Silence

It has been over a year since I have been silent on this blog.  There were many reasons for my silence. Finishing a Master's Degree. Getting married. Family visiting. Settling into married life. Starting a new job. Looking for another job. Finding a new job. Settling visa issues as someone married to a Palestinian with a West Bank ID. Fear of the Israeli authorities and what raising my voice could do to my insecure residency status.

Being married to a Palestinian is full of its uncertainties. Visa and residency is constantly changing and their is a persistent fear that if I say to much or speak to loudly, I will be noticed and my ability to live in this country will be threatened. I believe one of the main goals of this ambiguity is to keep people silent, never wanting to cross the lines.

But I cannot keep silent anymore.

Tonight I vow to continue writing as a way to raise my voice and contribute creatively and positively to this conflict through my words. I will write under a pseudonym, but I hope that my readers can still connect to me personally and gain a personal perspective on life in Palestine/Israel.

I will write to make this conflict understandable, to show what it means to live in its midst, and share small, practical things that people can do to begin to bring change and peace to this region. I will at times broaden my focus and highlight issues of justice, peace, and relieving suffering throughout the world.