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• December 2005

• General [5]

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Alon Ben-Meir, December 23, 2005

As I write my final article for the year, I thought it would be appropriate to devote it to the Palestinian children who have grown up under the occupation without ever experiencing the innocence and beauty of childhood. By the time they reach their teens, these children see the world through special glasses--from their perspective, the world is indifferent, harsh, and cruel; one that seems to have abandoned them, a confused world that offers no clarity, no resolution, and no escape. Robbed of their youth, they feel deprived, resentful, and filled with anxiety mixed with a constant nagging pain. But on the verge of 2006, the painful reality of their lives may be about to change, as the changing situation now offers hope that not only the souls of these young may be freed from the burden of occupation, but that Israelis too will free themselves from the shackles of occupiers, permitting Israel to regain the high moral ground.

Whereas the adult Palestinians see the occupation for what it is and struggle with it as the shifting conditions require, albeit with tremendous resistance and deep-seated hatred, their children are clueless about why they must endure the daily indignities and humiliation. And as adults we need to also ask: How does one erase the impression of occupation from the heart and mind of a child, and now a whole new generation of children, who have no memory of ever being free? Living under an occupation, in and of itself, creates different types of defensive mechanism. The enemy, even the most "benevolent", remains the enemy, to be suspected, feared, opposed, rejected, and repudiated. But when the conflict with the enemy is violent, when bloodshed is ever present, and fears of losing a father, a brother, a cousin, or a friend as often happens is a daily reality, occupation and resistance to occupation become a holy mission, often the sole preoccupation. In a conversation I had with Dr. El-Jabari, Chairman of the Board of Hebron University, he said: "The thing that has saddened me the most is that Palestinian children are thrust into adulthood without experiencing the simple innocent life of a child." After a pause he added: "Those very formative years are unfortunately shaped in an atmosphere of violence, fear, and a profound sense of insecurity. They live in anguish: pain and despair exude from their eyes.