Middle East/North African Lit discussion
This topic is about
Fast Times in Palestine
Member Authors
>
Fast Times in Palestine - "Discussion with author" 1-7 Dec 2011
I tried to pull a few images to give everyone a sense of the places being discussed in the book.http://www.thememriblog.org/image/291...
http://media.nowpublic.net/images//2c...
http://topnews.in/law/files/israel_ra...
http://electronicintifada.net/sites/e...
http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/ne...
http://www.alternativenews.org/englis...
http://imeu.net/engine2/uploads/1/oli...
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/image...
Hey all, thanks for joining the discussion. And thanks, Wendy, for adding these resources. Thought I'd add some of my favorites as well.Here are some of my favorite photos from around Palestine (I took them myself):
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
Here are some excerpts from the book in case you haven't had a chance to read it yet.
Chapter 1:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
Olive Harvest from Chapter 2:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
Short excerpt about a Beer Garden in Ramallah:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
The first suicide bombing while I was there:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
A sad story about trying to visit an injured Palestinian in an Israeli hospital:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
Mostly funny stories about when my parents visited Israel and Palestine:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
Lots of great maps of the region:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
And finally, my book's website:
http://www.pamolson.org
And if you've got an hour on your hands, here's my Google tech talk, an overview of life in Palestine under occupation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSkevV...
Whew! Hope some of that is useful. I look forward to speaking with you all!
Salaam,
Pamela
Good morning everyone, I am more than happy to join this discussion. As a Palestinian, I can surly say that Pamela or in Palestinian "Bamela" :) wrote a really comprehensive and real book about both politics and day to day life in Palestine.I will start the discussion, if I may, with a wonderful quote from the book "Instead of feeling destroyed, I felt energized by a clarity of purpose I'd never felt before. This particular aspect of the global situation was no longer a blank horror. It was merely an extremely difficult series of challenges whose basic units were human beings." This quot is from Chapter "Galilee" Through these simple but deep words, Pamela managed to hit the core of our resistance. It is because of what she said we never give up. It is because of what she said we still have hope in the future. We learnt through the heavy years of occupation to live our days day by day and to deal with each situation as it occurs.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Ghada. I'll add the rest of the quote, then a comment: "Surely enough people of good will could find a way to resolve this, and maybe after I learned a great deal more I could find a way to help. Either way, if the people of Jayyous could go through this every day and still go home and joke around on the porch -- and apparently I could, too, because what else was I going to do, sit around and mope? -- I wondered what else I might be able to bear that I never imagined I could."The Palestinians truly helped me find strength in myself I never knew I had, simply by being themselves, being strong and human, even in this inhuman situation. For that alone I can never come close to repaying the Palestinians for what they've given to me. And there's so much more that they've given me... mostly more hope in human nature than I ever had before. It's truly breathtaking, and I hope my book can even begin to express what it means to so many people around the world.
Mod
I love the quote that Ghada posted too, and I wanted to echo Marieke's reaction as well. I feel like I started on this "journey" last spring without a clear understanding of the situation, and along the way I have learned a great deal through the books that I read and the experiences of others that have been shared -- I love Pamela's very honest and real account of going through all of this in a very much more first-hand manner than I have, and I can totally relate to how you experienced all of it. Even from my removed location, I feel much the same way.It is really striking to me how separate and apart the life of the average Israeli is from the life of the average Palestinian -- and yet they are so geographically close to each other. It's also very striking how the Israeli friends that you invited to visit the West Bank were surprised by what they encountered and seemed to feel empathy after their experience. Should I feel hopeful that this can begin to happen more, or is the current system that is in place too effective at keeping the two "sides" separated -- by physical and language barriers, etc. for this to change much?
Hi Wendy,It's still incredibly difficult for Israelis and Palestinians to interact on any large scale (the Israeli government even makes it illegal for Israelis to visit 'Area A' areas where most Palestinians live), but many Israelis who've had their eyes opened choose to ignore the law and join Palestinians in non-violent resistance to the occupation, and a few have even decided to live in Ramallah (a very lovely and livable city!) to report on life directly from there. We should definitely feel hopeful because of this.
Here's one of my favorite articles about Israelis and Palestinians working together:
http://fasttimesinpalestine.wordpress...
