לגירסא בעברית בבלוג
My YouTube comment and thoughts on a video named "How to erase a people" that made the connection between indigenous tragedies and the tragedy of the Palestinian people
I’m Jewish. I was born and raised in Israel. My parents were not, they came from Europe.
I have been to the district around the once-village al-cabri many times and enjoyed visiting friends and hiking there.
As a tree-hugger-nature-lover person I am fascinated by native Americans and in particular by the Iroquois people.
Frankly, I also love the warm Arab culture (maybe except the white bread and patriarchy…). Gladly, I have many Palestinian friends from both sides of the fence, whom I met In peace activities.
Still, with all my left-wing views, I saw this video with mixed feelings. It got me confused and triggered.
Mostly, I find myself surrounded by people who think much differently than I do, and I I am used to defending the Palestinian side. But after watching this I have the urge to defend my Israeli “side”. Our historical, religious and spiritual connection to the land.
In this video, me and my people (“THEY” as said in the video) are presented as the “bad guys”.
Like we came here, to Israel/Palestine out of greed and wickedness.
But I know my parents and grandparents that came here. Yes, they have their faults and prejudices. They have their trauma of generations of antisemitism, fierce and direct or indirect violence that shaped a world view of victims (you guessed it… I’m Polish).
But they are not villains, they are people, just like indigenous people are people. They acted according to their circumstances. Even (me also) went to the Israeli army because of their social identity.
A couple of days ago, when 6 Israeli hostages were released, I saw a big sign behind the platform of Hamas’s “release ceremony”. The sign claimed in 3 languages: English, Hebrew and Arabic, that “The land distinguishes its people from the dual nationality foreigners”.
This sign got me confused… Do people really believe that?
Because, I have no dual citizenship and neither does my family or 90% of the people in Israel…
We are not lying when we say we have nowhere else to go…
In the video you mentioned the Iroquois people. There is a very famous story about how the Iroquois confederacy of the six nations was made. How after years of waging war on each other they managed, with strong female leadership, to establish the “Great Law Of Peace” and have this peace for perhaps a millennia, until the European settlers came.
If they did it - maybe it can happen here too?
Maybe the colonialist settlers can bring not only exploitation and oppression? Maybe they can carry a message of peace after thousands of years of domination relations of empires on the local people of the land here (it wasn't quite heavenly to live under the ottoman empire, as the old man in the video might have suggested).
In the video there is a lot of talk about sacred connection to the land and its beings.
Sadly, the Holy Land is in bad shape, far from its “Holiness”. Polluted dried rivers. Contaminated air. Trash everywhere. Tons of industrial agriculture goes to exportation. Bare deprived land where there once was old forests.
Although The Zionist contributed a lot to the situation, they are definitely not alone in ruining the land…
I see that all over the world indigenous and poor communities are easy targets for marketing - they buy the pesticides, the bad ultra-processed food and they hurry to the mall for the newest clothes.
Capitalism is very tempting for those who have the most motivation to climb up the social ladder. To those who are mostly deprived by it.
Israel is one of the most polluting countries in the world, compared to its size - it means that if all the citizens of the world lived like Israelis - there wouldn’t be a world.
The question - who pollutes more - does not have a clear answer. The “quality of life” is going up and everyone wants a piece of the “American Dream”.
Mother earth is in very bad shape, and all of us: Jews, Muslims, Christians, Pagans… need to start living and learning according to our original human values and stop consumerism and status guide our ways on the earth.
The climate crisis is coming - big time - urging us to change our way of being in the world. Or in a small, very heard of country. Some call it “The Human Crisis” - it is all the supporting systems that are falling apart now, not only nature but also the human structures.
I hope and pray for all the beings to be free and happy, and have good relations with their neighbours!
If you read so far - thank you - and feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts and ideas.
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*Since I wrote the text, I went to a festival in the desert, and was dehydrated quite a bit.
I can't help but think that Hamas has a point in saying what it said, my pale and sensitive body does not get along with the arid desert and the scorching sun. The Holy Land does not really embrace me...
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