A short diary of juxtaposition.
First, the cynicism:
Palestinian refugees will not become citizens of a new Palestinian state, according to Palestine’s ambassador to Lebanon, Abdullah Abdullah.
“[E]ven Palestinian refugees who are living in [refugee camps] inside the [Palestinian] state, they are still refugees. They will not be considered citizens.”http://www.dailystar.com.lb/...
In other words, people who live in camps in their own state would be barred, by their own leaders, from becoming citizens of that very state!
One could argue that, to Palestinian Arab leaders, Palestinian refugees are not an oppressed group who must be helped, but human weapons in a never ending war against Israel. Citizenship removes their status as weapons. It therefore seems the more important issue is not to end the suffering of these people, or achieving independence for that matter, but to destroy Israel.
On the other hand, a ray of hope:
Israeli youth via Facebook have called for a demonstration of love and peace tomorrow outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv, in response to what took place at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo.
Here is the message:
It is very easy to rise up and be angry after the incident at the Israeli embassy in Egypt; it was a case of extreme violence that has no place and should be condemned. The Egyptian people, especially its younger generation, are in a period of identity crisis, after the coup. They are trying to find their place and vent their frustrations after many years of suffering. At the same time also here we have a generation that wants to live in a a fair and better world that opposes hatred and tyranny and that fights for the basic rights and a deep desire to live a better life in a better world ... It's time we stop hating based on money and religion. We all want a better world, and it will happen only if we do it together! Let's put out a call to the Egyptian people of peace and love, and tell them that we don't want to fight them or hate them. On the contrary, we want to live as good neighbors with love, and together make life in the Middle East and the world better.... Let's show them our real faces, and perhaps open their minds .. Friday, 12:30, show love and support peace at the Egyptian Embassy.
Just as in the recent social justice protests in Israel, which illustrated the Israeli democracy at its finest, we again see how a demonstration should a positive, and the underlying desire for peace and cooperation that is necessary for the people to progress and thrive.
We need more hope and less cynicism.
FWIW