It makes me cry every time.
But at the same time, right-wing Israelis (who have most of the political power in Israel now) are becoming more and more defensive and belligerent and wouldn't dream of doing anything with Palestinians other than oppressing them and keeping them out of sight as much as possible. In some circles in Israel, it really feels like the American South in the 60's, with rabbis clamoring for segregated housing and vigilante groups terrorizing random Palestinians as a "price tag" for Israeli government policies they don't like and urging (sometimes coercing) Jewish girls not to date Arabs.
It feels sometimes like the moment before and earthquake, with two opposing sides pushing harder and harder and harder, and neither willing to budge an inch. I really don't know how it will shake out.
That is a great article Pamela! Thanks for sharing it. It's too bad there isn't more coverage of this sort of activity that show that cooperation is both possible and beneficial.
I'd also like to give a shout out to my favorite Israel/Palestine blog, the first place I go to stay up-to-date. It's called Mondoweiss, and it's edited by a former mainstream journalist who was bounced out of the establishment because he refused to allow his editors to silence him when he dug more deeply into the Palestinian side of the story. He's a smart and mellow guy and a friend of mine here in New York. Here's the URL:http://mondoweiss.net
Well worth a look.
Mod
So I have a quick question that I like to ask readers, both to see what was effective in the book and to have an argument on hand in case an editor down the line wants to remove a certain part of the book. :)The question is, which part or aspect of the book struck you most, and why?
I'm also always open to constructive criticism.
And I'm open, of course, to any questions about the contemporary situation in Israel and Palestine as well.
Hello to all, I'm very glad to see the discussion going on smoothly already. I haven't finished the book yet, but as a Palestinian used to most of the things narrated, I can predict some aspects of the picture to be highlighted and discussed in later chapters. So far, I've been delightfully surprised to see how accurate and just Pamela's description of the situation in Palestine is, and I was very glad that she didn't stick to the Palestinian perspective only, but also merged the Israeli element into the frame. The idea Wendy is suggesting is truly hard to see put into practice. The link Pamela posted here shows the possibility of "some" work together, but hardly any physical or cultural intercourse. For Palestinians it would seem like a normalization of affairs which is on all accounts unacceptable. To Israel this would be a most alarming signal. The whole thing circles around the fact that we Palestinians cannot accept an illegal existence of any entity on our very land, though our government approved of it since Oslo Accords. And vice versa, I doubt the Israeli government would welcome such a step.
Back to the book, one of the things that made the events seem credible is the variation of people, and places mentioned. I have met many people like Yasmine ,Muzna, Qais.., and I’ve been to Za’rour and Zeit ou Zaatar several times. I was truly thankful to see these places stated as being real and beautiful, not “some obscure points on the land that lies next to Israel”. I’m waiting to dip more into the book to decide what struck me most.
Ramallah is really beautiful, you have taken some excellent photos of the city, Pamela! :)
Hi Mira,I'm glad you brought up the subject of "normalization." It can be a difficult concept for Americans to grasp -- we tend to think, "If only people can talk with each other, surely a solution can be found."
If only it were that simple. What most Americans don't understand is that the conflict is not a war between equals. It's more of a colonial or apartheid situation where one side has nearly all the power, and sitting down and talking often does little besides give political cover to the powerful side while all the policies of the occupation continue unabated.
As many of you know, the settlements actually doubled during the Oslo "peace" years when everyone thought the Israelis and Palestinians were "talking things out," when in fact the occupation was only intensifying. This tension is what led to the Second Intifada (which, as I mention in my book, started out as a mass non-violent movement, until Israeli soldiers began shooting into crowds of unarmed protestors; 300 Palestinians were killed, about 20% of them children, before the first suicide bombing took place).
I'd like to talk more about this -- does anyone else have any thoughts?
