Sunday, October 30, 2011

تبادل الأسرى وكشف اللا–مستور

تبادل الأسرى وكشف اللا–مستور
صفقة تبادل الأسرى هي إنجاز عظيم حققته حركة المقاومة الإسلامية (حماس). إنها مكسب كبير للشعب الفلسطيني عامة وللحركة الأسيرة خاصة.

كما أن الصفقة تُكسِب حركة حماس تقديراً كبيراً ومصداقية عالية على ما حققته من خلال هذا الملف وإدارته المعقدة للغاية، خاصةً وأن حيثياتها جرت على أرض فلسطين وفي معظمها أُديرت في فلسطين ولمدة خمس سنوات وفي ظروف معقدة وخطرة وفي ظل فجوة هائلة في توازن القوى.

ولقد أعادت الصفقة الفرح المسلوب الى الأسرى وعائلاتهم والى كل شعبنا في الوطن والشتات، هذا الفرح المدمج بالعزّة والكرامة وروح الانتصار الواعد.

وإن كان هناك ثمن باهظ جرى التعبير عنه بالمشاعر والمعاناة النفسية وخيبة أمل لدى الأسرى والأسيرات القدامى الذين لم تشملهم الصفقة ولدى عائلاتهم، هذه المشاعر الصادقة التي تعاطف معها الأسرى والشعب واحتضنها وتفهّمها وشعر بها، فإن معاناة الباقين في الأسر ليست بسبب الصفقة وإنّما رغماً عن الصفقة بانعدام أفق فلسطيني تحريري آخر ملموس وجاهز في الوقت الحاضر. فالصفقة حققت ما يمكن تحقيقه. وليس صحيحا الاعتقاد أن تأجيلها كان بإمكانه تحسين شروطها أو رفع الثمن، بل قد يكون العكس تماماً مع المخاطرة بمجمل الملف. والصفقة من هذا النوع تُنجز عندما تُنجز لا تسريع فيها ولا تأجيل ولا تحديد مسبق للموعد.

إن صفقة تبادل أسرى- أية صفقة من هذا النوع هي معادلة محدودة وليست مفتوحةـ ولا يجوز توقع صفقة باستطاعتها تحرير كل الأسرى الستة آلاف الذين بقوا في السجون الإسرائيلية. ولو أردنا وضع حركة حماس في الامتحان فإن المعيار الحقيقي لقياس مدى النجاح أو الفشل هو هل بذلت الحركة واستنفذت كل الإمكانيات قبل إقرار الصفقة، وأنا على قناعة بأن الجواب نعم وبالتأكيد. فالصفقة في نهاية المطاف كما أنجزت، هي نتاج معادلة القوة وإقرارها شرعي وصحيح والانجاز كبير.

الى جانب الانجاز فإن تاريخ الشعوب التحرري والكفاحي يؤكد أنه حتى في الانتصارات الكبيرة هناك خسائر وضحايا، وهذا لا يقلل من حجم الانتصار.

هناك أهمية لما أكّده إسماعيل هنيّة في خطاب التحرير في غزة يوم التحرير بقوله "حدود فلسطين هي حدود الصفقة- غزة والضفة والقدس ومناطق 48" وأضاف " بالمقاومة حررنا الأرض- حررنا غزة وبالمقاومة حررنا الإنسان" (في إشارة للأسرى المحررين). وللحقيقة فإن المقاومة حققت ما ذكره هنيّة، ولم يحقق ذلك أو شبيهه أي مسار آخر.

الواقع الفلسطيني
الى جانب تحرير الأسرى وعائلاتهم من الأسر وعبئه ومعاناته، فانه جدير الالتفات الى جانب آخر من هذه الصفقة وهذا الإنجاز، والمقصود كشفها واقعاً فلسطينيا قيادياً غير واعد ولا يملك أفقاً حقيقياً ولا مشروعاً لتحرير الأسرى. إنها كشفت ما هو ليس مستوراً لكنه قائم على التمسك بأوهام تحقيق انجازات دون مقاومة، أي كبادرة حُسن نيَّة من إسرائيل التي علمنا تاريخ الصراع أنها لا تتورع عن اي جريمة ضد الشعب الفلسطيني الا إذا لم تستطع القيام بها او دفع ثمنها. فلا قانون ولا محكمة ولا رأفة ولا مفاوضات عبثية ستحرر الأسرى.

في المقابل فقد خلقت الصفقة مساحة حرية جديدة يتمتع بها الشعب الفلسطيني وحالة مصالحة مع الذات وإعادة الاعتبار للبعد العربي المساند الغائب عربيّاً والمغيّب فلسطينيا، والذي كرسته الاتفاقيات من كامب ديفيد ولغاية أوسلو وكذلك ما يسمى "مبادرة السلام العربية". كما وأعادت الاعتبار لجدوى النضال وآفاق التحرير. لتؤكد من جديد أن ما أخذ بالقوة لا يسترد بغير القوة، وما أخذ بالاحتلال لا يسترد الاّ بالتحرير، وما أخذ بالنكبة لا يسترد الاّ بالعودة.

إن إصرار حماس على إدراج أسرى الـ 48 ضمن الصفقة ونجاحها في ذلك بإدراج عدد منهم هو إنجاز والى حد كبير انجاز استراتيجي. صحيح انها ليست صفقة التبادل الأولى تاريخياً التي تشمل هذا الجزء من الوطن الفلسطيني، لكنها المرة الأولى بعد اتفاقيات أوسلو التجزيئيّة، لترتسم الآن كمعيار لأية صفقة أو اتفاقيات مستقبلية. كما كشفت الصفقة عن الدور متعدد الاستراتيجيات الذي بإمكان مصر الجديدة ان تلعبه لتحرير الأسرى واستعادة الحق الفلسطيني في حال توفرت إرادة سياسية.

