How to bear it: reflections from occupied Palestine

JVL Introduction

The unbearable is, nonetheless being borne but at a terrible cost. Here the writer, from Bethlehem describes the impact of occupation, siege and genocide on their psychological well being and the numbness needed to survive. The need to shut off from the horrific reality endured by their fellow Palestinians in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  He says ” I inhabit two parallel worlds: one where everything around me is surreal and infuriating, and another where I feel absolutely nothing.”

This is from decades of occupation – and of Israel’s impunity; culminating in the horrors of the genocide in Gaza since October 7th 2023. Written shortly before the Feb 28th 2026 bombardment on Iran we can only imagine how much the past few weeks has added to the trauma that is described here and, were this all to stop tomorrow, how many generations will be needed before the trauma ends.

LL

This article was originally published by Thinking Palestine - Palestine Chronicle. Read the original here.