This is Palestine

I am stepping out on a limb and opening myself up to charges of being anti-semitic. I hope readers understand I am not. Brave people have asked me to share their stories, so I will be brave enough to face the criticism. For the record, I denounce any form of anti-Jewish sentiment. My judgment lies with a system, not a people. I am ashamed as a US citizen that my tax dollars are used to support a system of unjust oppression. This system has led to years of suffering for the native population. A wise Palestinian friend told me not to waste time arguing, to simply write about what I saw. If people don’t believe me I should tell them “go see for yourself.” You may be cynical and say “well the war has been won and the Arabs must simply accept their fate.” Well the war might be over, but abuses under the occupation continue. You might have heard that Palestinians are made up, that their existence is “fake news.” Facts on the ground prove this is a lie. The question asked most is” why don’t they just leave?” As if it is simple to pick up and leave everything behind. One of the tactics of the system is to wear Palestinians down, to make living so uncomfortable, even terrifying, that they leave. To my Christian friends who support Zionist settlement policy remember that Christian communities in Palestine have lost just as much. Over and over I heard that the struggle is not religious, it is political. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, even Atheist Palestinians all suffer the same. A Christian Arab, I will call her Miriam, told me that she has Jewish friends and coworkers. She would never wish ill upon them, she just wants to be treated as an equal. Miriam tears up at the loss she feels since her two grown sons have moved to Europe. She doesn’t blame them, but she misses her grandchildren. She also knows what it’s like to relocate and create a new life. She and her family were displaced from Haifa in 1948. She moved to Bethlehem after she married in 1953. Her husband is a former math teacher who taught in Hebron for many years. They now are retired, they own their home which houses a lifetime of memories. Should they leave and become refugees? Is their quality of life better in Bethlehem than with the unknown, probably, but that does not legitimize the occupation. They have had their share of scary encounters with the military, she has dozens of stories to relay. And while she has been one of those “lucky” enough to obtain a travel pass, even that is a reminder of her unequal status. Tel Aviv is only forty minutes away, but she must travel over four hours to fly out of Jordan, as a citizen of the West Bank she is seen as a threat to Israel. That may seem a small inconvenience, but these things add up. I asked her if she has hope for a better life here for her grandchildren and she said yes, because it is not in her nature to give up. I had the pleasure of meeting her eleven year old grandson George. He speaks three languages, is extremely thoughtful and kind. I asked him where he would prefer to live, abroad or in Palestine. He said Palestine if it wasn’t too dangerous for a young Arab boy. If he were to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, simply riding his bike or walking he could be arrested. Every young Palestinian boy is looked at as a potential terrorist. His existence is seen as a threat to the security and peace of Israel. But peace is with him nonetheless, it is in the space at the kitchen table he shares with his Teta (grammy), the love she puts into the prickly pears she peels for him, her yummy jars of fig jam, and the dawali she wraps. George loves his grandmother dearly; I can tell by the way he lays his head on her shoulder as she cooks, and her love is returned as she pats his cheek in acknowledgement. This is Palestine.