Nakba: That's not fair

The following poem is by a Palestinian poet named Iqbal Tamimi

That's not fair

In 1917
A man by the name of Balfour
From a very far land called Britain
Offered total strangers
Across oceans and shores
My homeland as a gift
He was not the owner of my country
Nor they have the right to be there
That was not fair


He said they were oppressed in Europe
And were treated very bad
We had nothing to do with his claims
He did not offer them part of his country
Yet he gave them everything we had
That was not fair


While the Ottomans were leaving Palestine
The British arrived
We were told the British mandate is there
To make sure peace prevail
But the British turned a blind eye
To the Jewish gangsters horrors
They were offered training and arms
By which they massacred our families
Wiping our villages from all the maps
And those who escaped death
The Zionists terrorised them
Forcing them to flee
That was not fair


The United Nations did not ask us what we think
They claimed the intention is to solve the conflict
They segmented my country on a platter
They gave the owners of the land the breadcrumbs
And gave the occupiers the biggest share
That was not fair


We became refugees
In our own home land
Mine fields, barbed wire and road blocks split us apart
My home became a headquarter
For the Israeli police
Total strangers from as far as Poland and Russia
Occupied our homes
Stolen our water and fruits
And imprisoned those who dared to declare
That they are not going to leave
That was not fair


In 1967
We were enjoying a day out
On the other side of the Jordan River
The Israeli army invaded the West Bank
Occupying our homes again
Rearranging our destiny
We were denied the right to go back
Forced to became second time refugees
Carrying on our shoulders
Our plight and despair
That was not fair


The good USA sent its aid
To both sides across the sea
The Israeli occupiers received
Rockets, tankers, planes and bombs
While the Palestinian refugees’ share
Was tents, biscuits and canned sardines
That was not fair


The secular politicians of the democratic West
Suddenly turned religious
When the Palestinian plight was discussed
They endorsed a racist God
Who says some of his children are chosen
And better than the rest
He gave them permission
To kill, maim and steal from their brothers
And use an iron fist
That was not fair


I am one of five million dispersed
People eye them with disgust
Frequently asked:
“why don’t you go home?”
Well…what can I say?
Your government approved kicking me out of my homeland
And forced you
To share your loaf of bread with me
Your media calls the freedom fighters terrorists
And the racist state a democracy
Turning a blind eye to thousands of Palestinians
Rotting inside Israeli jails
Palestinians in Gaza
Were starved to death
While the apartheid wall
And the illegitimate settlements
Are not challenged by the International Community
We are the legitimate owners of the land
Yet we were forced to shelter
In refugee camps for 63 years
Watching across the borders savages
Uprooting our trees
That is not fair


When Mary is forced
To go through 16 check points
Between Nazerath and Bethlehem
And still gives birth on the side of the road
For fabricated reasons of security
While the soldiers stand and stare
That is not fair


When children at schools
Do not know where Palestine is
Because Google forged the facts
Deleting its name from the maps
That is not fair


When I’m denied access to my home
And forced to move 56 times
Carrying my memories in my head
Knowing that I will never sleep
In my own bed
Or hang family pictures on a wall
That I can call mine
That is not fair


When the number of suitcases
Outnumbers the relatives who remained alive
When the number of true facts circulated
Are much less than those of lies
That is not fair


Here I am in exile alone
Lost everything I had
No family weddings to attend
No feasts to celebrate
My belongings are not that much
A mirror
To watch the grey invade my hair
And shreds of newspapers
Attributing the victims of terror
That is not fair

Zionists: Help Europe's population. Go back home.

For a population to remain stable, births should match deaths.

Furthermore, in order for population to sustain itself, a country needs at least a birthrate of 2.1. 

Looking at Europe, an estimate of the population put a figure of 726 million people in 2003. That number is projected to slump to 696 million by 2025.

European women, on average, seem to be putting off having their first child. The average woman has 1.5 children, significantly lower than the 2.1 rate needed for Europe's population to sustain itself.

In addition to fewer children being born, Europe's population is ageing. Italy alone is projected to have no more than 45 million people in 2050, with a disproportionate share of them being 65 years and over.

Europe's future doesn't look too bright. Unless governments decide to increase immigration levels, which seems unlikely due to xenophobia, the population will continue to age and there will not be enough children being born to replace them.

Which brings us to the next point: why not have Zionists who occupy Palestine move back to their homeland?

Before going any further, let me be clear: I am not referring to Jewish people who have lived in Palestine, prior to 1948. I am referring to the extreme Zionists who consider it permissible to expel millions of Palestinians from their homes, both Muslim and Christian.

After the end of WWII, the British government promised the Jewish people a "homeland" in Palestine. This document came to be known as the Balfour Declaration.

According to the British government at that time, for the sake of showing "sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations", it was perfectly okay to oust many Palestinians from their rightful homeland.

The United Nations, in Article 11, gives refugees the Right of Return- to return to their homeland. However, many Zionists and their supporters fail to acknowledge this. The full article reads as follows:

Article 11 reads:

Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

Wouldn't it be much simpler for Zionists to just pack up and go back home to Europe? After all, many of these Zionists who claim to be Jewish, actually aren't. Their ancestry can be traced back to Europe rather than from the Holy Land or any surrounding countries. 

It is interesting to note that a few weeks back, an article noted that many Israelis hold a second passport. You know... just in case of another intifada, or uprising, they can just pack up and go back home. 

It's a win-win for everyone if Zionists can go back home to Europe. Europe's population will increase and Palestinians, millions who have been barred from going back home for more than 63 years, can finally return.