Guest Post: “We don’t want your two states, we want 1948!”

A guest post by Lucy Rogers:

Today as the one-year anniversary of October 7 approaches I decided to counterprotest this week’s pro-Hamas march down Queen Street. I thought my experiences were worth narrating.

Today’s message

I attended holding two signs simultaneously, one in each hand: one saying HAMAS RAPED, TORTURED + MURDERED 1200 ISRAELI JEWS AND ARABS ON OCTOBER 7 2023 and the other saying PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH LIVES HAVE INFINITE VALUE. I stood silently and was approached by various people to discuss my views.

The ignorance was amazing

A group of teenage Māori girls approached me to abuse me. They were full of hatred for me and for Israel, ignored everything I was saying, and repeatedly accused me of being a “Zionist”. At the end of the conversation they said “What is Hamas?” I wish I could express how that made me feel but I really have no words.

October 7 denial is normal

Several Muslims approached me. Some denied October 7 altogether and some denied that civilians were murdered or that Hamas raped or tortured anyone. This is extremely normal at these protests. During my time counterprotesting these events I have heard over 100 people deny that Hamas killed civilians or that rape or torture occurred.

Antisemitism is common

An elderly white man who was vehemently antisemitic came up to me and abused me. This is also not unusual at these protests. Another woman said that it wasn’t worth dialoguing with “animals” like me. Some of the Muslim protesters told them to chill out and said I had a right to express my views.

There is a spectrum of views among the protesters

I emphasise that there is a spectrum of views amongst the protesters. Many are Muslims, many are communists, many are Māori who think that the Israel/ Palestine conflict resembles their struggles in Aotearoa. I get on well with many of them. Given the sheer radicalism of people like Emmy Rākete I have learned to appreciate anyone who genuinely disagrees with killing civilians even if they do not believe that October 7 happened.

New Zealand Police: a source of cross-political bonding?

One of my favourite moments today was when one of the protesters, Sophie, who knew about my arrest last year said: “On one thing Lucy we can agree: f*ck the police.” Having had to deal with the police harassing me again and again at these events I admit to a certain malicious glee today as a torrential downpour of rain soaked them while the rest of us were under shelter. (Having said that, the police largely behaved themselves today. Ngā mihi to the officer I was dealing with whose name was Olivia.)

The shocking content of the slogans during the march

Finally the march happened. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is so common at these events it doesn’t even bear commenting on, despite being a call for genocide. “There is only one solution: intifada, revolution” is shocking to anyone who knows what an intifada is but I have also heard it before. But today I heard a new one: “We don’t want your two states, we want 1948.”

Palestinians did not have self-determination prior to 1948

There is much that could be said. Palestine was under the control of the British in 1948 but I take it that Palestinians do not want a return to that, or for that matter to the Ottoman rule that preceded it. But that is beside the point, which is that Westerners need to get real about what it is that Palestinians really want.

Israel has not been unwilling to concede a two-state solution historically

The problem is not (at least historically) Israel’s unwillingness to agree to a two-state solution. The Palestinians have repeatedly been offered their own state including 90% of the West Bank, $30 billion in compensation for lost lands, East Jerusalem as their capital and control of the Temple Mount. Yasser Arafat turned down that offer. Why? Maybe we should consider the possibility that it is because the Palestinians mean what they say.

Westerners need to actually listen to what Palestinians are saying

It’s perfectly understandable of course. The Palestinians perceive the entire land as belonging to them. But Westerners need to take on board that that is what they want, and that the issue is not Israel’s supposed unwillingness to agree to a two-state solution (although following October 7 I think that’s off the table now). They’re literally chanting it on Queen Street. We should listen.

Here’s some footage:

I note by the way that I was recording primarily to protect myself from police lies if they chose to arrest me, and was trying to also hold my sign, so much of the time my camera faced the road rather than the protesters.

The post Guest Post: “We don’t want your two states, we want 1948!” first appeared on Kiwiblog.