Three Years of War: We Do Not Forget and We Are Not Afraid to Review Ourselves

Author

Mustafa Ibrahim

The occupying state has a goal that goes beyond the destruction of the place; it consists of executing life in Gaza, forcing Palestinians to live in tragic and oppressive humanitarian conditions, and pushing them to leave the land, leaving them to live in pain, oppression, and loss, ultimately attempting to make them forget what happened during three years of continuous war.

It is an attempt to burn consciousness, strip Palestinians of their memory and recollections, and erase what they have lived through and lost. But we will not forget. We will remember everything that happened, minute by minute, and everything we have lived and lost during these years.

If there is one message we should take away from the past three years, it is: do not forget.

We have not experienced a miracle that makes us forget the ongoing genocide, nor the horrific massacres committed against the Palestinians, nor the homes that were destroyed, nor the loved ones we lost, nor the pain that people lived through day after day. We have a duty to ourselves, to those we have lost, and to future generations, to remember everything that has happened and is happening, and to preserve the memory in all its details. Remembering is not just a revival of the past, but it is a right and a duty, so that what happened is not erased, and the person who lived it is not erased.

But memory alone is not enough. Three years of genocide, destruction, killing, and humiliation, and the Palestinian person losing many of the essentials of life and dignity, should be enough for us to realize that we need to draw lessons and insights, not only from this harsh experience but also from our previous painful experiences.

We need to promote a culture of critical thinking, and to acknowledge the mistakes and sins that have been committed and continue to be committed, which have turned in many aspects into a general behavior and culture. This applies to Hamas and the other Palestinian factions, as well as to the entire official Palestinian political system.

We need a genuine and courageous review, and to restore the value of the culture of criticism and self-criticism that the factions often boast about, while in reality, they practice various forms of intellectual tyranny, suppressing critical thinking, and silencing dissenting voices.

It is essential to lift the blindfold from the eyes within the factions' institutions themselves, and to allow their leaders, cadres, and members to express their opinions freely, to raise difficult questions, to discuss the decisions and policies that have been made, and to review what has happened with courage and responsibility, instead of entrenching a culture of silence and organizational discipline at the expense of critical thinking.

This also applies to Palestinian politicians, intellectuals, and elites, who bear a moral and national responsibility to practice criticism and ask questions, away from factional calculations, personal interests, and fear of repercussions. It is not only necessary to look for the mistakes of others, but also to engage in self-reflection, hold leaders accountable, and acknowledge political mistakes and sins, regardless of who committed them or their position.

We cannot talk about criticism and self-criticism, and then internally practice a culture of exclusion, betrayal, and silence, or demand that members and cadres see with one eye and repeat what the leadership says. A political faction that does not allow discussion within itself, cannot tolerate difficult questions, and does not enable its members and leaders to express their differences, deprives itself of the opportunity to learn and correct its course.

Palestinians have lost a lot over these years: their homes, their children, their loved ones, their security, and a significant part of their means of living and dignity. Nevertheless, we have still not succeeded enough in drawing lessons from this harsh experience, nor from our previous painful experiences.

If we do not learn from this experience, and review our mistakes, sins, and responsibilities, how can we start anew on different foundations?

Three years of genocide should be enough for us to realize that continuing in the same way, with the same mentality, and with the same political tools, will not lead to different results. We need the courage to acknowledge, a collective and responsible review, and to open the doors to free thinking, criticism, and self-criticism.

Acknowledging mistakes is not defeat, criticism is not betrayal, and self-criticism is not weakness. Rather, the ability to self-reflect, acknowledge responsibility, and open the space for free thinking is the starting point for any real change.

We need to remember, not to remain prisoners of the past, but to learn from it. And we review, not to punish ourselves, but to prevent repeating mistakes. And we must have the courage to ask: What did we do? What did we get wrong? What could we have done differently? And what needs to change?

At the moment people ask whether the upcoming elections will be about the past or the future, we know they must be about both. They should be about evading responsibility, about reforming the political system, about what is happening in terms of sharing and setting conditions and impositions for engagement, about exclusion and arranging participation on a sectarian basis, about distributing burdens, about what happened to the political system, about legitimacy, and about the institutions that form the essence of democracy.

Elections should be an opportunity to discuss all of this, not just a competition for seats and power. Elections are not merely a mechanism for renewing faces or redistributing positions, but a moment to hold the past accountable and think about the future, to determine the shape of the political system we want to live in, and how it can be reformed and regain its legitimacy and the trust of the people.

We know what elections should be about: about the image of this state, about our image as well, and about what future we want to build after everything that has happened.

This is a responsibility that cannot be postponed. After three years of pain, loss, and destruction, our memory should not only be a memory of the victims, but it must also be a memory of learning, review, and responsibility, so that we can start anew.