Reflections

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Thursday August 11, 2005 18:24 by Nour Odeh - Independent nouraoh at yahoo dot com

An Open Letter from Palestinian Minds to Evacuating Israeli Settlers

Palestinians have longed for the day when they could reclaim their occupied land and see Israeli settlers and occupation forces leaving it. Now that day has arrived, at least in Gaza and Jenin. This letter is a candid reflection of the thoughts and emotions going through Palestinians' hearts and minds as they see these representatives of oppression and occupation leaving their land.

So the day has finally arrived when you pack your belongings and leave our land, fulfilling what we always believed is the inevitable; Palestinian land returning to its rightful owners… We have to tell you that you will not be missed and that your departure and that of your occupation army is a weight lifted off our shoulders and a requirement for peace in the region, if it is what you seek…

We don’t know you; at least we only know your settler persona. We pray, for your sake and that of your country, that as you shed your settler status at the gates of your dismantled settlements in Gaza and Jenin, you shed that persona as well and with it, the illusions and delusions that made occupying others’ property and living on their misery and deprivation an acceptable state of being…

You may not realize it but this should be a cleansing process for you and Israel because the mentality you carry is one that could only lead to more bloodshed and woes for both sides… With your departure, our lives will now stand a chance of being normal, laden with the pleasures and joys that are everyday occurrences for the rest of the world. As you leave, know that peace shall replace your presence and that serenity shall now return to our hearts and replace fear. The children in Al-Mawasi, who have been isolated from the rest of Gaza for years and subject to your repeated orgies of pillage and destruction will finally know how it feels to play in their backyards without fearing your attacks. The farmers in Jenin will now rejoice as they tend their land without fearing death or mutilation…

You see, for too long, your army of occupation has forcibly confiscated the land we have owned and lived from for centuries for the purpose of creating these artificial settlements in our midst. The aim was to strengthen the foothold of occupation in a foolish and futile attempt to make it irreversible… But we knew all along that this brutal occupation and all its high fortresses will crumble just as all other occupations did before them…

The optimists amongst us believe that some of you are victims of the occupation regime like us. Some of you have been lead to believe that living in these illegal settlements is not only moral but a national duty. You were given economic incentives by successive governments that thrived on enshrining the occupation of Palestine and oppressing its People.

But you should have known better; at least we were always confused by your seeming insensibility to our suffering and loss because of your imposed presence. Did you not see our miserable state of poverty and need after being stripped of our land? Did you not hear our cries and pleas as we saw our homes demolished and trees uprooted to make way for you? Did you not know that we went thirsty while you swam in your swimming pools, watered your lawns and washed your cars with water that was once ours? Were you blind as you drove through our land in your exclusive roads to the state of utter misery and density that we were forced to live in after your took our land to build and enjoy spacious homes? How could you not have noticed? Or was it a conscious choice every day as you drove past our towns and refugee camps not to see or hear our misery so as to not upset your costly comfort?

The zealots amongst you leave with a heavy heart, overburdened with hate and violence… We know they will save no opportunity to retaliate at us but we are certain that the danger they pose far outstretches us and extends to your streets… It is difficult to say how we feel about them… We will not forget how they treated us. We shall not forget the children they beat – some to death and others to permanent disability. We will not forget the countless victims they attacked and terrorized nor will we forget the property they ransacked and burned… Forgiveness might come with time but it must be preceded by a lot of healing and it necessarily requires your salvation from this mentality of abuse and aggression. Perhaps we will reach forgiveness one day but for now, parting with these zealots is as sweet as the honey promised in heaven… It is sweet, luscious, and so very gratifying… In fact, some of us who have made peace with the fact that these zealots are now Israel’s problem have nothing but pity for them and those who must endure their extreme views and attitudes. They are an obstacle to peace and a hindrance to progress for they optimize the raw ugliness of the occupation, which is built on the premise that Israeli prosperity must be built on the ruins of Palestinian lives, rights, property, and land…

We shall not waste our energy on hate or bitterness. Instead, on the day of your departure, we shall expend it on rejoicing, gloating, and celebrating. Every square inch of land you leave is sacred grounds for us and it shall be honored and welcomed back. We will dance and sing; we will laugh and cry sweet tears of joy for once. We will mark that day as the beginning of our journey to the dawn of freedom… Your departure marks the beginning of our emancipation from occupation and repression and it will be sweet and comforting… But that is not all. We shall waste no time in putting our land back to use for our benefit so that we may once again enjoy its offerings and celebrate its abundance and beauty… Now, we will build with our blood and sweat a brighter future for our children for we will no longer have to slave labor for your benefit on our land…

And amidst all this happiness and reflection, we will not lose sight of the fact that your exit is not meant to be a signal for our coming freedom; farcical as that may be. You see, Ariel Sharon, who pioneered the idea of settlements and drove many of you into this wretched status, intends for this departure to be a salvation for his occupation regime of the remaining Palestinian Territory. But victory and freedom are ours and shame is his…

Be sure that just as you left Gaza and Jenin, you will leave the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory because your settlements are unsustainable if peace is to rein over this battered Holy Land. Peace is made by acknowledging the truth and embracing the way to make peace. The support that the general Israeli public has shown to this departure is hopefully an indication that they have reached the right conclusion: settlements contradict peace and to build peace, you must dismantle settlements. We pray that the day will come, sooner rather than later, when the Israeli public forecloses this status of thievery and aggression that has ruined our lives and shattered our dreams for three decades now. We pray they opt for peaceful coexistence instead...