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The Day of Shame

danmand

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Nov 28, 2003
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The Day of Shame
by URI AVNERY
On Bloody Monday, when the number of Palestinian killed and wounded was rising by the hour, I asked myself: what would I have done if I had been a youngster of 15 in the Gaza Strip?

My answer was, without hesitation: I would have stood near the border fence and demonstrated, risking my life and limbs every minute.

How am I so sure?

Simple: I did the same when I was 15.

I was a member of the National Military Organization (the “Irgun”), an armed underground group labeled “terrorist”.

Palestine was at the time under British occupation (called “mandate”). In May 1939, the British enacted a law limiting the right of Jews to acquire land. I received an order to be at a certain time at a certain spot near the sea shore of Tel Aviv in order to take part in a demonstration. I was to wait for a trumpet signal.

The trumpet sounded and we started the march down Allenby Road, then the city’s main street. Near the main synagogue, somebody climbed the stairs and delivered an inflammatory speech. Then we marched on, to the end of the street, where the offices of the British administration were located. There we sang the national anthem, “Hatikvah”, while some adult members set fire to the offices.

Suddenly several lorries carrying British soldiers screeched to a halt, and a salvo of shots rang out. The British fired over our heads, and we ran away.

Remembering this event 79 years later, it crossed my mind that the boys of Gaza are greater heroes then we were then. They did not run away. They stood their ground for hours, while the death toll rose to 61 and the number of those wounded by live ammunition to some 1500, in addition to 1000 affected by gas.

On that day, most TV stations in Israel and abroad split their screen. On the right, the events in Gaza. On the left, the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

In the 136th year of the Zionist-Palestinian war, that split screen is the picture of reality: the celebration in Jerusalem and the bloodbath in Gaza. Not on two different planets, not in two different continents, but hardly an hour’s drive apart.

The celebration in Jerusalem started as a silly event. A bunch of suited males, inflated with self-importance, celebrating – what, exactly? The symbolic movement of an office from one town to another.

Jerusalem is a major bone of contention. Everybody knows that there will be no peace, not now, not ever, without a compromise there. For every Palestinian, every Arab, every Muslim throughout the world, it is unthinkable to give up Jerusalem. It is from there, according to Muslim tradition, that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, after tying his horse to the rock that is now the center of the holy places. After Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem is the third holiest place of Islam.

For the Jews, of course, Jerusalem means the place where, some 2000 years ago, there stood the temple built by King Herod, a cruel half-Jew. A remnant of an outer wall still stands there and is revered as the “Western Wall”. It used to be called the “Wailing Wall”, and is the holiest place of the Jews.

Statesmen have tried to square the circle and find a solution. The 1947 United Nations committee that decreed the partition of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state – a solution enthusiastically endorsed by the Jewish leadership – suggested separating Jerusalem from both states and constituting it as a separate unit within what was supposed to be in fact a kind of confederation.

The war of 1948 resulted in a divided city, the Eastern part was occupied by the Arab side (the Kingdom of Jordan) and the Western part became the capital of Israel. (My modest part was to fight in the battle for the road.)

No one liked the division of the city. So my friends and I devised a third solution, which by now has become a world consensus: keep the city united on the municipal level and divide it politically: the West as capital of the State of Israel, the East as capital of the State of Palestine. The leader of the local Palestinians, Faisal al-Husseini, the scion of a most distinguished local Palestinian family and the son of a national hero who was killed not far from my position in the same battle, endorsed this formula publicly. Yasser Arafat gave me his tacit consent.

If President Donald Trump had declared West Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moved his embassy there, almost nobody would have got excited. By omitting the word “West”, Trump ignited a fire. Perhaps without realizing what he was doing, and probably not giving a damn.

For me, the moving of the US embassy means nothing. It is a symbolic act that does not change reality. If and when peace does come, no one will care about some stupid act of a half-forgotten US president. Inshallah.

So there they were, this bunch of self-important nobodies, Israelis, Americans and those in-between, having their little festival, while rivers of blood were flowing in Gaza. Human beings were killed by the dozen and wounded by the thousand.

