Archive
History, Justice, and the Unfinished Struggle: Investigating Israel’s Crimes and the Palestinian Dispossession
By Akashma News
Introduction: The Line Between Truth and Accusation
In the modern age of journalism, reporting on Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories often comes with a dangerous label: anti-Semitism. The accusation is frequently used to silence critics, whether they are journalists, human rights organizations, or even Jewish scholars who question Israeli state actions. But is exposing war crimes, settler violence, and military oppression truly an act of prejudice against Jewish people, or is it a necessary pursuit of truth and accountability?
Beyond this, a more fundamental question remains: Has history provided justice to the Palestinian people, who have faced decades of displacement, occupation, and systemic oppression? The answers lie in a century-long pattern of colonial ambition, international complicity, and an unwavering Palestinian resistance against historical injustice.
The Settler Question: Criticism or Hate Speech?
The Israeli government and pro-Zionist organizations often frame criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. In 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted a controversial definition of anti-Semitism that includes “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” This definition has since been weaponized to silence activists, scholars, and even Jewish critics who oppose Israel’s apartheid policies.
However, major human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and B’Tselem (an Israeli NGO), have all independently concluded that Israel is committing crimes of apartheid. These reports document how Israel’s government enforces segregation, land seizures, and military oppression against Palestinians. If leading global watchdogs can make these claims without being anti-Semitic, why is the same standard not applied to journalists and activists?
Settler Violence and State Backing
One of the most egregious aspects of Israeli policy is the state-backed expansion of illegal settlements. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population into occupied territory, making all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal under international law.
Yet, as of 2024, over 700,000 Israeli settlers live in these illegal enclaves. Reports from the United Nations, Al-Haq, and Breaking the Silence (a group of former Israeli soldiers) document systematic violence against Palestinians by settlers, often with the protection—or direct assistance—of the Israeli military.
This violence includes:
Forcible land seizures and home demolitions.
Arson attacks, such as the 2015 firebombing in Duma that killed an 18-month-old Palestinian baby and his parents.
Live fire against Palestinian civilians, frequently ignored or excused by Israeli courts.
Labeling these documented crimes as “anti-Semitic propaganda” serves only to shield perpetrators from accountability. As investigative journalists, our duty is to report the truth, not cater to political narratives that suppress it.
Historical Dispossession: The “Jewish Dream” and Palestinian Reality
From Balfour to the Nakba: How Palestine Was Stolen
The roots of Palestinian dispossession date back to 1917, when British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration, promising British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This declaration was made without consulting the 95% majority Palestinian population, who suddenly found their fate being decided by a foreign power and a Zionist movement led by figures like Lord Rothschild and Chaim Weizmann.
When the British Mandate took control of Palestine in 1920, Zionist paramilitary groups—the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi (Stern Gang)—began violently seizing Palestinian land. These groups conducted terrorist operations, including bombings and assassinations, against both Palestinians and the British.
By 1947, despite Jews owning only 6% of the land, the United Nations partition plan allocated 55% of Palestine to the Jewish population, fueling Palestinian resistance. The response from Zionist militias was ruthless:
The Nakba (1948): Ethnic Cleansing and Massacres
During the war following the unilateral declaration of Israel’s statehood in May 1948, Zionist militias executed a calculated campaign of ethnic cleansing. Israeli historian Ilan Pappé, in his book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, documents how 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled, and over 500 villages were destroyed in a deliberate effort to erase Palestinian presence.
Massacres such as Deir Yassin (April 9, 1948), where over 100 Palestinian men, women, and children were slaughtered, served as psychological warfare to drive out more Palestinians. Survivors recall scenes of rape, executions, and mutilations—horrors reminiscent of other colonial genocides.
By the time the war ended, Israel controlled 78% of historic Palestine, far beyond the UN’s partition allotment. The remaining 22%—the West Bank and Gaza Strip—came under Jordanian and Egyptian control, only to be occupied by Israel in 1967.
