I am not a Palestinian

I am a Palestinian:

My grandparents lost their homes, land and everything

I was born in exile, like the other 7 million living in the diaspora

I have dual citizenship for countries that I cannot call “home”, and they make sure I don’t feel so

I wear Kufyia, have a flag in my car, a badge on my shirt, and many other handicrafts

I am a Palestinian,

I love my country, I take part in all demonstrations, lobbying, talks and campaigns

I know the history, talk about it to all whom I know

I am a Palestinian,

I have never been shoot at, never had an F16s or Apaches dropping their loads of hell over me, never stopped on a check point for hours, never jailed indefinitely. I have a house, not under threat of demolition, a fence on my garden, not a 28 foot concrete wall. I can travel to wherever I want, I have a job and get paid every month. My wife never gave birth on a check point, my children do not suffer from anaemia, malnutrition, and FEAR. None of my immediate family is a martyr, none has lost a limb or permanently injured.    

I am not a Palestinian, although I like to pretend I am…