From Fragmentation and Dehumanization to a ‘Dreamocracy’
“We who organize in solidarity must have faith our dreams of ending the Israeli white settler apartheid regime’s illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and lives will come true.”
The day started off with a VERY informative lecture with Badil. It was an amazing primer on what life is like under the Zionist - racist, white settler, apartheid – regime, and what role international human rights laws could/should be playing in the lives of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons. I am even more energized to deepen my solidarity work to end the illegal Israeli occupation, and support the rights for Palestinians to return home, to reparations and self determination.
The Zionist propaganda phrase of ‘a land without a people for a people without a land’ remains utterly ridiculous and in direct contradiction with reality from its 19th century origins until now. While touring Bethlem and Aida Camp, the land was full of life and teeming with people. As we stopped to gaze upon what used to be the Abu Ghneim Forest - now an occupied neighborhood with sparse trees – I learned a lesson about olive trees from our very knowledgeable guide.
Olive trees grow over time with care by human hands; how does one justify the historical presence of healthy, thriving olive trees in Palestine if there were no people to toil the lands? The blatant dehumanization of Palestinian people since inception of the Zionist movement is vile. The fact that Palestinians who pass away while in Israeli detention,continue to live out their sentences even in death (they are buried in numbered graves and remains returned to their families only after their sentence concludes, regardless of additional years) proves the inhumane lens through which the Israeli occupiers view Palestinians remains.
The conditions set in place to cause further confusion and fragmentation of Palestinian minds, bodies, cultures, lands and more was at times difficult to learn about and witness without tearing up.
All in all, the day was quite inspiring, and equally filled with many bright spots. While sitting down with youth from Laylac, one young lady noted how resilience ‘is in her blood’ thanks to her parents providing her with a strong foundation of Palestinian history and hope for liberation! While providing insight on how the youth volunteers compassionately support residents of the Deheisheh Camp, one Director noted the hierarchy of Laylac is equitable regardless of how you identify as everyone brings something special to the work they do.
He described it as a ‘dreamocracy’.
That was my first time hearing the term ‘dreamocracy’, but it immediately resonated as we who organize in solidarity must have faith our dreams of ending the Israeli white settler apartheid regime’s illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and lives will come true. I am truly humbled to have the glorious opportunity to travel with Eyewitness Palestine’s D72: Race, Class, and Money Delegation. Though this is my first time in Palestine it will not be my last.
In loving gratitude of the beautiful souls I have met thus who have welcomed us into their lived experience, and for the sake of the global community I must shout, ‘from the river to the sea Palestine will be free’!
