Friday, October 13: From Bad to Worse Pt. II
Question: Is it antisemitic to fight for your life?
Lenin famously said, “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” I think I’m starting to understand what he meant. The events that have unfolded over the past six days are news today, but in a way they’re nothing new.
I vividly remember the summer of 2014, when the Israeli military launched heavy airstrikes that eventually killed at least 535 Palestinian children over 50 days. Back then, much like this week, the western world expressed no sympathy for the innocent Palestinians murdered.
I remember the Great March of Return in 2018, when unarmed Palestinians in Gaza demonstrated every Friday for a year and a half, marching to the fence separating Gaza from Israel. These peaceful protesters had the audacity to demand an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, and their reward was that the apartheid state opened fire on them, with hundreds losing their lives and thousands more injured.
In the past six days, the Israeli military has dropped ~6,000 bombs on Gaza, killing at least 447 Palestinian children. Six days! The defenders of apartheid have dropped more ordnance in a week than the US dropped in Afghanistan over the course of a year. Now, much like back then, there are no international cries for the innocent lives lost. In most of the western world there is no sympathy for Palestinian humanity. On the contrary, this week, the governments of both France and Germany have chosen to ban pro-Palestinian protests and demonstrations, citing a fear of increased antisemitism.
In the US, 34 student groups signed a letter by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) on Saturday, saying they held "the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence." Shortly thereafter, a truck displaying the names, faces, and other personal information of students affiliated with these groups has circled the university’s campus, calling these students “Harvard’s leading antisemites” and intending to intimidate them.
Now, in the latest escalation to the ongoing massacre in Gaza, the corrupt and murderous Israeli government is ordering over a million people to flee northern Gaza in anticipation of a brutal ground offensive. The evacuation order, which applies to Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, has led to widespread panic among civilians and aid workers who are already running from Israeli airstrikes and dealing with the total siege of Gaza. Anywhere else in the world, this would rightfully be called out as ethnic cleansing, but somehow the only response from American political leaders is to double down on their unwavering support for the apartheid state.
Israel has cut off all food, water and supplies into Gaza and caused a territory-wide blackout. Talk to any Palestinian with family overseas and the story is the same: Everyone has a cousin, a neighbor, a friend who has lost their life or their home or both. My wife doesn’t hear from her family in Gaza for days, expecting the worst and often having that expectation met. Meanwhile you’ve got bozo Israeli settlers using the current massacre as an opportunity to flex how comfortable they are on stolen land with their running water and electricity. These are the same individuals who consider themselves innocent, politically-neutral civilians.
Imagine for a moment the global reaction if an Arab country kept 2 million+ Jewish people in a cage, half of them children, cut off their access to electricity and water, and then indiscriminately bombed them. The outrage would be justifiably overwhelming. But somehow the anti-Muslim bigotry in the west makes the world applaud this as justified instead.
In high school I took a class called “Lessons of the Vietnam War”, taught by a former Marine (shoutout Mr. Moore, an absolutely unhinged but undoubtedly insightful character). In the class we learned about the Gulf of Tonkin incident and how the US fabricated justification for a full-scale invasion and war in Vietnam. It was probably the first time I was taught in school about the specific crimes of the American government in manufacturing consent for global violence. Unfortunately, there aren’t any classes being taught on “Lessons from the Iraq War”, because this week has illustrated that no such lessons have been learned.
As frustrating and disheartening as it can be, now is not the time to stop speaking about Palestine or learning about their struggle for freedom. The past six days have been overwhelming, witnessing the cognitive dissonance of progressives who can’t empathize or understand why Palestinian lives hold value. Here’s another excellent collection of resources to continue learning about Palestinian liberation. If you’re confused or frustrated or start to feel insane for seeing American politicians calling for further escalation, know that you’re not alone. Angela Davis said it best, “Freedom is a constant struggle.”
Side Items
Secret Egyptian Agent: New Jersey senator Bob Menendez was charged yesterday with conspiring for years to secretly act as an agent of the Egyptian government while he maintained a powerful role in shaping US foreign policy. Despite widespread calls for him to resign, Menendez has continued to reject the idea, instead choosing to operate as if nothing is amiss. It appears the only way a senator could be pressured into resigning is if they express sympathy or support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation
Solar Eclipse: A rare and beautiful solar eclipse will be visible this weekend across the entire continental US, providing people the chance to see the moon pass in front of the sun. Some fortunate sky-watchers in nine states will have the opportunity to witness a “ring of fire” in the sky, which could be a nice temporary distraction from the ring of fire growing in and around Gaza