The 1967 Syndrome

I am interrupting my mind-blowing preview of the World Cup to remember 1967. Funny how just by mentioning 1967, a year that witnessed many world events, the only thing that comes to any Arab's mind is news of the terrible loss in the six-day war. That sense of defeat keeps running down our spines every time. Many children born that year were named Nakseh and Nakbeh and Hazeemeh and Hazayem and whatever depressing name you can think of.

The fact is, we're still living this defeat to this very day. Every day feels like 1967. Sometimes we hear criticism of Arabs and Palestinians for watching too much sports, songs, trying to have a little fun, talking about things not related to war. The fact is, all what we're doing is trying to see how does it feel to live in 2010. Our reality as a nation has become 1967 while what's happening in the world is our escape from that reality.

Every event in Jordan, every speech in Jordan, every decision in Jordan, every political discussion in Jordan whether it takes a place in the Parliament, a political salon, a cafe or a taxi cab has to do with 1967.

Palestinians have not gained anything since 1967, but lost their national unity. Without a solid Arab support for the Palestinians' rights there is no way to see their life getting better or having any land come back to them. In this time when we see other countries like Turkey, Iran, Brasil, Venezuela, Belgium, Indonesia and who know who caring about Palestinians way more than Arabs are, there's very little hope we will ever live after 1967. We are engulfed with it and this 1967-syndrome is now 43 years old. Chronic, aggressive and more difficult to treat.