Question

read this quote from haidar abd el-shafi, then answer the question:

\we, the people of palestine, stand before you in the fullness of our pain, our pride, and our anticipation, for we long harbored a yearning for peace and a dream of justice and freedom. for too long, the palestinian people have gone unheeded, silenced and denied, our identity negated by political expedience, our right for struggle against injustice maligned, and our present existence subsumed by the past tragedy of another people.\-haidar abd el-shafi, head of the palestinian delegation to the madrid peace conference, 1991

the above quote is from a speech given at the madrid peace conference by a palestinian leader. to which of the following does the speaker attribute the ignoring of his peoples suffering?

palestinians unrealistic dreams

the nazi killing of jews

the excessive pride of jews

palestinians silence on their plight

Explanation:

Analyze the question prompt

The question asks to identify what the speaker, Haidar Abd El-Shafi, attributes the ignoring of his people's suffering to, based on the provided quote from his speech at the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991.

Examine the source text

Let's look closely at the specific phrasing in the quote:

• "For too long, the Palestinian people have gone unheeded, silenced and denied, our identity negated by political expedience..."
• "...and our present existence subsumed by the past tragedy of another people."

The phrase "our present existence subsumed by the past tragedy of another people" refers to how the historical tragedy of another group (the Holocaust / the Nazi killing of Jews) has overshadowed or led to the sidelining of the contemporary Palestinian plight in global geopolitics.

Evaluate the options

• Palestinians' unrealistic dreams: The text mentions a "dream of justice and freedom," but does not label them as unrealistic or blame them for being ignored.
• The Nazi killing of Jews: This corresponds directly to "the past tragedy of another people," which the speaker states has "subsumed" their present existence, leading to them being ignored.
• The excessive pride of Jews: The text does not mention Jewish pride; it mentions "our pride" (Palestinian pride).
• Palestinians' silence on their plight: The text says they have been "silenced" (an external action done to them), not that they chose to remain silent.

Connect to historical context

Using the Madrid Peace Conference and Palestinian Nationalism concepts, we understand that Palestinian representatives sought to articulate their national identity and grievances directly to the international community, arguing that their current struggle should not be marginalized or ignored due to the historical context of the Holocaust ("the past tragedy of another people").

Answer:

• Palestinians' unrealistic dreams
• The Nazi killing of Jews (Correct answer)
• The excessive pride of Jews
• Palestinians' silence on their plight