My Story by Margaret J
My name is Margaret. I was born, raised and have lived most of my life in Lancaster. I am from a mixed background, my mother being Scottish and my father from Hungarian dissent.
My journey and awareness on the Palestinian cause started when I met my now husband in the late 70's. Ashamedly, like many at that time I had very little knowledge on Palestine and its plight, and the information I did have was from a western, Zionist media. Listening to how my husband was forcibly displaced from the home he was born in, from the town he was raised in and how he had witnessed war and violence at a young age with no justice, alarmed me. This was when I started researching more on the cause and understood how in 67 words Lord Balfour, the PM of Britain gave away the land of Palestine to those not indigenous to it in 1917, and more disturbingly how until today Britain and other western allies have allowed the continued ethnic cleansing and displacement of the Palestinian people. This has continued relatively undercover, through the bias in media reporting, political silence, and continuous hypocrisy in ignoring international and humanitarian violations committed by Israel towards the Palestinians.
In 2018 we went to Palestine. It was a hard and emotional journey for us both, more so for my husband, who despite longing to step foot on his homeland for many years, having been forcibly displaced at the age of 10, refused to return as a 'visitor' with a stamp on his passport from the occupier, Israel. However, his sister was ageing, as were we, and we made the decision to go to Palestine. It was the worst experience. The checkpoints, the visuals of guns everywhere you turn, the verbal and physical abuse everywhere, being treated like second class citizens at the disposal of the Israelis, the multitude of restrictions and checkpoints etc. The humiliation was much worse than you see and read about. It is something I will never forget nor unsee.
Today, post Oct 7th 2024 we are witnessing a genocide, live on our screens and I am sad to report that the same bias of reporting and alliance continues, however the difference is EVERYONE today is aware of the truth and what is happening. No one can say they did not know.
My wish is for justice for all the Palestinians. May they see justice and live in peace and happiness. Free Palestine!