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>>> JOINING US NOW IS A MAN WHO
WAS FORCEFULLY EVICTED FROM HIS
HOME.
WE SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT THE
SITUATION YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN FACING.
WALK US THROUGH THE SITUATION,
WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE FOR YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE LAST FEW
DAYS IN THIS LATEST ESCALATION
THAT WE’VE SEEN PLAY OUT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, AYMAN, FOR
HAVING ME.
BEFORE I BEGIN I WANT TO OFFER
MY CONDOLENCES TO THE PEOPLE,
INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED
BY ISRAELI WAR PLANES IN THE
GAZA STRIP, IN THE BESIEGED GAZA
STRIP.
SIMILARLY, HERE WE HAVE BEEN
DEALING WITH A WAVE OF
STATE-SANCTIONED VIOLENCE.
IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS IT HAS
BEEN A SCENE OF TERROR HERE.
EVERY SINGLE NIGHT WE’RE MET
WITH STUN GRENADES, RUBBER
COATED BULLETS.
THE ISRAELI FORCES ARE NOT
STINGY IN THE FORCE THEY USE
AGAINST UNARMED CIVILIANS, WOMEN
AND CHILDREN.
JUST TODAY SOMEBODY GOT WOUNDED
IN THE EYE.
OVER THE PAST WEEK OUR NEIGHBOR
GOT HIS HOUSE ILLEGALLY INVADED
INTO AND HIS LEG BROKEN BY THE
ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES.
OTHER OTHER NEIGHBORS HAD THEIR
HOUSE ILLEGALLY BROKEN INTO, THEIR GATE BROKEN OFF.
THEIR GATE BROKEN OFF.
AND THEN HAD THEIR YARDS
INTENTIONALLY DESTROYED.
THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE WE’RE
SEEING IS INCREDIBLY ABSURD AND
IT’S FASCIST.
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SHOWER FOR
THE PAST THREE DAYS AND I STILL
CANNOT GET THE SKUNK WATER OFF
OF MY CLOTHES, OFF MY SKIN, THE
CHEMICALLY MANIPULATED SKUNK
WATER, JUST FOR STANDING IN
FRONT OF OUR HOUSES AND SAYING
NO TO STATE-SANCTIONED ETHNIC
CLEANSING.
>> THIS HAS BEEN CALLED A
PRIVATE LAND DISPUTE.
TELL US AND OUR VIEWERS WHAT
THIS IS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
AND OTHER PALESTINIANS
EXPERIENCING THIS AND TO THOSE
WHO SAY THIS IS WORKING ITS WAY
THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS AND
ISRAELI COURTS, WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY TO THEM?
>> I’LL SAY TO THEM WHAT THE
UNITED NATIONS, WHAT OVER 190
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS,
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL, HAVE
SAID.
THIS IS A WAR CRIME.
THIS IS ETHNIC CLEANSING.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DO ALL THEIR
PROPAGANDA AND SAY THAT THIS IS
A PRIVATE LAND DISPUTE.
BUT IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH,
LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THIS
COUNTRY AND SEEING HOW THIS
COUNTRY CAME ABOUT, IT CAME
ABOUT BY STEALING PEOPLE’S HOMES
AND LANDS AND DESTROYING
PEOPLE’S VILLAGES.
TODAY THE DIFFERENCE WE HAVE IS
THAT THEY NO LONGER USE THEIR
ARTILLERY TO STEAL OUR HOMES
EXCEPT WHEN THEY DO COME AND
STEAL THEIR HOMES.
NOW THEY USE A SUPREMACIST,
COLONIAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT
COLONEL
COLLUDES WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO
TAKE OUR HOMES.
JUST BECAUSE IT’S LEGAL DOESN’T
MEAN IT’S MORAL OR CORRECT OR
HISTORICALLY JUST.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO US IS ETHNIC
CLEANSING.
>> I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE,
I’M NOT SURE IF YOU’VE HEARD THE
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT, THEY
WOULD NOT EXPLICITLY SAY WHETHER
PALESTINIANS HAVE A RIGHT TO
SELF-DEFENSE WHEN THEY WERE
ASKED ABOUT THAT AT YESTERDAY’S
BRIEFING.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HOW THE U.S.
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
HAS RESPONDED TO WHAT IS
HAPPENING TO YOUR FAMILY?
THEY ARE SAYING, THE
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE STATE
DEPARTMENT IS SAYING TODAY THAT
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SAFETY AND
SECURITY WHILE ISRAEL HAS A
RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO U.S.
OFFICIALS AND THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY?
>> THE UNITED STATES HAS WAGED
MORE WARS THAN THERE ARE HAMAS
MEMBERS.
I DON’T WAIT FOR THE UNITED
STATES TO TELL ME WHAT
CONSTITUTES AS SELF-DEFENSE AND
WHAT NOT CONSTITUTES AS
SELF-DEFENSE, THAT IS NOT WHERE
MY MORAL COMPASS STEMS FROM.
I DON’T THINK THE UNITED STATES
IS IN POSITION, GIVEN ALL THE
GENOCIDES AND WARS IT’S
PARTAKEN, TO SAY WHAT IS
SELF-DEFENSE.
WE’RE LEAVING UNDER AN
EXCRUCIATINGLY VIOLENT SIEGE.
THE AGGRESSOR, THE OCCUPIER,
STARTED IT ALL.
THAT’S FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT