As we grieve for the innocent civilians killed in the Hamas attack last weekend and the innocent civilians killed in Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, we must pay attention to what is unfolding now. And western governments have an enormous role in all of it.

Right now, Israel is preparing a ground invasion of the small, walled-in enclave of Gaza and demanding 1.1 million people “evacuate”. But where are they supposed to evacuate to? The only place is south to Egypt. To the only border crossing open at this time. And Israel has bombed it at least 3 times this week.

Israel has never allowed refugees to return after the wars in 1948 or 1967, which is their right under international law. Why would it now? Gazans have a right to feel hopeless in this regard because there are faced with either the loss of their homes or death from being caught in the crossfire. There is no other definition that would be appropriate other than ethnic cleansing, which is a war crime. And our governments are equally responsible for this atrocity.

One need not understand all the nuances and complexities of this conflict to know that as human beings we are responsible for one another. I grieve for ALL lives lost or destroyed in this senseless war. But the only way to end the suffering is for a just peace, where Palestinians and Jews live in this land as equals. With respect, dignity and fairness.

It may sound naive to be hopeful for this now, but I always think of what Howard Zinn once said:

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

Kenn Orphan, October 2023