Dignity — the mark of cultural integrity

It’s possible to catch glimpses of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and see a social reality whose nature is transparent without any need for historical context — a social reality that contrasts dignity and its absence.

The following videos from B’Tselem, an Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, show Palestinian families in Hebron who are being imprisoned in their own homes in order to provide “freedom” for Jewish settlers. The settlers, who are quite explicit about their intent to drive their neighbors out, treat them worse than animals — and yet the Palestinians retain their dignity.

The undiluted contempt and arrogance displayed by both settlers and Israeli soldiers reveals their own lack of self-respect. It exudes an utter indifference to how they will be perceived outside their own small tribe. They have, in short, cut themselves off from humanity. They enjoy the comfort of the pariah who has abandoned any hope for human embrace.

(H/t Mondoweiss)

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One thought on “Dignity — the mark of cultural integrity

  1. Eleonora

    I am simply shocked! The swear word this settler women uses – sharmoota – is one of the worst one can use in Arabic. I was still of the believe that the settlers are misguided in their fanaticism but I would not have believed that they stoop down to this level although one hears stories abound. But seeing and hearing it is quite different.

    One has to be thankful to B’tselem for all what they do.

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