The revolt of the Invisible Children
The unconscious drivers of pro-Palestine activism
We are all part of a global dysfunctional family system called the human race, the microcosm of which is our own family system. What we see playing out in the world is largely a reflection of what we see play out in families everyday.
For example, the Russia-Ukraine war can be described as a dysfunctional father-son relationship. The controlling, abusive father gave his son everything only to be betrayed by his son when he decided to forge his own path instead of pursuing his father’s vision of territorial domination. The father, enraged by his son’s poor judgement that led him to become influenced by the wrong crowd that now threatens to ruin the father’s legacy, punishes the son by systemically destroying his inheritance. The father’s aim is to make his son see that he’s powerless without his father so that he will submit and beg for his father’s forgiveness.
Our stories reflect our roles in the family, shaped by our experiences, self-image, emotions, and memories. While each family member has their own version, there's a shared "family story" everyone is expected to tell. Each family member plays out archetypes from ancient stories and mythologies transmitted intergenerationally and that exist in our collective consciousness, often without awareness that we are typecast players in a cosmic drama.
Like many around the world, I have been observing the drama involving Westerners of different backgrounds and the various responses to what happened in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, specifically of those who pledge allegiance to the pro-Palestine movement.
The question I have been pondering is this:
Why would anyone from Western, privileged (ie. middle class to affluent) background feel a strong connection to Palestinians, specifically children in Gaza via the pro-Palestine movement, including a vocal anti-Israel stance, while remaining silent about the atrocities unfolding in Yemen, Sudan, Congo, North Korea, Iran, and other nations?
This movement connects people from different nations, ethnicities - including Jews and Palestinian Muslims - who have been in Western countries for at least one generation, while also repelling the same members of these groups. What are the differences among Jews, for instance, who are pro-Palestine (via the movement) and those who are not?
The answer transcends moral posturing, hypocrisy, elite luxury beliefs, and prioritizing causes by perceived severity.
We can search for answers in the prototype of our worldview, found in our myths and family stories. As I said, we are all part of a global dysfunctional family system -the human race - and our own families reflect this microcosm. Ignoring the uncomfortable truths about our roles in this system is a missed opportunity for growth.
A popular framework for analysing family stories is the Narcissistic Family System, a dysfunctional family with clearly defined roles. I wrote about the Narcissistic Family System a few years ago when I realised it was an important framework to help my clients draw parallels between the dysfunction unfolding in their non-family relationships held in the dynamics that exist within their own family system. The strong, vocal, dramatic, and at times violent pro-Palestine protests in Western countries since October 7, 2023, coupled with the demonization of Israel and pro-Israel supporters, beckons a deeper investigation, which I will attempt here.
You are about to read an analysis based on a specific framework. This is not 'the truth,' but rather one perspective. It explores parallels and patterns that have led to a theory about pro-Palestine activists, with the hope of sparking reflection and thoughtful discussion.
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