وجدير الانتباه ضمن تقييم الصفقة أن حماس نجحت بشكل كبير في الاستفادة من الرأي العام الإسرائيلي الضاغط على الحكومة الإسرائيلية لإعادة الجندي الأسير وانجاز الصفقة. وصمدت أمام التصعيد الإسرائيلي القمعي تجاهها وتجاه الحركة الأسيرة وتجاه غزة. هناك مطلب شعبي تعالى مع إقرار الصفقة وهو ربط أي تحرُّك فلسطيني قيادي بإطلاق سراح الأسرى وبأن تحرير الأسرى هو الهدف وليس تحسين ظروفهم في الأسر، وبأن موضوع الأسرى لا يجوز تأجيله أو تفضيل مواضيع أخرى عليه وبالذات نقيض ما هو سائد في المفاوضات غير الواعدة مع إسرائيل والتي يجري اشتراطها بتجميد توسيع الاستيطان، في حين أن الصيغة بشأن الأسرى تقول "لن نوقع على اتفاق سلام نهائي مع إسرائيل دون إطلاق سراح جميع الأسرى" وهي عمليا إستراتيجية التأجيل، لكن الشعب الفلسطيني لا يقبل التأجيل، وهذه فرصة سارعت الصفقة من وتيرتها.

إسرائيل تستعد لمنع وقوع أي جندي في الأسر ولخلق معادلة "رادعة" وتشمل محاولات تصفية القيادات الفلسطينية وكذلك تصعيد حاد في تضييق الخناق على أسرى الحرية في سجونها، إضافة الى البعد المخابراتي والتكنولوجي ذي الشأن. لكن كل هذه الوسائل قد جُرِّبت، وصمد شعبنا في وجهها. لكن لا استهانة في المخططات الإسرائيلية وهناك ضرورة لبلورة إستراتيجية فلسطينية لتقليص الثمن كما في كل حالة صراع وكذلك مضاعفة الجدوى.. وهذا يتطلب استعدادا فلسطينيا مسبقا إضافة للحاجة القصوى للبعد العربي الداعم والمساند وكذلك هناك أهمية للاستثمار بالدور التركي. ولكون البلدين مصر و تركيا يسعيان ليكونا دولتين عُظميين إقليميتين، ومن شأنهما أن يسهما إضافة للبعد الشعبي الفلسطيني والعربي والدولي المتضامن بتشكيل حزام أمان يتيح المجال لردع إسرائيل ولتحرير الأسرى واستعادة الحق.
21.10.11-
أمير مخول

Monday, October 17, 2011

لكسر وحدة الاسرى- إدارة سجن الجلبوع تنقل أمير مخول الى سجن مجيدو اثناء ايام الاضراب

 قامت إدارة سجن الجلبوع، الاسبوع الماضي خلال ايام الاضراب، بنقل الاسير السياسي امير مخول من سجنه في الجلبوع الى سجن مجدو
وذلك دون علم العائلة او المحامين
وجاء ذلك  على ما  يبدو على خلفية قرار سجناء الحرية في سجن الجلبوع الانضمام الى الاضراب المفتوح عن الطعام، بعد أن كانوا قد قاموا في الاسبوع الذي سبقه، باضراب جزئي  ثلاثة ايام في الاسبوع من خلال ارجاع وجبات الطعام
وقد كانت النائبة حنين زعبي قد
طلبت زيارة مستعجلة لامير مخول ووليد دقة، الا انها تلقت الغاءا للزيارة في نهاية  الاسبوع دون الاشارة الى نقل امير الى سجن آخر
وتم ابلاغها بان الزيارة تأجلت بسبب الاحداث ولِما بعد الاعياد
وفقط في يوم امس عندما حاول محامون تعيين زيارات لامير علموا بنقله الى مجيدو.
وقد استغلت الادارة بذلك حجة "عيد العرش" الذي لا يتم فيه زيارات لمحامين ونهاية الاسبوع ايضا لتقوم بهذا النقل. 
يشار ان كافة اسرى جلبوع وعددهم قرابة 400 اسير حرية قد اعلنوا اضرابهم عن الطعام الاسبوع الماضي. 
 وعلمنا انه تم نقل امير واسيرين اخرين الى سجون اخرى
 لم نعرف اسماءهم
وكما يبدو يهدف هذا النقل الى كسر وحدة الاسرى وتضامنهم وكسر قوتهم الجماعية
وقد قدم محامون من مؤسسة الضمير (المحامي سامر سمعان) ومؤسسة يوسف الصديق (المحامي عز الدين جبارين)  بالامس اضافة لمحامين  مستقلين، طلبات لزيارة امير والاطلاع على وضعه وباي ظروف سجن موجود
يشار الى ان ظروف الاعتقال والسجن السيئة والانتهاكات بحق الاسرى زادت خلال السنوات الاخيرة   وقد ربطت حكومة اسرائيل التقييدات  ضد  الاسرى السياسيين بقضية جنديها.
ان

ظروف الاعتقال والسجن اللا انسانية والتي تهدف الى قتل انسانية  الاسير الفلسطيني تتطلب وقفة  سريعة مستمرة وغير موسمية وتحرك نشط  واستعمال ادوات نضالية جديدة محليا وعالميا والاهم عدم ابقاء قضية الاسرى السياسيين قضية داخلية اسرائيلية او قضية تخص الاسرى وعائلتهم.
التحرك الدولي ،المؤسساتي والجماهيري مطلوب فورا

Sunday, October 16, 2011

علينا أن نقاوم سياسة "القهر الزاحف" التي تهدف الى قتل إنسانية الاسير الفلسطيني


أمير مخول يُحيي المضربين عن الطعام،

عبده: جدار الفصل موجود في السجون ايضا

عــ48ـرب/ ربيع عيد

تاريخ النشر: 16/10/2011 - آخر تحديث: 03:32
نقلت الناشطة جنان عبده رسالة تحية للمضربين عن الطعام والمعتصمين في مدينة حيفا والناصرة وام الفحم، من المعتقل السياسي أمير مخول، زوج ورفيق درب جنان، المعتقل في سجن الجلبوع.

