'Land isn't enough; the army takes olives, too'

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://972mag.com/land-isnt-enough-the-army-takes-olives-too/89395/

"I went with my family to our olive groves in order to pick olives. We went there full of happiness. When we arrived each one of us took his pail and stared to pick olives. We raced to see who could pick the most olives as quickly as possible.

When we finished in the afternoon, the Israeli soldiers came and forced us to give them what we picked. When my father objected, they threatened him."
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No, the Nakba wasn’t enough for Israel. It’s not enough that the Palestinians have been dispossessed, that Israel continues to eat away at what little land the Palestinians have left, that many Palestinian farmers can’t even reach their property. It’s not enough that Israel restricts freedom of movement, hijacks water resources, and stunts the Palestinian economy.

No, none of that is enough. When Palestinians do have access to their land and their olive trees, and when a family has a nice day harvesting their hard fought crop, Israel can’t stand that either.

[pipoman]

1. I got here from latest threads

I see a lot of similar threads there, I usually stay out of it because, well, I only have so much time, and I can usually find a parallel right here on this continent. Different excuses, same effect.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. It's usually safe not to get involved, but the USA is already involved

as an equal player in this hot mess by constantly turning a blind eye to Israeli aggression, harassment, illegal colonization and confiscation of Palestinian property, lives and lands. The USA also funds Israel to the tune of 3 billion a year, much of which is used to purchase US military hardware, and that in and of itself makes the USA responsible for how Israel uses that military hardware against a captive population.

I'm not sure which continent you live in, but if it is the USA could you point out the parallel or modern equivalents? Certainly I can point to the past and bring up civil rights, equal rights, atrocities and dark past, but I can't really say that the USA is engaged in a level of apartheid that Israel currently visits against a captive population.

I do tend to post similar threads in I/P since the same atrocities keep occurring over and over and over by the same cast of players: funded by my tax dollars. And if you follow I/P there are the same deflections and denials of such atrocities by a similar cast of players: intent on either hiding the truth by hijacking a thread and promoting false defenses and accusations. When that doesn't work these same individuals cry foul and drudge up everything at their disposal to silence the sources of information from being used in I/P.

From my vantage point I post to what I see as a US-funded human rights disaster, and there is no absolutely excuse for remaining silent while it happens.

[pipoman]

3. The main similarity is the relationship between the US and Mexico

Refusal to acknowledge the people who have come here as the refugees they are. Supporting the corrupt system in Mexico which steals the wealth of the people and keeps them in abject poverty. Different excuses, same effect.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. You'll need to expand on that to something more like this.

Supporting the corrupt system in...

Then insert any country where the USA has placed its influence pressure and $$$ above that of the will of the people in that country.

You can find Uncle Sham's greasy thumbprint in many countries today and in the recent past.

We can't change the past, but we can call witness to the present and hope to change the future.

[King_David]

5. Exactly,

Well said.