We at Musalaha lament the devastation and unfolding tragedies in Gaza and Sourthern Israel. We stand firmly against the embrace, use and justification of violence against civilian populations in the name of justice, vengeance and liberation. We are distressed and overwhelmed, never having seen this scale of inhumanity, anguish, rage and hatred before.

As the number of people killed continues to rise daily, we lament for all those who have lost loved ones and pray for comfort over their bereaved families. We mourn all the lives of civilians killed and the ones fleeing for their lives; we mourn for all homes destroyed and futures interrupted. We pray for the medical teams and journalists facing chaos and adversity, healing for the injured, and for the released of all civilian (Israeli and Foreign National) hostages in Gaza.

We lament thesse recent events as part of the larger context we have been writing and warning about for years. We grieve the normalised systemic policies and practices that have been oppressing and denying Palestinians their basic human rights and freedoms. We call for the immediate lift of the indiscriminate siege of Gaza where over 2 million people are currently enduring collective punishment, cut off from water, food, fuel, medicine, and electricity. We call for the deployment of humanitarian aid and vital resources to be fully restored.

We lament people who, in the name of justice, have allowed rage to perpetuate the cycle of dehumanisation and excuse bloodshed; as seen with Hamas’ attacks and the Israeli army’s response. We lament the rhetoric fuelling exclusive and racist narratives that can only lead to further vengeance and violence. We lament the damaging and barren role internaitonal state actors have played, sabotaging the possibilities of a just reality.

Musalaha purposefully exists outside this ongoing cycle of violence, believing in challenging systemic violence as well as vengeful violence reacting to it. As we imagine a better world, we call our friends to practice empathy, express comfort and support our vision of a just peace. We invite both Palestinians and Israelis to see the dignity and humanity of the other by non-violenting co-resisting together for a better future.

“These are stories that need to be told. You need to look at the human impact on families whose lives were changed for ever” – Sarah Agha. “I think the key to understanding where we are today is to hear the stories of that time from both sides” – Rob Rinder

Colin Briant of Musalaha shares the following report.

On 14 and 21 March 2023, BBC 2 broadcast two television programmes co-presented by Rob Rinder and Sarah Agha in the series “The Holy Land and Us – Our Untold Stories”  about the foundation of the State of Israel and the way these events shaped the narratives of their British families, one Israeli, the other Palestinian.

Using the approach seen in “Who do you think you are?” these two grandchildren trace their families’ history back to 1948 and before, to reveal personal stories hitherto unknown to them.

As the experiences of another four families are explored, characteristic Palestinian and Jewish narratives emerge.

“……the promise of a homeland of safety a quarter of a century before my family are murdered in the holocaust …..”
“Israel offered sanctuary for Jews from across the world, but it undoubtedly came at a price.”
“For the Palestinians there was nothing to celebrate. What Palestinian families like mine lost in 1948 were their homes, along with a sense of place and belonging. More than 700,000 Palestinian refugees were created by the events between1947 and 1949. …. Palestinians call this period The Nakba – Arabic for the catastrophe.”

In the final scene the participants wistfully express hope for the future, but they show no awareness of approaches such as Musalaha’s.

It seemed to me, Colin writes, that they are a very good way to help us understand the current background Musalaha is working in.

The first five minutes of Episode 1 form an overall introduction, well worth looking at in itself. It contains hints of the pain and the hope the two main participants will share with viewers.

These programmes are even-handed and sensitive as the two competing narratives emerge. At the very start they outline the role the British played, raising difficult questions for us today.

These two BBC episodes are available on iPlayer for the next twelve months.

References

About the series “The Holy Land and Us – Our Untold Stories”

Series 2 Episode 1 on BBC iPlayer (requires BBC  licence)

Series 2 Episode 2 on BBC iPlayer (requires BBC  licence)

Musalaha