One Country
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"There is a fantasy, a fantasy of separation... that the other will just disappear"
- Ali Abunimah, co-founder of
electronicintifada.net , on the two-state 'solution'
For a long time, we have been told that the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution- mutual recognition, mutual sovereignty. I was never an expert on the conflict anyway, and so I thought, this
must be the only solution. But what kept plaguing me, in the back of my mind was, what about the refugees that were ethnically cleansed in 1948 and after? Surely the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem were too tiny to accomodate for all those people (and I now discover, it is only 22% of what Palestine was). But what did I know?
But after listening to the alternative, the better alternative, the one that actually guarantees justice for the people living in the Occupied Territories and the Diaspora, I am totally convinced. The only way to go is
One Country , shared by Jews and Arabs.
If you need to hear the argument, please take the time to listen to
Ali Abunimah , author of "One Country: A bold proposal to end the Israeli-Palestinian impasse"
or even better, read
the book , which has been described by Avi Shlaim, author of 'The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World'-
"By its expansionist policies Israel has destroyed the foundations of a two-state solution while unilateral separation has been exposed as a dangerous delusion. The time has therefore come for an honest exploration of alternative solutions. One Country is a major contribution to this debate, combining as it does extensive knowledge with a commitment to justice for the Palestinians. It is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the problems of the present and the possibilities of peace in the Middle East."
Comments
Beautiful image, Aphrodite. Right into the
eyes (and soul) of those who live this harsh
reality.
Posted 17 months ago.
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very nice =)
Posted 17 months ago.
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I love the image! The two-state
"solution" has always been Israel's
idea while at the same time they have worked
to ensure that it could never work. The
local people of Palestine have lived together
in relative harmony for many years. The
Zionist, the politicians on both sides, and
the world press have created conflicts over
the years to keep the flames of discontent
burning.
Posted 17 months ago.
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You know my views on the plight of the
Palestinians, it is criminal but you need to
go back to 1919 I think, the problem doesn't
just lie with Israel, although they do thier
level best to scupper any initiative, but it
is the willingness of the French who still
hold a lot of sway over the likes of Syria
and Iran. The Americans must stop providing
Israel the wherewithall to hold the balance
of power in the region. We cannot afford to
attempt to recify the gross mistakes of the
past with seriously mis-guided if well
intentioned solutions. In my humble but not
too uninformed opinion we must invest heavily
in the region not only in Palestine but in
Jordan, the Lebanon, but in ways that is
sympathetic to the requirements of the
people. There must be no forced ideals but an
education program to show the populace ways
to encourage inward investment. Just imagine
the people in that part of the world are
sitting on thousands of years of history
think about what that is worth. would you
honestly want anyone other than indigenous
Arabs benefitting from all that potential
tourism? Unfortunately what's done is done we
cannot turn the clocks back but we could
provide the local people with enough
knowledge and financial clout to become self
sufficiant and prosperous to give them back
self belief and harness that national pride
so they can live their lives in peace without
having to continually look over their
shoulders to see what the blasted nieghbours
are up to. I'll stop rambling now I'm sorry
to have taken your time but one day, soon,
I'm going to spend a few months in that area
I'd quite like to come home in the same
condition as I left.
Posted 17 months ago.
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aphrodite, you've brought up an issue that
cannot be disregarded. Abunimah does propose
an unconventional solution and I'd like to
read the book as with my (lack of) knowledge
I can't quite understand how it would
actually work.
Posted 17 months ago.
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Amen =!
Posted 17 months ago.
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@Nós da Montanha: The only solution is to
kill people sitting at a cafe sipping on a
cup of coffee? Ah ok...
Posted 17 months ago.
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I've lost faith in the justice system when it
comes to world politics nowadays. The
proposal although it makes sense does not
sound very pragmatic. It smells like
Gandhi's solution to the Hindu/Muslim problem
in India (though this one goes far, far more
deeper). Jinnah's argument was that Gandhi
and Nehru had spent most of their lives in
prison and had not seen the violence at first
hand. www.alislam.org/ror/dec2002.pdf Maybe it would help put things into
perspective for those who wish to read it.
Posted 17 months ago.
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ß®øøk£™ [deleted] says:
Great picture. I wouldn't have used the
watercolor effect...it takes away from the
message a little.
Posted 17 months ago.
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Great shot !...I hope peace is round the
corner for you guys !!
Posted 17 months ago.
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Palestina Libre!
Posted 17 months ago.
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Very powerful photo and message. Great shot!
Posted 17 months ago.
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inshallah...
Posted 17 months ago.
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AmeeN...
Posted 17 months ago.
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Free Palestine !!!!!!!Seen in the interestingness archives. (? )
Posted 17 months ago.
