Israeli forces attacking Palestinians(Christians) at Funeral – What you need to know with Miko Peled

She was an American Christian journalist.

But for her loved ones, it was time to say a final goodbye

because her Christian funeral mass eulogies the assaults are so bad and you can see the images of what they're beating the polar bears are beating them and beating them and beating them.

And even the pallbearers had to retreat.

As please kicks and beat them with batons.

My next guest, Miko Pillet, is an author, writer, speaker and human rights activist. He is considered by many to be one of the clearest Israeli Jewish voices calling for Justice in Palestine. If I remember correctly, he can correct me if I'm wrong. His father was a general and Israeli army, and his grandfather was one of the originals who helped create Israel and don't mess with Miko, but he's also a karate Black Belt. My friend, Miko, welcome to the show. Thank you. Good to be with you again. How are you? Good. All right. Good. Thank you for accepting the invitation again, did I get everything right there? You got all right. Absolutely.

Tell us how have you been? Let's his last time we had you on.

Well, I've been busy.

I've been to Palestine several times over the last few months.

I was there last year during Ramadan during the uprising took place last May. I was there just now. At the end of Ramadan. I was there a couple of times between those two trips.

And I've been reporting you know, writing and speaking and posting on my podcast situation is severe, as severe as more severe than anybody could possibly imagine.

Assaults on Palestinians in their homes, assaults on Palestinians in the streets, assaults on Alexa, as I'm sure your viewers have seen the assaults and acts of ticularly during Ramadan were severe.

The murder of a journalist in broad daylight in a block Lane

Terina boo UCLA was shot in the head covering an arrest raised by Israel's army.

Reporters on the scene say the gunfire came from the soldiers. And then the assault on her

funeral procession Oh my god.

Baby throw

these are things that we you know, it's in a way it's we've seen a lot of violence by Israel all along for decades. But

so that's kind of what's been going on. So we want to get the facts on the ground. You're somebody who's an academic in this area scholar in this area, who really knows the facts has a lot of history concerning this. So we want to make sure we're talking to the right people. And you're the right person for the job. So you mentioned a reporter that's what we wanted to because that was all over the news over here also. So if you can please fill us in give us some more details. Regarding was this also, she was an American Christian journalist.

But for her loved ones, it was time to say a final goodbye

Christian funeral mask eulogies. And she was what we come to know she was wearing a vest with the big letters press on it. So like they were those jackets so you can clearly see press and only like a blind person would be able to see this. So we hear she was pretty much eliminated or taken out being shot in the face or in the head. Tell us more about this. You mentioned it. Can you tell us about what happened? Why it happened?

Well, it's you know, broccoli is a is a household name in Palestine. She's been reporting from zero for 20 years or more. Wow. So she's well known, well respected, well loved. And she wasn't Jeanine or near Jeanine and the West Bank

reporting on an impending Israeli raid on the refugee camp.

And

according to witnesses were there we arrived and within seconds, there was the first shot. I told them that we're being targeted. We're being shot at a turned and found Shareen on the ground. I found Shatha shielding herself by a tree and screaming a turned and found Shareen on the ground in the first few seconds. There was no exchange of fire at the time. And she was shot in the spot right between the vest, the bulletproof vest and the helmet.

Now, there's still the several things Number one, it had to be a structure it had to be a sniper to get such an accurate shot.

It had to have been okayed by the highest levels of the defense

apparatus if not the prime minister himself. You don't take out or Porter that

well known in such conditions without getting in okay from as, you know, very high up. And so it was elimination was an assassination even CNN right now says that it was it was a targeted killing and for CNN that's, you know, I mean they the even CNN is saying what you're saying yeah and then they said was a targeted killing and like you said she was I mean she was half Jewish she was she had American she was Palestinian but she was a Palestinian American she had American citizenship

and

she was her real she wasn't Muslim she was Christian

that I don't know I mean, I was but she was a Palestinian and that's what she was killed. She was a pro Palestinian journalists have great influence. Like I said, they're well respected. She's been around for a very long time. She was well known as no there was no mistake here. It wasn't like some soldier just picked up a gun and shot. This had to have been premeditated and approved by the highest levels of the defense apparatus. And, you know, the world goes on is there nothing happened and then and then during her funeral procession because she was so popular because she was so well loved and respected. 1000s and 1000s came out to, you know, to walk with her to a final resting

place and Israeli police went crazy attacking about polar bears attacking the procession. Israeli police have attacked mourners and pallbearers at the funeral of the Palestinian American journalist Shareen Abu Arklay.

