Deir Yassin massacre remembered in Belfast
antrim |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Saturday April 12, 2008 15:52
by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin - IPSC
ciaranobrolchain at hotmail dot com
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Belfast today held a white-line picket to remember the 60th anniversary of the Deir Yassin massacre. This was one of the many incidents that took place in the lead-up to Al Nakba, the Catastrophe, when the Zionist forces proclaimed the state of Israel and 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes.
On 9th April 1948, as pat of Plan Dalet, Zionist forces stormed the village of Deir Yassin, a peaceful village on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Despite having a non-aggression pact with the Zionist forces, the village’s inhabitants were herded together, men, women and children, and murdered in cold-blood. Twenty five of the village’s survivors were subsequently paraded through Jerusalem before they themselves were executed.
The massacre of Deir Yassin was to prove a key component in driving the Palestinian people from their lands. In all, some 750,000 peaceful people were expelled from their lands and 531 villages, towns and cities were destroyed in the name of founding the racist State of Israel.
The number of refugees currently refused the right to return to their homes, now stands at an overwhelming 6 million.
Over 60 people took part in today's white-line picket on the Falls Road and listened to Jamal and Mohammed, two Palestinians living in Belfast, talk about their families' experiences during the Nakba, the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and to achieve the right of return, and the importance of international solidarity.
The mural was then officially unveiled by John McCusker of the Belfast IPSC, who reminded the people present of the upcoming calendar of events to remember the 60th anniversary of Al Nakba both in Belfast and throughout Ireland.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4Just wanted to post a comment to say well done to those involved in todays demonstrations in both Dublin and Belfast.
The source and fault of the problems in Palestian lie squarely with the Israeli state. They need to pull out of the West Bank, remove the settlers and then start compensation payments to the Palestinians.
In return they get peace and secure borders.
Killian,
IMO blame falls not only at the feet ot the Israeli's but at the George Bush regime.
When do people call foul of an illiterate, who has destabilised the globe, interfered in
International treaties, abused political process- to achieve a quick-fix solution to problems
of generations?
Bush was never a leader.
Blair was never a leader.
They are would be corporate financiers who have dominated the political wills of peoples.
and should be indicted on war crime and yet they are given conscience and intelligence
by those who associate with them. The problems of Israel and Gaza are beyond the scope
of corporate politics (and those who support rogue regimes for foreign policy interests)
There are public libraries - even in Galway - with the bound or microfiche etc copies of the 1947 -48 press in which you can see that Arabs have responsibility for their fate as much as Israel. In April 1948 a Husseini - of the Jerusalem Husseinis - was telling the UN that they were fighting the UN 181 partition scheme as they has promised. What is daft about the Arab attitude is having lost not once but: refusing a Palestine State from the British in 1936 - 38 ,
2)refusing to accept the UN 181 offer and taking on Israel in 1948 just when Jews were at their most desperate and humiliated after the Holocaust;
3 & 4 & 5) then setting up to kick Israel in 1956 and 1967 but tripping over their bootlaces and in 1973 leaving a thousand tanks on the battlefield that had merely run out of fuel;
6) Starting the Aqsa Intifada in 2000 so that from being one of the richest Arab economies at $4 000 per cap GDP inclusive $750 per cap international aid - mostly pocketed by Arafat but nevertheless- the Palestinian Arabs of the PA have dropped to the average Arab GDP per cap of $1200,
one would have thought that by now the Arabs would do a Michael Collins and DeValera and settle down even with partition so as to create their Palestine state instead of needling Israel.
Israel just pulling out of Hebron and Nablus would not make a peace with two states living neighbourly. I am old enough to remember all the 50's border reiving that was only stopped by the 1956 Sinai Campaign, and since Israel pulled out of Gaza the rocketing of Israel has only got worse.
Hamas media scamming power crises by attacking the fuel depot for Gaza and pretending to a blackout but with street lights deep background behind the faces of the candle holding children, and daylight peeking through the curtains behind the Hams cabinet meeting by candlelight at noon does nothing for the credibility nor trustworthiness of the Arab parties.
Perhaps somebody who believes in a Palestine State would kindly explain why they continue to call the ex-West Bank of Jordan, The West Bank. Did your writers dodge Geography classes? As I remember it was the easiest lesson in the curriculum - colouring maps instead of scribbling.
Meanwhile I gather Jordan has connected Jericho to its grid and regained the control of the Haram es Shareef [Aqsa] Wakf so it looks like even Arabs are getting fed up with, "Revolution Till Death," attitudes of Fatah and Hamas and might be returning to the idea that if they become part of Jordan again they will at least have quiet in which to earn their livings. As for the Palestine Arabs who are Israeli citizens, the place is so wicked that whenever it is mentioned that a bit of Jerusalem or the town of Um el Fahm or some other, be transferred to the Palestine apology for government, the Israeli Arabs in question are the first to protest! Astonished ? You should not be so. They are human enough to appreciate jobs peace and welfare benefits.
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