With features that encapsulate years of oppression and physical pain, the released Palestinian prisoner Israa Jaabis appeared in a video message addressed to students at Berkeley University in the United States of America. Through her calm words, Jaabis tried to convey a Palestinian voice that believes in justice and humanity, far from the language of pain that has clung to her body since she sustained severe burns years before her long imprisonment in the occupation's jails.
Hours after her message of gratitude to those who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, the American newspaper 'New York Post' launched a fierce attack on her, describing her as a 'failed suicide bomber.' This description sparked a massive wave of anger and criticism, with many considering that the newspaper was engaging in media deception that lacked the lowest standards of professionalism and humanity towards a woman who had suffered greatly behind bars.
In statements to media sources, Jaabis expressed her bitterness at the reduction of her human story to harsh newspaper headlines devoid of truth. She affirmed that what the American newspaper published lacked credibility, pointing out that the Palestinian narrative is subjected to deliberate and systematic marginalization, just as the suffering of thousands of Palestinians has been marginalized behind international narratives biased towards the occupation.
Jaabis stressed that the parties attacking her today ignore the primary party responsible for all the physical and psychological harm she has endured. She categorically rejected being described as a 'terrorist,' affirming that she is a person with a right and a just cause, and that the disfigurement of her physical features is merely a reflection of what all of Palestine is subjected to in terms of attempts to erase identity and falsify facts.
The released prisoner considered that the burns that changed her facial features are very similar to what the biased media tries to do to the Palestinian narrative. She said with a confident tone: 'Just as they disfigured my features, they also tried to distort the Palestinian narrative,' indicating that defending her personal image is an integral part of defending the image of the Palestinian people before the world.
Despite the harsh media attack, Jaabis saw a glimmer of hope in the student movement within American universities for the restoration of stolen rights. She expressed her profound impact by the extent of interaction her message received, affirming that this global solidarity restored her faith that human conscience is beginning to awaken, and that a new generation is now seeing the truth away from ready-made molds.
Jaabis called on international and Israeli media to verify accuracy and credibility before making unjust judgments against victims. She asked bitterly: 'When you describe someone as a terrorist, have you really looked into their story? Have you known whether they were an oppressor or oppressed?' pointing out that the era of blackout has ended and that the world today is more capable of clearly seeing the crimes committed in Palestine.
Jaabis concluded her speech by emphasizing her personal victory in her ability to stand up again and regain her strength after years of imprisonment and bitter treatment. She affirmed that she will continue her life carrying her scars as badges of honor, grateful to everyone who contributed to conveying her voice and the voice of her cause to international forums, saying that 'those who did not see, now see today.'
Just as they disfigured my features, they also tried to distort the Palestinian narrative; I am a person with a right and a principle, not a terrorist.
شارك برأيك
Israa Jaabis Responds to 'New York Post': I Am Not a Terrorist, and the Distortion of My Features Resembles the Distortion of the Palestinian Narrative