The ceremony started as a cynical meeting, which quickly became grotesque, and ended in being sinister. Nero fiddling while Rome was burning.

When the last hug was exchanged and the last compliment paid (especially to the graceful Ivanka), Gaza remained what it was – a huge concentration camp with severely overcrowded hospitals, lacking medicines and food, drinkable water and electricity.

A ridiculous world-wide propaganda campaign was let loose to counter the world-wide condemnation. For example: the story that the terrorist Hamas had compelled the Gazans to go and demonstrate – as if anyone could be compelled to risk their life in a demonstration.

Or: the story that Hamas paid every demonstrator 50 dollars. Would you risk your life for 50 dollars? Would anybody?

Or: The soldiers had no choice but to kill them, because they were storming the border fence. Actually, no one did so – the huge concentration of Israeli army brigades would have easily prevented it without shooting.

Almost forgotten was a small news item from the days before: Hamas had discreetly offered a Hudna for ten years. A Hudna is a sacred armistice, never to be broken. The Crusaders, our remote predecessors, had many Hudnas with their Arab enemies during their 200-year stay here.

Israeli leaders immediately rejected the offer.

So why were the soldiers ordered to kill? It is the same logic that has animated countless occupation regimes throughout history: make the “natives” so afraid that they will give up. Alas, the results have almost always been the very opposite: the oppressed have become more hardened, more resolute. This is happening now.

Bloody Monday may well be seen in future as the day when the Palestinians regained their national pride, their will to stand up and fight for their independence.

Strangely, the next day – the main day of the planned protest, Naqba Day – only two demonstrators were killed. Israeli diplomats abroad, facing world-wide indignation, had probably sent home SOS messages. Clearly the Israeli army had changed its orders. Non-lethal means were used and sufficed.

My conscience does not allow me to conclude this without some self-criticism.

I would have expected that all of Israel’s renowned writers would publish a thundering joint condemnation while the shooting was still going on. It did not happen.

The political “opposition” was contemptible. No word from the Labor party. No word from Ya’ir Lapid. The new leader of the Meretz party, Esther Sandberg, did at least boycott the Jerusalem celebration. Labor and Lapid did not even do that.

I would have expected that the dozens of our brave peace organizations would unite in a dramatic act of condemnation, an act that would arouse the world. It did not happen. Perhaps they were in a state of shock.

The next day, the excellent boys and girls of the peace groups demonstrated opposite the Likud office in Tel Aviv. Some 500 took part. Far, far from the hundreds of thousands who demonstrated some years ago against the price of cottage cheese.

In short: we did not do our duty. I accuse myself as much as I accuse everybody else.

We must prepare at once for the next atrocity. We must organize for mass action now!

But what topped everything was the huge machine of brain-washing that was set in motion. For many years I have not experienced anything like it.

Almost all the so-called “military correspondents” acted like army propaganda agents. Day by day they helped the army to spread lies and falsifications. The public had no alternative but to believe every word. Nobody told them otherwise.

The same is true for almost all other means of communication, program presenters, announcers and correspondents. They willingly became government liars. Probably many of them were ordered to do so by their bosses. Not a glorious chapter.

After the day of blood, when the army was faced with world condemnation and had to stop shooting (“only” killing two unarmed demonstrators) all Israeli media were united in declaring this a great Israeli victory.

Israel had to open the crossings and send food and medicines to Gaza. Egypt had to open its Gaza crossing and accept many hundreds of wounded for operations and other treatment.

The Day of Shame has passed. Until the next time.
 

jcpro

Well-known member
Jan 31, 2014
24,673
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113
Yes, and I would do the same at 15... because it's exciting and dangerous. I can relate, I was among the kids throwing rocks at the riot cops in the old country. And got my ass kicked in the process, too. You take your chances, you pay the price.
 

nottyboi

Well-known member
May 14, 2008
22,447
1,325
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Yes, and I would do the same at 15... because it's exciting and dangerous. I can relate, I was among the kids throwing rocks at the riot cops in the old country. And got my ass kicked in the process, too. You take your chances, you pay the price.
So then you feel it would have been ok for them to blow you away I suppose. Perhaps you are right.
 

toguy5252

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2009
15,978
6,111
113
So then you feel it would have been ok for them to blow you away I suppose. Perhaps you are right.
Aren't you the one of the posters who has consistently branded members of the Irgun as terrorists and the Irgun as a terrorist organization?
 

