The Olympics
Being based in Britain and watching the Olympics feels very strange. While I am enjoying very much watching some sports which I like, I cannot help but feel I wish we have same facilities in Palestine and the rest of the Middle East.
Why can’t we enjoy the same? Yet again, while I am thinking this I read the news that the Palestinian authorities have finally secured some funds and will be able to pay the huge backlog of salaries owed to Palestinian employees. Money which is owed to us by Israel, which collects taxes, dues and revenues, and never pays it to the PA!
And also I see how unwilling the EU and some of its member states are to push Israel hard on the issues of settlements, an issue yet in the news again today.
So we are losing land, resources, basic income, basic facilities for daily life … the list is long. Therefore, one can understand why sports and the Olympics are not high on the list of priorities for public investment in Palestine!
This is the dire and sad situation in Palestine. But what is the excuse in many other Arab countries. Why cannot they present themselves as proper nations like any other, invest in dignity and people!
Today, a very wise friend wrote on tweet: the real path to reform is through guarantees of freedom of expression and workers’ rights. The first guarantees democracy, and the second guarantees economic development. I thought: how wise. Yes, indeed. and this is exactly what we are lacking in the region.
Maybe next Olympics we will be there in more force. who knows!
Give us stability like the one that Europe and the US have enjoyed for tens of years, and we will certainly be there.
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