Besan is 23-years old and lives in Beir Nabala, a small village northwest of Jerusalem. A first impression reflects her commitment to Islam, dressed in the traditional hijab (head scarf) and jilbab. Staying true to her faith, every morning she performs ablutions prior to completing the first of her five daily prayers. Afterwards, she insists on drinking a much- needed cup of Nescafe (Palestinian alternative to American coffee) in order to continue with her day, confirming that coffee addictions are universal. Only then, Besan heads to a nearby village where she works full time as a secretary at a local school. In order to maintain good health and physique, she also complements her routine work schedule with trips to the gym. Concurrently, a combination of errands may follow, ultimately with her returning home to eat dinner, complete chores and spend the remaining of the evening with family. According to traditional Palestinian customs, females are typically expected to be engaged or married when they reach the 18-24 age group (especially, if they have completed their higher education which Besan has) Correspondingly, her eldest sister married at the age of 20 and sequentially her younger sister followed at 18, triggering communal pressure from her parents and village to get married. However, Besan’s dreams and aspirations for the future challenge these expectations in Palestinian society and American misconceptions of Palestinian women. Before “tying the knot”, she’s determined to relocate to the United Arab Emirates and establish herself financially, contesting the Palestinian tradition of the husband’s family role as the primary breadwinner. Besan dreams of independence, financial and social, something which she is determined to achieve. Additionally, she hopes to travel the world with Turkey, Canada and Brazil on her itinerary. In reality, Besan is practically a mirror image of young people everywhere, including Americans and even Palestinians themselves. They enjoy the company of friends and family; they go to restaurants and coffee shops and in Besan’s case, love to head to the major shopping district near her village, Ramallah’s booming city center. Nejwa Ali is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
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By: Joharah Baker
Date: 14/02/2024
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A new day will come
I once heard that anger is not a real emotion, but a cover for other feelings such as sadness, disappointment or fear. You need to peel back that outer layer to understand what is really going on inside. Strange how this has lately resurfaced for me, but I think I know why. Lately, I and surely, millions of other Palestinians, have been filled with a blinding rage -- at Israel, at the United States, and at the world overall. This is a rage that is all-encompassing, the depth of which is palpable at the cellular level, permeating every molecule and every atom of our being. The genocide in the Gaza Strip has grated our emotions raw and we are left stinging and burning from our head to our toes. Our anger is like a huge magnetosphere and we are all trapped inside, but its walls are translucent and we can see the source of our rage mocking us from beyond. We Palestinians are angry because we are so disappointed and we are angry because we are disillusioned and we are angry because we are drowning in sorrow. Our disappointment lies in the fact that the world has failed us in the worst possible way and has allowed the unspeakable to be committed against us. Genocide is the ‘mother of all crimes’ and, contrary to the promises, the conventions and the historical lessons the world was supposed to learn, it has been committed over and over again. The Palestinian genocide, however, is unique in at least one way: it is live-streamed, which means no one can claim ignorance and everyone has a responsibility in stopping it. Hence, our disappointment is not limited to countries, Arab or otherwise, or to international and human rights organizations. It has spread to everyone in our orbit; acquaintances and people we thought were friends, but whose silence towards our slaughter is a deafening betrayal. Our sense of disappointment has discolored every relationship it touches because every relationship for us is a dichotomy: you are either with or against genocide and either support Palestine in word and deed, or not. Our anger is a thin veil concealing our disillusion with the international community and its institutions, supposedly established to protect people in situations precisely like ours. We have confirmed what we knew all along, that these organizations were constructed for some and not all, for colonial powers and not those who suffer beneath them. Even when the highest court in the land rules in our favor, the Global North ensures that its ruling will not be implemented to save us, the oppressed, indigenous brown people whose lives apparently do not matter. And finally, our anger is a survival mechanism to shield us from our own grief. Our sorrow over the murdered men, women and children, defenseless, homeless, starving and shivering in the cold, is so deep, so immense, we ourselves cannot fathom it. If we dare peek behind this anger and truly feel a fraction of the aching in our hearts, it will paralyze us for sure, because no people can endure the magnitude and scale of such suffering and not lose their minds. We Palestinians know we cannot let go and that a new day is near. We know we must hold on just a little bit longer, because Palestine depends on it. We are no strangers to oppression, suffering and sacrifice and we know the price of our freedom has and continues to be painfully high. Still, we also know that a life without shackles and the yoke of oppression around our weary necks is the only life worth living.
