EMIS students are made up of 20% Israelis, 20% Palestinians, and 60% International students. Three of the current students (Adam from Palestine, Tom from Israel/Sweden, and Sara from the Czech Republic) share their thoughts and feelings with us on the situation while spending this tumultuous time in the bomb shelter which doubles as the Charney Resolution Center where, ironically, the peace talks simulations designed to help bring about a peaceful end to this conflict are usually held.
By Jaime Musso
Adam, Palestine:
As a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem, I go through multiple emotions in an hour. I think just like every other Palestinian out there. From frustration to hope, melancholy, and inspiration, there’s no limit to what I or others experience in a day. Parts of the EMIS community had experienced rockets. However, for a sizable amount of the community, it's something new. I think the missile attacks stirred up a lot of emotions amongst the EMIS community, fear, annoyance, anxiety, sleeplessness. But for me as a Palestinian who usually go out to see the rockets out in the sky, it feels weird to go into a bunker, it feels unnecessary. Especially when it comes to my brothers in Gaza who don't have the luxury of an Iron dome or Bunkers. I sit there sitting in a bunker wondering how Gazans feel, some of whom are killed in their sleep. The recent events started during arguably the holiest month in Islam, Ramadan. It all began due to the restrictions placed on Jerusalemites concerning activities Palestinians engage in regularly. Firstly, on the first day of Ramadan Israeli police broke into the tunnels of the Al Aqsa mosque, to cut the wires to the speaker system to inhibit the call to prayer in order to create silence for the Israeli memorial day. Secondly, the decision of the Israeli Authorities to block the stairs leading to the Damascus Gate, a traditional place of gathering particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, has severely increased frustrations of Palestinian East Jerusalemites who perceived the decision as a provocation. Thirdly, the tension in Jerusalem continued to increase due to the erupted violent clashes involving the police, far-right Jewish extremists from the Lehava group, and Palestinians. Assault of random Israeli Haredi by Palestinians in Jaffa and in Jerusalem, amplified by social media, stirred emotions in the past days, and far-right Jewish supremacist movements seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire by inciting hatred against Arabs. On the eve of 22 April, hundreds of Jewish supremacists marched through the city shouting "Death to Arabs" and sought to confront Palestinian demonstrators at the city's Damascus Gate but were prevented by police cordons to clash directly with them. Finally, Israeli acts of aggression and provocation continued in another place, Sheikh Jarrah. With 28 Palestinian families threatened with displacement at the hands of the Israeli government and settler organizations, while four of those families are at risk of immediate displacement. Protesters of all nationalities and ethnicities started gathering in front of those houses as a form of resistance. Holding up signs such as Save Sheikh Jarrah, End the Occupation, and “لن نرحل'' We will not leave. The settlers, having already stolen the adjacent house, stood outside, playing music and dancing as a form of provocation, many of them screaming at the protesters. Where the violence begins is the protection of the already armed settlers by Israeli police who have blocked off the neighborhood with cement blocks. The police are there to protect the settlers from Palestinian activists, however, if the settlers feel threatened in any way the police act accordingly and suppress the protesters through many barbaric methods including but not limited to: physical violence, mounted police charging at them, stun grenades, metal rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, and skunk trucks; many times aiming directly at crowds while blocking off most exits. The protesters regather and the cycle continues. The epicenter of the recent violence and horrific events are a direct result of injustices inflicted upon Palestinians in East Jerusalem and all across the country by the Israeli government, settler organizations, and Jewish Supremacist groups such as Lehava. All these factors plant the seed of hate, oppression, and humiliation within the Palestinian heart, leading to an endless cycle of violence.
Tom, Israel/Sweden:
At first, the violence in Jerusalem saddened me but didn’t really affect me personally. Later, however, when rockets started raining over EMIS, mixed Arab-Jewish cities erupted into civil war, and a barrage of false or misleading anti-Israel posts began circulating on social media, I became very emotionally distressed. A real sense of danger is circulating around my Israeli friends and family. And the worst of all for me is the antisemitic abuse my Jewish friends have been subjected to abroad. It was a brutal reminder that we live in a conflict zone, that, as much as EMIS is a bubble, we are still subjected to the realities of violence. In a way, I appreciate that EMIS got to experience these rockets since it makes us feel less detached from the conflict.
I didn’t feel much during the first siren. But subsequently, when we were woken up in the middle of the night over and over again, all while the exams were still happening, I started getting really anxious and stressed. A series of events led up to what is occurring now. Since the start of Ramadan, there was a Tik Tok trend circulating among Palestinian youth in Jerusalem in which they would hit and harass Orthodox Jews. In response to this, angry Israelis marched in the streets shouting racist and violent slogans. Protests in the Al-Aqsa compound occur every year during the end of Ramadan, but this year they were especially violent because of the ongoing violence in Jerusalem. Another source of fuel to the fire was the potential eviction of several Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah due to their refusal to pay rent to the disputed Jewish owners. Palestinians from all over the West Bank gathered around Al-Aqsa Mosque to protest against Israeli occupation, waving Hamas flags and calling for violence against Israeli police officers. The response from the police caused many injuries, which then ignited a fierce backlash on social media. Finally, Hamas, who overtly calls for the complete annihilation of Israel, took the opportunity to fire rockets at Israeli civilians, causing Palestinian deaths from misfired rockets. The IDF responded by striking strategic terror targets, but more civilians were killed in the process. At this point, it’s impossible to say whether or not the violence will de-escalate any time soon. The reason why I think all of this happening now is because it is a very sensitive and emotionally charged period for both Israelis and Palestinians. Jerusalem Day, Eid al-Fitr, Quds Day, and Nakba Day all occurred in the same week.
