YaLa Poetry | A Letter to the President Obama: Followed by a Poem

Welcome to our region. I hope that your stay will be fruitful this time. I know that your visit is so expected. Many people have high hopes. Many people believe that peace in the region is possible, that change is possible. Right, It’s easy to say:“yes, we can” but do we really understand the implications of such a phrase? What can foreign parties do to the cause?

Being the representative of the U.S which has strong ties with Israel doesn’t mean you can’t support the Palestinian cause. Free Palestine is not a terrorist demand, it’s a human one. Up to the history of conflicts, there is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but the consensus between the two parties. The role of external parties as the United States lies in reconciliation.”There was never a good war or a bad peace”.  We know well that we can’t achieve peace through war. This is what over 60 years of this “never-ending” conflict (hopefully not) taught us.

Put simply, there is no future for Israel without Palestinians and there is no future for Palestine without Israelis. You are not here to talk about your support to Israel because we know all about it. It’s not about security; it’s not about strong Israeli forces… It’s all about real efforts to contribute to peace enforcement in both Israel and Palestine. We don’t need biased perspective (and biased financial support). There are human beings in both countries. There are extremists from both sides too.” Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.” This word is: two states solution.

Best regards,

Rahma Sghaier

Yala Young Leaders

You draw a smile to take a tear

You give us hope then more fear

You give chocolate then shoot a soul.

You give then break one baby doll

You give us pens then blow a school

You say we’re free, it’s just a tool

Why have you to give then take?

Why have you to fix then break?

You are the “host”, we’re the hostage

Let up your acting, pick up your luggage.

Just go away, stop your polish

Hey! We’re not that foolish

Our hope went on pieces

Just hang on, just go on

Our dream went on pieces

Just wait, keep moving on

I can’t wait the promised paradise

Believe me the sun will rise

After the sunrise there’s the sunset

After the light, the dark I met

You get sick, I am the cure

Believe me, you’ll be so secure

I can’t believe you any more

Your speech just missed the core

The gloomy road, that’s what I chose

I can’t be patient, the fury rose

All my life long I couldn’t understand

Your duel philosophy, how does it stand?

How can you give then take?

How can you fix then break?

I know the difference

Between your image and who you are

You’re not my angel nor my falling star

I know you try hard to pretend

How strong you want a happy end

I’m not afraid to tell you so

The gloomy road, that’s what I chose

I can’t be patient, the fury rose

A pen in one hand

A flag in the other

On sure feet we stand

To fight all together.

Rahma Sghaier