Issues Under Fire: Profile of a Palestinian Rock Thrower

Issues Under Fire: Profile of a Palestinian Rock Thrower  

Potentially throwing their lives away with every rock tossed, some teenaged Palestinian and Arab Israelis youth leave their homes in the morning with no intentions of going to classes. Some leave their homes after breakfast with the intention of joining a street protest. Some leave their homes in the mornings with the intent of violently confronting the authorities. Some leave their homes with the intent of stabbing a Jewish Israeli. 

While Western teens may grab some toast, juice, an iphone and a backpack running out of the door on the way to school, some Palestinian/Arab Israeli kids prepare themselves for battle before starting their day. Some Palestinian/Arab Israeli kids are grabbing knives and gasoline with dry rags. Some Palestinian/Arab Israeli kids are making sure they bring along something to cover their faces to hide identities and protect themselves from tear gas. 

Perhaps their mothers will give them a kiss, telling them to be careful and Allah will keep them safe. Unfortunately, kids are rarely careful and from this observer's experience, Allah like Jesus, is rarely around or paying attention when you need Him the most. So, they go out alone into the dangerous streets of the West Bank and East Jerusalem to fight an occupying force that couldn't be defeated with all the rocks, Molotov cocktails and burning tires in the world. They go knowing they may not return home at the end of the day. They go knowing there may be no home to return to at the end of the day. 

The Palestinian/Arab kids have to know they can be arrested and held indefinitely without charges for failing to follow instructions or leave certain areas when demanded to do so. The Palestinian/ Arab Israeli kids have to know they can be shot and crippled for life, if not killed instantly for participating in violent demonstrations. The Palestinian/Arab Israeli kid has to know their parent's home could be demolished if caught attacking an Israeli Jew. The Palestinian/ Arab kid has to know Israeli Jews have armed themselves and been given the green light to shoot at will. Surely, these Palestinian/Arab kids must be aware of the previous Intifada outcomes.  

Still, knowing all these things and worse, the Palestinian/Arab Israeli kid continue to risk what he/she have come to know as life, for something better. Considering all Palestinian/Arab Israeli kids know of life is poverty, institutionalized discrimination, lousy educational opportunities, second class citizenship, racial isolation and military occupation, one might understand why the Palestinian/Arab kid would throw his/her life away. 

Bottom line: The Palestinian/Arab Israeli kid's life isn't really worth much. Its not even a life worth living, let alone a life worth another generation repeating. Palestinian/Arab Israeli youth see yesterday looking like today and knowing tomorrow will look just like yesterday. After decades of living in degradation and hopelessness, while generation after generation succumb to the unrelenting pressures of the occupation, Palestinian/Arab Israeli youth have concluded they have nothing to lose, least of all a worthwhile life. Podcast below!