Feeling Palestine

  Day 25: October 31 The Nerve-Wracking War Has Just Begun! As a Palestinian growing up in the West Bank and experiencing several phases of this struggle, like the first and second Intifada, I understood one cultural value, an ideological and political theme in our struggle called “ AL-Soumood.” It means “ steadfastness” or “ perseverance ”. It is a major concept developed to challenge a political system set to remove us from our land as a group of people. That was one response to the Zionist ideology that was calling for the establishment of a state for the Jews seeking to drive us, the Palestinians, who are both Christian and Muslim, through multiple discriminatory laws, military rule, and excessive retaliatory wars to leave this land. Sometimes, this process is done slowly, targeting individuals, or fast by using military justifications to empty certain villages, or as is happening now in Gaza. It is natural, and some may argue imperative, for any group of people wh...

  Day 22: October 28 Ground Incursion: Now What? Amidst talks of a humanitarian truce and negotiations for hostage release, everyone was surprised and heartbroken by this development: the ground incursion.   The rare images of Palestinian journalists in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City at the center of this incursion were horrifying. O blivious to their names, u tter darkness was  frequently  lit by all types of bombs and shells. From land, sea, and air, sounds of this inhuman and arbitrary shelling of civilians were ominously telling of the apocalyptic scenes that will soon emerge. The images reminded me of the first Gulf War. Still, it was more horrifying because the number of explosions was higher and more frequent in a much smaller and more heavily populated area. All internet and phone connections are still cut off from those areas. Nobody has an idea what happened to the civilians in those parts of the Gaza Strip or what targets for Hamas the Israeli arm...

  Day 18: October 24 Noah’s Ark Based on real stories out of Gaza   “Can I whisper something in your ears?” the voice murmured. “I saw men crying, kneeling over white bags entrenched in blood, weeping like women.” “I feel so sad. I saw children crying over their dead mothers. At least they could see their mother one final time to say goodbye. I couldn’t.” “I saw mothers weeping for their children, searching for them among the dead. Which is harder, my merciful God, a weeping child over the loss of his mom or a mother over the loss of her child?” A flood of fire and blood was unleashed on Gaza—a tsunami of injustices. Disjointed bodies and unidentifiable corpses are everywhere. Children are writing their names on their body parts so that they can be identified after being dismembered and buried in peace. They will tell the story in heaven. “The Israelites did this. In the name of righteousness,” my God. " They dropped a burning light on us every day and every night....

  Day 16: October 22 Why is this war important?  Looking at the best and worst scenarios for Israel in this war sheds a spotlight on the change Israel needs to face after the war ends. Worst scenario : the worst possible scenario for the Israeli army in this war involves a halt to its operation or aggression within weeks or a few months. This can occur after a possible ground incursion, and after the front in Northern Israel intensifies. This can also happen in case the war flares into a regional one. Assuming any of these three possibilities is not far-fetched. At some point, Israel falls under immense pressure- international or from inside or both- to end its operation. In this scenario, the achievements Israel can declare are that it has ended the lives of many civilians, destroyed the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and significantly undermined Hamas's existence as a political and military body. However, some of the military capabilities of Hamas will still exist. Whe...

  Day 14: October 20th Spiritual Musings: Why Do Such Incidents Occur ? I had an image or a dream inspired by a magical mantra. It was the image of a soul flying like a phantom. The soul was looking for a place to call home. She decided ‘I will go and live in the Holy Land,’ thinking it was the best place. She found it a wonderful place; the weather, the food, the people’s warm heart, their humor, the alleys of thousands of years old cities and villages, and the energy in this place was uplifting.   But she also witnessed so many horrors done to humanity, and the burns she felt in her heart stung like electrical shocks. The soul had so many of them that she decided to go home and hide in fear and decided that she would love only her sons. In hiding, the stings slowly healed, and the sadness eroded, but she discovered that the sons she loved and protected would suffer from the same things she tried to hide from: fate and the cruelty of humans. Fate is part of life that can’...

