The internet is awash with Israelis claiming Israeli Arabs (they refuse to recognize their Palestinian heritage) live in peace and enjoy a better life than they would in any Arab country because they have all the same rights as Jewish citizens of their “democratic state”. This testimony is crucial in countering that propaganda.
I want to spread this letter far and wide but I also fear for your safety. The consequences for brave voices like yours are devastating. Thank you for speaking and sharing your truth.
Israeli citizens are fed 'propaganda' from day 1. They remind me myself when I was entirely relying on TV for the news ! When I started reading books about the conflict, I started understanding that this is not a complex issue, it is just a brutal occupation that must come to an end, one way (two-state solution) or another (one democratic state).
I have so much respect for Diana Buttu and people like her who are risking a lot to tell us what us happening to them and what's happening in Israel generally. I have the feeling that Israelis are one of the heavily propagandized people on this planet. I recently talked to a man who left Israel because he couldn't go on living there. He said, the indoctrination starts at a very young age and basically never stops.
I hope, Diana and her loved ones stay safe and are able to go on living their lives the way they want to! Even though I'm sure it is tough.
As I hit the "like" button on the post, I was thinking to myself, "there's nothing in this situation to like." What I'm saying with my "like" is that I'm supporting Diana and the thousands (perhaps even millions all over the world in other situations) like her who are stuck in a beyond untenable situation, who are hostages in their own lands, who are repressed, subjugated, and denied basic rights that we have taken for granted here in the United States for the past several decades and that we are now seeing eroded right before our very eyes. Someone of faith might say "There but for the Grace of God go I," but I will say, "Rise up and fight fascism, or else we will be in a similar situation, and maybe, just maybe, if we can fight fascism here, we can also lead the way for other to do so, too, and provide them the means to do so." I can only hope that our collective voices finally reach the ears of the policy makers, and they decide to make a change away from supporting a genocide.
Thank you. I've never read or heard anything regarding the POV of Palestinians living in Israel. It sounds very similar to our Black population during the Jim Crow era.
I had the same thought when I saw a video on Twitter. Israeli Forces personnel swaggered into a shop, like they thought they were god, bullied a little boy & blocked a woman (presumably his mother) when she tried to intervene. The video had no sound (it looked like it was from the store's security camera), but you could see them shouting at the boy, shouting at the woman, and tearing the boy's shirt off, before finally leaving.
The people looked as though they had just been terrorized by rabid dogs, or an angry bear, that they couldn't possibly understand in human terms. It was just so clear that there was nothing that Israeli Forces wanted from them, except to "put them in their place" — and nothing that they could possibly do to avoid Israeli Forces' violent malice — that my subconscious filled in the lack of audio, with a southern drawl.
I salute Diane Buttu's resilience and humanity, especially in the face of adversity, open vitriol and hatred. She should not be "grateful" for being "allowed" to live in her own land. She's living proof of the power of the Palestinian People, and the Human Spirit. Free Palestine.
After Oct 7, the world has witnessed the brutality of the Israelites. The likes of Gideon Levy and his humanity are in the minority. The next time they make a song and dance about the crime of the Nazis and antisemitism, the discerning people will raise their eyebrows in disbelief. The fact that the Arab leaders are just taking the back seat as genocidal drama is unfolding is the mother of disbelief.
They will wake up only when more Americans are exposed to information like this. The Israeli narrative dominates in the US and most Americans have no idea about the treatment of Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Regarding Gaza, most Americans believe the Israeli propaganda that Israel is doing everything they can to hold down civilian casualties and that the deaths of innocents are inevitable because "Hamas hides among civilians." When most Americans see or read about the protesters in the US, they misconstrue it as support for Hamas and what Hamas did on October 7. Many don't distinguish between Hamas and the average Palestinian. Information like this article needs to get a much larger audience in the US.
It’s like bubbles of denial are popping here in the US and worldwide revealing the ugly truths of democracy, justice and human rights in catastrophic decline. The US has supported anti democratic movements throughout the world for decades to rape, pillage and plunder for corporations benefit. It’s not like what we’re now witnessing happened overnight. It’s just become impossible to look away for those who still have eyes.
We are all human beings living on this planet. But we frequently condition people to have certain negative perceptions of others so we can feel better about ourselves. We don’t seem to understand that by putting down and dehumanizing others, we implicitly are giving the green light for others to do the same to us. This is never ever right and always heartbreaking to me, as it should be to all. Although we live in the 21st century, our actions our more in line with earlier eras which suggests we as human beings are not quick learners. Let us hope that any remedial learning we must go through will not be our demise.
This genocide is about to get a whole lot worse with the Rafah invasion. Joe Biden said this was his “red line” several weeks ago. Anyone remember? We’ll see if he does anything—I highly doubt it
Joe Biden is an enthusiastic participant in Israel's genocide. There is no "red line"; all there is, is a series of lies, with which to insult the American public's intelligence.
