Just Say ´No´ To The Butcher Ariel Sharon

Just Say ´No´ To The
Butcher Ariel Sharon
By Judy Andreas
9-16-5

The Internet mailman brought me an interesting flier this week. The headline screamed:

"NEW YORK SAYS ´NO´ TO THE BUTCHER ARIEL SHARON!!!!"

The flier went on to announce a protest in front of the United Nations on Thursday, September 15, 2005. The reason for the protest was that Ariel Sharon was scheduled to speak, as an honored guest, before the General Assembly as part of the "World Summit."

An honored guest?????? On the twenty-third anniversary of the killing of thousands of Palestinian refugees at Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon under Sharon´s watch, is this what we are honoring? What an outrage!!

Why are we honoring a man who was responsible for the massacres of thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese? Why are we honoring a man who is dedicated to Palestinian eradication?

UN Resolution 194 guarantees all Palestinian refugees the right to return, and yet, Ariel Sharon refuses to implement this resolution. In addition, he has turned a deaf ear on countless other resolutions denouncing the Zionist occupation of Palestine. Ariel Sharon has continued his decades long campaign of brutality against the Palestinian Arab people.

So why is this man speaking at the UN? Why is he an honored guest? Was it because Joe Stalin had a previous engagement?

The flier continued, "From Qibya in 1952 to Sabra and Shatila in 1982 to Jenin in 2002, Ariel Sharon is a butcher and a war criminal who should be on trial at the Hague, not speaking before the General Assembly of the United Nations."

And so, on Thursday, September 15th, I joined approximately 70 other people at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, across the street from the United Nations. Several members of the ultra orthodox Jewish group, Neturei Karta stood by our side wearing buttons that said "A Jew not a Zionist." They handed out fliers condemning the state of Israel and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

We stood side by side, Palestinian Arabs, Jews and Christians chanting together.

"New York says ´NO´ to Sharon"

"Sharon - terrorist; Israel -terrorist"

A group of 10 opposing Jews gathered across from us waving a small American flag and yelling incoherently. They had a sign which stated "Gaza surrender endangers lives."

"WHOSE lives, gentlemen?

Anyone who bothers to look beyond the histrionics of the Gaza disengagement knows that it is just another attempt at "pacification." It is a myth; a pretext. It is a charade like the Camp David Accords, in which the Israeli´s are portrayed as generous and the Palestinians are depicted as too demanding.

So what is really happening? Emily Gharabally writes in Al-Awda, a newspaper of the voices of resistance, that Gaza remains an open-air prison. Israel will continue to serve as an occupying power maintaining military and economic control. Gaza´s airspace, coastal waters and even international borders will continue to be controlled by the Israelis. Access to Gaza´s natural resources such as water, gas, electricity and fuel will all be controlled by the Israelis, forcing Gazans to do business through Israel even when Israel charges the Palestinians among the highest trade prices in the world. A community with poverty rates close to 70% becomes indebted to the very state that created such a hazardous economic situation.

Al-Awda chillingly emphasizes that Zionist military forces will surround the borders of Gaza, ready for an attack at any time, and, pledged to assault the Palestinians of Gaza in yet another attempt to stifle Palestinian resistance; this time without the presence of Zionist settlers to concern themselves about.

It is truly amazing that the Palestinians have resisted and struggled for liberation despite over 57 years of assaults upon their existence. They have withstood home demolitions and bombing raids. And, most importantly, let us not forget that the construction of settlements in an occupied territory should never have occurred in the first place. However, the colonization of Gaza is only one segment of the overall illegitimate colonization of Palestine.

Forgive my ignorance, but I have never been able to figure out how one group of people can lay claim to land that another group of people is inhabiting. (Perhaps, if he were available, Chris Columbus could explain this to me)

I used to teach piano lessons in scenic Saddle River New Jersey. For those of you who are not familiar with Saddle River, visualize mansions with swimming pools, tennis courts and ample acreage; opulently obscene.

I wonder what would have happened if one day I had walked into a home with a scroll of parchment on top of my sheet music. What if I had presented my student´s parents with the scroll and told them that God had given me their mansion and that their family had to relocate. "After all, it says so right here on this paper, in God´s very own handwriting."

Is that the way things work? Do the people with the biggest weapons get rewarded with land? Do the people with the smallest consciences get rewarded with land? Survival of the shiftiest?

The human race is over and the winner is depravity. Fema workers can get away with singing repulsive jingles in New Orleans as they cheer on the death and drowning of their Black brethren. (yes, boys, I said "brethren" as in "What you do to the least of My brethren, you do to Me.")

Recently, Pat Robertson, who is known to some as a "man of God," suggested that America should murder the President of Venezuela. Er Pat, you might try checking that book you thump. I am sure that somewhere inside, it says, "Thou shalt not kill." I am sure that somewhere inside, it says "Love thy enemies." Please do not misunderstand me, dear readers. I do not consider Hugo Chavez an enemy, but obviously "Pious Pat" does. What confounds me is why Pat has not, as of yet, been institutionalized. I certainly know a terrorist when I see one.

We have entered a new period of darkness on Planet Earth. American Imperialism appears to be the fastest spreading disease on the planet. People are afraid to venture into certain areas of discussion. Fear of reprisal has whited out The First Amendment.

Look around you. Listen to the comments of your fellow Americans. Racism is not an endangered species. Criticism and hate speech are alive and well. It merely depends upon which group is the recipient of your comments.

If you express your desire to kill Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghanis and Iranians, go right ahead. Uncle Sam wants YOU !!!!

Copyright 2005: Judy Andreas
[email protected]
www.judyandreas.com