Thinking changes and progresses with each generation of leaders. Future generations learn from lessons of the past generations. Costly massive troop invasion is a thing of the past centuries.
I believe change will happen. It may not happen in our lifetime, but it surely will. China and Chinese will change. So will Israel and Palestine.
I was taught to hate Palestinians — until I met one
I grew up believing the Arabs wanted to throw us into the sea. Then I met a Palestinian from Gaza, and started to question everything I was ever taught.
Encountering Peace: Young Palestinians
THERE IS little belief that peace is on the horizon. The youth have little confidence in their own political leaders, and no confidence that the Arab world even cares about them. This is the generation that was witness to the rise and the fall of the Arab Spring, and the rise and death of ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In this age, the young generation are focusing on themselves. It is not that they have forgotten Palestine or that they are less nationalistic, they just don’t see the value in fighting for something which seems so remote at this time. Focusing on themselves means, first and foremost, having a good job and career – which means education.
The university and college population is constantly growing. The young Palestinians are focusing, like their Israeli cousins, on practical studies – engineering, math, science, computers, etc. The dream of a good-paying job in Israel is still very present, but no one dreams of washing Israeli cars or working in Rami Levy. Those are perhaps short-term dreams – but no young Palestinian goes to bed at night saying, “I want to work in an Israeli supermarket.” Many dream of leaving, of getting a job in Europe, America or the Gulf, but most know that will not happen.
Everyone is connected today – on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Twitter. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have at least one smartphone. There is free wi-fi in every coffee shop and nargila bar. All young people in Palestine spend a good part of their days with their faces glued to their smartphone screens. They are connected to each other, but they are also connected to the world outside. There are phone shops everywhere.
Fashion is also big time all over the West Bank, and much cheaper than in Israel. You can find shops in downtown Ramallah or anywhere in the West Bank that sell designer labels.
The most interesting thing that I see is what is happening to the young Palestinian women. The new generation of Palestinian women do not want to marry young, and they do not want to have a lot of children: they want to be educated and they want careers.
They want to succeed and to excel.
I am amazed by the rapidly growing number of young Palestinian women engineers and how savvy they are on computers. I think I have hundreds of them connected to me in LinkedIn. These young women are seeking and achieving their economic independence through their education. This is the most exciting thing happening in Palestinian society.