PornAddict

Active member
Aug 30, 2009
3,620
0
36
60
The Day of Shame
by URI AVNERY
On Bloody Monday, when the number of Palestinian killed and wounded was rising by the hour, I asked myself: what would I have done if I had been a youngster of 15 in the Gaza Strip?

My answer was, without hesitation: I would have stood near the border fence and demonstrated, risking my life and limbs every minute.

How am I so sure?

Simple: I did the same when I was 15.

I was a member of the National Military Organization (the “Irgun”), an armed underground group labeled “terrorist”.

Palestine was at the time under British occupation (called “mandate”). In May 1939, the British enacted a law limiting the right of Jews to acquire land. I received an order to be at a certain time at a certain spot near the sea shore of Tel Aviv in order to take part in a demonstration. I was to wait for a trumpet signal.

The trumpet sounded and we started the march down Allenby Road, then the city’s main street. Near the main synagogue, somebody climbed the stairs and delivered an inflammatory speech. Then we marched on, to the end of the street, where the offices of the British administration were located. There we sang the national anthem, “Hatikvah”, while some adult members set fire to the offices.

Suddenly several lorries carrying British soldiers screeched to a halt, and a salvo of shots rang out. The British fired over our heads, and we ran away.

Remembering this event 79 years later, it crossed my mind that the boys of Gaza are greater heroes then we were then. They did not run away. They stood their ground for hours, while the death toll rose to 61 and the number of those wounded by live ammunition to some 1500, in addition to 1000 affected by gas.

On that day, most TV stations in Israel and abroad split their screen. On the right, the events in Gaza. On the left, the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

In the 136th year of the Zionist-Palestinian war, that split screen is the picture of reality: the celebration in Jerusalem and the bloodbath in Gaza. Not on two different planets, not in two different continents, but hardly an hour’s drive apart.

The celebration in Jerusalem started as a silly event. A bunch of suited males, inflated with self-importance, celebrating – what, exactly? The symbolic movement of an office from one town to another.

Jerusalem is a major bone of contention. Everybody knows that there will be no peace, not now, not ever, without a compromise there. For every Palestinian, every Arab, every Muslim throughout the world, it is unthinkable to give up Jerusalem. It is from there, according to Muslim tradition, that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, after tying his horse to the rock that is now the center of the holy places. After Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem is the third holiest place of Islam.

For the Jews, of course, Jerusalem means the place where, some 2000 years ago, there stood the temple built by King Herod, a cruel half-Jew. A remnant of an outer wall still stands there and is revered as the “Western Wall”. It used to be called the “Wailing Wall”, and is the holiest place of the Jews.

Statesmen have tried to square the circle and find a solution. The 1947 United Nations committee that decreed the partition of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state – a solution enthusiastically endorsed by the Jewish leadership – suggested separating Jerusalem from both states and constituting it as a separate unit within what was supposed to be in fact a kind of confederation.

The war of 1948 resulted in a divided city, the Eastern part was occupied by the Arab side (the Kingdom of Jordan) and the Western part became the capital of Israel. (My modest part was to fight in the battle for the road.)

No one liked the division of the city. So my friends and I devised a third solution, which by now has become a world consensus: keep the city united on the municipal level and divide it politically: the West as capital of the State of Israel, the East as capital of the State of Palestine. The leader of the local Palestinians, Faisal al-Husseini, the scion of a most distinguished local Palestinian family and the son of a national hero who was killed not far from my position in the same battle, endorsed this formula publicly. Yasser Arafat gave me his tacit consent.

If President Donald Trump had declared West Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moved his embassy there, almost nobody would have got excited. By omitting the word “West”, Trump ignited a fire. Perhaps without realizing what he was doing, and probably not giving a damn.

For me, the moving of the US embassy means nothing. It is a symbolic act that does not change reality. If and when peace does come, no one will care about some stupid act of a half-forgotten US president. Inshallah.