The 1967 War and Ongoing Occupation
Following Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War (1967), it occupied the remaining Palestinian territories. Since then, Israel has implemented a military regime over millions of Palestinians, depriving them of basic human rights. The occupation continues to this day, with:
2.2 million Gazans living under a near-total blockade, described by the UN as an “open-air prison.”
Over 500 military checkpoints in the West Bank restricting Palestinian movement.
Apartheid laws that grant Israeli settlers full rights while denying them to native Palestinians.
Has History Delivered Justice?
Despite numerous UN resolutions condemning Israeli actions, little has changed. The U.S. veto power at the UN Security Council ensures Israel remains shielded from international law.
Meanwhile, Palestinians remain stateless, refugees in their own homeland or scattered across the world. No reparations, no right of return, and no accountability have been offered to the victims of Zionist colonization.
Even attempts to hold Israel legally accountable have been crushed. In 2021, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened an investigation into Israeli war crimes, but faced severe pushback from Western governments. In contrast, these same nations demand justice for Ukraine against Russia, exposing the double standard in international law.
The Fight for Justice Continues
Despite Israel’s military and political power, the Palestinian resistance—both armed and non-violent—continues. Movements such as:
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), which pressures companies and institutions to cut ties with Israeli apartheid.
Legal challenges at the ICC and UN bodies.
Grassroots resistance in occupied territories, where Palestinians fight back against home demolitions, settler violence, and military oppression.
Conclusion: A Call for Unbiased Journalism
To expose Israel’s crimes is not to be anti-Semitic—it is to uphold the principles of journalism and human rights. The real issue is not religious identity, but settler colonialism, military occupation, and ethnic cleansing.
History has failed Palestine, but the future remains unwritten. Journalists, historians, and activists must continue to document, expose, and challenge the forces that seek to erase the Palestinian people. The world ignored the Nakba in 1948. Will it ignore the ongoing Nakba today?
About the Author: Marivel Guzman
Marivel Guzman is an investigative journalist and photographer with a fervent dedication to uncovering the truth and advocating for social justice. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Sacramento, where she honed her skills in journalism and developed a passion for storytelling.
Throughout her career, Guzman has contributed to various reputable publications, including Lariat News, Orange Coast Report, and The State Hornet. Her work delves into complex socio-political issues, aiming to shed light on underreported stories and marginalized communities. She is also the founder of Akashma Online News, a platform she has used since 2007 to research, analyze, and document pressing global issues.
In addition to her journalistic endeavors, Guzman has served as a proof editor for the Baluchistan Red Crescent quarterly magazine and volunteers as a photographer for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), capturing the resilience and struggles of displaced populations.
Guzman’s commitment to social activism extends beyond traditional journalism. She maintains a political blog where she explores pressing global issues and engages readers in thoughtful discourse. Her poetry, reflecting themes of solitude, resilience, and hope, has been featured in Akashma Online News, offering readers a glimpse into her introspective and creative perspective.
Her dedication to investigative reporting is further enriched by her extensive worldwide travels, which have provided her with profound cultural insights and a global perspective on issues of human rights, colonialism, and justice. These experiences deeply inform her writing, allowing her to engage with diverse narratives and historical contexts.
Currently based in Orange County, California, Guzman continues to leverage her investigative skills and passion for storytelling to inform, inspire, and provoke thought among her audience. Her unwavering dedication to truth and justice remains at the core of her work, as she strives to amplify the voices of those who are often unheard.
We the People Stand for Justice and Peace; Palestine UN State 2011
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Marivel Guzman
It is up to All of us in the free world, to speak, to protest, to boycott, to question against the US or any other country that do not agree with the Independence of Palestine.
There is no more time for mockery “Peace Talks”, they were never intended to solve the conflict but to continue the occupation which some how in the road of 65 years has become “Legal”, go figure how the “Elite” understand democracy and freedom for others. All we know is that UN (Club of 5) were never partners for peace, not for the Palestinians or for no one. Now the best they can do is to stay on the sidelines and let the people to choose their destiny.
