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And So This Was Christmas
By
Eileen Fleming
12/27/07 "ICH"
-- -- On Christmas Eve evening I picked up my mail and
opened up a card from Jerusalem sent to me by Mordechai Vanunu.
He made me laugh out loud, for he addressed it to: "Eileen
Flaming" not Fleming, which is my actual name.
But, upon reflection, I think Vanunu has renamed me well; for I
am flaming over the hypocrisy and injustice of empire and apathy
and ignorance of good Christians who have no eyes to see, ears
to hear, or hearts that bleed for the poor and oppressed in the
Holy land and the entire Middle East.
I picked my Christmas
Eve mail up three years to the very hour to when I had first
read an article by Jerry Levin about Vanunu's 2004 Christmas Eve
arrest for attempting to travel the less than two hour walk from
Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Levin was a former CNN Mid East Bureau
Chief of the 1980's who had been a secular Jew held hostage by
the Lebanese Hezbollah. Levin escaped his captivity unharmed
shortly after a mystical Christmas Eve experience of Jesus and
had become a full time volunteer with Christian Peacemaker Teams
in Hebron. Levin's article about Vanunu's Christmas Eve arrest
got my Irish temper flaming about the injustices Israel is
allowed to perpetuate; and three Christmas' later, my flaming
Irish temper persists.
In 2004, Vanunu had
attempted to celebrate his first Christmas Eve Mass as a
Christian in the Little Town of Bethlehem's Church of the
Nativity, which is in Occupied Territory. Instead of mass,
Israel arrested him and Vanunu spent Christmas Eve night in
prison for Israel claimed Vanunu was "attempting to leave the
county" which they have not allowed.
Israel claims they
cannot let Vanunu leave Isreal for they believe he still has
another secret to tell about their WMD Program in the Negev,
which has never allowed international inspectors into and which
Vanunu has not set into in over 21 years. Leaving Israel is all
Vanunu has desired since his April 21, 2004 release from 18
years in prison for telling the world the truth that Israel was
already nuclear in 1986.
When I read Jerry
Levin's article about Vanunu's Christmas Eve arrest, I became
flaming mad for I could not comprehend how a democracy could
deny anyone from worshipping any where and any how they desired.
On Christmas Eve 2004, I spent hours at my computer emailing Mr.
Bill O'Reilly-the champion of the "war on Christmas" and my
local paper; the
Orlando Sentinel, the
New York Times
and dozens of other MSM outlets, in the naïve belief that the
Fourth Estate reported the truth and had the best interests of
America and democracy at heart.
How little I knew
about how deluded I was back then.
In the olden days of
2004, I had not yet taken my first of five journeys into Israel
Palestine. In 2004, I naively/ignorantly believed that the USA
Fourth Estate reported the truth and cared about the best
interests of America. I once thought the USA MSM would be
enraged that a Christian from Jerusalem would be denied the
right to enter the Little Town of Bethlehem and celebrate the
birth of a little child named Jesus who was born, lived and died
under Military occupation. But I am not as naïve or uninformed
as I had once been.
In 2007, the USA
Fourth Estate has also ignored that Israel "blocked clergy from
reaching their churches and Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem
and elsewhere in the Holy Land…The Israeli authorities are
arbitrarily denying entry to clergy and volunteers belonging to
or working for Christian institutions and service providers. The
clergy being harassed and denied entry to Israel and the
occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) join tens of thousands of
ordinary foreign passport holders of Palestinian and
non-Palestinian origin who wish to be with their families, work
or study, as well as tourists and pilgrims…In addition, there
appears to be a new policy by Israel to refuse entry or visa
extension for foreign, primarily Western, Christian volunteers
working with various Christian organizations here. This is
affecting the viability of these organizations and the normal
connection with their supporters and fellow Christians in the
countries that contribute to the presence of these Christian
workers. They represent mainstream Christian and faith-based
groups, such as the World Council of Churches and the American
Friend's Service Committee that advocate non- violence and
brotherhood and are in no way a threat to the security of
Israel…Israel has continued to pursue both policies and
practices that fail to comply with International Humanitarian
Law."-Press Release Dec. 24, 2007, from
www.RightToEnter.
