Today is the anniversary of the massacre at Deir Yassin. On 9 April 1948,my mother’s friend in school (both studying to be teachers school inJerusalem) chose to go back to her village of Deir Yassin. That was thelast time my mother saw her young friend Hayah Balbisi and this victim ofZionism remains etched in memorty of my 84 year old mother. Deir Yassin wasnot the first, last, or the largest massacre committed by Zionist forcesduring that era of ethnic cleansing. But it was prophetic and emblematicfor us because its deliberate effect was magnified to scare the villagers(even some survivors were paraded in the streets of Jerusalem andloudspeakers told of more impending massacres). Dar Al-Tifl AlArabiorphanage was created to house the surviving orphaned children. Dozens ofmassacres were committed just in the six weeks leading up to Israel’screation and dozens after. Over 500 villages and towns were depopulated inthe bizarre 20th century attempt to transform amulti-cultural/multi-religious Palestine to become the “Jewish state ofIsrael”. And the price tag is still being paid in areas like Iraq, Yemen,Syria, and Egypt.Today also saw terrorists bombing Christian Churches on Palm Sunday over120 were killed or severely injured. Our condolences to the victims and ourthoughts and prayers with the injured. I look back at seven years ago on apalm Sunday when we breached the wall of apartheid (at least for a shortwhile before we go t arrested). Please see this videohttps://youtu.be/wsX3P_ADk34Jesus rode a humble donkey into Jerusalem then. Our donkey and mule (andaccompanying humans) were all arrested on that Palm Sunday 9 April 2010.What would Jesus do in our troubled world today? Alas, so many lies floodour airways, so much misinformation, so many deluded people (somePalestinians even supported the US bombings in Syria and Yemen). I will endwith a poem I wrote in 2011 when we commemorated Deir Yassin as Israelbombed Gaza killing so many civilians. Then I need to go back for the longnights as we prepare to open our museum and botanical garden (palestinenature.org).Deir Yassin to Gaza(by Mazin Qumsiyeh, Written on the way back home, dedicated to Juliano*)My kind old mother lamentsDecades of memory that transcendsFake Gods and fake peace offerswho bless nichsayon** and slaughterour eyes fail to see or just lamentblood of a child licked off a pavementBy stray thirsty catswith more morals than army bratsOur ears fail to hearvoice of Dr. Izzeldinne echoes“I shall not hate” anguished criesAfter three beautiful daughtersWith a tank shell and a niece in slaughtersOur noses feail to smellThe whiff of death mixed with gun powderOr the vomit of our torturedOur hearts fail to feelthe punctured womb by the old homethe severed girl’s head by the mosque domeMutilated,dismembered,disconnectedOur fingers fail to touchan anguished young motherLooking for a childJews, Christian, Muslims wailThe lost humanity to no availthe generals must have their joyto test their newest toyin Gaza white phosphorous back in use yesterdayimpunity from war crimes thanks to the US of Abillionairs must make more dollarszealots must sacrifice children at altarsGabriel can stay a knife but not dronesAnd hate can murder a thousand JulianosWhile the apathetic multitude watch TVObliviously focused on their shopping spreeBypassing love and responsibilityChasing gadgets, hate, and vanityNext news bulletin.... get the experienceNext anniversary..awaken the conscience??*The Jenin Freedom Theater and Juliano in his own words (excellent video byJen Marlowe) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGqmLyunm0**Nichsayon: Hebrew for (Ethnic) cleansingStay humanMazin QumsiyehA bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at homeProfessor and (volunteer) DirectorPalestine Museum of Natural HistoryPalestine Institute of Biodiversity and SustainabilityBethlehem UniversityOccupied Palestinehttp://qumsiyeh.orghttp://palestinenature.orgJoin me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9