I have focused my thoughts on your safe return from Palestine since your journey began, Cara, and am pleased that you are now chatting with us once more. I cannot find the words to describe what I (and we) are seeing unfold in that part of the world. Looking forward to your reports, especially as they may help to give us that vocabulary. Your message today is certainly a contrast to, and a renunciation of, the utter flatulence of the generic media scribblings in this country, on the Palestine situation. Thank you for your efforts!
Welcome home. Look forward to reading your perceptions. Only one caveat: This did NOT start on October 7, 2023. You are 100+ years into this already. This has been going on to varying degrees since the 1890's but it really started ramping up in the 1920's. The genocide is not new. The land theft is not new. The rapes and torture and gunshot to the head of children playing soccer is not new. None of this is new. It's just that cell phones are ubiquitous so everyone can see this particular series of atrocities.
And you probably only saw/heard about the tip of the iceberg since you were not in Gaza.
And it has been reported to one degree or another but Westerners have been trained through propaganda not to see Palestinians as human beings for almost 200 years for political reasons. There are so many now living in the West that Westerners cannot help but identify with them. Finally. I hope you were able to bring back photos.
Excellent comment. You are right of course. There are many dynamics that come to bear on US/western support for Israel and indifference to Palestinian rights and suffering, not least Christian zionism. Thank you for your comment!
Not least? Perhaps that point needs to be made in an even stronger way. I was shocked to see the disambiguation from the search results for "history of zionism," and "Christian Zionism." The difference is about 400 years. And which Christians was it that were prominent in early Zionism? The Puritans. Hmmm, I wonder what happened to them.
The convergence of profits and prophets. What could be worse?
“Does Israel deserve to exist?” “An unequivocal no.”
I completely agree. I think those of us witnessing this horror must work to make Israel and Zionism a pariah, much as was done with Hitler’s Germany and Nazism. This work should be done by all who write, who vote, who protest, who work in government, or who support political candidates. We all must resist the propaganda that whitewashes Israeli crimes and seeks to demonize or dehumanize the Palestinians. Personally, I will never vote for anyone who supports Israel, or anyone that supports a president that supports Israel. We should all demand the complete cutoff of all US support: political, diplomatic, financial, and military. We should also demand that our elected representatives also support sanctions against the criminal Israeli regime.
This will not happen quickly, but through sustained and constant resistance to our current leadership and their policies. We must never forget and never forgive. Over time, through sustained effort, I believe many Israelis will come to see that life in a pariah state is not worth continuing to live there and will emigrate out. That should be our goal: The withering away of the state of Israel.
Sadly, I can't recall which of our band of truth tellers recently recounted a trip to Pakistan years ago when a poor man in the humblest of circumstances invited he and his traveling companion into his home. The wife pulled out the little food that they had on hand and prepared her mini feast for her honored guests. We have little concept of how deeply rooted many faithful are in their commitment to hospitality--something you clearly experienced in the West Bank. Surely, this speaks to all the possibilities to live in peace that we in the west ignore for the sake of dominance.
I am fortunate to experience some of this humble generosity in the kindness of the Ecuadorians where I now live. Even with my modest few dollars spent in the mercado, the vendors will throw in some "yappa" (that little bit extra). Humbles me every time.
Well, Cara, you have met the Middle East. I am pleased. Pleased because you got to get a sense for the ME. 99% of my time was spent in Iran who are Persian, not Arab but I think it is a ME saying that a guest is a jewel that rests on a cushion of hospitality. Now you really know what they mean by that. And pleased that you got out. I had no concerns about your safety with the Palestinians but the Israelis are another whole kettle of fish. I look forward to your posts because while I spent years in Iran, I was only in Israel for a week back in the late '90s
"We are all Gazans. And if we dont stop this Genocide, we will be next." Chris Hedges
Thank you for your courage and humanity, Cara. Those daily humiliations and acts of violence you witnessed can only be committed by criminal psychopaths! Heartbreaking! I look forward to your future posts!
There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Pope Francis has said what is needed, now he must do what is needed by going to Gaza and standing for peace, justice and freedom.
I have focused my thoughts on your safe return from Palestine since your journey began, Cara, and am pleased that you are now chatting with us once more. I cannot find the words to describe what I (and we) are seeing unfold in that part of the world. Looking forward to your reports, especially as they may help to give us that vocabulary. Your message today is certainly a contrast to, and a renunciation of, the utter flatulence of the generic media scribblings in this country, on the Palestine situation. Thank you for your efforts!
