By Dr. Mustafa al-Barghouti
Every time I accuse the Israeli Prime Minister with impudence, he becomes more impudent.
He reached a new level of impudence when he demanded the removal of all settlements, which is considered illegal by all international laws – an ethnic cleansing.
Natenyahu’s best technique is to lie and repeat lies in order to be believed. This is not a new strategy, as several dictators, fascists, and racist regimes used this method before, but they could not stop the truth from rising.
Everybody knows that the major ethnic cleansing took place in the region by Zionist gangs who forced over 70% of Palestinians to leave their homeland in 1948. Natenyahu cannot hide the truth of completing this cleansing against Palestinians in the valleys, around Jerusalem, and several areas in Hebron, most known is Susya village.
He also cannot deny that this army destroyed Al-Araqeeb village in Naqab over a hundred times. In addition to that, legions expelled us from the resistance villages like Bab-Shams, Ahfad Younis, Al Manateer, and Win Hijleh, although we built those villages on Palestinian lands.
Natenyahu’s government cannot justify banning people of Iqrit and Made Bir’im from returning to their homes despite them being Israeli nationals. There is no justification for banning people of Lifta, Emmaus, Yalu, and Beirut Nuba from the hope of returning to their destroyed villages.
400 Palestinian villages were destroyed by Israel who still wants to demolish more. This is the most repulsive ethnic cleansing in the 20th century and resulted in over six million Palestinian refugees around the world being prevented from returning.
Natenyahu and the Israeli government can continue describing themselves as the only democracy in the region, and say that it respects Human rights while it is the victim. However, this doesn’t disclaim the fact that Israel has the most longstanding occupation in recent history, as well as the most racist apartheid regime of this age.
Nevertheless, the historical experience of what happened in Palestine shows that the lax attitude with regards to falsifying history or overlooking it may turn Palestinians from victims into aggressors in the minds of those who are unaware of facts.
The Israeli media and its hermetic control helps in falsifying history, as it turns any lie told by Natenyahu or his minsters into propaganda and spreads it all over the world.
Two days ago, I had a look into a well-made handbook delivered to every Israeli passenger at the airport. It includes a very aggressive attack on the BDS movement and accuses it of anti-semetism. It also accuses the Palestinians of corruption and terrorism as they fail at every attempt to attain peace.
The handbook invited every Israeli passenger to be a spokesman of the spread of propaganda in order to blacken the reputation of Palestinians, no matter to what party they belong to.
The shameful thing is that the author is Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid from the opposition, who claims to be moderate.
In fact, we are facing a propagandist war against every Palestinian, and we have no choice but to stop it by confrontation and spreading the Palestinian version that relies on facts and information. This can only achieve success if it its governed by an organized awareness campaign.
(This article was published in Arabic by Safed. It was translated into English by The Palestine Chronicle.)
– Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.
