Nothing could ever excuse the beheading and burning of babies. Bodies hacked into pieces. Women raped and paraded around while Gaza celebrates.
You are out of your depth.
I am all for peace and love, but check your facts first. Palestinians are gainfully employed in Israel. Far from being poor and desolate, Gaza was thriving and would have further flourished if only its denizens hadn't chosen terrorism over collaboration.
If I dare going into Palestinian territory, I am as good as dead.
So, before you go into this hypocritical rant about what you think we should do, check the facts.
Living in Israel is simple, just don't blow up buses, restaurants, cafés... if you do that, yeah, we'll have to protect our people.
The Holy Land is indeed a place of worship for all religions. Only one, it seems has this tendency to blow things up and behead people. Wait, actually, innocent people.
People who helped the residents of Gaza get decent jobs and top notch medical care.
Don't pretend to know anything about the trauma of the Jewish people, it's of very bad taste and extremely condescending.
Israeli soldiers do not rape anyone, or behead innocent civilians.
Comes a time when we should at least be afforded the right to bury our deads without everyone expressing their thoughts on the matter.
What happened in Israel was worse than 9/11, and back then, no one, absolutely no one rushed to defend the side of whoever highjacked and crashed those planes.
But can we please stop highlighting the persecution of the Jews as if no other people faced a similar horrific experience? What is being done the land's indigenous people (the Palestinians) is no less horrific. Armenians were boiled to death by the Turks, the Crusades decimated much of the culture and intellectual contributions of the Muslim faith and there is suppression in many countries we pay little attention to. Fighting back with the power of mighty weapons against an unarmed, suppressed and humiliated people, whose only fault was giving up their country for the return of those who at one time opted to leave. Violence of any kind is as you say, inexcusable. And speaking in balanced terms is important. Thank you.
A beautiful balanced article, one of the most compassionate I have read recently. Its sad to see already a one-sided view in response. Hoda, how do you define indigenous? I could respond and point out the palestinian people here are not more indigenous than the jewish communities who were also still here long before the state of Israel was created (including my family who have lived here side by side with muslims for at least 250 years). In addition, they are not exactly unarmed, and Gaza is one of the poorest parts of the world partly because their leaders care more about revenge than their own peoples lives. The people in power choose to take the billions of dollars in aid they receive annually and use it to build weapons, and breed hate ...
But isn't that the point of this article? To look beyond the blame game and acknowledge that all people have a right to live in dignity and saftey, and that both sides have suffered too much. Its not a competition who has suffered more/whose suffering is more valid..maybe one day we can even acknowledge and celebrate how similar our cultures are rather than how different. We need to break the cycle, we need a shift from blame and holding on to historical narratives and instead we should be compassionate for all people everywhere. In my organisation we have bediouns, arabs, druse, religious and secular jews, and other cultures. We have been holding vigils for all the suffering in this part of the world. We eat, sing and pray together. Just being together in solidarity for humantiy is our small offering towards tolerance and understanding across the borders.. You are invited to join us
It is a little complicated. Hamas has as a primary religious principle that the Holy Land, in its entirety, must be reclaimed from non-Muslims, by whatever means necessary. It is written black and white in their founding constitution. For them, this is a spiritual pursuit, something they are willing and happy to sacrifice their own lives and the lives of their children for. There are other flavors of the same convictions in the the modern Muslim world. What should convince them that the spirituality we subscribe to should replace their current version? In fact, how do we even know that our version is more correct? Are we willing and happy to sacrifice our lives, literally, for our principles?
I'm playing devil's advocate, of course. But these are real questions that don't have simple answers.
That said, I do thank you for the piece you wrote, and share your hope that history will, finally, turn a corner and start exploring a new direction.
Thank you for this article, very special. I lived in Jerusalem for 9 years and was a grass-roots Peacmaker. I am praying now with thousands of people around the World for Peace in the Holyland and the World.!
This is a hopeful article. As healers, we need to unite and not compete for whose tragedy was worse. They are all horrific. I have a friend in Gaza and friends in Israel and they are all effected by this war. The generational trauma needs to be acknowledged and can’t be solved with more violence. We need to focus on being kind, empathetic and collectively find forgiveness, not compete for whose pain is worse. It’s all bad and we are all responsible for it (especially in the US). This is empowering because we can contribute to a path of healing, if that’s the goal. I hope we can see each other as human someday soon. Ceasefire and Peace!
“There is one human story. Dressed in new clothing and using new tools, we endlessly relive it. If we read philosophy, literature, history, poetry, and theology – we see greed, hedonism, and hubris easily defeat empathy and reason.” – The Last Act of the Human Comedy – Chris Hedges
“The most important point to be made here is that as long as we remain egocentric beings, there shall always be sociopaths and psychopaths among us, who inevitably rise to authority driven by selfishness, greed, and apathy – who then capsize their entire sphere of influence despite the best intentions of all the rest of us. This perpetual cycle can only continue its descent until we undergo the spiritual and cultural transformation available by transmuting the egocentricity at its root.” – The Everyone Project
Please don't be naive and fall for the "poverty and dehumanization" is what caused any of this. It was sheer, constant indoctrination. We are dealing with a literal cult. Hamas is taught to adore death and to hate Jews. Literally. It is imbibed with mother's milk that you will achieve honor for your family by killing Jews.