The USA MSM totally
ignored this abomination as it has also ignored one of the most
historic stories of the 21st Century: Vanunu's Freedom of Speech
Trial in the 'democracy' of Israel; which is no democracy at
all, unless you are a Jew.
I contend that Vanunu
is a prophet, and prophets do not necessarily predict the
future, but point out the disaster ahead, provoke people to
think about God and shine a brighter light onto what has already
been revealed. The ancient Hebrew prophets were always ignored,
ridiculed or demonized in their life times and so, I also
contend, that Vanunu qualifies as one.
The last time I
crossed paths with Vanunu, was in July of this year directly in
front of Saint Stephen's Church in East Jerusalem and he told
me, "This is the very spot where they stoned to death the first
Christian martyr for freedom of speech."
Prophets and martyrs
have always agitated empire and empire has always sought to
render a society subservient by dividing and thus conquer a
people.
Big Brother and the
MSM in the USA label indigenous people throughout the Middle
East who have risen up and are fighting for control of their own
lives and homeland as terrorists and negates the terror America,
the Industrial Military Complex and the inhumanity of military
occupation has done unto them.
The neo-con
philosophy infused with the heretical Christian Zionist theology
has cut off American Christians from the very root of what the
Prince of Peace/Jesus was all about. Jesus never demanded he be
worshipped, but he promised that it is the peacemakers who are
the children of God; and NOT those who bomb, torture of occupy
others.
No Way did Jesus ever
say that "SECURITY" –the blanket excuse of empire builders to
justify and deny basic human rights and international law-is OK!
The term 'Christian'
was not even coined until the days of Paul, about 3 decades
after Jesus walked the earth a man. Jesus was never a Christian,
but he was a social justice, radical revolutionary Palestinian
devout Jewish road warrior who rose up and challenged the job
security of the Temple authorities by teaching the people they
did NOT need to pay the priests for ritual baths or sacrificing
livestock to be OK with God; for God already LOVED them just as
they were: sinners, poor, diseased, outcasts, widows, orphans,
refugees and prisoners all living under Roman Military
Occupation.
What got Jesus
crucified was disturbing the status quo of the Roman Occupying
Forces of his time, by teaching the subversive concept that
Caesar only had power because God allowed it and that God
preferred the humble sinner, the poor, diseased, outcasts,
widows, orphans, refugees and prisoners all living under Roman
Occupation above the elite and arrogant military occupiers.
The early followers
and lovers of Jesus were called members of THE WAY-being THE WAY
he taught one should be; Nonviolent, a Peacemaker and one who
did the will of the Father. And, "What does God require? He has
told you o'man! Be just, be merciful, and walk humbly with your
Lord." -Micah 6:8
2,000 years ago The Cross had NO
symbolic religious meaning. When Jesus said: "Pick up your cross
and follow me," He was issuing a POLITICAL statement, for the
main roads in Jerusalem were lined with crucified agitators,
rebels, dissidents and any others who disturbed the status quo
of the Roman Occupying Forces.
Israel claims they
cannot let Vanunu leave Israel because he still has a 'secret'
he has yet to tell about their underground WMD Program in the
Dimona, which Vanunu has NOT sent foot into in over 21 years-and
international inspectors never have been allowed to tread upon.
Yet Israel claims SECURITY as their rational and ignores and
denies the risks to their own citizens.