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Nos da Montaha - In Abunimah's book, he starts by describing
some memoirs of his mother talking about her
childhood. His mother lived side by side with
Jews, they would send food over to each other
and she played with her Jewish neighbor as a
child, until she and her family were
expelled.Maaly Mtheel - :)Ozone - True.. there is actually a mutli-million
dollar business dedicated to convincing
people that there is only one solution, the
two-state one, and then convincing them that
there is no 'partner' for that. Shameful.Yetti - I really do miss you! I do agree, all these
foreign powers must get out of the region.
It's despicable when we live in a world where
colonialism is condemned, that these states
can be so hypocritical. It may not be blatant
imperialism as we read about it in our
history books, but a concealed kind that
purports to 'liberate' people.Trique - The solution isn't as unconventional as we
think. This has been the position of the PLO
until the 1980s and still is the position of
Hamas (well until very recently). The people
of Palestine have resigned to the two-state
solution because they've suffered enough, a
little is better than nothing, but it doesn't
mean that this is what they want.Windlass - Hugs to you!Adam Rez - That's not what she meant, and I don't
understand what you mean...Wickers Poet - If you read his book, it is actually more
pragmatic than it seems, if even from a
purely practical point of view, let alone the
justice it provides. Sorry I haven't had time
to see the link, but I will try to soon!essica Brooke - I wasn't going to, I had 4 different
versions but I chose this one because the
others were too soft or blurry.solar8 - I hope so too, but we can't stop at hoping.
We really need to raise awareness and be
united in our resistance.zokete - amen to that!Dosha - thank you!velvetart - inshAllah indeed. How've you been?meShari - ameen ya Rabbe-nikkos - cheers to you too! Btw everyone, I just came back from Ali
Abunimah's talk!! He came to our university
and spoke about his bookd. Truly a brilliant
man. Go to www.electronicintifada.net to see his stuff (and other people!!
Posted 17 months ago.
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Free Palestine !!!!!!!
Posted 17 months ago.
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this is amazing.. congrats on being an
"interesting" photo
Posted 17 months ago.
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very nice
Posted 17 months ago.
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Moving image
Posted 17 months ago.
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powerful image, u should sell the rights for
T-shirts, banners, and peace pins
Posted 17 months ago.
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Thank you, illuminating discussion. And good
political image.
Posted 17 months ago.
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Andre* - Hugs from here too, keep spreading the
cause!solictous - thanks :)kiming - thank you!colecuze - Hope it's moving enough to spark some
change ;pu'rouge - I actually wanted to make it into a
postcard!George - What's needed more than anything is
justice. Sometimes there is 'peace', in the
sense of no one fighting, but it doesn't mean
that people have their rights or feel
satisfied and this inevitably leads to people
acting out because of the frustration and
desperation. To get a lasting peace, justice
needs to be served, to some degree at least.
Posted 17 months ago.
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Why can't people just learn to live together?
I can coexist with anyone that can coexist
with me peacefully. Just seems some people
can't do this.
Posted 17 months ago.
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very meaningful n great shot, well done
Posted 16 months ago.
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Posted 16 months ago.
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Adam - Sometimes we can be taught how, starting
with actually meeting with each other on
equal terms... Ahmed - ThanxRifty - lol you like coke?
Posted 16 months ago.
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Whether you agree with him or not, Abuminah
is a reliable, thoroughly credible and moral
voice.
Posted 16 months ago.
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i think this is one of the best pictures i
have ever seen...
Posted 16 months ago.
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Anomalous - Totally, and a good man too. SimoSuperFreak - Thank you!
Posted 16 months ago.
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Great image. Very significant. I like it.
Ciao
Posted 16 months ago.
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U go gurl !
Posted 16 months ago.
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kapa_o_panga- Thank you
Posted 16 months ago.
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I don't think you show the "two
state" solution correctly. because it
doesnt quite mean one state for the Jewish
people and another for the Palestinian
people.
Posted 16 months ago.
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Sparrow - I know that it does not mean one state for
Jews and one for Palestinians as there are
Palestinians in Israel. But the formation of
the Palestinian State has been blocked by the
Israeli settlements (The newest settlement
was set up in a Palestinian neighborhood in
Hebron just on the 19th of March!) and land
confiscation by that absurd wall. Also, it
goes back to the question of the refugees-
they are too many to fit into the proposed
Palestinian State and Israel has denied them
the right of return to their own homes. Where
do they go?
Posted 16 months ago.
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about "Yisrael Beiteinu" their
proposal isnt transfering the popultion. but,
in order to realize the 2 state solution,
they suggest that a section of Israel which
is populated by a vast majority of Arabs be
given (without physically moving) to the
Palestinian state while Jewish settelements
be given to Israel. therefore the two state
solution would be closer to a Jewish state
and a Palestinian state.