وأكد مخول في الرسالة التي نقلتها عبده على ضرورة النشاطات النضالية خارج السجون لدعم الأسرى، نظرا لحالة الحصار التي يعيشونها والتي تشتد مع منع الزيارات كلها تقريبا، منذ إعلانهم نضال "الأمعاء الخاوية"، بما يشمل زيارات الأهالي والمحامين وأعضاء الكنيست – حيث تم يوم الجمعة إلغاء الموافقة التي سبق إعطاؤها لعدد من أعضاء الكنيست لزيارة الأسير القائد احمد سعدات.

ونوه مخول في رسالته الشفوية إلى أهمية عنصر الاستمرارية في دعم الأسرى من الخارج، لما لذلك من مساهمة حقيقية في نضال الأسرى.

وجاء ذلك خلال محاضرة قدمتها عبده لحشد من المعتصمين تناولت فيها العقوبات المفروضة حديثا على أسرى الحرية والتي تُضاف إلى عقوبات وتقييدات ممؤسسة قديمة. وهي تشمل التضييق على الزيارات وتقليص إمكانيات التواصل الإنساني بين الأسير وبين ذويه، والتدخل حتى في الصور التي يحملها الأهالي إلى أسراهم فيُمنع الأسير من تسلم أية صورة تحمل مشهدا أو خلفية لطبيعة أو بحر، واعتبرت هذه الممارسات جزءا من سياسة نزع إنسانية الأسرى.



جنان عبده: الإضراب هو المحطة الأخيرة امام الأسرى

وفي حديث مع الناشطة جنان عبده لموقع "عرب48" قالت: " بداية أوجه تحية من أسرى الحرية في سجن الجلبوع واقول أننا شعب يحب الحياة، و على هذه الارض ما يستحق الحياة، لكننا لا نرضى بالذل ولا بالهوان... فالاضراب ليس هدفا بحد ذاته، لكنه الحل الاخير والمحطة الاخيرة التي بقيت أمام اسرى الحرية في السجون الاسرائيلية جراء التصعيد والتضييق المتواصل ضدهم . فقد باتت الأوضاع لا تحتمل".

وأضافت عبدو "حتى تقارير رسمية مثل التقرير الاخير الذي نشرته مصلحة الدفاع الجامهيري (סנגוריה משפטית) يؤكد على الانتهاكات الخطيرة لحقوق الانسان ولحقوق الاسرى في السجون الاسرائيلية. وحتى في تصريح نشر في جريدة هآرتس عن ممثل مصلحة السجون اهرون فرنكو اكد فيه ان بعض السجون في اسرائيل لا تلائم لمعيشة وسكن السجناء. وبما ان هذا هو الوضع وهم يعلمون انه كذلك معنى هذا انهم معنيون بالتصعيد والتضييق".

وأشارت عبده الى أن سلطة السجون والدولة تتبع سياسات تضييق وخنق مستمر ومتواصل منذ سنوات وقالت انها كما وصفها زوجي أمير مخول- "سياسة تشبه القهر الزاحف البطيء الذي يتخلل شيئا فشيئا. والتي تهدف الى قتل انسانيتهم، قتل انسانية الاسير الفلسطيني" وتهدف منع اتصالهم مع العالم الخارجي ومحو ارتباطهم بالخارج، بالمكان- البيت-الوطن. وقطع علاقاتهم الانسانية وكل تعبير انساني واي تعبير عن مشاعر فحتى الحواس يتم تعطيلها من خلال منع اللمس ومنع اللقاء المباشر".



جدار الفصل العنصري في السجون أيضا

وشددت عبده على ان سياسة التجزئة وجدار الفصل العنصري العازلة الموجودة خارج السجون تمتد داخل السجون ايضا حيث "ان مصلحة السجون تتعامل كما الدولة بتجزيئية وتفصل بين فلسطيني 48 والقدس وبين اخوتهم من الضفة وغزة، حتى وان كانوا بنفس السجن فهم ممنوعون من اللقاء ومفصولون باقسام مختلفة. جدار الفصل يمتد الى داخل السجن بهدف تجزئة قضيتنا ومحاولة شرذمتنا وشرذمة انتمائنا الوطني".



ضرورة العمل السياسي والجماهيري

وأضافت "التضامن مهم والعمل الجماهيري والسياسي مهم، وهناك تجديد في وسائل النضال وتكثيف ومن المهم ان يعرف السجناء عن ذلك. فهنا خيمة في الناصرة وفي حيفا وفي ام الفحم وجرت تظاهرة امام سجن جلبوع وامام سجن مجيدو سجنهم- على ارضنا ارض اللجون امام سجنهم. ومهرجان تضامن. ومهم ان تستمر. من هنا نوجه رسالة الى المحامين واعضاء الكنيست العرب باهمية دورهم وزياراتهم حيث مُنعِت زيارات الاهل ونوجه نداء للسفارات لترسل مندوبين عنهم لزيارة السجون والاطلاع على اوضاع اسرى الحرية، ونوجه نداء لوسائل الاعلام والاتصال وخاصة راديو الشمس ان تعطي حيزا اكبر لموضوع الاسرى واضرابهم، كون إدارات السجون اوقفت بث محطات التلفزيون العربية ومنعت الصحف العربية الصادرة في الداخل وبالتالي فاسرى الحرية مقطوعين عن العالم ومن المهم ان يصلهم صوتنا صوتكم، وان يعرفوا عما يحدث في الخارج وان يعرفوا عن التضامن الرائع الموجود وهذا هو الهدف من قطع الاتصال معهم لمنع معرفتهم وتواصلهم".

