Today marks a day that has turned life upside down to everyone who was peacefully living in a land called Palestine. Haven’t heard of it? I don’t blame you, “Palestine? What Palestine? Palestine is a word made up by a bunch of violent barbarians who “think” this land is theirs”, they’d tell you. They worked really hard till they managed to wipe it off maps, and crossed it out of history. They actually did a great job that even Palestinians themselves started doubting whether there has been a Palestine one day… and whether there will be a Palestine one day!

But there’s a Palestine my friend. Yes, once upon a time, there was a Palestine, a peaceful beautiful land, with all its fresh fruits and vegetables, with all its breathtaking scenery, and its untouched nature. Its air as fresh as could be, and everything about this land was Holy. You feel how sacred its soil is once you set foot in it… Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, hugged its mountains, blessed its sees, and kissed its skies. Simple people were living there in peace, giving it care and love which was rewarded with generosity of its nature that kept all the people safe inside a bubble of peace, serenity and calmness.

Now you can still see the land I’m talking about, with a “few” changes that is. It’s no longer called Palestine, it’s Israel -ok, not all of it, there are bits and pieces scattered here and there, dots of land that are referred to as “Palestinian territories”-;  the waters are no longer pure, the air is polluted with hatred, and the calmness is replaced with the noises of war. Oh and the people, the so-called Palestinians, turns out they weren’t simple peaceful people after all, as you’ve been hearing they were the cause of war, they created violence , implanted pollution and brought insecurity not only to this Holy Land, but to the whole region disturbing the neighboring countries and even affecting the whole world. Who thought some olive branches, a bunch of knives, a few horses and some donkeys would defeat tanks, planes, pistols and missiles!

Yes turns out this word Palestine, is a cursed word… hush, don’t utter it, you might get hurt,  and if -God forbid- you happen to mention this sickening word, you’ll have to apologize immediately and make it clear that you never meant to say it, or else you’d be considered to have this rare disease Palestinians have, didn’t I tell you? well, those Palestinians are infected species, so don’t talk to them, don’t shake hands with them, don’t even come close to them, for if you do, or if you started believing their “made-up” story about this whole Palestine being theirs, you’ll have to be medically treated right away, so you’d get a nice clean brainwash that will guarantee you’d never get infected by the Palestine-Virus ever again…

60 years since the day Palestinians were forced to make one of two bad decisions: either flee with nothing but the clothes they had on, or get killed and watch their families, friends and whole race get butchered in cold blood. They had to choose the lesser of 2 evils, for some it was dying in dignity on their land that they refuse to leave; and for others it was running away to the unknown destiny, losing each other on the way, and not knowing where they’re heading, or how they’re going to manage their lives after wards. And for those who left, although they did keep themselves alive, but they did not imagine that they’ll never be able to see their homes ever again. They didn’t see it coming, they didn’t realize that the whole world is nothing but a watching crowd that will do nothing but send sympathizing words, or even condemning ones, this world, that decided to treat those refugees as unwelcome guests in many parts of it, or decided to consider them some kind of fungus that should be removed before it spreads. Refugees never thought their journey will last forever.

60 years of suffering, 60 years of descrimination, 60 years of opression, 60 years of war, 60 years of humiliation… seems like the tunnel Palestinians entered 60 years ago is way longer than what they’ve predicted, for there is no light, not even a spot of light they can see yet, they’ll have to just keep walking and walking and walking.