The violence broke out as Shareen Abu Aclass coffin was taken out from a hospital in East Jerusalem.

her coffin jostled and almost pulled to the ground, as Israeli police and Palestinians clashed.

51 year old Shireen Abu Arkla was a revered Palestinian American journalist. And you know, this is

this is all horrifying. But the fact that they do this in broad daylight, the fact they do this in front of the cameras, they know that everybody's going to talk about it.

And they don't care means they feel like you know, not that there will be no consequences. There will be no no response. And it's a large degree there. Right. Wow. That was my next question. Was it true that we're seeing some images here now of the what seemed to be the Israeli forces that is a true that they even attacked? This American Christian journalists funeral? Yeah, so you mentioned that so yeah, assaulted, they they almost I don't know if they did, or they almost dropped the coffin and it was the assault are so bad. And you can see the images of it with their beating the polar bears are beating them and beating them and beating them.

And even the pallbearers had to retreat.

As police kicked and beat them with batons

and the coffin slips to the ground.

And this is in Jerusalem. And the Israeli police, particularly in Jerusalem are particularly violent, and particularly brutal. And you see this quite often actually, I've seen it many times and protests and you know, where Palestinians are being brutally beaten by the by the police in Jerusalem, and particularly, I'm talking about Palestinians, of course. And they have, they're heavily armed, the police are heavily armed, they're heavily protected, as though they're about to face an army, which of course, is nonsense. And they, they just brutally brutally beat those funeral procession. It's,

you know, like I said, we see this a lot in Palestine, we see a lot of, you know, funerals that become protests, people that are 1000s that come up, come out when young Palestinians are killed. This particular assassination really touched a chord with a lot of people. And again, even though she was such a high profile person, and well known, they killed her, and then they did what they did during the funeral. This is a very, very, this is very troubling.

The reason I mentioned her religion is because obviously, you know, some people just turned a blind eye when it's all those Muslims, and then, you know, being looked at like less human and whatnot. And now in this particular case, because you also have some Zionist Christians and people who are ignorant to really what's going on who support this so now I'm wondering, what would they have to say as this is also a Christian now not a Muslim? And you also have many when you say Palestinians, Christian and Muslim Palestinians they're live together, don't they and peace and they're also there's no less discrimination for the other of the it's kind of equal across the board, is it?

Yeah, look, the I had this conversation with the you know, the Christian writer, the venture will have angelical is here in the United States. Their response is that the Palestinian Christians are not real Christians. Oh, that the Christians in Nazareth and the Christian

In Bethlehem, the Christians throughout Palestine who have been living there, you know, in the land of Jesus, the line of Jews are not real Christians. So that's one nation that they get

the capo Yeah. You know, it's absurd. I mean, I've seen them in Nazareth handing out flyers trying to proselytize Palestinian Christians coming out of church. It's not absurd. But as to your point, you know, Palestinian Christians belcea Muslim, as far as Palestinians are concerned, this is a minor question. I mean, Palestinians are Palestinians and people live together, in the same cities in the same towns in the same neighborhoods work together. It's not it's completely not an issue. And actually, before the State of Israel was established, and Zionism, you know, showed its ugly face. There were Palestinian Jews too, and they all they fine. I mean, their stories about how, you

know, the Palestinian Jews would, you know, be, you know, help the Muslims during Ramadan, and the Palestinian Muslims would help the Jews during their day of prayers and things like that there was complete collapse, very positive cooperation, and have city's historic cities like Hebron and, and Jerusalem and other cities. So I mean, this is the whole new thing of the Zionist Jews who have taken over Palestine and completely destroyed the good relations that existed there. between the different fates. This is historically relatively new, it's since the State of Israel was established some 75 years before that, the religions, Palestine has a lot of tolerance, religious tolerance,

historically, it's only recently that Zionism has turned it into this war zone.

