Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Lessons of the Nakba.... an authentic voice

"Israelis and Palestinians alike are two peoples who have experienced traumatic histories. We must never forget them. But we must not be held hostage by history either. We must care more about the future of our grandchildren than the past of our grandparents, or even ourselves.

We must work together to build a future in which both peoples can enjoy the rights, responsibilities and dignity of citizenship and self-determination. There is only one way to actually accomplish this: ending the occupation and creating a Palestinian state to live alongside Israel. Palestinians must recognize and accept Israel, which is a legitimate member state of the United Nations. The Palestinians must have one place on earth, the territories occupied in 1967, where they can live freely as first class citizens in their own independent state. There is no other way to end the cycle of bloodshed, pain and hatred has that lasted for so long."

70-year-old Palestinian refugee Christian, holds her birth certificate which was issued by the Palestinian Government in 1939. (Getty Images)

The Lessons of the Nakba

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/11/the-lessons-of-the-nakba.html 
[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

1 comment:

  1. I think it is an exceptionally good essay- except for one small argument with rather huge ramifications that Ziad makes regarding the two state solution to end the conflict: "But Israel cannot incorporate the Palestinian territory and population conquered in 1967 without losing both its Jewish and its democratic character."

    My Jewish friends have character, states do not- states have policies and the ability to use tax payers money for the greater good, or for institutionalized bigotry.

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