“The news delivered to the American people is completely unbalanced.”

   This was the main motive that caused Mr. Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group, to take the initiative, and undertake the most difficult task of trying to convey to the whole world the painful and bitter truth about the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

   This was the first time ever any Arab non-official effort is exerted towards influencing American (and world) public opinion, and tipping the balance in favour a just cause that had been left to the mercy of American Administrations that were and are still heavily influenced by Jewish Zionists in high positions.

    The task is not an easy one, for admittedly, most of the American media is in the grip of the Israeli lobbyists or fanatic American Zionists. Very rarely anything, if ever, is published, transmitted or broadcasted that shows the daily killing – in cold blood - of Palestinian women, children and men, the confiscation of their homes and lands, and the humiliation they have to bear every hour of the day at Israeli check points. They only show you the Palestinian as a suspect of ‘terrorism’. They only mention Palestinians when a suicide bombing takes place killing Israeli civilians. Did all these scores of young Palestinian men strap themselves up with explosives and end their lives just like that? Or did the constant never ending oppression they had to live under steal any desire they had to live and replaced it with pure and absolute rage?

   The issue is further complicated by Zionist propagandists, who mislead normal Jews into believing that what Israel is doing is quite just. Unfortunately, American politics are very strongly influenced by scores of brainwashed Americans and Jewish Americans. This is the result of careful and consistent planning and manipulation that took years of time and outrageous amounts of money. The Zionists have succeeded in marketing their ideas in America; a success that every Palestinian has to pay for. Be it with blood, be it with suffering, be it with humiliation.

    Mr. Khalaf Al Habtoor, a successful businessman with a great sense of justice and vision, and well known around the world for his firm stand in defense of human rights in general, has given the New York based “New View Productions” company the job of producing a documentary film, highlighting the Palestinian sufferings, the Israeli atrocities, as well as the goals of the Intifada. The technical work itself may not be particularly hard, but the real difficulty was to show it to influential people around the world. He just made himself the first influential Arab to take action where it really counts. If ‘they’ want to hide half the story, why doesn’t someone else reveal that hidden half? For the sake of justice, let’s all hope that whatever inspiration landed in his garden of thoughts will land into many others. Every great thing has to start from one. Hoping number two will follow soon…

   The primary results are so far very promising. The feedback received from prominent people in many countries is very encouraging – though they had actually seen phase one of the documentary, with phase two in the pipes.

Here are some of the comments received recently:

    “Like you, we are gravely concerned by the situation in the region. There has been too much violence and loss of life. Neither side can achieve lasting security through force. We want to see a complete cessation of all acts of violence, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian cities, and action by the Palestinian Authority to bring those responsible for terrorist acts to justice, as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1435. We played a key role in the adoption of this resolution.”

Morven Williamson
Middle East Peace Process Section
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK

    “Canada condemns all violence and human rights violations brought on by any country or group and is committed to work towards peace and security in the world. I appreciate the information that you sent, as well as the documentary. Educating individuals on this issue is extremely important.”

Bryon Wilfert
MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Canada

    “I'm perfectly informed about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict and I think that peace is necessary in this area, peace for Palestinian people and peace for security of Israel. These two nations have to found the right way to live together.

    In this time, where war is currently approaching Iraq, men of peace have to work for the respect of human rights and freedom for all the people in the Middle East.”

Claude Leteurtre
Depute du Calvados, Assemblee Nationale, France

    “During my time as Federal Minister as well as in my function as a Member of the German Parliament and President of the German‑Arab Association, I have continuously engaged myself to achieve a peaceful solution in the long lasting Near East conflict. I have always pointed out that it is unalterable for peace in this part of the world that the Palestinians are granted their own state, which has to be entirely acknowledged. In all of my speeches I strongly demand to initiate a Conference for Security and Cooperation in the Near East (CSCNO) like the one already existing for Europe (KSZE) in order to gather the parties involved as well as representatives of European and further countries supporting peace and justice for this region at a table. Violence produces counter‑violence and has never proved as the right means to change the attitude of people.

    You may be assured that I will continue in my efforts to avoid a one‑sided view by drawing the public attention to the fact that the current policy of President Sharon does not contribute to a peaceful solution neither for his own people nor for the Palestinians. As a gleam of hope I recognize more and more people in Germany sharing this point of view and do not hesitate to publish it whenever possible.”

