A book telling the plight of the Palestinians under the longest military occupation in modern times has just been made available on the internet in flip-page form.
It comes at a critical time for Palestinians as the UN considers their bid for statehood while America and the EU try to derail the application and force them back to negotiations with their tormentor, Israel.
The book, by Stuart Littlewood and Phillip Vine, was inspired by visits to the occupied territories. "The Holy Land and its people made a lasting impression on us both," says Stuart. "Phillip produced the deeply moving poetry while my task was to shoot pictures and write the narrative."
Radio Free Palestine is 172 pages with over 110 colour photos. It can now be read by visiting www.radiofreepalestine.org.uk
Stuart hopes it will help people understand what lies behind the Palestinians' application to the United Nations. "It is a story of betrayal by the Western Powers, especially Britain and the United States. It is not taught in schools or covered accurately by mainstream media, and Parliament is so heavily influenced by the pro-Israel lobby that honest debate is regarded as 'politically incorrect'."
The Foreword, by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Jeff Halper, Coordinator of ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions,), describes the book as "a cry from the heart, written in moral anger by a person who bothered to leave his comfortable surroundings far from the suffering of another people, the Palestinians, and share, witness, expose and protest in the strongest voice he could find at what he saw and heard, what so few others have even cared to see or hear."
Christians and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza have been slaughtered or had their homes, farms and water resources stolen while waiting in vain 63 years for the international community to deliver justice. Those who remain are prisoners inside sealed borders, unable to travel freely within their own territory, visit relatives, find work, choose which university to attend, or even worship at their holy places in Jerusalem. Israel now plans to steal their offshore gas.
Gaza continues to suffer under naval blockade and two-and-a-half years ago was ferociously bombarded in a killing-spree that annihilated 1,400 souls including hundreds of women and children, leaving thousands more maimed, making tens of thousands homeless and destroying vital infrastructure. Ships bringing humanitarian relief have been attack on the high seas with impunity . Fishermen are regularly fired on if they put to sea.
The Christian population, once 20 percent, has now dwindled to around 2 percent. At this rate there will soon be no Christians where Christianity was born. The United Nations does nothing, Western Christendom does nothing and Britain and the EU continue to reward Israel with trading privileges.
Radio Free Palestine was published in 2007 and sold through Church channels so has not been widely available until now. "Phillip and I thought we should put it on the web for anyone and everyone to read in the hope that more people will know what is happening and why an immediate end to the occupation is so important to world peace," says Stuart.
"We wish all our friends in the Palestine good fortune in their quest for justice and freedom."
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