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Tonight (3/13) ABC News aired a piece on their 6.30 national news (
which , from my
experience , was unprecedented in that the VISUAL and AUDIO presentation ,
if viewed by the 'average' US citizen ( if you accept the basic tenet that
all people are inherently good ) would have raised questions about
the true intentions of the Israeli government actions regarding settlements in
Palestinian territory.
What was impressive to me was that a Palestinian farmer
was interviewed regarding the annexation of his land by illegal Israeli
settlements and in the very few words of broken english he
articulated to me the agony of the Palestinian people.
What he said was something to the effect of "I very angry. I very, very
angry." in frustration and , when asked if he had hope that he would ever
get his land back he hesitated and slowly held out his arms, saying "I hope
to God" .There was not much hope demonstrated by his demeanor.
Such is the lack of control that the Palestinian people have over own
destiny. All they are left with is anger and a vague hope, enough of a source
,for sure, to fuel the Hammas articulated bombings and to pave the path to
more 9/11 events.
When I went back about an hour later to the online ABC News
website to review the segment (see link above) there is absolutely no
mention whatsoever of the interview with the farmer( or, for that matter, a
statemenmt from a settler claiming that 'god had given them the right to regain
the land for Israel' .
The most compelling aspect of the newscast was 'missing' in the
written format.
My point is this. For decades I have watched as much film,video and
other forms of media concerning the Palestinian/Israeli situation as I could
find. The things that have left the most impact on me are the sights and
sounds surrounding the ripping up of an individual Palestinian olive orchard,the
subsequent anguish of the farmer and the arrogance and violence of the
troops against those both Israeli and international demonstrators
protesting the wanton destruction and
eventual colonization.
Most of these events go unseen, the eyes of the world are not allowed to
watch Israel doing its dirty work. Much energy is spent on analysis of external
events . Mirrors are forbidden. But the few times that individuals are
allowed to speak leave a powerful message that can resonate deeply and
effect change.
It is my firm belief that the average US citizen, faced with the actual
evidence of these atrocites against individual people and families just
like ours who are just trying to do what we are trying to do, to raise
their children , have businesses or jobs, own homes , to enjoy life ,live in
peace and MOST OF ALL to live with dignity and respect, then and only
then will US citizens act to change the situation.
We understand on a deep level the pain of another human being, even one we
might be opposed to culturally or politically.
It reminds me of my time spent in Toronto in primal therapy back in the mid
seventies.For those that do not know what primal therapy is about I should
briefly explain that it's proponents believe that until we unwrap the 'onion
skin' layers of pain which block our ability to facelife for what it is rather
than what we bring to it through our trauma we are doing more damage by
obscuring life with the projections of our own inner
pain.
We had a therapy group of ten people or so in the sound proofed
basement of a downtown office block. In this safe environment we were free to
experience both our own inner feelings as well as our reactions to the 'outside
world' (the other members of the group) .
I recall one man who took an instant dislike to me. In a subsequent
therapy weekend out the Ontario countryside he showed some anger and potential
violence towards me which was barely contained and caused me much anxiety, which
caused him to act even more aggressively and so on.He frightened me , increased
my anxiety and fear and potentially might have stirred a reactive violent
reaction from me.
When we came together for a group session one of the therapists confronted
him about his barely contained anger and , eventually,after some work, this
'macho' man's man broke down in floods of deeply expressed pain and tears
and began to accept his feelings of helplessness and fear ( that he had seen in
me and wanted to obliterate) he had suffered at the hands of his father.
In his pain and suffering he was no longer a threat to me. In my empathy I
found a kinship with him and an understanding that his fear and pain were
driving him to violence against me. The expressing and ownership our own
pain and suffering and our hearing and understanding this pain breaks
down the 'walls' we place between us.
We need to acknowledeg the deep trauma of the jewish people without being
drawn into their manipulation of this facility for political purposes.At the
present moment any direct criticism of Israel seems to bring out what I
call the 'holocaust flag' to which my response is "Enough already. We understand
your pain, how about slowing down on the projection and accepting that others
suffer too ??" This is a huge task, there is no doubt in my mind, considering
the suffering that jews have endured.
Even more so we need at this time to place more emphasis on the suffering
of the media-disorganized culture of the Palestinians , (for the jews of
the world are quite able to articulate their own pain without any help from
us) , a people unable to effectively articulate their situation so that their
voice can percolate into the psyche of the US population, without resources to
do so and left with little tangible alternative but to strike out with
frustration and violence.
By helping the individual stories to emerge from both sides of the
conflict, talking as one person to another, and in doing so taking the power
away from the powerful self interests of the various groups involved I truly
believe that the daunting barriers that exist ( so tangibly demonstrated by the
ghetto wall Israel is constructing).
There are already many many good documentaries that effectively do just
this. The trouble is that only a select few ever get to see them and then
only at left wing film festivals, and on PBS and especially, on CBC , if
you are lucky enough to get it.
Encourage the discourse between individuals and discourage the emphasis on
group talk.These drops can soon form an ocean.
J.DYLAN RIVIS
12 ST PAUL ST
MONTPELIER VT
05602
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