وإختتمت بالقول "من هنا نؤكد ونقول ان معركتهم معركتنا معركتهم معركتكم، ومعركتكم معركتنا. معركتنا واحدة منذ النكبة ويوم الارض وهبة الاقصى منذ مجزرة شفاعمرو وتجريم شباب شفاعمرو. معركة السجناء ليست معركتهم وحدهم ولا معركة عائلاتهم لوحدها هي معركتنا جميعا ويجب ان تبقى كذلك ".







Thursday, September 29, 2011

A reflection on the future of the solidarity movements

The Freedom Flotilla, without even sailing, will at the endl break the Gaza blockade-A reflection on the future of the solidarity movements








Ameer Makhoul




Perpetrated in an era marked by the globalization of State terror, the international and official action of sabotage of the Freedom Flotilla is a founding event in the history of the world popular movement and of solidarity between the peoples. Orchestrated by the ruling world establishment, this action has displayed ominous levels of cooperation and coordination between governments, intelligence services and special military forces, all directed against a popular movement. What we are here dealing with is nothing less than a cartel of official terror set up by those, among States and regimes, who monopolize the means of repression. It is a cartel meant to disable or destroy the peaceful movements that rise and organize in numerous parts of the world in active solidarity with the Palestinian people, in the struggle to break the Gaza blockade.

Needless to say, the many States which took part in this inglorious action share with Israel this crime committed against the Palestinian People and the supporters of its rights.

Amidst these developments withal, a fact of high significance emerges : at the very time the Flotilla was enduring the military, judiciary and overtly terrorist sabotage action seeking to prevent it from sailing to Gaza in early July 2011, this besieged territory gained more freedom. This is the feeling that prevails among us, we, the prisonners of freedom in Israeli jails, the feeling that, thanks to the Flotilla and all the agitation it provoked, freedom is more than ever before within reach.

In these dramatic events, what truly stands out is the greatness and influence of the world peoples’ solidarity movements, especially the « Free Gaza » movement. It is only owing to their growing force that the governments and regimes which participated with Israel in the terrorist action were compelled to act unmasked and, so to speak, in broad daylight. The unprecedented display of brute repressive and military force against peaceful supporters of the Palestinian people is in itself a sign that the Gaza blockade has been shaken more strongly than ever before since its instauration.

We also note that the voices who expressed their hostility towards the Freedom Flotilla -including the Secretary General of the United Nations !- are the same who, on May 15, 2011 and June the fifth following, stood against the mass movements of refugees commemorating the Naksa and the Nakba. These refugees who sought to demonstrate their right to return to their homeland - a right that enjoys international recognition including in U.N resolutions- were accused of provocation against Israël, this regime whose very essence is military occupation, forced mass exodus and ethnic cleansing ! But now, what has become more clear than ever is the ever deepening crisis of Israel itself, a crisis whose root is none other than the question of its legitimacy as a colonial and racist regime. A question that is gaining ground and relevance in the world popular movements.

An important evolution may be observed in the present-day worldwide wave of popular solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is in that many more militants are willing to pay a higher price for their struggle to promote Palestinian rights, including facing the dangers which the confrontation with Israel and its accomplices entail. Despite these dangers, the peoples’ solidarity movements continue to extend, gaining strength and influence, confining Israel in a defensive position and stripping it off its legitimacy.

What we are witnessing here is solidarity in the truest sense of the word. It is what the peoples of the world are capable of doing when, in the face of the unequal struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed, they naturally find their place on the side of the oppressed, with the victims of agression, repression , mass detention, occupation and racism.

We know now, after the Israeli and international aggression against the Freedom Flotilla, that the partners in crime with Israel no longer scruple to use and display in full view all the means at their disposal- governments, mass-media, intelligence services, elite military forces and judiciary organs- to pursue the aim of further deepening the unequal balance of power in favor of Israel and to the detriment of the Palestinian people and its cause. This is nothing other than a display of contempt for the peoples who, in this vision, do not count when the interests of the world power structure are at stake.

The European Union set itself the task of defaming the Freedom Flotilla and shedding doubt on its legitimacy but it must be noted that the American Administration, not surprisingly, had preceded it in this base deed. But the worst had yet to come and It came from Great Britain which took the political decision of arresting Cheikh Raed Salah, one of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian people and a leader in the world movement to end the Gaza Blocus. The campaign of slander unleashed against him and against what he represents, which is nothing more than a gross replication of Israeli propaganda, is most telling for onewho wants to know the collusion or even the obedience of certain circles with Israel and the Zionist lobby.

By arresting Sheikh Raed Salah, Great Britain allowed Israel to pervert and steal away one of the means that the world civil society uses to promote just causes, namely and in the case of Great Britain , the recourse to the courts to pursue and arrest Israeli war criminals among politicians and generals. It is important to remember that when the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, along with British supporters, obtained from the court a warrant for the arrest of Doron Almog, this general responsible for the murder of the martyr Salah Shehad and his family of thirteen members in Gaza, the British authorities leaked the warrant to the Israeli embassy which then informed Doron Almog, allowing him to flee and evade British justice. Justice thus, which was for the victims of occupation, racism and colonialism a place where their rights could be heard was transformed, by the occupier and its war criminals, into a means for inflicting further oppression to their victims, a means which appends to the Israeli racist repressive legal machinery, the laws of the countries whose governments are involved in crime with Israel.

