By Dr Gideon Polya
Some Palestinian friends in wonderful, peaceful but presently Covid-19 lockdown Melbourne, were considering celebrating International Falafel Day (12 June). The falafel is a delicious Palestinian and Middle Eastern delicacy that is a spicy, deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Apartheid Israel having stolen the whole country of Palestine has also appropriated the falafel as its own. On this account I wrote the Palestine Genocide poem “And Then They Stole The Falafel”.
My poem was inspired at several levels by the famous poem by anti-Nazi German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller and known in various forms by the key phrases “First they came..” and “Then they came for me” [1]:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
My Palestinian Genocide poem began its life as a huge List of things the racist Zionists had stolen but I was encouraged to trim it down, and make it scan as the Poem that is reproduced below.
And then they stole the falafel
The violent, lying Zionists stole
All of the ancient land of Palestine,
Three cities, hundreds of villages and towns,
An ancient land ethnically cleansed.
They stole the human rights of Palestinians,
Of Exiled Palestinians, Occupied Palestinians,
And of Israeli Palestinians living as oppressed
Third Class Citizens under race-based laws.
They stole the lives of two million Palestinians,
A hundred thousand dying violently, and
Over two million dying from imposed deprivation
In a Palestinian Holocaust and Palestinian Genocide.
They stole the futures of millions of children
Abusively imprisoned without charge or trial
In refugee camps, West Bank ghettoes,
And the blockaded Gaza Concentration Camp.
They stole the future of all the World’s children
Under threat from Israeli and other nuclear terrorism,
And stole free speech in Zionist-subverted
America, Britain, Canada and Australia.
They stole an ancient religion, Judaism,
Subverting humanism for evil state terrorism,
And the actual history of the non-Semitic Ashkenazim
And of other Jewish peoples around the world.
They stole the very name of Israel,
The ancient name of Torah-observant Jews,
And the religious language of Hebrew,
In the interests of Anglo-American imperialism.
They stole the ancient city of Al Quds,
The third holiest city for Muslims,
And backed America in the US-imposed, post-9-11
Muslim Holocaust and Muslim Genocide.
They stole the Jewish Israeli heritage
Of Berber, Arabic and Yiddish language,
And with evil America helped destroy
Aramaic-speaking societies from Palestine to Iraq.
They stole the flag of Apartheid Israel
From the innocent Greeks, with the Star of David
Stolen from anti-Zionist Orthodox Judaism;
Their national anthem they stole from Smetana.
They stole the reputations of anti-racist Jews,
And of all those opposed to genocide and Apartheid.
They stole the name of a hill facing the Mount of Olives,
Renaming it for genocidal psychopath Herzl.
And then they stole the falafel.
Gideon Polya, 31 May 2020
For those interested in the details and documentation of various aspects of the ongoing Palestinian Genocide the following “Stolen List” may be useful (key, wide-ranging references are [2-25]).
The mendacious, violent, thieving and genocidally racist Zionists stole
(1). the whole of the ancient land of Palestine,
(2). 3 cities (including Al Quds, or Jerusalem, the third holiest city for 1,600 million Muslims around the world),
(3). 400 villages and towns,
(4). the human rights of 14 million Indigenous Palestinians.
(5). all the human rights of 5 million Occupied Palestinians (removal of all human rights specified in the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) [26-28].
