A Palestian talks about the Nakba -4/4

As Palestinians Mark 60th Anniversary of Their Dispossession, a Conversation with Palestinian Writer and Doctor Ghada Karmi

Today is the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, what Palestinians call the Nakba, or catastrophe, that resulted in the expulsion and dispossession of over 750,000 Palestinians from their cities and villages. Ghada Karmi is a well-known Palestinian writer and medical doctor from Jerusalem who lives in Britain. She has written several books about Palestinian history and her own experience as a refugee, including In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story and, most recently, Married to Another Man: Israel's Dilemma in Palestine. [includes rush transcript]

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• nakba
• israel
• palestine
• terror
• colonialism
• racism
• democracy

[Irtidad]

You tire of it? Oh please, you live in the United States, how could you possibly get tired of it? You're not one who has to live under occupation, nor am I.

If Israel won't commit "suicide" as you put it, then why did White South Africa commit suicide? Similar arguments were made to justify maintaining South Africa's Apartheid regime. On a related note, South African cleric and activist Desmond Tutu has stated that life for the Palestinians is WORSE than it was for Black South Africans.

[Irtidad]

"Let them kill each other if they desire"

Your misanthropy, or perhaps apathy, is a plague far too common these days.

[Tasha7845]

Now they want to live together. Where was all this compromise in 1948?

[Greywind30]

Yeah democracy like in Lebanon. Or in Gaza/WB. BTW democracy and nation/state are not mutually exclusive concept. If you think jews will agree for one state after this:

/watch?v=O1kglhluz1U

[freelebenon]

haha a western style democracy with majority of moslem palestinians in charge the problem is this is a oximoran is like fire and water it never works, 2ed she lacks historical insight it was palestinians who rejected partition and attacked the only problem was that they lost and continue to loose. there is a 2 state solution and jordan is palestine

[Maxwedge12000]

It seems to me that your position and my position on this issue is as intractable as the positions of the Palestinians and Israelis.

[modestryan16]

again ill stress the point that if you look up polls of the Palestinian population they believe in a two state solution, meaning the recognize the state of Israel. Also Hamas and the PLO also have accepted the two state solution the many times that is has been offered, which the entire world accepts, but the Israel and the US veto every time it passes though the U.N. I think you need to do more research to understand the conflict.

[Maxwedge12000]

What I believe matters not. The problem of this "Palestinian State" as defined by the Palestinians calls for the destruction of Israel. Israel does not want to be destroyed. That's the problem. Nothing else matters in this conflict except for the desire of the palestinians to destroy Isreal. Until that desire changes, there will be no peace and Israel knows this and is not waiting anymore. Israel will do what helps insure its survival. The Palestinians have chosen this path.

[modestryan16]

obviously you dont believe there should be a Palestinian state, and you've already said that you would understand if Israel wanted to finish its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, which really makes u no different than the worst "terrorist" who want to wipe out the jews. also you keep referring to the hardships of the Israelis when overwhelmingly, as pointed by Israeli historian Benny Morris, most of the victims of the conflict are the Palestinians.

[modestryan16]

I dont discount what it says in their charter, but you also cannot discount what Israeli officials have said, which has been numerous times stating that they do not accept a Palestinian state. Actually Hamas and the PLO preceding it, have accepted the International consensus of the pre 1967 borders, Israel has rejected it every time. if you look at polls of the Palestine and Isreali citizens they both accept a two state solution. Yet the Israeli gov't illegally creates more settlements, andwalls

[Maxwedge12000]

You wish to simply discount what the charter of hamas says and what most palestinians want, the total destruction of Israel. There can never be peace with people that are vowed to destroy you, never. The Israelis know this and have given up trying to get this elusive "peace" after 60 years of conflict. Israel is now focusing on expanding its nation and securing its existence. The Palestinians have lost their chance.

[modestryan16]

Im saying there is no preferable view as far as rhetoric. Sure it may say that in Hamas's charter that they want to take over all of palestine. but there are numerous statements by Israeli officials saying that they dont recognize a Palestinian state. And I urge you to look at what is happening on the ground. The Palestinians land is being stolen and they are being militarily occupied. i condemn there actions of terrorism, as I condemn Israeli terrorism as well. the occupation needs to end.