1 - Editorial: Palestinian Statehood is NO Liberation
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The Balfour Declaration as Foundation of the Present Crisis-

On November 2, 1917, the government of the British throne issued the
infamous Balfour Declaration promising a homeland for the Jews in
Palestine.

This was before Hitler rose to power in Germany, and before Crystal
Night even. But it was long after Britain and other European
colonialists resolved to thwart any emerging Arab political unity while
signing in the meantime, with glib Arab allies like Sherrif Hussein,
agreements to the contrary.

Hence Britain, which was occupying Palestine and other Arab territory at
the time, decided to allow a Jewish state to descend upon the Holy Land,
not out of sheer spite for the indigenous Palestinians, but because of
the strategic location of Palestine at the intercontinental cross-roads
between Asia and Africa.  Take Palestine, and you take out the heart:
The Asian and African wings of the Arab (and Muslim) world are thus
separated.

Indeed, Palestinians paid the highest price for the Zionist project
infesting their land, but the real target was the political power of
Arabs and Muslims.  The Jewish invaders were only the tool and the
smoking gun.  It is in that sense that the sheer existence of "Israel"
contributes to keeping us divided and politically backward, with lots of
help of course from friendly dictators and their benevolent mukhabarat.

The Balfour Declaration is the Spirit of the Oslo Agreement-

The blunt colonialism of the first part of the Twentieth Century gave
way to neocolonialism, which then gave way to the more sophisticated New
World Order.  However, the ancient colonial objectives and bloodshed
(ask Iraqi children) remained the same.

Today the occupation of Palestine complements the criminal unjust
sanctions against Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Iran, and potentially Syria. The
purpose is still to subjugate our people and usurp their resources under
disguises like 'restoring democracy to Kuwait', when in fact Kuwait
itself is also targeted.

But upon having to come to grips with the inevitable reality that
Palestinian resistance to the Zionist occupation isn't going to just
vanish with time, the pragmatic managers of the New World Order sought
to diffuse our indestructible urge to be free into harmless alternatives
to liberation that are:

1)consistent with the New World Order and its current power structure,

2)consistent with "Israel"'s need to gradually pass from old-style
Zionism which already accomplished most of its objectives, to new-style
Zionism that refurbishes some Palestinian entity (call it a state or a
stake if you like), that serves as a springboard to pounce politically
and economically unto farther Arab markets and resources.

Many well-meaning Palestinians and Arabs have been taken in by this
ostensibly honorable slogan of 'real Palestinian statehood', with lots
of encouragement from westernized liberals and agencies like MER.

In the case of the PLO leadership, the objective of liberation was
dropped for this amorphous (but realistic!) Palestinian stake. Then
that was dropped for the right to be "the sole legitimate representative
of the Palestinian people".  But from behind the representatives back, a
silly self-autonomy was negotiated in Oslo which turned out to be
completely bogus.

Yes, that is what happens to those who abandon the basic principles
ingrained in the unamended Palestinian National Charter, regardless of
good intentions.  Because capitulation is a habit and a mentality, not
one lone act.  And resistance also is a mentality and a habit.

Therefore, it is ridiculous to oppose Oslo, without opposing all that
which led to it from the Balfour Declaration to Resolution 242, to the
Madrid Conference which was held in 1991 after the second Gulf war and
collapse of the bygone U.S.S.R.

A Palestinian mini- or quasi-entity is NO liberation.  Liberation is to
completely reverse the physical manifestations of the Balfour
Declaration, not a slick 'take two-percent better than nothing'!!

But to those disbelievers and naysayers in our midst, we should say look
at the former U.S.S.R. and the Shah of Iran!  Only one year before their
doom none would have believed that their pending collapse was
'realistic', but those who sow the wind shall reap the storm..

                                       The Free Arab Voice

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2) Me & The airport: (One of the cases):
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Reflections on the Daily Meaning of Being Palestinian-

Sometime between 1987 and 1989, I can't remember exactly when,
I was travelling from the US to Saudi Arabia. At the time, I was
carrying a Lebanese look-a-like passport for Palestinian refugees.

