Opinion: As a Palestinian born in West Jersusalem, I’ve experienced ethnic cleansing twice – The San Diego Union-Tribune
Posted By admin on June 28, 2022
Khoury is a retired civil engineer and lives in Escondido.
The youngest of five siblings, I was born in the Musrara District of West Jerusalem in August 1946. My father, an Episcopalian, and my mother, a Greek Orthodox, both Jerusalemites, proudly traced their families in Jerusalem back at least 600 years. My father was a prominent lawyer who practiced in Jerusalem.
In late April 1948, while my eldest sister was playing with her girlfriend in the neighborhood, the Zionist Irgun Gang threw a bomb that resulted in her friends death. My sisters trauma prompted my father to take the family away from West Jerusalem (the site of mass slayings at Deir Yasin and Tantura) because of Zionist gangs (Haganah, Stern and Irgun). Expecting to return in a couple of weeks, he left his home and office intact. Then on May 15, 1948, the Nakba (catastrophe) took place when the Israelis occupied 78 percent of Palestine including West Jerusalem, where they forcibly expelled about 850,000 Palestinians to declare Israeli independence.
We provide this platform for community commentary free of charge. Thank you to all the Union-Tribune subscribers whose support makes our journalism possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider becoming one today.
My family, like many other Palestinian families, were prevented from returning to its home. It was my first ethnic cleansing incident. My father died in 1956, heartbroken and still carrying the keys to his office and home in West Jerusalem.
Imagine people coming to your home with drawn M-16 rifles and kicking you and your family out, claiming that 2,000 years ago God promised it to them as if God is in the real estate business. They demand that you leave immediately and take nothing with you or you would die. What would you do? If you are residing in your home right now, would you ever allow anyone to come and steal it from you?
In 1965, I graduated from high school and went to study at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon. Initially, I started in the pre-medics program with the dream of becoming a doctor, to join two siblings studying medicine and to build a family practice and a hospital in East Jerusalem. However, in June 1967, the Israeli forces attacked and occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula. This occupation severed me from my family and dictated a change of plans, I went from studying medicine to studying engineering. As an honor list student, I obtained a scholarship from the engineering school.
After its occupation of the West Bank, Israel conducted a count of residents in the West Bank. Against international laws, it declared all those outside as absentees who could never return. Israels motives then and now were to ethnically cleanse the land and confiscate properties of those not residing there by using the Absentee Property Law decreed in 1950. Homes and properties of all those absent were declared Israeli property.
As with many Palestinian families, I and a couple of my siblings were not counted because we were studying in Lebanon. We could not return to the occupied West Bank or East Jerusalem, even to visit my mother, other siblings or extended family members. We could not enjoy, attend or pay condolences. We missed weddings, baby deliveries and deaths. I was not even able to visit my fathers grave to pray for his soul. The Israeli occupiers would not even allow us to bury our loved ones in Jerusalem. Many of our relatives who died outside, such as my mother, my uncles and brother-in-law, and other family members rest in temporary mausoleums in Jordan. More than anything, we want to bury my mother next to my father, where she always wished and wanted.
Upon graduating from the American University in Beirut, I moved to the U.S. to pursue a masters degree in engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Following that, I worked in the Middle East for 13 years, where I could see my mother, siblings, cousins and friends but only if we agreed to meet in Spain, Greece or Jordan. Imagine yourself as a San Diegan only allowed to see your mother or siblings from Riverside if everyone flies to London.
During that period, my brother, a surgeon, became a U.S. citizen and was able to sponsor me, and I returned to California as an immigrant.
I became a U.S. citizen about 30 years after my second ethnic cleansing and once I had an American passport, after hours of search and interrogation by Israeli authorities, I finally visited my family in Jerusalem, allowed only as a tourist.
I shall never forget what happened to me, and its hard to forgive those responsible for our endless suffering. I have many grandchildren in San Diego, and we yearn for the freedom to visit our beloved Palestine. We shall not forget.
