Summary

by Rami G. Khouri

These have manifested themselves since the 1930s in so many different ways, all leading back to a basic issue: The battle between Zionism and Arabism in Palestine, more particularly the battle between the rights of a Jewish-majority state of Israel and a dismembered and exiled Palestinian community that continues to struggle for its national rights.

It is heroic for many Palestinians because it persists in resisting Zionism’s desire to eliminate Palestinian nationalism and identity as real forces that demand respect and can be manifested in some kind of national sovereignty in Palestine.

It means consistently asserting the Palestinians’ national rights and the need to end their refugee status.

The state of Israel, being the sovereign manifestation of Zionism, has repeatedly shown that it will viciously attack, assassinate, imprison and imperil all Palestinians – in Palestine, Lebanon or elsewhere – to maintain its hold on the land of Palestine.

Exiled and subjugated communities such as the Palestinians today usually behave in ways that seem strange to middle class consumers in faraway lands – including fighting apparently futile battles and subjecting their populations to prolonged suffering and death.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2014/Jul-16/263998-see-how-palestinians-depict-themselves.ashx#ixzz37gW8sUrw
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)