لحظة ادراك

A Letter from a Palestinian Citizen to Those Seeking to Change the Face of the Middle East

The Duo of Folly and Political Fraud: Benjamin Netanyahu & Donald Trump

We have a Palestinian saying: “It would be easier to dig a well with a needle than to convince a fool of an idea.” That’s when there’s only one fool. But what if there are two fools? Worse yet, what happens when these two are not only fools but also con artists? Imagine two merchants: one markets expired goods with forged expiration dates, while the other writes checks without any balance to back them up. Their entire trade relies on duping fools—one to accept the goods, the other to accept the worthless checks. But in an age of media deception, they will undoubtedly find some gullible buyers.

Before uttering grandiose claims, both of you should revisit the history of the Middle East—or, as you like to call it, the "Near East"—going back 5,000 years BCE. Your Polish and German roots and Manhattan lifestyles have blinded you from truly understanding this region whose face you seek to change. What I’ll say will surely defy the norms of your think tanks and research centers—Western institutions steeped in deception, teaching the art of skirting the law under the guise of legality. You need to study the history of the Sumerians, Assyrians, Pharaohs, Chaldeans, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Canaanites, and a long chain of civilizations that shaped this land. You must explore the history of religions, beliefs, and rituals, both ancient and modern. You must dive into historical legacies, customs, and traditions—their formations and transformations.

We created most of humanity’s gods. We left nothing un-worshipped. When the allure of one god faded, we created another. We even made gods out of dates and consumed them when hunger struck. Every prophet and messenger of monotheism passed through here. Every holy place you believe in and follow was born here.

We fight wars with instinct, traditions, and mysticism—not science, not the laws of war, not weapons, and not circumstance. We burned our ships on Europe’s shores so no one among us could retreat. We fought a war for 40 years over a camel, yet slaughter a hundred at our feasts.

We worship myth and immortalize it. We built immortality projects for myths. The pyramids—constructed with three million stones, each weighing three tons—were tombs for our gods. We lit candles, burned incense, and threw our finest maidens into rivers to appease them.

Our alliances follow desire, not interest. Our partnerships shift with the whims of those in power. We can change alliances faster than we change clothes, even if the new allies bring worse evils than the last.

We still hold grudges over the crucifixion. After 2,000 years, we still harbor resentments about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, doubting his message and loathing his followers. We even debate whether he was crucified at all.

We whip ourselves with chains of iron. To this day, we shed our blood in self-punishment for failing an event 1,400 years ago. We send armies to protect shrines and prevent imagined desecration, even as the dead inside rest eternally.

We have no word for ‘defeat.’ Across our ancient and modern languages, the word "defeat" does not exist. If it occurs, we invent new terms—tragedy, catastrophe, calamity, setback—but never "defeat." The concept has no place in our heritage, even if the alternatives carry heavier meanings.

Our definitions of modern life are unique. Democracy, citizenship, freedoms, and the relationship between the sacred and the state—all are concepts we redefine to align with our desires, even against the majority’s will.

We idolize the hero, even to our detriment. We cannot live without the image of the popular hero, even if he leads us to ruin. Conversely, we despise anyone who deviates from our collective, even if they achieve everything for us.

We bend the sacred to suit our wars. We remember our mothers’ and fathers’ advice more than our holy texts. We recall Hammurabi’s Code more vividly than our constitutions.

We draw energy from invisible forces. We often define these unseen powers through our sacred texts or inherited traditions, believing they will rescue us from crises. If they do, we feel validated; if not, we blame ourselves for unworthiness and vow to try harder.

We search for Solomon’s Temple. For over 2,500 years, we’ve been hunting for remnants of a temple built by Solomon, shattered menorahs, and the bones of sacrificial offerings in the sacred land.

We love flattery but hate the truth. We adore those who publicly praise us, even if they secretly despise us. We detest anyone who confronts us with the harsh truth, labeling them a traitor.

Each of these points could take you a lifetime to fully understand. The East’s magic, civilizations, myths, stories, heritage, and sanctities are beyond your grasp. As for today’s reality—what you see through your diplomats, intelligence reports, and high-level meetings—you should discard it entirely. Let me illustrate how little you know about the East through examples from the latest chapter of its ongoing fires:

• October 7: We told you we fight with instinct and mysticism. You believed Gaza to be a dormant front, yet you rested peacefully beside a powder keg filled with every reason to explode.
• Victory and Defeat: Even amidst devastation, we frame losses as tactical setbacks. Soon, we will celebrate a great victory, raise flags over ruins, and parade amidst our dead, turning destruction into an eternal legacy.
• The Popular Hero: Your falsified narratives only strengthen our heroes, immortalizing them in collective memory as symbols of defiance, even with nothing left but wooden sticks.
• The Crucifixion: Remember that during the Holy Saturday in Jerusalem, Christian worshippers are spat on by Jewish youths. This grudge spans millennia.
• Sacred Sites: Your desecration of Islamic holy sites ignited the flames you now see.

We, in the East, disagree on everything except Palestine. Across civilizations, cultures, and religions, Palestine remains the cornerstone of peace and war. Your efforts to alter the region cannot override the collective memory of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Arabia, or Persia regarding Palestine. These people may differ on leadership or tactics, but they unite around Jerusalem.

So, Mr. Netanyahu, the expired goods you and Trump tried to sell during the first round—calling it the "Deal of the Century," declaring Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as Israeli, and relocating embassies—are worthless. The check your partner signed in bold black letters was as empty as the ink it was written with.

Leave the East to its people. If you insist on meddling, know this: the East knows you too well.