I´m sick of 63 years of Israeli occupation

I´m sick of The Wall*
I´m sick of the checkpoints between Palestinian cities
I´m sick of illegal Israeli settlers and settlements
I´m sick of having the Hebrew language on my ID card
I´m sick of people not knowing anything about our history
but knowing so much about Jewish history
I´m sick of people ignoring the Palestinian Right of Return
and accepting the Jewish Law of Return
I´m sick of the Oslo Agreement which no one here
wanted in the first place
I´m sick of the Palestinian Authority
having zero authority
I´m sick of watching my father being humiliated at checkpoints
by people my age and younger
I´m sick of my international friends having to lie about
coming to visit; being interrogated, stripsearched
and sometimes deported in the process
I´m sick of people not understanding
what "Occupation" is
I´m sick of being scared all the time
I´m sick of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
being a normal state of being here in Palestine
I´m sick of how ineffective the UN has become
I´m sick of International Humanitarian Law
not applying to the State of Israel
I´m sick of how fighting for basic human rights for Palestinians
or being critical of Israeli policy
is so often labelled "anti-Semitic"
I´m sick of the fact that everybody forgets I´m a Semite
I´m sick of hearing Israelis complain about discrimination
when the State of Israel was founded on a principle of ethnic purity
I´m sick of living in a time
when racial profiling has become acceptable
I´m sick of constantly being treated as a suspect
I´m sick of how mainstream media portrays us and our situation
I´m sick of the whole world caring about Gilad Shalit
when there are more than 7000 Palestinians inside Israeli prisons
I´m sick of trying to defend myself, friends or countrymen
and being labelled a terrorist
I´m sick of the fact that everywhere I go
I can see The Wall, a settlement or Israeli soldier

I´m sick of

63

years

of Israeli occupation

 

*I try to find out who is the poet behind these moving words. In case you know, please let me know.

Tonight in Denver

Sat., May 14, 9:00pm

After growing up in a rather secular Zionist family, Gilad Atzmon discovered Charlie Parker’s With Strings at seventeen while preparing for his compulsory service in the Israeli Defense Forces. The album blew him away, inspiring him to buy a saxophone and listen to American jazz legends like Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley. “After one month with a saxophone shoved up my mouth,” Atzmon writes, “my Zionist enthusiasm disappeared completely. Instead of flying choppers behind enemy lines, I started to fantasize about living in NYC, London or Paris.” Atzmon's alto sax chops combine the intensity of John Coltrane with the speed and dexterity of Charlie Parker. Atzmon, who is also a writer and activist, will give a talk on Israel and Palestine at 7 p.m.

Mercury Cafe

2199 California St; Denver CO

 

 

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Gilad Atzmon, Phil Nauta, Janine Bandcroft Mon. May 9, 2011
Gilad Atzmon @ Chirs Cook's Gorilla Radio 9.5.2011 by Gilad Atzmon
Gilad Atzmon is known for his unsparing criticism of the policies of his former home-country, Israel and the complicity in those policies of his ex-compatriots and their supporters within the Sayanim community of diaspora Jews. He has been assailed from all sides for his uncompromising determination to speak out for human rights denied the occupied Palestinian people, remaining one of the most thoughtful and ardent proponents of justice for the victims of Israel, while his writing and lectures serve as clarion for a more humane world.

Gilad Atzmon is currently on the road, touring the USA to "meet with friends and supporters to talk about Israel, Palestine and the power of the beauty." He is using the tour to fund raise for various humanitarian causes concerning Palestine, and will join us from San Francisco in the first half.



Panel Event -Zionism, Jewishness and Israel, Is Now Online (Must Watch)

in , , , , , ,

I am very proud to announce that our last week panel event is now online (see bellow).

In spite of the pathetic attempts by Zionists and their Jewish ‘anti Zionist’ allies to crash the event, the panel was a great success. The room was packed. We explored some of the  most complicated issues to do with current world affairs. Some of London Jewish activists broke away from their segregated 'Jews only cells'  and marched with us. 

Interestingly enough, our detractors who promised to picket the event didn’t dare showing up.

I believe that the panel was a crucial  contribution to this movement and freedom of thought.

I vow to do it again and again and again. I will keep you posted.