Greece which is linked to Israel by an ever expanding system of military and security cooperation, including joint military exercises, launched a military operation to disable the Flotilla. Its special naval commando units went as far as blowing up the ships’ engines. But the use of brute force did not prevent it from putting into action its judiciary apparatus to deter the Flotilla from sailing for Gaza and when this partially happened, It again used its military force at sea to besiege the ships and force them under gunpoint to return to the port. All these actions were, of course, highly praised by Israel. Cyprus, for its part, distinguished itself by announcing its decision to ban the ships from its territorial waters. Turkey’s position, all the while, was marked by a singular lack of resolution and this, not just because of the explosions which struck one of the ships in its own ports but also because of the decisions it took not to participate. Most notably, it prevented the Mavi Marmara from joining the Flotilla despite this ship’s status as a symbol of solidarity with Gaza, a status which it gained after the bloody Israeli attack against it.

Once again, we are compelled to suffer the sight of a pitifully weak official Palestinian position, upheld by both the Palestinian Authority and the PLO which, in the face of the criminal Israeli and international enterprise against the Flotilla, found no better posture than that of presenting themselves as an almost unconcerned « third party » in a conflict in which their people is the main victim ! We must also note that, all along these events, the security cooperation of the Palestinian Authority with Israel was not discontinued or questioned for even one moment.

We expected more from revolutionary Egypt. This State whose potential is that of a regional power had the possibility to offer the Flotilla safe harbour in its ports and protection during its trip to Gaza because its territorial waters are closer to Gaza than to Israel. But Egypt refrained from providing that help for the reason that, with the present regime, it still accepts to remain entrapped in the Camp David agreements, as is Palestine entrapped. It is true that Egypt after the revolution opened the Rafah crossing and this an act of great importance, but it must be remarked that when you are capable of opening the crossing, you are no less capable of protecting the Flotilla. For all the progress and relief it has brought, the opening of the Rafah crossing does not put an end to the blockade nor is it sufficient to break it. We must also note that Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority are still continuing their security coordination with Israel and this is dangerous because, ultimately, this coordination is nothing else than a repressive siege on the Palestinian and Arab peoples, a siege that mocks Arab and, especially , Egyptian sovereignty.

There is here, unfortunately, an important lesson : Arab revolutions are still incapable of clearly defining regional responsibilities. This explains why their influence was too weak to prevent the European Union, Greece, Great Britain or Cyprus from displaying with such impudence and brutality their hostility towards the Freedom Flotilla and the movement seeking to break the blockade imposed on our people.

Israel, predictably, had laid the ground for a bloody attack on the Flotilla by launching a campaign inciting to the murder of the Flotilla’s people, by spreading outright lies about them and their intentions and about the nature of the goods they meant to transport to Gaza.

Despite the crudeness of theses lies, a crudeness which their most known journalists have knowledge of, the commandeered media of Israel continued to publicise them as if they believed in the ability of their sole imagination to create irrefutable proof ! The peoples and the supporters of the Palestinian people’s rights are, of course, unaffected by the lies of the Israeli media but we must recognize that Israel aptly received the signal it got after its bloody attack of the Flotilla in june 2010 : a licence for renewed ferocity in crime. But this time, the crime was largely committed by proxy, at the hands of the governments of Great Britain, Greece, Cyprus, the European Union and the USA in a clear attempt to white wash it. Should this attempt succeed by its perpetrators’ standards, it will not fail to be re-enacted.

To sum up, a few points need to be highlighted. They are :

1)The unveiling of the nature of the international official establishment and the shift from one-State terrorism to collective, multi-State, organized and complementary terrorism. Terrorism has now been adopted by the world ruling system as an essential means to repress peaceful popular solidarity movements which militate within the framework of international law and Human Rights conventions. The repressive means include the use of the military institutions.

2) The presence on an ever-broadening scale of the world solidarity movements and the importance, for the Palestinian movement, of intensifying interaction with them. These movements constitute a worldwide line of defence for our people and its struggle. Also, as these movements struggle for the advancement of Human Rights and the Rights of Peoples, an international campaign seeking to provide them the protection they need, based upon international law and conventions, must be promoted.

3) The need to pay greater attention to the task of better integrating the Palestinian cause in the Arab revolutions, especially the Egyptian revolution.

4) The necessity to end the security coordination between Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority with Israel. Also, pressure must be exerted on the Egyptian regime so that it liberates itself from the Camp David agreements, these agreements which rooted out Egypt from its Arab vocation and its place in the conflict with Israel.

5) The preparation of the next Flotilla which must benefit from the lessons of the latest. Among these lessons, the necessity to break the security belt which Israel set for itself with the help of the hostile governments mentioned.

There are lessons to be learned in these events but the great truth that emerges is that the Freedom Flotilla, without even sailing, has reached Gaza and Gaza, as all of Palestine, has reached the hearts of the peoples of the world. This is the fruit of our struggle and the struggle of our supporters, the partners of our people in Liberty.



