Jackie’s Testimony
Jackie is a third-generation Palestinian living in the diaspora. Despite never having traveled to Palestine, she is deeply passionate about the Palestinian cause and is very active in the pro-Palestinian movement, especially through education and online advocaty. Her testimony is shared here in anonymous transcribed form for safety purposes.
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What’s your name?
Jackie.
And what is your connection to Palestine?
My grandfather was Palestinian, and he arrived here when he was about ten years old.
And is that important to you?
Very much so.
Why?
Because it’s my heritage, and independent from that, it’s a case of fairness. Even if I didn’t have any Palestinian blood, I would support a fair cause.
Did you talk about Palestine growing up?
Yes, yes, my father always talked about it. He got very upset whenever he spoke about it.
So it was always on your mind?
Always.
And do you talk to your kids about it now?
Yes, I talk to them. But, they also receive information from the press, which is not always the full truth. So, I try to teach them so that they know the truth. Because what is happening with Palestine is history — it’s not some legend that you need to discuss about — it’s just history.
So, you post a lot about it on social media.
Yes.
And are you ever scared to post about it?
No, because I am in Peru. If I were in the USA, then I would be scared. I want to add truth to the media, more than claims. My purpose is for people to get informed about what is the real situation.
And how would you describe the situation?
How would I describe the situation? There were Palestinians living in Palestine since way before 1948. And it was controlled by the British because of the mandate. And, because of the results of the second World War, they decided to give our Palestinian land to the European Jews. So, this part of the history. They came to Palestine, they occupied the land with the support of most of the Western countries. And the Palestinian people have been reduced to small parcels of land, and most of it is occupied right now. So that’s the situation.
When you post or talk about it, do you ever receive backlash or criticism from people?
Not really, because the people that I speak to about it are my friends, so most of them ask me to tell them what happened because they always say “it’s very complicated,” you know, so I try to summarize it and explain that it’s not complicated, and that it’s the same thing that happened in Africa, or in America, when the Spanish came, or whatever. It’s just colonization.
Are most of your friends receptive?
They just listen, but they don’t make any comments. They prefer to stay in the middle, even in Peru. Actually one of my best friends, who is from Palestine, [name], his daughter is working for [company] in [place] right now, and her boyfriend is Jewish. So I said to him: “Why do you never post anything related to Palestine?” And he said because of my daughter. She’s in love with a Jew, and you know she already got a lot of pressure from the daughters, and from other parts of the family. And I don’t want to put her against the wall, even though the boyfriend posts pro-Zionists posts. My friend prefers to stay in the middle and not post anything.
The boyfriend is a Zionist?
Yeah.
And the daughter doesn’t say anything?
She’s in love. And she’s 19 or 20 or something. I don’t know. But she’s in love. And she must be — I just don’t know.
What would you to say to the people who think it’s a conflict between Muslims and Jews?
Not at all. Not at all. It’s a conflict of power and money, to give land to the people it doesn’t belong to.
And are you ever afraid of being called anti-Semitic?
No, I’m not. No, I’m telling the truth, so why would I be anti-Semitic? I am anti-Zionist, but I’m not anti-Semitic. So, that is stupid — to call me anti-Semitic.
Have you been to Palestine?
No. I wish.
You would like to go?
Yes. First of all, I would like to go to Beit Jala, where my grandfather was from, and then to Jerusalem, to Nazareth, and all the places that Jesus appeared. I mean, it’s a very small country, so any place would be nice to visit.
For you, what would a Free Palestine look like?
The whole place, the whole land; it was Palestine, and it should be Palestine right now. I have no problem if there are Jews who want to live there. But the land is Palestine. They should be allowed to live there peacefully, but the country is Palestine, and both populations should be free and must have the same rights.
How do you maintain hope for a free Palestine?
Actually, I have a lot of hope because of what is happening now. During my lifetime have I never seen so many people calling for a free Palestine. So many people that are not Palestinian. So I keep my hopes high, because of all the information that the population is receiving right now. I believe in the kindness of people, so I believe that people are kind, and if we all work together we can attain the freedom of the Palestinian people, which I really, really hope to do in my lifetime, so I can visit Palestine. That’s one of my biggest dreams in life.
How would you encourage people who maybe don’t know enough? What would you encourage them to do?
To read — to read books about it. To follow websites. It’s the same way that I learned about it. Because I learned from my dad, but I didn’t recall that much. And, actually, I learned a lot during this genocide, more than any other time of my life. So, if you follow the correct websites, not only CNN and BBC, you know, which tell you one part of the story, or the story they want to tell. But, if you read other websites: French ones, Spanish ones, and ones from Palestine, from the people themselves, that are suffering over there, you know, then you can make up your mind, make your own decision, you know.
Yeah, that makes sense. Why do you think that some Palestinian people in the diaspora are less involved than others?
I believe they prefer not to get involved with problems – being involved with Palestine right now still means getting involved with problems, especially if you have kids living in the U.S.A. or you have — for example, a friend of mine, he has a lot of business with Zionist Jews. He doesn’t want to mess with his business, right. So, sometimes people prefer their own convenience over the truth and a better world for everybody, not just for themselves.
Was your dad always open about being Palestinian with his friends?
Yes, always.
Do you think that made him a good role model for your activism?
Yes, yes.
Is there anything you’d want to say to the world or to the US/Israel specifically?
I would like to say that Palestinians are just victims. We are not the terrorists, we are the victims. The terrorists are the ones that have killed people just to get land that doesn’t belong to them. So open your eyes and see the real truth.