Jurgen W. Mollemann MdB / MdL
Bundesminister a.D., Germany

    “I fully support what you say and cannot understand the double standards when it appears to be a priority to obtain full compliance of resolutions by Iraq and yet several resolutions involving Israel have been ignored with total impunity and a great deal of disinterest by the United States.        

    I have no doubt that this double standard is contributing to the disillusionment felt by the Arab world and I can fully understand it.”

Elfyn Llwyd
MP for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
House of Commons, UK

    “I believe that there are many of us ‑ intellectual leaders with a respected voice in public discourse ‑who believe that the Palestinians have legitimate claims to self‑government within a viable geographical State. There are many of us as well who abhor much of the violence carried out by the Israelis against Palestinian civilians.

    But we also recognize that the Israelis have an equally legitimate claim to a viable geographical and political State that is free from constant threat and assault. As long as the Palestinian leadership is unable to prevent the suicide bombings and other terrorist assaults against Israeli civilians, it is unreasonable to expect that the Israeli leadership will have the political will and ability to negotiate a just peace, and it is equally unreasonable to expect that the Palestinian cause will have greater support in America.

    There are people on both sides, Palestinian and Israeli, who do not want peace if peace means that the other side achieves any of its ambitions. As long as those people are allowed to bomb, shoot, and bully innocent civilians, there is little hope for the peace process.”

David Maxwell
President, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA

    “Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Israeli‑Palestinian dispute. I understand that you have also written to my colleague, Alan Duncan MP, who is my Deputy in the Shadow Foreign Office Team with specific responsibility for the Middle East. We regularly discuss the issue, and I am in full agreement with the reply he has already sent to you, hence I am replying in the same terms below.

    While the outlook for peace in the Middle East does not appear especially optimistic at present, especially given recent upsurges in violence on both sides, there are positive signs such as the recently reported talks between Prime Minister Sharon and Abu Ala of the Palestinian authority. I have long argued that peaceful negotiations, rather than violence, are the only way in which a lasting peace can be constructed. We must see the creation of a viable, independent Palestinian State, free from Israeli incursions, but alongside this there must also be guarantees for the security of Israel, and an end to suicide bombings. The issue of settlements is also an important one that cannot be avoided in any eventual peace deal.

    I do not believe a durable settlement could be imposed on the two sides, in view of the need for all concerned parties to be willing participants if the peace process is to succeed, however I do feel that sustained interest and encouragement from the US and other countries is extremely important. I also share your concern at the humanitarian implications of the current situation in Israel, and keep this issue very much in mind.”

Rt Hon Michael Ancram, QC MP
The Shadow Foreign Secretary, House of Commons, UK

    “Ann Clwyd MP acknowledges with thanks the receipt of your communication about the plight of the Palestinians, with CD "Harvest of Rage" enclosed. Ann has been very active in highlighting the injustice and worsening hardships faced by the Palestinians in the House of Commons and the British media; she will, of course, continue to do so.”

Ann Clwyd
MP, House of Commons, UK

    “There are days when I feel a surge of rage and I find it inconceivable that Israelis who suffered so much in the past are now the persecutors of Palestinians.  

    In conclusion, I have to say that I have no faith in American Foreign Policy; there is a complete lack of goodwill. It is truly a dark period for the International Community.”

Mark Assad, MP for Gatineau, House of Commons, Canada

    “Thank you for your letter and attached CD. I greatly sympathise with the points that you make. It may be of interest to you to know that I have not only spoken out on this issue on the floor of the House of Commons and in private meetings here, but also in lectures in American universities.  

    I do not support suicide bombing against civilian targets, but I do believe that the injustice faced by the Palestinian people, continuing as it has now for more than half a century, should be a source of shame to the world and remains a critical and dangerous source of tension.”

Julian Brazier, T.D., M.P., House of Commons, UK

    “The Office of International Relations at Indiana University in Bloomington has brought the CD documentary that you sent to my attention and I have just viewed it. Thank you very much for sending it. I wish that more private Citizens took the type of initiative that you have taken. It is a pity that the Arab governments have not taken your lead.”

Zaineb Istrabadi, Associate Director
Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies Program, Indiana University, USA