Dream Catchers: Remembering 52 Years of Palestinian Deprivation
By: Leila Diab/Arab America Contributing Writer
The precious nature of the Palestinian tree of life along with the burgeoning generational branches of Palestinian dream catchers and the 21st century’s new generations who advocate for a reversal of unlawful Palestinian human tragedies, desires of endurance, with hopes of equality, self-determination, and freedom, continue to constrain the yoke of human injustices
After the June six-day war in 1967 in the homeland of the Palestinians, the Israel military defense forces occupied more Palestinian land and captured the Old City of Jerusalem where Palestinians have lived and worked for centuries. However, what has been even more disturbing is when on June 7, 1967, Israel Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared “Jerusalem is now liberated.”
One might ask, liberated from the Palestinian people on their homeland or occupied by a military force? Fifty- two years later, the designs and effects of an Israel military occupation in the Old City of Jerusalem have shattered the lives of Palestinians due to their forced removal from their homes, violations of human rights laws, travel bans, road closures, and the list goes on and on.
Since the 1967 six war and up to the present day occupation of the Palestinian homeland, including the Old City of Jerusalem the courageous Palestinians never have given up; they continue to organize to seek justice, self-determination, and equality in the eye of the storm and despite the illegal move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
Many efforts to ensure the preservation of the Old City’s Arab, Christian and Islamic heritage have been made by the political Palestinian leaders and non-governmental organizations despite existing humanitarian constraints. According to the underlying resolution of international humanitarian law is to maintain humanity in armed conflicts, saving lives, and reduce human suffering.
Since the June six-day war in 1967, world peace activists and people of moral convictions continue to voice massive oppositions to reverse the cycle of violence, especially in Gaza, as Palestinian women and children are injured and killed as they demonstrate peaceful protests against their inhumane living conditions.
“We cannot fight for our rights and our history as well as future until we are armed with weapons of criticism and dedicated consciousness.”
― Edward W. Said
The laws of war are defined by the international community and should be upheld. It states, “The law of war refers to the component of international law that regulates the conditions for war and the conduct of warring parties. Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, occupation, and other critical terms of international law. In today’s modern world of democratic principles, no one should be above the law.
”In the end, forgetting is nothing but turning a page in the book of life. It may seem an easy matter, but as long as you can’t tear it, you will keep on stumbling upon it between each season of your life. – Nizar Qabanni
The June six day 1967 war is a time to reflect on the historic resistance of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the occupied territories to reclaim their confiscated and dwindling homeland against all odds of a viable resolution to live in peace with their families and Israeli neighbors.
Since 1967 and decades later, Palestinians are dream catchers that no one can deny. They continue to hope that concrete support of the international community will be the pillars of triumph in their non-violent endeavors and attainment of freedom, solidarity existence, peace and mutual respect and honor for the June six day 1967 war’s fallen victims of courage, then and now…never to be forgotten.