  Day 13: October 19th  Why Do Such Incidents Occur?   I am referring, of course, to the bombing of Al-Ma’madani   Hospital in Gaza. Five hundred people were immediately burned to death. For any Palestinian, there is no doubt that Israel is the one that bombed the hospital. Palestinian rockets can’t inflict such damage or cause the death of so many people at once. Plus, it has become known to people in Gaza to receive a phone call from the Israeli army informing them that their homes would be bombed and that people must evacuate. They are not told when they will be attacked and are only given short notice – 10 to 30 minutes. In this war, however, apartment blocks were entirely destroyed on people’s heads without warning. As a result, there are about 50 families that no longer exist. Let's pose for a short while to imagine this! Fifty families and all their members are wiped from the civil records, wiped off the face of the earth. According to doctors in the hos...

  Gaza: The Problem That Has No Solution The Palestinian issue is usually addressed from the perspective of its parts and fragments, as divided groups of people and disconnected lines of events. The understanding that arises from such an approach is usually superficial and lacking. This approach of ‘addressing and handling’ the issue by specifically the Western media and, in general, serves Israel’s interests. In this article, I will try to connect the dots concerning Gaza as part of the Palestinian issue, history, and tragedy. Occupation: Gaza, for a long time, since 1967, was under immediate military control. Israeli soldiers were patrolling the streets of Gaza and the West Bank. Back then, the whole struggle was less violent. Israeli soldiers felt ‘safe enough’ to walk through the streets of Gaza and the West Bank because the civilian Palestinian population had no or little access to arms. Through its constant and heavy military presence or occupation, Israel ensured that acc...

  Da y 8: 14-October What is the talk between people today? 1.      People are debating whether there will be a ground invasion of Gaza, how far they will enter, and what happens if they invade.   2.      Today, many speak about the conspiracy theory and the political plan of transferring Gazans to Sanai in Egypt, which Israel has always dreamed of. Egypt is asked to open a safe passage for civilians to enter Sinai, which will become another refugee crisis if this takes place.    A Daring Question: I wonder if it is possible to live in a world where there is no Gaza. 1948. 1967. 2023? Will Palestinians have another Nakba, another ethnic cleansing debacle in plain sight, while the world allows it? The world watches many tragedies unfold in many countries!! Main point: This is a very critical time in the Palestinian cause. There are unimaginable scenarios that this could develop into. It could be the beginning of the...

  Day 7: 13-October Daring Questions Main events: Same as previous days. The nonstop bombing of Gaza continues. The death toll is increasing. Whole buildings are leveled down, many times without warning the residents of these buildings. Israeli cities are also being targeted by rockets. Demonstrations are held in all Palestinian cities and towns.   Main developments: People living north of Gaza were asked today to leave their homes and move south, probably in preparation for the ground invasion, which will begin within 24 to 72 hours.   An Israeli Knesset member , Liberman, a parliament member, makes an interesting statement: “It’s either us or them.” So, let’s assume that he is referring to Hamas as ‘them’ and that Hamas is some evil entity embedded in the civilian population. Many questions arise: How did they come into Gaza, besieged with the finest and modern technological equipment, a strong army, and electrical fences with sniper towers and military jeeps a...

  Day 6: 12 -October Western Media   Hamas fighters are no longer in towns and cities around Gaza. Gaza is still being bombed. Still, whole families are being wiped out. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of dead and injured. Israelis are still killed and injured by rockets falling in their towns and cities around Gaza. Two airports in Damascus and Helapo were bombed as well. US military support continues to be flown to the region. Diplomacy: A press conference is held between Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and US Secretary of State Blinken. Similarly, the Iranian Prime Minister lands in Beirut and holds meetings. Much diplomatic activity is taking place. Western Media: Western media tactics and strategies are becoming a cliché for Arab listeners. 9/11- ISIS- holocaust. This symphony is played too many times. I wonder if people in the West still believe in their media. Do people in the West and worldwide realize the extent of falsification that is happenin...

  Day 4: 10-October Spiritual Musings  It is human nature that people respond to their environment in different ways. Some people will react violently, ask for revenge, and propagate hate rhetoric. Violence perseveres and comes in tides, only to be followed by an evolutionary message of peace. Duality - even plurality- is the nature of humanity. We understand peace more only after war. Day 5: 11-October Same news : After five days, I can’t believe there are still skirmishes in Israeli towns around Gaza between Hamas resistance fighters and the Israeli Army. Gaza, of course, is still being bombed nonstop. Whole families are wiped out off the face of the earth. Mosques were bombed, Al-Remal prestigious neighborhood was utterly destroyed, infrastructure was hit, and universities, libraries, apartment blocks, and ambulances were targeted. There are no shelters in Gaza. There is no safe area in Gaza.   The rockets are still fired from Gaza. The death toll rises in Israel...

  Day 2: 8-October Daring Questions I did not journal on these days, but I remember being scared and anxious. I was still shocked by the images coming out. I felt like every Palestinian was in disbelief that this could take place, that there were Israeli prisoners in Gaza, that they were killed in their homes, and that even if, for a few days or hours, some Israeli towns were (evacuated/freed, destroyed/ ransacked/taken back; which words you pick reflects the position you hold). I don’t know if I should apologize for my honesty and history, but I couldn’t believe that what happened to us, the Palestinians, in 1948 happened to them, the Israelis. Daring questions for both Israelis and Palestinians. How can people who suffered from massacres and refuge wish and do the same for others? How do people who suffered from the holocaust, were fenced in, and starved accept to fence in others and decide not to send food, water, medical equipment, and fuel into areas they besiege as they...

  Journals of War: Al-Arqash 2023 مذكرات الارقش لحرب غزة 2023 Al-Aqsa Flood Independent voice from Palestine . Suppose you want to hear an independent, free, and honest-to-the-bone opinion and a future-oriented voice living on the ground in Palestine, someone who holds a different vision for future generations and is willing to ask questions that defy some underlying assumptions. In that case, this blog post is for you. My vision: Personally, I see no possible solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict other than a one-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians have equal rights under the laws of the same political entity. And yes, Palestinians will need to imagine a different Palestine where there will be Jewish neighbors, and Israelis need to give up the idea of a Jewish majority and superiority and the need to control the land and Palestinians militarily. This small space, spanning from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, needs to be owned and shared by b...

  Day 1: 7- October That Day: October 7th Morning: I woke up and heard the news. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I flipped through different TV channels. “How did they infiltrate so easily? Where is the Israeli army?” I was shocked to hear that the Israeli Cabinet wasn’t holding a session and wouldn’t convene one until hours later. Noon: The number of deaths was increasing. The news and images from local social media and platforms were flooding in.   They were unbelievable images. The scenario was unfathomable in the wildest dreams. So shocking. The image of breaking through the fence that kept Gazans from living like humans was bulldozed and removed.   For me, that was equivalent to the falling of the Berlin Wall. Who can force Palestinians from now on to stay behind walls and fences? And why? Some people said, “Even if Gaza was wiped off the face of the earth, this was worth it.” My heart ached when I heard this phrase. All Palestinians knew the amount of bombing Ga...

  From our Living Room: What is Going on Between Palestinians and Israelis? The article, which includes parts two and three in the blog, describes the struggle or the situation at its current phase and tries at the same time to remain faithful to the truth from a Palestinian perspective. Living in the occupied Palestinian Territories, I try to simplify the issue and minimize the use of history as much as possible but without watering it down. Furthermore, I organized the information in the article like an inverted pyramid, where it first posits the main questions as a basis or strong foundation for the reader. The information narrows down gradually, and specific details are presented in the final part. So as the reader progresses, the reader gets informed on the central issues and can stop reading at any point and hopefully still get a good foundation of what the struggle is about. The reader is also invited to click on the personal accounts icon in this blog, where I have writ...