This is life, a Palestinian's life

I say I am a Palestinian, although I have never been to there and have a Palestinian ID with me or a passport to prove that I am a Palestinian. But I can say I have a connection with Palestine as my ancestors are from there. I am so lucky to be raised up as a Palestine unlike some young generation guys who are not bothered about their past.

I am really curious to find out what my country is. Obviously my parents and grandparents are Palestinian refugees. During 1967 war they went to Jordan as refugees. And that’s where we have a house, we have a land and I always ask them, “Is Palestine like Jordan?”Because that is the closest idea to know Palestine, once I visit there. How does it look like? And they say, no, Palestine is a completely different place. They always talk about it and my mum is very patriotic and she always tries so hard to defend the Palestinian case. Living in Canada, amongst a different cultural environment, there were so many people curious to know who the real Palestinians are, with the Israelis on the opposite side.

I think a Palestinian is a person who appreciates fighting for their own land and everyday keeping in touch to know what is happening around and keeping a hope that something will change one day, but unfortunately things are getting worse. A real Palestine is like someone who has an eternal connection with the country, you don’t have to be there and you don’t have to have any identity, it is a mental state of mind. 

My sister can go to Palestine, but I can’t as I am born in Jordan. She has American passport. If one has a European or North American passport, she or he can cross the border and visit the country. And some others have an approval paper that helps them to cross the border and enter only West Bank. But my sister went to Tel Aviv and sort of Israeli occupied areas because of her US passport. Despite all the idea of going there, where my ancestors lived, to explore the place and say, ‘Oh my grandparents owned this house.’ Unfortunately, I can’t say that like a grandchild. 

My grandparents are still in Jordan. My grandmother keeps a key to her house, where she has never returned. I know several people have the same story about having a key, and their houses demolished by the Israeli army. Our house is also gone. My grandfather from mother’s side owned a fabric store, it is also gone. Everything gone, they have left behind lot of money, jewelry in that war. 

I don’t think this two-state solution is going to work. And I don’t think there is a one way with different cultures can live together with peace. Because Israelis always have an extremist way of vision and they will keep on claiming it is their ancestral land since some 1800 years back. 

Palestinians will also make the same claim like having a connection with the land. So I don’t think there will be a perennial solution to this as the Palestinians are living the worse lives. Israelis have all the best things while Palestinians are pretty much living in a junkyard behind the separation wall.

I don’t think a solution could ever been made between the two sides because it is more than like a present day problem as it is related to past. It is difficult to open the minds of extremists from both sides. Because the Israelis are making it harder and harder for the Palestinians by capturing their land, cutting of electricity and water in order to kick them out of the land. If you ask me whether I am on Hamas or Fatah side, I don’t support either of them because they seem power hungry than standing for the free Palestine cause. It needs a lot of work and time and what you watch on TV is not real.

I don’t really know whether our leaders have become a puppet at the hands of West. But I am sure it all depends on the attitude of United States of America. When President Barack Obama visited Israel spend too much money thinking they can fool us, the Palestinians.

Unless the Israelis agree to share the same rights that they keep themselves and the Palestinians get a feeling that they we don’t have to fight any more, this issue is not going to settle down. I have a lot of Jewish friends, Israelis who are against zionism. They were telling me that there are many who stand for the rights of Palestinians. Because they realize whatever they have gone through in the holocaust is repeating. I don’t understand why they are repeating that with the Palestinians. 

Even when the two-state solution talks are in the air, in fact two states exist. But Israeli soldiers are in Palestinian territories and Palestinians have to face searches at so many check points that they have to cross in their own land. People going to work have to wait the check points for hours and they get late for the work; whereas Israelis can go around anywhere they want. They have all the money they want, all the facilities they need for a proper life.

A lot of Americans are angry these days at the US administration for giving out so much money to Israelis instead of spending on them. Many people are opening up now and seem understanding Palestinians has the right to make their cause heard of. I don’t think even the Arab powers really care about us. They can do more on this. But nobody really cares. Everybody think about their political and economical benefits of their country.

We have not sat together as a family for the last five years. My father and I are in the UAE; while my sister is still studying in the Canada and mum is with her. Another sister is a doctor working in the United States. We are waiting for my sister to finish her studies and meet. Sadly, it is life, a Palestinian life.

 (Prepared by me based on an interview with a 23-year-old Palestinian professional woman)

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