Demo in Al-Walaja, September Legal Issues and More

Includes Call to Action to open the Rafah crossing.

Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh

(BETHLEHEM) - Yesterday for 3 hours, we had a standoff with Israeli soldiers who tried to prevent us from demonstrating.  

This demonstration on Saturday was the first after the Israeli court ruling legitimizes the theft of Al-Walaja land. The soldiers tried to stop the demonstrators with an outdated military order in Hebrew dated August 26, 2011.  

After this act of deceit was caught, the soldiers quickly produced a new military order but it too was no good carrying a date of August 28, 2011, a day after the demonstration.  The Israeli apartheid soldiers tried to prevent us but we got close to the illegal colony of Har Gilo.  

Four Israeli human rights advocates and one Palestinian who were merely expressing opinions were abducted. (video below)

The internet is abuzz about the September bid at the UN for an upgrade in the status of Palestine. There are many arguments on all sides being presented.

Even international legal experts differ, Guy Goodwin-Gill holds a very negative opinion about going to the UN while Francis Boyle a very positive one (Abdullah Abu Eid, a Palestinian legal expert holds a somewhat intermediary position). Some points are convincing to some of us and some not.

The discussions are getting intense but in actuality are coming a bit too late. It is not clear that the opinions offered will affect the course going forward since no mechanism exists for Mr. Mahmoud Abbas to seek and receive input in a democratic and open way. What would have helped would be an open democratic decision making process at the PLO. The Palestinian National Council should have been revived democratically as agreed to three times already in discussions between the factions.

If the PNC had been constituted, a real discussion among Palestinians would have happened that address these existential issues like whether to go to the UN or not and more importantly how to move before and after such events to ensure success regardless of the decision we collectively make.

No real discussion of these issues was possible or allowed in the structure of Oslo. It is that lack of rational and democratic decision making since Oslo (intentional) that really harms the cause of Palestine.

I think a similar issue exists in Libya. Many people are taking sides: pro Gaddafi or pro-"Transitional Council" (the rebel leadership). But neither really represents Libya or Libyan interests. Gaddafi is (was) a brutal eccentric dictator.

The rebel leadership is self-appointed (or worse appointed by Western Powers) and created a structure that used NATO to topple Gaddafi and seem to be moving in the direction of a Libya that would give Libya's oil to Western interests.

[Amazing video] Mother Earth: She's Alive... Beautiful... Finite... Hurting... Worth Dying for.

No democracy was allowed in Libya during transition so what makes us believe that it would be allowed after the transition to the new government.

Action: Call to open the Rafah crossing
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/385137/fb151193ac/1473008665/f8ad13b4a6/

KZYX Radio interview: Prof. Qumsiyeh comments critically on Palestinian statehood resolution; on PA's failure to consult PLO and the people themselves in decision making process; on negative consequences of Oslo agreement; how the status quo benefits military-dominated Israel; on importance of Palestinian refugee issue and its neglect by PA; on influence of Zionist lobby and its negative impact on US, e.g., billions in aid and war with Iraq; on positive prospects for Palestine in post-Mubarak Egypt http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/53987

Leaked documents: NATO mulls marriage with Apartheid Israel
http://electronicintifada.net/blog/david/nato-mulls-marriage-israel

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinejn.org
http://pcr.ps
http://IMEMC.or
http://www.alrowwad-acts.ps

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin is a Professor in Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities, Chairman of the Board, Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, pcr.ps. He has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine. 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. Those are just a small list, visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.