At times I get to a point when I simply think that’s enough. Enough of the conflict. Enough of the settlements that are surrounded by plain fields for future expansion. Enough of the Apartheid Wall that is isolating villages and separating Palestinians. Enough of the land confiscations, kidnapping people, checkpoints, uprooting trees. Enough about Israeli policy of explaining everything using the term “security” and “these Palestinians terrorists”. Enough of seeing the Israeli flags hanging on the streetlamps on the Palestinian land. Enough of the stories from the checkpoint such as one when soldiers took the car keys from the driver trying to drive through the checkpoint, threw them under the car and told him to get them out without moving the car. Enough of listening to people saying: ‘I haven’t been to Jerusalem, a holy city, for twelve years. I really miss it’. Jerusalem is 10km from Bethlehem!!! Enough of the laughing armed soldiers standing in front of the people trying to protect their land during the demonstrations. Enough of the view of the main street with a net over it in the Old City in Hebron to protect people walking on it from rubbish that settlers living above throw from their windows. Enough of the stories of the people being humilated, searched, questioned, woken up in the middle of the night, because their house needs to be occupied by the army for few days. Then I think that I just want to forget about this all and simply talk about silly, unimportant things, because it’s all too much.
One tenth of the knowledge about the situation in Palestine would be enough for me to start doing something about it, but sadly that is not enough for the European and the American governments to take some steps to prevent it. It might sound harsh and emotional but if I were Palestinian, I would either prefer to end my life or to be a part of the non-violent resistance movement. The reason for the first one would be the fact that one feels absolutely powerless when facing this strong Israeli machine, of building settlements and confiscating more and more Palestinian land, rolling with high speed and not stopped by anyone. The international community simply doesn’t care enough. Maybe if there was oil here… The latter option would be to get involved in the resistance activities which would make the life meaningful. Even if you eventually lose, at least you look back and think: ‘I did what I could. I wasn’t pretending to live my life as if nothing was happening around’. Because one day those people may wake up with the Apartheid Wall next to their windows, with their land confiscated.
People – activists that I meet here give me hope and energy and I respect them a lot. If they can keep going why should I complain? One day I am going to pack my bags and come back to safe Europe . They will stay struggling, forgotten by the world. But I know I will never forget them.
Maybe it’s hard to understand me and it all seems very emotional, indeed it is, but being in Palestine for some time makes me feel this way sometimes. I have to state clearly here that I am not against the State of Israel, all I want is the people in Palestine to be able to have a normal life and their human rights to be respected.
I think that your state of mind is totally normal. Sometimes I get the same, only in arguing with people who find this situation more than normal and keep on blaming these “evil terrorist Palestinians”. I get mad when I read comments stating that Palestinians are “worse than animals”. I had this kind of discussion today (though I should study for my exams instead…), and I am still moved and angry by it. But you, you are there, so your feelings should be one hundred times stronger than mine, for you see with your own eyes what is going on, whereas I live this situation only through Internet and books… But courage, what you are doing is very important, and you have all my respect for this. Shokran.
Your emotions seem understandable given the experiences you have shared with us thus far. I just wanted to point out to you that the response of western nations to Israel’s doings may not be as bleak as you seem to believe.
I read an article in today’s NY Times about the resistance Israel’s current government will face in trying to reorientate its foreign policy:
Granted that Israel has a unique, favorable spot when it comes to US policy, given the strong, powerful jewish lobbies in America that influence US policy makers, Israel’s ability to act without any response by western countries is limited after all.
I know that the likely stance that the Obama administration will take is rather little in light of what you’re experiencing right now; nonetheless, I do not think you should neglect it either, given the context of the US’s favorable view of Israel and its bias against `terrorism.’
As much as I can understand your emotions, I am looking forward to reading more of your experiences interacting with Palestinians.
I will respond to this comment though I already know that my answer is going to be too long. Anyway. I do hope it will be read 😉
So first of all: Thank you. You are trying to show us, that the world is actually acting. That the US government, yet “Israel’s best friend” does reject some of Israel’s approaches. I will however not move away from claiming that whatever the US and other countries may do is incredibly little. And having read the article you linked, I would like to point out a few of those lines, that I would not have seen as so “strikingly ironic” as I called it when taking about the anti-racism campaign, or simply “untrue”, if I had not come here.
The opening paragraph mentions the “Muslim rejection of a Jewish state”. This may be true or not, but dear Israel… Did you ever wonder why??
Anyway. A senior Israeli official mentions that (and being a New York Times reader I would probably just take this for real) “Ultimately the goal was a Palestinian state. [… But] such a state was far in the future because Palestinian institutions and economic development required a great deal of work”. Again, dear Israel, did you ever ask why that was?? Could it have anything to do with Israel occupying all resources, confiscating Palestinian agricultural land or restricting all export and imports???
Or what an Israeli diplomat has to say: “I tell people who worry about Lieberman that I worry too [… but] after I stop worrying I tell myself, you have to be fair, you have to give this guy a chance to express himself as the foreign minister of Israel, not just as a candidate.”
Of course. Give Lieberman a chance. He is just a poor little Politician, feel with him! But you mustn’t criticize him and of course, you mustn’t call him extremely right wing and simply not wanting the Palestinian state. But here he comes speaking up himself:
“People try to simplify the situation with these formulas: land for peace, two-state solution. [… However the real problem] is not occupation, not settlements and not settlers [… it is] the Iranians.”
The first thing I would like to mention: It IS as easy as that. People only want to live, and secondly… no, of course settlements are not a problem. It is israeli land, right? So why should it be a problem if Palestinian land is taken, and living resources are destroyed. But focus on Iran, dear world!!! Iran has nuclear weapons so never mind Israeli soldiers killing civilians…
And thank you, dear American anonymous official for saying that “President Obama views the region as a whole, and trying to isolate each problem does not reflect reality.” That is exactly what Israel wants you to say.
Of course I do not mean to attack American officials. After all they state “for Arab leaders to work alongside Israel on this, even quietly, requires demonstrable Israeli movement on ending its occupation of the West Bank by freezing or reducing settlements and handing over more power to the Palestinians.”
One thing you may have noticed however… Israel obviously does not care as is clearly stated in the paragraph written just after.
So please convince me of something different if you can, but what on earth is the Western world doing? Yes, they do say that they do not agree with Israel when claiming the Iranian and Palestinian problem were not connected. But what do they do?? In my opinion, compared to that which is actually happening in Israel: Nothing.
But I will have to give some credit too. Firstly, it is great that the Obama government is supporting a Two State solution and may eventually move somewhere and also I am very glad to see the New York Times reporting at all. At a side note, I am gradually getting more and more frustrated the German media for hardly mentioning the conflict. That way people will never have to challenge the idea of supporting the Jewish state, because people don’t even know what that Jewish state is doing. Well. You can tell that you got me going on this one. And I am sure I will write a better argumentation very soon.