A Palestinian Who Refuses to Give Up Hope   

Mazin Qumsiyeh does not speak for the NSP or Tikkun in his analysis below. Yet we believe it is very important to hear and understand the voices of those non-violent Palestinians whose frustration at the failure of Israel to end the Occupation is immense. While the media attention is on the Goldstone report about the past human rights violations of Israel in Gaza this past January, it is important to remember what is happening every day in the West Bank.

We Shall Overcome Some Day

by Mazin Qumsiyeh  October 14, 2009

Netanyahu looked old, tired, and angry as he delivered his "speech" in front
of the Knesset. He had nothing new to say so he regurgitated the old myths
about protecting Israelis from being charged with war crimes, lectured his
audience (who also looked tired and bored) that the Goldstone report was a
lie, that Israel will defend itself, that the world better "deal with
Iran", and that Palestinians better recognize Israel as a Jewish state in
order to have peace on the occupier's terms. A little bit earlier, Mahmoud
Abbas gave a speech in which he stated that Hamas leaders are using the
Goldstone issue to escape from signing reconciliation agreements. He
reiterated his other positions that are now well known. He also looked
tired, angry, and old. Then the leader of Hamas in Damascus, standing in
front of a picture of the Syrian president, gave a speech that reiterated
Hamas's known positions. He too looked angry and tired. George Mitchell
came and went on another trip with no results (I lost count of how many
times he had met with the "leaders" on all sides here except Palestinain
factions were he met only with Fatah). He too smiles for cameras but when
giving his remarks appeared frustrated and angry.

The US administration said it is likely to "ramp-down" the peace efforts
(thanks for the Nobel Peace prize anyway). Israel simply refuses to abide
by its signed agreements especially by the requirements of the road map to
freeze its colonial settler activities and return things to what they were
before 2000 (a rather minimum and mild request I might add). Other parties
issued tired statements and declaration for against this or that position.
On the ground, things look rather poor. We now have a situation in which
every Palestinian town or city has gates that can be locked or opened at the
whim of the Israeli army. That Israeli occupation army kidnapped 12 more
Palestinians in the West Bank in the past 24 hours. Doctors in Gaza report
an increased incidence of birth defects (likely related to use of illegal
weapons by Israel, polluted water, maternal malnutrition or all of these).
In the West Bank, we learn to bathe with a bucket of water (and save it for
other uses and do it less frequently!). Farmers are fending off increased
settler attacks during the traditional olive harvesting season. Some are
denied access to their lands. Homes continue to be demolished.

Surveying this obscene scene, one is tempted to feel discouraged. I know
some Palestinians even give up. We were thinking of these things as we
visited the Biotechnology Center at the Polytechnic University.
Coincidentally, Western-Backed Mohammed Dahlan was to give a speech there.
His public appearances have intensified as he is being groomed to replace
Abbas as "president" of the "Palestinian Authority" (the quotes are deserved
since we have no real authority other than the Israeli occupation). But we
were not there to see Dahlan. We met with some faculty and students who are
doing some real science. Practical, decent, hard-working people. This got
me thinking about hope. No I have no hope that politicians will suddenly
wake-up to reality! But hope because of deep belief in the goodness and
decency of common people. Here, we mean the 11 year old amateur
photographer in Aida refugee camp who has more wisdom and certainly more
practical energy than many adults I know. The 70-year-old gentle man who
smiles as he tells me that he still goes to his land even though checkpoints
and walls are in the way. The old woman who was offered millions for her
home in Jerusalem but refuses to sell it to colonizers and occupiers. The
university professor and dear friend who lost his wife to an illness and
keeps on pouring his heart and soul to educate a new generation. The blind
girl who keeps up with her classmates. The unemployed man who keeps his
dignity and asks for no help and keeps trying and hoping for work. The
farmer who treats her vegetables as if they are her children. The Imam in
the mosque and the priest in the church who listen to the people's problems
with uncommon decency and compassion. Millions upon millions of those who
by their mere presence and steadfastness inspire us.

