their"
January 18, 2002, 11:54 AM
"Remember how all this got started? The jews started going back to their homeland and the Palestines were told to leave their homes so all the Jews could be killed and their homes taken from. The word was to leave and when the Jews were"
January 18, 2002, 11:51 AM
"The Bat Mitzvah massacre by Arafat's militia is the latest example of how the Palestinians bring misery upon themselves. Dauoud expects Israel to take it without reacting. Amazing."
January 18, 2002, 11:47 AM
"Killing innocent people is never justified, be it Palestinians or Israelis. The answer must be the end of the occupation, anything less is simply a continuation of the problem."
January 18, 2002, 11:47 AM
"Dear Ms. Daoud, The only fact you forgot to mention is that all that you described could have been avoided had Mr. Arafat cared enough for the welfare of his people to accept the existence of Israel and agreed to the unprecedented offers"
January 18, 2002, 11:46 AM
"hmmm...sounds just like what happened to the indigenous Native Americans that used to live in the Denver region right Beth? We should give Colorado back to the original inhabitants and you'll have to leave Beth. Sorry."
January 18, 2002, 11:43 AM
"I suppose killing Jewish babies and children at weddings and pizza parlors is a distant second when discussing what group disregards whose life compared to a couple of roadblocks and checkpoints."
January 18, 2002, 11:40 AM
"Palistinian Activist is a better title for you than a peace Activist, Worst knid of violence is PA's terrorism against innocent israelis women and childeren. Shame on all Palistinian for allowing this to happen."
January 18, 2002, 11:27 AM
"I wonder if Isreal would be as bold without American money. We sure as hell would not sit back and let Canada try and occupy Michigan. This teritory does not belong to them. I question the wisdom of the leaders after WWII. Perhaps the"
January 18, 2002, 11:22 AM
"Amen. Israel is a liability to the US causing people in the Middle East to hate us."
January 18, 2002, 10:33 AM
"Last poster you are so very correct. The lobby puts the pressure to play down the stories. We should be very concerned about their influence."
January 18, 2002, 9:54 AM
"The Palestinian side of the discussion will not be told in American media because it is controlled by Jews and pro-Jewish elements."
January 18, 2002, 8:52 AM
"Palestinian murderers are better?"
January 18, 2002, 8:47 AM
"The poor Palestinians and their PR problem. If we only understood why they celebrate 9/11 and kill women and children instead of soldiers. Why don't Saudi or other Arab nations help them instead of Europe or UN or US peace initiatives."
January 18, 2002, 8:42 AM
"The Palastinian people have chosen to allow Arafat and his terrorist PA to represent them just as the people of Afganistan allowed the Taliban to represent them. The resulting poverty and fear are of their own choice."
January 18, 2002, 8:33 AM
"Palestinians are dirty and sub-human. They deserve nothing except to be wiped from the earth. Look at all the problems they cause. Their great contibution to world culture is shooting guns in the air for no reason"
January 18, 2002, 8:20 AM
"It is not "occupied territory." Israel is on land it conquered and now needs after having been attacked by its enemies. Had it not been for aggression against Israel, those lands would not have been lost by its original owners."
January 18, 2002, 8:17 AM
"Israel is a terrorist nation!"
January 18, 2002, 7:41 AM
"The Israeli occupation is as legal as France's occupation of parts of former Germany since World War 2. Israel attacks military and government targets. The Arabs teach their children to kill children. The Arabs have the avowed intention"
January 18, 2002, 6:41 AM