That was in a way a ticket to thrill rides on the byways of airports,
and the highways of reality.

After answering the naive ?'s, I was asked to get in with
my bags to a room behind the agent's counter. There, they searched
the two bags I was carrying (which normally didn't happen to other
passengers), and then my handbag.

I was asked if I needed anything from that bag before I was to board the
plane. I wasn't sure why they were asking, but it turned out that they
wanted to tape the bag so that I won't be able to open it, and
presumably put weird objects in its belly.

So anyways, they taped the thing. Then I went to the departure area
and two friends of mine went in with me from a different route (for
security reasons of course!).

Inside, as I was flexing my agitated nerves, I noticed a lady
frisking me with her eyes. For a minute there, my machoism kicked
in, only to realize that she was neither admiring my physique, nor
was she intrigued, but rather was simply following instructions to keep
me under a close watch, till I board the iron bird.

I told my friends that I was being watched, they didn't buy it! At
that point, I decided what the hell, I am waiting for the plane here,
I have a 13-something hours of flying, so let's have some FUN...

I started circulating the airport (of-course, my guardian angel
was on my tail). After a few spins, my friends were convinced that
in fact, I was (and consequently they were) being watched.

Few more spins, a switch took place. The new comer was a heavy-
weight, so I decided to enroll her in a natural diet plan,
courtesy of ! Toufic Health Inc -!

Again, after a few spins, I noticed that she was having a hard time
catching her breath, so I decided to go for the kill, I gave my bag
to one of my friends and told him to go in an opposite direction to
myself, which he did.

I can't really describe it in words, but she literally froze in
her place and I honestly felt that she was about to get a heart
attack or something. Knowing the typically naive & racist mentality,
and the zillion ways she could have misinterpreted what just had
happened, I decided to end the whole thing (though it was fun).

I just went up to her. She started acting stupid.  I said listen: "I
have 45 minutes left before I board the plane. Why don't I leave this
bag with you so that you could watch it while you sit?". She goes
(breathing heavily):" Hhh! Hhh! . . I can't, I have to watch you too?".
Looking at her face and the shape she was in, I said: " Fine, why don't
we all sit here?!", and we all did.

We ended up (me, her, and my friends) having a chat, during which
we (mostly they) questioned her motives, asking howcome bla . . bla.
Just before boarding the plane, I think she said in a low-toned voice 'I
am sorry' or something like that.

To be honest, it made no difference to me then. Up to this day actually,
I have no idea why I asked her to sit down instead of carrying on with
the health plan till departure time.

The morale of the story though, in a weird way (remember I was around
18 at the time), she might have realized from what had taken place,
and the chat afterwards, that what she was doing was simply WRONG &
racist.

It might have swayed her judgment positively towards other Arabs that
she might have come across in some airport! Maybe?!.

To be frank, I don't necessarily subscribe to the far-reaching political
implications of that theory.  And in the light of the new airport
profiling systems, discrimination as a pattern against Arab passengers
would probably have to be handled differently today; 1989 is different
from 1997.

But oh well, it was worth a try in any case. So for your next
flight, watch out for the lady with the tape, and bonne-voyage.

Tawfic Abdul-Fattah

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3) Action Alert: Thank Mandella for His World Leadership
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                                              by Fedwa Wazwaz

What is a leader?

In this day and age, we hear and see a lot of self-acclaimed leaders,
who make dazzling speeches, and claim to hold the best morals,
especially before the camera, but who at a closer look, appear hollow
and lacking any support to their arguments.

A World Leader is not one that watches the majority of the world in
hunger, and plans and plots to steal their lunch money.

A World Leader is not one that incites division and hatred between the
nations of the world, for its own selfish profit.

A World Leader is not one that cries at the death of one child blown up,
and is unmoved by a genocide which is carried out by his forces and
allies.

Rather, that is a bully.

