Oil, Zionism and More

The world is changing and only justice to the native Palestinians can bring security and peace here.

Courtesy: ultimatemuslimwarriors.wordpress.com

(BETHLEHEM) - Recent discoveries show that the Eastern Mediterranean area has huge energy fields which together with water resources could provide the impetus for new conflicts/wars. The initial estimates is that the area in the sea facing Palestine (present day Israel and the Gaza Strip), Lebanon, and Syria holds 1.7 billion barrels of oil, 5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, and an astounding 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. Already Israel uses nearly 10 times more of our water per capita than we the native Palestinians use.

Already Israel controls most of the lucrative tourism industry in Palestine and most of our agricultural lands and other resources. Already Israel has very many millionaires and a few billionaires while 25% of Israeli Children live in poverty (and nearly half the Palestinian Children in Gaza and the West Bank). I guess there are those chosen and those who are even more chosen. Meanwhile, there were large demonstrations demanding the Palestinian dueling authorities (in Ramallah and Gaza) stop political arrests.

And while our people are busy with local municipal elections, the Zionists intensify their assault on common decency. Avigdor Lieberman and over 100 settlers came to my town of Beit Sahour Thursday wanting to build a new colonial settlement in the area of Ush Ghrab to be called Shdema.

So now the local committee is re-emerging to try to deal with this new challenge. And today (Saturday) Israeli authorities discovered a fairly sophisticated unmanned drone that apparently was hovering in the Neqeb (Negev) area and shot it down.

That shook the Israeli public and showed that all the sophisticated military gear in the world will not protect you from such efforts. The world is changing and only justice to the native Palestinians can bring security and peace here. In this week's compilation of links below: evaluation of Zionism versus Judaism, BDS as key to just peace, Russell Tribunal on Palestine, Lutherans look at Israeli military, 5 broken cameras, why I dislike Israel, and why Oslo must go.

Very good analysis: A Basic History of Zionism and Its Relation to Judaism
By Hanna Braun.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12666.htm

BDS key to a "just peace," says Palestinian Christian boycott activist .
Joe Catron
http://electronicintifada.net/content/bds-key-just-peace-says-palestinian-christian-boycott-activist/11727

Russell Tribunal on Palestine: Live proceedings from New York
http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/sessions/future-sessions/videos/new-york-sessiom-live-stream

 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and other churches call for
investigation of military aid to Israel
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=5251

The documentary that should make every decent Israeli ashamed: No moments
of reprieve in the probing documentary by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, "5
Broken Cameras," which chronicles the struggle in the West Bank Palestinian
village of Bil'in. By Gideon Levy
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/twilight-zone/the-documentary-that-should-make-every-decent-israeli-ashamed.premium-1.468409

Giraldi: Why I Dislike Israel
http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/news/opinion-a-analysis/item/2012-giraldi-why-i-dislike-israel

Why Oslo Must Go
http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2636:why-oslo-must-go&catid=31:general&Itemid=41

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Chair, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People
Professor, occupied Palestine
World Social Forum Free Palestine http://www.wsfpalestine.net

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. He is author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle” and just published “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment.” Visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.