But yeah, I think it's important you're right to to mention the fact that Palestinian Christians are killed just as Palestinian Muslims, just as any Castilians I mean, and even a few at the end of the day, you agree, there's like a noble thing that even when you're fighting against what you consider your enemy, I mean, this is a funeral for crying out loud, you know, can the Can we get some kind of respect? You know, for the, for the dead person, the person who's dead, you know, it does, it's just really, it just reminds me of there was, you know, we mentioned you heard this term, Hadith before, correct. Hadith, that hadith regarding Prophet Mohammed who there was a procession of a Jewish

procession, he stood up, and then the Companions companions said, this is this is not a this is a Jewish person. He said, is that not a soul? Right? So this is the respect, you know, to the human soul that and this person was, tragically,

life was taken away, shot in the face or head wherever and then to be doing this at a funeral. I mean, what's the world? What's the greater community, the international community, the UN, the what are they saying, the international community regarding this? Well, you know, typically, again, because she was high profile journalist, and there have been a few calls for an investigation, there was a call for the FBI to get involved. But then the Secretary of State Blinken said that he's he, he trusts these rallies will do a good job in investigating and the Israeli army did a preliminary investigation, and they came to a conclusion that there was no wrongdoing, and therefore there is no

need for an investigation beyond that.

So that's where things stand right now. Now, CNN just broke saying that they all the evidence points, the fact that there was a targeted killing. And now, you know, the FBI can't go and investigate if the Israeli authorities don't cooperate, don't allow them to they need permission from the Israelis to enter they need permission for the Israelis to travel, they need permission from the Israelis, and the Israelis are the culprits. So the likelihood of them giving permission and cooperating

is very small. And of course, now there was this terrible tragic

massacre here in the United States in Texas. So people are now distracted by that. So I don't think there's going to be any consequences for the State of Israel and the sniper who shot and the officer who gave him the order, and the officer who gave him the order and the whoever was in the Defense Ministry, maybe even the prime minister's office who gave the okay or even gave the order to kill her knew very well, that there will be no consequences that they can go ahead and do this. You know, social media. Will we'll we'll talk about it. Maybe some of the newscasts will talk about it, but it'll blow over. And the concern is, and this is something that you've probably heard too, you know,

there are a lot of comparisons between Palestine and Ukraine. You know, Ukrainian stand up and fight against the Russians. There are heroes everywhere you go, you see Ukrainian flags.

What about the Palestinians, Palestinians fighting against apartheid, fighting against injustice, fighting against the killing of their people fighting against home demolitions fighting for the lives and for their children. And what do we call them here? They call them terrorists. So this is one of these cases where you can assume if this was the Russian soldier killing Ukrainian journalist sort of happened, as opposed to the case of a Palestinian which

there seems to be not a lot of people talking or caring about it. Not enough anyway. What are your thoughts?

Ever since you bring up Ukraine and Russia now, where that's like an obvious double standard, you see that people are being welcomed to go over there being called freedom fighters. And now, on the outside, for somebody on the other side here, like you give this example, for someone who's doing the same thing, who wants to do the same thing to protect themselves, their family, one side, they're called terrorists, the other side they call freedom fighters. What do you think about this?

I mean, it's typical. I mean, this is how things are, you know, the double standard, the hypocrisy here

is horrified almost any city in America, you walk around, you see, but you see Ukrainian flags. And I'm thinking, if they were half the number of Palestinian flags, hanging, then things would have been completely different for Palestinians. But somehow,

there's, again, all I can say it's a terrible, terrible double standard when Palestinians have been fighting for over 70 years, almost 75 years. And when we know, the Amnesty International in February came out with a report stating very clearly, with all the data, that the State of Israel from the very beginning, from the day it was established, from the day my grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence, like you said, has been an apartheid state has been,

has been engaged in the crime of apartheid, which is considered a crime against humanity. So the Jewish state, the state of so called your state, that state of Israel has been engaged in a crime against humanity for almost 75 years, where the Palestinian flags How come nobody's supporting the Palestinians? How come nobody's standing up and saying this is terrible, the atrocities that the Israelis commit? And you and I talked about, about, you know, the different atrocities that Palestinians have had to endure over the years? And still, there doesn't seem to be an issue. That doesn't seem to be a problem for not only in America, but but generally speaking around the world.