Short version:

Panel event- 'Zionizm, Jewishness and Israel' from Tali Atzmon on Vimeo.

 Full version including Q&A

The full version of a panel event on 'Zionizm, Jewishness and Israel' from Tali Atzmon on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. June C. Terpstra: Identity without Supremacy


http://juneterpstra.com

On May, 6, 2011, embattled Jazz musician and philosopher Gilad Atzmon gave a talk at Columbia College Chicago about his intellectual and musical journey of liberation from identity supremacy and the shame of living in an oppressor state.  In tones intense and dissonant he provided definitions for Zionism, Judaism, Jewish supremacy, Israel and Palestine while contextualizing with both the saxophone and reflections on being raised in a culture where one group’s hunger for superiority, power and properties concludes with the oppression of the indigenous “other”.   Gilad gave witness to the horrific methods the Israeli states goes to attain their supremacy.

While his story takes place in the land of Palestine with a state called Israel similar stories are simultaneously being played out in Iraq, Afghanistan, with Libya and Pakistan next on the list, by what is called the United States and the United Kingdom and other European competitors.   The groups doing the aggressive killings and plundering believe that by eradicating some and controlling all of the indigenous groups they will gain both power and domination of the lands and resources.  The Israelis, Americans and British stop at nothing and do everything to gain and maintain their supremacy.  The committing of such heinous crimes against other human beings requires the blocking of the heart of the human connection between the two groups. By disconnecting one’s self from the reality of the crime, the imposing group is able to carry out their atrocities while naming any indigenous resistance that does not benefit them, terrorism.

Read More

Fascinating, Outspoken and Controversial...

The panel meeting with Gilad Atzmon, Alan Hart , Karl Sabbagh and Sameh Habib proved to be a fascinating, outspoken and of course controversial discussion, assisted in the audience by a clutch of some prominent intellectuals in the Palestine solidarity community.  

These notes are not intended to represent the view of any particular speaker but are intended to give a flavour of the discussion that took place.

To read more:

http://accessol.co.uk/

Lauren Booth: 'Jewishness', scare tactics, and a sense of humour.

http://lauren-booth.blogspot.com/

 

Cloa k and dagger antics outside a campus in central London, Tuesday night. As, the University of Westminster, caved into threats of disturbance, from UK based Zionists. Why? Because, Gilad Atzmon, world renowned saxophonist, author and anti Zionist racconteur had put together a panel to debate the following; ‘Jewishness and Israeli criminality.’ 
To a packed venue just round the corner from the campus the discussion, began with breathtakingly robust opening statements. Consider, as you read, the immense pressure not to take part placed on each panellist. The threats against the university of Westminster of disturbance or even violence if the talk took place. And, should you read a hackneyed report (in the Jewish Chronicle or some such useless organ). Return to this page to revisit the precise nature of the debate.

Alongside Gilad Atzmon, the panel consisted of Alan Hart, author, former Middle East Chief Correspondent for Independent Television News and former BBC Panorama presenter, specialising in the Middle East. And Karl Sabbagh, author, TV producer and publisher.

 

Read More

I am in the USA!!!

In the next two weeks I will be meeting friends and supporters.

I will be talking about Israel, Palestine and the power of Beauty. I will fundraise for different humanitarian  causes to do with  Palestine, hope to see many of you.

In case you want to meet me, seek an interview or find more details about my talks, please contact me via my website (use the contact form of the right).

Also, m Product Details y latest album The Tide Has Changed is now also available in the USA.

www.amazon.com/

 

 

 

 

 

The  tour is supported by Texas ODS, UStoGAZAWest, Evelyn Hecht Galinski and Benjamin Hecht, LEARN- Liberation Education Action Research Network, SPP with Support from Jeff Salamat and Argus Fest. 

 

The 3rd Annual North America Jazza tour with Gilad Atzmon - May 4 to 15, 2011

MAY 4 – NEW YORK

MAY 5 – NEW YORK

MAY 6 – CHICAGO

MAY 7 – DALLAS - TEXAS

MAY 8 – DALLAS - TEXAS

MAY 9 – SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

MAY 10 – OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA           

MAY 11 – SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA

MAY 12 – OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

MAY 13 – ASPEN/DENVER - COLORADO

MAY 14 – DENVER - COLORADO

MAY 15 – DENVER and ASPEN - COLORADO






Gilad Atzmon: Winners and Losers

Despite relentless underhand efforts by Israeli operators in the UK and their close allies within the Jewish ‘anti Zionist’ network to block a panel event discussing ‘Jewishness, Zionism and Israel’ , the debate went ahead as scheduled yesterday.