By: Joharah Baker
Date: 01/02/2024
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Killing the flowers will not delay spring
This may be the hardest article I’ve written so far, for obvious reasons. As the genocide in Gaza grinds on into its fourth month, with winter in full force, the situation is so dire it has been described as hell on earth. To date, some 27,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, nearly 70% of them women and children. Another 70,000 have been wounded and at least 1.9 million people have been displaced. With only 2.3 million in the Gaza Strip to start with, this computes to 1% of its population being exterminated, and in less than four months. However, in the midst of these horrific times, let us allow ourselves a sliver of hope. The ICJ ruling, announced on January 26, prompted mixed feelings among Palestinians who naturally, wanted to hear a clear and firm demand on Israel to stop its onslaught. However, even without the express demand for a ceasefire, the ICJ offered something to the Palestinians for which they have been demanding for many years: their suffering, their plight and the brutal oppression they live under, was finally acknowledged by the highest court in the world. More importantly, Israel is being called out for its crimes, displayed in real time for all to see. For this, we will be eternally grateful to South Africa and its exceptional legal team for bringing this case of genocide to the ICJ and forcing the world to look straight down the barrel of Israel’s cruel intentions. Of course, for the Palestinians, we did not need an international court to tell us that Israel is committing a genocide, but it was cathartic to hear this acknowledged on a global platform. While we are aware that the actual charge of genocide perhaps needs years to prove, it only takes hearing the ruling and the case argued by South Africa to surmise that Israel is as good as convicted. This is not insignificant, and we will cling to any shred of hope we can find in this unjust world. Having said that, this is no time to rest. If anything, it is time to push even harder because now, we have ICJ rulings in our favor and legal backing to claims we already knew were legitimate. However, while this may have offered us some ray of light in the darkness in which we are all engulfed, the fact of the matter is that things continue to worsen on the ground in Gaza. This genocide is so heinous, not only in the brutality of the Israeli bombs and denial of basic aid to the people of Gaza, but in the fact that its people are suffering from multiple and simultaneous injustices. That is, those who are being starved are the same people who have been displaced and the same people who have been injured and cannot receive medical attention. They are the same people who have lost their homes and family members and the same people who are under the rubble. One atrocity does not cancel out another in Gaza and that is what makes this genocide so unimaginable. We have reached a point where it is unnecessary to describe the horrors of life in Gaza because frankly, in the past four months, everyone has seen them. It is not a matter of the world not knowing. This may have been the case in other genocides and atrocities, but not this one. It really boils down to two things: The dehumanization of the Palestinians and Israel’s impunity for its crimes, the latter being a direct result of the former. Shame on the world for accepting Israel’s vile propaganda, hook, line and sinker. Shame on the “western world” in particular, who we will never forgive. Shame on them all for aiding and abetting the slaughter of our people, their displacement, starvation and annihilation. This will not go unnoticed in the annals of history, which will paint each and every accomplice in the criminal light it deserves. But these despicable powers do not know the lion-hearts of the Palestinians and their fierce loyalty to Palestine. They will never be able to kill us all and my hope is that this thought haunts them day and night. A sign held up in one of the many protests around the world reads: “Killing the flowers will not delay spring”. Our Spring is coming, without a doubt.
By: Joharah Baker
Date: 10/01/2024
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Let’s talk about our hostages…Palestinians in Israeli prisons
By now, we have all grown accustomed to the unabashed media bias in this genocide, particularly from western media outlets, commentators and political pundits. We no longer gasp in shock when we hear the unwavering western support for Israel, even as the latter continues to slaughter, starve and displace millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. However, let us for a second, imagine that the world was fair and therefore measures its responses based on justice and rights. It is a tough assignment for sure, but maybe we can stretch our imaginations, just for a while. Let us talk about our hostages. Yes, you read correctly, our Palestinian hostages, and there are thousands. Since terminology is key, our hostages are known as ‘prisoners’ in Israeli prisons, but in reality, they are captives, being held by an illegal system of occupation, oppression and apartheid. I will not fully delve into the long history of Palestinian imprisonment by Israeli occupation authorities, which is a tale of mass arbitrary incarceration, torture and denial of rights. Instead, I want you to imagine this description, magnified tenfold. This is where we are today, in the midst of a genocide, while thousands of our men, women and children are being held captive in Israeli detention centers under inhumane conditions. Since October 7, Israel