Sara, Czech Republic:
I am tired and stressed and I feel like I’ve been stretched too thin. I am overwhelmed. I don’t want to interact with the news or with social media because I simply cannot bear it – it’s too much, all the scenes of violence and suffering, all the hatred being sent back and forth, all the ultimatums and opinions that don’t allow for grey areas or sympathy. It feels like I’m being asked to choose, like I must pick a side but by doing so I will validate the suffering of one and discard the suffering of the other. At the same time, I feel guilty if I’m not connected to the news. I know what’s happening is important, it’s happening close to me, around me, to me (in some sense), so it almost feels like my duty to stay extremely well informed about it all. I don’t want to talk only in the past tense, because I’m not sure it’s over yet. I’m not gonna lie, it’s really scary at times. However, personally, the thing that has been eating at me is the time in between the sirens, when it’s just me and my mind. I know it’s a sign of incredible privilege that I even get to say that, that I have a shelter, that I have those 90 seconds, that there is a siren at all. That there are moments when I am not in immediate danger in the in-between. But still, with all this privilege, it is the calm that haunts me. I (like most others) have become extremely sensitive to all sounds, I don’t want to be alone in places, my roommates and I always try to make sure that there is someone listening for a siren while the other is showering or taking a nap, etc. It’s paranoid (after all, we are protected by the Iron Dome and the chance of us being harmed is fairly small) but I can’t help it when my paranoia keeps being reinforced with every new round of rockets. At the same time, I think we, EMISers, have really tried our best to stay strong and sane. Even though there is a lot of tension and disagreement between people with different opinions about the conflict and the recent escalation, I have been proud to see people doing their best to support their friends who are struggling and maintaining a sense of normalcy amidst it all. In a narrower sense, it is, of course, possible to pinpoint the causes of the recent escalation – the ownership conflict in the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem and the attempt of authorities to remove the Palestinians living there, which then sparked protests and clashes with police and created this chain reaction that eventually escalated into the current situation. Yet, in a broader sense, there are far more causes. Generally speaking, I think there are always tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, especially in Jerusalem, so there is always at least some potential for a conflict to flare up. Certainly, Israel’s unstable political situation, where no one has been able to form a new government despite yet another election hasn’t helped. Similarly, rising Palestinian dissatisfaction with the lack of elections in both the West Bank and Gaza is not unimportant. Both of these factors have undoubtedly contributed to internal tensions within communities that have only been exasperated by the issues of the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, the trauma of dealing with a health crisis and an economic crisis is unlikely to create a stable ground for peace. The changes in US policy towards the conflict and towards Israel under the Trump administration may also have played a role in strengthening animosity. So, it’s really a mix of many different problems, within and outside of Israeli and Palestinian control that has created the tragic situation this part of the world finds itself in at present.
Jaime: How do you see the status quo and the future, in general, being affected by recent events and what do you feel you or other individuals can do right now to move closer to peace?
Adam, Palestine:
In times like these, the future is not very clear, but it’s also a time of Palestinian unity. Whether it is Palestinians in Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, or the diaspora going on strike, protesting, or engaging in clashes. These events give me a sense of hope. But on the other hand, I see the reactions to the events with continued suppression of Palestinian resistance, and injustices. So in the end I really don't know what the future holds and what impacts that has on the status quo. Palestinians and Israelis need to come together and realize that the ongoing conflict has become a tree that bears no fruit. There's no getting rid of the other side. What is key to end this conflict is to be able to acknowledge the other narratives present within the multilayered conflict.
Tom: Israel/Sweden:
I have no idea. My best guess is that the current Gaza conflict will subside within a few days, the domestic violence will continue for a while, and nothing substantial will change in the long run. Israelis and Palestinians are naturally polarized right now, and so are unlikely to move closer to peace. The best thing to do is to use facts when speaking about the situation. Saying “Israel is an apartheid state” or “Zionism is settler colonialism” oversimplifies the situation and places 100% of the blame on one side. This is completely unhelpful and will only drive us further apart. Likewise, screaming “Palestine doesn’t exist” won’t do any good. Instead, we must recognize the basic truth that a conflict exists, and take it from there.
Sara, Czech Republic:
If I’ve learned anything while living here, it is that it’s never a good idea to make sweeping predictions about the future of this place and of the conflict. It’s unpredictable. Still, if I do try to make predictions, I feel torn. I have definitely been rattled by the recent events, not just by the rockets in Gaza and Israel, but even more so by the violence in mixed areas inside Israel. The destruction, the violence, the lynching, the fires – and all of it in places where Israelis and Palestinians have managed to live together in the past, many of the places I know and love (Haifa, Akko, Jaffa). It hurts my soul to see that and it can definitely make you feel hopeless about the prospect of peace and reconciliation. At the same time, though, there are things that have restored my hope. People helping each other, joint protests for peace, showing solidarity with those on the other side, fighting misinformation and hatred. It means there are still those willing to stand for peace. I think that should give people at least some semblance of hope and faith that this situation will calm down and people will be able to mend their lives as best they can. I know it’s hard to do, but I think one of the most helpful things people can do is leaving space for doubt and error. It is important to understand that not everything one reads is true, that things are usually grayer than they are black and white, and that violent anger, while potentially justified, is almost never a friend. Once there is room for doubt and error, there is space for responsibility, nuance, and empathy. Perhaps that can make peace into a shared goal reached by walking side by side rather than the result of a war in which there is only one winner.