So there they were, this bunch of self-important nobodies, Israelis, Americans and those in-between, having their little festival, while rivers of blood were flowing in Gaza. Human beings were killed by the dozen and wounded by the thousand.

The ceremony started as a cynical meeting, which quickly became grotesque, and ended in being sinister. Nero fiddling while Rome was burning.

When the last hug was exchanged and the last compliment paid (especially to the graceful Ivanka), Gaza remained what it was – a huge concentration camp with severely overcrowded hospitals, lacking medicines and food, drinkable water and electricity.

A ridiculous world-wide propaganda campaign was let loose to counter the world-wide condemnation. For example: the story that the terrorist Hamas had compelled the Gazans to go and demonstrate – as if anyone could be compelled to risk their life in a demonstration.

Or: the story that Hamas paid every demonstrator 50 dollars. Would you risk your life for 50 dollars? Would anybody?

Or: The soldiers had no choice but to kill them, because they were storming the border fence. Actually, no one did so – the huge concentration of Israeli army brigades would have easily prevented it without shooting.

Almost forgotten was a small news item from the days before: Hamas had discreetly offered a Hudna for ten years. A Hudna is a sacred armistice, never to be broken. The Crusaders, our remote predecessors, had many Hudnas with their Arab enemies during their 200-year stay here.

Israeli leaders immediately rejected the offer.

So why were the soldiers ordered to kill? It is the same logic that has animated countless occupation regimes throughout history: make the “natives” so afraid that they will give up. Alas, the results have almost always been the very opposite: the oppressed have become more hardened, more resolute. This is happening now.

Bloody Monday may well be seen in future as the day when the Palestinians regained their national pride, their will to stand up and fight for their independence.

Strangely, the next day – the main day of the planned protest, Naqba Day – only two demonstrators were killed. Israeli diplomats abroad, facing world-wide indignation, had probably sent home SOS messages. Clearly the Israeli army had changed its orders. Non-lethal means were used and sufficed.

My conscience does not allow me to conclude this without some self-criticism.

I would have expected that all of Israel’s renowned writers would publish a thundering joint condemnation while the shooting was still going on. It did not happen.

The political “opposition” was contemptible. No word from the Labor party. No word from Ya’ir Lapid. The new leader of the Meretz party, Esther Sandberg, did at least boycott the Jerusalem celebration. Labor and Lapid did not even do that.

I would have expected that the dozens of our brave peace organizations would unite in a dramatic act of condemnation, an act that would arouse the world. It did not happen. Perhaps they were in a state of shock.

The next day, the excellent boys and girls of the peace groups demonstrated opposite the Likud office in Tel Aviv. Some 500 took part. Far, far from the hundreds of thousands who demonstrated some years ago against the price of cottage cheese.

In short: we did not do our duty. I accuse myself as much as I accuse everybody else.

We must prepare at once for the next atrocity. We must organize for mass action now!

But what topped everything was the huge machine of brain-washing that was set in motion. For many years I have not experienced anything like it.

Almost all the so-called “military correspondents” acted like army propaganda agents. Day by day they helped the army to spread lies and falsifications. The public had no alternative but to believe every word. Nobody told them otherwise.

The same is true for almost all other means of communication, program presenters, announcers and correspondents. They willingly became government liars. Probably many of them were ordered to do so by their bosses. Not a glorious chapter.

After the day of blood, when the army was faced with world condemnation and had to stop shooting (“only” killing two unarmed demonstrators) all Israeli media were united in declaring this a great Israeli victory.

Israel had to open the crossings and send food and medicines to Gaza. Egypt had to open its Gaza crossing and accept many hundreds of wounded for operations and other treatment.

The Day of Shame has passed. Until the next time.

I am sure if the situation was the reverse if the Jew lost the 1948 Arab–Israeli War... They( "Jews" ) would have been driven into the sea or all of them be killed.

Just like what the American did to the American Native Indian...they slaughtered them and took their land.
Just like what the Canadian did to the First Nations...they starved them to death and then took their land.

In hindsight the native Indian should had slaughtered Christopher Columbus when Columbus discovered America.