I agree. There's no way to "get through to" him, because he's not genuinely confused. He conflates being anti-genocide with being "antisemitic," just as cynically & dishonestly as every other lying, genocide-pushing, zionist.
There's no way to reason with someone who's intentionally, mass-murderously, criminal.
A lot of people won't allow themselves to see just how deeply immoral Joe Biden is. Maybe they can't face the implications — for the US & for the world — of being trapped between a fascist and a genocidal place. But we have to confront reality as it is, not as we wish it were.
It's reassuring to see people like you, who are realistic about what you can expect from him, but a lot of people are very slow to wake up, and some simply refuse to.
When people say Joe is too old . . . I think he is a fossil of the film "Exodus"era. He cannot see what he does not want to see; he cannot hear what he does not want to hear; he cannot learn what he does not want to learn. His precious assumptions must not be challenged with new information. He will go down in history beside LBJ . . . all the progressive domestic policies overshadowed by the specter of his Vietnam, Gaza.
"Together we will win." What do they think they are winning? They already lost.
Someone needs to clue Netanyahu and the Israelis to the truth. Hamas already won. Netanyahu imagined he could obtain Arab Normalization without Palestinian Normalization, and that Israel would lead an axis in the region against Iran. He was delusional, and the "good buddy" policies of the US only fed that delusion.
Arab Normalization means two things: (1) Palestinian Normalization, i.e., a Palestinian state; and (2) Iran also gets Arab Normalization. The two states have been in a beauty contest for the last decade, and Israel just lost. It is now the ghoulish, fanged contestant. The only thing that can protect the Palestinians from genocide by Israel is sovereignty, a State of Palestine. And, it's in the best interest of all states inside and outside the region that the two competing axes establish a balance of power between them. Israel will not be a leader. If it persists down this path, it won't even exist much longer.
Israel lost this war, and it lost it badly. A lot of people in Gaza needlessly died and suffered for it, but extending the Israeli pogrom against them will not change the result, it will only cause the US and EU to be more complicit than they already are in Israel's genocide, and it will tear apart whatever shreds are left of American democracy.
The internet is awash with Israelis claiming Israeli Arabs (they refuse to recognize their Palestinian heritage) live in peace and enjoy a better life than they would in any Arab country because they have all the same rights as Jewish citizens of their “democratic state”. This testimony is crucial in countering that propaganda.
I want to spread this letter far and wide but I also fear for your safety. The consequences for brave voices like yours are devastating. Thank you for speaking and sharing your truth.
Israeli citizens are fed 'propaganda' from day 1. They remind me myself when I was entirely relying on TV for the news ! When I started reading books about the conflict, I started understanding that this is not a complex issue, it is just a brutal occupation that must come to an end, one way (two-state solution) or another (one democratic state).
I have so much respect for Diana Buttu and people like her who are risking a lot to tell us what us happening to them and what's happening in Israel generally. I have the feeling that Israelis are one of the heavily propagandized people on this planet. I recently talked to a man who left Israel because he couldn't go on living there. He said, the indoctrination starts at a very young age and basically never stops.
I hope, Diana and her loved ones stay safe and are able to go on living their lives the way they want to! Even though I'm sure it is tough.
As I hit the "like" button on the post, I was thinking to myself, "there's nothing in this situation to like." What I'm saying with my "like" is that I'm supporting Diana and the thousands (perhaps even millions all over the world in other situations) like her who are stuck in a beyond untenable situation, who are hostages in their own lands, who are repressed, subjugated, and denied basic rights that we have taken for granted here in the United States for the past several decades and that we are now seeing eroded right before our very eyes. Someone of faith might say "There but for the Grace of God go I," but I will say, "Rise up and fight fascism, or else we will be in a similar situation, and maybe, just maybe, if we can fight fascism here, we can also lead the way for other to do so, too, and provide them the means to do so." I can only hope that our collective voices finally reach the ears of the policy makers, and they decide to make a change away from supporting a genocide.
We have to reframe the "like" hearts to mean "I am bearing witness."
I’ve been thinking the same thing about liking posts on Instagram that show the horrors of what’s happening in Gaza.
Thank you. I've never read or heard anything regarding the POV of Palestinians living in Israel. It sounds very similar to our Black population during the Jim Crow era.
I had the same thought when I saw a video on Twitter. Israeli Forces personnel swaggered into a shop, like they thought they were god, bullied a little boy & blocked a woman (presumably his mother) when she tried to intervene. The video had no sound (it looked like it was from the store's security camera), but you could see them shouting at the boy, shouting at the woman, and tearing the boy's shirt off, before finally leaving.