has arrested over 5,700 Palestinians, over and above the nearly 3,000 already in Israel’s prisons, many from the Gaza Strip, ripped from their homes and families, their fate unknown. What’s more, over 2,000 of these detainees are held under administrative detention, without trial or charge. The number alone should be shocking enough, but the conditions of their detention and incarceration is what will surely push you over the edge. At present, there are close to 700 known Gazans in Israel’s detention center(s), all under the amended 2002 “Unlawful Combatants Law”. This law, given Israel’s wartime state of emergency, allows it to hold “enemy fighters” for up to 75 days without seeing a lawyer or being legally processed. In other words, they are ‘disappearing’ Palestinians. Take for example, Director of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who was abducted from the hospital by Israeli occupation forces on November 23. His condition and whereabouts remain unknown. Gaza workers outside the Gaza Strip on October 7 were also in limbo for weeks, some of whom were arrested and kept in horrible conditions, while others found themselves stuck in the West Bank. On November 3, some 3,000 workers were released and dumped back into Gaza, without money, phones or any form of redress and showing clear signs of torture. Other Gazans who were illegally detained and later released, along with West Bankers rounded up arbitrarily, tell of harrowing experiences. One young woman said the month she had been in prison felt more ‘like years”. She recounted how they were cursed at and beaten, how there was hardly any food and how the women were forced to sleep on the floor with no blankets or mattresses. Gazan women were held separately from West Bankers, but the detainees said they could hear their screams and pleas to find out about their children and families. Women testified they were threatened with rape, and many were sexually harassed, stripped and beaten. One woman, who will remain unnamed, said Israeli prison wardens smugly informed her that “now we are at war with you so we can do whatever we want.” The men may have it even worse. The world saw the harrowing pictures released by the Israeli army itself, of men stripped to their underclothes, blindfolded and handcuffed, held in the cold for hours in Gaza before being hauled off to one of Israel’s infamous detention centers in the Negev desert or a military base near Beer Saba. These are run by the military, which means “no holds barred” when it comes to their treatment. Palestinian men later released, told of being kept handcuffed and blindfolded the entire duration of their incarceration, beaten if they shifted position, electrocuted and spat on. They saw no lawyer, no Red Cross representative and of course, no family. Then there are those prisoners who did not make it at all. Since October 7, seven known Palestinian detainees, previously healthy, mysteriously died in Israeli incarceration and God only knows how many more from Gaza in particular have perished at their brutal hands. The issue here is not that “disappearing” and brutality occurs. We all know this happens in despotic, authoritarian and tyrannical regimes. Throughout history, we have heard stories from South America, Africa and in Arab countries as well, and Palestinians are all too familiar with Israel’s brutal abuse in their prisons. What is mind-boggling is how Israel is still treated as a nation among civilized nations by the global community. How is it that a regime, which has occupied, brutalized and dehumanized an entire people for over 75 years, culminating in one of the ugliest genocides in history, is not considered a rogue state? How has it not been sanctioned, penalized and its leaders behind bars in The Hague? That is the real question the entire world must ask itself.
By the Same Author
Date: 17/04/2013
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A day in the life: a young and single, Palestinian woman
Besan is 23-years old and lives in Beir Nabala, a small village northwest of Jerusalem. A first impression reflects her commitment to Islam, dressed in the traditional hijab (head scarf) and jilbab. Staying true to her faith, every morning she performs ablutions prior to completing the first of her five daily prayers. Afterwards, she insists on drinking a much- needed cup of Nescafe (Palestinian alternative to American coffee) in order to continue with her day, confirming that coffee addictions are universal. Only then, Besan heads to a nearby village where she works full time as a secretary at a local school. In order to maintain good health and physique, she also complements her routine work schedule with trips to the gym. Concurrently, a combination of errands may follow, ultimately with her returning home to eat dinner, complete chores and spend the remaining of the evening with family. According to traditional Palestinian customs, females are typically expected to be engaged or married when they reach the 18-24 age group (especially, if they have completed their higher education which Besan has) Correspondingly, her eldest sister married at the age of 20 and sequentially her younger sister followed at 18, triggering communal pressure from her parents and village to get married. However, Besan’s dreams and aspirations for the future challenge these expectations in Palestinian society and American misconceptions of Palestinian women. Before “tying the knot”, she’s determined to relocate to the United Arab Emirates and establish herself financially, contesting the Palestinian tradition of the husband’s family role as the primary breadwinner. Besan dreams of independence, financial and social, something which she is determined to achieve. Additionally, she hopes to travel the world with Turkey, Canada and Brazil on her itinerary. In reality, Besan is practically a mirror image of young people everywhere, including Americans and even Palestinians themselves. They enjoy the company of friends and family; they go to restaurants and coffee shops and in Besan’s case, love to head to the major shopping district near her village, Ramallah’s booming city center. Nejwa Ali is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