How do you get the whole world the whole? And obviously, it's, it's very tragic, what's happening in Ukraine to take away from that, but you have the whole world and support and they can see that clear, everyone is like, Okay, this is an invading force there. And now these people have a right to defend themselves. But if you contrast that with here, is there something ambiguous about what's going on in Palestine? Or is it just that you have on one end, the media machine that's able to paint a clearer picture and until this side, it's not so clear, what is it you think if the if they had the same media, focusing on this in the right way that people will be able to see this even

clearer than what's going on in Ukraine? Of course, I mean, look, designers have been, have had this media machine, this PR machine, long before the State of Israel was established. I mean, at least a more than 100 years ago. They've had their people in Europe, they've had their people here, they've had the people in the United Kingdom speaking, promoting lobbying, educating, so they have they know how to influence education, they have no they've learned how to educate, educate, influence the media, you know, and they make sure that their story is a story is a story that's told. On the other hand, in Washington, DC, for example, there is no Palestinian office, there is no Palestinian flag,

Palestine does not exist. You know, there used to be a UN Office that represented the Palestinian Authority that was closed down by Donald Trump.

You know, there's nothing in Washington DC that says that there's a Palestine or the Palestinians have an issue and without that, minimum of having an office in Washington, DC to somebody that at least, you know, lies the flag or, or speaks to the Palestinian issues, where you know, nothing.

There's nothing, there's nothing going on. It's like it doesn't exist. And if it doesn't exist, then why should we care? You know what I mean? It's a slippery slope from that point on, and designers have succeeded in eliminating Palestine from Palestine people's consciousness. So yes, we see, we see a lot of very brave student activists on campuses. I was just at UC Irvine.

We see a lot of activism in mosques and some churches and so on. But it's but it's, you know, this is, this is the fringes This is does not enter people's awareness. And people don't realize that not only are these atrocities taking place, Americans are paying for these atrocities to take place, almost $4 billion a year of American taxpayers money, how much for almost $4,000,000,003.8 billion every year goes as foreign aid to the State of Israel, which by the way, is a very rich country. They don't need foreign aid. I know it was up there, but when I hear it again, it's just like, again, wow, that's a very big number. That's not million. I mean, that's,

that's the highest for the amount of foreign aid given to any country. And it's a country that doesn't need it because even with all the inflation here, it's still going there, even with the gas prices going up. deal for 10

yours that was signed a few years ago, every 10 years, they renew it, and Congress votes and they vote for it. And unless our representatives, and then elections are coming up, unless our elected representatives have to stand, that supporting Israel as is unacceptable, unless they understand unless we make them understand that if they support Israel, we stop voting for them, unless we make them understand unless they call for severe sanctions against the State of Israel, for keeping 2 million people in Gaza, in prison for murdering, shooting a block for assaulting Palestinians and destroying 10s of 1000s of homes every year. Unless these politicians know we're gonna hold them

accountable because they vote to send the money, they're gonna keep doing it. It's up to us, the voters, the people to organize, to first of all, to be educated, and then to organize and to tell our neighbors and tell our friends, wait a minute, they're sending our money. They're sending our money to that country, and that country is committing these terrible atrocities against Palestinians. Why are we sending the money? Why is it okay to send the money, we need to be make sure that our neighbors know that our friends know their family members know, and that our elected officials all the way not just not just in Washington, DC school boards, they come in, they

influence the school boards, they invite school board members to trips, city council members, mayors, police chiefs, state legislatures, they take they are there and they are selling their propaganda at every level of American politics, and we're just absent. So people need to get educated people need to listen to your show. People need to read the books. People need to know what's going on. You know, Miko pilla.com There's tons of information there. And then act during elections, make sure the offices of all your elected representatives, like I said from school board up know that associating with Israel supporting Israel is unacceptable, unacceptable. And there

should be unconditional sanctions against the State of Israel completely. And immediately, there should be sanctions against the State of Israel. I mean, now you have anybody that says anything positive about Russia or anything, the sanctions that have been put on you get cut off. But here everything is allowed to roll smoothly. It's really sad. Tell me just a few more questions before we come to an end. How there's witnesses that confirm this. Now, you mentioned CNN also have confirmed and how are they trying to spin this now, when you got witnesses, all the evidence points to what it was? And then it's kind of like the criminal, the person who did the crime. They're like, No, no, he

the criminal is gonna investigate himself. That makes no sense. Like, so how are they getting away with this? Well, they haven't I haven't seen an official response yet. I'm seeing in Israeli press, which always toes the line to the government.