One of the things I appreciated about Fast Times was the way the disproportionality was effectively highlighted. Making the point that casualties on the Palestinian side are always much higher than on the Israeli side. I think this is generally not a point that is conveyed in mainstream U.S. press. So, I guess that your point about the complete imbalance of power makes negotiations or talks inevitably less productive. So, this makes me wonder -- am I making an incorrect assumption to think that achieving normalization should be a goal for the future? Although there may be obstacles for getting to this point, am I off-base in thinking that this is an outcome that should ultimately be desired? I guess I'm just having a hard time figuring out what measures should be sought in the short term if normalization is not feasible or desirable . . . ? That being said, I can understand Mira's point that both sides are uncomfortable with this, each for their own reasons.
It's a fascinating question, Wendy. Anyone else want to offer any thoughts before I jump in? I'd love to hear some Palestinian perspectives on this, and some responses, before I add my two cents. I'm here to learn, too.
Mod
I need to think a little but might take a stab later today...but Pamela, feel free to type your response in the meantime. It might help me get my own thoughts together.
I actually logged in to say I just laughed out loud at your Baptist/Methodist joke. My one grandmother is a teetotaling Baptist and the other set of grandparents were Congregationalist and Methodist who traveled with a liquor case and always had cocktails and nightcaps. They also provided the grapejuice for communion at church. No wine, grapejuice.
Here's a new article by an American Jew about the atmosphere in Israel today that's worth a read, before we go any further:http://mondoweiss.net/2011/12/a-warsa...
They say a lot of women are attracted to "bad boys" because their subconscious is trying to work through childhood traumas. In many ways, I think Israel's psychology today can be traced to the trauma of the Holocaust. It's unfortunate that as they work through their issues, innocent Palestinians who had nothing to do with the atrocities in Europe are suffering their own seemingly never-ending trauma at the hands of Israelis. When will it finally end?
Regardless of the psychology involved, it's clear right now who is the aggressor and who is the victim, writ large. Even if a criminal had a bad childhood, he's still hurting innocent people, and law-abiding people of conscience should step in and make sure it stops.
By the way, Marieke, I'm glad you enjoyed the Baptist joke. There's another one later on in the book. Just couldn't resist. :) What's funny is that a Baptist preacher in my home town, unbeknownst to me, actually read from my book in his church to show people that Palestinians are children of God, too. I was really glad but also thinking, "Um, I hope he didn't read the Baptist jokes..." Kind of a foot-in-mouth moment!
Here's a key quote from the article linked to above:"The American government paves the roads [in the West Bank for Palestinians sometimes vis USAID] and builds clinics and puts up huge billboards, normalizing the occupation -- but it does nothing to stop the neverending theft of lands by violent settlers supported by the army."
Pamela wrote: "Regardless of the psychology involved, it's clear right now who is the aggressor and who is the victim, writ large. Even if a criminal had a bad childhood, he's still hurting innocent people, and law-abiding people of conscience should step in and make sure it stops. ..."You hit it here, Pamela. If everyone could only reason thus, esp. the "peace-loving" American government, it would be easy then to distinguish the aggressor from the victim and actually act in consequence.
It's true that there are casualties on both side, but one has to go back to the origin of the escalation of these numbers. Why would there be any casualties, in first place, unless everything was taken illegally and by force? Who is the one to be blamed? These are two very simple questions and easy to answer, which any outsider should ask first of all. That being said, resistance is pretty natural here to come from the other part. In Fast Times I appreciated that, on many occasions, you've shown what a huge difference there is in the number of casualties between the two sides, and how awfully this picture was shown to the world through international press.
Wendy wrote:” So, this makes me wonder -- am I making an incorrect assumption to think that achieving normalization should be a goal for the future? …”
Wendy, if I could add anything to the 'normalization' issue, I don’t think it could be an ultimate result to all that is happening, whether in the short or the long run. You cannot establish anything between two parties without having their consent to it first. Back ago, most of the Arab countries accepted Israel’s existence (through treaties and not very willingly I suppose) and even Arafat did. But that doesn’t mean their peoples did. It’s clear enough to everyone the extent of corruption flowing in the Arab governments and how far they are from representing their peoples rightly. The idea of normalization, though governmentally half-applied, is popularly unacceptable and even borders on treason, and as this is more of a constant belief between people that would be passed and fed through generations, I cannot see any possible intercourse in the horizon so undesired as it is (from the Palestinian part from what I’ve mentioned), and from the Israeli part, mainly, because of the stereotype they are given about Palestinians: terrorists, resentful, and maybe even blood-thirsty( the all-knowing Israeli government of course excluded).
