I worked in Gaza and The West Bank as a Jewish Woman AMA

[Wflwer]

I worked with an education charity making the journey to Gaza once in 2019 and to The West Bank in 2018 and 2022.
I speak Hebrew and Arabic and we were groups of educators working in schools (group were about 5/6 teachers ranging from primary to secondary educators from Europe)

Occupier of where?

They are taught about the fact they acknowledge Israel and peace processes such as Oslo accords etc they did sweep over the holocaust in the West Bank once when we were there however upon speaking with the teacher I was reminded that it was a very western way of thinking it was not part of their history much like how they talked in depth about the Ottoman Empire.

Did they also view the Ottoman Empire as an occupying force?

All of them - Gaza has a huge art scene as well. I wouldn’t say that there is a preference of science over humanities.

And were you able to enter Gaza via the Erez crossing? What was the procedure like?

Great thread, thank you OP.

Do you feel any empathy for Israel?

Actually both SA and Zimbabwe have people who have been targeting and expelling whites, but that's a digression.

I actually cannot answer this - however we worked with a historian whose specialty is the Ottoman Empire so will drop him an email.

No we used the Rafah crossing as we were coming in with Palestinians who are not allowed to fly into or out of Israeli airports and those who have Palestine as place of birth on their passports are regularly hassled so it was better that we travelled through Egypt.

It took hours some of the group were questioned all of our documents were scrutinised thoroughly and we had our bags searched etc

The idea that Israeli violence should never be met with Palestinian resistance but Palestinian resistance should always be met with Israeli violence is baffling.

So your view is that the 7th October terrorist attacks shouldn't have been responded to because Israel as the occupier don't have the right to defend themselves?

Israel was not occupying Gaza on October 7. They left Gaza in 2005. Hamas was elected there but haven't allowed further elections since 2006.

Who are you to say 'it's not up for debate' ???? This is a forum where everything, in moderation, is up for debate. You are letting your hatred of Israel cloud your viewpoint.

Even the ADL who I do not always agree with have written about how this is false and linked to heavily racist white supremacy conspiracy theories.

If you can turn off water, decide who and what enters and leaves as well as create a nautical perimeter then you are an occupying force - this is also the view of the British Government that Gaza is occupied. They pulled their settlements out but the entire place is surrounded by the IDF.

Israel were controlling Gaza, we all know that.

MissyB Hamas controlled Gaza. HTH.

@Wflwer

From a legal standpoint yes. That is what international law dictates. However law and morality are not the same and that is when proportionality comes into play.

i think a great example of my quote is the Great March of Return back in 2018 which at first was independent and was later endorsed by Hamas as a means of non violence these protests lasted 18 months roughly and 46 children were killed (over 200 people in total) by Israeli forces. This was highlighted by multiple human rights agencies as well.

The mandate of Palestine included current day Israel. Do Gazans think of themselves as Palestinians first and Gazans second?
I thought the west bank was ex-Jordan, do people there think of themselves as Palestinian or Jordanian?

Countries with land boundaries have often had disputed borders I think, especially those with nomadic inhabitants.

I would have quoted you but.....

As a nation no it’s a place not a person, for the common Israeli absolutely I think that currently they are living with a horrid government and a prime minister who doesn’t want to give up power as he will face already ongoing corruption charges.

yes they think of themselves as Palestinians first as they are not all from Gaza. I mentioned previously a map which showed only Palestine and we were explained to that people from both Gaza and the West Bank are not necessarily from Gaza and the West Bank they have been moved there by Israeli settlers.

Sadly I have met a few survivors of it, but I suppose they could be lying.

The West Bank was under Jordanian jurisdiction between 1948 and 1967 quantum butterfly.

Yes there have been attacks on South African farms however there is no evidence this is restricted to only white farmers.