It was a tremendous success. Speaking to a full hall, Alan Hart, Karl Sabbagh, Sameh Habeeb and myself elaborated on the  meaning of ‘Jewishness’ and the essence of Zionism.

But we also tried to understand once and for all; why is it that some of the Jews who claim to be the most sincere ‘supporters of Palestine’ -- are always amongst the first to stifle debate on such crucial issues?

Six years ago, I was shocked to learn about the destructive impact of elements within the UK Jewish ‘anti Zionist’ network: at the time they were intent on burying  ‘Deir Yassin Remembered’ (DYR), probably the most significant Nakba memorial group in the history of the Palestinian Solidarity Movement.  Unfortunately, they succeeded-by putting into action the most repulsive Zionist tactics, the Jewish ‘anti Zionists’ did eventually manage to bring down DYR.

But in doing so, they also inflicted some serious damage on themselves. They were exposed for what they are -- a bunch of crypto Zionists. They smeared and defamed other activists; they lied, and they mounted pressure on Palestinian officials. They exposed the ugliest possible form of Zionist politics. I did not like what I saw and published a satirical expose of their tactics which I titled “The Protocols of the Elders of London”. 

Read More

Shabana Syed: Chance For Humanity


In the coming days I will be publishing feedbacks from last night panel event.


Gilad has managed to steer the international discourse through skill, knowledge and intellect into the most taboo subject in western countries, Jews and Israel. The meeting held in Central London on the subject of Zionism Jewishness and Israel headed by Gilad Atzmon included Alan Hart, Sameh Habeeb and Karl Sabbagh was a continuation of this discourse - a discourse that many Zionists and its Jewish supporters have tried to suppress.
 
In a world where one cant mention the 'J' word without being labelled anti Semitic Gilad not only mentions the J word  and Zionism but also attempts to highlight what is the driving force that fuels the criminal barabaric policies of the state of Israel.  According to Gilad "Jewish identity politics is foreign to humanism and universalism, it is tribal and has evolved as an outcome of an exilic culture."

The meeting was a breath of fresh air where democracy was in full swing, the one subject that is least discussed out of fear of being labelled an anti Semite, or due to Zionists suppressing any debate - was aired by a group of intellectuals, Jews and non Jews to understand  where was and is the humanity when thousands of Palestinians, women and children are being systematically killed, bombed and starved to death by Israel - why and how, as the bombs were raining down on Gaza, Israelis families sat on hill tops viewing and cheering the carnage while they were having a picnic? Why the Mavi Mara taking aid to Gaza was attacked by Israeli soldiers and 9 people were horrifically killed?

Instead of just calling the Israelis and its Jewish supporters around the world misguided or evil Gilad takes a step further to explain where this mode of behaviour stems from, he looks at the historical scriptural influences, and as he explains it " I come from them and I know how they think".
Gilads stance gives heart to Muslims who are suffering a violent form of Islamophobia and discrimination as a result of Zionists and its Jewish supporters propogating and perpetuating hatred against Muslims through a media to some extent owned and dominated by them and don’t be fooled there is method in their madness:The more hatred they ferment against Muslims the less there will be an uproar as they continue to annihilate the Palestinians.
Gilad is instigating a much needed debate which if a Muslim attempted, he or she would be called a terrorist or a Jihadist and dragged off to Guantanamo!!
If more and more people join this debate there may be a chance for humanity - thanks Gilad.

Great Success

Today’s panel was a great success.

Room was totally full and the discussion was open as expected

I am off for a tour in 6 hours, but I will make sure that some extracts of the debate will be on air ASAP.

Both Zionists and their anti Zionists collaborators who were desperate to destroy the panel didn’t dare showing their face.

Just to thank you all for your support.

We have now decided to turn this panel into a regular event. 

Truth will prevail whatever it takes.