| On June 20th International Refugee day passed | | | | remaining Palestinian cantons/ghettos contrary to |
| without a whimper from the USA media. | | | | International law."- Mazin Qumsiyeh |
| America's intake of refugees has gone from | | | | "For the past several decades, and especially since |
| 100,000 annually to 45,000. Our taxes go to | | | | the Six-Day War in 1967, the centerpiece of US |
| support ethnic cleansing and the creation of new | | | | Middle Eastern policy has been its relationship with |
| refugees and displaced persons and the vast | | | | Israel. The combination of unwavering support for |
| majority of good American's don't even know it. | | | | Israel and the related effort to spread |
| Billions of USA dollars go to Israel yet Israel | | | | 'democracy' throughout the region has inflamed |
| openly defies International Law. | | | | Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardized not only |
| The largest remaining refugee crisis in the world | | | | US security but that of much of the rest of the |
| can be traced back to American foreign policy | | | | world. This situation has no equal in American |
| regarding Palestine. | | | | political history. Why has the US been willing to set |
| "When Israel was established in 1948, 3/4th of | | | | aside its own security and that of many of its |
| the native Palestinians -Christian and Muslims-were | | | | allies in order to advance the interests of another |
| made refugees- over 500 villages and towns | | | | state? One might assume that the bond between |
| completely depopulated and erased off the maps. | | | | the two countries was based on shared strategic |
| The 1/4th who managed to stay were subjected | | | | interests or compelling moral imperatives, but |
| to Marshal Law between 1948-1966. Even after | | | | neither explanation can account for the |
| 1966, they were not integrated in the society and | | | | remarkable level of material and diplomatic |
| remain as foreigners in their own lands. Over 100 | | | | support that the US provides."- The Israel Lobby, |
| of their remaining villages are not state | | | | John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt |
| recognized-they receive no electricity, water, | | | | American taxpayers provide Israel nearly a |
| schools, or medical services. | | | | quarter of the total of our foreign aid and Israel |
| Israeli law also considers 250,000 as Present | | | | has a population of 0.1% of the entire world |
| Absentees: present but their land confiscated | | | | population. |
| under the bsentee property law turned over for | | | | Israel was established in 1948 at the termination |
| Jewish use. | | | | of the British Mandate and statehood was |
| Israel defines itself as a state not of its citizens | | | | contingent upon upholding the United Nations |
| (Jewish and remaining non-Jewish citizens) but as | | | | Declaration of Human Rights. International Law |
| astate for Jewish people everywhere. Any Jew, | | | | deems occupation is to be temporary and |
| regardless of his current country, is considered a | | | | maintain the status quo. Forty years of |
| Israeli national entitled to automatic citizenshipin | | | | occupation and a wall that does not follow the |
| Israel while over 5 million Palestinians cannot return | | | | Green Line and has been deemed illegal by the |
| to their towns and villages (even for those under | | | | International Court of Justice and ordered to |
| Israeli jurisdiction). | | | | come down, continues to grab Palestinian land. |
| The Right to Return has a solid legal basis. The | | | | "If the state of Israel aspires to perceive itself as |
| Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 13 | | | | a democracy, it should abandon once and for all, |
| reaffirms the right of every individual to leaveand | | | | any legal and ideological foundation of religious, |
| return to his country. The United Nations adopted | | | | ethnic, and demographic discrimination. The state |
| Resolution 194 on December 11, 1948. | | | | of Israel should strive to become the state of all |
| Paragraph 11 states: 'the refugees wishing to | | | | its citizens. We call for the annulment of all laws |
| return to their homes and live at peace with their | | | | that make Israel an apartheid state".-Israeli Artists' |
| neighbors should be permitted to do so at the | | | | Declaration |
| earliest practicable date...compensation should be | | | | Archbishop Desmond Tutu supported boycotts |
| paid forthe property of those choosing not to | | | | and divestments from what he described as |
| return.' | | | | Apartheid Israel adding: "If you are neutral in |
| Principles of Self Determination adopted by the | | | | situations of injustice, you have chosen the side |
| UN guarantee inter alia the right of ownershipand | | | | of the oppressor." |
| domicile in one's own country. In 1969 and | | | | "This is a time when there seems to be a |
| thereafter, it was explicitly applied to the | | | | particular need for men of PHILOSOPHICAL |
| Palestinian People, including 'the legality of the | | | | persuasion-that is to say, friends of wisdom and |
| Peoples' struggle for Self-Determination and | | | | truth-to join together...We Jews should be, and |
| Liberation. International law states that neither | | | | remain the carriers and patrons of spiritual values. |
| occupation nor sovereignty diminishes the rights | | | | But we should always be aware of the fact that |
| ofprivate ownership. | | | | these spiritual values are and always have been |
| The right of refugees to return is not only sacred | | | | the common goal of mankind."-Einstein, "Out of |
| and legal but also possible. Demographic studies | | | | My Later Years" |
| show that 80% of Israelis live in 15 percent of | | | | Thomas Jefferson weeded out the miracle stories |
| the land and that the remaining 20% live on 85% | | | | and clarified the teachings of the gospels/good |
| of the land that belongs to the refugees. More | | | | news of Christ in |
| than 5,000 refugees live per square kilometer in | | | | "THE PHILOSOPHY AND MORALS of JESUS of |
| the impoverished and besieged Gaza Strip, while | | | | NAZARETH" |
| over the barbed wires and walls, their lands are | | | | 1. Be just: justice comes from virtue which comes |
| practically empty. | | | | from the heart. |
| Ethnic cleansing continues. According to Amnesty | | | | 2. Treat people the way we want to be treated. |
| International and other Human Rights groups, | | | | 3. Always work for PEACEFUL resolutions, even |
| Israel destroyed thousands of Palestinian homes in | | | | to the point of returning violence with |
| the | | | | COMPASSION. |
| West Bank and confiscated tens of thousands of | | | | 4. Consider valuable the things that have no |
| acres in the past few years to expand Jewish | | | | material value. |
| colonies and control rich Palestinian lands. | | | | 5. Do not judge others. |
| Thesettlements/colonies contravene the 4th | | | | 6. Do not bear grudges. |
| Geneva Convention Article 49 stating that the | | | | 7. Be modest and unpretentious. |
| 'Occupying Power shall not transfer parts of its | | | | 8. Give out of true generosity, not because we |
| own civilianpopulation into the territory it occupies.' | | | | expect to be repaid. |
| In the next six months, nearly 250,000 | | | | 9. Being true to one's self in more important than |
| Palestinians will likely be removed by various | | | | being loyal to one's family...those who think they |
| means from | | | | know the most are the most ignorant... |
| Palestinian lands coveted by Israel and falling | | | | Imagine a world when everyone who claimed to |
| between the Green Line(Israel pre-1967 border) | | | | be a Christian actually did the philosophy. |
| and the apartheid wall that Israel is building around | | | | |