Historically... that how world works then... It doesn't make it right but that the way it is.

During its long history, Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice.The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium BCE, making Jerusalem one of the oldest cities in the world.


To the victor belong the spoils.
 

Robert Mugabe

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2017
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Hamas.Take Israel out of the middle east and they would still be cutting each others throats.
 

Frankfooter

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Apr 10, 2015
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Aren't you the one of the posters who has consistently branded members of the Irgun as terrorists and the Irgun as a terrorist organization?
Are you one of the posters who claim that once a terrorist always a terrorist?
Or do you think that, like some Israeli politicians, you can turn away from terrorism and become a law abiding politician?
And does that also apply to Hamas?
 

jcpro

Well-known member
Jan 31, 2014
24,673
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So then you feel it would have been ok for them to blow you away I suppose. Perhaps you are right.
Would I be ok with getting shot? No. But, having been shot at I can tell you there's no greater rush. Young people do stupid things, often. Like charging a border with regular troops behind it, armed to the teeth. The outcome was predictable, but the casualties were relatively light in Gaza, all things considered. At least the Israelis did not machine gun them.
 

Frankfooter

dangling member
Apr 10, 2015
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Would I be ok with getting shot? No. But, having been shot at I can tell you there's no greater rush. Young people do stupid things, often. Like charging a border with regular troops behind it, armed to the teeth. The outcome was predictable, but the casualties were relatively light in Gaza, all things considered. At least the Israelis did not machine gun them.
No, they just shot 12,000 of them, mostly in the legs and quite a few with illegal dumdums.
As reported, they just shot them slowly, one by one cowardly from hundreds of metres away.
 

jcpro

Well-known member
Jan 31, 2014
24,673
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No, they just shot 12,000 of them, mostly in the legs and quite a few with illegal dumdums.
As reported, they just shot them slowly, one by one cowardly from hundreds of metres away.
Whatever. The fact that they aimed to disable pretty much ends the story, doesn't it? If they really wanted to hurt them the dead would be in the thousands. After all,those idiots charged regular troops in their prepared positions. They deserved to be shot just for being stupid.
 

Frankfooter

dangling member
Apr 10, 2015
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Whatever. The fact that they aimed to disable pretty much ends the story, doesn't it? If they really wanted to hurt them the dead would be in the thousands. After all,those idiots charged regular troops in their prepared positions. They deserved to be shot just for being stupid.
The fact that they shot that many civilians means that they've become the terrorists.
Colonialism isn't a good model any more.
 

basketcase

Well-known member
Dec 29, 2005
59,732
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Are you one of the posters who claim that once a terrorist always a terrorist?
Or do you think that, like some Israeli politicians, you can turn away from terrorism and become a law abiding politician?
And does that also apply to Hamas?
Will Hamas ever turn away from terrorism, Jews hatred, and trying to destroy the Jewish presence?
 

basketcase

Well-known member
Dec 29, 2005
59,732
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p.s. Speaking of shame, where was the outrage when Turkey invaded Northern Syria killing several thousand? And then Erdogan has the nerve to stand up and compare dead mostly terrorist members to the Holocaust.
 

contact

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Aug 1, 2012
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No, they just shot 12,000 of them, mostly in the legs and quite a few with illegal dumdums.
As reported, they just shot them slowly, one by one cowardly from hundreds of metres away.
Illegal dumdum???you mean a regular rifle bullet used by millions of shooters around the world? there is no such thing as an illegal bullet Israel did not sign the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and just because they said everyone has to obey it does not make it law.

militaries field FMJ ammo (full metal jacket) its cheaper to produce then expanding bullets and withstands rough handling and rough feeding in semi and full auto firearms

certain FMJ bullets will do way more damage comes down to weight and velocity IE the old 55grn FMJ 5.56mm above 3200 FPS it tumbled when it hit a target under not so much

most armies switched to a light armour piercing bullets due to the fact most enemies wear armour these rounds do LESS damage to unarmoured bodies as they tend to pass right through thus why you shoot a target more then once....

they have a right to defend their boarder I'm not a big fan of Israel but spend some time in the area and you will understand why they need to defend themselves
 

