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Conflict in the Middle East

Other people's shoes.

177 replies

sparklyrabbits · 30/03/2024 13:29

The Question of Palestine.

I am no expert in the conflict but I found this brief video from the United Nations an interesting, brief overview of what happened in 1948.

Putting aside the needs of the Jewish people after WW2, I couldn't help but put myself in the shoes of the Palestinian people. In the main, they have never received compensation for losing their homes or even an acknowledgement or apology from the international community in regards to what they lost.

I spent some time living in Egypt in the naughties and met an elderly Palestinian man who still wore the key to his home in Palestine on a chain around his neck. He is probably long gone now and I doubt he was ever able to return. I didn't know huge amounts about the conflict at the time.

I recently read the book ' Searching For Fatima' by Ghada Karmi who was a Palestinian living in Jerusalem in 1948 and the years leading up to being forced to leave her home. Her family were quite Middle Class and had a very nice life in a villa, good education etc. They lost it all and a Jewish family moved into their home. They thought leaving was temporary until things were safe again.
Putting aside anything that has happen since but moving back in a time machine to 1948, if I was in their shoes, I don't think I would ever get over this. I can't imagine becoming a refugee knowing that someone else was living in my home, sitting in my garden etc. I wouldn't care what religion they were -the hatred and anger would be real.

I have always been interested in the Holocaust and have been to several cities that had prewar Jewish communities. I have always had huge amounts of sympathy and cannot imagine how you rebuild your life after what they suffered. I have now started reading 'Friendly Fire' by Ami Ayalon who is an Israeli and ex head of the Israeli Shin Bet. I've not finished it yet but an excellent read.

His father moved to Palestine in the 1930's from Romania and lived in a Kibbutz. His father was treated like an outsider in Romania as a Jewish person and never felt like he belonged. It was interesting to hear his story and attempt to put myself in his shoes and why he felt his future was in Palestine. He speaks about the education he received at school about Israel and comments that it would skip from the history as per the Torah and then jump a couple of thousand years to heroes circa 1948.

He also writes about the dehumanisation of the Palestinians, the behaviour of the settlers and the changes that need to happen if Israel is to have a future. More importantly, he talks about the need for empathy for the Palestinians. I've not completed the book yet but would be interested if anyone else has read this book but don't want this post to go down the path of talking about current events in regards to Hamas and the IDF and atrocities.

Brief Animated History of the Question of Palestine

To read more about the history of the Question of Palestine, please visit https://www.un.org/unispal/history/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.un.org%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjMsMjg2NjMsMjg2NjQsMTY0NTAz&feature=emb_share&v=yBjMbe24Vu0

OP posts:
LemonyTicket · 03/04/2024 15:52

TextureSeeker · 03/04/2024 15:49

Ah sorry, your essays are everywhere on this board today. You were just the settler poster.

You misquoted me on that too if you read again. But thanks anyway for the apology for the false accusation along with the dismissal of everything I said to you. Grand :) I guess some people form an opinion and work backwards!

TextureSeeker · 03/04/2024 16:03

LemonyTicket · 03/04/2024 15:52

You misquoted me on that too if you read again. But thanks anyway for the apology for the false accusation along with the dismissal of everything I said to you. Grand :) I guess some people form an opinion and work backwards!

I did read again. And you are welcome :)

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