< Reflection Four: "Now that I've seen, I am responsible"
July-August 2015 Delegation to Palestine/Israel
Updates from the delegation:
- Read reflections and updates:
- First Impressions
- I Want My Right. . .
- Past & Present Colliding
-Now That I've Seen. . .
-The Stories We Bring Home
- Get updates by email
Overview: In this report, John Dworkin begins by weaving together many experiences from the delegation, riffing on a theme of 'normalcy.' Nina Stein describes meeting two Israeli women with different perspectives. Rebecca Katherine Hirsch relays experiences from the last days of the trip, concluding "now that I have seen, I am responsible."
Additionally, featured below is a photo essay from Bili'in village and 3 video clips taken by IFPB delegates in Hebron, Lifta, and Jerusalem.
Relative Normal | John Dworkin
Two Women, Two Perspectives| Nina Stein
After our visit to the village of Lifta, containing the abandoned homes, in various stages of decay, of Palestinians who were driven out in 1948, and which is now an Israeli park, we had successive meetings with two Israeli women from different kibbutzim in the area of Sderot near the Gaza border.
The first was with Liora Lyon of Kfar Aza. This kibbutz, built in 1956, is one of a string that were built “in order to create a border.” By doing this, in my opinion, they were putting themselves in a vulnerable position, so that it is not surprising that they have been subjected to repeated rocket assaults from Gaza. The many bomb shelters we saw were a visible manifestation of this vulnerability.
Liora does conflict resolution work between secular and religious Jews and has also worked with Palestinians. Unlike the majority of Israelis, she appeared to be sensitive to the plight of the Palestinians, and viewed them as neighbors and human beings who deserve to have their rights. However, like the majority of Israelis, she has underlying fears associated with the Holocaust, and believes there should be a Jewish state. To many of us, she appeared to be conflicted on these issues. However, she spoke honestly and sincerely, and I respected her even though I do not agree with everything she said.
The second meeting was with Nomika Zion of “Other Voice.” She gave a very moving talk about how the repeated cycles of war under which these people are living has traumatized the entire nation, so that now they are numb to the violence being perpetrated around them. She wants to reach out and share stories of fear and pain with those on the other side, and refuses to accept the dehumanizing situation under which they are living.
“Israelis have lost their ability to see Palestinians as human beings; they are invisible. You only hear about them when there is violence.” “We lost our ability to feel empathy for others.” When this happens “you lose part of your humanity.” “This is a sick society.”
Unlike Liora at the previous meeting, in which memories of the Holocaust created an underlying fear and a perceived need for a Jewish state, Nomika feels that the lesson of the Holocaust is to “never, never victimize others.”
IFPB has been visiting the village of Bili'in since 2005; it's always one of the highlights of the delegation. This trip was no different. Delegates met families from both Bili'n and Nabi Saleh who are resisting the occupation of their lands. Here are some photos from the visits.
Delegates walking back with Iyad Burnat after seeing an
Israeli settlement (background) close to Bili'n village.
Amber and Stephanie with Mayar in Bili'n. Check out Amber and Stephanie's
writing from the delegation here: http://vegansagainsttheoccupation.com/
The entire delegation with members of the Tamimi family from Nabi Saleh
and members of the Burnat family from Bili'n.
The Last Few Days| Rebecca Katherine Hirsch
Many days have passed, the trip has ended and now all we have are the memories! It ended all too soon!
After a whirlwind stretch of traveling through several West Bank towns, cities and refugee camps around Nablus, Jenin and Bil'in and staying with incredibly kind and welcoming families, we traveled to Ramallah and Hebron and back to our home base in East Jerusalem whence we ventured south to the Gaza border and the Israeli border town of Sderot.
So much. On the side of official narratives, we were treated to a cathartic description of the Jenin Freedom Theatre, the mission of which is to make art about oppression that (psychologically, if not politically) un-oppresses Palestinians, despite their being physically trapped by oppression. Extremely sophisticated and psycho-socially dumbfounding: the power of art to honor emotions and resilience that the occupation is explicitly meant to suppress. There were tears. The young people at New Askar Refugee Camp dabke-danced with us, feted us, gave us shelter, told us all the harrowing tales I've come to expect but still freak me out: all the commonplace violence by Israeli soldiers, especially during the second intifada but continuing with military incursions and nighttime child arrests to this day. The protests of Bil'in are legendary for their weird-creative energy in the face of blunt and stupid violence: The live ammunition and point-blank teargas used by the military on local and international protesters.
Unofficially, Ramallah felt like a sleek futuristic video game; a rural apocalyptic luxury condo town. A good place for night-walking. Omar Barghouti is an incredible speaker, despite my incredible fatigue (and not because of it!) I was riveted. Adameer and Al Haq: we were treated to such discussions on (il)legality and crimes of humanity. Hebron was another ho-hum nightmare of arrogant segregation and foolish soldiers browbeating our own guide, a young Palestinian fellow who used the situation as an object-lesson on the absurd/expected tenseness of living under occupation. We talked about the H1 and H2 sections of the city; Youth Against Settlements; heard a good tale from a market-seller.
The two Israeli women on kibbutzim with whom we met in Sderot were very moving in their separate but similarly troubling takes on the violent conservatism of their society. I was incredibly touched by both of their stories of either connection to Jewishness and/or connection to all people who are suffering.
We visited Lifta, a depopulated Palestinian village. We heard a deconstructionist talk on the erasure and belittlement of Palestine and Palestinians in Israeli education. Holy moley. We did so much. And those were just the last few days.
"Now that I've seen, I am responsible." I think we all feel obligation and gratitude to everyone for confiding in us and sharing their stories. For me, I'll be thinking about narratives of mainstream Zionism and the dynamics of oppressors that transcend eras or peoples, from the DEATH TO ARABS graffiti on the Lifta houses and Stars of David spray-painted on Palestinian houses in Hebron, like so many Stars of David painted on Jewish houses in Nazi Germany. There was also a swastika vandalizing a Lifta house. Unsurprising oppressor parallels I hope we can all counter by seeing them; breaking myths of superiority by exposing them, exercising accountability as Americans and (for some of us, like me) as Jews. I've been thinking a lot about fear as a guiding force in Israeli society. I hope we can honor and confront our fear, like Nomika Zion in Sderot, as a bridge to empathize with others rather than a catalyst for violence.
Delegates have also been adding short video clips to IFPB's YouTube account during the delegation. Below are three examples.
To see the entire 12-clip playlist, click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOPgxvZssjDy0ZoPgW_gaVwv1dqYKBR4y
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