Memory, trauma and Gaza

It is the Palestinians that emerge as the symbolic victims of our age.

Meanwhile, with the election, it does not appear that Israelis have regrets or have become faint-hearted about the casualties and destruction in Gaza. To the contrary, there has been a shift further to the right, reflecting a feeling that an even tougher approach may now be required.

The re-election of Netanyahu and the parallel rise of ultra-right Lieberman who supports further Jewish settlements, the bombing of Iran and the marginalisation of Israeli Arabs is clear evidence of this shift.

But while Israelis rightly insist on maintaining their security and ask for a degree of independence in sorting their affairs, it is getting harder and harder for the West to engage Muslim populations, both within and outside their borders, while the Gaza geopolitical sore continues to fester.

The urgency of the issue is underlined by Barack Obama, whose middle name is Hussein, giving an interview to Al-Arabiya television in the initial days of his presidency. He indicated that he will soon give a major speech in a Muslim capital.

It is not enough to merely blame Hamas, who have grown stronger since the latest incursion, just like Hezbollah in Lebanon. With each show of Israeli force, the very idea of Israel, the Talmudic dream of a homeland against impossible odds, looks more applicable to the Palestinians.

Furthermore, the Zionist mission of home has become an exclusive place in Israeli discourse unable to accommodate partnership with the Palestinians, inconsistent with the history of the land where Jews and Arabs populated the same land.

The stories of Israel and Palestine are mutually exclusive but intertwined in their themes of exile, humiliation and trauma. Creating a shared story remains the challenge. While the politics remain very local, their symbolism is universal for it stirs our inner victim and ancient identities tied to land and blood.