Your written piece is beautiful, and I agree with it, but in order to fix this we have to call it what it is. A death cult.
Looks like you haven't listened to the interviews of the Israeli's who are disgusted and horrified by their governments constant attempts to annihilate the land's original inhabitants... the Palestinians. Please look up Gabor Mate's Youtube interview. this is like the US cleansing of the Native Americans... and no less.
The Jews lived in the holy land way before the Palestinians did. Check your history. When given the right to return to Israel after the horrors of the Holocaust, all neighboring Arab countries waged a war against the Jews who lived in Israel. Those wars were won fair and square. None of them stemmed from a need to conquer, but for survival. Every time they were given the opportunity, they attacked ruthlessly with unspeakable levels of violence and cruelty. As far as I am aware Native Americans didn't blow up restaurants, buses and shoot people at dance festivals. Stop comparing the two to make yourselves feel better. Also, if you really feel you're in the wrong, why don't you just step away from your ill acquired homes and leave them to the people you've wronged?
I am appalled by the hypocrisy of the so-called enlightened community on this one. Nothing can justify the level of horror we've had to live through. Absolutely nothing.
Why do you insist palestinains are the only original inhabitants? Its a very strange narrative, not based in truth and irrelevant to the topic of the article . Its also very hurtful to people who have literally been persecuted for 1000s of years to be accused of ethnic cleansing when we live alongside many cultures inside israel including palestinians.
Hoda, do you have a link to the YouTube video to which you are referring? The one I had (from SAND) was quickly scrubbed, ostensibly for copyright reasons.
You can share it with me here, if you would prefer:
Thank you Stephen. Yes we must stop the "othering" and grasp the simple truth that we are all human beings and must fairly share our planet. Towards this end here are articles of mine:
Sovereignty, World Order and the Earth Rights Imperative
Lies... sugar-coated lies.
Nothing could ever excuse the beheading and burning of babies. Bodies hacked into pieces. Women raped and paraded around while Gaza celebrates.
You are out of your depth.
I am all for peace and love, but check your facts first. Palestinians are gainfully employed in Israel. Far from being poor and desolate, Gaza was thriving and would have further flourished if only its denizens hadn't chosen terrorism over collaboration.
If I dare going into Palestinian territory, I am as good as dead.
So, before you go into this hypocritical rant about what you think we should do, check the facts.
Living in Israel is simple, just don't blow up buses, restaurants, cafés... if you do that, yeah, we'll have to protect our people.
The Holy Land is indeed a place of worship for all religions. Only one, it seems has this tendency to blow things up and behead people. Wait, actually, innocent people.
People who helped the residents of Gaza get decent jobs and top notch medical care.
Don't pretend to know anything about the trauma of the Jewish people, it's of very bad taste and extremely condescending.
Israeli soldiers do not rape anyone, or behead innocent civilians.
Comes a time when we should at least be afforded the right to bury our deads without everyone expressing their thoughts on the matter.
What happened in Israel was worse than 9/11, and back then, no one, absolutely no one rushed to defend the side of whoever highjacked and crashed those planes.
We deserve at least that.
Thank you for your view.
But can we please stop highlighting the persecution of the Jews as if no other people faced a similar horrific experience? What is being done the land's indigenous people (the Palestinians) is no less horrific. Armenians were boiled to death by the Turks, the Crusades decimated much of the culture and intellectual contributions of the Muslim faith and there is suppression in many countries we pay little attention to. Fighting back with the power of mighty weapons against an unarmed, suppressed and humiliated people, whose only fault was giving up their country for the return of those who at one time opted to leave. Violence of any kind is as you say, inexcusable. And speaking in balanced terms is important. Thank you.
A beautiful balanced article, one of the most compassionate I have read recently. Its sad to see already a one-sided view in response. Hoda, how do you define indigenous? I could respond and point out the palestinian people here are not more indigenous than the jewish communities who were also still here long before the state of Israel was created (including my family who have lived here side by side with muslims for at least 250 years). In addition, they are not exactly unarmed, and Gaza is one of the poorest parts of the world partly because their leaders care more about revenge than their own peoples lives. The people in power choose to take the billions of dollars in aid they receive annually and use it to build weapons, and breed hate ...
But isn't that the point of this article? To look beyond the blame game and acknowledge that all people have a right to live in dignity and saftey, and that both sides have suffered too much. Its not a competition who has suffered more/whose suffering is more valid..maybe one day we can even acknowledge and celebrate how similar our cultures are rather than how different. We need to break the cycle, we need a shift from blame and holding on to historical narratives and instead we should be compassionate for all people everywhere. In my organisation we have bediouns, arabs, druse, religious and secular jews, and other cultures. We have been holding vigils for all the suffering in this part of the world. We eat, sing and pray together. Just being together in solidarity for humantiy is our small offering towards tolerance and understanding across the borders.. You are invited to join us
The Palestinians remained in Palestine... many were likely from the same Jewish descent!
