Why? Because we say so!

Take a look at a map of Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in the 1890's. This is a microcosm of the American version of Israel's occupied territories. America was able to pull off the act with little trouble because of the huge difference in numbers between the native-Americans and the white settlers. Just as with modern Israel, the word from the white man to the Indian was "Why? Because we say so!"

This map shows how the tribes, from the vast lands they had once inhabited, were crowded into sections of the Indian Territory, quite reduced in size from the original "Indian territory" - what is now the continental United States. Israel would love to pull this trick off too. There are Knesset members who have mentioned booting Israeli Palestinians out of Israel and into the West Bank.

As American history shows, that expulsion is only the first step. See the second map.


Below you can see Oklahoma as the state it is today (it became one in 1907). Some way or another the law made it legal for white people to move into and take the land in the territory that was supposedly for the Indians. Just as in the territories that Israel occupies, Native-Americans had only the white man's law for appeal. That didn't work out well for them.

There was a big land rush on the day the law came into effect in 1889. As you can see from this current map, there's nothing to distinguish Oklahoma from the surrounding states. "Settler roads", just as in the West Bank, now weave throughout. There are quite a few native-American place names but otherwise the land has been largely cleansed of the people who were there before the white man. No doubt, just like Israelis, Americans didn't think Native-Americans were making good use of the land.

Israel would love to have the same thing happen today with the Palestinians, only Israel would definitely not keep any Arabic place names. Full erasure, as in Israel proper, is their style of land management.

Finally, a map of the West Bank as it is today (provided by B'Tselem). Please compare to the Indian Territory map at top.

Jerusalem land grab - Sheikh Jarrah

Join me on a short geography tour that may clear up some confusion among Americans about what is going on in Jerusalem these days.

Just below is a map of the Jerusalem area, my color-modified excerpt from the excellent B'Tselem map of the settlements (2002). The light blue area, with the label West Jerusalem, is the extent of Israel prior to the 1967 war. Everything else - not blue - was under the control of Jordan and is part of what is called the West Bank, the homeland of the Palestinians that remained after Israel was created in 1948. Only the blue area shown here is recognized by the international community as part of Israel. Everything else is occupied territory. The line that defines Israel is called the green line. The map covers about 15 miles east to west


Now let's move to the present with the same map centered on Jerusalem seen below. This version is full color, but note the light blue area of Israel at left remains as before. Look at how the West Bank has turned blue! All of the dark and light blue areas there are Israeli settlements, either urban (darkest blue) or simply under settlement "jurisdiction" (very light blue), all in occupied territory. Red marks Israeli military areas.


This is a land grab, but only a fraction of it as you are viewing only a small part of the West Bank. You can see the squeeze on the Palestinians (brown areas) is on. The illegal settlements are closing in on east Jerusalem from the north, east and south, deliberately, to force out the Palestinians, disconnect Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and establish it as a Jewish city. It is already claimed by Israel as its capitol, an assertion that the world doesn't recognize. The United States has taken no action to impede this occupation/eviction. This process is known as establishing "facts on the ground".

Now let's move in closer to a Palestinian neighborhood known as Sheikh Jarrah (shake jar-AH), identified with the arrow to the white X on the map below. Notice that it is right on the green line in East Jerusalem - a prime location for evicting Israeli settlers to target. And they are doing so with full force, aided by the Israeli courts, the police and unwitting Americans who don't know this is going on even as Congress obediently "stands by Israel" under the influence of the Israel lobby.


Palestinian residents, living in Sheikh Jarrah since 1948 after being evicted once from their original homes in what is now Israel, are being evicted again. Quite a few Israelis are justifiably outraged as they see a mockery made of the rule of law and the role of the police. I hope you are stimulated to find out more now that you see the geography of the situation. People are being beaten and taken to jail over this, attempting to defend the human rights that Jews have been known to uphold throughout history. Why do we in America not lift a finger to support them?

Go to Sheikh Jarrah to find out more, complete with videos of demonstrations and a full explanation in both Hebrew and English. It's an outrage that you can do something about.