Three Legged Dog

Okay.

Last night I watched 'Bil'in Habibti' at a film screening in my local political cafe. It is a fine film, made by Israeli activist Shai Pollack, who attended the screening.

This morning, while walking to work, I was thinking about the film and especially about the role that Israeli activists play in opposing the occupation. I really believe that any genuine progress, in what is rightly being modelled as a civil rights movement, can only be made with the input of the (largely marginalised) left-wing within Israel. Just as in South Africa there were whites who could see the horror of Apartheid, just as in the United States groups like the Freedom Riders did much to show the way in the South, the change must at least in part come from inside Israel if any kind of sense is to prevail.

I'm not talking about normalisation. I'm talking about joint struggle against something that is palpably wrong.

At the moment though, examples of joint Israeli-Palestinian non-violent resistance to the occupation are few and far between. I have Palestinian friends who (very reasonably) will refuse to have anything to do with Israeli organisations, while the oppressor maintains its grip. Likewise, since it's apparently illegal for Israelis to enter the West Bank, not to mention the fear that is whipped up regarding any such visit (Arabs waiting to stab you etc...), it seems very unlikely that any popular anti-occupation campaign will really get off the ground any time soon.

Which is shit.

Internationals might know what's going on, but most people don't care. Israelis are already unequal partners with Palestinians in the continuing occupation. Hopefully more from both sides can become equal partners in trying to end it.

Just as I was thinking about this kind of thing, I saw a three legged dog running along, in the incredible way three legged dogs have of doing what you might think would be rendered next to impossible after the loss of a limb, on the other side of the road. Lost in admiration for the dog, I was watching it and not looking where I was going, when suddenly I had a shock, like waking from a dream. I hadn't actually walked into a street-sign, but rather passed exactly between the two vertical posts that were in my path. Then I carried on going.