On extremists, moderates, and us

by Laila El-Haddad

Gaza Mom

As mentioned in my previous post, I took up the invitation to participate in a panel of “progressive” Israel/Palestine bloggers/writers/activists Monday. The space for the program was offered by J Street, but the panel itself was not affiliated with them (they did not even include it in the official program of events). Both were independent of one another, an odd relationship which came characterize the session itself. I was unsure what the nature of the session was supposed to be-or for the entire conference for that matter.

In any case, the panel included an impressive list of some 12 bloggers (academics, writers, and so on) including Phil Weiss of Mondoweiss, Helena cobban, Max Blumenthal, Brian Walt, Sydney Levy and so on.

I arrived a few minutes late to a packed conference hallways and overflowing room, and snaked my way to the front. I have to admit, for the first 15 minutes or so, I felt oddly out of place as I tried to sort things out.

When I was asked to introduce myself and speak a little about Gaza, I really didn’t know what to say besides how disconnected and remote I have come to feel. “So say that” suggested Richard Silverstein “because ultimately that is what a siege and total blockade intends to achieve, what occupation does”. And so I did. My father stood silently by in the back of the room. I referred to him, to both my parents, to my family, to everyone in Gaza;

How hard it was simply to live there, and then, to leave, or return. You are always feeling like a stranger, always feeling dislocated. Now more than ever. The only thing linking me are pictures and memories. I read the news and I feel so far away.

And then the others chattered, mainly about the role of J Street, was it bad, was it good, did it have potential, the lesser of two evils…and on and on.

Half an hour in, I was silent, still wondering what I was doing there. Then Ray Hanania spoke via webcam, in the nauseating meaningless expressions that could be uttered by anyone from Ariel Sharon to Ghandi “we must isolate the extremists on both sides and reach out to the moderates in order ot achieve peace, and we all know that is based on the vision of two-states for two people’s… blahbity blahbity blah…”.

“Ray” one of the moderators confessed, “you make it so easy for Jews to speak to you”.

ok, I’d had enough. I shook my head, raised my hand and just sort of let it all out: “I’m sorry I really have to say something here. I’ve been quietly listening to what everyone has been saying for 20 minutes now- feeling confused and very much out of place, as I listen to people talking about moderates and achieving peace and …I just have to ask: What is everyone talking about? This is not real. What two states? What ‘peace’? Are we living on different planets? Has anyone seen a map of the West Bank lately? Of the settlements? Do you know what the settlements have done? what the wall looks like? Everyone is speaking about “two states”, about an independent viable palestine as if that’s real. As though it were something just within our reach. And all I can think about is Gaza. My parents. My husband, a refugee, who can’t even go back with me when I was able to go back. The West Bank. Jerusalem. This is not real anymore. I’m really not understanding what we’re doing here, and where I fit in to all of this, and what everyone is talking about.”

The conversation was way behind. Step off the tracks and take a look around, I thought.

“We can’t continue to speak like this, its an illusion people. I really also have to protest this dichotomous notion of there being extremists and moderates-who is the extremist here? Are Ray, and others, suggesting that President Abbas and the PA are the moderates? that they are the ones to reach out to? Let me let you in on a little secret: Most Palestinians dont’ support Abbas. I certainly don’t consider him my president-his term expired in January. Where are all the other Palestinian voices? I am an observant Muslim; I also support a democratic one state solution; but I’m not Fateh or Hamas or anything else- I’m certainly pro-justice; do you consider me an extremist then? The palestinian political spectrum is very diverse and pluralistic-its high time we recognized that and include these other voices in the conversation.”

But of course, that would not be very convenient, would it?

Anyway I’d said my piece. There were appluase and whatnot, and the conversation continued. I never did receive a response form Hanania, since based on his conversations on his radio programs, I would be considered among the “fringe”, a voice that the Palestinain leadership does not WANT to include in its conversation;

But if Jon Stewart’s valiant conversation with Mustafa Barghouti and Anna Baltzer last night is any indication, perhaps that is getting ready to change, at least as far as the US media is concerned (ok that’s a stretch, but it was a good start!)