Discrimination/Humiliation
The occupation is the vehicle by which Israeli solders discriminate
and humiliate the Palestinian people. Coughlin describes one instance
when as she was waved through a checkpoint on entering Hebron, masses
of Palestinians waited to show their Ids.
Miller
describes a similar humiliating experience for Palestinians on entering
Gaza. In the middle of a dusty field that had once been an orange
grove, four hundred vehicles waited to be let through. Miller describes
the hand. The hand of the soldier that usually hangs limps
is what might motion after a few hours for perhaps five cars to pass
through. This whole procedure appears to be for nothing as these cars
or their drivers are not searched and seems to be for the sole reason
of humiliating the Palestinian people.
Perseverance
A number of the group expressed the sentiment of the unfailing perseverance
of the Palestinians. Despite their unreliable livelihoods, they press
on with a deep love for their land and liberty. Faraj states, the
Israeli soldiers cant destroy our love for Palestine and
our freedom. In response to a question posed by another reporter
on how she has the willingness to speak out, Faraj says, because
I have a message for all around the world and I hold in my heart the
hopes of the people in my camp.
The emotions that I left with wasnt of defeat and desperationI
came away with a feeling that people in Jenin will never be defeated,
said Rowley. When asked whether he was ever kept from filming, Rowley
comments that he was unable not to film sort of forced.
Palestinians want the larger, global community to see whats
going on.
The Real Press
Though you might be thinking that turning to the daily news in America
would give you
some insightful info on whats happening in the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, Coughlin would say that hospital stays are really
good because by talking to the doctors and nurses you get to really
see whats happening in the area because they see everything.
If more reporters went to the hospitals to find their information
about Israeli/Palestinian conditions and reported their findings to
news media around the world, perhaps we would know whats going
on. Among many things that these medical people see is the younger
age of people checking into the cardiac unit.
Coughlin reports that a doctor in Hebron said, It isnt
surprising to see someone have a heart attack at twenty-three years
of age."
Coughlin herself comments that, living under occupation is so
stressful that there is always pain and the same people are
constantly checking back into
the hospital.
Faraj, says up front and clearly that a big world lies
between my dreams and my reality. Many young people can
relate to the thousands of leagues that often lie between the life
that they live and the dreams they conjure. While a number of young
people hold similar convictions, many Palestinians as Faraj clutch
to a chance/hope for peace. Rowleys video clip ends with children
waving the peace sign. The question is, will this well-known
symbol become a well-known reality?
In Conclusion
Lastly, it is important to say that while hopefully the above article
has given you a better idea of the Palestinian side of things, it
goes without saying that there is more to this conflict on their side.
This over fifty-year old conflict lies between Israel and Palestine,
virtulally the same land. The occupied territories that were discuseed
in this article are the areas of land where Israel has made settlements
on and where Israeli soldiers enforce curfews and other means to keep
Palestinin people inactive.
While
many might say, Palestinians do not deserve any land or anything
because of the numbers of suicide bombers that are killing Israeli
civilians, this also must be taken a little further. I must
say, "what can you expect from people that have been robbed of
their homeland, and in effect robbed of much of their culture and
heritage, and not to mention their dignity. Though it is true
that the effects of these suicide bombers are great in magnitude and
inhumane, it also seems as if the Israeli government actually goads
these own. When Hamas leaders said they would work toward a ceasefire,
the response from the Israeli military is the killing of fifteen Palestinians,
including nine children between the ages of two months and thirteen
years.
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