Free Palestine <-> Apartheid Israel
Post #38: The West Bank Speaks Volumes – part 1
Many individuals remain undecided or indifferent about their stance on Israel’s actions. Even in light of International Court of Justice rulings, the presence of bullies leading Israel and the proliferation of vile hate speech is evident.
For the duration of this article, let’s set aside the situation in Gaza. Instead, let’s focus on another region of occupied Palestine known as the West Bank to explore the harsh and inhuman treatment Palestinians endure at the hands of Israel.
The narrative of the West Bank is one Israeli officials would rather keep hidden. Numerous human rights organizations and some media outlets, such as Haaretz, have reported on the egregious and inhumane acts committed by Israelis in the West Bank. Yet, this coverage is often absent from our hypocritical mainstream media, as I have previously noted in my post about “the occupation of the American mind.”
Here is an outline of the critical points:
✴️ The international community universally recognizes the West Bank as Palestinian land, yet Israel continues to occupy and exert control over it.
✴️ A growing number of Israeli extremists, including members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, dream of annexing the West Bank to form a “greater” Israel. Imagine any conceivable atrocity: building settlements, detaining Palestinians, killing civilians, etc. — these are just a few examples of their brutality, documented in numerous documentaries and archives. One recent example is the Jewish-produced documentary “Israelism.”
✴️ Israel’s ultimate objective is to annex both the West Bank and Gaza, and they are not secretive about these plans.
Each of these points could be expanded into full articles, but let’s pivot to some actionable steps that those still on the fence can take, particularly those who hold morals and ethics in high regard:
✴️ Knowledge is power. Read reports and support American and Israeli human rights organizations. These individuals study, understand, and decide to take a stand against the cruel actions of their governments.
✴️ View this as a moral battle, not merely a political one. This conflict transcends national boundaries and distinguishes between humans with values and those without. If you’re undecided, it’s time to give this serious thought.
✴️ Align yourself with movements that share your values and objectives. While I cannot mention every group, here are a few: CAIR, JVP, B’Tselem, Tech for Palestine, UN, and many others. These organizations are in constant need of volunteers and donors.
✴️ Speak out! Use every opportunity to share your position with your social circles, providing them with thoughtful insights and credible, scientific resources. Only those who are willfully ignorant can deny the obvious, as one might deny the existence of the sun.
✴️ If you’re unable to express your views publicly, support those who can. There are many events, especially in the Bay Area, where your presence, support, and volunteerism are highly valuable.
✴️ Practice patience. The Zionist movement has been at work for decades; it is naive to expect immediate change in public opinion. This is why joining organized movements is crucial, in addition to publishing content or speaking out.
I firmly believe — and know many others share the belief — that most humans are decent. I choose to focus my energy on the majority who may not realize their power, rather than on those few blinded by greed or short-term gains.
While I publish more articles about the West Bank, here are some a sample from two prominent human rights organizations:
https://www.btselem.org/topic/apartheid
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2022/02/israels-system-of-apartheid/
https://www.btselem.org/freedom_of_movement/checkpoints_and_forbidden_roads
Please add more resources in comments for others to know.
P.S. the photo is for a checkpoint where Palestinians living in the West Bank has to go through to get in there.
Khaled Alashmouny 