The Israeli press hasn't responded. They're just reporting on the fact that CNN is reporting. But they they wave everything off as either lies or motivated by anti semitism are motivated by some kind of extremist, I don't know fanatic.

organization that was blown off. I mean, that's how they are. That's that's that's kind of their main thing, how they're going to deal with this particular one. Because CNN saying it This is raising it to a whole new level. But I'm guessing that they will find a way to smooth things and move on without repercussions. I don't believe there'll be any repercussions. But yes, they are. They are they're reporting the news outlets are reporting that CNN has said this. And really, anybody who's been paying attention, anybody who's been paying attention to the details to the witnesses that were there, the producer producer was right there next to her

producer was right there next to her, the witnesses witness it is and said very clearly, there was no exchange of fire then there wasn't actually now she's she's a seasoned reporter. She's not going to stand in the middle of a fight. You know what I mean? Of a gun battle. She stood somewhere that was safe. She had a helmet, she was clearly identified. She had a bulletproof vest. Like you said earlier, she knew what she was doing. She was not new to this. She knew exactly what she was. People recognize her they knew who she was. So this had to have been a targeted killing and a targeted killing always comes from the top the order always either an order and Okay. Had to have come from

the very, very top. Does she have a loud voice? Was she becoming a pain in someone's side? She's been she's been a voice for 20 years. A very long time. So I mean, that could definitely have been have been a motivating factor. But who knows, you know, but she's been reporting in Palestine on Palestine for a very long time. She was a household name, you know, Palestinians, you know, household name and Palestine, and throughout the Middle East, actually people watch her everywhere. Do you know what the larger Christian community is saying? Just worldwide, but also from that scale to the Christian community there in Palestine? I haven't heard anything

specific from Christians.

You know, the world around us, the Western, the West, I haven't heard anything come out, you know, in criticizing Israel and Palestine, like you said, I mean, the fact that she's Christian or Muslim, she's a Palestinian and she was killed. That's really the issue. So I haven't heard anything about from the Pope.

I haven't heard anything, nothing from the Pope. Not that I've heard, what does the Pope say in general, regarding this? What's usually very, very neutral. This particular pope is just slightly less neutral and on the side of justice, and he's actually been to Palestine and he stopped at the wall. And you know, he made a few gestures, but Pope's are their job is to be neutral and not to be not to be political. And so I don't think we're going to hear anything from the Pope. Okay, in the last couple more questions, just to remind us for the average person date, some people haven't watched some of the previous programs we did remind us in short, what's the day to day life for

Christian and Muslim Palestinians living under this occupation? Well, let me give you some statistics. So Palestine is divided. Israel divided, the Israeli government divided Palestine into different areas. And I'm talking about areas in which Palestinians live the lives of Palestinians are divided in different bureaucracies, different agencies that deal with them. The entire 60%, southern half of Palestine is called the knocked up. And then up, you've got about 350,000, Palestinian Bedouin,

who have been suffering a great deal. They've had somewhere around 2000 to 2500 home demolitions a year for the past four or five years. So do the math on how many homes have been demolished. Now there are many Israeli Jews who live up to Palestinians live in abject poverty because they are traditionally farmers, but they're prohibited from engaging in working in agriculture. They Israeli towns, Israeli settlements in America have some of the highest standards of living throughout the entire country. They have access to water even though it's a desert, but it's a very, you know, it's a desert that cultivable cultivatable

high standards of living beautiful towns, everything is green. None of these homes that have been demolished in the statistics are Jewish Israeli homes. Now, in Jerusalem, there's something like 18,000 home demolition orders, in other words, orders that have already been given to demolish somebody's home. So you don't know they might come tomorrow and demolish your home. You don't know.

How many of these homes do you think are Israeli Jews? Jewish homes? How many Palestinians? How many are 100%? Or are Palestinian homes? But on what grounds? Can they do that?