The Arabs Spring, this is how the Media have baptized the will of the people, the people revolutions have shown to the world, to the leaders that we still have the power to move, and those revolutions will keep growing even if the Elite thinks they can stop them.
Now is the time for us to yell loud and clear that we are not spectators no more, we want peace for Palestinians, we want their rights, their seat in the UN. We the People Choose not to let few leaders to Choose for all of us.
Remember; The leaders are few, WE THE PEOPLE are Many, we are billions of people that can rise to the occasion. Injustice is one of the reasons the revolutions started not only in these past few months, but throughout history. We are to the brink of starvation, because injustice is to the order of the day. The Leaders can not afford a global boycott, a global march, a global Protest, a global REVOLUTION, because WWIII will be imminent, and why will they want to use nuclear weapons. Why for the benefit of few. NO, Nonsense.
Palestine has been an ongoing conflict that needs to be solved now, and this is a great opportunity for Israel to move forward and stop their aggressive tactics and finally get it, 
that enough is enough.
The disinformation going around is a real knock out of Israel against Palestine, there is no Indefinite Veto Power, the Security Council will make a recommendation on the Request from Palestine Authority to Be accepted as a Full Member of the UN being the 194 state. But the real power is in the General Assembly of the UN, that needs 3/4 of of the countries to pass a resolution. And nothing is written in stone, any compromise reach on this historic resolution should be implemented and could be change for the good of the parties involved. Especially for Palestinians that have always get the worse part in any accords in the past. And by the way, those accords should be obsolete, they were never implemented from Israel part, but were forced on the Palestinians.
In the past, all the veto resolutions done by US or any other country never seek the General Assembly because they were weak requests in the eyes of the General Assembly, but this time is different, the world is tired of Israel mockery of International Law, tired of Israel violating every convention and International Human Rights Statutes . The world is tired to see the full support that Israel gets from the Club of 5 (UN Security Council/illegal in my view)on every crime she commits. I think now we finally are seeing ourselves as awaken from a long dream.
Before we will hear Obama, or Bush or Blair or any Leaders excusing Israel for killing Palestinians with the well known statement; “Israel has the right to defend itself”, com’on defend itself from who, from patients in hospitals being bombed from F16, or drones, defend itself from 10 years old being killed and called collateral damaged, when Israel bomb their homes. Defend from the Olive trees, being uprooted for the buffer zone or to plant settlement inside Palestine?
We seen it all with Israel the latest slap to all of us, was the massacre of the Mavi Marmara where the Palmer Report got to the conclusion that the Block of Gaza is Legal, and the murder of 9 unarmed peace activists were in an act of self defense. Really! it is ludicrous, ridiculous how, time and time again we see Israel being exonerated with a pad in the back for her crimes. The way we seen lately the disproportionate use of force against International Peace Activists and the Non Violent movement, is how the world attention has finally paid attention to the Palestinian Cause. It’s like we went back time, and found ourselves inside South Africa Apartheid, but in Palestine, in the Occupied Territories, and we using this term Occupied Territories as we were in the medieval times, when the law of the jungle ruled. We are in the 21 century and we still have some Military States oppressing entire populations and our leaders and news treat the phenomenon as it is normal.
Israel is not the only Military Dictatorship that it is committing crimes against humanity, India also is in flagrant abuse of power in the region of Kashmir, but the eyes of the world are now in Palestine and it is time to start cutting heads, Israel is a new beginning because it is from this spot on earth that the globalist agenda is planned.
