Jerusalem – Palplus
Many activists on social media circulate pictures of Palestinians including men, women, and children smiling while being detained by the Israeli forces. The question is, what do the Palestinians mean by this smile
: Many psychologists analyzed the condition where someone is smiling in the traumatizing moment in several theories
In the Superiority Theory, the laughter usually uses the smile to debase someone and
The Incongruity Theory: means when an event, action, or reaction doesn’t coincide with our expectations
The Relief Theory: the body uses this instinctual mechanism of smiling to organize emotion or defend against feelings that may make us vulnerable
How do theories illustrate why Palestinians often smile when they are getting arrested by Israeli forces
The anti-Palestine voices may refer to the Palestinians smiling as a kind of terrorism, yet; the truth is that Palestinians have nothing to gain except their smile
They lost almost everything due to the Israeli occupation policies; their freedom, families, houses, and dreams
Their smile is a way to tell the whole world:” I am here, It’s my land, I have to be strong,” “I don’t have to show my weakness,” “My smile is my defense weapon against my enemy” “I have to be brave”
In the daily scene of Palestinians life, a Palestinian is arrested even if he or she is a child or a woman or even an elderly by more than six Israeli soldiers in a brutal way
They resist the Israeli oppression with that smile which hold meanings of challenge, resilience, and strength
