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On December 11 at Deichmanske Library (Bjørvik), PRIO will screen, and hold a conversation about, a new documentary based on the memoirs of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, I Shall Not Hate (https://www.oslopeacedays.no/english/programme/film-seminar.html).
The book, and most probably the film, chronicles Dr. Abuelaish’s superhuman journey from being born in a refugee camp in Gaza to becoming the first Palestinian doctor (educated in Egypt) to work in Israel. His rise out of Gaza which is as miraculous as it is painful, was the result not only of Dr. Abuelaish’s dogged determination, but also his genetic make-up: a man strong enough to do the hard labour necessary to survive in Gaza while also having the mental capacity and intellectual curiosity to become a world renown medical doctor.
But Dr. Abuelaish’s story is not just one of overcoming apartheid, but of personal tragedy inflicted on him and his family by the fascist regime whose people Dr. Abuelaish tries so hard to understand and to help. During the abominable 2008/09 Israeli attack on Gaza (Operation Cast Lead), Dr. Abuelaish’s home was targeted in an Israeli attack which killed three of his daughters and a niece. It is a testament to his faith that he was able to continue with his tireless efforts to forge some kind of peace and understanding between Israelis and the Palestinians they are trying to erase.
While the film has yet to screen, the memoir itself is notable for the conspicuous absence of one very important word: Zionism.
As laudable and as selfless as Dr. Abuelaish’s actions have been, one can’t help but ask the question: Who are the Israelis with whom he wants so desperately to unite in peaceful co-existence?
While the mirage of such a possibility may have been tempting before, the current genocide has exposed the Israeli society for what it is: a European settler colonial project. And like all European settler colonial projects before, the end result is always – ALWAYS – genocide.
Jews, Muslims and Christians have long lived peacefully together in the Middle East. But this was in a time before Zionism. While Dr. Abuelaish and the foundation he has created (https://daughtersforlife.com/) deserve all support, one cannot help but wonder if he was ever aware of who the real enemy is and continues to be to this day.
