Eitan Bronstein from ZOCHROT :
Zokhrot was formed 4 and a half years ago. Jews living in Israel must take responsibility for the Nakhba. In order to achieve peace and reconciliation they must acknowledge and remember the history and tragedy of the Palestinians and the history of the Jews in Israel . There is not mention of the history of many places in Ashkelon of HaMajdal. It is not mentioned as a mosque at all. In 2003 Zokhrot put up signs to indicate former names of streets.
Counter memory – Palestinian “memory” doesn’t exist in Israel – even dates are different for Israel . It is hard for Israelis to acknowledge that they ‘are ALSO here”, acknowledging that they didn’t occupy an empty land. Israelis speak only of ‘us”, but embrace no ‘other” memories.
Zokhrot is trying to do something to alleviate the wrong doings and to ‘fight for the return ‘ of Liftah. The rest of the outside world should have consciousness-raising on what happened in Palestine .
However, doing so raises the whole basis of Israel ’s establishment. The Israelis are scared they ‘might be chased out’. It is impossible for Israelis to acknowledge their own occupation of another’s territory – and they have to learn to reconstruct the true history.