Published on Talaxcala:

http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=5934

Η ιστορία του καρπουζιού και των σαράντα Παλαιστίνιων κρατουμένων

Greek Language
 
Ameer Makhoul του Αμίρ Μαχούλ أمير مخول אמיר מח'ול
Translated by  Anna Coccali Άννα Κόκκαλη


Το ακόλουθο άρθρο γράφτηκε μετά την ομιλία του ισραηλινού πρωθυπουργού στο ισραηλινό Προεδρικό Συνέδριο στις 23 Ιουνίου 2011. Κατά τη διάρκεια της ομιλίας του, ο Νετανιάχου ανακοίνωσε ότι το Ισραήλ θα επέβαλε μια σειρά μέτρων για να καταστούν αυστηρότεροι οι όροι κράτησης των Παλαιστινίων πολιτικών κρατουμένων, δηλώνοντας ότι «το πάρτι τελείωσε».
Την Παρασκευή, 24 Ιουνίου στις 12:46 μμ., η διοίκηση των φυλακών μας έφερε , στους κρατούμενους, ένα καρπούζι. Ήταν το πρώτο μας καρπούζι το 2011. Σύμφωνα με τον κανονισμό των φυλακών αντιστοιχούν σε κάθε κρατούμενο 180 γραμμάρια φρούτων ημερησίως. Είναι ένα από τα βασικά μας δικαιώματα. Αλλά πριν από λίγες μέρες, επειδή προφανώς δεν υπήρχε διαθεσιμότητα φρούτων, μας έδωσαν από   ένα κρεμμύδι, ως εναλλακτική λύση ή αντάλλαγμα.

Όλοι συμμετέχουμε στο ‘’καρπούζι πάρτι’’. Κάθε τμήμα που έχει 120 κρατούμενους ,παίρνει τρία καρπούζια. Οι φυλακισμένοι κρατούνται σε χωριστά και απομονωμένα τμήματα και επιλέγονται ανάλογα με την προέλευσή τους: Αυτοί που έρχονται από την Ιερουσαλήμ, την Παλαιστίνη του 1948 και το Συριακό Γκολάν  αποτελούν το πρώτο τμήμα. Εκείνοι που προέρχονται από τη Δυτική Όχθη αποτελούν  το δεύτερο, και οι συμπατριώτες μας από τη Λωρίδα της Γάζας είναι στο τρίτο. Εκτός αυτού, στις φυλακές στα νότια της χώρας, οι κρατούμενοι χωρίζονται ανάλογα με την πολιτική παράταξη στην οποία ανήκουν, και τα τέσσερα τελευταία χρόνια τούς έχουν απαγορεύσει κάθε επισκεπτήριο.
Για κάθε 40 κρατούμενους αναλογεί ένα καρπούζι μεσαίου μεγέθους . Όπως πάντα, υπάρχει ένα ειδικό προσωπικό ,που αποτελείται από φυλακισμένους ,το οποίο είναι επιφορτισμένο με τη διανομή τροφίμων. Αυτή τη φορά, το έργο τους ήταν ιδιαίτερα δύσκολο: Κάθε καρπούζι έπρεπε να κοπεί σε 40 ίσια μέρη! Στο τέλος, κάθε κρατούμενος έλαβε ένα κομμάτι καρπούζι σε σχήμα ισοσκελούς τριγώνου , του οποίου οι ίσες πλευρές ήταν κόκκινες και η βάση ήταν πράσινη. Η τελευταία -δηλαδή, η φλούδα-υπολογίστηκε στα 180 γραμμάρια των φρούτων μας την ημέρα.
Η εμπειρία με το καρπούζι μου θυμίζει το λαϊκό μύθο  του Αλή Μπαμπά και οι σαράντα κλέφτες.Η αντιστοιχία δεν είναι απλώς αριθμητική: στο μύθο οι 40 κλέφτες κλείστηκαν σε μια σπηλιά, η είσοδος της οποίας σφραγίστηκε με μαγικό τρόπο, για να αποφύγουν  τη δικαιοσύνη . Αντίθετα, στη ζωή μας υπάρχει μόνο ένας κλέφτης και ζει ελεύθερος. Ο δικός μας κλέφτης συνεχίζει να ληστεύει την ελευθερία, ένα έθνος και ένα λαό κλειδώνοντάς μας πίσω από τα κάγκελα. Αλλά όταν κοιτάμε μακρύτερα βλέπουμε ότι οι ορίζοντες του κλέφτη συνεχώς στενεύουν.
Τα εγκλήματα του κλέφτη μας μπορεί να αποκαλυφθούν μέσω της ρήξης. Δεν είμαστε απογοητευμένοι, γιατί  τα   επονομαζόμενα ‘’τμήματα’’, ‘’κομμάτια ’’ ή ‘’κόμματά ‘’ μας στις φυλακές έχουν  γεύση, γιατί τα ετοιμάζουμε εμείς οι ίδιοι. Επιπλέον δεν είμαστε ορφανοί , γιατί   έξω από τα τείχη της φυλακής είναι ο λαός μας, που αγωνίζεται για την ελευθερία. Μέχρι πότε; Μόνο εμείς, ως κρατούμενοι και ως  λαός , μπορούμε να απαντήσουμε σε αυτό το ερώτημα.
Publishe:  Talaxcala

