Comment by rendall
2 years ago
> There's a literal wall around 2M ppl with little agency, while most of them are refugees from the other side of the wall.
There is a really very simple solution for them to have all of the dignity, agency, independence, prosperity, peace, sovereignty, stability to raise children, etc that you and I want for the Palestinian people. They only have to - and hear me out - not kill Jews. It really is that simple. Don't kill Jews, not by rockets, nor suicide bomb, nor stabbing attacks, nor stealth attacks by terror tunnels, nor any of the varied and creative ways that Jews have been attacked in the region for more than a century.
Most people think that Free Palestine means independence and sovereignty. It does not. Sovereignty has been proffered many times in the last 75 years. So given that it decidedly does not mean what we Westerners expect it means when we hear Free Somewhere - "Free Tibet" "Free Donbas" or whatever - I would like my fellow Westerners to really meditate on the meaning of the term "free" in "Free Palestine". Really ruminate on what possible meaning that can have.
Then, when you are really ready to hear what it means, read the Hamas charter. Or read about the writings, life and times of al-Husseini, the architect and sire of the Free Palestine movement.
We Westerners, especially we Americans, really impose our own views on others. Let Palestinians speak for themselves. They are very clear what Free Palestine means. We just have to listen without preconception.
So you agree that every Palestinian who has never killed a Jew is being unfairly oppressed and should be allowed to immediately live in freedom. Great, that’s what, 1.999 million of them in Gaza?
As I said it before, you should know by now that the "free" in Free Palestine does not, and has never, meant "freedom". That is a Western expectation imposed on the phrase. Determining what it actually means, I will leave as an exercise for the reader. As research materials, I refer you to the writings, life and times of Mohammed Amin al-Husseini who was the architect and sire of the Free Palestine movement. Note particularly the memorandum of understanding he signed on behalf of Palestians with the Nazis. I also refer you to the Hamas charter (both versions 1.0 and 2.0) (Hamas enjoys an 85% approval rating, by the way).
We know "free" does not mean "freedom" in the Western understanding of that phrase, because sovereignty has been proffered many times in 75 years. It is not what Palestinians want. You need to listen to Palestinians, not Westerners westsplaining. And then, when you are really clear on what they mean by "free", you must bravely make your own moral evaluation of whether the "free" they actually mean is something you can support. Only then, and I mean this honestly, will you be able to really understand the dynamic going on over there. Only when you understand what Palestinians, by their own words, want, will you be an effective advocate for peace and prosperity in the region.
Amin Al-Husseini is not the only authority on the subject - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Najati_Sidqi
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ah, so they don't need to 'just stop killing Jews'. They need to convince you personally that they meet your personal definition of decent people who deserve not to be locked up. That seem a lot harder than your initial simplistic blather, but at least it also sounds more honest on your part.
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