The promised land
Just finished: 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' by Thomas L. Friedman
Who was right? Who was wrong? Was it justice to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs to make way for a Promised Land that was lost two thousand years ago? But then, the jews were being persecuted everywhere in the world. They were being hated everywhere, and it was but their right to have a land that they can call their own; a place where they can live peacefully with their own people. They wanted to live with their own people not because they hated the others; but because the others hated them. Where else can they go but to their ancient land, where Moses led their forefathers to? They came, they settled, and they wanted peace. And peace was something which they were never to have.
When UN suggested the partition of the land of Palestine to two independant Jewish and Arab states, both sides rejected it first - though Jews accepted it later - which paved the way for the first of the numerous wars between the Jews and the Arabs. Jews won the war and annexed half of the Palestinian territory marked by the UN while the rest of it, Gaza Strip and West Bank, was taken over by Egypt and Jordan. And Palestine ceased to exist as a nation. If they had compromised in 1948, they would've had something to build their base on. Now they were refugees in their on land.
They suffered; and they fought. They wanted to erase Israel off the world map and reclaim their righteous place in the map. They fought under many leaders: George Habash, Yassir Arafat, and many more. They fought only to lose everytime. The war of 1967 between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan saw Israel magically defeating the might of the combined Arab army, annexing Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, West bank and Golan Heights. That almost sealed the fate of a Palestinian nation. More Palestinians were driven to refugee camps in Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. And the world slowly began to sideline the Palestinian issue.
What changed it all was the Intifada (means 'Uprising' in Arabic) started in 1987. Palestinian youth in the West Bank took their fighting to the streets. They fought the Israeli guns and tanks with stones and sticks. And the world started noticing. Things got bloodier as the time passed by. There wan't a day without news reports about car bombs in civilian areas and suicide attacks on military posts. Israelis haven't known what peace is, especially after 1987.
The recent past: A solution seemed nearing with Israel pulling out of the Gaza strip, razing all the kibbutzim there. The Israelis and Palestianias were sitting on either sides of a table, discussing a plan to establish a Palestinian Nation alonside Israel, containing West Bank and Gaza, and of course, minus Jerusalem. Things were starting to look good.
Now: Hamas, acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, an organization hell bent on erazing Israel off the world map by any means, has won the election in West Bank and Gaza, and is running the Palestinian Authority now. Will they put aside their fundamentalism and sit at a table to negotiate with the Israelis? Will the Israelis ever trust the Hamas? Can they? Only time can tell...
This is the Palestinian side of the story. Here it is full of pain, suffering, longing, seperation and losses. The Israeli side of the story is slightly different: there is suffering, there is longing; but they were eclipsed by hopes and heroism, beliefs and determination. And that is the secret of their success as a nation.
Who was right? Who was wrong? Was it justice to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs to make way for a Promised Land that was lost two thousand years ago? But then, the jews were being persecuted everywhere in the world. They were being hated everywhere, and it was but their right to have a land that they can call their own; a place where they can live peacefully with their own people. They wanted to live with their own people not because they hated the others; but because the others hated them. Where else can they go but to their ancient land, where Moses led their forefathers to? They came, they settled, and they wanted peace. And peace was something which they were never to have.
When UN suggested the partition of the land of Palestine to two independant Jewish and Arab states, both sides rejected it first - though Jews accepted it later - which paved the way for the first of the numerous wars between the Jews and the Arabs. Jews won the war and annexed half of the Palestinian territory marked by the UN while the rest of it, Gaza Strip and West Bank, was taken over by Egypt and Jordan. And Palestine ceased to exist as a nation. If they had compromised in 1948, they would've had something to build their base on. Now they were refugees in their on land.
They suffered; and they fought. They wanted to erase Israel off the world map and reclaim their righteous place in the map. They fought under many leaders: George Habash, Yassir Arafat, and many more. They fought only to lose everytime. The war of 1967 between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan saw Israel magically defeating the might of the combined Arab army, annexing Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, West bank and Golan Heights. That almost sealed the fate of a Palestinian nation. More Palestinians were driven to refugee camps in Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. And the world slowly began to sideline the Palestinian issue.
What changed it all was the Intifada (means 'Uprising' in Arabic) started in 1987. Palestinian youth in the West Bank took their fighting to the streets. They fought the Israeli guns and tanks with stones and sticks. And the world started noticing. Things got bloodier as the time passed by. There wan't a day without news reports about car bombs in civilian areas and suicide attacks on military posts. Israelis haven't known what peace is, especially after 1987.
The recent past: A solution seemed nearing with Israel pulling out of the Gaza strip, razing all the kibbutzim there. The Israelis and Palestianias were sitting on either sides of a table, discussing a plan to establish a Palestinian Nation alonside Israel, containing West Bank and Gaza, and of course, minus Jerusalem. Things were starting to look good.
Now: Hamas, acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, an organization hell bent on erazing Israel off the world map by any means, has won the election in West Bank and Gaza, and is running the Palestinian Authority now. Will they put aside their fundamentalism and sit at a table to negotiate with the Israelis? Will the Israelis ever trust the Hamas? Can they? Only time can tell...
This is the Palestinian side of the story. Here it is full of pain, suffering, longing, seperation and losses. The Israeli side of the story is slightly different: there is suffering, there is longing; but they were eclipsed by hopes and heroism, beliefs and determination. And that is the secret of their success as a nation.
posted by SNM at 11:44 AM
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