"Ich bin ein Palestinian"

As John F. Kennedy clearly articulated, a divided country is a temporary condition that will ultimately end in failure. There is only one solution for the Holy Land that can bring lasting peace. That is a a one state solution.

Excerpts from JFK's speech in West Berlin, 26 June 1963. Liberally modified by me to reflect the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Zionist world.

Let them come to Gaza.

... ... ...

The apartheid wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Zionist system -- for all the world to see.

So let me ask you, as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Gaza, or your country of Palestine, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this country will be joined as one and this Holy Land in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of Gaza can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for more than six decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Palestine.

And, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Palestinian."

Here is a video of the original speech delivered by John F. Kennedy in Berlin on June 26, 1963. One can easily imagine JFK delivering a similar speech to the people of Gaza. Kennedy was the last President that stood up to Israel. He demanded inspections of the Dimona nuclear reactor in Israel. Kennedy opposed arms sales to Israel, but after he was assassinated and Johnson became President US policy began to change and Israel was showered with US tanks and fighter planes. The same US tanks and fighter planes that today are used by Israel to massacre the innocent children of Gaza.



Full text of Kennedy's original speech.

Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum." Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner."

There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the city of West Berlin. While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.

What is true of this city is true of Germany--real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people. You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main. So let me ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner."