Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile Quotes

“He does it again later in the article when he speaks of the media's mischaracterization of Israel's settlement policy. Before deriding the media for portraying settlements as a cause of the conflict rather than a symptom (a distinction without a difference in this case), he says he believes the policy is "a serious moral and strategic error on Israel's part." Sounds like a concession, right? Settlements are, in fact, illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a party. Saying they are an immoral blunder is "truthfully deceptive." When you hear Friedman call settlements "a serious moral and strategic error," you don't think, "Oh, he must mean they constitute a violation of international law.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“People were killed, most of them Palestinians, including unarmed innocents.

People are supposed to read this and say, "Wow, a supporter of Israel is saying that?! He must be honest!

According to the United Nations, 96.5% of the deaths in this summer's Gaza War (including Israeli soldiers) were those of Palestinians (2,104 out of 2,179). "Most" means "majority." "Majority" means "more than half the total." 96.5% is not "most." 96.5% is "almost all." Sure, in this statement, "most" might be technically accurate, but it's not precise, sincere, or complete. When you hear "most," you don't think, "Oh, he must mean 96.5%."

Also, 70% of the Palestinian deaths were those of unarmed innocents, including 495 children. "Many" means "numerous." "Many doesn't necessarily suggest any sort of relative proportion to the total. 70% is not "many." Actually, 70% is "most." Sure, "many" might be technically accurate, but, again, it's not precise, sincere, or complete. When you hear "many," you don't think, "Oh, he must mean 70%."

Friedman does not use any statistics in his assessment. And why would he? It would have sounded quite different if he had written, "People were killed, almost all of them Palestinians, most of them unarmed innocents." But Friendman, who is attempting to make a point about journalistic integrity, is not interested in being specific here. He is practicing "truthful deception.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Above all, the most obvious and discernible resemblance between Palestine and Ferguson is the one that is the most chilling of all. On the night after Brown's death, black protesters filled the streets of Ferguson. A local officer was caught on tape, bellowing at the citizens flowing onto the streets, "Bring it...all you f---ing animals, bring it." Similarly, Israeli soldiers have been known to pass time by placing Palestinian children in their crosshairs and boast about how many more they have killed. In Ferguson, there is at least one too many officers who sees black protestors as animals, and in Israel, there are least two too many soldiers who see Palestinians in the same way.

As one Palestinian put it on Twitter, "The Palestinian people know what it means to be shot while unarmed because of your ethnicity."

It's bad enough when someone sees you as a creature unworthy of the most basic of human protections. It's infinitely worse when that someone is also pointing a gun at you. There is nothing scarier than that. If you're wondering what that might feel like, ask a black American...or a Palestinian. Either way, you'll get the same answer.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“But the weird thing about apartheid is that in order to practice it you must announce that you are practicing it. David Ben-Gurion once said that unless Israel was successful in ridding itself of the Arabs, ti would become an apartheid state. What he meant was that a government based on ethnic or racial superiority in a land with more than one ethnicity or race can only masquerade as a democracy for so long. Eventually, you need to either get rid of the other races or actually make laws to preserve your own superiority.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“In the Israeli constitution...oh yeah, Israel has no constitution. And there is a simple reason for that. Israel does not want to codify into a sacred document what she truly believes: the only people who should receive the full protection of the government and its laws are Jews and Jews only. Creating a constitution would either force Israel to join the civilized world and declare all of her citizens as equals or oblige her to actually engrave her discriminatory beliefs onto tablets of stone for all humanity to see. but why make that choice when you don't have to?”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.

Nope. This one is especially delusional. Let's first assume, for the sake of argument, that Israel is a "democracy." If she were, would she be the "only" one? "Only" is defined as "being teh single one," or "single in distinction." Of course, we now have democracies in Iraq, Tunisia, and Egypt. Egyptians are so democratic that they demonstrated against Mubarak, and then ousted Mubarak, and then elected Morsi, and then demonstrated against Morsi, and then ousted Morsi. That is democracy in full force.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Israel has already made painful concessions by withdrawing from Gaza and Lebanon.

No. Withdrawing from land you gained and occupied illegally through force is not a "concession." "Concession" comes from the verb "concede." To "concede" means to "admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it." So, for instance, one might accurately say, "Israel recently made a painful concession by stating that hummus is, in fact, part of native Palestinian cuisine and has absolutely nothing to do with Israeli culture." I can dream, can't I?

Dismantling unjust and unlawful conditions that you created in the first place is not a "concession." If you think it is, you might be living in an alternate universe. You may also still be wondering why Santa Claus never responded to any of your letters.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“We see reports of our devastated, impoverished brethren being bombarded by a modern, superior military. We watch in horror as young and old alike die for simply being present. We see Israeli politicians hold demonstrations chanting "There are no innocents in Gaza!"

I don't know if I can explain how it feels to know that the person holding the gun to your head sees you as a worthless animal.

I don't know if I can explain how it feels to see Israel drop a bomb and massacre an entire family, all while saying it was targeting a terrorist that no one in the neighborhood has ever heard of...or that any one of us would have traded places with the four children who were there.

This is who we are. I've tried to explain it. It might sound tragic, but don't feel bad for us. We have a connection to each other you might not ever understand. We smile and laugh more than you think. And somehow, we still fall asleep with a heart full of warmth, justice, and hope.

When we wake up, that hole in our heart is back again. But just like you, we live another day.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“What Obama and Netanyahu need to understand and acknowledge is that the Palestinians actually exist. We're not going anywhere. Only when Israel recognizes that essential fact can there be real discussions on how to move forward. We are not a "demographic threat." We are a "demographic reality." We are rightful inhabitants. We deserve security. We have good values. We have a culture, a history, and a narrative.

We exist. Recognize that.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Israel says it dropped leaflets to warn residents in high-risk areas to flee before an airstrike occurred. If you've never been to Gaza, you can easily find out what it's like. Go to a Wal-Mart on a Sunday afternoon when it's really packed. Then imagine they lock all the doors. Then imagine they only turn on the water and electricity for a few hours a day. A few of the members of this new Wal-Mart community might go crazy. You might not agree with the crazies, but you know why they're crazy. Then the same people who locked the doors tell you all to stop being so crazy. You organize demonstrations, chanting, "Unlock the doors!" They respond by attacking you all, to root out all the "crazies." And they're still not unlocking the doors. But lucky for you, they drop leaflets. "Attention Wal-Mart shoppers...We will be bombing the sporting goods department in 15 minutes. We hope no flying bikes hit you in the head."

I never understood this leaflet-dropping nonsense. If you say you're targeting terrorists, and then drop leaflets to warn the non-terrorists, won't the terrorists see the leaflets too? Are the terrorists illiterate? Or maybe the leaflet asks the non-terrorists to tell the terrorists. Of course, none of Israel's actions are about getting the terrorists. In this military campaign, as with her other campaigns, her objective was to punish those whom she has imprisoned, precisely for speaking out against their imprisonment. She knows exactly what she can get away with.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Palestinians are ready for peace. Let me tell you how I know this to be certain. Some time ago, even before the laughable 1993 Oslo Accords, Palestinians far and wide fully came to accept that whatever solution is ultimately reached would include our living, breathing, and working alongside Jewish leaders and politicians are still, in 2011, having discussions about how to get rid of the Palestinians.

Well, Israel, let me tell you something that many of your neighboring countries already know. We're bad houseguests. We don't leave when you ask us to. Except...oh, yeah....we're not guests in Israel. You are. But you know what, you can stay as long as you like...forever even. We Palestinians should adopt a new strategy, being the first society in the last 500 years to tell Jews that they are completely welcome. Of course, the last society to do that was also Arab and Muslim. Jews lived freely in Muslim and Arab empires, economically, religiously, intellectually, and politically. So with open arms, we accept you. I know, Hamas is being a little bitchy, but let me talk to them. They'll come around.

But Israel you have to accept us too. We're not going anywhere. Unlike Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, we actually exist.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“In this sense, it is not much different from early American settlement activity, which came to see itself existing only in opposition to the native population, first undertaking policies to wipe them all out, then creating a society in which they were essentially non-persons, or even worse, a "nuisance." In fact, on the 2010 Census form, the term "Native American" is not even used. It instead uses "American Indian," a term that is inaccurate, and most importantly, does not connote that these people in fact had a preexisting tie to the land we all live on today. This kind of talk might disturb and confuse most Americans, and, frankly, ruin the myths we have been taught. In fact, I would love to go to the next major Republican gathering and ask all the Native Americans to identify themselves. I think Sarah Palin might raise her hand.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“Israel has always had this nagging problem: us. See, it turns out that "a land without a people for a people without a land" actually wasn't true. I can imagine that if it were, we may have never seen Ethiopian, Iranian, Iraqi, and Russian Jews (and non-Jews) brought into Israel. Israel has always seen herself as fighting a demographic war. Moreover, she has propagated this massive myth that somehow the Jews are the "natives" and the Palestinians the "foreigners." This is how Israel gets away with talking about "tolerating" the Palestinian presence.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“As Palestinians, our legitimacy depends on whether or not we "recognize" Israel. But supporters of Israel are not required to even acknowledge that Palestinians exist. For an Arab to be taken seriously, he must be "tolerant" of Jews (whatever that means). When a Jew is tolerant of Arabs, he is "open-minded" and forward-thinking." At the essence of the Palestinian question lies this complete inequality, this absolute and utter disparity in status. It is almost surreal for the oppressors to be demanding "tolerance" from the oppressed. But it is not without precedent. In America, whites in power demanded that blacks "behave" before they considered "giving" them rights. In South Africa, blacks had to conduct themselves "civilly" before they were taken seriously by the apartheid regime and, indeed, by some powerful political forces here in America.

This sort of calculated framing of the debate by Israel and her supporters serves to silence any Palestinian narrative. Well, guess what? I don't need anyone's permission to be Palestinian. I don't need your go-ahead to tell my story. And you thinking I do kind of pisses me off.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile

“But this is what it means to be Palestinian. You can live anywhere you want, except Palestine, and you can talk about anything you want, except Palestine. you see, the Jews I "offended" that night were not offended by my joke. No, they were offended by the fact that I am Palestinian. They didn't even really hear the joke. They probably heard "Palestinian" and "Jews" and said, "Hey, now wait a minute!"

You see, supporters of Israel are offended by the mere presence of Palestinians, by the mere recital of some sort of Palestinian narrative. In some way, it makes them very uncomfortable. It's kind of like that when you know you're doing something wrong, but you do it anyway. Any Palestinian in the room makes them uneasy. Talking about Israel and its policies makes them edgy. I guess I understand. I'm sure the slaveholders didn't like talking about slavery either.”
― Amer Zahr, Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile