The Fault Line Israel and the occupied West

The Fault Line “Israel and the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip are built over just one [fault line], which separates Israeli Jews from Palestinian Arabs” (Friedman 323).

Palestinian Identity • 1949 -1967: Palestine divided into sections ruled by Egypt and Jordan – Took on Egyptian or Jordanian lifestyle – Inspired by PLO and Yasir Arafat • 1967: Palestine is recreated – Under rule of Israel, felt that they needed to assert their palestinian identity and distiguish themselves from Israelis. “Although 99 percent of the Palestinian people have never been involved in terrorist activity, this label--”terrorist”-became a heavy cross they all had to bear wherever they traveled” (Friedman 338). “For many young West Bank Palestinians “home” has become the most frightening place in the world” (337). “Actually, my family’s home is the most dangerous place for me, because that is the address where the Israelis will come to find me” (Friedman 337).

news. bbc. co. uk/2/ hi/in_pictures/7103475. stm • http: //www. vtjp. org/background/wallreport 4. htm

Why didn’t the Palestinians rebel? • No stable economic base to support them • Israel used military powers against any mass organizations and local leaders • Benefited from Israeli system and believed liberation wasn’t their responsibility • Were divided among beliefs and unable to organize • “They did not believe they had within themselves the power to challenge the Israeli system” (Friedman 330). “Although 99 percent of the Palestinian people have never been involved in terrorist activity, this label--”terrorist”-became a heavy cross they all had to bear wherever they traveled” (Friedman 338).

“I think that our generation of Palestinians has reached a point psychologically where we want any means of getting back at the Jews. You just get the feeling that the Jews want to aggravate us. Palestinian violence now is something that just happens. It’s not planned. It just occurs” (Friedman 344).