De som bestämmer över liv och död

Vad tror du själv – vad händer med människor som upplever döden på detta sätt: en 21-årig palestinsk kille skadas i en traktorolycka. Men de lever i ett fängelse – deras liv skärs bokstavligen sönder av en apartheidmur. Detta är vad den betyder – att de israeliska soldaterna bestämmer över liv och död:

The village of 'Azzun 'Atmah is surrounded by the separation barrier, and lies between Israel 's green line and the separation barrier. The only way out of the village is through a gate in the barrier, which closes at 10:00 P.M. When the young men reached the gate, it was after ten o'clock. The soldiers had closed the gate and were positioned in the guard tower. For an hour, the young men begged the soldiers to open the gate so they could take their friend to the hospital. Only after the hour passed did the soldiers come down from the tower and verify that a person had been injured and needed emergency medical treatment. It took the soldiers another ten minutes to open the gate. The men rushed to the hospital. On the way, they checked their friend's condition and saw that he was moving and was breathing. At the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kan du förstå vad det innebär att se sin väns liv rinna ut i dina händer på grund av en ockupationsmakts rasistiska arrogans? Förstå vad det gör med dem som förblir i livet?

Återigen – döden är en liten del av det som drabbar palestinierna. Det är livets umbäranden, den dagliga förnedringen som bryter ned mest. Här en ganska vanlig dag i en ung palestiniers liv – operation ”Hot Winter” i Nablus:

Yesterday was the turn of our area (Al-qariown area) in the old city. They started at 3:00 at night, told all the families to leave their houses, including women, babies and old people. After standing for more than 6 hours without being allowed to get any food or even chairs they told all the women, children and those over 30 to go back home, and kept just us, the youth They put some blindfolds on our eyes, and tied our hands behind our backs with some very painful plastic cuffs.

[…]

I just want to tell you, that when they took us from the street, they did not even look at our ID cards to check if we were wanted or not. I just Pray to God to take us away from this situation.

Vad tror du själv att de känner, de som drabbas av terrorn, rasismen, de systematiserade övergreppen, när den regim som plågar dem benämns ”Mellanösterns enda demokrati”? Tacksamhet?