(6). the human rights of 7 million Exiled Palestinians,
(7). the human rights of 2 million ”lucky” Palestinian Israelis subject to over 60 Nazi-style, race-based laws [26, 27],
(8). the actual lives of 2.2 million Palestinians (0.1 million violent deaths, 2 million avoidable, premature deaths from imposed deprivation in the over 100 year, ongoing Palestinian Genocide),
(9). over 90% of the land of Palestine,
(10). the future of 1 million children highly abusively imprisoned without charge or trial in the Gaza Concentration Camp,
(11). the future of 1.5 million children imprisoned in West Bank ghettoes,
(12). the future of 3.5 million Palestinian refugee children,
(13). the future of all the World’s children (Apartheid Israel’s nuclear terrorism via its up to 400 nuclear weapons existentially threatens Humanity and the Biosphere) [29],
(14). effective free speech in Zionist-subverted countries (notably the US, UK , France, Canada and Australia [30-39),
(15). a religion (Judaism, subverted and thence appropriated by a genocidally racist ideology and a nuclear terrorist state) [40],
(16). the actual history of the non-Semitic, Khazar-derived, Eastern European Ashkenazim and indeed of all other Jews[ 40-45],
(17). the very name Israel (the collective originally describing Torah-observant Jews),
(18). the very language of Israel (stolen from use of Hebrew in religious observance in Judaism, with the variously Berber, Arabic and Yiddish of the colonists being “disappeared” in the interests of racist Zionism, oil, and Anglo-American imperialism),
(19). the flag of Apartheid Israel (the colour scheme and design concept from the Greek flag, and the Star of David from anti-Zionist Orthodox Judaism),
(20). the reputation and dignity of decent, anti-racist Jews and indeed of all people opposed to racism , genocide and Apartheid,
(21). the reputation and dignity of everyone in a silence-is-complicity Western World that supports nuclear terrorist, democracy-by-genocide Apartheid Israel and hence racism, genocide and Apartheid,
(22). the conscience of the West by promoting and participating in the US-imposed, post-9-11 Muslim Holocaust & Muslim Genocide (32 million Muslims killed dead from violence (5 million) or from deprivation (27 million), in 20 countries invaded by the US Alliance after the US Government’s 9-11 false flag atrocity (3,000 killed) that many science, architecture, engineering, aviation, military and intelligence experts conclude involved the US Government with some asserting Israel and Saudi involvement [33, 35],
(23). the name of an ancient hill facing the Mount of Olives and re-named Mount Herzl after genocidally racist psychopath Theodor Herzl (founder of genocidal Zionism) [46].
(24). the Israeli national anthem, the Hatikva (the theme of the Vltava, the River Moldau, in Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s beautiful symphonic poem, “My Country” (“Má vlast”) ) [47].
(25). and then they stole the falafel.
Final comments.
Decent anti-racist Jewish and non-Jewish people around the world must act (a) by informing everyone they can about the evil of Apartheid Israel and its ongoing Palestinian Genocide, and (b) by urging and applying Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against all people, politicians, parties, collectives, companies and countries complicit in these atrocities, as indeed were successfully applied against Apartheid in Apartheid South Africa.
All this evil was utterly avoidable as evidenced by successful multi-racial societies across the world from the Canada and the UK to Fiji. A clear, humane solution to the continuing human rights catastrophe in Palestine is a unitary state (one-state solution, bi-national state) as in post-Apartheid South Africa that would involve return of all refugees, zero tolerance for racism, equal rights for all, all human rights for all, economic decency for all, one-person-one-vote democracy, justice, goodwill, reconciliation, airport-level security, nuclear weapons removal, internationally-guaranteed national security initially based on the present armed forces, and untrammelled access for all citizens to all of Palestine. It can and should happen tomorrow [15].
And then they can all sit down and have falafels together.
References.
[1]. ”First they came…”, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_… .
[2]. Gideon Polya, “Apartheid Israel’s Palestinian Genocide & Australia’s Aboriginal Genocide compared”, Countercurrents, 20 February 2018: https://countercurrents.org/2018/02/20/apartheid-israels-palestinian-genocide-australias-aboriginal-genocide-compared/ .
[3]. Gideon Polya, “Israeli-Palestinian & Middle East conflict – from oil to climate genocide”, Countercurrents, 21 August 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/08/21/israeli-palestinian-middle-east-conflict-from-oil-to-climate-genocide/ .
[4]. Gideon Polya, “End 50 Years Of Genocidal Occupation & Human Rights Abuse By US-Backed Apartheid Israel”, Countercurrents, 9 June 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/06/09/end-50-years-of-genocidal-occupation-human-rights-abuse-by-us-backed-apartheid-israel/ .
[5]. Gideon Polya, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Palestinians. Apartheid Israel violates ALL Palestinian Human Rights”, Palestine Genocide Essays, 24 January 2009: https://sites.google.com/site/palestinegenocideessays/universal-declaration-of-human-rights-palestinians .
