Raise the awareness!

I have to admit, alongside many other millions of people, I haven't understood the Israeli and Palestinian conflict for a long time. Aside from what I was taught at school and at home I hadn’t really expanded my knowledge on one of the most controversial issues on earth. Up until a few years ago..

Palestine - Israel, Israel - Palestine.. It's never good to hear about people being killed, bombs being thrown, having the rest of the world watching without actually knowing what's going on. In this case it doesn't matter whether you support the Israeli's or Palestinian's, I am pretty sure that every human being wants to live in peace. But we shouldn't stop to wonder who suffer most in this case and at what expense? Should we let our vision be polluted by the ongoing and false political discourse we get to hear in the media?
We're used to grabbing our remote control and changing the news to an amusing program over coffee or switch the radio off when it doesn't interest us. The greatest sin one can ever impose is to cut one another off of knowledge. The Israeli/Palestinian disinterest has been capturing our daily life for years. It seems as it has been an ongoing discourse on the same issue: Jews, Muslims - back and forth.. I can factually tell you that 20% of the whole 'Palestinian - Israeli issue' has to do with religion, the remaining 80% has to do with freedom, honesty and justice.

Do you believe me?

Awareness. That's where it starts. We have to know and share our knowledge with one another. Do you know that Palestine officially isn't acknowledged as a country? Do you know that the state of Israel has been founded in 1948 and Palestine has been under occupation since 1967. Do you know that people are still forced to leave their homes and properties in the name of the Israeli state under international support? Do you know that there are many separation walls between Israel and Palestine, that cut off thousands, if not millions of people to enter their own territory. Do you know that international laws are being inflicted upon the Israeli and Palestinians, when actually all they want is mutual peace. Do you know that many Palestinian Christians are forced to live in exile as well and are being discriminated by the Israeli government, while working closely with the Muslims? Do you know that thousands of students annually graduate in Palestine: but due to their lack of citizenship, the economic gap and shortage of work they are forced to work in other countries.

Did you know all of this?

Can we remember? Can we remember the Berlin separation wall and how awful this has been. People that have been living in separation and forced to pass checkpoints in order to enter the other side of the city? Can you imagine that the same method is being used in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza. Streets, areas and cities are divided in two: one for the Jewish and the other for Muslims. Armed militaries sitting in cubicles on many streets and judging you on your religion and appearance and having the right to decide on which side of the streets we may walk? Can you imagine this happening every day and NOT hearing about it on the news or being taught about in schools?

If we have managed to develop ourselves in a manner that we judge war, dishonesty and living in daily separation, then why do we accept this? Exactly, we shouldn't! Share this knowledge with others in order to raise awareness and open our minds for knowledge and change!