Reflecting on The solidarity day with Palestine and the cease fire

The talks regarding the extension of the cease fire coincided with the Solidarity Day with Palestine.  And as I write these lines, representatives at the United Nations are talking about the need for the extension of the ceasefire and that the two state solution is the only way out. That solution was fouled up many years ago when those same countries allowed Israel to get away with violating UN resolutions and expanding settlements and control of the West Bank despite the United Nations resolutions after the occupation of the rest of the Palestinian territories in 1967 .    Now they are all talking, and I am not sure they will do anything beyond that.  Couldn’t the cease fire have taken place before all the shelling of  the Gaza Strip turned the area into smithereens 

 

The whole purpose of the Hamas operation on October 7 was to take hostages so as to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners, most of whom have been languishing in Israeli jails without charge or trial, including many young children.

But the blind support of the Western countries led by the USA simply watched, until it was not humanly bearable anymore, especially after the shelling of the hospitals and  the photos of the babies in incubators hit the world media. Nobody and nothing was spared. The scenes reminded me of the photos we used to see after World WarII

 

For the last few days we have been glued to our TV screens watching that great exchange operation. But Israel cannot tolerate a moment of joy for the Palestinians and the released prisoners were prevented from any public celebrations or offering of sweets for the happy occasion.  In the meantime the arrests and shooting of young men in the West Bank have almost exceeded the number of the released prisoners.  And while I am writing this two young children were shot in Jenin. 

 

Ironically the Occupation Forces could not also tolerate a positive word by the hostages about the good treatment they had by Hamas while in hostage, especially after the testimony of a woman who was released with her daughter.  So,  later on those who were released were allocated to special wards in hospitals, so that they will not talk  to anybody about their experience. 

 

I just hope and pray that the efforts of all the leaders gathering to discuss the ceasefire will succeed in making it a permanent one. And all efforts will be pursued to bring about a just solution to the Palestinian issue as well as the rebuilding of Gaza, and not razing it in accordance with the plans of the Israeli Prime Minister.

A Thanksgiving Letter to Biden

 

Dear Mr. Biden,

I wonder how  you and your guests for Thanksgiving dinner on the 23rd will be able to celebrate when so many families in Gaza have lost dear ones and have been deprived of their homes, food, and  shelter due to the Israeli invasion of Gaza which you could have stopped immediately.    No humans, including medical teams and news reporters, along with buildings, hospitals, schools  or churches and  mosques have been spared.  I hope the  sight of those  babies in incubators will make you  and your  guests at the White House lose your appetite.

However as you claim to be  a man of faith, I would like to remind you of the words of our Lord according to Luke 4:18-19 

“The spirit of the Lord is on me 

because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind , to release the oppressed , to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”

So hopefully during this blessed season you will spare the people of the Holy Land further suffering under an occupation that is morally and financially supported by your administration.

A 90-year-old Palestinian great grandmother.

No Bears to Protect Those Children

After one month of the Gaza surprise events, I was determined to take a break from watching the horrific news of the bombing of Gaza, its residential sections, schools as well as hospitals.  Not even the church was spared where some of the people whom we knew, and were taking refuge at the church  got killed.  No efforts for the end of the indiscriminate shelling by Israel  with the blessing of the USA and its allies made any difference.  Israel was determined on  “ mowing  the lawn”  a metaphor used to  completely wipe out Gaza.

I had Barbara Kingsolver Small Wonder Essays sitting by my reclining chair for some time now, and had no time for it.  So I decided  that this would be the best time for me to pick it up.

After the introduction, Barbara takes us through the first small wonder taking place in the hills of Lorestan, a  Province of Iran where a small child wandered out of the house without being noticed by the babysitter, and got the whole area searching for him.

 

The parents and the whole community kept banging the doors of hope until one of those doors opened  after three days, and  the child was found in a cave curled around by a bear who apparently was lactating and had fed the child.

 

But the  sad news is that Barbara was reading the story of the child and the bear on the same day that she had read the year’s opening on the bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

 

And here I am reading that story while Gaza is being bombed,  but  there are no bears to protect those children.

Another Cry From Gaza

Another cry from a colleague of my daughter in Gaza, the one who had written Dead Man Walking.  Please raise your voices against the support of your government to all what is happening in Gaza against innocent civilians.  Stop all the bombing and all the suffering .  Enough is enough.  Samia  

Shoulders Must Remain Strong

In Palestinian culture, we are raised on the proverb 'my shoulders are your subsistence and supply; my tears are your water.' The best English translation would be 'lean on me when you’re not strong.'

Having practiced this proverb my whole life, I have come to the conclusion that giving is a greater feeling than receiving. I have always given materially and with an open heart; I have demonstrated love, smiles, and welcoming words and acts. Over the years, this method has been successful; I have been able to outgive my pain and sorrow and affirm my belief that giving is greater, much greater than receiving.

 

Today, with every breath, I have to deal with the fact that my heart is injured, severely injured, and the possibility that I may no longer be able to  give is getting closer and closer. The smell of death lingers and sticks to my clothes. I cannot avoid it.

 

Before death comes for me, I need to make sure my children's shoulders are strong enough to carry more than just subsistence; they have to carry more than is possible. I need to make sure that they can give and not wait to get back.

 

I will leave suddenly, and some will remain on my shoulders until the moment I fall apart, and only then will they notice that I am gone and not returning. For those who wish to pour out their stress, anger, frustration, and pain, for those who simply enjoyed talking, please give them all the address of my grave. Tell them I will be listening and crying for their pain. I simply cannot give them a hug.

Until then, I am making my shoulders stronger and wider.

 

Just don’t look towards my heart