Palestinians are like the Vietnamese people, they lost every battle but still won the war.
“On the last day of the war, there were two colonels, one American and one from North Vietnam. The American said to the Vietnamese officer, ‘Throughout the war, we never lost a single battle.’ The Vietnamese officer replied, ‘That may be true, but tomorrow morning, you will leave, and we will remain.’” – former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, recalling the Vietnam War in the capital Saigon.
The former Mossad chief referred to Palestinian and Vietnamese comparison: “The Israeli government insisted on not declaring how to end the war, which harmed the army, disrupted military procedures, and caused significant losses for us because Israel did not specify how it wanted to end the war.”
I would add, the Palestinian resistance won in Gaza at great cost. In the short article below, Ramzy Baroud reflects on the significance of this occasion. Ian Curr Ed., 27 Jan 2025.
–oOo–
NEVER BEFORE have our people truly “returned.” Never before have Palestinian refugees from Gaza ever moved north. From the Palestinian Nakba of 1948 to this historic moment on January 27, 2025, we have only drifted deeper into diaspora. Yet, throughout it all, we have clung to the dream of one day realizing our right of return.
Today, we witness the unimaginable: a million Palestinians heading north—wounded, hurting, and carrying the weight of four generations of pain. And yet, amid the suffering, they smile, chant, and wave the Palestinian flag. This moment carries a meaning far beyond symbolism. The right of return is not just a dream; it is no longer a distant hope. It is a reality. And it begins today—thanks to Gaza, and the immense sacrifices of Gaza’s people.
Only divine wisdom could transform such a painful chapter into one of hope and joy. This is not a personal sentiment; it’s written on the faces of a million Palestinians returning to the rubble of their homes. They carry with them not just the weight of the past, but the fire of determination and the hope of rebuilding, not only Gaza but also the hope that their journey north will continue.
I must also make one thing clear: I completely rejected the use of the term “Nakba” to describe what Gaza faced at the beginning of this war. “There will be no Nakba,” I repeatedly argued with news hosts. Whether I was being realistic or simply unwilling to accept what seemed inevitable—the ethnic cleansing of my people—it doesn’t matter now. There is no Nakba. Today, we begin to reverse it. And our people did this alone. No Arab armies, no outside forces—only the power of Gaza’s resilience and the solidarity of free people around the world.
#FreePalestine #FreeGaza
THE COST: Schools that were murdered
Who has the highest literacy rate in the world?
Palestinians in Gaza.
What is the life expectancy in Gaza?
35 years
What is the life expectancy of a student in Gaza?
About 50%
How many schools are there in Gaza?
There aren’t any schools in Gaza, Israel has destroyed all the schools. 494 schools and universities and 137 educational institutions were reduced to rubble in 2024.
What is the life expectancy of school teachers in Gaza?
Very low … 760 teachers and educational staff and 150 academics and researchers have all been murdered by Israel. Also, Israel killed 12,800 students.
Ian Curr
27 January 2025
Reference
Article that refers to Palestinian and Vietnamese comparison https://www.palestinechronicle.com/weapons-in-hand-mossad-chief-compares-palestinian-resistance-to-vietnams
my letter in response to a full-page piece from the non-existent Zionist Lobby in the Canberra Times
driven by ex-MHR ALP Major Mike Kelly boss of the CIA-established Palintir with Peter Theil
lots of other letters along the same lines as mine
Peter
4 Feb 2025
Former Mossad chief acknowledges that despite Israel’s aggression, Hamas remains resilient, and Israel’s inability to define a clear end to the war has resulted in its failure and significant losses.
A Palestinian Qassam fighter during an operation to rescue civilians kidnapped by the Israeli army in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. (Photo: video grab)
Israeli media outlets reported that the Israeli military did not achieve any of the primary objectives it had declared for its war on Gaza.
Israeli Channel 12 said that one of the war’s objectives, as determined by the Israeli government, was the destruction of Hamas. However, it noted that “Hamas is still standing strong now,” more than a year and three months into the war, just hours before its supposed end.
The report continued:
“It is true that Hamas has received very severe blows, but it is still fighting. In fact, it controls the situation in the Gaza Strip and is managing affairs there.”
In this context, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, during an interview with the channel, recalled the Vietnam War in the capital Saigon. He said:
“On the last day of the war, there were two colonels, one American and one from North Vietnam. The American said to the Vietnamese officer, ‘Throughout the war, we never lost a single battle.’ The Vietnamese officer replied, ‘That may be true, but tomorrow morning, you will leave, and we will remain.’”
Pardo emphasized that “you don’t win a war just on the battlefield. The battlefield is the first part of it, but the essential part is its conclusion.”
He pointed out that,
“The Israeli government insisted on not declaring how to end the war, which harmed the army, disrupted military procedures, and caused significant losses for us because Israel did not specify how it wanted to end the war.”
The mood among the Palestinian leadership is expectedly different, despite the heavy losses suffered by the Palestinian population of Gaza.
‘Weapons in Hand’
Islamic Jihad Movement Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala emphasized that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people was “the most important factor” that forced the enemy to accept the ceasefire and withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
In a televised speech, al-Nakhala said, “We will emerge from this battle with our weapons in hand, and we are more committed to our right to live and our right to our homeland,” stressing that the occupation forces would be forced to withdraw from the lands they entered in the Strip.
Al-Nakhala also confirmed that there was a “great battle ahead of us and challenges more important than facing the enemy, which were our internal front and ensuring unity.”
He also stated,
“We should not forget our brothers who stood with us in the Al-Aqsa Flood, especially our brothers in Lebanon from Hezbollah,” noting that “Hezbollah gave martyrs, led by the great leader and symbol of blessed jihad, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.”
Al-Nakhala affirmed that “our brothers in Iran provided us with full support over the past decades, and they continued to do so, culminating in their participation with us in the Promised Covenant.”
He added that “Yemen’s participation in Al-Aqsa Flood with us will remain a landmark for our people and our nation, as will the resistance of our brothers in Iraq.”
The Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement thanked Qatar and Egypt for their efforts in halting the aggression against the Palestinian people.
The agreement came into effect at 8:30 AM local time on Sunday (26 January).
See https://www.palestinechronicle.com/weapons-in-hand-mossad-chief-compares-palestinian-resistance-to-vietnams/