Date: 11/04/2013
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In the wake of human tragedy, human rights are a constant truth
This past Monday, a siren went off, reminding Israelis to observe their traditional moment of silence, honoring victims of the Holocaust. Traffic came to a halt; drivers stepped out of their car and respectfully bowed their heads. Incidentally, Holocaust Remembrance day is internationally recognized on January 27th however, Israelis commemorate the tragedy on April 9, marking the significant Warsaw ghetto uprising, against European Nazis. The systematic genocide of the Jewish race (among other minorities) within a four and half year period is appalling to say the least. Millions of Jews were relocated to ghettos and then concentration camps, subsequently murdered. Although the Holocaust is an immeasurable tragedy, certain similarities align with Palestinian victims of Israeli occupation. Considering that the majority of Israeli Jews do not travel to the Palestinian territories, they are oblivious to the convoluted Palestinian lifestyle as a direct result of their government. Meanwhile, the rationale behind writing with such a compelling contrast will hit home for Israelis. Most importantly however, it will shed light on the Palestinian cause, absent from Israeli media, forcing responsibility on Israelis to look inward. For this to happen, a mutual understanding is required in order to prevent human right abuses from continuing. Hedy Epstein, a holocaust survivor, turned advocate for Palestine, has coined the phrase, “Never Again (for Jews), Again by Jews.” Ironically, the following day Palestinian supporters commemorated the massacre of Deir Yassin. Zochrot, an Israeli non-governmental organization aimed at introducing the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) to the Israeli-Jewish public, organized a tour of the former village, which has since been renamed Kanfei Nesharim. Originally, a Palestinian village of an estimated 600 inhabitants, Deir Yassin suffered a violent ambush from Zionist militias on April 9, 1948. Upon their invasion, a warning came over a loud speaker to evacuate immediately. The majority of its residents fled to neighboring villages, fearing for their safety. The families who remained faced brutal attacks, some execution-style murders. Coincidentally, the Zionist perspective challenges the very existence of Deir Yassin, particularly the massacre. Nevertheless, an official report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) refutes any debate. The majority of the dead were Palestinian civilians, (not armed opposition as Zionists claim) and shot at close range; 93 defenseless villagers to be exact. Responsible for accounting the casualties and physical destruction, a member of the ICRC distinctly reported an encounter with a Zionist soldier who bragged about his knife, 60 centimeters long, 10 centimeters wide, double edged, covered in blood. Conversely, Zionist forces carried out massacres and wiped out numerous Palestinian villages over the course of the next decade (Kufr Qassem 1956, Qibya 1953, etc) in order to establish a Jewish state, eerily similar to the Nazi razing of Jewish communities, the majority of whom were transferred to ghettos. Moreover, the tour comprised of a Deir Yassin native, showing us the house he grew up in, neighboring the primary school he attended. His vivid recollection of Deir Yassin complicates Zionist attempts to erase its historical remains. Despite varying complexities between the Holocaust and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, several parallels can be drawn from one another, emphasizing a pattern of human rights abuses. For instance, the horrifying conditions of the Jewish ghettos and Palestinian refugee camps or the distinctive identification for Jewish citizens (armbands) contrasting the Palestinian identification cards, (varying colors) both reflect inferiority and limited freedoms. These historical references highlight the employment of violence and displacement against minorities vulnerable to superpowers. This article aims to commemorate the Jewish and Palestinian suffering. It is not to highlight further divisions but rather so that human rights can one day prevail. Nejwa Ali is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
Date: 03/04/2013
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CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
This past Saturday, I had a meeting with a prospective
Arabic tutor. Located in Jerusalem, she agreed to pick
me up in front of the Qalandiya checkpoint. As a firm
believer of, “When you’re on time your late, when
you’re early you’re on time,” I was a half an hour
early. Incidentally, a couple of young men were trying
to set tires ablaze, setting an eerie tone. Journalist
and cameraman from several news agencies were
positioning. Perplexed, I quickly learned that it was
the anniversary of Land Day. In commemoration of six
Palestinians killed during a 1976 march against land
expropriations in the Galilee, Palestinians and their
supporters around the world protest Israel’s continuous
occupation of Palestine.
