Zuhdi Shubeitah
العربية

The Nation's Family on the Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

A personal column that recounts scenes in Al-Bireh and a tale about family ties and hardship, calls for Palestinian unity, and criticizes Lockheed Martin's CEO for opposing a U.S. congressional move to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the Yemen war and the Khashoggi killing.

العربيةRead the Arabic original

English translation, prepared and reviewed before publication. The Arabic text is authoritative.

Zuhdi ShubeitahBanking executive (former)
Published
Reading time
4 min read
Photo of Zuhdi Shubeitah

-        15-11-2018

-        My friend "Tha'liyya" told me this morning, dated 15-11-2018... and we were waiting for a bit of... falafel. In the "Al-Lu'lu'a" restaurant in the city of Al-Bireh... in a long line to buy from it... how many falafel patties... with some hummus and fava beans... that this popular restaurant is famous for.... about a tale.......whose events occurred... on a day like this.... last year... about a friend of his... who works as a construction foreman—"Banna".....as he is called in our beautiful country... with emphasis on the nun.... This "Banna" said that while he was busy that day finishing the construction of a stone wall... the famous Jama'ini stone that the town of "Jama'in" in Nablus Governorate is known for... and the construction was for a Palestinian expatriate in America... a woman stopped by him... she appeared to be middle-aged and came to him from the west... and after a moment a boy stopped by—his hair a little frizzy. He had come from the south... where the smell of fish could be detected on his clothes mixed with a smell like gunpowder... as if he had come from the front...!!!! The two of them stopped together... at this "Banna" after the woman called him by name "Bahr"....!! And the "Banna" was astonished that this woman knew the boy's name... while each had come from a different direction... and before the "Banna's" astonishment the woman spoke... addressing the "Banna" urging him to continue building, saying:

-    "My son, O Banna... don't pay attention to us. My mother brought his mother... and my husband's brother is his uncle..!!"
"Banna" was silent for a moment... and said to her... "Sure... your son!!... but since he is your son... why aren't you paying attention to him...!!" She told him... "Time... and relatives have become estranged.!! He works for his uncle... on the shore of the Gaza Sea...(with my in-law).. and we send him a little money from my husband's allowances... what comes to us... we split the bite in two or a little less.!!.....sometimes so he can study.. and continue his education.. but... the money from us... is not constant. Without God's permission.... my in-law's money there is not enough for them... bread... their situation is bad... God help them...!!" And he asked her his name and she told him, "Abu Arab"... and the "Banna" said to her, "Abu Arab, and you, madam, what is your name?" The woman said to him, "My name is.... 'Palestine'....!!"

-        I invited my friend "Tha'labah" to have breakfast with us at the house since he was nearby... but my friend Tha'labah apologized and said: I, particularly on this beautiful day coinciding with the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the proclamation of the Palestinian State, will have my breakfast with my family... all of whom are gathered today... at home... despite the absence of their eldest son, who has been detained for decades in a distant prison in a desert resembling the Rub' al Khali....!! So I told him okay... take care... thank you for the story you told me... and I took my falafel and the bowl of hummus and the plate of fava beans for which I make sure to bring my own household dishes so the restaurant owner can pour the fava beans and hummus into them... and I closed up and returned to my nearby home.

-        And I say:

-        O my people.... the unity of the large family.... is mandatory and obligatory... and a personal religious duty... for each one of us...! Unite and bury your disputes.. by God.. a cup of coffee is enough... to restore your cohesion.. and your unity.. if you will.. and purify your intention.. and do not listen to the enemies.....!!

-        Good morning, Arab Palestinian... and may you be united every year.. in heart and form. Before the real enemies...

-        Opposing a ceasefire on Yemen... for the sake of profits and jobs... in America

-        I shared this post from my famous journalist friend Hisham Abdullah -- Abu Amir -- on Facebook...... the post is worth reading!!

-        The chief executive of the company Lockheed Martin, which was established in 1995 (a merger between two companies) in the U.S. state of Maryland, is considered the world's largest arms manufacturer by revenue. It employs about 140,000 employees. Among the industries it undertakes are aerospace industries, electronic systems and information technology, integrated solutions, and space industries. Most of its output is purchased by the Pentagon. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of its largest customers (outside America).

-        In this post, the chief executive of the giant company (which is considered, along with some transnational corporations, to indirectly govern the world...) opposes the passage in the U.S. Congress of a law to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia because of its role in the war in Yemen, the killing of children, and the killing of Khashoggi. She has sent more than 200,000 emails, trying to rally her supporters to prevent a vote on the resolution being advanced by organizations that call for peace worldwide. She attempts to imprint on Americans' minds that the continuation of arms sales to Saudi Arabia is extremely important to them — that is, to Americans — in terms of the money and jobs that stem from these sales that will occur in the United States. She says that the money and benefits that return to Americans from arms sales and their continuation to Saudi Arabia are far more important than the lives of children in a distant country like Yemen. "The majority of its population are militias... and they hate America..!!!!!." And other phrases indicate a chauvinistic mentality she wants to instill in the American people, regardless of external victims...

-        This post is dangerous and shows how the mindset of rulers who control the world in secret...(transnational companies) think

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Citation

Zuhdi Shubeitah, “The Nation's Family on the Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence” (English translation of «اسرة الوطن....في ذكرى اعلان الاستقلال», originally published 19 September 2022), https://www.zuhdish.co/en/articles/the-nations-family-on-the-anniversary

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