I hope I’ve made my point clear. I’m curious to hear your thoughts and Pamela’s on the subject .
Ok guys sorry for being late on such an important discussion (as usual) but I will just draw some ideas on the issue of normalization on the level of talks between the two sides. Most Palestinians see them as fruitless and as a way of accepting the Israeli side of the story. Now with the rise of the right in Israel, most people think that if the Israelis choose such crazy hard liners it means the people are just like that, so y talk. Others argue that it should be done only after peace while others believe that it could foster peace.As for me, I never trust Israeli governments, and I know that what they call cultural interaction between the two sides even when they r conducted by NGOs, they r monitored and government by the government. What I have noticed through collecting some notes from some participants in such programs is that the first meeting is usually used as a screening process. If they find the participant has strong manners, knowledge of history and strong personality, he or she mostly will be excluded from the next meeting. The Israeli government want to use such meeting just to transfer some foreign ideas and practices to our society. I know some people will say that I am being crazy or over superstitious, but this is what I saw from previous experiences.
On the issue of the Holocaust, it is true that the Israeli government is determined on making people feel threatened all the time. If we look into the timing of declaring Israel as a Jewish state, we will see how hard it is trying. As more voices in Israel started to call for the end of the occupation, and as more people in Israel started to question the inhuman Israeli practices, they needed to remind people of the past and to make them once again feel not welcomed in the area. They knew we could not accept this concept as it kills the right of return and the rights of Palestinian Israelis. they just needed their people to hear us say no and then they will interpreted to their people as we r saying we want to kill u all.
Hope I made myself clear here
Regarding "normalization," my understanding is that since the Israeli side has virtually all the power, it's understood that they will control the terms of the "discussion." Certain things are considered "beyond the pale" or "against peace," such as the right of return of refugees. It's understood that anyone who steps out of the bounds of "acceptable" discourse is simply not welcome. Westerners don't understand this dynamic, so they listen to the "dialogue" and think it's balanced, when in fact it's skewed toward the Israeli understanding of things. And in general, acting like people just need to "talk out" their dispute makes the sides seem equal, when they are anything but.As a concrete example, imagine if black and white people had tried to have truth and reconciliation committees while the Apartheid laws were still on the books, with no hope on the horizon for those laws to change, and no contrition whatsoever from the Apartheid government for the basic injustices committed. As if both people could just tell their stories to each other, some white 'liberals' could hold hands with some black victims and cry a little, and then the black people go back to living under Apartheid and the white people go back to being lords of the land.
The whole point is, the situation is not normal. In fact, it's intolerable. So anything that seems to normalize it is also intolerable. There's nothing to talk about with people who don't call for an immediate end to the occupation.
On the other hand, I actually benefited quite a bit from dialogue with Zionists when I was just learning about this conflict, because they were often quite open about the ludicrous propaganda they had internalized and the openly racist attitudes they had. And even now, some 'liberal' Zionists are jumping ship and becoming non- or even anti-Zionists. But it's usually not through dialogue. The Israeli government is doing an excellent job of driving away its former adherents.
Finally, the question Wendy posed is, what about normalization after the occupation ends? What will that look like?Roughly six million Israelis and six million Palestinians live on the land controlled by Israel between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. Israelis are insane if they think the Palestinians are going anywhere, and any Palestinian is insane who thinks the Holy Land should be cleansed of Jews. Luckily, no Palestinian I know (including a few members of Hamas) think the Jews, as such, should be kicked out of the land. The settlers who've settled illegally in the West Bank on private Palestinian property may need to be relocated, and there have been plenty of shenanigans inside Israel in which Palestinians who were driven off their land in 1948 but not out of Israel are registered as "present absentees," and Jewish immigrants have been settled in their homes and on their land.
This kind of thing will need to be rectified, one way or another. Whether through relocating the settlers or compensating the victims of the theft and displacement. I don't know how this will all shake out, but the thing is, there's just not much to talk about until Israelis acknowledge that 1948 involved a series of crimes of epic proportions, and these crimes need to be acknowledged and dealt with. When that happens -- when both sides are finally talking about reality, not a skewed Israeli-sanctioned version of it -- there will be a hell of a lot to talk about.