Suddenly, a band of Israeli soldiers marched passed me. A dozen soldiers lined up against the separation wall while another group formed a barrier, blocking the entrance to the checkpoint. Hoping to discourage the presence of worldwide news coverage, soldiers shot several stun grenades directly at reporters. In close proximity, the powerful aftershock completely took over my body. Remaining calm, I asked a soldier whether or not he was aware that they were shooting at journalists. He responded “Don’t worry, those grenades are harmless.” Humanizing being shot at with stun grenades as a normalcy is outrageous; I became fearful that the life threatening weapons were reserved for the Palestinians. Israel’s heavily armed military presence during a non- violent protest is also an intimidation tactic. Approaching the checkpoint (and soldiers), were dedicated peace protestors armed with banners and Palestinian flags, chanting anti-apartheid slogans. Soldiers immediately shot warning bullets followed with tear gas, eventually dispersing protestors. Subsequently, preventing peaceful demonstrations contradicts Israel’s self described egalitarian status. Meanwhile, I continued to wait for my ride, only to find out she had to reschedule. Absolutely taken back at the chaotic turn of events, I was ready to call it a day. A journalist warned me to take a seat and let things cool off. Twenty minutes passed, and soldiers were still firmly aiming at the protestors. Accordingly, I asked a soldier if they were done shooting so I could head back to Ramallah, and his response was, “You’re free to leave but I can’t promise that I won’t shoot.” Israel’s complete disregard for life, affirms their oppressive regime against the Palestinian people. Their excessive use of force against a nonviolent population draws parallel to behaviors of previous oppressive regimes such as apartheid South Africa. Moreover, their attempt to influence Palestinians to succumb to Israel’s tyrannical rule needs immediate intervention by the international community. The aforementioned Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories exemplify the definition of apartheid. In exchange for sympathy, I challenge my audience to vocalize support for the Palestinian right to exist. Frankly, Palestinians were nonviolently protesting on Palestinian territory. Israeli soldiers invade Palestinian territory and utilize force to crush an otherwise innocuous protest, sometimes resulting in deadly outcomes. No surprise since Israel is one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world. Still, Palestinian continue to protest courageously, despite facing imminent threat, refusing to give up their fight for freedom and peace. Nejwa Ali is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
Date: 28/03/2013
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Breaking the Cycle
Last week, US President Barack Obama paid tribute to lifelong ally Israel, his first visit to the region as President, symbolizing his unwavering stance on the Palestinian-Israeli impasse. In front of American media, Obama has been consistent, viewing Israeli settlement expansion as detrimental to any legitimate peace process, straining relations with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Mr. Obama admitted that he had no plan to for push peace talks, stating that Israel was not interested, dismissing any effort to do so as a waste of time. However, a completely different tone was taken on this past week. Obama pledged his allegiance to Israel, solidifying his unconditional support and Israel’s right to defend against any threat to their nation’s security, completely ignoring the continuous situation of Israeli colonization of Palestinian territory. Accordingly, his criticism falls short of any concrete progression towards peace. Instead of bolstering this kind of behavior without consequence, Obama needs to take an aggressive approach forcing Israel towards a peace deal. Perhaps slashing U.S. financial support, conversely what they did to the Palestinian Authority when they submitted their application to the United Nations for statehood (completely undermining the U.S. position of supposedly supporting an independent Palestine state), would prove effective? Sidelining the Palestinian cause, Obama invested his time and energy into securing an Israeli apology to Turkey and restoring diplomatic ties between nations. Adding insult to injury for the Palestinians, it turns out Obama scored an accomplishment after all. Unfortunately, Obama’s near silence regarding the Palestinian people’s national rights reflected his poor leadership in this regard and lack of commitment towards resolving this conflict. Hence, he negated himself as an influential peace leader in the eyes of the Palestinians, who saw him more of the stereotypical political pawn. Coincidentally, during the same week of Obama’s trip to Israel, I visited east Jerusalem. As an American citizen, I am privileged with complete access to Jerusalem, even though some of my family, born and raised in Palestine, are excluded from visiting the city. According to Israeli law, any person with Palestinian identification, residing within the West Bank and Gaza Strip are prohibited from entering Jerusalem. Ultimately, depriving Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) the freedom to worship and restrict their ability to travel freely, defines a situation tantamount to apartheid. On my trip to Jerusalem I admired religious sites and walked around neighborhoods, marveling at the breathtaking views. Still, an eerie calm lingered. A paradox began to unravel. Israelis go about their day nonchalantly, with the daily Palestinian theme of “the occupation” taboo from their discussions. A snapshot of the New York City lifestyle, Israelis live comfortably with plentiful resources at their disposable. In comparison, Palestinians are forced to do with the insufficient resources at their disposal. If I were a typical tourist, for the first time in the region, I would be oblivious to the humanitarian crisis Israel imposes on the Palestinians. However, Obama is not a tourist. He is fully aware of the humanitarian abuses and Israel’s oppressive occupation and continues to fund it with American tax dollars. This kind of support needs to come to a halt. As Israel’s occupation of Palestine approaches its seventh decade, I would like to remind President Barak Obama to be a man of his word and follow his own campaign slogan of moving forward towards change. Stand firmly against Israel’s occupation and prevent another generation of Palestinian youth from being born and raised under it. Nejwa Ali is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
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