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The Civil Rights Tragedy in Palestine
By Neil Richardson, Valley News February 16, 2006
For decades the Palestinians living in occupied Palestine have been controlled by a hostile occupier, denied freedom and citizenship in a nation of their own. As Americans we profess to believe that all men are created equal and entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Palestinian people are as human and equal as the rest of us and just as entitled to freedom as we are. The US news media rarely reports about life of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Human rights groups and individuals who have traveled into the area are continually reporting of the brutal occupation. They report of discriminatory and abusive treatment, such as checkpoints that severely restrict Palestinian movements in their normal daily activity, ambulances not being allowed to take emergency patients to medical services, gratuitous violence by the IDF soldiers against Palestinians, violence by Jewish settlers against neighboring Palestinians, and the Palestinians systematically having their homes destroyed and their land confiscated. We have always professed to support the creation of a Palestinian nation. But Israel continues to build settlements in the areas that were supposed to become part of the Palestinian nation, and we in the US have remained silent. One can not help but think that we are not sincere in our claim to support freedom for the Palestinians. In considering the victory of Hamas, we must consider other instances in which militant groups have emerged as the peaceful and responsible leaders in a nation. The IRA in Ireland, or the ANC in South Africa, are examples. The PLO originally called for the destruction of Israel, but eventually the PLO rejected that and met with Israel as a neighbor. The Palestinians certainly have every right, based on their history with Israel, to believe that Israel is committed to destroying them.If we really believe in freedom and self determination for all peoples, we must actively support the Palestinians in their quest for freeedom.[also published in the Times-Argus and Rutland Herald]
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