But that won't happen unless and until the Israelis learn to treat Palestinians as equals, not subjects or "security threats." Black people were never going to talk the Apartheid leaders into giving up their privileges. They had to be fought -- through boycotts, sanctions, and other means -- until maintaining their ideology became untenable. That's when the truth and reconciliation committees could finally happen.
And as we all know, despite how horribly the Apartheid leaders treated the black South Africans, there was no blood bath when Apartheid fell. I predict there won't be one in Israel/Palestine, either. Palestinians are some of the most generous and forgiving people on the planet, and most of them say Israelis are welcome to live anywhere they want as long as they obey the same laws everyone else does -- as long as everyone has equal rights and protections under the law. Which includes fully acknowledging and rectifying the crimes of 1948.
That's the impression that I get.
By the way, for the record, I know at least three Jewish Israelis who live in Ramallah -- not as settlers but as equals with the Palestinians. And they are treated as equals by the Palestinians. Just a little evidence for my hypothesis and one of the many reasons why this is the impression that I get.
One clever trick of Zionist propagandists is to say, "Palestinians don't support a Jewish state [on their land], which means they don't want peace -- they want to kill us all."That's totally ridiculous. I wouldn't accept a Buddhist state built on top of my family's home without my permission. That doesn't mean I want to kill all Buddhists, or even all the Buddhists squatting on my family's land. (In fact, if they had just asked, they probably could have stayed in the guest room.) But Israelis get away with saying this nonsense all the time.
It's part of the framework of pro-occupation discourse that almost completely rules the mainstream press at present. But that's changing, little by little.
Would you like to continue talking about normalization, or would anyone like to propose a new topic?P.S. Holly, Thanks for your kind words -- it means a lot. And mabrook for your long and successful marriage. :) Where are you two living now?
Mod
i'm looking forward to the next Baptist joke. :D
I think the normalization topic is very interesting...another issue i've been concerned about, and i'm not sure how it will be presented in your book since i'm not done yet, is the settler issue...the different types of settlers, especially the religious ones, and their relationship with their own government. I feel like if there is going to be bloodshed after whatever form peace takes, it will occur among settlers if anyone. and what should/could become of the settlements? and separate roadways in the West Bank?
The settlers are definitely covered in the book, you'll see as you go along. I couldn't go into as much detail as I wanted since, well, the book is trying to summarize every aspect of the Palestine situation for Western audiences and still be a dramatic and fun read, and it was really difficult to do in the space I had, and even 350 pages is probably too long...But yeah, when I say there won't be bloodshed, I mean it won't come from the Palestinians. This is what Israelis are always saying to imply that peace is impossible -- that the Palestinians will go on a rampage after the boot is taken off their necks. Which is highly ironic, because settlers go on rampages all the time and have been doing so for decades, and the Israeli army does next to nothing to stop them.
If there ever is a sea change in Israel to move toward real and sustainable peace, though, I think the settlers won't be that hard to deal with. Right now they are so spoiled because they are given carte blanche by an Israeli government that tacitly supports even their worst excesses. If the Israeli army was ever given orders to deal with them the same way they deal with Palestinians who demonstrate, they won't last two weeks.
Look what happened during the Gaza Disengagement. Settlers threatened civil war, and in the end the only people who actually fought were a few teenagers throwing paint at soldiers and a handful of deranged Jewish terrorists who killed eight random Palestinians. Settlers, especially the most insane, will be a problem pretty much no matter what -- they're already a big problem. But I don't think they will really be able to stand up to the Israeli army if it genuinely decides to evict them.
Another wrinkle is that settlers are increasingly joining the army and moving up its ranks. They may refuse orders. If so, they should be court-martialed and removed from the force.
What should happen to the settlements in the end? Well, some of them can make housing for returning Palestinian refugees. Some of the settlers may decide to stay -- with the permission of the Palestinian landowners -- and respect a new set of laws that protects everyone equally.
The roads should be accessible to all, and the land around them should be accessible to its owners. People whose land and property were damaged by the building of the roads and settlements should be compensated, and their land ownership rights restored.
Any other thoughts or questions?