Frankfooter

dangling member
Apr 10, 2015
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Illegal dumdum???you mean a regular rifle bullet used by millions of shooters around the world? there is no such thing as an illegal bullet Israel did not sign the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and just because they said everyone has to obey it does not make it law.

militaries field FMJ ammo (full metal jacket) its cheaper to produce then expanding bullets and withstands rough handling and rough feeding in semi and full auto firearms

certain FMJ bullets will do way more damage comes down to weight and velocity IE the old 55grn FMJ 5.56mm above 3200 FPS it tumbled when it hit a target under not so much

most armies switched to a light armour piercing bullets due to the fact most enemies wear armour these rounds do LESS damage to unarmoured bodies as they tend to pass right through thus why you shoot a target more then once....

they have a right to defend their boarder I'm not a big fan of Israel but spend some time in the area and you will understand why they need to defend themselves
Here's a post that details the allegations.
https://www.richardsilverstein.com/...orwegians-nazis-for-denouncing-gaza-massacre/

And another report here.
http://www.scmp.com/news/world/midd...-using-expanding-bullets-designed-permanently

This should be investigated and settled by the ICC.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018...open-probe-israel-crimes-180522101121093.html
 

contact

Well-known member
Aug 1, 2012
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988
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not exploding bullets FMJ rounds

hollow point or hunting rounds fragment into pieces when they hit anything (that's why the police use them they stop when the hit something)

you can see in the pic intact bullets FMJ does that and the one beside it the jacket has peeled that's normal when it hits something hard dirt or stone maybe water I've seen that from water
 

Frankfooter

dangling member
Apr 10, 2015
79,733
17,567
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not exploding bullets FMJ rounds

hollow point or hunting rounds fragment into pieces when they hit anything (that's why the police use them they stop when the hit something)

you can see in the pic intact bullets FMJ does that and the one beside it the jacket has peeled that's normal when it hits something hard dirt or stone maybe water I've seen that from water
I've heard a few different explanations, from dumdums to high velocity rounds to butterfly rounds.
Like this eyewitness account.
When he was hit by a bullet fired by Israeli forces during demonstrations in Gaza on April 6, Mohammed al-Zaieem lost so much blood, and his left leg was so deformed, he feared he wouldn't survive.

His arteries, veins and a large piece of bone were destroyed. His right leg wasn't spared either as the round created a massive exit wound and then hit it as well.

By the time he was transferred to Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah after undergoing seven surgeries in Gaza, there was nothing doctors could do to save his left leg.

It had to be amputated, unbeknown to al-Zaieem, 22, who was unconscious at the time.

"No one dared to tell him [when he woke up from the surgery]. I couldn't," said his cousin of the same name, who lives in the occupied West Bank.

"As he was trying to get up, he suddenly felt the imbalance in his legs. He was in shock. It's like he was searching for his leg. It was the hardest moment for him. He was silent for five minutes while I was talking with him."


WATCH: MSF - Palestinian protesters face 'injuries of unusual severity' (2:15)

Al-Zaieem is among the 24 Palestinians who have had their limbs amputated since the March of Great Return mass protests started on March 30.

Medics on the ground say Israeli forces are shooting at demonstrators with a new type of round - never seen before - known as the "butterfly bullet", which explodes upon impact, pulverizing tissue, arteries and bone, while causing severe internal injuries.

All 24 amputees were shot with a single explosive bullet, including journalists Yaser Murtaja and Ahmad Abu Hussein who succumbed to their wounds after being shot in the abdomen.

"All of their internal organs were totally destroyed, pulverized," said Ashraf al-Qedra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman.

The bullets are the deadliest the Israeli army has ever used, according to al-Qedra.

"Normally, a regular bullet breaks the leg [upon impact]. But these bullets create massive wounds, indicating that an explosion happened inside the body. It's an expanding bullet. It pulverizes the leg, and the leg gets cut off [as a result]," al-Qedra explained.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/f...lets-dangerous-gas-bombs-180501091514736.html

MSF also talk of 'fist sized' wounds from these rounds.
 
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