{"id":10783,"date":"2024-01-24T06:22:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T05:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=10783"},"modified":"2024-01-24T06:35:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T05:35:32","slug":"diaspora-challenges-israels-war-on-gaza-echoes-in-the-palestinian-diaspora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/10783\/diaspora-challenges-israels-war-on-gaza-echoes-in-the-palestinian-diaspora\/","title":{"rendered":"Diaspora challenges: Israel\u2019s War on Gaza Echoes in the Palestinian Diaspora"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The incident of the Al-Aqsa flood came as a shock to Palestinians in the diaspora around the world. It made them feel sadness and grief, realizing they are bound by hands; the lives of every Palestinian changed after these massacres. Despite the Palestinian people enduring 75 years of occupation and witnessing several massacres, they always strive to continue their lives and seek to build opportunities filled with psychological, social, and familial stability. However, when war resumes, events bring them back to square one. With the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, Palestinians in the diaspora find themselves helpless in supporting their brethren in Gaza. The Al-Aqsa flood has brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront after being closed for more than two decades.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1948, Israel established a Jewish state in Palestine. Palestinians experienced exile and displacement during this catastrophe (Alnakba), as more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their original homeland, Palestine. Additionally, thousands of Palestinian refugees were displaced during the Naksa in 1967. The term “Palestinian diaspora” is used to describe these groups of displaced Palestinians around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The October 7th incident led to a united global popular movement against the violence and massacres targeting children, infants, and women. Especially the younger generations, raised on the stories of their ancestors and their memories of the beauty of Palestine and the tragedy of the Nakba, have inherited these tales from generation to generation. Particularly those written by Ghassan Kanafani. All these elements have planted the love for Palestine in the hearts of its children. Moreover, it is a matter of injustice, and by nature, humans oppose injustice and stand for justice to achieve fairness. All of these reasons instill in the Palestinian a love for their land and a complete understanding that the right of return is inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

In every Palestinian home, you will find pictures of Jerusalem or the Dome of the Rock, along with a map of Palestine hanging on their walls. They pass down keys to the houses of their ancestors, from which they were displaced during the events of the Palestinian Nakba in 1948. Some also possess deeds to their lands there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nadia Badawi still keeps the key to her grandfather Hassan Mahmoud Badawi\u2019s house. She remembers that when her father migrated from the village of Tersheha to Syria in 1948, he had property papers for the house, personal IDs, and a cap belonging to her uncle, the martyr Ahmed Badawi. All these belongings remained in Syria, specifically in the Yarmouk camp, after the Syrian war. She doesn’t know their fate, but she says, “I loved the key to my grandfather’s house; I kept it and carried it with me through all my migrations. Now it is in my home in France, where its value to me surpasses any amount of money.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Palestinians in the diaspora have integrated into the countries they migrated to, contributing significantly to various economic, social, and cultural aspects. However, they have not overlooked their crucial cause. Palestinian communities abroad have formed associations known as Palestinian community gatherings. These aim to preserve national identity and enhance allegiance to the homeland, Palestine. Ahmed Skineh, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian community in the Netherlands, emphasizes the significance of their initiatives and unity, stating, “Our initiatives and solidarity are of great importance because we shed light on what is happening inside Palestine on a larger scale. This leads to reaching the absolute truth, which is that the Palestinian people are an oppressed nation.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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A gathering of the people of the Palestinian town of Al-Shajara in the Dutch city of Nijmegen<\/p><\/div>\n\n

In this picture, we see a gathering of expatriates from the Palestinian village of Al-Shajara in the city of Nijmegen , Netherlands, who came from various cities in the country. The event featured numerous cultural and historical activities and competitions that shed light on the village’s history and key figures associated with it. The occasion included honoring the village’s residents and presenting awards to the winners. Attendees enjoyed tasting traditional dishes, and this event fostered increased social interaction among them. The celebration would not be complete without the performance of traditional Palestinian “Dabke” dances.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Palestinian people, who have overcome various forms of displacement, persecution, expulsion, and forced migration, despite being scattered across continents, form a diverse Palestinian family. They speak multiple languages and integrate into different cultures, yet their deep sense of unity always prevails. Therefore, it is not necessary for them to have a family in Gaza to feel all the pain they are currently experiencing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Foreigners are often urged to integrate and engage in the communities they reside in, but on the other hand , there is a crucial role for international communities to better understand and support the Palestinian cause, encompassing their migrants. The researcher in Palestinian Israilian Conflict\u00a0 Peter Malcontent says, “I felt embarrassed when I saw that, in the first week, Israeli flags were flying everywhere, and there was no interest in what was actually happening in Gaza itself due to the Israeli bombing campaign. So, I think that in moments like these, the Dutch government should realize that despite the fact that Palestinians are a minority in the Netherlands, you also have to take into account the feelings of these people.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Sometimes, I collaborate with Palestinian academics, which, for me, is one way to understand their feelings. I mean, you don’t need to go these days to Gaza or the West Bank to get a clear picture of what’s happening there. But again, to get a proper idea of what people truly feel, you have to meet them. And this is one advantage of meeting Palestinian colleagues here in the Netherlands. Engaging with Palestinians in the diaspora still shows me that this is ultimately a story about individual humans who are suffering.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The Israeli war on Gaza has left a deep impact on Palestinians in the diaspora, surrounding them wit<\/span>h a constant sense of guilt for what is happening in Gaza. Palestinians in their daily lives in Europe find themselves powerless to stop the tragedy in Gaza, while witnessing their families in Gaza enduring continuous displacement and intense bombing during the night. In this video, we will listen to testimonies from Palestinians in the diaspora, as they share their experiences and how they received news of the Israeli war on Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n