Framing our Narrative

I was always confused by the word “catastrophe.” It rendered the perpetrator anonymous, and it exempted the Palestinians from bearing any weight of their oppression. Like many Palestinians of my generation, we grew up everywhere besides Palestine: physically, spiritually, and emotionally disconnected from where we know we belonged.

I did not grasp the true meaning of the word until I went back to Palestine in 2016. In the alleys and passageways, on the cobblestone path soaked in ashes of burning villages, I discovered Catastrophe. Hundreds of people found themselves setting up temporary housing, but temporary became permanent, and people found themselves setting up a nation built on memories and hope. They are waiting in suspended time, refusing to accept that the world will not recognize their tragedy.

It has been 72 years since the Nakba — Catastrophe for the Palestinians. But what does that mean for their right of return and their fundamental human rights? This Sunday, November 29th, will be the 72 International Day of Solidarity for Palestinians, but we must discuss what this means in Palestinians’ right to control our narrative.

As Palestinian Americans, our existence is a political statement. 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.

Palestine’s systematic oppression is an institutionalized regime, so it does not help that Palestinians are seldom allowed to share anything other than their “human story.” It seems that the parameters of Palestinian voices are confined to footage of the dead accompanying crying voices. However, when it comes to telling our opinions of peace plans, sharing our narrative on the political conflict, or even asking for as much air time as pro-Israel voices, we are often met with silence or complete rejection.

Disparities between Palestinian voices and others in media are abundantly clear. On CNN, media coverage by Israeli officials outnumbers Palestinian voices more than five-to-one. Beyond silencing Palestinian activists and leaders, there is the challenge of shifting misleading discourse that surrounds the language in which Palestine is reported.

In western media, the Israeli narrative is widely adopted, framing the lasting “conflict” as military actions between Hamas and Israel, making the entire Palestinian civilian population invisible — even though they are experiencing human rights violations. By shaping Hamas’ narrative, Palestinians are removed from any discussions about how this “conflict” has impacted their lives, their families, and their communities.

Therein lies a large issue — it has never been a “conflict” but a mass Ethnic Genocide, Apartheid, and Military Occupation against the Palestinians. Since 1947, over 500 villages have been demolished, millions made refugees, thousands murdered, and even more, children placed in illegal military prisons for no other reason than being Palestinian. This is not hard to see; simply type “Palestine Map” on Google, and you will see how Palestine is slowly being wiped from existence. But we are not going anywhere. It was not always clear that Palestinians would remember ourselves, but we must be given the platform to discuss our oppression.

A large part of this platform involves having the chance to challenge our oppressors without facing criticism or gaslighting of being labeled Antisemitic. While antisemitism is a present and growing threat, heightened by the Trump Administration, Palestinian criticism of Israel is not Antisemitic. It is our right in the movement for freedom, dignity, and liberation.

I often imagine what if Palestine was never Occupied? 97% of people would not have contaminated drinking water, ten of thousands of children would never have been incarcerated, schools and homes would never have been demolished, and the Palestinian people would know freedom. This is why Palestinians need to be central in the discussion of our liberation — we need to create a society where it is not okay for human rights to be so blatantly dismissed while the perpetrators of mass violence are celebrated. It is not okay for a singular nation to receive billions in military funding when that funding is used for the sole purpose of Catastrophe.

I will not forget my first home or the people I came from. Within me is their tenacity in times of immense destruction and sorrow, to thrive in a world where they can be free. But I will not forget my duty to stand up for what is right. I will continue working for a future where all Palestinian, Israeli, and other children will be able to close their eyes and see freedom in every direction. That they will open their eyes and see the future they have built together.