Olmert's Speech, The US Congress, And Rachel Corrie By Ali Al-Hail

Olmert's Speech, The US Congress, And Rachel Corrie

By Ali Al-Hail

Al-Jazeerah, May 27, 2006

From an objective angle, something seemed to be extremely bizarre had occurred last week, during Ehud Olmert’s visit to Washington, D.C. The Israeli – US green carded Prime Minister Olmert, was given the honor apparently, by the US Congress, of addressing a joint session of the US Congress.

The US Congress has historically, been established by the great founding fathers of the United States of America, as a symbol of freedom, liberty, and equal human rights for all. Ironically enough, this nostalgic castle that, was built upon those profound, and old rooted ‘withered away’ values was in the eyes of many, in an absurd paradox with itself.

Both Houses of the US Congress had given the murderer of Gaza and West Bank’s green hearted, innocent toddlers a series of standing ovations for his speech. Olmert had weirdly, glorified the very actions, (from which the holocaust victims in Nazi Europe, suffered) that have systematically, been conducted for decades by his occupation forces in the Palestinian occupied lands.

Additionally, because ‘the beauty is always, in the eyes of the beholder’, and because the ‘love can be blind’, both houses of the Congress had chosen in the midst of Olmert’s exciting speech, to forget about Rachel Corrie. Let’s refresh their memories, ‘since they in both houses of the Congress, do care a lot about the loss of American lives’!!!, and remind them of who is Rachel Corrie?

Rachel Corrie is an American peace activist, who had firmly, believed in freedom, liberty, and human rights for all, upon which her country’s Congress was built. And because she witnessed that, this great castle of democracy of her country has for long, been hijacked by the Israeli Lobby she boldly, decided to go herself to Gaza.

Rachel Corrie used her body as a human shield before an Israeli army bulldozer that, was determining to demolish a Palestinian home. Rachel did so, because she felt that, by giving Israel the green light to demolish Palestinian homes by the Bush Administration while the US Congress, the great castle of democracy of her country was turning a blind eye and a dough ear, to such a horrible atrocity, the congress of her country was also, being demolished before her eyes.

By now, I guess that, both houses of the US congress who had burnt the palms of their hands, and the tips of their toes, clapping, and giving Olmert a series of standing ovations for his speech before them last week, could be able to finish the rest of Rachel’s tale of martyrdom.

On March 16, 2003 Rachel Corrie aged 23, from Olympia, Washington was run over, and killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza. Rachel gave her life away for Palestine, so will the basic values of freedom, liberty, and human rights for all, upon which her country’s both houses of Congress was established, re-prevail again.

The members of both houses of the US Congress, by giving the occupier, the killer, the demolisher, the assassin, the democracy’s enemy, the hypocrite, the liar…. the (rarish) honor, and the many standing ovations only, means one thing. That is; they have endorsed all his crimes, despite the very many facts of his wrongdoing that, stated by American observers, most notably, former President Carter, and (believe it or not), Mrs. Bush herself during a visit to Gaza three years ago.

They, among many (albeit marginalized) still believe in the values of freedom, liberty, and equal human rights for all, upon which both houses of the Congress, one day in history was founded, and for which Rachel Corrie gave her life.

Professor, Dr. Ali Al-Hail, Professor of Mass Communication, Twice Fulbright Award Winner, International Fulbright Visiting Scholar, and Board Member of AUSACE ASC, IABD, NEBAA, BEA, IMDA and EAJMC.

pdaah90@hotmail.com

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

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