It is estimated that Israel’s’ Operation Protective Edge that was launched in July 2014 and lasted for 50 days has resulted in the displacement of over 106,000 Palestinians.
When reading statistics about refugees and displacement it is difficult to comprehend the real life stories behind the figures and how Palestinians are coping in the aftermath of such trauma. It is this idea of how Palestinians are accepting what has happened and the personal displacement narrative that Palestinian writer Suad Amiry has explored in an interview for the release of her most recent book ‘Golda Slept Here’.
Amiry discusses how the idea of being personally distanced from the events we read about is a theme prevalent within the Palestinian community itself also. She stated:
“I realized quickly that we Palestinians never give a name or put a face to the Palestinian story. We are always obsessed with the collective story. We are obsessed with losing a country. But what does it really mean to lose a country? Who relates to a country except for politicians? What’s more powerful: To say, “I lost my country,” or to say, “I lost my home, I lost my school, I lost my books, my brother lost his little dog, my mother lost her books and photo albums, the peasants lost their land and livelihood”? I’ve found that the power of being personal is something that the Palestinian or Arab culture shies away from, but it’s effective.”
She also discusses how being brought up in a Palestinian setting and enduring years of loss and trauma, regardless of where you move to or what life you lead, it is difficult to ever truly accept what has happened.
“The most difficult thing about being Palestinian is the obsession that we have with Palestine. […] We carry it with us wherever we are, and I find it such a terrible obsession. And that obsession comes from the trauma of the great losses inflicted on us for so many years but also from one simple fact that: At the end of the day, no human being accepts injustice.”
Although addressing deep issues of loss, displacement and change, Amiry’s interview also has a light hearted and comedic tone as she states “I always tell the Israelis: ‘I may forgive you for all the atrocities you’ve committed against my people, but one thing I’ll never forgive you for is having my mother-in-law with me for 42 days’.”
This idea of using comedy to narrate and discuss Palestinian experience has also been explored by the Palestinian comedy group ‘Tashweesh’, whose co-founder Mahmoud Zuaiter stated:
“Comedy is quite an important tool to keep Palestinians in the Gaza Strip away from gloom […]Our life is full of… occupation, blockade, prisoners, [and] shortages.”
He said that atire is a way to keep people “smiling and laughing”.
Zuaiter and his crew’s idea of using comedy as a tool to deal with daily hardship is a great success and they now have a TV sketch show and a huge following and continue to film and produce the show from Gaza.
What Amiry and Zuaiter have both highlighted is that behind every statistic and figure surrounding Palestine there are real people and real lives being greatly affected, and through building awareness of the issues faced by Palestinians coping with the everyday in the aftermath of such traumatic event, hopefully more help can be provided.
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