One of the most useful aspects of the Internet is its ability to present information that hasn’t been censored or passed through official filters, allowing you to see both sides of an issue and then make up your own mind. This is why the Internet is under attack from many governments – because it’s the only truly uncensored medium left that allows you find out what is really happening on the global stage.
A case in point is the current ‘situation’ in the Middle East. On TV and in print, you’ve mostly received the ‘official’ view. Watching CNN doesn’t count anymore either because US military censors are in place in CNN’s control room. (The US Department of Defence has been planting false news stories and propaganda in the overseas media to help its so-called ‘War on Terror’ cover story – reported on MSNBC on February 19, 2002.) It’s funny you never heard about it, isn’t it?
So, pretty much all you’ve got left is the Internet for multi-faceted information on breaking news. Here’s a collection of sites detailing the origins of Israel, some of the recent history and eyewitness reports about what’s going on now. You decide…
Let’s start simply – here’s a long but informative account by a visitor to Israel in 1949 – a year after the state of Israel had been created (thanks, in part, to a vicious terrorist campaign against the British). Israel: Young Blood and Old. And then for a slightly academic look at what happened next, How The Arabs Lost Their Land.
Now take a look at a map of Palestine as it was in 1947, before the British gave it away, Palestine 1947. And then there’s a map detailing Jewish owned land, also in 1947. The next step in the process – look at the dots on a map detailing the towns that the Israeli’s deliberately depopulated/ethnically cleansed and destroyed in 1948.
So thanks to this ethnic cleansing, a refugee problem began (which continues today) with millions living in refugee camps outside of their former country. Remember, although they’re called ‘refugee camps’ – given that people have been living in them for decades – they are mostly regular towns with streets, buildings and amenities. Forget the mental image you may have of rows of tents – we’re talking small cities and villages. Refugee 101. Here’s an interesting speech transcript, giving the Arab perspective of the refugee problem at Fateh Online, then Camps in Jordan and Camps in Lebanon.
One of the deliberate tactics Israel has used, is to try and combine ‘being Jewish’ with Israel itself – implying that any criticism of Israel is ‘anti-Semitism’. This self-serving strategy has helped the Israelis repeatedly over the years. Take a look at an article on the controversy of history textbooks, which showed the simple truth and which Israel decided was anti-Semitic. Who Teaches What History.
And a Jerusalem Post story – Indoctrination of Our Youth. Then try this interesting look by the Media Monitoring Network entitled – Whitewashing Israeli Terrorism.
Many of the refugee camps for the displaced Palestinians have – not surprisingly – become centres for resistance to Israel’s policies. So Israel has repeatedly invaded camps both inside and beyond its borders and committed what can best be described as gross human rights violations. Be warned, the pictures are extremely graphic. The following pages give a tiny insight into why relatively unarmed men, women and children are willing to face one of the most sophisticated armies in the world. To start with, here’s a list with details of just some of the reported Israeli massacres, genocide in Lebanon, massacres, more massacres. Try this picture of Israeli soldiers having their picture taken with a dead body. Read survivor testimony after the Israeli massacre at Sabra and Shatila. And here’s a human rights page, also dealing with that massacre – Human Rights Watch.
And that old adage about “those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it” seems to be coming true in Israel – read From The Warsaw Ghetto to the West Bank. Remember that Israel has legalised torture, detention without trial, and a network of detention centres – concentration camps by another name – where more than 1 000 Palestinians have recently ‘disappeared’.
Israel has a large overt and covert presence in the US – the covert side became visible recently as I showed previously at The US Israeli Spy Ring. But this works both ways: here’s an oldish but still valid article on US influence in Israeli politics. Also take a look at Israel and the US and 10 Things to Know about US Policy in the Middle East.
According to the UN Commissioner General, the Israeli army has destroyed more than 2 500 homes, deliberately damaged 185 ambulances and wounded more than 122 doctors so far. For a glimpse of the reality now, read this report by the UN. To read articles by people who are in Bethlehem and the occupied territories, go to Palestine Chronicle (read the article entitled “Accompanying Ambulances in Bethlehem”), Eyewitness Report from Ramallah, Under Fire in Ramallah and Bodies of the Dead Rot in Bethlehem.
More and more Jewish people are waking up to what their country has become, and are refusing to serve in Israel’s armed forces. Read this letter from one of the ‘refuseniks’ – An Open Letter to American Jews. For breaking news – read The Palestinian Campaign and The Electronic Intifada. And finally to test your knowledge about Israel, try this Flash-enabled Middle East Quiz.
Until the next time… if people who can’t read don’t get me. Here is a picture:
Ian Fraser is a playwright, author, comedian, conspiracy nut, old-time radio collector and self-confessed data-junkie. Winner of numerous Vita and Amstel Awards, he’s been an Internet addict and games-fanatic since around 1995, when the Internet began to make much more sense than theatre.