Welcome home. Look forward to reading your perceptions. Only one caveat: This did NOT start on October 7, 2023. You are 100+ years into this already. This has been going on to varying degrees since the 1890's but it really started ramping up in the 1920's. The genocide is not new. The land theft is not new. The rapes and torture and gunshot to the head of children playing soccer is not new. None of this is new. It's just that cell phones are ubiquitous so everyone can see this particular series of atrocities.
And you probably only saw/heard about the tip of the iceberg since you were not in Gaza.
And it has been reported to one degree or another but Westerners have been trained through propaganda not to see Palestinians as human beings for almost 200 years for political reasons. There are so many now living in the West that Westerners cannot help but identify with them. Finally. I hope you were able to bring back photos.
Excellent comment. You are right of course. There are many dynamics that come to bear on US/western support for Israel and indifference to Palestinian rights and suffering, not least Christian zionism. Thank you for your comment!
Not least? Perhaps that point needs to be made in an even stronger way. I was shocked to see the disambiguation from the search results for "history of zionism," and "Christian Zionism." The difference is about 400 years. And which Christians was it that were prominent in early Zionism? The Puritans. Hmmm, I wonder what happened to them.
The convergence of profits and prophets. What could be worse?
“Does Israel deserve to exist?” “An unequivocal no.”
I completely agree. I think those of us witnessing this horror must work to make Israel and Zionism a pariah, much as was done with Hitler’s Germany and Nazism. This work should be done by all who write, who vote, who protest, who work in government, or who support political candidates. We all must resist the propaganda that whitewashes Israeli crimes and seeks to demonize or dehumanize the Palestinians. Personally, I will never vote for anyone who supports Israel, or anyone that supports a president that supports Israel. We should all demand the complete cutoff of all US support: political, diplomatic, financial, and military. We should also demand that our elected representatives also support sanctions against the criminal Israeli regime.
This will not happen quickly, but through sustained and constant resistance to our current leadership and their policies. We must never forget and never forgive. Over time, through sustained effort, I believe many Israelis will come to see that life in a pariah state is not worth continuing to live there and will emigrate out. That should be our goal: The withering away of the state of Israel.
Sadly, I can't recall which of our band of truth tellers recently recounted a trip to Pakistan years ago when a poor man in the humblest of circumstances invited he and his traveling companion into his home. The wife pulled out the little food that they had on hand and prepared her mini feast for her honored guests. We have little concept of how deeply rooted many faithful are in their commitment to hospitality--something you clearly experienced in the West Bank. Surely, this speaks to all the possibilities to live in peace that we in the west ignore for the sake of dominance.
I am fortunate to experience some of this humble generosity in the kindness of the Ecuadorians where I now live. Even with my modest few dollars spent in the mercado, the vendors will throw in some "yappa" (that little bit extra). Humbles me every time.
Lovely and astute observation, Tom. Thanks for your comment.
Well, Cara, you have met the Middle East. I am pleased. Pleased because you got to get a sense for the ME. 99% of my time was spent in Iran who are Persian, not Arab but I think it is a ME saying that a guest is a jewel that rests on a cushion of hospitality. Now you really know what they mean by that. And pleased that you got out. I had no concerns about your safety with the Palestinians but the Israelis are another whole kettle of fish. I look forward to your posts because while I spent years in Iran, I was only in Israel for a week back in the late '90s
I look forward to reading your posts. It's so important to amplify Palestinian voices, Cara. Thanks for doing that.
Thank you so much for your compassionate report. I look forward to hearing more.
Thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading more of your experiences in visiting the West Bank.
Gorgeous and courageous writing in a profoundly sad time.
"We are all Gazans. And if we dont stop this Genocide, we will be next." Chris Hedges
Thank you for your courage and humanity, Cara. Those daily humiliations and acts of violence you witnessed can only be committed by criminal psychopaths! Heartbreaking! I look forward to your future posts!
There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Pope Francis has said what is needed, now he must do what is needed by going to Gaza and standing for peace, justice and freedom.
Please sign the petition and share widely.
https://chng.it/CRQ7qw4Gzn
Code pink
https://www.codepink.org/cnngaza?utm_campaign=12_15_pali_update_alert_3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink
Let us also support UNRWA. If our governments won’t act in accordance with humanity, then we will. https://www.unrwausa.org/donate
Also we can all support the brave doctors who have gone to Gaza: https://palestinian-ama.networkforgood.com/projects/206145-gaza-medical-supplies-oct-2023
Let us make our donations to honor Aaron Bushnell, or in memory of Hind Rajab.
Here’s a new petition to excommunicate Joe Biden: https://www.change.org/p/excommunicate-president-joe-biden-bf979783-ac08-4576-a53f-c786ea23dc9c
These are a few small things we can do. If we can do more, let us do more.