Published: 1 December 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Hearing the fear and pain of his Palestinians friends and colleagues, LIEL MAGHEN finds it’s possible to feel solidarity with both sides.
Since the horrifying events of October 7, we are living in the fog of pain and trauma. The air is blurry, heavy, with no visibility of what the path ahead is holding for us. The public sphere has changed and relationships have been transformed dramatically.
With Israeli friends, I saw the impact of the destruction in their villages and see others working hard to release the hostages.
Terrible news continued to arrive with more bodies identified, including well-known peace builder Vivian Silver. Within this pain and with the ongoing criticism of Israel from around the world, I have also seen Israeli society harnessed in support for each other. Somehow, out of the horrors, Israeli society has shown solidarity on various levels, slowly taking steps towards dealing with the impact and forge a path out of this crisis. Volunteering, supporting, fundraising – the Israeli public and the Jewish diaspora have generated mutual hope in these harsh days.
But over the month that has passed, the public sphere for my Palestinian partners and colleagues has been completely changed into one of fear and uncertainty.
I spoke with Tareq, founder of an important environmental centre that reaches thousands of local residents. With tears in his eyes he told me that the Palestinian neighbourhoods of Jerusalem are completely shut down. People are scared to walk the streets for fear of being attacked by the police or right-wing extremists. The fear in the streets permeates shared spaces, causing longstanding working relationships and partnerships to end. Harsh checkpoint policies create unbearable travel times, leading staff to stay away from their workplace and social ties in Jerusalem. For years, Tareq worked side-by-side with residents from the Jewish neighbourhoods of the city. Such polarisation is something he never expected.
As I speak with more friends and colleagues, I understand that they avoid speaking over the phone about recent events for fear of potential indictments over statements that may be tapped and mistranslated. Arrests and the dismissal of activists and university lecturers for social media posts has produced a fear of sharing their experiences about the war.