"In mid-November,
London's Sunday Times reported that Israel put defenses around
its Dimona nuclear reactor on "red alert" 30 times… given the
threat of radioactive releases, does the plant's continued
operation outweigh the risks? Dimona...is the region's largest
nuclear plant and sole producer of atomic weapons materials…Dimona
is no Chernobyl. It generates only about 5 percent of that
failed Soviet reactor's power. Still, the plant - along with its
spent nuclear fuel, extracted plutonium, and nuclear
reprocessing waste - poses significant radiological hazards that
a military strike [against it] could disperse into the
environment…during the June 1967 war Israel shot down one of its
own Mirage jet fighters when it strayed over the facility. In
1973, Dimona's defenders downed a wayward Libyan civilian
airliner heading for the reactor, killing 108 people. But the
1991 Gulf War upset whatever solace Israel could take from the
past. Iraqi Scud missiles hit Tel Aviv, and one came close to
hitting Dimona. Hizbullah's bombardment of northern Israel in
2006 further demonstrated the country's vulnerability to missile
attack…Dimona has produced all the plutonium that Israel
reasonably needs, and the reactor - one of the worlds oldest -
has suffered minor mishaps and evident deterioration, raising
the specter of more serious accidents."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=87599#
"For Caesar, peace is
imposed by the might of empire...Peace comes when the
sovereignty of God is acknowledged rather than Caesar's. For
people living under occupation or oppression, Caesar has become
a symbol of the evil that crushes and enslaves…In the kingdom of
God, glory and sovereignty belong to God and not to Caesar.
God's peace is not achieved by crushing and eliminating others
but by embracing them. Caesar's empire is built on violence and
military might, God's empire is built on justice and mercy.
Caesar's peace enslaves and humiliates, God's peace liberates
and restores dignity to the oppressed. Caesar builds walls to
separate people, God tears down the walls of separation to join,
unify, and reconcile them one with the other. Caesar's peace is
exclusive for a chosen few, God's peace is inclusive for all
regardless of their race or ethnicity. Ultimately, peace will
come not from the Caesars and all those who trust in their
military might and in the arrogance of their power but from the
meek that put their trust in God. It is the meek who will
inherit the earth. Peace will come from the labor, toil, and
hard work of all those who do not glory in their riches or in
their power but glory in their love and service of God and in
their love and acceptance of others. God's message of peace
still rings true, not from Annapolis that represents empire, but
from the small town of Bethlehem, Palestine that still suffers
under occupation. The peace that the Caesars of the world give
is largely false and deceptive, and it cannot last. Only the
peace that God gives, the peace that is based on justice and
truth will survive and prosper."- Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation
Theology Center Jerusalem Statement of December 18, 2007
We are living George
Orwell's nightmare in the 21st century; for war is claimed to be
the way to peace and nuclear weapons are promised as the way to
provide security.
"In Orwell's 1984…a
state or alleged state of war is used to maintain total control
over everyone. Lies have replaced truth, and the media serves as
propagandist for the Ministry of Truth. The meaning of words,
such as 'freedom' has been perverted. The attitude of 1984's
all-powerful government is 'you are with us or against us.' -
Paul Craig Roberts
"It's not dark yet, but it's getting there."-Bob Dylan
Yet, hope prevails in
this season of reflection and comprehends that all things are
possible for "we have it in our power to begin the world
again."- Tom Paine.
Hope is not an
optimistic wish; hope is what fuels persistence and "Nothing in
the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not.
... Genius will not. ... Education will not. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent."- Calvin Coolidge
This civilian journalist has no
hope in the USA Government or MSM to effect change, but I have a
flaming hope in the New Fourth Estate who report truth on the
World Wide Web and who are the muckrakers of the 21st century
but "we have yet to begin to IMAGINE the power and potential of
the Internet."-Charlie Rose, 2005
"The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."-John 1:5
Nor will it;
as long as there is Net Neutrality and truth, justice and peace
seekers.
In an email received from Vanunu on
December 26, 2007 he wrote:
Bad news, Dec. 25 th. The police come to the American Colony to
arrest me. I was meeting a young German girl who wanted to know
more about my story. They took us to the police questioning me,
hold me until midnight 24:00. Not so impressive all this again
arrest. I think the police was waiting for my arrest in Beet
Lehem, since I did come to B L. they found new reason to arrest
me. Any way life will continue as I am doing all the Time.
vmjc
Send Vanunu a message of support through his site:
www.vanunu.com
Eileen Fleming, Reporter and
Editor
Http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American
'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu"
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