A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

The Veritas Handbook Page 1

 A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

To make this handbook possible, we would like to thank

1. The Hasbara Handbook and the Hasbara Fellowships

2. The Israel Project’s Global Language Dictionary

Both of which served as great inspirations, convincing us of the necessity

of this handbook in our plight to establish truth and justice.

This handbook has been compiled by individuals who wish to remain anonymous.
To contact the team, please email theveritashandbook@gmail.com

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A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

The Veritas Handbook Page 3

 A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

Table of Contents
SUBJECT TO CHANGE

PREFACE .............................................................................................................................................
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................
Objectives ..........................................................................................................................................

PART I: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Introduction to Part I ...........................................................................................................................

Background Information ......................................................................................................................
The Roots of Conflict, 1878-1947 ..........................................................................................................
Ethnic Cleansing, War, and Collective Punishment: Israel and the Palestinians, 1948-1955 .....................
Pax Hebraica: Israel, the Arab States, and the Palestinians 1955-1981 ..................................................
The Powder Keg: Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinians, 1943-2008........................................................
Uprisings, Settlements, and Apartheid: Israel and the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, 1987-
2009
The Israeli Political System ..................................................................................................................
The Palestinian Political Scene .............................................................................................................

PART II: A GUIDE TO ANSWERING COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND THE ZIONIST NARRATIVE

Introduction to Part II ..........................................................................................................................

Answering the Zionist Narrative: Commonly asked Questions .............................................................

PART III: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON CAMPAIGNS

AND DEBATES SURROUNDING RELEVANT SOLUTIONS: MESSAGES FROM NOTABLES

BDS Campaign: Boycott Divestment Sanction .......................................................................................

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 A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

Information on the campaign ................................................................................................................

Past Successes and Failures ...................................................................................................................
Consumer/Cultural/ Academic Boycotts ...............................................................................................
Resources to see who to Boycott .........................................................................................................
How to Start a Campaign/ Hampshire Campus Guide on BDS Campaign ...........................................
Using Health & Medicine to Portray the Devastating Situation with Accuracy .......................................
Highlighting Jewish Efforts to End the Occupation and Oppression ........................................................
Discussing Solutions to the Conflict .....................................................................................................
International Solution: Two State Solution.............................................................................................
Complications in International Law ........................................................................................................
One State Solution ..................................................................................................................................
Alternate Solutions .................................................................................................................................
Dealing with the Media Portrayal of the Conflict and Issues at Hand ....................................................
Supporting the Palestinian Economy and Palestinian Products .............................................................
Zatoun ..................................................................................................................................................
Olive Oil and Planting Olive Trees .......................................................................................................
The Kaffiyeh Factory ............................................................................................................................
The Palestinian Identity........................................................................................................................
Important Issues and Considerations for Charity Work .......................................................................
Eyewitness in Palestine: Important Lessons to be Learned ..................................................................
A Voice From Palestine: “What we Need” .........................................................................................

PART IV: APPENDIXES

APPENDIX 1 : Primary Documents and Sources ....................................................................................

United Nations Resolutions ..................................................................................................................
International Court of Justice Ruling on the “Separation Barrier” ........................................................
The Goldstone Report ............................................................................................................................
List of Palestinian Prisoners ....................................................................................................................
Children Killed in Gaza 2009 .................................................................................................................
Villages Destroyed in 1948 ....................................................................................................................

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APPENDIX II: Human Rights Reports (from B’Tselem, UN, PCHR, Amnesty International) ......................
Settlements ............................................................................................................................................
The Apartheid Wall ................................................................................................................................
Operation Cast Lead ..............................................................................................................................
Prisoners ................................................................................................................................................
APPENDIX III: Resources for Activists (Pamphlets, Posters, Quotes, etc) ...............................................
APPENDIX IV: Learning the Zionist Narrative- Zionist Resources ...........................................................

PART V: EXTENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES

EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING .............................................................................

History Books ........................................................................................................................................
Human Rights/ Refugees/ Settlements .................................................................................................
Proposed Solutions ................................................................................................................................
Documentaries .......................................................................................................................................

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 A Guide to Understanding the Palestinian Struggle for Human Rights

PREFACE

"I've had enough of someone else's propaganda. I'm for truth, no

matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against.
I'm a human being first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever
and whatever benefits humanity as a whole." Malcolm X

Malcolm X certainly knew what he was talking about, and it is in his spirit of justice that
we found the inspiration to compile The Veritas Handbook. This compilation is the product of
direct and indirect efforts of a small group of hardworking human rights activists devoted to
ensuring the elimination of oppression and the establishment of justice for peoples of the world
in their common struggle against racism, marginalization, colonialism, and ethnic cleansing. As
such, the Palestinian cause being the longest occupation in modern history, lies at the heart of
this global struggle for human rights and is the subject of this booklet.

Although this is by no means an exhaustive study, we have sought to provide a critical

introduction for students and activists alike who are seeking credible information about the
Palestinian struggle for human rights. All too often in issues where emotions run high- and
justifiably so- we see a lack in concrete information and knowledge. Without knowledge, we
cannot ascertain the truth, and without the truth we cannot establish justice. One of the key
aspects of solidarity work and activism for the oppressed is the very issue of knowledge and
history is a key component of this.

