Childhood songs, while Living under occupation

I'll write more extensively about the kids at the camp later, but I wanted to take a brief moment to share a story from today. We were playing with the kids at the Lajee Center in the Aida refugee camp, as we do most afternoons. Katie and I had managed to get some of the most aggressive, loud, and chaos-causing girls into a room making bracelets out of string and tiny beads. It was amazing how much they enjoyed it - and how much we enjoyed it as well. All week, these girls had been the hardest group to keep entertained, keep from becoming violent, and keep happy. Finally, we'd found an activity that, though it took some effort to get started, seemed to be working pretty well. Sure, they were still loud, still a little fussy over the beads and the lone pair of scissors. But they were sitting down. They were concentrating. They were being productive. Proud mama moment, for sure.

At one point, our Palestinian friends had joined us and we were having a great big girl party, locked in a room making jewelry. The girls love to be loud (have I mentioned that yet?) and decided to sing songs. They sang at the top of their lungs while they strung their beads, not missing a beat. I didn't understand the Arabic, but the song felt uplifting, happy. It felt like any other childhood song, like Itsy Bitsy Spider or There's a Hole in My Bucket.

Rudaina, one of our local friends, then translated the songs and I was shocked. One talked about an Israeli soldier promising all of life's necessities to a Palestinian family, so long as the family gave up their land. The family wouldn't have it. The other song talked about martyrdom, achieved automatically when one is killed by an Israeli.

?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Is anybody reading this?!?

That is some intense shit. Rudaina says that many (perhaps most) childhood songs have such themes. A quick Google on the topic seems to agree with that notion. Tons of sites describe Palestinian children being bred for jihad early on, taught to hate the Israelis (and thus Jews?) and value martyrdom even if it comes in childhood. Other sites are sympathetic towards the Palestinians, expressing sadness that their childhood has come to this.

I mean...I'm still shocked. Those songs are a far cry from Mary had a Little Lamb and Row Row Row Your Boat. Can you imagine? Is it bad? Does it breed hatred and further the war? Can you blame them?