Welcome to Palestine

The following story paints a picture of life in occupied Palestine. We presented it here because we felt that many Americans are aware of Israeli suffering, but not as aware of the plight of the Palestinian people.

ake a minute to contemplate the following...

Imagine if 7 out of 10 people in this country are unemployed and you are one of them.

Imagine that you are second-class citizen in your own country, and you have no rights.

Imagine that every street you walk down has dozens of roadblocks patrolled by guards with machine guns -- specifically set up to keep tabs on people like you.

Imagine that one day you dress up in your nicest clothes to go to a job interview, but you have to walk through one of these roadblocks to get to your destination.

Imagine that your smiling young son decides to tag along with you as you are walking down the street.

Imagine that when, after waiting three hours at the roadblock, it is finally your turn in line and the guys with guns look at you and flick up your tie and humiliate you in front of your son.

They hit you on the back of the head and tell you to strip down in order for them to do a full body cavity search. Then they tell you for no apparent reason to turn around and go home because you cannot pass today.

How would you feel?

Imagine further that you return to your house and try to shake it off and try again tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it and there is no one to turn to for help.

Imagine later that afternoon you hear bull horns shouting commands and the guys with guns enter into your house and tell you to evacuate because they are going to tear down your house to make way for a new road, which as a second-class citizen, you will not be allowed to use.

You hear the crashing sounds of heavy machinery and you run to try and pick up some old family photos from atop the mantelpiece and you hear your daughter hysterically screaming because she is refusing to evacuate the house.

The guys with guns try and subdue her and drag her out of the house. You run outside of the house just in time to see the Caterpillar bulldozer plow into the side of the house that your family has lived in for generations.

(Watch an actual home demolition)

You are outside in the cold and your family is crying and looking to you for comfort. You look over at your son as he pleads for you to do something while he watches the bulldozer break through the wall to his bedroom.

Your son, filled with rage, picks up a rock and hurls it at the guys with guns and hits one of them in the head. They turn around and open fire on your son, killing him instantly. You have just lost your home, your son was killed before your eyes and you are left standing there as this bulldozer continues methodically clearing away your past as they get ready to build on your land which they now tell you has been confiscated.

Welcome to Palestine.

America's current support for Israel allows this to go on despite the fact that it is illegal according to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act and the Geneva Convention.

Also in this Issue:
Second-Class Citizens

Who Should You Believe?

What Do They Think of US?

Arabs & Israel

Full List of Articles