A World leader remains steadfast to his/her principles that he/she
believes in, and seeks world unity and harmony.

Recently, Nelson Mandela visited Libya despite powerful voices
persuading him not to do so.  They were interested in world division and
domination, but Mandela demonstrated his leadership by seeking instead,
world unity and harmony.

"Those who object to my visiting Libya have no morals, and I will
not join them because I have morals," Mandela proclaimed.

"Gadhafi is my friend. He helped us at a time when we were alone.
And the ones who are (trying) to stop us from coming here were helping
our enemies at that time."

Mandela, a true world leader called for an end to the embargo on Libya.

Let us support the good move of Nelson Mandela, by sending him a warm
thank you letter for his brave and moral move for world harmony and
unity.

Send a letter/email to:
president@anc.org.za

President Nelson Mandella
Embassy of South Africa
3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW.,
Washington, D.C. 20008
U.S.A.

Tel: (202) 232 - 4400
Fax: (202) 265 - 1607

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3) There's No Discrimination against Christians in the Holy Land
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   (from Al-quds net)


Dear Friends,

In response to the claims of discrimination against Christian
Palestinians, I'm a Christian Palestinian who lived all of her life in
Birzeit, Palestine, and I never felt that there's a problem between
Christians and Muslims in the Holy land.  I always felt that we are one
people.

And eventhough I have reservations on the Palestinian Authority (PA) in
other significant areas, it is only fair to acknowledge that the PA
since it came made Christians holidays official (like X-mas).  Also
Christians are allowed to miss work on Sunday morning.  In hiring
they're not discriminated against in the PA bureaucracy.

The PA didn't resolve a problem in that area either.  We never had that
problem before the PA came anyway, and we shouldn't allow Israeli
government attempts to create such a problem succeed, as hard as they
tried during and after the Intifada.

                                          Suhad Aranky
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A Cross-Roads Puzzle:

A wishy-washy Palestinian peacenik-type paced the sidewalk for hours
puzzling about whether or not he should go ahead and CROSS the street...

Why was he puzzling ?

Because he really really didn't want to offend the other side :)

                                                Hanzalah
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5- Speak Out against the Use of Secret Evidence against Arabs and
Muslims Residing in the U.S.A.

In the last few months, about a dozen Arabs residing in the U.S. were
detained on charges that neither they nor their lawyers are aware of.
In one case publicized recently by ADC and Dr. Hala Maksoud, Ali Termos
was arrested without a formal charge for about a year, then deported,
maybe because he gave a donation to an orphanage in South Lebanon where
his two little cousins were, that may have been somehow connected to
Hizbullah!@#$%^&*

This has become a tool in the hands of political opponents to oppress
and suffocate all pro-Arab activism or opinion in the U.S.  The range of
offenses deemed criminal by secret evidence is totally unconstitutional,
and unbefitting of a nation that prides itself on the pursuit of
liberty, human rights, and the rule of the law.

Tonight when you visit with your guy or lady friends, or when you TALK
to your relatives, tell them SECRET EVIDENCE IS NOT FAIR... SIMPLY
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. This should be easier action than usual because we
like to talk anyway :) Let's channel it into a good venue. And
eventhough many of us think that talk is not important, you'll be
surprised of the results when enough of us say THE SAME THING TOGETHER.
The soundless whisper turns into a deafening roar, electoral votes, and
campaign contributions withheld among other things.

Remember, you don't have to do much.  For now, at least JUST TALK to
those around you about the violation of the U.S. Constitution, racism,
and Zionism of using secret evidence to punish us for our political
beliefs or giving charity to orphanages back home.  See, the new laws
are meant to shut us up, so we won't.  We shouldn't.  Not before those
who justify every violation in the name of 'human rights'!  Speak out
wherever you can against the injustice of secret evidence, like the ADC,
and like Dr. Maksoud did from behind a microphone in Boston recently.
They did it and you can too.  One fine salute from the Free Arab Voice.

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