Our history is full of Mass Murderers not only the revered Kings of the history books have killed thousands of people and usurped the rights of those same people, but Popes and revered religious figures in our past have ordered the mass murdered of thousands of people, even The God of the Old Testament had ordered the killings of thousands of people and we were ok with those stories. Now in this modern era we see the savagery that took place in the past, and we start realizing that we never really stand together as a race, in no other time in history we did were together, we always been divided by Religion, Cultural Values, Political ideas and other divisive tools. In the last 40 years I can say, since the hippie movement is that the world started their awakening, and now we are more and more standing with my brother, speaking for his rights, and suffering his pains. Palestine is the great example, but does not stop there, we are moving to a new era, this is it..Natayahu is only one of many which heads will fall. With your help, my help and that of 6.7 billions more people that are awakening…
The Beginning of new era for Palestine start in that theater, that was the same that created Israel. With the difference that Israel is losing support, and Palestine support is growing day by day. And I know that it seems that if we accept the idea of two states solutions we will be given legitimacy to Israel, I see it from the positive side and the realistic fact, that the population of Palestine is growing exponentially, and Israel population is diminishing, in two ways; lots of Israelis are abandoning the boat and leaving the Land, and also, they do not reproduce as fast as Palestinians do, so I see it, as the power of the people will take over, and with the help of the International Community of Peace and Social activists and conscience objectors, Israel will eventually disappear from the Map with the same pen that was created. The UN.
And it is exactly in this spot on earth, the Holy Land where history said conflicts started, when so it is a good place to start with the cleaning of our Planet. Welcome to Humanity 1.01, the program is fresh upgrade yours it is free. ……….STAY HUMAN
My favorite Radio Host Michael Rivero and his very own and truthful views of our world
The instant the US government Vetos the Palestinian measure in the security council the whole world is going to know that the US government is full of crap. When it comes to middle east peace when it comes to a Palestinian state, everybody is going to see the US government grovel for Israel before the eyes of the entire world. The US governments credibility is going to be destroyed, not that there is very much left anyways. So everybody in Washington DC might as well get your tee-shirts that say “proud to be Israels bitch” and you might as well put them on right now… because after Friday that is what everyone on planet earth is going to be thinking about you. Everybody who’s in congress and washington DC if you want to support Israel GO THERE! But as long as you stand on the soverign territory of the USA and as long as your salary is paid by the American tax payer and you work in the buildings that belong to the people of the USA you better darn well be taking care of this country, because we have HAD IT.
More Posts………..
Palestinians will go to the UN on September 23...Do not believe in rumors
A Strategy for Israel in the 1980′s…Read this article in entirely and see how the agenda is been followed to the last step. So do not get discourage, we keep fighting, we moving to a new era
People we do not know.…….We interact few times in the walls, in the channels, the spaces and we call ourselves, friends, brothers, comrades. We go to extreme lengths to fight for your rights, to fight for your country, to fight for your causes. We stand strong for a reason we do not completely understand, other than doing social justice to peace and friendship. What really Happen to all of us?, that suddenly we raise our voices for your flag, for the protection of your individual liberties, your civil rights
Would UN General Assembly Vote for an Independent Palestine?…..Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall ,there are enough existential and serious problems for regimes and states in the Arab and Muslim world ,from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, and beyond , greedy , ruthless White Christian Crusaders pursuing mostly illegal policy of destruction and loot of sovereign states like Libya ,Iraq etc .There is relentless pressure on Assad regime in Syria, but the next hot item on the Middle East agenda is going to be the vote on Palestine Independence in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, 2011.
Tottenham Palestine Literature Festival 2011
Posted on September 06, 2011 by Marivel Guzman

Join celebrated writers, film makers, rappers, photographers, story tellers and locals to listen, talk, learn, rap, discuss, watch, question and share ideas on Palestine at the inaugural Tottenham Palestine Literature Festival, Thursday September 29th to Sunday October 2nd.
The festival has been organised by Haringey Justice for Palestinians. We would like to thank everyone who has helped it to grow and flourish over the last few months.
This will be a great four day event celebrating Palestine through films, discussions, art work, storytelling, stalls, music, and poetry.
Timetable
Thursday 29th September
18:30pm
Festival Launch & Haringey Independent Cinema screening of ‘The Promise’
Professor Haim Bresheeth
Friday 30th September
19:00pm
Launch of Hanna Braun’s memoir
Weeds Don’t Perish- Memoirs of a defiant old woman: local author
Ghada Karmi, Hanna Braun
20:15pm
Can writers bring about political change?
