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MRN’s response to Israel’s ‘celebration’

The Media Review Network South Africa is a aware of the ‘celebrations’ related to the creation of the state of Israel taking place in the Gold Reef City area. It becomes impossible to ignore the blatant and grotesque arrogance of Zionist organisers placing the event in such close proximity to the Apartheid Museum.

As Israel continues to implement policies so reminiscent of Apartheid such as the segregation of bus lanes, house demolitions, the ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem of Palestinians and the infamous policies of administrative detention without charge; the location of this event is in keeping with the impunity with which the Israeli state conducts itself.

As Zionists celebrate the creation of the state of Israel it becomes impossible to ignore the fact that it was established on the ruins of villages such as Deir Yassin, Balad Esh-Sheikh and Sa’sa and on the bones of Palestinians massacred by Zionist forces. The King-Crane Commission of 1919 commissioned by then US President Wilson indicated that 90% of the inhabitants of Palestine were non-Jewish and against the establishment of an Israeli state. Furthermore, the Commission concluded that an Israeli State in Palestine would violate the Palestinian rights to self-determination and recommended that the Zionist movement find an alternative location. Despite the discontentment of the indigenous population and the knowledge that Palestinians would be robbed of their self determination, Israel was imposed on the indigenous Palestinian population.

The Gandhian approach towards Pakistan entailed that Gandhi accepted Pakistan as a fact but would never accept its legitimacy. Similarly, we recognise the fact that Israel exists despite being built on the ruins of Palestinian villages and the oppression of Palestinians; but we do not recognise its legitimacy. However, the concept of Israel as a state seems to be losing its relevance in the modern age as Israel continues with settlement construction and occupation which is effectively eliminating the two state solution and imposing a one state reality.

As the world becomes more aware of Israeli acts of brutality towards occupied Palestinians , it becomes impossible to celebrate the creation of a state that launches wars on a captive population that is starved, terrorised by Israeli militarism and blown into the stone age by Israeli firepower. It becomes impossible to celebrate the creation of a state that occupies a people and steals their land with an illegal Apartheid wall. And it becomes impossible to celebrate the occupation and dehumanisation of people whilst being in such close proximity to the memory of our own dehumanisation located at the Apartheid Museum.

Zaakir Ahmed Mayet

Chairman of the Media Review Network

MRN