Well,

I don't know. Let's say you want to build a balcony. Maybe you have a balcony, you want to turn it into a room if you want to buy a build a second floor or a second storey maybe you want to remodel you have to get a permit. Palestinians never get a permit. So they have to build without a permit.

So it's a catch 22 then they build and then they're either have to pay for the military to come and demolish their home. Or they have to take a sledgehammer with their own two hands and do it themselves and destroy their own homes. Now that's those two regions the rest of Palestine

there are over 40,000 home demolition orders.

How many of those do you think are? What's the percentage Israeli Jews to Palestinians? Do you think? Zero Israeli Jews 100% are healthy now? Does that mean that Israeli Jews never build without a permit? Probably not. People want to build they build, you know, maybe they get a permit later. Maybe they get a fine. You're never seen Israeli home being demolished.

Indians homes are being demolished by the 1000s. And this is just one example of life for Palestinians. You know, just wondering when they when those homes get demolished? What happens to them then? Nobody cares.

Is that what we're hearing like settlers coming in and taking these homes? These are homes are being demolished throughout the entire country, the homeless demolish that people have to figure it out. Nobody helps them. Nobody pays them. What about the settlers who are moving in some places that happens, but not everywhere? Usually, it depends on this could be inside a Palestinian community where there are no separate Israeli settlers. Yeah, this is gonna be inside of its Palestinian town. They come in and demolish and destroy inside a Palestinian town. And this and this is just one example. Then there's water. Palestinians get a fraction of the water that Israeli Jews do. Why? Do

they drink less? Do they wash less? They cook less? No, but the reality is that Palestinians get less than 3% less than 3% of the water throughout the entire country. Whereas Palestinians make up the majority of the population.

So I mean, it goes on and on. We could have 10 programs just talking about what life is day to day life.

for Palestinians, and then it doesn't really matter where they live, they could be living in Jerusalem and then up up in the West Bank and anywhere it doesn't really matter where they live. This is live for Palestinian. It's a brutal racist regime that wants to get rid of them. What does the term open air prison mean?

Open their prison means it's, it's, well, it refers to the Gaza Strip where there's 2 million Palestinians. You know, we're talking about a half hour drive from big cities like Tel Aviv or an hour drive from big cities like Jerusalem or whatever. You know, where people live a very good life, Israeli Jews do.

And nobody can leave.

And nobody can trade. Nobody can travel.

There's no access to clean water, there's no access to medicine, proper medicine, there's no access to food.

Or there is access to food but very limited. 97% of the water in the Gaza Strip is unfit for drinking. And we're talking about 2 million people, 2 million people. So imagine Oh, and electricity, and electricity comes in spurts. So imagine you're a hospital and you need to refrigerate medic medicine, or you have a dialysis machine. You know, basic stuff. We're not even talking about killing people basic stuff, you can't do it. Because you don't know when you're gonna have electricity.

In the heat heating in the winter, in the cold, let me cook just day to day life. There they make day to day life, as miserable as they possibly can. And then they blame the Palestinians saying it's their fault.

While we go crazy when comed or Comcast or wherever you got Nipsco, whatever the place, you're at who's running the electric and they shut the electric off for an hour, you have a thunderstorm and it goes out and we're like, man, you're in the dark and putting candles. But these people, they go through that on a daily, weekly basis where they're out without power, right to interview somebody from Gaza. And you'll see how complicated it is because they never know when they're going to have electricity. Wow, whether or not they'll be able to charge their phones or charge their computers or have Wi Fi.

It's a mix of emotions, unbelievable. And it's all you know, it's all manmade, it's all created by Israel. It can be fixed tomorrow, it can all change. It can all change tomorrow. But we need to pressure Israel, we need to stop sending Israel money. We need to stop sending Israel weapons, we need to impose sanctions on the state of Israel until it's forced to change. Just couple more questions,

checkpoints. I had a guest on a UFC fighter by the name of Allah Muhammad. I don't know if you've heard of him. And he talked about how these checkpoints are designed, like he'd go down there, his family, and bla bla Muhammad talks about how they just created make it so difficult that you don't want to go there. Like you know, like, I don't know, 10 different checkpoints and you're held up for hours, could be days, whatever the case, and it's just so difficult, and you're just they want people from here to stop going there. Is there. What do you have to say about these checkpoints? Checkpoints are terrible. The ridiculous thing about the checkpoints is this.