Every morning when we drive to the University (my wife teaches classes at 8
AM so we drive together), we see school children laughing, holding hands,
running, and in their eyes, we see hope. In their olive skins, jet-black
hair, strong features, we see our Canaantitic ancestors egging us on. The
difficulties of the present take their natural role as bumps along the road
between our past and our future. Thus even a visit to a cemetery which we
do just about every week as people die, becomes strangely connecting and
empowering. The old died content in their homeland. The martyrs are
remembered and praised for their sacrifice. Past, present, and future
become only meaningful in the love of the land. In the past two weeks, I
was doing some investigative work on a group of old pictures of Palestine
that have just been digitized in the library of congress. Some of the
pictures were of my hometown in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. I was thrilled
to find one of my great-great-grandparent's home. The image (likely taken
in the early 1920s) shows the only image of my great-grandmother in
existence (an old relatives recognized her). Other pictures show the
bountiful harvest of wheat. We have been farmers, shepherds, and artisans
for hundreds of years and despite all the difficulties, WE still are. I
smile as we begin preparation for the olive harvest (even though this year
looks like it may not be as good as last year). I smile as I stop my car in
a main road in Bethlehem to let a flock of sheep cross the street led by a
guy who looks exactly like those individuals in those ancient images. Yes,
the Zionist movement destroyed 530 villages and built a European style
metropolis of connected colonial settlements everywhere here filling them
with imported people brainwashed to believe that the only way to ensure
power is to destroy others. But they will never feel at home until they
recognize the injustice done to the native people and ask in humility for
the return of those they expelled/forced out. That is part of the reason
700,000 naturalized Israeli now live outside the country.

Time is not kind to murderers and thieves. We are Palestine can never
change as a land and its people are far from being defeated even if we are
forced to live in these ghettos and in these refugee camps for another 10 or
30 years. The land is potmarked with ugly edifices of the occupation
including the apartheid wall. But the land is red and soft and productive
and patient. Afterall, it is all mixed with ashes of sweat of our
ancestors. History is not static. We have more love and community than
the amalgam of different people living in fancy homes in settlements with
unlimited supplies. I smile when I see young teenagers do the traditional
dabka dance (I am amazed at their energy as their feet seem to touch the
ground rarely). The people continue to dream and hope and yearn for
freedom. Acts of heroism and resistance continue. Despite difficulties,
most Palestinians live comfortable psychologically and content in their lot
in life certainly more so than the aloof usurpers or those few who have
given up among our own people. Many Israelis and Internationals who come
here every day to support us become part of this wonderful living healthy
mosaic. That spirit is the spirit that moved African Americans to sing
together while holding hands with decent white people "we shall overcome
someday". That is the spirit of Jaffa, Haifa, AnNasra, Nablus, Jenin,
Bil'in, Ni'lin, Al-Quds, Rafah, Gaza, Khan Younis, and the 1400 other towns
and villages that we live in or those villages that still live in the heart
of their owners who vow: we shall return someday-we shall be free someday-we
shall overcome someday.

ACTION: Israeli leaders are squirming to not be charged with war crimes and
to contain the growth of the Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS)
movement. We are upping the pressure. Join the first marathon of BDS
October 16-17 around the world.
1) Organize an event activity during Friday and Saturday 16/17 October 2009
and let us know at: freemohammad@stopthewall.org
2) Stop the Wall will publish a time table with all planned activities.
3) We will put you in touch with the activists mobilizing before and after
you. If your activity and access to internet/phone allows, you will be able
to directly take over from the previous activity and hand over to the next
action.
You may organize activities such as protests, leaflets handouts, street
actions, speaking events, video screenings, book readings, powerpoint
presentations, radio/TV programs, internet actions, a twitter campaign, a
fax blitz.Be creative!
For activist material to make your event a success, contact
freemohammad@stopthewall.org

Mazin Qumsiyeh
A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org