Just as in Belize there has been for years a debate over the facts and the significance of the events on September 10, 1798; so, in the past year there has been a raging debate about the facts and also the significance of the events that occurred on October 7, 2023, in Israel, where Hamas terrorists from Gaza reportedly committed atrocities against Israeli soldiers as well as civilians, including women and children—with 1,200 of those victims dying and 250 being taken as hostages. Since that terrible event, the initial bombastic claims of wanton rape of women in the streets, and babies being beheaded and burned in ovens, have been debunked. But, nevertheless, first impressions are sometimes lasting, and those who are inclined for whatever reasons to believe the worst, will make their decisions going forward based on their beliefs.

A peculiar situation then developed in American politics, where such convictions and beliefs had apparently merged into a perfect storm of positive energy for the Trump campaign, and simultaneously negative energy toward the Harris/Biden campaign. Indeed, among our own Belizean people at home and in the U.S., this dilemma has also manifested itself, where the religious right stood solidly behind their candidate, not just for his professed pro-life stand, but just as much for his pro-Israel commitment, despite the much publicized genocide in Gaza; meanwhile, many would-be Democrat voters who were pro-choice, found themselves conflicted and emotionally turned off by their party’s “iron-clad” continued support and financing of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. The problem for the Democrats, was that the incumbent, Joe Biden, was apparently sincerely and completely “sold” and galvanized by the reported October 7th unprovoked atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians, women and children, by Hamas terrorists; but his and Israel’s prime minister’s reaction to October 7th, and their continued year-long vengeful onslaught in Gaza, had turned the stomachs of many of Biden’s own Democrat voters, starting with university students across the nation, and that revulsion has been shared by people across the globe, including many in Belize.

So, what happened on September 10, 1798, that has led the descendants of those settlers in the Bay to continue to feel that the day’s events played a major role in earning them and subsequent generations the right to this Jewel called Belize? And what happened on October 7, 2023, that would make the Zionist leaders of Israel, with the support of the US president, feel justified and righteous, despite almost the whole world feeling otherwise, about their continuing murderous onslaught and destruction that has persisted for the past thirteen months and counting in Gaza?

September 10, 1798, was real; it is documented in both English and Spanish history books; but indeed, it was often overblown in regard to the extent of supposed action, the enthusiasm of the slaves, and alleged casualties in patriotic songs sponsored by the colonial British rulers. And it did not of itself give the people of the Bay ownership of this territory either, which was still claimed by the Spanish crown, having been given it by a declaration from the Pope of Rome whose word was law in those times among Europeans of the Catholic faith. But, nevertheless, it provided the evidence of history that these people were here, occupying this land, and persisted in such occupation and administration for over a century, and were never again, since September 10, 1798, displaced from this territory, eventually becoming a British colony in 1862, and a Crown Colony in 1871. Plus, there was a treaty signed in 1859.

October 7th was a glaring and momentous attack against the Israelis by a Palestinian military group called Hamas; but October 7th was not unprovoked, and it did not happen in a vacuum. And therein lies the myth.

While September 10th marked an attack by the forces of Spain to uproot the settlers in the Bay from this area, that attack failed completely in its objective. And that is a fact.

The circumstances in Israel were completely different on October 7th. For many decades before October 7, 2023, the Palestinians were an occupied people being subjugated by Israeli forces, since 1967. Nowadays, slave rebellions in history are not condemned, because slavery was such an abhorrent and brutal institution that every slave is now considered justified to try and break free “by any means necessary”. Discussing and considering the fantastical and terrible atrocities allegedly committed by Hamas on October 7th, which have permanently motivated the actions and stance of many, including US president Biden, is fruitless if one does not understand what were the conditions of the Palestinian people in the days and years before and up to October 7, 2023. And if one wishes to debate whether the efforts of Hamas were successful in achieving their objective, it must be admitted that, though it has turned out to be a humongous price levied upon the Palestinian people by Israel; nevertheless, today, November 24, 2024, the vast majority of nations of the world, including now even many European allies of the US, are stating their support for Palestine, and their agreement with the verdict of the International Criminal Court, that Israel’s prime minister and defense minister are to be arrested for crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people. If not for October 7th, this development would not have occurred.

So, what was life like for the Palestinians including Hamas in Gaza before October 7th?

We refer to a Jewish expert on the Holocaust and the Israeli occupation of Palestine, professor Norman Finkelstein, who gave a 36-minute lecture at the GPU (Global Peace Unity) Festival, October 2024 in London. (Google: “Dr. Norman Finkelstein Confronts Cancel Culture and Exposes Truths on Palestine at GPU 2024”.)

Here are just a few transcribed quotes (to the best of our ability) from a recording of Finkelstein’s speech, which will hopefully spark your curiosity to listen to the whole speech:

Time doesn’t allow to describe in detail what life looked like in Gaza on October 6th. But one image keeps springing to mind, with when anyone visits Gaza. So, the main U.N. official working in Gaza – this was when Gaza was under Egyptian administrative detention in 1955 – the main U.N. official there is a fellow named E.L.N. Burns. And he’s asked to describe Gaza. How does he describe it? He said Gaza resembles a concentration camp. Right after the June 1967 war, the father of our well-known senator, Al Gore, who ran for president at some point, his father visited Gaza. And in a speech, how did he describe? He said Gaza is a concentration camp. In 2004, the head of Israel’s National Security Council, his name is Giora Eiland, he had to describe Gaza. And Mr. Eiland is not a peacenik; he’s not the liberal. Mr. Eiland is the individual who in more recent months has been advocating the spreading of epidemics in Gaza to achieve Israel’s aims. So, he’s not exactly what you would call a nice guy. How did he describe Gaza? In March, 2004, he described Gaza as, quote, ‘a huge concentration camp’. One of Israel’s senior sociologists at the Hebrew university, he wrote a little book, and he had to describe Gaza. He described Gaza as ‘the biggest concentration camp ever to exist’. Israel’s most authoritative journalist on Gaza is a woman named Amira Haas; and once, she had to confront the question, and it was a personal question for her, because her parents passed through the Nazi Holocaust. And she had to describe, or she was asked the question, ‘How would you describe Gaza?’ She said, ‘A concentration camp.’

“So, on October 7th, a large portion of that population, a large portion had been born into a concentration camp. From the first day of their birth to the last breath of their life, they were confined in a concentration camp. But it wasn’t just a concentration camp, because periodically, Israel went into Gaza to, what it called, ‘mow the lawn in Gaza’.”

Our Belizean patriots have made great efforts to tell the story of our peaceful, constructive Belizean revolution to the world, and gain their support for our right to self-determination and independence; and, thankfully, we got the ear of the great U.S. president Jimmy Carter in 1979, and the rest is history. Unfortunately for the people of Palestine, their full story may have escaped the ear of those who have the veto power at the U.N. However, with the changing tide of support from some Western nations for Palestine, the horrendous events of October 7th may yet prove pivotal in the Palestinians’ quest for nationhood.