By the way, this all assumes a genuine sea change in Israeli mentality -- one that truly believes all people in the Holy Land deserve equal rights and protection under the law. It's an entirely different question if, when, and how this might take place. At present, I really have no idea. Their heads are pretty far up in their keisters right now. Their mentality of fear and loathing (and their utter ignorance of what Palestinians are really like and what their army is really doing -- hint: it's not just about "security") is the biggest block to peace, in my opinion, and I have no idea how to break through. Does anyone else have thought on this?In any case, I sincerely hope my book can be translated to Hebrew and distributed in Israel. Who knows, it might open up a few minds just a little.
By the way, you might notice that my tone in this thread is a little more blunt than my tone in the book. This was deliberate. I'm speaking now with people who seem to already have a pretty good grasp on what's going on. My book is targeted to people who have absolutely no idea. And I don't want to scare them off by beating them over the head with the full-frontal truth right away.I remember how I felt in Amman, hearing some of these stories for the first time. I felt like my world was crumbling down -- like I'd been lied to all my life. It's a hard thing to accept. In my book, I try to ease people into it a little more gently. I basically call my book the PG-13 version of the occupation. Hopefully after they read it, they can graduate to finding out about the R-rated version -- the full and horrible truth.
It was painful sometimes to "hold back" as I was writing. But I think it's the missing link -- I think it's what's most needed right now to bring people out of total ignorance, so that they become willing to learn more about the Palestinian side. They can read the news -- and alternative sources like Mondoweiss -- with their frameworks totally shifted. Then they can read Ilan Pappe, and settlement reports by B'Tselem, and really see what's going down.
In other words, I wrote my book to be a "gateway drug" into a real understanding of the Palestinian issue.
Sorry, I know I'm talking a lot... :) I really could have written a thousand-page book if I thought I could get away with it. It was soooooo hard to get it down to 350...
Mod
i wanted to ask you as a writer, do you think you'll be writing more books about this issue? or are you writing some long essays about particular aspects of this conflict? i can appreciate your dilemma in having to leave out aspects, or at least not treat them as fully as you would want in an ideal world...so are you working on other projects or have you worked on other projects that fill those gaps?
Wow -- lots of information! As usual, this group discussion gives me ALOT to think about. Thank you all for your thoughts and input on the issue of normalization. As I should have known, like most things relating to this situation, there doesn't seem to be a straightforward and simple answer. I'm kind of left feeling like it's a chicken or egg situation -- do you start talking first or do you wait till the playing field has been equalized even if waiting means an intolerable situation will most likely continue for a good long time.I'm glad you gave us some additional insight on the Settler issue as well. I'm curious to know how many fall into the religious zealot category and how many are just looking for more affordable housing and a good deal from the government? It seems like at some point (possibly soon given the demonstrations that took place in Israel this past year), the average Israeli citizen is going to start to push back against the tax burden they are asked to bear to support and subsidize the Settlers and their roads as well as the occupation force tasked with maintaining the status quo. At some point, won't they demand that these resources be used to provide better direct services to the citizenry?
Here is something that (literally) keeps me up nights -- what can I be doing to try to make a difference? How can a regular person living in Kansas City (not exactly in the heart of national government) try to help shift the typical discourse on this subject? It is such a strong taboo against expressing support for the Palestinians as it is so often viewed as being anti Semitic and/or de-legitimizing Israel. It's like we don't even have a vocabulary at our disposal to talk about these topics -- even in a PG-13 version! I've asked a few Jewish American friends who recently visited Israel what they observed, what they thought, did it make them uncomfortable seeing this sort of treatment, and I think just the topic made them uncomfortable. It doesn't mesh very well to acknowledge these things when all your life you have been brought up to believe that the State of Israel is a wonderful thing because it creates a homeland for the Jews and we should support it. It's hard to know how to try to make a dent in that mindset, in a way that would be constructive and not cause them to shy away from the discussion.
