Dear Israel, I'm sorry.
Dear Israel,
I'm sorry. On behalf of all the Palestinians, I want to extend the utmost sincere apology. I'm sorry that we make you look so bad worldwide. I'm sorry that when you were first established that we didn't just pick up and leave calmly and quietly. I'm sorry that we had to leave some people behind and that you were forced to take some of us as citizens against your better judgement. I'm sorry that we didn't just calmly accept the thousands upon thousands of foreigners who were arriving on our beaches to displace us. I'm sorry that when we were kicked out, we camped out in nearby refugee camps with the intention of making you look bad. I'm sorry that we still make you look bad that way. I'm sorry that there are some in our ranks that are still upset over that, we'll try to make them shut up about it. I'm sorry that we exist with our less authentic religions and cultures and that we tried to claim that the our religious historic structures are valid religious historic structures. I'm sorry that 4.5 million of us still exist within borders that you control. I'm sorry that we don't like to be controlled by a foreign enemy state militarily. I'm sorry that you can't sleep soundly and safely at night, and you are forced to police us, suppress us and keep us down. We don't mean to burden you.
I'm sorry that we didn't just all leave and give you the opportunity to have a pure Jewish state. I'm sorry that we stand in the way of such a globally admired goal. I'm sorry that your bombardments and armed men in green create a negative association with Judaism amongst our children, we'll try to convince them that Zionism actually does care about human rights but they are having a hard time listening. I'm sorry that we can't just let you do whatever you want and establish your self-validated claims over our lands. I'm sorry that we have to speak a different language and can't understand what you are shouting at us at your checkpoints. I'm sorry that we don't have control over the extremist element of our population...or our borders or our water or our economy. I'm sorry for scaring you when I walk down the street close to your soldier guarded fortress. I'm sorry that we contradict your PR campaigns and that we show pictures of our children's mutilated bodies on social media. We'll try to be a little stronger and cover up your massacres for you. I'm sorry that there those amongst us who are still resisting, they seem to have a little dignity left and have some ridiculous need to defend their families, we'll make sure to beat that craziness out of them. I'm sorry that we have to cause you so much terror and that our continuous shouts for freedom, liberty and justice are so terrifying.We'll try to cut that out.
I'm sorry that there those amongst us that remind your population of our existence with cheap and ineffective missiles. I'm sorry that you have to alarm your population with sirens and non-stop scare tactics so that they buy your military campaign on our neighborhoods and hospitals. I'm sorry that we inconvenience you with boycotts and protests that point out your offenses. We'll try to be more understanding of the constant threat you are under. I'm sorry we are causing a "self genocide" and that we are responsible for our own murders. I'm sorry to blame your bullets and bombs. I'll try to clear that up with our families...when we find them....under the rubble...flattened. I'm sorry for waging a one-sided "anti-semetic" campaign worldwide. I'm sorry that we can't see things from your perspective and that we have little sympathy for your soldiers. I'm sorry that we don't hate Hamas enough for you and that we don't blame them for your occupation, for your inhumane murders. I'm sorry that we use our children and women as human shields. I'm sorry we can't follow your example...of defending your people with collateral damage. I'm sorry that we aren't grateful for your pamphlets before our homes and streets are turned into dust. I'm sorry for being so offensive at our insensitive, inconsiderate and rude protests and demonstrations with our emotions and feelings. I'm sorry for not normalizing the situation and joining you in pretending that we are on equal footing in this conflict. I'm sorry that we can't co-exist with people who don't want us there. We really try. We try so hard every day...by force. I'm sorry that our non-violent resistance are subjected to as much of your punishment as our violent resistance. I'm sorry that most of the world recognizes the injustice that happens to us every single day and don't buy your propaganda. Most importantly, I'm sorry that we exist. I'll try to convince my stubborn headed fellow countrymen and countrywomen to stop it. I think they might have a hard time seeing things my way though.
The Token Arab is a personal blog run by a Palestinian American graduate student at the University of Arizona (UA)
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I'm sorry that we didn't just all leave and give you the opportunity to have a pure Jewish state. I'm sorry that we stand in the way of such a globally admired goal. I'm sorry that your bombardments and armed men in green create a negative association with Judaism amongst our children, we'll try to convince them that Zionism actually does care about human rights but they are having a hard time listening. I'm sorry that we can't just let you do whatever you want and establish your self-validated claims over our lands. I'm sorry that we have to speak a different language and can't understand what you are shouting at us at your checkpoints. I'm sorry that we don't have control over the extremist element of our population...or our borders or our water or our economy. I'm sorry for scaring you when I walk down the street close to your soldier guarded fortress. I'm sorry that we contradict your PR campaigns and that we show pictures of our children's mutilated bodies on social media. We'll try to be a little stronger and cover up your massacres for you. I'm sorry that there those amongst us who are still resisting, they seem to have a little dignity left and have some ridiculous need to defend their families, we'll make sure to beat that craziness out of them. I'm sorry that we have to cause you so much terror and that our continuous shouts for freedom, liberty and justice are so terrifying.We'll try to cut that out.
I'm sorry that there those amongst us that remind your population of our existence with cheap and ineffective missiles. I'm sorry that you have to alarm your population with sirens and non-stop scare tactics so that they buy your military campaign on our neighborhoods and hospitals. I'm sorry that we inconvenience you with boycotts and protests that point out your offenses. We'll try to be more understanding of the constant threat you are under. I'm sorry we are causing a "self genocide" and that we are responsible for our own murders. I'm sorry to blame your bullets and bombs. I'll try to clear that up with our families...when we find them....under the rubble...flattened. I'm sorry for waging a one-sided "anti-semetic" campaign worldwide. I'm sorry that we can't see things from your perspective and that we have little sympathy for your soldiers. I'm sorry that we don't hate Hamas enough for you and that we don't blame them for your occupation, for your inhumane murders. I'm sorry that we use our children and women as human shields. I'm sorry we can't follow your example...of defending your people with collateral damage. I'm sorry that we aren't grateful for your pamphlets before our homes and streets are turned into dust. I'm sorry for being so offensive at our insensitive, inconsiderate and rude protests and demonstrations with our emotions and feelings. I'm sorry for not normalizing the situation and joining you in pretending that we are on equal footing in this conflict. I'm sorry that we can't co-exist with people who don't want us there. We really try. We try so hard every day...by force. I'm sorry that our non-violent resistance are subjected to as much of your punishment as our violent resistance. I'm sorry that most of the world recognizes the injustice that happens to us every single day and don't buy your propaganda. Most importantly, I'm sorry that we exist. I'll try to convince my stubborn headed fellow countrymen and countrywomen to stop it. I think they might have a hard time seeing things my way though.
The Token Arab is a personal blog run by a Palestinian American graduate student at the University of Arizona (UA)
Thank you for writing this post.
ReplyDeleteYour voice is valued for it's love of humanity and sincerity.
Keep writing please.