Witnesses to Racism

We eagerly awaited our visit to the Musrara neighborhood in East Jerusalem, as it held very special meaning for a couple of members of our group. Their families had lived there before they were forcibly removed as a result of the Nakba in 1948.

Hearing authentic first-hand historical accounts of what life was like for the Palestinians who once lived there, it was heartbreaking to imagine the complete loss of home and community.

We strolled the beautifully tree-lined streets of this quiet area and marveled at the Palestinian architecture that painted the landscape. Some of these homes now value at 2 to 3 million dollars and are only available for purchase by the richest elite, creating a financial barrier on top of the social and racial barriers.

As we stood at the bottom of a multi-story building to admire the construction, Israelis settled in the ancient homes began yelling at us to leave and chucked ice chips at us from above. When an Israeli shouted “Mohammad is a dog!” from the window, I was overcome with a deep sense of sadness and shame for their xenophobia.

Since then, I have been reflecting on how pervasive the Zionist ideology is and how its inherent racist logic affects the perception and lives of everyone in the region.