Enough

In these difficult times, one can easily feel helpless. Japan just refused to grant some desperate Syrians asylum. Somalia is still in dire straits. Drowning on rickety boats is still the order of the day between Europe and North Africa; and in Venezuela, we hear that the leaders there are preparing to go to ‘war’ against the United States. But whatever is happening, there’s just no comparison for the despondence of the Middle East. And here, although there are just too many problems, we’re talking about the Palestinians and what Binyamin Netanyahu said on the eve of his very decisive win in the recent elections.

Israel’s sitting prime minister has gone back on his 2009 promise to work towards a two-party state in his part of the world. As far as Netanyahu is concerned, the Palestinians will never have a state of their own as long as Israel is still standing. The fate of millions of human beings has been decided. Didn’t Hitler decide the fates of millions of Netanyahu’s forefathers? At the same time, while many may not admit this, by formally stating what was politically expedient at the time, Israel has, once again, put American national security in the line of fire.

Yes: America’s unwavering support for Israel is an important thing for its interests in the Middle East. After all, if Turkey and Saudi Arabia cannot be depended upon to guarantee landing rights to American planes, its always a good thing to have a dependable ally. Israel is just that kind of ally. But shouldn’t it matter when more and more people are going to call you the ‘Great Satan?’ While what is happening in Syria can and is actually civil war, the thing between Palestine and Israel has been part of international law and international relations for more than half a century. With Palestine only a hair’s length away from being part of the International Criminal Court, surely Netanyahu must realize that an indictment – real or not – will have only more negative consequences for the Jews he claims to speak for. Are his people safer today than they were yesterday?

I grew up in Uganda during the early 1980s. I remember walking miles and miles to the Mt. Elgon highlands from Mbale to seek refuge in my mother’s parents’ house. We had to escape marauding gangs of military men that were targeting well-to-do homes such as ours. Then, I also remember the night my father returned from jail. He had been arrested for political activity, and a deathly silence had engulfed our home. Mom was not sure if Dad would ever come back. A few years later, we only had sardines to eat. I have no idea where my parents got these precious rations. We had no milk or sugar. We sometimes went to bed with just porridge. Was this suffering? No it was not. In these bad days, Dad still went to work. We still had electricity and Michael Jackson. We swum at either the pool or the source of the Nile. And we saw all the new movies at the Odeon Cinema.

Now, I am sure that people in the Gaza strip do these normal things. I am also sure that they have music and some good days. But with Netanyahu telling them that they can never have their own state as long as he is Prime Minister, they have lost the one thing we war-weary Ugandans always had in abundance: Hope. We always knew that war was going to end. Besides, with a country as fertile as ours, we could always depend on the potatoes that Mom planted. Or the bananas that grandma sent us from the village. The Palestinians and those stuck in that part of the world do not have the same luxurious options. Their daughters and sons may never achieve their full potential from the schools that they go to, and like their parents, will be sentenced to a vicious circle of violence, poverty and all manner of suffering.

That is why we must hope for a paradigm shift in the way the United States deals with Israel. Perhaps, that lone U.S. veto on the U.N. Security Council will be wielded differently. Perhaps, the Iran nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s powers will be signed. Perhaps, the world will get to see what happens when you do business with the Persians, and that just because you’re muslim does not mean you’re a terrorist. God knows that we all just want what everyone else wants. Therefore, we must all say ‘enough.’ Enough to those that think that they can keep human beings down. Enough.

The last thing I will say on the matter is this: My wife and I have two beautiful daughters. If someone took away our options to provide for them, we’d, no doubt, be desperate. Like other parents, we’d give our life to give them a chance – just a small chance – at happiness. How can Netanyahu or his supporters not understand these basic human hopes? More importantly, how can the United States – this beacon of freedom – not see that an annual $ 400 million package is not enough to recognize the Palestinians as human beings? Can we not see the seeds of discord being sown? Enough.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of The Habari Network.