The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been raging for several decades eliciting different opinions about its legitimacy and consequences. Most of the opinions provided about the conflict are based on ideas derived from the media and public figures. However, understanding the truth and how this has affected the people in the region relies on exploring the experiences of these people. Naim Stifan Ateek in his book Justice and Only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation, narrates and discusses the political, social, economic, and personal issues that he and other Palestinians have experienced during the Israel-Palestine conflict. In this analysis, I present my experience with the book as well as exploring the text to better understand the experiences of Palestinians with the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The analysis provides a new understanding of the conflict and also explores the author’s arguments in calling for justice for Palestinians evicted from their homes and living under Zionist rule in Israel.
The author of the book, Naim Stifan Ateek, describes himself using words that bring both controversial and stereotypical ideas to mind. He describes himself as a Christian, Palestinian, Arab, and an Israeli. Reading this description about a single individual brought questions to mind on how this is possible. Originally, hearing the terms ‘Arab’ or ‘Palestinian’ often brought the impression of a Muslim to mind. However, Ateek proceeds to melt these stereotypes by describing his credibility as a Christian who is a Palestinian and an Arab. He states that his faith is grounded in his ancestry, which dates back to the rise of Christianity in the Middle East- the home of the Christian faith. He also affirms his belief in his identity and how this plays a role in his call for justice for all Palestinians. My interest in the views of the author on the crisis in the Middle East was arisen and I wanted to know more about the situation. Ateek presents arguments that are based on emotional, logical, and ethical appeal, which were instrumental in asserting his truthfulness and enhancing my convictions in his point of view with regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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Ateek uses emotional appeal at the beginning of his book to draw the interest of the reader to his writing. The first chapter of the book introduces the reader to the writer and his personal experience as a Palestinian Christian who was forced to seek refuge in Nazareth and eventually become an Israeli. In this chapter, the personal experience that the author narrates- with regard to his family and the Zionist forces- elicits feelings of anger and sympathy at the same time. Reading the chapter, at first, made me interested in the reasons behind the actions of the Zionists in occupying and displacing the people of the town of Beisan. However, as I read on and understood the situation I felt anger rising on the injustices being committed.
My original view of the Israel-Palestinian conflict was sympathetic to Israel. I have always believed that Israel was the victim in the war and deserved to get the land in contest as well as a right to fulfill their destiny as the Holy Nation. This view was informed by the continued support provided by the United States and other developed countries to Israel to propagate their agenda of peace in the Middle East. However, reading Ateek’s book brought a change to my beliefs because he presents new perspective, which includes the Palestinian in the picture. A significant fact in the public discussions about the conflict in mainstream media is the perspective of the Palestinians and whether they are victims or perpetrators of the war. Ateek shades light to this question in his account of the start of the war in the second and following chapters. Nevertheless, considering the first chapter, the cruelty with which the Zionist Forces evicted Palestinian residents from their homes made me change my support for Israel in favor of Palestine. Ateek’s account of their life as Palestinians in the following excerpt aided in my decision to contradict my original opinion:
Some members of both the Muslim and Christian communities fled their homes, horrified when news of what the Jewish soldiers had done in Deir Yasin reached them … when the soldiers occupied it, they massacred 254 persons, including women and children and threw their bodies in a well. (p. 7)
The quote above illustrates the turmoil that encompassed the experiences of Palestinians when they were invaded by the Zionist forces. The information that they heard concerning the actions of the Zionist forces in a different town in Palestine created fear and forced residents of Beisan to flee their homes. The account given in the excerpt paint a vivid picture of the cruelty that the Zionists were capable of in their quest to gain control of the towns and settle Israelites in Palestine.
Apart from the emotional appeal used by Ateek in the text, he exerts both ethical and logical appeal in his writing. He presents a description of his life before the Zionist insertion and even after to gain credibility for his writing. Having first-hand experience with the conflict asserts the authority of the writer and makes his writing to be valuable and believable. Understanding the position of the author in the situation helped to enhance my interest in his book.
An outstanding attribute of the passages in Ateek’s book is the use of logic to present his arguments. Although the writer helped in changing my view of the Israel-Palestine war, I was interested in getting facts and figures that support my new point of view. The author does not disappoint in this aspect as his writing is full of logical arguments and facts to illustrate his opinions. He provides specific dates when different events occurred and also presents data to illustrate his points. For instance, when describing the assumptions of Zionists and their supporters on the rights of Jews to occupy Palestine, Ateek uses the population of Palestinians and Jews who were inhabiting the country before the decision to settle Jews in the country. This is illustrated in the quote below from the book.
In the 1880s, Palestine had an Arab population of no less than six hundred thousand, while by the beginning of this century the number of Jewish settlers did not exceed fifty thousand. (p. 27)
Another passage that appeals to logic and supports Ateek’s arguments against the partition of Palestine and the settlement of Jews in Palestine is presented in the passage below:
It seemed illogical as well as tragic to the Arabs that the Jews, who owned about 6 percent of the total land area of Palestine and comprised only 33 percent of the population, were granted a state consisting of over 56 percent of the country. (p. 30)
Justice and Only Justice is a call for justice for the Palestinian people from a theological and political point of view. Ateek uses his own personal experience to draw the reader’s attention to the injustices committed against the Palestinian people by Israel with the apparent consent of the world. In addition, Ateek presents arguments on why the Palestinian is a victim in a conflict that is based on the fulfillment of a religious prophesy. In his writing, Ateek presents both ethical and logical arguments to support his call for justice for the Palestinian people in the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has been continuing since 1947. The book has the effect of presenting new information to the reader and changing their perspective. For instance, the information provided in the book appeals to the emotions of the reader, relies on the credibility of the author, and is supported by facts and data that support the arguments of the author. In the end, the combination of three appeal techniques has the effect of challenging the beliefs of the readers and invoking thought on their position about the Israel-Palestine conflict. In my case, my support for Israel in the war was completely shattered and replaced with sympathetic views towards the Palestinian people. This was especially informed by the cruel invasion of Palestine by the Zionist forces, which was aimed at evicting Palestinians from their homes and settling Israelites into these homes.
Reference
Ateek, N. (2014). Justice and only justice: A Palestinian theology of liberation . Maryknoll: Orbis Books.
