The horror in Israel and Palestine has kept me sleepless for over a week. I prefer writing “evergreen content” which is generally pleasing/encouraging to the masses as opposed to current sensitive events that may provoke heated comments/reactions. Regardless, I choose to bring the issue because it calls for global attention and participation. That’s the subject of this post.
The harming of innocents and the loss of any life is always a tragedy to be mourned.
First and foremost, I stand against all forms of violence. I value and respect my Jewish friends. The surprise attack on Israel was horrendous and I am deeply sad and devastated for the victims and survivors. I can’t fathom my child or family member being killed or taken hostage.
Please read the following completely with an open heart or don’t read it at all. We don’t have to agree and that’s okay. Advocating for ceasefire, the killing of innocent people and genocide should not be controversial for anyone.
Thank you. 🙏
A Line in the Sand
It has been a heart-wrenching week to witness the tragic loss of innocent lives, the spread of misinformation, and the escalation of violence.
As a dad of 2 little ones, the killing of civilians, particularly babies and children, is deeply troubling and traumatic. I believe it’s essential to advocate for the protection of all lives, regardless of nationality, race, gender, or religion. The hate and rage between Israel and Palestinians has a long and complex history.
What we are witnessing in Gaza right now is an abomination. The counterattack is has gone out of proportion. Its a massacre. A killing spree that needs to stop.
I choose not stay silent on the inhumane suffering Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have endured for 75 years.
“Well, what did Hamas expect?” and “Israel has the right to defend itself” have been recurring narratives on social media since the beginning of the war. This statement does a lot of harm because it inherently chooses a side, blames the victim and justifies the oppressor seeking “justice”.
It’s important to differentiate between supporting a cause and supporting a particular group.
Supporting Palestine does not equate to hating/rejecting Israel. Its not antisemite and does not approve of terrorism. That is a senseless and inhumane rhetoric that perpetuates indifference, hatred, and division. Its not either/or. We can love Palestine and love Israel.
One must strive do their best to love all people equally regardless of race, nationality, gender, and religion. We don’t have to pick a side nor cheer for a winner on this war like this were a boxing match. Instead, we can champion mercy, forgiveness, freedom, and justice and stand against all forms of violence and oppression. Together, peace can win.
Advocate. Now. Silence is complicity.
We cannot tune out while Israel (fully vested in political and religious immunity by the US) obliterates the Gaza Strip through indiscriminate bombing and slaughtering of babies, kids, adults, and elders.
We are watching genocide in real time. The United Nations has already called it “ethnic cleansing.”
Self defense is not the same as destroying everything and everyone. Israel shows no signs of stopping, in fact all the contrary. Israel’s hunger for vengeance seems to have no limit and has turned into a collective punishment for all Palestinians, as declared by their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Gaza should be prepared for consequences unlike those which have ever been seen before.”
Make no mistake, Israel’s military is one of the best trained, deeply indoctrinated, adept at military intelligence, and vastly outnumbered a huge military in the world. The small yet powerful state in many ways Godfathered by the United States financially and militarily (as well as protected with US participation in the Security Council) is equipped with the latest technology on bombs, missiles, aircraft carriers, drones, warplanes, you name it.
War solves nothing and there is nothing holy about war. Violence begets violence and evil cannot defeat evil. It leads to more pain and suffering.
It’s painful. There is so much suffering everywhere.
Not too long ago, Hitler got away with genocide and the killing of nearly 7 million Jews. Years later we had several other genocides, such as the Mayan population in Guatemala, Bosnia, Darfur, and the Tutsis in Rwanda, among many others.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
If you are born in Gaza, you have nowhere to go.
Imagine that. Locked up.
More than 1 million Palestinians have been displaced just this past week. These acts of “self-defense” have gone out of hand destroying the homes of more than 180,000 Gazans, according to a recent United Nations estimate and killing every Palestinians on the way. Punishing an entire people for the actions of a terrorist group is cruel. These are war crimes according to international law.
Palestinians are not children of a lesser God. In fact, they worship the same God as the Jews. Though the Palestinian population is largely Muslim, there are small segments of Christian, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants. These three main world religions worship the same God of Abraham. Where is the holiness amidst this conflict? What about that 5th Commandment, “You shall not kill?” Like it or not, many Israelis share the same blood as their Palestine neighbors/cousins. Before the area became Israel in 1948, the whole region was called Palestine. DNA tests would indeed reflect that.
The children who have died or will die in Palestinians can’t be possibly responsible for anything their ancestors have done. They have lived in that land since the 3rd century. They are not the children of Hamas; the majority of them have nothing to do with what Hamas has done, and yet they are getting blasted with bombs. It is beyond tragic that innocents die in vain for the actions of heartless, vengeful, or evil leaders. Nothing justifies the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, who are paying the price for an offense they did not commit.
Yes, the same logic applies to all the innocent children and civilians killed by Hamas.
War does not build a better world. Leaders that prioritize peace, education, safety, and the best conditions for their people to flourish, actually build a better world.
Let’s stand up and advocate for a ceasefire. We need more voices to post on social media, call Congress, sign petitions, peacefully protest, get informed, and host study groups on Middle East affairs. The information is available. Historically, the narrative and the intentional misinformation has been controlled by Israel, the US, and their allies; it’s time for the truth to come out and for Palestinians to be free.
You and I can make a difference to STOP this human rights catastrophe and prevent further loss of life. We are on the verge of seeing this conflict escalate and involve other countries and military groups.
The fate of the entire region is at risk.
I feel the pain. I am angry. I have seen many videos from Palestinians on the ground. Dead. Burned. Dismembered. Surviving. It’s brutal. Palestinians continue to suffer and get the worst of it
My heart goes out to all victims and their families on both sides. May God have mercy and may all leaders and decision makers involved grow a moral conscience and act accordingly.
The list of Israeli war crimes keeps piling up: cutting of water, electricity, fuel, the bombing of hospitals, killing journalists/doctors/entire families; the blockage of foreign aid, medical supplies, baby/children items, and other essentials.
We could also presume the United States is enabling genocide by being the only nation of the United Nations Security Council to vote AGAINST a temporary (not even permanent) ceasefire to provide humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. The UN Ambassador sent by Biden –on behalf of the United States– showed no mercy, no empathy, no respect, and no dignity for the human rights of Palestinians. In fact, she embarrassed the US as most people in the room turned their back on her. Biden is a war criminal, who has made a pact with Netanyahu and given Israel the green-light to go ahead with an unprecedented ground invasion of Gaza.
The world is watching.
This madness can’t go on any longer.
Do something.
Wishing all of us peace, in abundance.
Here are a couple of videos for historical context, here and here. I have more to say so please subscribe to the blog and follow my Instagram I will be posting. We can simultaneously learn and advocate to halt this abuse that has been going on for 75 years.
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