The people looked as though they had just been terrorized by rabid dogs, or an angry bear, that they couldn't possibly understand in human terms. It was just so clear that there was nothing that Israeli Forces wanted from them, except to "put them in their place" — and nothing that they could possibly do to avoid Israeli Forces' violent malice — that my subconscious filled in the lack of audio, with a southern drawl.
Pure E V I L !! A country full of lunatics. Thanks to the blind support of the “civilized” West.
I salute Diane Buttu's resilience and humanity, especially in the face of adversity, open vitriol and hatred. She should not be "grateful" for being "allowed" to live in her own land. She's living proof of the power of the Palestinian People, and the Human Spirit. Free Palestine.
After Oct 7, the world has witnessed the brutality of the Israelites. The likes of Gideon Levy and his humanity are in the minority. The next time they make a song and dance about the crime of the Nazis and antisemitism, the discerning people will raise their eyebrows in disbelief. The fact that the Arab leaders are just taking the back seat as genocidal drama is unfolding is the mother of disbelief.
When will US foreign policy wake up to the reality of this insanity?
They will wake up only when more Americans are exposed to information like this. The Israeli narrative dominates in the US and most Americans have no idea about the treatment of Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Regarding Gaza, most Americans believe the Israeli propaganda that Israel is doing everything they can to hold down civilian casualties and that the deaths of innocents are inevitable because "Hamas hides among civilians." When most Americans see or read about the protesters in the US, they misconstrue it as support for Hamas and what Hamas did on October 7. Many don't distinguish between Hamas and the average Palestinian. Information like this article needs to get a much larger audience in the US.
It’s like bubbles of denial are popping here in the US and worldwide revealing the ugly truths of democracy, justice and human rights in catastrophic decline. The US has supported anti democratic movements throughout the world for decades to rape, pillage and plunder for corporations benefit. It’s not like what we’re now witnessing happened overnight. It’s just become impossible to look away for those who still have eyes.
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
We are all human beings living on this planet. But we frequently condition people to have certain negative perceptions of others so we can feel better about ourselves. We don’t seem to understand that by putting down and dehumanizing others, we implicitly are giving the green light for others to do the same to us. This is never ever right and always heartbreaking to me, as it should be to all. Although we live in the 21st century, our actions our more in line with earlier eras which suggests we as human beings are not quick learners. Let us hope that any remedial learning we must go through will not be our demise.
Thanks for publishing Palestinian voices, a pin point of light in the darkness of US media.
This genocide is about to get a whole lot worse with the Rafah invasion. Joe Biden said this was his “red line” several weeks ago. Anyone remember? We’ll see if he does anything—I highly doubt it
Joe Biden is an enthusiastic participant in Israel's genocide. There is no "red line"; all there is, is a series of lies, with which to insult the American public's intelligence.
Today he once again denounced the student protests as “antisemitic” and violent. There’s no getting through to him.
I agree. There's no way to "get through to" him, because he's not genuinely confused. He conflates being anti-genocide with being "antisemitic," just as cynically & dishonestly as every other lying, genocide-pushing, zionist.
There's no way to reason with someone who's intentionally, mass-murderously, criminal.
A lot of people won't allow themselves to see just how deeply immoral Joe Biden is. Maybe they can't face the implications — for the US & for the world — of being trapped between a fascist and a genocidal place. But we have to confront reality as it is, not as we wish it were.
It's reassuring to see people like you, who are realistic about what you can expect from him, but a lot of people are very slow to wake up, and some simply refuse to.
When people say Joe is too old . . . I think he is a fossil of the film "Exodus"era. He cannot see what he does not want to see; he cannot hear what he does not want to hear; he cannot learn what he does not want to learn. His precious assumptions must not be challenged with new information. He will go down in history beside LBJ . . . all the progressive domestic policies overshadowed by the specter of his Vietnam, Gaza.
This is outrageous
"Together we will win." What do they think they are winning? They already lost.
Someone needs to clue Netanyahu and the Israelis to the truth. Hamas already won. Netanyahu imagined he could obtain Arab Normalization without Palestinian Normalization, and that Israel would lead an axis in the region against Iran. He was delusional, and the "good buddy" policies of the US only fed that delusion.
Arab Normalization means two things: (1) Palestinian Normalization, i.e., a Palestinian state; and (2) Iran also gets Arab Normalization. The two states have been in a beauty contest for the last decade, and Israel just lost. It is now the ghoulish, fanged contestant. The only thing that can protect the Palestinians from genocide by Israel is sovereignty, a State of Palestine. And, it's in the best interest of all states inside and outside the region that the two competing axes establish a balance of power between them. Israel will not be a leader. If it persists down this path, it won't even exist much longer.
Israel lost this war, and it lost it badly. A lot of people in Gaza needlessly died and suffered for it, but extending the Israeli pogrom against them will not change the result, it will only cause the US and EU to be more complicit than they already are in Israel's genocide, and it will tear apart whatever shreds are left of American democracy.
Thank you for sharing this important perspective!