Comments on: In Palestine, not even the birds are free http://susanrosenthal.com/general/in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free Social Power is Necessary for Human Health Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:28:09 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Arja http://susanrosenthal.com/general/in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free/comment-page-1#comment-183 Arja Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:55:26 +0000 http://susanrosenthal.com/?p=293#comment-183 Thank you, Susan. I've been struggling to find words to express these ideas, but I have not been able to do it so clearly, yet so succinctly as you have done in these few lines. I tend to get verbose and ramble ........ and thus lose my readers and listeners. I would like to quote you in my emails/postings referring them to your website. Have you read Starhawk's story about Palestine? http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2008/12/thoughts-and-action-on-gaza-from-starhawk/ This is the part that I like in particular: To know and see the enemy, you must let them into the story.  They must become real to you, nuanced, distinctive as individuals. But when we let the Palestinians into the story, it changes.  Oh, how painfully it changes!  For there is no way to tell a new story, one that includes both peoples of the land, without starting like this: “In our yearning for a homeland, in our attempts as a threatened and traumatized people to find safety and power, we have done a great wrong to another people, and now we must atone.” Just try saying it. If you, like me, were raised on that other story, just try this one out.  Say it three times.  It hurts, yes, but it might also bring a great, liberating sense of relief with it. How do we atone? Open your eyes.  Look into the face of the enemy, and see a human being, flawed, distinct, unique and precious.  Stop killing.  Start talking. Compost the shit and the rot and feed the olive trees. Happy New Year! Arja Thank you, Susan. I’ve been struggling to find words to express these ideas, but I have not been able to do it so clearly, yet so succinctly as you have done in these few lines. I tend to get verbose and ramble …….. and thus lose my readers and listeners. I would like to quote you in my emails/postings referring them to your website.

Have you read Starhawk’s story about Palestine? http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2008/12/thoughts-and-action-on-gaza-from-starhawk/

This is the part that I like in particular:

To know and see the enemy, you must let them into the story.  They must become real to you, nuanced, distinctive as individuals.

But when we let the Palestinians into the story, it changes.  Oh, how painfully it changes!  For there is no way to tell a new story, one that includes both peoples of the land, without starting like this:

“In our yearning for a homeland, in our attempts as a threatened and traumatized people to find safety and power, we have done a great wrong to another people, and now we must atone.”

Just try saying it. If you, like me, were raised on that other story, just try this one out.  Say it three times.  It hurts, yes, but it might also bring a great, liberating sense of relief with it.

How do we atone? Open your eyes.  Look into the face of the enemy, and see a human being, flawed, distinct, unique and precious.  Stop killing.  Start talking. Compost the shit and the rot and feed the olive trees.

Happy New Year!
Arja

]]> By: Susan Rosenthal http://susanrosenthal.com/general/in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free/comment-page-1#comment-181 Susan Rosenthal Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:09:10 +0000 http://susanrosenthal.com/?p=293#comment-181 Let's be clear. There are not two sides here. Israel is a major military power that dominates the Palestinians in every way. And the defiance of the oppressed cannot be equated with the violence of the oppressors. The Palestinians elected Hamas because they were losing ground with moderate parties that tried to negotiate with Israel. Despite what it says, Israel does not want to negotiate. It has been consistent in its efforts to destroy the Palestinians. To ask the Palestinians to stop fighting back is to ask them to meekly submit to their annihilation. There is only one solution to this conflict. The Jewish state must be replaced by a democratic, secular state that grants equal rights to ALL of its residents. As long as Israel remains a Jewish state, it will oppress the Palestinians, and they will fight back with every means at their disposal. Let’s be clear. There are not two sides here.

Israel is a major military power that dominates the Palestinians in every way. And the defiance of the oppressed cannot be equated with the violence of the oppressors.

The Palestinians elected Hamas because they were losing ground with moderate parties that tried to negotiate with Israel. Despite what it says, Israel does not want to negotiate. It has been consistent in its efforts to destroy the Palestinians.

To ask the Palestinians to stop fighting back is to ask them to meekly submit to their annihilation.

There is only one solution to this conflict. The Jewish state must be replaced by a democratic, secular state that grants equal rights to ALL of its residents.

As long as Israel remains a Jewish state, it will oppress the Palestinians, and they will fight back with every means at their disposal.

]]> By: Adrienne Rosen http://susanrosenthal.com/general/in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free/comment-page-1#comment-180 Adrienne Rosen Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:10:24 +0000 http://susanrosenthal.com/?p=293#comment-180 I am amazed at the perpetual blind spot that fuels both sides. But on sites like this one it is predictably one sided. What about the bombs hitting the Israelis???? This must be addressed. What about the rampant anti-feminist, anti-gay, anti-thinking ideology of Islamic fundamentalism that is so thoroughly shoved down the throats of the people of Gaza by Hamas? These questions must be addressed. And you know what - they should actually be THOUGHT ABOUT rather than responding with a reflexive burst of crazy party line retorts. Big Hug, Adrienne I am amazed at the perpetual blind spot that fuels both sides. But on sites like this one it is predictably one sided. What about the bombs hitting the Israelis???? This must be addressed.
What about the rampant anti-feminist, anti-gay, anti-thinking ideology of Islamic fundamentalism that is so thoroughly shoved down the throats of the people of Gaza by Hamas? These questions must be addressed. And you know what – they should actually be THOUGHT ABOUT rather than responding with a reflexive burst of crazy party line retorts.
Big Hug,
Adrienne

]]> By: Arja http://susanrosenthal.com/general/in-palestine-not-even-the-birds-are-free/comment-page-1#comment-178 Arja Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:52:45 +0000 http://susanrosenthal.com/?p=293#comment-178 It seems the only foreigners getting through to Gaza are on the Free Gaza boats (http://www.freegaza.org ). How this crime against humanity and violation of international law gets so little press boggles my mind! But then I'm reminded that corporate media is corporate owned and presents corporate propaganda. It seems the only foreigners getting through to Gaza are on the Free Gaza boats (http://www.freegaza.org ). How this crime against humanity and violation of international law gets so little press boggles my mind! But then I’m reminded that corporate media is corporate owned and presents corporate propaganda.

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