Posted 16 months ago.
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Peace & Love!!!
Posted 16 months ago.
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Sparrow - sorry for taking ages to reply,
unfortunately exams are coming up so I'm
managing studying and flickr at the same
time!Yisrael Beiteinu , what I have read shows that it is quite a
racist group. For example, in 2004, Lieberman
is quoted to have saying about Israel's Arab
citizens (in public) "They have no place
here. They can take their bundles and get
lost." Whether transferring them or
merging the area with a Palestinian State is
wrong if you do not have their consent- if
Israel is indeed a democratic state.
Moreover, Leiberman wants to pass an
amendment to the citizenship law that would
require the remaining Arabs to swear an oath
of loyalty to the "Jewish and Democratic
State"- instead of a state of all its
citizens, which is what democracies are
supposed to be in theory. In the UK,
politicians do not have to swear allegiance
to the Church of England, and recently in the
US, a Muslim senator (or mayor? I can't
remember) swore an oath on the Qur'an, not
the Bible. This would not be possible in
Israel under Yisrael Beiteinu.Gaza , in return the settlements in the West Bank
have expanded. While the settlements were
removed from Gaza, it was turned into an open
air prison, where all entry into and exit
from Gaza is controlled by Israel. The
'disengagement' was never really a full
disengagement, because from the beginning it
was decided that Israeli military would
control all crossing points, Gaza's skies and
seas, the building and operation of any
future port or airport would be under Israeli
permission (or denied permission), and the
people of Gaza would have no ability to ship
agricultural products out or bring crucial
medicines in, except under Israeli control.
That is not what I call independence. Moving
settlors out is a step, but it still does
guarantee the people all their rights. Come
on, imagine it was you- it's like being under
house arrest and not knowing where your next
meal is coming from.The Wall , as the UN has called it, is illegal. On 9
July 2004, the ICJ made clear that the
construction of the Wall and the settlements
were illegal. 80% of the wall cuts into
Palestinian territories, sometimes up to
20km. There is no such thing as a green line
when it comes to the wall. Palestinians
living on the other side of it cannot see the
sunset anymore, and it has destroyed people's
homes and farmlands. It is mindboggling to me
how this project is still going on! terra nullius , then no one would care. The fact is, the
state was set up by ethnically cleansing the
indigenous population, who are still
suffering today and deserve some justice-
they are all waiting to go home. The rest are
living under occupation which seems to have
no end.
Posted 16 months ago.
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kapa o pango - amen to that!
Posted 16 months ago.
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Dear Aphro I very much hope that your exams
go well for you I know how hard you've
worked. Don't forget what I told you last
year you are needed by the people that are
unable to talk for themselves so there isn't
much pressure at all. One state two state can
wait til late...er. Poetry on the hoof.
Posted 16 months ago.
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hehe Yetti I love you! This is revision for me, as one
of my courses is the history of Arab-Israeli
conflict.. by far the best course I've ever
done!! Thanks so much, I'm going to have to
work extra hard this year!!
Posted 16 months ago.
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And I love you too, you're a very special
person.
Posted 16 months ago.
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what a beautiful vision. another Andalusia...
it happened once. it can happen again.
Posted 16 months ago.
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The one-state solution proposal has a
fascinating history. IT was the original
position of the PLO, which they held out for
for many decades.
Posted 16 months ago.
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I have to agree with anomalous, I don't
believe that the Palastinians could enter
into any such talks in the currant situation.
It is important to negotiate whilst holding a
position of strength. I can see no way round
altering the current climate until all the
Arab nations bring steady pressure to bear.
this need not be too traumatic, distasteful
or long winded but it needs to be done. If
you combine that with the lobbying to the
authorities by people that are aware of the
situation then a posative outcome cannot be
too far away. The question is is there enough
support?
Posted 16 months ago.
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I am not a supporter of Yisrael Beiteinu, so
i wont go into the specifics of that party.
What I do find strange about your comment,
yousay - that Yisrael Beiteinu is racist
(without gettting into the race issue - this
is an error - there are Jews of every race
etc), and you even refer to some quotes which
i have no need to check, the reason is simple
- you show one or two racist quotes? you
could probably find more couldnt you? and
couldnt I? i could easily find a quote from
probably every major arab leader in middle
east in the last 50-60 or more years calling
for the destruction of Israel (or calling for
the islamation of the world as recently
mentoned my Hamas leaders).
Posted 16 months ago.
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ambiance moushkila - If only that vision would become a reality
:) Btw I love your nic! Anomalous - and now I'm depressed. I'm not against a
temporary two-state solution, one that
eventually leads to a union. I'm just
thinking about the refugees in the meanwhile.
I'm afraid that once there are two states
officially, Israel uses it to its advantage
by showing that it did what it had to and
that's that. Yetti - I guess Anomalous would agree with this,
that most people just aren't bothered, and
the rest are brainwashed by the media. There
would be enough support if people actually
know. The question is how to inform people!
ALthough I am slightly optimistic. A
proffessor at our university was showing us
how discussion and support for Palestine has
seen an unprecendented rise at universities
in the UK, especially at ours. So maybe
there's hope after all... Sparrow - You could probably find a racist comment
about the "Arabs" by every single
Israeli PM to date. You have George Bush
calling Iran and Syria the "axis of
evil". During the Cold War, many people
wanted the destruction of the "Communist
State". That's not the point. The point
is that he is saying that about citizens of the country. Imagine Tony Blair saying to
cut off all the Pakistani-populated areas in
Britain and making those areas an extention
of Pakistan. Or Bush saying they should kick
out all the native Americans. That is the
point. under obligation to withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank.
Just because they 'withdrew' it does not make
it a nice little gift given to the
Palestinians- it is their right. It wouldn't
be difficult for the Israeli people if the
government hadn't encouraged the settlors in
the first place. Meanwhile, more and more
settlors are moving into the West Bank. That
shows 'willingness', but of a different kind.
Posted 16 months ago.
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Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Israel-Iran-Palestine , and we'd love to have your photo added to
the group.
Posted 16 months ago.
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Sure :)www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTrf3PrdRvU (part 1) www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXuxPefzX1Q (part 2)
Posted 15 months ago.
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It would be great if you post the links in
group discussion, so other members can watch
them too
Posted 15 months ago.
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Today is such a historic day in Northern Ireland, I had long given up
hope that a real and meaningful agreement
could come to pass. Now they've agreed to
powersharing whilst both sides still have two
very different ideas about who they are and
the future for their country. Thousands of
deaths later, I believe it was pressure from
the common people that sought them to seek a
more peaceful solution.
Posted 15 months ago.
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Thank you so much ladyb. That is truly what I
wish for Palestinians and Israelis- I was
reading to day how Paisely and McGuinness are
now working side by side in the govt, even
though, as you said, they have completely
different views. It gives me hope. :)
Posted 15 months ago.
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Gr8
Posted 14 months ago.
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powerful & great.......
Posted 12 months ago.
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The answer has always been blowing in the
wind, but really when people "in
mass" love thier children more than they
hate their enemy ~ then peace will come. The
key is what happens to us "in
mass."
Posted 12 months ago.
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Lets hope for the best = ) Really nice photo.
Posted 11 months ago.
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unknown and noorel76- thanks
Posted 11 months ago.
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Isn't a one state solution a code word for
destroying Israel?
Posted 11 months ago.
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I agree.....It probably will be the only
solution.....sadly!
Posted 9 months ago.
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I believe the people of Palestine should be
free and have equal rights, I think the Arabs
and the Jews could get along perfectly fine
living next door to one another, if politics
and religious rule stopped dictating rules
and laws over anothers freedoms.
Posted 8 months ago.
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So beautifull and also so raw. Impressive.
Posted 5 months ago.
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i like the picture. well, i am not very sure
about the politics behind or i might not
really agree with what the picture conveys.
but, i like the way it is captured ,
expressed (from the point of view of art).
Posted 5 months ago.
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@Israeli Cichlid: You are very smart. And so
what you have solved?
Posted 4 months ago.
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@ israeli child: wow, you're one sick twisted
fuck aren't you...
Posted 4 months ago.
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Israeli Cichlid [deleted] says:
me? i dont let my kids,i dont see any other
jew israely dress kids like terrorist with
explosive belt,im sick?
Posted 4 months ago.
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yes YOU are sick
Posted 4 months ago.
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Israeli Cichlid [deleted] says:
well another typical arrab,you see the truth
& you blame israel
Posted 4 months ago.
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You have a big problem ...
Posted 4 months ago.
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he doesn't HAVE a big problem, he IS a big
problem. God have mercy on your poor sick
soul ... and you have kids ??? jesus
christ, people like you actually procreate
???
Posted 4 months ago.
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Oh my goodness what have I missed...Israeli cichlid - please don't post these one-sided
disturbing propaganda pictures. It does
nothing to help or add to the debate.
Everyone hear could post hundreds of equally
disturbing pictures of Palestinians being
butchered. (Btw I am deleting your first post. You can
post pictures in your own stream)
Posted 4 months ago.
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Israeli Cichlid [deleted] says:
Refugees have a right to return to jorden you
are right
Posted 4 months ago.
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Lol at least I can say I tried...
Posted 4 months ago.
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