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For so many people here in the United States, the current conflict seemed to happen overnight. But this did not happen overnight nor did the origin of the chaos happen this past week.
Moreover, some people receive their news from only one outlet (MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, etc), which leads to a univocal point of view. And far more troubling, there is a vast population who receives their news from social media, and often only by way of headlines or unmoderated comments.
A member of the Sharaka delegation from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain takes a selfie during a visit to the Western Wall, Judaism s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem s Old City on December 14, 2020 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
This past year was full of adversity and hopelessness for many around the world. But for we Palestinians, it was even harsher – we were forced to face a deadly pandemic in an apartheid state, amid a collapsing economy, and a general feeling of hopelessness and abandonment.
In the second half of the year, a series of Arab states added to our collective misery by announcing their decision to normalise their relations with Israel. By effectively abandoning their supposed commitment to supporting Palestinian self-determination for money, weapons and a few short-term political gains, they sent us a clear message that our suffering and struggle for the most basic human rights no longer matter to them.