Finally, I wanted to try to answer your first question about what aspects of the book that I found most interesting/compelling. For me, I really found the stories about just everyday life, everyday people and how they are affected just trying to live their daily life. I think Ghada and I have had this discussion about how impactful the stories are, as opposed to the scholarly texts that are also available. I have tried to read those as well, and even though I can intellectually grasp how grim those stats are, it's when Ghada tells me she couldn't get through a checkpoint to pick up her infant son from childcare and she was only a few miles away from him, but had no way to get to him, that really tears at my heart and makes me relate to this situation in a very human way. So, sharing the stories seems like a really effective method -- at least for me.
I guess the other thing I was struck with is that I had assumed there would be no alcohol to speak of, but Ramallah sounds like a pretty laid back city with quite the night life. I wasn't expecting that :-) I've never been to Israel, but have always thought it would be an amazing trip to make. After reading your book, and engaging with this group, I can see myself hanging out in Ramallah more than Tel Aviv. I loved all the descriptions about the food too. You need to post some of the recipes for these dishes on your website!
Sorry, that was kind of a rambling jumble of thoughts. It seems like whenever I try to express my thoughts around this, it is really hard to do so in an organized fashion!
Quick answer about what I'm working on now: There's a Part 2 to the book about my time in Washington, and it covers the censorship that goes on there, and also the way Gaza falls apart because of Israel's sanctions and siege after the Disengagement, the Hamas election victory, and the capture of Gilad Shalit. I don't plan on seeking traditional publication for it -- I'll probably just publish it a chapter at a time online, and then put it together into an e-book -- so there won't be any holding back. After people read the first book, if they enjoy it, they can read the second one and really get an earful... I'm hoping I can finish it some time next year.
Woooooow pam i am already looking forward to ur new book. The two issues r really important and I believe they will make a difference a huge one.
More coming later... right now I'm watching the big Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma University rivalry game that determines who goes to what bowl game. Go Pokes!
Mod
YES!! I second that!
I'll address Wendy's excellent question tomorrow. Bit too worn out at the moment. But at least the OSU Cowboys are Big 12 champs and going to a bowl game. There's small chance they might even play in the championship game. :)All right, I promise I'm done talking about football...
There are plenty of things we can do to help the situation in Israel/Palestine. I'm focused on two main things -- the first is getting true information to the American public, which is so steeped in ignorance and misinformation that simply telling people what's going on is a major hurdle in its own right. Things are getting better for sure. The road is much easier now than it was when I was first getting started in 2003. But people still have a hard time wrapping their head around the fact that the press and their government routinely lie to them about this conflict, or at the very least mislead them about the most basic realities.This is something anyone can help with. Just talk to people -- talk around your dinner table, talk at your church, talk at your local schools if you can. Recommend whatever books or movies about the conflict impacted you and/or changed your perceptions. Stay informed yourself by reading an article on Mondoweiss every day (mondoweiss.net). Etc.
In my book, I also mention the beginning of the BDS -- boycott, divestment, and sanctions -- movement targeting Israel with non-violent pressure until it obeys international law. A group in Montgomery put together this list of resources regarding BDS and other ways to get involved: http://peaceactionmc.org/take-action-...
You can also find the JVP chapter in your area and join -- they do fantastic work and can always use an extra set of hands, even one that can only work remotely.
That's what I can think of off the top of my head -- does anyone else have ideas or suggestions?
Mod
Holly said "Well, Israel is about 50 years ahead of the Palestinians in matters of influence and propaganda. It will take a long time to catch up."I totally agree with what u said. Interestingly this topic came up while I was reading Edward Sai's book the end of the peace process and exactly on chapter 9 "Modernity, Information and Governance" and in this chapter he talks about the media and its presentation of the peace process and Israeli actions.
On the issue of giving money and supporting the pro-Palestinian lobby, I am so sad to say that the issue is much more complicated. yes we do share the last target of having our own state and freedom, but unfortunately we r extremely divided on how. Most people think if they support a group it means that they support all what they do and say. divisions over political agendas and factions tend to destroy all attempts to make something successful. I am not generalizing of course we have great examples of unity, but on the case of supporting the pro-Palestinian lobby, this is the case.
