Logic, Diagnosis, and Prognosis
I've been struggling with processing all the information we're receiving and all the emotions the emotions I'm feeling. There are many ways to address this. Sometimes we need to dive into our emotions. Sometimes it helps to step back and look at the situation logically.
Today we went to the Palestinian Museum of Natural History in Bethlehem in the West Bank. Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh is the scientist who started the museum about 5 years ago. Previously he taught at universities like Duke and Yale before moving back to his home of Palestine. He spoke about the situation with Israel and Palestine in a way that focused on logic, precise diagnosis, and appropriate prognosis. "If we don't have the right diagnosis, it's impossible to the heal the patient," he said.
Diagnosis: What is the Problem in Israel/Palestine?
Professor Qumsiyeh said looking at the evidence it's clear this is not primarily a religious struggle. And the issue is not a military occupation. The example he used was: Israelis have banned Palestinians in the West Bank from owning milking cows. They enforce this to the point that the Israeli Defense Force has led military operations to search for and get rid of any cows they hear about through their intelligence gathering: they must really think the stakes are high. Professor Qumsiyeh explained that's not something the Nazis ever did when they occupied France. But the United States killed millions of bison in the Great Plains. This was to take away the livelihoods and the culture of Native American Plains Indians. This was to facilitate settle colonialism.
Professor Qumsiyeh insists the appropriate diagnosis is settler colonialism. Then the question is:
What is the Prognosis? What is the solution to the Israel/Palestine situation?
He cited three options from history, from other examples of settler colonialism:
1. Algerian Model: 1.5-3 million people killed by the French and 1 million people left Algeria, most to live in France
2. Australian and US Model: genocide
3. Everywhere else in the world: one country for descendants of colonists and colonized
He says option 3 is the most likely, simply from looking at the frequency it has occurred. The first and second options are unlikely given all the international media attention that Israel receives.
Professor Qumsiyeh spoke about the need for political organizing to create change. "That's always how things change." He cited a few examples from the US: winning the weekend, women's right to vote, civil rights victories, etc.
Regarding environmental justice he said, "Some think separating trash is enough. We have to look at what we're doing as a species. We need a revolution. The Yellow Vests, what's happening in Chile, etc. That's what we need. Otherwise, the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. And the environment suffers."
And I really appreciated when he said, "The colonizers are not evil. And the colonized are not perfect. In Palestine we have smart people, stupid people, selfish people, generous people, and so on. We need to look at the totality of the situation. And we don't need to get emotional. We can look at this logically."
Despite his insistence, I definitely get emotional! I've felt overwhelmed with information and emotion. But his focus on logic helps me step back, see what we're actually dealing with and see that there is a solution. And there is hope.