Politics

“We will return” those keys are symbolic to the Palestinian Nation … They represent houses in Palestine that once were left & locked and when returned to, locks were changed & strangers were living in the homes of ours. Those keys are symbolic to our hearts and souls, they represent the evasion of our homes, identity & land, those keys represent our rights of return… Those keys are the original keys to homes that we only left because we were forced to, because our ancestors feared the lives of their children who today are our grandparents who gave birth to our parents & to us with a lost identity. Those keys are our keys back in search of our identity .. The Palestinian identity the Palestinian culture… Thousands of homes that are stolen are still stolen today by the Israeli goverment… And we ‘the Palestinians’ are staying here, on earth, we are going nowhere and we will carry those keys around forever telling our stories over & over until our rights return. To a Free Palestine, a Free World💚

Your morning is my morning only if you ask about me or express a loving expression. Here we are in the lands of Palestine being mistreated by occupiers who claim that this is their land. We have no power, no army, & without an established leadership. We don’t mind them living with us but they mind us living in the lands of our ancestors. They came yesterday, we were always here.

Ask about me. Even if you are so very far away from me… You give me positive energy, you remind me of hope, love and unity. Ask about me… If you are a Palestinian inside Palestine, in the occupied territories or in the semi occupied “known as the West Bank” surrounded by settlers from all angles… Ask about me if you’re in Jordan, Lebanon or Syria … ask about me if your anywhere far around the World … If you are a Palestinian or not… Just ask about me… We are the people of the land but today we have no land & we are being discriminated, living a tough life.

Am a oldman, about 90 years old living in Hebron & I am being mistreated for being a Palestinian Arab, am not welcomed to walk by our Mediterranean sea, RedSea or DeadSea, nor am I allowed to go pray in AlAqsa nor in the Holly Sepulcher that is just right about half an hour drive from here to Jerusalem – so I ask you to please just ask about me. The Palestinian old man or woman who have witnessed the life before the 1948, when the Jews were migrating & we were more than welcoming, when the Jews fought the British & we had no idea that all they wanted to do was to create a Jewish State of Israel in the lands of Palestine; were we all used to live together in peace, practicing all kinds of Religion.

Ask about me who witnessed half or more of our population get evacuated from the massacres & the terror they have brought to our lives & they kicked out the people in Yafa & Haifa without a choice of surviving the one-sided war they brought into us. Ask about me, who held on to the land & is now suffering unjustly. Racism is all over we are being treated like savages, and you will never know until you ask about me.

For a Free Palestine a Self Portrait taken in Hebron.

إسأل عني اليوم الصبح او بكرة. إسأل عن الزلمة او المرآه الي لساتهم على وجه الاراضي الفلسطنية المحتلة. عم بعملونا بأسوة و حرمان و نحنا لساتنا متمسكين بأراضينا. الي هيه ارضي و ارضك من غير قيادة او جيش لتحميها و ما في حادا عارف كيف يحريرها. إسأل عني الي عشيت مع كل الاجناس و الديانات و كنا عايشين، انا ما كان عندي مشكلة بوجود اليهود بس هومة كان عندهم مشكلة بوجودنا الي هوه وجود اجداد اجدادي و هومة ما صرلهم يومين هون و بسموها اراضيهم و مانعين عنا الحرية في اراضينا.

إسأل عني، وين ما كنت. بأراضي فليسطين المحتلة او شبه محتله، ما يتاسما في الشامل، المثلث او الضفة بس إسأل عني. ازا كنت بل أردن، ب لبنان، او سوريا، إسأل عني. ازا كنت فلسطيني او لأ اي مكان بل عالم حاتا، فإسأل عني. حسسني بوجودك، بأني بخطر على بالك، بس إسأل عني. رجعلي شعور الأمل، الحب و الوطنية. نحنا أهل هل أرض بس عايشن بلا أرض و العنصرية علينا على أرضنا نحنا و ما حادا داري بمشاعرنا و معاناتنا.

انا زلمة ختيار بيجي عمري شي ٩٠سنة، من الخليل و بتعزب لأني فلسطيني و عربي. لا بأدر ازور بحرنا المتوسط ولا الأحمر، و لا البحر الميت ولا بأدر اروح اصلي بل أقصى ولا بكنيسة القبامة الي ما بيجو ابو نص ساعا سواقة من الخليل للقدس.

إسأل عني… انا الختيار او هل ختيارة الي عشنا قبل ١٩٤٨ و شفنا اليهود و هما بهاجروا عبلادنا، و الله انو استقبلناهم و اهلنا فيهم و رحبنا، ما كان عنا ادنا فكرة انو رح يهاجموا البريطان و يهاجموا اهل هل بلد الفلسطنية، من مجازر، لا تفجيرات، طرادوا اهل يافا و حيفا من بيوتهم بل غصب. لو قرارهم كان يتمسكوا لو حاتا بل موت، طارادوهم خصبن عنهم. و اليوم ازا بتسأل اليهود ف بقلولك همه هربوا هريبة، بس هيني انا بل خليل و حياتي جحيم. العنصرية كتيرة و الحياة ابدن مش سهلة و انت ما عمرك رح تفهم او تعرف الا ازا بتلحأني ابل ما اموت و بتسأل عني.

لأرض بلا شعب، و شعب بلا أرض… لفلسطين حرة، صورت ختيار في الخليل.