I'll give you an example of a crazy story. I was there during the end of Ramadan. Now to go from Ramallah, which is a major city in the West Bank to Jerusalem to Luxa. You can imagine on a Friday or even a regular Friday, but even more so during Ramadan.

God knows how many 1000s Millions of people want to go to pray and Luxa

the main and I was going to Ramallah that day, I had a meeting in Ramallah, the main checkpoints, it's called Columbia checkpoints, the massive terminal

shut down on a Friday during Ramadan when they know full well, that nobody who knows countless 1000s of people will be coming from Ramallah to Jerusalem to pray and then returning. And it's a massive structure. Qalandia checkpoint is a huge structure. So what do they make them do? The checkpoint was closed, there were two vehicles, people will take a bus to the checkpoint, then they'd have to cross by foot, this bridge, get on a bus, of course, go through all the security.

The security checks,

then get on the bus on the other side and either go to Jerusalem to a Luxa where they will face more checkpoints as they get closer. Or you know, in the case where they're going home to go back home, but it increases the difficulty. The difficulty where you could draw, you could literally drive from Ramallah to Jerusalem to the Old City and go to Alexa and half an hour, maybe 40 minutes with parking, you know what I mean? And then they create more and more kind of temporary checkpoints along the way where they harass people and of course, once they're in Jerusalem, especially on a Friday, they close the streets and create these these narrow, narrow narrow walkways, where people

have to walk practically single file.

Forget cars forget buses, right? The traffic is horrible. And they just make it incredibly incredibly difficult precisely so that people won't want to come back. I think you're talking about is when foreigners come and they make it so difficult for there are people who have

Palestinians who have relatives or so forth come from overseas. They make it so difficult that really a lot of people say, Well, you know what, I'm never doing this again. And other people will say, You know what, I'm gonna do this again and again, and again, because I'm going to block and I'm going to give them as much trouble as I possibly can. Because imagine, the more people that have to go through the checkpoints, you know, the harder the Israelis have to work, the more money they have to spend, you know, so I think I think the logic is to actually go more. But yeah, it's very discouraging, and it's very difficult. And it's also an emotionally draining, it's emotionally

draining, to go through checkpoints and be humiliated by the soldiers to be humiliated by the different types of secret police and the army there lots of different agencies to deal with the Palestinians and the checkpoints.

It's just, it's just exhausting emotionally and exhausting physically. And if you are somebody who's elderly, somebody is not well, you know, physically as healthy as it should be in the heat and the cold. They do everything they possibly can to discourage people from coming, which is why I always tell my friends with Muslims or Christians, they want to go to pilgrimage, they want to go to holy holy sites, or just Palestinians who want to visit, go, go, go fill up those planes and go and don't let them discourage you.

Last question, Have you spoken to many congregations, be a Christian congregation, some of the synagogues here in the United States, church congregations, like what's been the response? If you have, well,

synagogue synagogues typically don't invite me, they are not interested in the kind of conversation that I that I start,

which is, you know, as you heard, at the very end, I reject the legitimacy of Israel, I like to reject the legitimacy of Zionism I believe in a free democratic Palestine where everybody should have an equal or equal voice and so forth and equal right so they don't want to hear that.

I spoken in many mosques I've spoken in many churches but these are churches that are known to be you know, more open minded more open to this sort of thing.

So that's that's been my experience. Because it's I mean, really when you hear what you're saying is there's a bunch of emotions that go through you sad angry at same time, you know, every human wants justice you know, when you see this kind of injustice going on, it's like how can you remain quiet? You know what I mean? It's really sad any human being who who has his heart is still alive her heart is still alive you just when you hear this kind of stuff, I mean, on you just you got to feel grateful for all the things you have and then you know if you can least send a tweet, send a post something you know, share this, get the word out, educate yourself and tell your friends you know,

