‘Lies’ – A Poem for Gaza and Palestine

Palestinian children playing on a roof. (Photo: Mats Svensson, supplied)

By Mats Svensson

“I don’t know!

And I don’t want to know!”

 

Eleven words—

Words that have been repeated by Israelis

Through the Nakba,

Through the Occupation,

Through Colonialism—

And today, during the illegal

Israeli Apartheid

And the GENOCIDE of Gaza.

 

“I don’t know!

And I don’t want to know.”

 

He lives with his family in Jerusalem,

In an old Arab stone house—

One of the most beautiful,

With arched windows

And a tiled roof.

The Arab family fled.

Someone, a thief,

A terrorist,

Took it over.

Why not?

 

The thief took the carpets,

The furniture,

The books,

Letters,

Toys,

Memories—

Everything.

The house was sold,

And sold again,

And again.

 

My friend bought the old stone house

From a middleman.

Renovated it.

 

When I entered the house,

I could feel it.

It surrounded me,

Took over.

I could feel the lies.

I could smell the lies.

I could touch the lies.

 

I was offered a glass of cold,

Icy, white wine.

 

I asked my host,

“Can you tell me the story of your house?”

 

Silence.

His wife left the room.

I never saw her again.

Silence.

Then my host left,

But only for a short while.

 

He came back.

He looked at me,

And gave me eleven words:

 

“I don’t know,

And I don’t want to know.”

 

Eleven words he repeats

To his daughter,

To his son.

And they will repeat the same lie

To their children:

 

“I don’t know,

And I don’t want to know.”

– Mats Svensson, a former Swedish diplomat working on the staff of SIDA, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, has been following the ongoing occupation of Palestine since 2003. He is the author of “Crimes, Victims and Witnesses – Apartheid in Palestine.” (Real African Publishers) and his latest “Apartheid is a Crime – Portraits of Israeli Occupation,” (Cunepress, 2020). Mats contributed this article to Palestinchronicle.com.

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2 Comments

  1. I think history of Israeli society after years of zionist propaganda is currently a little opposite. It can be summarised as “I know but I dont want you to know”

    • The Zionists Jews and Jews who support such DON’T BELIEVE IN THE HEREAFTER.
      But their rabbis who tolerate and propagate LIES ON THEIR SACRED BOOKS will suffer the consequences,BECAUSE THE HEREAFTER IS A FACT.
      IF A HUMAN GIVES UP AND DELIBERATELY STOPS BELIEVING IN…THE ALMIGHTY GOD… THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THAT SOUL.

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