It is a little complicated. Hamas has as a primary religious principle that the Holy Land, in its entirety, must be reclaimed from non-Muslims, by whatever means necessary. It is written black and white in their founding constitution. For them, this is a spiritual pursuit, something they are willing and happy to sacrifice their own lives and the lives of their children for. There are other flavors of the same convictions in the the modern Muslim world. What should convince them that the spirituality we subscribe to should replace their current version? In fact, how do we even know that our version is more correct? Are we willing and happy to sacrifice our lives, literally, for our principles?
I'm playing devil's advocate, of course. But these are real questions that don't have simple answers.
That said, I do thank you for the piece you wrote, and share your hope that history will, finally, turn a corner and start exploring a new direction.
Thank you for this article, very special. I lived in Jerusalem for 9 years and was a grass-roots Peacmaker. I am praying now with thousands of people around the World for Peace in the Holyland and the World.!
This is a hopeful article. As healers, we need to unite and not compete for whose tragedy was worse. They are all horrific. I have a friend in Gaza and friends in Israel and they are all effected by this war. The generational trauma needs to be acknowledged and can’t be solved with more violence. We need to focus on being kind, empathetic and collectively find forgiveness, not compete for whose pain is worse. It’s all bad and we are all responsible for it (especially in the US). This is empowering because we can contribute to a path of healing, if that’s the goal. I hope we can see each other as human someday soon. Ceasefire and Peace!
“There is one human story. Dressed in new clothing and using new tools, we endlessly relive it. If we read philosophy, literature, history, poetry, and theology – we see greed, hedonism, and hubris easily defeat empathy and reason.” – The Last Act of the Human Comedy – Chris Hedges
“The most important point to be made here is that as long as we remain egocentric beings, there shall always be sociopaths and psychopaths among us, who inevitably rise to authority driven by selfishness, greed, and apathy – who then capsize their entire sphere of influence despite the best intentions of all the rest of us. This perpetual cycle can only continue its descent until we undergo the spiritual and cultural transformation available by transmuting the egocentricity at its root.” – The Everyone Project
https://bohobeau.net/2021/01/29/woke-world/
Please don't be naive and fall for the "poverty and dehumanization" is what caused any of this. It was sheer, constant indoctrination. We are dealing with a literal cult. Hamas is taught to adore death and to hate Jews. Literally. It is imbibed with mother's milk that you will achieve honor for your family by killing Jews.
Your written piece is beautiful, and I agree with it, but in order to fix this we have to call it what it is. A death cult.
Looks like you haven't listened to the interviews of the Israeli's who are disgusted and horrified by their governments constant attempts to annihilate the land's original inhabitants... the Palestinians. Please look up Gabor Mate's Youtube interview. this is like the US cleansing of the Native Americans... and no less.
The Jews lived in the holy land way before the Palestinians did. Check your history. When given the right to return to Israel after the horrors of the Holocaust, all neighboring Arab countries waged a war against the Jews who lived in Israel. Those wars were won fair and square. None of them stemmed from a need to conquer, but for survival. Every time they were given the opportunity, they attacked ruthlessly with unspeakable levels of violence and cruelty. As far as I am aware Native Americans didn't blow up restaurants, buses and shoot people at dance festivals. Stop comparing the two to make yourselves feel better. Also, if you really feel you're in the wrong, why don't you just step away from your ill acquired homes and leave them to the people you've wronged?
I am appalled by the hypocrisy of the so-called enlightened community on this one. Nothing can justify the level of horror we've had to live through. Absolutely nothing.
Gabor Mate is an expert on many subjects. This one is clearly not one of them. Historical evidence does not back the original inhabitant claim.
Why do you insist palestinains are the only original inhabitants? Its a very strange narrative, not based in truth and irrelevant to the topic of the article . Its also very hurtful to people who have literally been persecuted for 1000s of years to be accused of ethnic cleansing when we live alongside many cultures inside israel including palestinians.
Hoda, do you have a link to the YouTube video to which you are referring? The one I had (from SAND) was quickly scrubbed, ostensibly for copyright reasons.
You can share it with me here, if you would prefer:
> AskMetta.com
Thanks in advance.
Thank you Stephen. Yes we must stop the "othering" and grasp the simple truth that we are all human beings and must fairly share our planet. Towards this end here are articles of mine:
Sovereignty, World Order and the Earth Rights Imperative
https://alannahartzok.substack.com/p/financing-planet-management-part
Palestine Israel - Cutting the Gordian Knot
https://alannahartzok.substack.com/p/palestine-israel-cutting-the-gordian
Zionism and Land
https://alannahartzok.substack.com/p/zionism-and-land
Thank you for your insight and understanding of the wounds and traumas underlying these conflicts. We must ask for spiritual intervention 🙏