[6]. Gideon Polya, “70th anniversary of Apartheid Israel & commencement of large-scale Palestinian genocide”, Countercurrents, 11 May 2018: https://countercurrents.org/2018/05/70th-anniversary-of-apartheid-israel-commencement-of-large-scale-palestinian-genocide .
[7]. Gideon Polya, “COVID-19: Occupiers US, Australia & Apartheid Israel grossly violate Geneva Convention re conquered Subjects”, Countercurrents, 7 May 2020: https://countercurrents.org/2020/05/covid-19-occupiers-us-australia-apartheid-israel-grossly-violate-geneva-convention-re-conquered-subjects/ .
[8]. “Jews Against Racist Zionism”: https://sites.google.com/site/jewsagainstracistzionism/home .
[9]. “Non-Jews Against Racist Zionism”: https://sites.google.com/site/nonjewsagainstracistzionism/ .
[10]. “Boycott Apartheid Israel”: https://sites.google.com/site/boycottapartheidisrael/.
[11]. “Gaza Concentration Camp”: https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/gaza-concentration .
[12]. “Nuclear weapons ban, end poverty and reverse climate change”: https://sites.google.com/site/drgideonpolya/nuclear-weapons-ban .
[13]. “Palestinian Genocide”: https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/ .
[14]. Apartheid Israeli state terrorism: (A) individuals exposing Apartheid Israeli state terrorism, and (B) countries subject to Apartheid Israeli state terrorism.”, Palestinian Genocide: https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/apartheid-israeli-state-terrorism .
[15]. “One-state solution, unitary state, bi-national state for a democratic, equal rights, post-apartheid Palestine” : https://sites.google.com/site/boycottapartheidisrael/one-state-solution .
[16]. “Stop state terrorism” : https://sites.google.com/site/stopstateterrorism/ .
[17]. “State crime and non-state terrorism”: https://sites.google.com/site/statecrimeandnonstateterrorism/ .
[18]. John Dugard, “International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the crime of Apartheid”, Audiovisual Library of International Law: http://untreaty.un.org/cod/avl/ha/cspca/cspca.html .
[19]. UN Genocide Convention: http://www.edwebproject.org/sideshow/genocide.
[20]. Gideon Polya, “Israeli Jewish Nation-State Law enshrines Apartheid and genocidal racism”, Countercurrents, 24 July 2018: https://countercurrents.org/2018/07/24/israeli-jewish-nation-state-law-enshrines-apartheid-and-genocidal-racism/ .
[21]. United Nations, “Israel’s settlements have no legal validity, constitute flagrant violations of international law, Security Council reaffirms. 14 delegations in favour of Resolution 2334 as United States abstains”, 23 December 2016: https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm .
[22]. Gideon Polya, “Is UN Security Council Resolution 2334 the beginning of the end for Apartheid Israel?””, Countercurrents, 28 December 2016: https://countercurrents.org/2016/12/28/is-un-security-council-resolution-2334-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-apartheid-israel/ .
[23]. Gideon Polya, “Anti-racist Jewish humanitarians oppose Apartheid Israel & support UN Security Council Resolution 2334”, Countercurrents, 13 January 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/01/13/anti-racist-jewish-humanitarians-oppose-apartheid-israel-support-un-security-council-resolution-2334/ .
[24]. Gideon Polya, “Israelis kill 10 times more Israelis in Apartheid Israel than do terrorists”, Countercurrents, 1 March 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/03/01/israelis-kill-ten-times-more-israelis-in-apartheid-israel-than-do-terrorists/ .
[25]. Gideon Polya, “Gideon Polya: “Pro-Apartheid Israel Australian Labor Party scraps outstanding anti-Apartheid candidate, Melissa Parke”, Countercurrents, 17 April 2019: https://countercurrents.org/2019/04/pro-apartheid-israel-australian-labor-party-scraps-outstanding-anti-apartheid-candidate-melissa-parke/ .
[26]. Susan Abulhawa, “Israel’s “nation-state law” parallels the Nazi Nuremburg Laws”, Al Jazeera, 27 July 2018: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/israel-nation-state-law-parallels-nazi-nuremberg-laws-180725084739536.html .
[27]. “Discriminatory laws in Israel:, Adalah, https://www.adalah.org/en/law/index?page=4 .