The Freedom Flotilla, without even sailing, has reached Gaza



Ameer Makhoul, Jully 2011

Perpetrated in an era marked by the globalization of State terror, the international and official action of sabotage of the Freedom Flotilla is a founding event in the history of the world popular movement and of solidarity between the peoples. Orchestrated by the ruling world establishment, this action has displayed ominous levels of cooperation and coordination between governments, intelligence services and special military forces, all directed against a popular movement. What we are here dealing with is nothing less than a cartel of official terror set up by those, among States and regimes, who monopolize the means of repression. It is a cartel meant to disable or destroy the peaceful movements that rise and organize in numerous parts of the world in active solidarity with the Palestinian people, in the struggle to break the Gaza blockade.
Needless to say, the many States which took part in this unglorious action share with Israël this crime committed against the Palestinian People and the supporters of its rights.
Amidst these developments withal, a fact of high significance emerges : at the very time the Flotilla was enduring the military, judiciary and overtly terrorist sabotage action seeking to prevent it from sailing to Gaza in early July 2011, this besieged territory gained more freedom. This is the feeling that prevails among us, we, the prisonners of freedom in Israeli jails, the feeling that, thanks to the Flotilla and all the agitation it provoked, freedom is more than ever before within reach.
In these dramatic events, what truly stands out is the greatness and influence of the world peoples’ solidarity movements, especially the « Free Gaza » movement. It is only owing to their growing force that the governments and regimes which participated with Israel in the terrorist action were compelled to act unmasked and, so to speak, in broad daylight. The unprecedented display of brute repressive and military force against peaceful supporters of the Palestinian people is in itself a sign that the Gaza blockade has been shaken more strongly than ever before since its instauration.
We also note that the voices who expressed their hostility towards the Freedom Flotilla -including the Secretary General of the United Nations !- are the same who, on May 15, 2011 and June the fifth following, stood against the mass movements of refugees commemorating the Naksa and the Nakba. These refugees who sought to demonstrate their right to return to their homeland - a right that enjoys international recognition including in U.N resolutions- were accused of provocation against Israël, this regime whose very essence is military occupation, forced mass exodus and ethnic cleansing ! But now, what has become more clear than ever is the ever deepening crisis of Israel itself, a crisis whose root is none other than the question of its legitimacy as a colonial and racist regime. A question that is gaining ground and relevance in the world popular movements.
An important evolution may be observed in the present-day worldwide wave of popular solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is in that many more militants are willing to pay a higher price for their struggle to promote Palestinian rights, including facing the dangers which the confrontation with Israel and its accomplices entail. Despite these dangers, the peoples’ solidarity movements continue to extend, gaining strength and influence, confining Israel in a defensive position and stripping it off its legitimacy.
What we are witnessing here is solidarity in the truest sense of the word. It is what the peoples of the world are capable of doing when, in the face of the unequal struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed, they naturally find their place on the side of the oppressed, with the victims of agression, repression , mass detention, occupation and racism.
We know now, after the Israeli and international agression against the Freedom Flotilla, that the partners in crime with Israel no longer scruple to use and display in full view all the means at their disposal- governments, mass-media, intelligence services, elite military forces and judiciary organs- to pursue the aim of further deepening the unequal balance of power in favor of Israel and to the detriment of the Palestinian people and its cause. This is nothing other than a display of contempt for the peoples who, in this vision, do not count when the interests of the world power structure are at stake.
The European Union set itself the task of defaming the Freedom Flotilla and shedding doubt on its legitimacy but it must be noted that the American Administration, not surprisingly, had preceded it in this base deed. But the worst had yet to come and It came from Great Britain which took the political decision of arresting Cheikh Raed Salah, one of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian people and a leader in the world movement to end the Gaza Blocus. The campaign of slander unleashed against him and against what he represents, which is nothing more than a gross replication of Israeli propaganda, is most telling for onewho wants to know the collusion or even the obedience of certain circles with Israel and the Zionist lobby.
By arresting Cheikh Raed Salah, Great Britain allowed Israel to pervert and steal away one ofthe means that the world civil society uses to promote just causes, namely and in the case of Great Britain , the recourse to the courts to pursue and arrest Israeli war criminals among politicians and generals. It is important to remember that when the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, along with British supporters, obtained from the court a warrant for the arrest of Doron Almog, this general responsible for the murder of the martyr Salah Shehad and his family of thirteen members in Gaza, the British authorities leaked the warrant to the Israeli embassy which then informed doron Almog, allowing him to flee and evade British justice. Justice thus, which was for the victims of occupation, racism and colonialism a place where their rights could be heard was transformed, by the occupier and its war criminals, into a means for inflicting further oppression to their victims, a means which appends to the Israeli racist repressive legal machinery, the laws of the countries whose governments are involved in crime with Israel.
Greece which is linked to Israel by an ever expanding system of military and security cooperation, including joint military exercises, launched a military operation to disable the Flotilla. Its special naval commando units went as far as blowing up the ships’ engines. But the use of brute force did not prevent it from putting into action its judiciary apparatus to deter the Flotilla from sailing for Gaza and when this partially happened, It again used its military force at sea to besiege the ships and force them under gunpoint to return to the port. All these actions were, of course, highly praised by Israel. Cyprus, for its part, distinguished itself by announcing its decision to ban the ships from its territorial waters. Turkey’s position, all the while, was marked by a singular lack of resolution and this, not just because of the explosions which struck one of the ships in its own ports but also because of the decisions it took not to participate. Most notably, it prevented the Mavi Marmara from joining the Flotilla despite this ship’s status as a symbol of solidarity with Gaza, a status which it gained after the bloody israeli attack against it.
Once again, we are compelled to suffer the sight of a pitifully weak official Palestinian position, upheld by both the Palestinian Authority and the PLO which, in the face of the criminal Israeli and international enterprise against the Flottila, found no better posture than that of presenting themselves as an almost unconcerned « third party » in a conflict in which their people is the main victim ! We must also note that, all along these events, the security cooperation of the Palestinian Authority with Israel was not discontinued or questionned for even one moment.
We expected more from revolutionary Egypt. This State whose potential is that of a regional power had the possiblity to offer the Flotilla safe harbor in its ports and protection during its trip to Gaza because its territorial waters are closer to Gaza than to Israel. But Egypt refrained from providing that help for the reason that, with the present regime, it still acceptsto remain entrapped in the Camp David agreements, as is Palestine entrapped. It is true that Egypt after the revolution opened the Rafah crossing and this an act of great importance, but it must be remarked that when you are capable of opening the crossing, you are no less capable of protecting the Flotilla. For all the progress and relief it has brought, the opening of the Rafah crossing does not put an end to the blockade nor is it sufficient to break it. We must also note that Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority are still continuing their security coordination withIsrael and this is dangerous because, ultimately, this coordination is nothing else than a repressive siege on the Palestinian and Arab peoples, a siege that mocks Arab and, especially , Egyptian sovereignty.
There is here, unfortunately, an important lesson : Arab revolutions are still incapable of clearly defining regional responsibilities. This explains why their influence was too weak to prevent the European Union,Greece, Great Britain or Cyprus from displaying with such impudence and brutality their hostility towards the Freedom Flotilla and the movement seeking to break the blockade imposed on our people.
Israel, predictably, had laid the ground for a bloody attack on the Flotilla by launching a campaign inciting to the murder of the Flotilla’s people, by spreading outright lies about them and their intentions and about the nature of the goods they meant to transport to Gaza.
Despite the crudeness of theses lies, a crudeness which their most known journalists have knowledge of, the commandeered media of Israel continued to publicise them as if they believed in the ability of their sole imagination to createirrefutable proof ! The peoples and the supporters of the Palestinian people’s rights are, of course, unaffected by the lies of the Israeli media but we must recognize that Israel aptly received the signal it got after its bloody attack of the Flotilla in june 2010 : a licence for renewed ferocity in crime. But this time, the crime was largely committed by proxy, at the hands of the governments of Great Britain, Greece, Cyprus, the European Union and the USA in a clear attempt to white wash it. Should this attempt succeed by its perpetrators’ standards, it will not fail to be reenacted.
To sum up, a few points need to be highlighted. They are : 1)The unveiling of the nature of the international official establishment and the shift from one-State terrorism to collective, multi-State, organized and complementary terrorism. Terrorism has now been adopted by the world ruling system as an essential means to repress peaceful popular solidarity movements which militate within the framework of international law and Human Rights conventions. The repressive means include the use of the military institutions.
2) The presence on an ever-broadening scale of the world solidarity movements and the importance, for the Palestinian movement, of intensifying interactionwith them. These movements constitute a worldwide line of defense for our people and its struggle. Also, as these movements struggle for the advancement of Human Rights and the Rights of Peoples, an international campaign seeking to provide them the protection they need, based upon international law and conventions, must be promoted.
3) The need to pay greater attention to the task of better integrating the Palestinian cause in the Arab revolutions, especially the Egyptian revolution.
4) The necessity to end the security coordination between Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority with Israel. Also, pressure must be exerted on the Egyptian regime so that it liberates itself from the Camp David agreements, these agreements which rooted out Egypt from its Arab vocation and its place in the conflict with Israel.
5) The preparation of the next Flotilla which must benefit from the lessons of the latest. Among these lessons, the necessity to break the security belt which Israel set for itself with the help of the hostile governments mentionned.
There are lessons to be learned in these events but the greattruth that emerges is that the Freedom Flotilla, without even sailing, has reached Gaza and Gaza, as all of Palestine, has reached the hearts of the peoples of the world. This is the fruit of our struggle and the struggle of our supporters, the partners of our people in Liberty.

