Letter from Occupied Palesτine: Day 624 & thuds of explosions

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh*
Jun 21, 2025

Day 624

Two nuclear armed regimes run by lunatics bombing a non-nuclear country now to bring on the looked for Armageddon!
Sirens blaring here in Bethlehem on day 624 of the accelerated genocide (friends and UNICEF now tell us children are dying of thirst and hunger in Gaza Strip and we are besieged here in West Bank), we hear the thuds of explosions now near us after Trump did the only thing he could considering the Epstein files/videos. We maybe in the last few days before the end of our lives here in the belly of the beast so I want to say that MAY ALL GET THEIR DUES. Those who live by the sword die by the sword and those who work for peace will get it. As Jesus noted in his sermon on the mount:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”I and other analysts have repeatedly said that this genocide in Gaza and attacks on five countries so far in 21 months is not done by the Israeli regime alone. Israel/US killed >1000 civilians in Iran and Palestine in this last week. Israeli leaders still boast about their use of starvation and thirst as a tool to achieve their stated goal to “reshape” (dominate) the region and liquidate Palestine as an idea. Western media like the AP, the BBC and CNN and Fox News regurgitate the lies fed to them by Zionists and try to shield the public from facts like the fact that we are already in the middle of a global war started to support colonialism and imperialism. The common people get their information from independent sources which explains why there is now a big chasm between people and governments in the West and why those same governments are now trying desperately to suppress free speech. The facts cannot be hidden. Facts include that the Israeli regime which refuses to sign non proliferation treaty has the only nuclear arsenal in our region. Facts like 8.5 million Palestinian refugees caused by ethnic cleansing by this western supported regime. Fact is that some 18 trillion in US national debt is due to wars done on behalf of the Israeli regime.

Here is another smaller example of propaganda. According to Iranian and independent media outlets, the target 19 June 2025 was the techno park for the Israeli military intelligence with hundreds of officers working there developing cyberwarefare. By all measures, the attack was successful and damage to an adjacent and rather empty Soroko hospital building was due to strength of the blast (no patients or staff were there). Yet, suppression of information immediately started and no mention was made in the propaganda blitz about “Iran targeting civilians” and “hospitals” was made of the three hospitals targeted intentionally in Tehran or the 38 hospitals targeted or blown up in Gaza by the Israeli intentional campaign collapse all healthcare system in Gaza. Israel passed a law that makes it illegal to photograph or report on damage done during this war to Israeli infrastructure with anyone violating this subject to up to two year imprisonment. Their worry is that this can result in citizens finding out that the official narrative is false and might increase dissent. But Israelis are looking to leave anyway (70% hold foreign passports) even against government attempt to keep them hostage. Israel killed 230 journalists in Gaza to enforce no reporting of methodical and intentional genocide and destruction of essentially all hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip (see reports by World Health Organization and other UN agencies).
Social media and alternative media help common people understand why there is an ongoing genocide and why a global war is being waged and this information empowers action to resist empire.
Why BBC editors must one day stand trial for colluding in Israel’s genocide (same for other western media agencies) https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2025-06-20/bbc-editors-trial-israel-genocide/Last message I sent logical analysis from five thoughtful people. Here is five more to help you understand the “shit” we are in thanks to narcissistic fascists:
British journalist Richard Medhurst https://youtu.be/5dO4LWQVmeE
Chris Hedges and Colonel Wilkerson https://youtu.be/br_xcGgoXio
Ali Abunimah https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israel-made-catastrophic-mistake-attacking-iran
Jonathan Cook
https://en.reseauinternational.net/lattaque-disrael-contre-liran-la-violence-du-monde-qui-est-en-train-de-naitre-va-vous-horrifierOn #WorldRefugeeDay, Palestinian climate campaigners, sea rescue workers, GretaThunberg, civil society & activists launch The Madleen Declaration! Together, we call for a unified movement for a free Palestine, safe movement & climate justice
https://www.palclimateinstitute.org/madleen-declarationUrban defender manual is now available in many languages (from John Spencer) https://www.johnspenceronline.com/mini-manual-urbandefender

Stay Humane and keep hope alive (even if there is now a 70% probability of cockroaches inheriting the earth).

Read also:
Who is deciding US Middle Eastern Policy? The US or Israel?

*Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh teaches and does research at Bethlehem University (BU) and directs the BU’s cytogenetics laboratory and the Palestine Museum of Natural History and Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability in occupied Palestine. He also taught at Birzeit and Al-Quds Universities. He is author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle”, “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment”, “Mammals of the Holy Land”, and “The Bats of Egypt.” He formerly served on the board of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People in Beit Sahour and Al-Rowwad Cultural and Theatre Society at Aida Refugee Camp.

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