Yeah, unfortunately it's not as simple as throwing money at the problem... The Israel lobby is a well-oiled machine with many levers of influence, cultural, economic, and political, that Palestinians won't be able to match any time soon, even if they did have the kind of money the Israel lobby is able to garner. Unity is a problem, and so is organization.That's why I decided to tackle this conflict from Palestine's place of strength: It's beauty, friendliness, and the simple fact that the truth, the law, and the arc of moral history are all on their side. But how do you deliver this knowledge to an American public already steeped in "pro-Israel" propaganda? (I put "pro-Israel" in quotes because it's not really helpful to the people of Israel, only to the occupation and certain political and military-industrial leaders.)
That's why I wrote my book, and why I wrote it the way I wrote it. I hope it will be effective, and I hope it can reach enough people.
And I'm so glad I'm not alone. So many great activist groups in the US and Palestine -- from JVP and Mondoweiss to the Freedom Riders, from CodePink and Adalah NY to the leaders of every village that protests against the Wall -- we're chipping away at the facade around the occupation day by day, and our victories can be measured in articles like these:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opi...
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mea...
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default....
http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/gilad...
Thanks for the great resources Pamela. I will check them out! Also, I wondered if we could talk a little bit about the PA and its role in all of this. You shared quite a bit about Fatah and Abbas, etc. in the context of the election campaign you were involved with. I am wondering -- is Abbas and Fatah viewed as effective leaders by the Palestinian people or are they considered corrupt, or in cahoots with the Israeli government. It certainly sounded like there is a lot of cronyism which can't help engender trust in the community at large. One thing you said about Hamas really struck me -- that it's possible to vote for Hamas and not be at all in favor of some of their policies in the same way that it's possible to vote Republican and not be in favor of the war in Iraq (that is a loose paraphrase of your actual quote -- sorry). Do you see Hamas moving forward more effectively to be recognized as a political party in the more traditional sense in the eyes of the international community? Is Hamas cohesive, or is it very divided within itself? Is there another third alternative that any of you see as viable and up-and-coming?
Lots of questions -- feel free to pick and choose whichever one(s) you care to tackle :-)
I'd like some Palestinians to tackle the questions about Hamas (and any viable third options coming up) before I add my two cents. Right now I only know what I read -- Palestinians will probably have better insights.
Mod
And as moderator I will say that we encourage everybody to participate. All points of view are welcome. :D
Pamela wrote: "Yeah, unfortunately it's not as simple as throwing money at the problem... The Israel lobby is a well-oiled machine with many levers of influence, cultural, economic, and political, that Palestinia..."Pamela, I just want to say thank you for writing the book the way you did. I haven't finished but I am like what I am reading so far. I am that type of person you describe as your target audience.
I, not to long ago, got the idea that I had been bamboozled by the government and mainstream media. I happened to catch a documentary actually produced by a Jewish man( I cannot recall his name) whose mother worked with the Palestinians. It done from Palestinian point of view. I caught a glimpse into their everyday life and it sadden me because I never knew what was going on. I look forward to finishing the book and passing it along so that others, like me, may be enlightened.
Mod
On a lighter note, I am excited to ask my friend (who is Palestinian-American and has lived in Ramallah for the past several years if that beer garden is still there and if she goes or went there.
@Marieke, absolutely, all points of view are welcome -- I thought Palestinians might have a more first-hand view than I have, but anyone is welcome to add his or her thoughts any time, of course! :)P.S. Here are two articles I wrote when I was in Palestine for a brief visit in September:
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/09/the-vie...
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/09/reasons...
@Angela, thanks so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you had that "ah-ha" moment of realizing something's a little off with the 'official' version of the Israel-Palestine story, and I'm delighted if my book helps you further along that path.@Marieke, thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the book even though I'm sure you could teach me a few things! I was hoping it could cut across audiences -- from total beginners to Palestinians themselves. So it means a lot to hear feedback like this :)
http://www.youtube.com/user/neverbefo...
I'm looking forward to some great discussion with Pamela Olson who has kindly agreed to join us in our discussion of her book. The discussion officially starts on Thursday (12/1), but I think it's fine if anyone wants to go ahead and post something before that date. Please feel free to join into the conversation if you have an interest in this topic even if you have not yet had a chance to finish the book. It would be wonderful if we could have a variety of perspectives and points of view shared. Ghada and I will be acting as your discussion leaders, so we'll try to nudge the discussion forward as needed :-)