Wednesday, October 25: Don't Look Away
Those in power are relying on our short attention spans. Don't give them the satisfaction.
By now, over a million people have been displaced, over six thousand (6,000) have been killed, with hundreds dying in the past 24 hours alone. This might not come as a surprise, but when Palestinian doctors say, “our patients will die if we don’t get fuel” and then the Israeli government (with the full backing of western governments) says, “nope sorry, no fuel for you”, that’s murder folks. It might not be as obvious as an airstrike, but it’s still murdering innocent civilians.
A besieged territory of 2.5 million people has been reduced to this. Death and devastation as far as the eye can see. Hundreds of people trapped under the rubble, waiting for death. Just yesterday, at least 700 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the endless Israeli airstrikes, funded by the US, Canada, the UK and the European Union. It was the deadliest recorded 24 hours for Palestinians since 1948. To call it anything other than genocide would be misleading or outright lying, and the apartheid regime in Israel has demonstrated they have no issue lying about their crimes.
But there are no more pretenses in this country. The national security spokesperson John Kirby was asked yesterday about the possible deaths of civilians in Gaza, and his response, standing comfortably at a podium in the white house, dispensed of any illusions that our government isn’t aware of exactly what is unfolding. Kirby said:
"Innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish that that wasn't going to happen. But it is. It is going to happen. And that doesn't make it right... But that's that's unfortunately the nature of conflict.”
The absolute genocidal audacity of this man.
But to so many in the western world, the ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza is seen as just another opportunity to capitalize and make money. In an earnings call yesterday with the defense firm Raytheon, a Wall Street analyst pointed out that Israel’s genocide is an "opportunity" that "fits quite nicely” with the company’s portfolio. Rather than being appalled by the insensitivity, a Raytheon executive agreed that they'll “see a benefit...on top of what we think is going to be an increase” in the department of defense’s budget. These people are foaming at the mouth for the opportunity to make a quick buck off the slaughter of thousands of Palestinians.
It can often feel frustrating to acknowledge our limited power in changing these circumstances. We can post on social media and attend protests and make clever posters that might go viral, but our best opportunity to enact change is and has always been with our finances. I’m not telling anyone to avoid paying taxes (unless you’re absolutely certain you can avoid it like so many billionaires), but there is another option: Going the BDS route.
BDS is an acronym for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and this movement has been compiling the names of companies that are actively supporting and contributing to the Israeli oppression of Palestinians. For example, earlier this month, the Starbucks union, Starbucks Workers United, posted a statement expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The corporate office, led by CEO Howard Schultz, filed a lawsuit over this statement, claiming the post damaged the company's reputation and garnered negative attention from customers. I recognize this is a big ask, particularly during pumpkin spice season, but if boycotting a business like Starbucks can help companies realize they’re standing on the wrong side of history, I figure it’s the least we can do.
One of the easiest things to boycott on the BDS list is the below-average hummus brand Sabra. Sabra is a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group, an Israeli food company that provides financial support to the genocidal Israeli army. The good news, my dear friends, is that you’re only ~5 minutes and a decent food processor away from wonderful, homemade, genocide-free humus. It’s ~4:1 chickpeas to tahini, a solid dose of olive oil (~2 tablespoons per cup of chickpea), lemon to get that delightful acidic taste, as much garlic as you prefer, and a little salt and pepper. Do yourself a favor and avoid supporting these companies as best you can. Nobody is asking you to risk your life or your freedom, only to be more conscious of where your money is going.
I sign off today with the last words of award-winning 32 year old Palestinian writer and poet Hiba Abu Nada, killed recently in the Israeli attack on Gaza.
"We find ourselves in an indescribable state of bliss amidst the chaos. Amidst the ruins, a new city emerges—a testament to our resilience.