Read more:
- Only a Radical Two-state Solution Will Solve the Israel-Palestine Problem - Opinion - Haaretz - September 24th, 2023
- Is online retailer Amazon cracking down on the sale of pro-Palestine ... - MR Online - September 24th, 2023
- Executive Order on Ensuring the People of East Palestine Are ... - The White House - September 24th, 2023
- Palestine (State of) | General Assembly - General Assembly of the United Nations General Debate - September 24th, 2023
- 5 Things to Know About the Palestine Writes Event at Penn and ... - American Jewish Committee - September 24th, 2023
- Brown Returns to East Palestine to Visit Health Clinic - Senator Sherrod Brown - September 24th, 2023
- Groundbreaking in East Palestine; Investments on Route 422 - businessjournaldaily.com - September 24th, 2023
- Palestine participates in the Asian Games in China - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - September 24th, 2023
- Palestine rescue team sent to flood-hit Libya for urgent action and ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - September 24th, 2023
- Playing for Palestine: Former captain of Israel's youth soccer team explains why he switched nationalities - Ynetnews - September 18th, 2023
- Giant artwork of the Moon to be installed in Palestine's Aida camp - The National - September 18th, 2023
- Palestine wins battle of the Wildcats, downs Prosper Walnut Grove ... - Palestine Herald Press - September 18th, 2023
- Ireland, Israel and Palestine: how politics and history have created a ... - TheJournal.ie - September 18th, 2023
- Aya Khatib, a Palestinian mother of two, begins to serve four years ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - September 18th, 2023
- Growing up Palestinian after the Oslo Accords | Israel-Palestine ... - September 14th, 2023
- Pasts That Persist: Perspectives from Iraq and Palestine Peace ... - Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) - September 14th, 2023
- How Labor Shortages Affect Housing And Us & Them Takes Us To East Palestine, This West Virginia Morning - West Virginia Public Broadcasting - September 14th, 2023
- A new vision of Palestine: reviewing 'In the Shade of the Sun' - Mondoweiss - September 14th, 2023
- Increase in the price of vegetables, poultry, and diesel pushes up ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - September 14th, 2023
- UNESCO to vote on Ancient Jericho joining World Heritage list as site in Palestine - The Times of Israel - September 5th, 2023
- Reading the Minutes From the Israel-Palestine Oslo Accords Is Depressing - Opinion - Haaretz - September 5th, 2023
- Palestine criticizes U.S. for inaction on Israeli violations in West Bank - Xinhua - September 5th, 2023
- Grandmother still living in hotel 7 months after East Palestine train ... - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - September 5th, 2023
- Biden's press secretary: 'The President will go to East Palestine' - WFMJ - September 5th, 2023
- The fruits of Palestine and their symbolism - Al Jazeera English - September 5th, 2023
- Increase of 2.68% in the industrial production index in Palestine ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - September 5th, 2023
- What East Texans think Labor day means while celebrating on Lake Palestine - KETK | FOX51 | EastTexasMatters.com - September 5th, 2023
- Young People Express Solidarity With Palestine While the West ... - The Glasgow Guardian - September 5th, 2023
- Autumn 2023 call to action: join us in Palestine during the olive harvest - International Solidarity Movement - September 5th, 2023
- Michel Martin heads to Israel and Palestine to discuss politics and ... - TheJournal.ie - September 5th, 2023
- King Abdullah and Abbas reject Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine - Arutz Sheva - September 5th, 2023
- Is BRICS really the lifeline Palestine needs? - Al Jazeera English - August 30th, 2023
- Palestine hails Libya's stance of refusing to normalize relations with Israel - Anadolu Agency | English - August 30th, 2023
- Palestine: 1 Dead After Fight Erupts Between Civilians And Security Forces In West Bank Refugee Camp - Outlook India - August 30th, 2023
- The Palestinian leader who survived the death of Palestine - The Times of Israel - August 30th, 2023
- Foreign aid has been a tool of suppression in Palestine - The New Arab - August 30th, 2023
- UK seeking to block ICJ ruling on Israeli occupation of Palestine - The Guardian - August 30th, 2023
- Festival of Radical Thinking: Palestine: From Colonisation to ... - Honi Soit - August 30th, 2023
- Venezuela promotes its diplomatic representation to Palestine from a representative office to embassy - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - August 20th, 2023
