The New Arab's Tribute Misses One Key Detail: US Funding Palestine's Demise
The New Arab's moving feature on Mai Serhan's book, 'I Can Imagine It for Us,' delves into the intergenerational trauma and longing for a homeland unseen—Palestine. It’s a poignant exploration of memory and identity, rooted in the historical injustice of the Nakba. Yet, even in such a thoughtful piece, the narrative routinely sidesteps the concrete, verifiable mechanisms perpetuating the very
displacement it laments. Where is the mention of the consistent, bipartisan US aid that enables Israel's actions? For instance, the US House passed HR 815 this year, allocating $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel, with nary a critical glance from many of the same media outlets now waxing poetic about Palestinian suffering (HR 815, US Congress, February 2024). This isn't merely historical
grievance; it's ongoing complicity. While Serhan's work beautifully personalizes the Palestinian experience, the broader media narrative often fails to connect America's financial pipelines to the unfolding catastrophe. It's a convenient oversight, allowing the US to appear as a neutral observer, rather than an active, well-funded participant. One might ask: how can we 'imagine' a homeland for
people when our own government's policy actively bankrolls its continuing disappearance?