In outlining the history of the Palestinian quest for justice by looking equally at history
and international law, we have hoped to familiarize unknowledgeable readers with the major
issues at stake in Palestine/Israel, while at the same time providing an important resource for
human rights activists. We strongly believe that what we have provided will serve to allow a
reader to achieve a real understanding of the issues at hand. History is particularly highlighted
in order to frame the Palestinian struggle within its appropriate context. Too often is the
Palestinian struggle for justice mischaracterized as an inter-state conflict or a religious war
between two ancient peoples. As any critical historical examination will show, the situation in
Palestine is one of an indigenous people (the Palestinians) being subjected to a settler-colonial
enterprise (political Zionism) promoted by the Israeli state. Moreover, it will become clear
throughout this short exposition that the struggle for Palestinian rights is far from controversial,
and not, as proponents of Israel would have us believe, divorced from the broader international
struggle for justice and human rights. It is neither nationalistic, nor filtered- it is simply the
documented glaring truth.

One thing that many activists will notice is the fact that we have not set out to endorse

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one, two, nor three state solutions. This is not because we do not see an end to the oppression
or that we do not see a solution to the cause and do not want the lack of material on the
subject to be taken as such. To the contrary, we believe that a just solution speaks for itself
when one looks at the brutal occupation and oppression the Palestinians have faced. We leave
the ultimate decision up to the readers to decide. This being said, we insist that any solution
that is not based wholly and entirely on principles of justice, human rights, and human dignity
will not be sustainable. Rather, we have attempted to provide a brief overview which would
invite further research by all serious activists and scholars into the Palestinian struggle for
justice, and give a concrete basis to understand the debate thoroughly. Our basic premise is
that injustice anywhere is a serious threat to justice everywhere and hence must be actively
confronted. We have no doubt that if one has a strong grasp on history and a true
understanding of justice, that people will come to realize and campaign for a just solution to
the cause.

The handbook is divided into five main sections: (1) A Short History of Palestine, (2)
Commonly Asked Questions (3) Articles Surrounding Important Campaigns and Debates, (4)
Appendix on Important Reports and Resources and (5) An Extended Bibliography with
Important Resources. We have tried to make the handbook qualitative as opposed to
quantitative and sifting through thousands of resources and materials was an arduous task. The
first section is primarily geared towards educating an uninformed audience while solidifying
information that any regular activist may have. It has been designed in a manner such that it
could become a crash course for activists with a one hour session, one a week, for ten weeks.
The second section is aimed towards providing activists with answers to commonly asked
questions that are referenced with accurate information, and for this we have to thank those
who have already done the work for us. The third section is perhaps one of the most important:
and a section which we are currently (as this is the preview) still looking for contributions from
notable scholars. We hope for it to contain scholarly and academic thought that can inform
activists about the important issues surrounding our work and the controversies that can arise
within our work. These issues have caused a lot of disunity within the larger movement and are
issues that need to be understood with clarity as to promote a wider understanding. We have
not taken a stance on any of these issues, but instead hope to provide you with the resources
to make your own decision. The fourth section is an extensive appendix with a comprehensive
resource guide in regards to sources for accurate information, solidarity organizations,
printable posters and pamphlets, human rights reports, and primary resources. We strongly
suggest going through these and referring back to them- especially the primary resources and
human rights reports that have all been extensively researched and lie at the heart of
understanding the reality of the situation on the ground. We have also included a few things
that are not easily found using Google: like quotes and lists of names. While several quotes are
available, they are hardly ever put together and checked for accuracy, which is why we have
included several quotes that should be useful for informative purposes as well as creative
purposes when creating posters and such. As such, we hope that these items together will
serve as a concrete handbook and a must-have for any activist. Our fifth and final section is an
extensive bibliography that could also be seen as a reading list, containing important books,

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documentaries, and websites.

It should also be pointed out that this handbook has required extensive research and
has been fact-checked extensively by many scholars and historians. We can assure you,
although you do not know who we are, that the information in this booklet has been
documented and recorded. At the end of the handbook lies an extensive bibliography through
which you can find all of the information presented. We apologize for the lack of extensive
footnotes but do encourage everyone to their own scholarship and research- we’re positive
that an objective audience will come to the same conclusions.

In our dedication, we mentioned a special shout-out to the Hasbara Handbook and The
Israel Project’s Global Israel Dictionary. Although many opponents will see this handbook as a
form of rebuttal to these projects, we wish to maintain that it is no such thing. While these
handbooks promoting Zionism teach the audience of arguing techniques and how to effectively
change the subject and use the ‘right’ words, that is not our goal. We will present the truth as
is, and do not need to twist words to get our point across.

We also like to add and reaffirm the fact that there is no copyright on this text, nor do
we wish to gain any monetary benefit from it. None of the images located in this document
belong to us, nor are we claiming rights to them. We apologize strongly if we have infringed on
copyright laws of anybody but simply took images and documents off the web. Feel free to
contact us at the email below if it is imperative for any image or document to be removed for
copyright reasons.

Last, but not least, the compilers of this booklet have spent much of their time
researching, analyzing, and raising awareness about the Palestinian struggle and would be glad
to receive any questions, comments, or criticisms you have at

theveritashandbook@gmail.com
Sincerely,
The Veritas Handbook Team

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