A Colourful Provocation!
17 April 2002
By Ghada Munir Naser, Birzeit - Palestine
Last night, between 8:30-10:30 p.m., loud explosions all around Birzeit, neighbouring villages, and beyond the hills of Ramallah City, have shaken almost every house and people's souls. Everybody wondered what was going on. Bright reddish and greenish lights illuminated the hilltops every second, with every sound of explosion turning darkness into brightness, in every direction we looked. The tremendous continuous explosions seemed so close to us. I thought a huge disaster is taking place around me, people getting killed just this second, while I stand helpless watching and wondering. For long moments I suspected Israel wants to finish up everything, wondering which areas or spots are being bombarded this time. Are there any Palestinian Authority institutions or police stations left to be bombarded? Knowing the answer to be negative, I suspected the worse.
At around 10:00 p.m. I finally realised what is going on, when huge explosions and sounds of gunfire erupted from the nearby Israeli settlement, Bet El. The explosions I have been hearing all evening turned out to be huge fireworks coming from illegal Israeli settlements besieging Palestinian areas, in celebration of Israel's so called Independence. For an instant I was relieved to know that at least my suspicions were wrong this time, that my neighbouring villages seem to be relatively safe, yet am I to be blamed for fearing the worse after having heard about so many atrocities and war crimes committed by Israel? Yet, then a deep pain instilled into my heart, knowing that the burning and glowing fireworks also commemorate the loss, homelessness and great Catastrophe of my Palestinian nation. It is ironic and provoking to see Israeli illegal settlers living in the West Bank celebrate their State's "Independence", in the mid of a huge Palestinian majority, who have been suffering over long decades, especially in the past 20 days, great pain, hunger and destruction. The Palestinian Nakba flashed in front of my eyes in seconds, each explosion of a firework felt like a bullet penetrating my body. At that moment I realised the psychological, physical and mental provocation Israeli settlers are trying to leave upon all its surrounding Palestinian villages, refugee camps and cities, manifesting their existence on Palestinian farmers' land with no intention to leave or compromise - a fact that will create a black future and a potentiality of having my above suspicions come true one day.