[28]. “Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”, 12 August 1949: https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.33_GC-IV-EN.pdf .
[29]. Nuclear weapons ban, end poverty & reverse climate change”: https://sites.google.com/site/300orgsite/nuclear-weapons-ban .
[30]. Gideon Polya, “Australian xenophobia targets China but ignores huge Israeli subversion of Australia”, Countercurrents, 7 July 2018: https://countercurrents.org/2018/07/07/australian-xenophobia-targets-china-but-ignores-huge-israeli-subversion-of-australia/ .
[31]. “Subversion of Australia”: https://sites.google.com/site/subversionofaustralia/ .
[32]. Gideon Polya, “Apartheid Israel & pro-Apartheid US & Canada face word sanctions over Occupied Jerusalem”, Countercurrents, 20 December 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/12/20/apartheid-israel-pro-apartheid-us-australia-canada-face-world-sanctions-over-occupied-east-jerusalem/ .
[33]. Gideon Polya, “Paris Atrocity Context: 27 Million Muslim Avoidable Deaths From Imposed Deprivation In 20 Countries Violated By US Alliance Since 9-11”, Countercurrents, 22 November, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya221115.htm .
[34]. Gideon Polya, “Apartheid Israel & pro-Apartheid US & Canada face word sanctions over Occupied Jerusalem”, Countercurrents, 20 December 2017: https://countercurrents.org/2017/12/20/apartheid-israel-pro-apartheid-us-australia-canada-face-world-sanctions-over-occupied-east-jerusalem/ .
[35]. “Experts: US did 9-11”: https://sites.google.com/site/expertsusdid911/ .
[36]. Gideon Polya, “Refutation Of Mainstream-Accepted Racist Zionist Lies Behind Israel ‘s Gaza Massacres And Palestinian Genocide”, Countercurrents, 26 July, 2014: https://www.countercurrents.org/polya260714.htm .
[37]. Gideon Polya, “Dual Israeli citizenship & Zionist perversion of America, Australia , India and Humanity”, Countercurrents, 30 July 2017 : https://countercurrents.org/2017/07/30/dual-israeli-citizenship-zionist-perversion-of-america-australia-india-humanity/ .
[38]. Gideon Polya, “Racist Zionism and Israeli State Terrorism threats to Australia and Humanity”: https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/racist-zionism-and-israeli
[39]. Gideon Polya, “50 Ways Australian Intelligence Spies On Australia And The World For UK , Israeli And US State Terrorism”, Countercurrents, 11 December, 2013: https://countercurrents.org/polya111213.htm .
[40]. Neturei Karta, “Israeli Independence Day”: http://www.nkusa.org/activities/Statements/20090429IID.cfm .
[41]. Shlomo Sand, “The Invention of the Jewish People”, Verso, London, 2009.
[42]. Arthur Koestler, “The Thirteenth Tribe”.
[43]. Eran Elhaik, “Uncovering Ashkenaz, birthplace of Yiddish speakers”, The Conversation, 6 May 2016: https://theconversation.com/uncovering-ancient-ashkenaz-the-birthplace-of-yiddish-speakers-58355 .
[44]. Martin Richards et al, “A substantial prehistoric European ancestry amongst Ashkenazi maternal lineages”, Nature, 2013: http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/131008/ncomms3543/full/ncomms3543.html .
[45]. Gideon Polya, “Professor Stuart Rees awarded inaugural Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace prize by supporters of Palestinian human rights”, Countercurrents, 6 December 2018: https://countercurrents.org/2018/12/professor-stuart-rees-awarded-inaugural-jerusalem-al-quds-peace-prize-by-supporters-of-palestinian-human-rights/ .
[46]. Gideon Polya, “Zionist quotes re racism and Palestinian Genocide”, Palestinian Genocide : https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/zionist-quotes .
[47]. “Má vlast”, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1_vlast .
Dr Gideon Polya taught science students at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia for 4 decades. He published some 130 works in a 5 decade scientific career, most recently a huge pharmacological reference text “Biochemical Targets of Plant Bioactive Compounds” (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, New York & London , 2003).
31 May 2020
Source: countercurrents.org