I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD last night & this afternoon about the political liberation movement in Occupied Palestine. He was most informative, helpful, & gracious; he even offered me a place to rest my head should I wish to see the situation for myself in the West Bank (I do). He is a professor at Bethlehem University, a molecular biologist by trade, & a former Yale professor.
The approach he advocates to this crisis is one of compromise, of meeting in the middle to work out a single-state solution . Unfortunately at the middle of the situation on the ground is an apartheid wall.
Of the 11 million Palestinians in the occupied territories, 7 or 8 million are refugees or displaced persons. The motto of many fighting the racism & inequality of the ultra-conservative Israeli occupation: “To exist is to resist”. Land ownership among Palestinians has reduced from 97% to 8.3% in the past fifty years, robbing many families of their agricultural lifestyle. Of their ancestral homes, worship sites, & burial grounds.
Sound familiar, Americans?
The 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza live under even more spartan conditions. There is a blockade imposed by sea & land that restricts the flow of goods & persons to or from the desert strip. Unemployment is at 50%.
Let’s put that into perspective - during the Great Depression in the United States, unemployment never exceeded 23.6%. Keep in mind that many of the sanctions against Gaza are reflected by current US policy towards Iran, who we are likely to engage in a military conflict if relations continue to deteriorate.
My line of questioning for Mazin was restricted to the extent that United States politics affect the situation on the ground in Israel. The Israel Defense Force uses exclusively US-manufactured & supplied vehicles/armament/aircraft. While he agrees that special interest groups & the corruption of American politics have a negative effect on Palestine’s international status, he does not believe that change must be generated from this side of the Atlantic. He affirmed that progress would be made, indeed is being made, with or without the support of the United States.
I was also curious if a set of hearings like South Africa’s Truth & Reconciliation commissions were appropriate to vent the frustrations of all peoples involved. A sort of national dialogue that would not be framed by the media of either side. He replied that in order for healing to begin on a national level there needed to be a single nation including Israel & Palestine. Acknowledging the reality of their situation & confronting a shared future is his request of the interested parties.
I hope to finance a trip that way this year or next. I’ll be in contact with Mazin until then, so if you should like to coordinate efforts or speak to him yourself please let me know & I’ll send you his contact details.
His most recent book is an incredible read, seventeen chapters spanning the stories of seventeen families. Check it out on Amazon.
