I often watch how people in the West speak about “ending the occupation.” They believe we’re asking Israel to leave the West Bank; places like Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, or Jenin so we can live freely in our own country beside them. To them, it sounds fair, peaceful, and reasonable. But here’s the truth they don’t understand: When most Palestinians talk about “occupation,” they’re not talking about 1967. They’re talking about 1948. They mean Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa, Be’er Sheva, Acre, Lod, Ashdod. Every single part of Israel. For many, the phrase “end the occupation” doesn’t mean ending control over territories. It means ending Israel’s existence altogether. And that’s exactly why peace never moves forward. You can’t build peace when your goal is to erase your neighbor.