Palestinians I will say just one last thing I know you probably want to close but Palestinians are not victims. Palestinians are fighters Palestinians is you know, they celebrate their culture. There's you know, I was there and I'm not okay. I'm sure many people saw the images of the violence the horrible violence against worshippers in Aleksa throughout the throughout Ramadan. Do we you were there during Ramadan? I was there during the month. So did you witnessed this that was going on? Yes, yeah. Tell us about that. But hold on, but my point is this. In the Old City of Jerusalem, Ramadan nights are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Everything is lit the stores are open

stalls with food and music and people out there and family celebrating you know, practically all night. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen now, yes, during the day, particularly on Fridays, there are horrible assaults by the police on Alexa in the mosque and so forth. But

the next day once it's over everybody's out in the streets everybody is celebrating they will not be stopped they will not surrender and this these sides of the of this you know the beautiful celebration and fireworks and like everything is well lit you know it's something that people should should witness should see it's so beautiful and Palestinian stand up and they celebrate and they and they fast and they celebrate at night and their families get together and they stand up and and yes they stand up and they fight as well. I mean they're not you know they're not they're not going to take it sitting down

but they need our help they fell scenes are doing everything they can in Palestine but they're but it's like it's you know, people will say well, welcome Palestinians aren't doing more but they're doing everything they can. They're like people in their in a prison. We need to be that support them. We need to be sure to be their voice. We need to know more about them. We need to support them. We need to demand that our elected officials stop sending money to oppress and kill Palestinians and then read about it listen to listen to you know people who talk about it, get educated and go there. Go to Jerusalem go to a laksa. It's beautiful. And that is a great way to

support Palestinians. You have a great book a call. It's called the generals sun just a good resource for people who want to know more. Sure, the general Sun absolutely my book is out there people are welcome to read it. It's my perspective growing up on the other side as an Israeli and then learning, taking this journey and learning about Palestine and

And then Palestinians and developing friendships and so forth Palestinians which you know which I hold very dear

and so yes and we're coming out with the 10th anniversary edition at the end of this year because it's been 10 years since the book came out so we're very happy about that and it's doing very well so if people go to Miko pella.com They can find the book they can hear my podcast I can see interviews, videos, things like that. And it's all about Palestine it's all all exclusively about Palestine if any major news networks pick this up or maybe some congregation some organization and they want to invite you on, they would invite you to their community to speak are you still doing speaking engagements? Can ya live again? I've been I've been doing zoom a lot during COVID But now

live events like I said I was in California just now doing a live event I'm going you know speaking up live answer picking up so absolutely. And I'm on social media people can always message me on any of the platforms and I'm there God bless you brother.

And you

always

always good talking to you.

Always a pleasure

You're an amazing person.

I love you.

And I want to thank you again Miko, pillared

i

log goes through a lot of emotions there you hear

sadness, anger, you know, this massive injustice is happening. And, you know, they have someone individuals like Miko who are out there who, you know, risk a lot, you know, who are courageous and brave like that to stand on the side of the oppressed, let their voices be heard to be a voice for the oppressed. I mean, it just very commendable and God bless you.

And

it just reminds us to really be grateful you know, when you hear about the food the water and open air prism, the oppression the checkpoints and and how many of us, electricity goes out, like I said, a thunderstorm boom, it's knocked out and you're like, calling, panicking. Electric Company phone internet goes out, life is upside down. But for these people and other oppressed people all over the world, you see what's happening, who don't have the basic necessities, food, water,

electricity, all these things we take for granted. And we still complain. We still complain me. God Almighty Allah help us to be more thankful and grateful. And to do our small part, create awareness. And God willing those people with good hearts want to make a difference. Who are seeing this injustice, you can go ahead and let your voice be heard by via via tweet via post be something call like Miko was giving good advice. And hopefully, that small effort can make a big difference if so many people go ahead and take some kind of stand for truth. Thank you very much for being with us here on the D show. We'll see you next time. Until then Peace be with you, us and Alec. I cannot

leave without giving you a gift if you're not yet Muslim and you tune in and see what these Muslims are talking about. And you'd like a free copy of the Quran. Go and visit the deen show.com We'll take care of the postage and everything and get it delivered to you. And if you still have some questions about Islam, call us at 1-800-662-4752 We'll see you next time until then Peace be with you as salaam alaikum. And if you liked this episode of the deen show, like this video, share this video far and wide and support us on our Patreon page so we can continue this work. Thank you for tuning in. Peace be with you A salaam aleikum