China Miéville, Ewa Jasiewicz, Ghada Karmi, James Miller, Naomi Foyle
Saturday 1st October
10:00am till 13.00pm
Children’s activities The Wildcat Arts Collectives, in collaboration with Haringey Justice for Palestinians, presents
Storytelling – Roisin Murray
Kite making – Sameh
Graffiti wal – DJ Steaz
aimed at children and young people, 5 – 12 years.
12:00pm
Screening of ‘The Promise’
Peter Kosminsky
13:00pm
Selma Dabbagh reads from her new book, ‘Out of it’
Young peoples’ workshop with author Anna Perera
Performance of Harold Pinter’s ‘One for the Road’
14:00pm
Rap workshop with Haroon Anwar
Ghada Karmi and Karl Sabbagh discuss reading and writing about Palestine
Storytelling with Roísín Murray
Phil Marfleet talks about his book Egypt: The Moment of Change
15:00pm
Tim Llewellyn talks about media coverage of Palestine
Journey Through Thorns performed by the Palestine Trauma Center (Gaza)
David Harrold, Mohamed Altawil
Anna Perera, Selma Dabbagh & Ghada Kanafani talk about identity, dispossession, and belonging
16:00pm
Ghada Kanafani & Haroon Anwar: Poetry and Politic
17:00 pm
Hip hop film and performances
Films
Hip Hop is Bigger that the Occupation
Acts on the night
Mohammed Yahya
Poetic Pilgrimage
Crazy Haze
Ed Greens
Kapwon
Krazed
Melissa Melodee
Nekz
Potent Whisper
Skillz Rapartist
T-Error
BigCakes
First and Last
Lyrictist Jinn
Haroon Anwar
Somaye
Mohamed-Zain Dada
Emily Churchill
With DJ Steaz
18:00pm
Writer Brian Keenan in convesation
19:00pm
Q & A with Peter Kosminsky, Director & writer of ‘The Promise’
and Professor Haim Bresheeth
20:00pm – 21.45pm
Festival concert
Particpants
Singers:
Reem Kelani
Leon Rosselson
MC/poet:
Haroon Anwar
Ghada Kanafani
Compere:
Michael Rosen
The only marxist magician:
Ian Saville
Location:
Auditorium
Mideastern food will be on sale from 17.00pm till 19.00pm
There will also be books, clothes, plant and handicraft stalls
Exhibitions:
Willam Parry photo journalist
Children’s art from Gaza
Photographs from the West Bank by Louis and others
Sunday 2nd October 10:00am – 13.00pm
The Garden House (Kitapevi)
410 High Road, Tottenham (just north of Tottenham police station)
Brunch & open mic
A morning of poetry & prose recital over a delicious brunch for this festival finale with Anwar Hamed, Ghada Kanafani, Emily Churchill & you!
£5, under 12s free.
A Film By Existence is Resistance and Nana Dankwa about a musical tour to Palestine teaching resistance through the arts. Featuring M1 of Dead Prez, Lowkey, Shadia Mansour, Marcel Cartier, Mazzi of S.O.U.L. Purpose, DJ Vega Benetton, SWYC, University of Hip Hop, Jody McIntyre, and many more…. for more information on upcoming tours and about the organization, please email questions @ existenceisresistance.org
Teaser Trailer for new controversial 4-part drama on Channel 4 called ‘The Promise’. Written and directed by Bafta-winning Peter Kosminksy and starring Christian Cooke and Claire Foy. It deals with the role the British Mandate played in the formation of the state of Israel. Directed by Brian Harrington
Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign
http://www.bigcampaign.org
Haringey Justice for Palestinians
http://www.hjfp.org.uk
Palestine Festival of Literature
http://www.palfest.org
Palestine Film Foundation
http://www.palestinefilm.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
http://www.palestinecampaign.org
Palestine Trauma Center (UK)
http://www.ptcuk.org
The Britain – Palestine Twinning Network
http://www.twinningwithpalestine.net
For more information: http://tottpallitfest.org.uk/
Akashma Online News 
