A Story of Struggle and Resistance
As Palestinian Americans, our existence is a political statement. For me, this realization happened in first-grade when asked to point out where I am from on a map, and being told that Palestine does not exist. But, how can that be? I am here; I am Palestinian.
This problem of identity intensified when I turned on Mass Media stations, which only classified Palestinians as “Hamas” and “Terrorists”, even though they were only fighting for their right to live. However, this shows the continued struggle that Palestinians endure: a right to self-determination, their voice, and human rights, in the face of arming brutality.
The systematic oppression of Palestine is an institutionalized regime similar to that of the South African Apartheid. In both cases, one racial group exerted domination over the other to maintain that regime. The Apartheid state of South Africa began in 1948, in which the Black majority were placed under strict/ inhumane laws to limit their freedoms, movements, and rights. By 1950, marriages between white people and other races were prohibited, non-white races could not vote, and over 80% of the land was reserved for the white minority.
This struggle parallels the modern Apartheid of the Palestinian state. Israel’s oppression of Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank and Gaza has worsened over time. The continued bombing of Gaza, which is unlivable to its two million inhabitants, land seizures, military occupation, ethnic cleansing, and the illegal establishment of settlements mirrors South African Apartheid, only worse.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, once said: “Israel is not a state of all its citizens… Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish People — and them alone.” This shows that the Palestinians have no other option but to protest: it is fight or die.
For Jewish Israelis and Palestinians living in the same area, the segregation is abundantly clear. Settlers in the West Bank are governed by civil law, while Palestinians are governed by military law. Various acts committed by the military system violate the UN Apartheid Convention: preventing Palestinians from coming home, denying the right to movement, persecution to Palestinians in opposition to the occupation, and severe deprivation of human rights.
Oppression begets violence, and this descending spiral has lead to countless deaths of both innocent Israelis and Palestinians. This phenomenon is still seen in the US, with the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement. With the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor as a result of police intolerance and lack of social work education, a movement erupted calling on lawmakers for change. These tragedies show that the systems of law enforcement and criminal justice are ingrained with deep systemic issues in how we view color. 1 in every 1,000 Black men can expect to be killed by the police.
As a Palestinian-American, I recognize the rage, frustration, and sadness over the trauma of seeing your people and communities changed forever. As the inhumane annexation of Palestinian land nears, tensions in the Palestinian territories has been heightened, with the recent killings of Iyad Halak (an Autistic man walking on the street) and Ahmed Erekat.
It is easy to see that there is not a single moment in the life of Palestinian or a Black American whose life is not disrupted by institutionalized violence. In both cases, there is an entangled parallel of struggle that connects Blacks with Palestinians. The cries for justice can be attributed to the increasing militarization of police in the United States, and the training of U.S. police by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).
Race is not a conscious hate. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers set up generations ago. Racism is a disease that manifests as hate, manifests as privilege, manifests as ignorance.
The issue of violence stems from the lack of recognition of human rights in all cases. For Black Americans, this comes in the form of gender inequality, racial discrimination, a right to education, healthcare, and standard of living. For Palestinians, this relates to their inability to receive water, land, and a right to live. As a student studying Sociology and Public Health, I believe that if human rights are fulfilled, not merely to fulfill political gains, it will result in reduced violence and improve the conditions of all global people.
Through justice and equality, we can ensure that all people have the right to live unafraid. It may take some work, but Palestinians and Israelis must come to a peaceful solution in which human rights are guaranteed. I hope to see a day in which Israeli and Palestinian children can live together, peacefully, and in harmony.
