I’m about to start the long-awaited account of our trip to Palestine.
And I need to set some stuff down first. So here it is.
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When I was showing Palestine photos to my workmates Teresa and Kerry, I realised how hard it was to talk about anything without massive digressions explaining where I’m coming from, and why I hold the perspective I do.
Here, then, in abbreviated form, are some points of reference to use when reading about Palestine.
Points of reference – where Morgue is coming from on Israel and Palestine
* Israelis and Palestinians of all stripes are human. We must expect no more or less of them than of any human. They each have the right to anger and fear, to love and hate, because these are human things. They are, all of them, flawed and beautiful.
* Shared humanity tells us that the majority of people on both sides are prepared to compromise for peace, and seek to minimise suffering for those on the opposing side.
* Neither Israelis nor Palestinians are less than human. Any characterisation of “Israelis” or “Palestinians” that denies their humanity, or attributes values that are not human, should and must be dismissed as wrong on the face of it.
* Of course, there will be individuals on both sides, as with every group, who will be in want of certain human values. The presence of such individuals in no way condemns the group to which they belong.
* The Jewish desire for a state is understandable and laudable; the methodology of Israel’s existence, however, does a disservice to this desire.
* Palestine and Israel are not equivalent entities, in that Palestine has what is, at best, a haphazard and deeply flawed government. It is also a government without true sovereignty and with little actual authority.
* Suicide bombing is reprehensible and in violation of the principle of shared humanity.
* Supporting the Palestinians’ calls for justice is not inconsistent with condemning suicide bombing.
* In 1967, Israel began a military occupation of Palestinian territory. This occupation continues to this day and remains immoral and unlawful, and the single biggest obstacle to peace.
* Palestinians within the Occupied Territories have the legal right to armed resistance; however, legality does not impart morality.
* Nonviolent, unarmed resistance has been and continues to be used by Palestinians, but it has little impact on the actions of the occupying Israeli state.
* Claims to land based on faith (gifts from God, etc) are utterly illegitimate and must be dismissed absolutely as a justification for any kind of action.
(There are about a dozen more, but these are the main ones.)