Palestine – The Holy Land

Brief

Historic Palestine is located in the Middle East, in a region bordering Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the Mediterranean
Sea. Part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire until 1918, it was then occupied by Britain until 1948. The Palestinians refused the UN plan to partition their homeland into a Jewish and a Palestinian state, but in 1948 the establishment of the state of Israel

1948

the Nakba (“catastrophe”) had resulted in the ethnic cleansing of two thirds of the Palestinian population and the Israeli occupation of 78% of the land. The West Bank and Gaza Strip have been under an illegal Israeli military rule since they were occupied in the 1967 war, and today are referred to as the “Palestinian Occupied Territories”. East Jerusalem was also annexed illegally by Israel in 1967. For 60 years the Palestinians have been denied the right to self-determination and statehood.

The refugee issue

About 800,000 Palestinians were forced into exile in 1948-9 and during the June 1967 war a further 325,000 Palestinians became refugees. Under UN Resolution 194, the Palestinians have the right to return to their homes, but Israel has always refused to implement the Resolution. Today over 6 million Palestinians live as refugees, hundreds of thousands of whom still live in overcrowded refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, and in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Life under occupation

The past 44 years have seen the establishment of over 232 illegal Israeli settlements, housing nearly 500,000 settlers, within
the Occupied Territories.

The ‘separation barrier’ in the West Bank, construction of which was started in 2002, cuts deep into Palestinian land and, along with the “settler only” roads, cuts off many communities from water supplies, hospitals and their agricultural land. The residents face severe travel restrictions and for many it is impossible to enter Jerusalem or to travel abroad. This treatment of the Palestinians, both within Israel and in the Occupied Territories, is widely recognized as a system akin to the Apartheid regime of South Africa.

Palestinians are continually under attack from the Israeli occupying forces and are increasingly harassed by settlers, who attack farmers and steal their land. Collective punishments, such as prolonged curfews and house demolitions are frequently imposed. The Palestinians who remained in what is today the state of Israel, as non-Jewish members of a Jewish country, also face discrimination in all areas of Palestine and are considered to be second class citizens.

The siege on Gaza

since 1398 days which is made possible by the support of the United States of America, Furthermore, very little of the required humanitarian aid is getting through the borders into Gaza,

The last three years has resulted in

• More than 80% are below the Poverty line.
• Unemployment rate 65%.
• More than a million are depending on Relief aid.
• 95% of the Factories are closed due to lack of supplies.
• Many students missed there scholarships.
• power cuts at least eight hours per day.
• and much more..

In the recent “massacre” on Gaza Israel indiscriminately targeted civilian infrastructure for 23 days straight. Amnesty International reported that, during this invasion, between 21,000 and 22,000 structures were destroyed, including 250 schools, 5,300 homes (an additional 52,000 homes were damaged), 700 stores, 200 factories, 26 primary health care clinics, 8 hospitals, the only functioning flour mill and Gaza’s power station. In total, more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed, 80% of them civilians, including 342 children. More than 50% of Gaza’s 1.5 million population is under 15 years of age.

its just Awful..

What do I represent?

I represent my self, a Palestinian with hot blood through my veins and a voice to speak about my existence. I am Palestinian. I will always be one. I was born as one, and will die as one. It has been 62 years since my home was taken away, isn’t that too much? I may be one person. I am not a celebrity or someone who is famous and well known. However, I have the right to speak out when I say, we had enough!