As the son of a native Gazan father and a mother who was forced to flee Safed in the upper Galilee, I am a product of both lineages. Recalling how my mom gave up her home, moving from one refugee camp to another, I was overwhelmed by sadness. For 75 years the refugees have been living in crowded refugee camps depending on United Nations Relief and Works Agency for food rations, education and health care.įour months ago, I had the chance to visit the city of Safed, now in Israel, where my mother’s house once stood.
In the tiny Gaza Strip, where 2.3 million Palestinians live, half of those are refugees from the newly founded state of Israel -and their descendants from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. But to those who think you are supporting my people by defending Hamas, please be aware: Your radical positions aren’t helping us. To all those protesting in support of the Palestinian people, thank you.