[News] The fight for dignity: Reshaping Gaza’s post-war narrative

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 The fight for dignity: Reshaping Gaza’s post-war narrative
By Ramzy Baroud <https://english.palinfo.com/?p=250012>

Sunday 19-January-2025
<https://english.palinfo.com/opinion_articles/the-fight-for-dignity-reshaping-gazas-post-war-narrative/#>
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Following every Israeli war on Gaza, numerous narratives emerge. Some claim
victory for one side and defeat for the other, while others – knowingly or
unknowingly – attempt to exploit the aftermath for their own purposes.

The latter is not always nefarious, as the humanitarian calamities
resulting from Israel’s actions are undeniable – especially as Israel and
its allies often use aid to Palestinians as bargaining chips for political
concessions or to exert pressure on the Strip and its leadership.

This dynamic often results in the exploitation of Palestinian suffering to
raise funds, sometimes by organizations with high overhead costs, leaving
independent researchers puzzled over the discrepancies between the funds
collected and the funds allocated.

Additionally, Gaza lacks an independent commission to track all received
funds and their usage, which leads to controversies and public accusations
at times.


*Exploiting Gaza*However, this is a topic for another discussion. The issue
at hand here is the portrayal of Gaza’s victims – particularly children –
without dignity or respect for their privacy, all in the name of helping
Palestinian victims.

Throughout the latest Israeli assault on Gaza, the desperation of many
Palestinian families, faced with famine and extermination, led them to seek
help from international donors, often turning to online donation platforms.

Many of these personal fundraisers were, of course, legitimate, as Gaza was
entirely pushed past the point of starvation. Yet, suspicious accounts also
appeared, raising money for individuals – real or imagined – who had not
sought assistance.

Perhaps future researchers will uncover how Gaza has been exploited by
online profiteers and determine how to regulate such practices.

We hesitated to raise this issue during the war, fearing that a single
misstep could have dire consequences for an individual or a family. Now
that a ceasefire has been signed, it is crucial to open the conversation to
scrutiny.


*Reclaiming the narrative*The latest Israeli war on Gaza was not ordinary,
but then, no previous wars have been anything but destructive and lethal.
For Israel, it was a genocide – a war aimed at exterminating Gaza’s
population through mass killings and driving the survivors into Egypt.

Thanks to the legendary steadfastness of Gaza’s resistance and the
unbending spirit of its people, Israel failed. As Israeli writer David K.
Rees said: “For the first time, Israel just lost a war”

This is the Gaza that most Palestinians want us to know and remember – a
symbol of collective strength and resistance. Their hope is that this
message can reverberate around the world, not only to elevate the
centrality of Gaza and Palestine in all political discourse but also to
inspire oppressed groups globally to fight for their rights
unapologetically.

Sadly, though sometimes understandably, that message is not one many are
eager to champion.

Many will continue to see Palestinians only as victims. While this
narrative may hold Israel accountable for its genocide, it fails to
recognise the agency Palestinians have earned and deserve.

However, at times, this viewpoint can be understandable, especially in
charitable causes, where the immediate need for aid must be addressed. Yet,
it is possible to strike a balance – between meeting the urgent needs of
victims and honoring their dignity, resilience and collective power.


*Not hapless victims*The exploitation of Palestinians, especially their
children, as tools for fundraising must end. Gaza’s children, many of whom
are amputees, should not be paraded in the most degrading manner to appeal
to wealthy donors. The world already knows what Israel has done to the
Palestinian people – especially the children of Gaza, who suffer the
highest rate of child amputations globally.

This is not to deny the suffering. We are proud and humbled by every
Palestinian child – whether martyred, injured, amputated, or emotionally
scarred. However, instead of portraying them as helpless victims, we must
celebrate them as poets, artists, reporters and representatives of their
people.

The time has come for a new narrative, one fundamentally different from
those that have emerged in the wake of previous wars. The new narrative
must position Gaza as the heart of the Palestinian struggle, as a model for
humanity, and as the central path for the liberation of Palestine – which,
thanks to Gaza, now seems closer than ever.


*Don’t help Israel*To betray this fact is to betray Gaza and all its
sacrifices. A victim-only narrative that ignores the larger political
context risks undoing the gains made by Palestinian popular resistance in
Gaza and inadvertently helping Israel reintroduce a fear-driven discourse.
After 15 months of relentless genocide, Israel has failed to instil fear in
Gaza’s population – and it must not succeed in rebuilding it.

Yes, we must spare no effort to help Gaza rebuild and resume its historical
role as the leader of the Palestinian liberation movement. But we must do
so with sensitivity, compassion, and above all, respect for Gaza and its
unparalleled sacrifices.

*-Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of the Palestine Chronicle.
He is the author of five books. His latest is ‘These Chains Will Be Broken:
Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons’. Baroud is
a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global
Affairs (CIGA) and also at the Afro-Middle East Center (AMEC).*
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