I remembered how one time a Jewish woman in my writers’ group had written a piece glorifying the Israelis. I contacted her the following week and asked her if we could meet for coffee to discuss her piece. She knew I was Palestinian but had no idea how her piece had affected me. When we sat down to talk, I shared my story and my hurt, but she blasted me with all the misdeeds the Arabs had committed against the Israelis. It was a one-sided conversation, a one-sided victimhood. My reality and the reality of my people were never acknowledged. I had made her uncomfortable with my story and I paid
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