the hospital in Jerusalem and her mother got a permit to go with her, but my
son’s application was refused.
Revoking my sons’ work permits had a big financial impact on my family.
When my sons worked [in Israel], each one of them earned around 6000
shekels [USD 1500] monthly. Now, each one of them earns 1500 or 2000
shekels [USD 400-500]. Six thousand shekels per month is good for people
here, but what can we do with 1500 shekels? We have children in schools
and homes to sustain. If we had to pay for water and electricity [refugees
living in camps do not pay for water or electricity], we wouldn’t be able
to live at all.
Let’s assume that I had a security issue that my son has nothing to do with,
why should they penalize him? Or that my brother caused some troubles,
why should I be punished and devastated? They destroyed my family,
which includes 20 members, because my sons earn our living, they give me
money as I don’t work anymore. I feel humiliated. They want to humiliate
us in every way possible. They know I’m not a threat, yet they want to
humiliate me.”
65-year old resident of Aida Refugee Camp
Interview: 16 November 2016
Because Palestinians can be punished as a result of the actions of close
relatives, extended family members, or often for the actions of another
Palestinian, simply for sharing this identity, their life is characterized by an
ongoing uncertainty regarding the status of their most fundamental rights.
The collective punishment policy of Israel leaves Palestinians never knowing
if they will have freedom of movement or access to their workplace the
next day, as these rights are not simply subject to exceptional emergency
situations, but to the decisions and policies of the Israeli authorities. This
reality also has psychological consequences and often results in long-term
trauma.
“I think the most remarkable and most harmful of all Israeli policies of
suppression is the collective punishment. For example, when the family
gets punished, or in some instances the whole village or whole area [gets
punished]. How does it affect the individual? When a person knows that
the home of the family will be punished, this policy is inducing guilt. It’s
not about their personal choices for their life and spending years in prison
or the risk of death; they are also influencing their family dramatically
by their actions. We’ve seen in our clinical work that some family
members get angry with the people who participate in resistance because
it brings severe damage to the family. There’s something about the Israeli
procedures that is indirectly jeopardizing the solidarity process between
Palestinians. Also, there is arbitrariness that you cannot plan; you live at
the will and the wish of the Israeli soldiers, and this creates impotence.
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