Inside Story (continued from Home Page)

Ariel Sharon, Israel's most notorious figure of terrorism, the killer of Palestinian children, women and men in Sabra and Shatilla in Lebanon in 1982 backed up by Israel's supposedly "peace-leading" prime minister Ehud Barak, who for us Palestinians is equally a terrorist, as Sharon, and for me personally a red-handed murderer who has brutally and intentionally murdered my uncle, in 1973 in Lebanon among others, both have indirectly, wickedly collaborated together to provoke emotions, bitterness, hatred and devastation on the part of Palestinians. If Barak's intentions are to achieve peace, would he allow his army to attack, fire and order to spread tanks all over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip?

All this is done through blaming the Palestinian Authority for not controlling their people. But be realistic, who can control who here? Who can control people's emotions, frustrations and desperate need for change and a better future? We are not getting it through "peaceful" negotiations that have been lasting since 7 years now. We have lost more than we have gained. Believe it or not! 

What the world media portrays is a one-sided story, the Israeli version. You might wonder why our voice is barely heard, I tell you why. Who controls the world's media? Israelis and their allies!!! Who dares "upset" Israeli Jews, whether for the reasons of guilt, economic interests or for being pro-Israel and Judaism. Therefore, Israelis appear as the victims of "Arab terrorism", thus Israel gains its "legal" right to attack any threat it faces, and is justified if it tends to use tanks, shells and life bullets against unarmed school children.

The Palestinian's "feature film" of the week, which some of you might have seen through international media, struck each and every household in Palestine, because of its cold-blooded, massacre-like character. A Palestinian father with a 12-year old son was hiding behind a cement block, hiding from the bullets of Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Begging for stopping the shooting and calling for rescue, the father and the son were brutally dashed with bullets and tear gas, leaving the child immediately dead in his unconscious father's paralyzed lap! Innocent people passing by. Yes they were "caught up in the struggle" as the US president justified the situation, but they were caught up all alone in the corner of that wall with no demonstrators around, causing no threat to "Israel's security", if this is Israel's justification. Was it a Jewish Israeli father and son the situation would have been completely different. Clinton would have repeated again and again his sorrow for the brutal "terrorist" killing in every available press conference and opportunity. He would have come to attend the funerals and pay respect to their families, not forgetting his repeated accusations of Palestinian's "terror and violence", terms which seem to be totally forgotten when it comes to Israel committing such acts. 

Madeline Albright and many broadcasting channels worldwide, have intentionally failed to refer to the people killed as "Palestinians", only mentioning the number of killed people, leaving it vague to listeners who the killers are and the victims are. It struck me to hear that a German woman thought that the above mentioned father and son were Israelis hiding near the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, hiding from Palestinian bullets!!! This is what happens when the media portrays events and facts vaguely in order to let Israel off the hook.

The victims become perpetrators, while the real murderers become victims. Such an uprising that is happening now is just one of the many to come. No decent human being is capable of living under conditions of humiliation and deprivation. Unfortunately, more Palestinian lives must be taken and more young men and women wounded, left paralyzed and handicapped forever with leaders worldwide watching. I am writing this with great bitterness and fear of the unknown. I am hearing gunfire just up the hill in my town now. The situation has escalated again. The cease-fire agreement reached two days ago in the meeting between Arafat and Barak in Paris is invalid. I remember not long ago, me coming along the term "peace-building from below". This is a great example on the importance of providing for the people on the ground. Silencing, shooting and killing cannot stop people from revolting and demand their rights. Unfortunately, this is what Israeli officials believe.

We fear the nights, the silence of the nights, and we are ignorant of tomorrow and even of the coming hour. Uncertainty, mistrust, depression and darkness overshadow our lives daily, yet nothing can stand in the face of people fighting for their rights.

I am aware that some might consider me "bias" for my cause. Well, this is a fact because I see it from my side - a side people rarely see or even avoid seeing. I chose to express my feelings through writing. Others might choose a different way that is harmful and even "terrorist" in some people's eyes. I am against violence, yet I do not blame anyone for whatever choice they make. Having lived all my life in bitterness, pain, seeing friends being killed, tortured and imprisoned and my brother being injured, I understand why others whose sons, daughters, fathers and relatives have been massacred would commit acts that the world would call "terrorism". It is sad that only few people ask themselves WHY we might act as such. I ask all those people of conscience, if interested, to open their eyes to reality. I am not asking to back Palestinians up, but at least to be FAIR and JUST. Those characteristics must be added to the world's dictionaries when it comes to Palestinians' rights.

--Ghada