Translated by Najib Aloui

Monday, September 19, 2011

The story of the watermelon and the forty prisone


19 September 2011

For every forty prisoners, there was one middle-sized watermelon distributed in Gilboa prison this summer.
This piece was written from Gilboa prison following Israeli Prime Minister’s speech at the Israeli Presidential Conference on 23 June, 2011. During his speech,Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will impose a series of measures to harden conditions for Palestinian political prisoners, declaring that “the party is over.”
On Friday, 24 June at 12:46 pm, the prison administration brought us, the prisoners, a watermelon. It was our first watermelon of 2011. According to the prison regulations, each prisoner gets 180 grams of fruit each day. It’s one of our basic rights. However, a few days ago, when it seemed that fruits were unavailable, each of us was provided with an onion as an alternative, or compensation.
On that day, all of us had a share in the watermelon “party.” Each prison section, containing 120 prisoners, received the total number of three watermelons. The prisoners are divided into separate and isolated sections according to where they come from: while those who come from Jerusalem, ‘48 Palestine and the Golan Heights compile the first section; those of theWest Bank are in the second; and our compatriots from the Gaza Strip are in the third. And not only that, in the prisons in the south of the country the prisoners are divided also according to the the political faction they belong to, and for the last four years they have been prevented from receiving any guests.
For every forty prisoners, there was one middle-sized watermelon. As always, we have a special staff composed of prisoners that is in charge of distributing the food. This time, its task was especially difficult: each watermelon had to be cut into forty equal pieces! At the end, each prisoner received a watermelon piece in the shape of an isosceles triangle, whose equal sides are red and the base green. The latter — that is, the rind — was calculated into our 180 grams of fruit a day.
Thief of freedom
Our watermelon experience brought to my mind the popular story of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” The analogy is not a purely a numerical one: in the story, forty thieves were locked in a cave — the mouth of which was sealed by magic — while hiding from justice; in our life, however, there is only one thief, who lives in the open. Our thief continues to rob freedom, a nation and a people by locking us behind closed bars. But, when we look at the horizon, we see the thief’s world slowly closing up on him.
The crimes of our thief can be exposed by confrontation. We are not disillusioned, but our so-called “parties” inside the prison bars do have a taste, because we prepare them ourselves. Also, we are not orphans, for outside the prison walls our people are struggling for liberation. Until when? Only we, as prisoners and as a people, can answer this question.
Ameer Makhoul is a Palestinian civil society leader and political prisoner at Gilboa Prison.
Translated by Shadi Rouhana