- Norfolk Southern riddled with safety issues before toxic East Palestine crash - People's World - August 20th, 2023
- SA out of step with BRICS on relations with Israel and Palestine - Daily Maverick - August 20th, 2023
- The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of ... - Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - August 20th, 2023
- New Palestine Convention on tap tonight; top 5 winners will be on ... - Greenfield Daily Reporter - August 20th, 2023
- New school year starts for some in Palestine while the rest to start ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - August 20th, 2023
- Cleveland researchers launch study of long-term health impacts from East Palestine toxic spill, but where is - cleveland.com - August 20th, 2023
- I was Israels most senior diplomat. I urge Australia to recognise the ... - August 14th, 2023
- Benjamin Netanyahu's Judicial Reform Is About Supercharging the Occupation of Palestine - Jacobin magazine - August 14th, 2023
- Academic Freedom and Palestine: Threats and Trends - Arab Center Washington DC - August 14th, 2023
- Fadwa Tuqan was the fearless voice of Palestine in times of strife - Middle East Monitor - August 14th, 2023
- East Palestine Eagles drive thru dinner | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review - August 14th, 2023
- From Afghanistan to East Palestine and Hawaii, Biden's pattern of ... - Washington Examiner - August 14th, 2023
- Palestine boy who received life-changing prosthetic in Michigan returns home to Gaza in emotional farewell - CBS News - August 14th, 2023
- Palestine: Enhancing the safety of women journalists in the ... - International Federation of Journalists - August 14th, 2023
- Norfolk Southern announces plans to open permanent field office in East Palestine - CBS News - August 14th, 2023
- Increase in the prices of vegetables and fruits brings up consumer ... - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - August 14th, 2023
- The Palestinian Leader Who Survived the Death of Palestine - August 1st, 2023
- Weaponising water in Palestine | Israel-Palestine conflict - Al Jazeera - August 1st, 2023
- The Palestinian Leader Who Survived the Death of Palestine - Foreign Policy - August 1st, 2023
- 'I owe it to the citizens' East Palestine mayor talks about his ... - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - August 1st, 2023
- Young Americans Are Swinging Toward Palestines Cause - July 26th, 2023
- Israeli forces are increasing attacks on healthcare workers in Palestine - July 26th, 2023
- The Palestine Red Crescent Society Warns of the Serious Attacks ... - ReliefWeb - July 26th, 2023
- Meaning of Solidarity in the Time of a New Palestine - CounterPunch - July 26th, 2023
- UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine: Israel has turned all of Palestine into 'an open-air prison' to further annexation plans - Mondoweiss - July 16th, 2023
- Pakistan, Palestine and the World Court - Human Rights Watch - July 16th, 2023
- Navigating The Complexities Of The Israel-Palestine Conflict OpEd - Eurasia Review - July 16th, 2023
- Officials with New Palestine approve annexation of land for future ... - Greenfield Daily Reporter - July 16th, 2023
- It is time for Ireland to lead the way on Palestine, says TD - Anglo Celt - July 16th, 2023
- Contested Statehood and Jurisdiction: Palestine and the Mangisto ... - EJIL: Talk! - July 11th, 2023
- Jordan, Palestine to boost trade and investment - Arab News - July 11th, 2023
- Good to help: East Palestine getting state-of-the-art fire truck in wake of train derailment - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland - July 11th, 2023
- Concession stand open in East Palestine | News, Sports, Jobs - SalemNews.net - July 11th, 2023
- UN condemns Israels use of excessive force in attack on Palestine - The Guardian - July 7th, 2023
- Israel-Palestine: What the raid on Jenin signals about the future of the conflict - Vox.com - July 7th, 2023
- Israel/Palestine one of the few Middle East areas getting less stable - GZERO Media - July 7th, 2023
- What the raid on Jenin says about the future of Israel and Palestine ... - The Guardian - July 7th, 2023
- Visit of Secretary (CPV and OIA) to Palestine - Ministry of External Affairs - July 7th, 2023
- Nour Odeh discusses Why and How Israel Invaded Jenin Palestine - WMNF - July 7th, 2023
- In Dialogue with the State of Palestine, Experts of the Human Rights ... - OHCHR - July 7th, 2023
- Reporting and Proposal Development Officer - Palestine - occupied ... - ReliefWeb - July 7th, 2023
Comments