I want to choose my words carefully because I understand the deep trauma that Israel and the United States has inflicted on millions of Palestinians. And not just for the last two years, but for decades.

It is because of that last sentence that I am cautious about celebrating a ceasefire and a plan for the end of this genocide when it comes from a fascist regime. And it is too early to tell if this will last, or if it is yet another distraction.

Certainly, other states (Qatar, Turkey, Egypt) were involved. But this is a US plan. And the American Empire, as it is in steep decline, can never be trusted. Everything it does is spectacle and farce. Its primary colonial asset and military base in the region is Israel. It has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in it. So, it will maintain it as long as the empire stands.

That said, if one Palestinan life is spared by this “agreement” I will rejoice. But I understand the dynamics and duplicity of empire too well to celebrate its supposed achievements.

Gaza has been completely obliterated. It is highly likely that hundreds of thousands have been slaughtered. It may never be habitable in the foreseeable future. And it isn’t clear who will pay the 80+ billion dollars to rebuild it.

To be sure, Israel will continue its colonial settler project in the occupied territories. The West Bank will be absorbed into the Zionist state, and Palestinians will be forced into bantustans on their ancestral lands. The illegal settlers will continue their pogroms protected by the IDF.

But Israel, like its colonial benefactor the United States, will never be accepted by the majority of the world again. Their myths of morality and greatness are forever sullied. The slow decay of the American Empire will ensure the eventual demise of its colonial assets.

They will try desperately to normalize every crime they’ve committed by buying the media and criminalizing dissent. But we have all seen too much. Their cynical game of baseless smears and propaganda is over, and all but the obtuse know this.

And one thing to celebrate is the Palestinians themselves. Their integrity in the face of genocide has never wavered. They’ve put our leaders and media, with all their racism, empty platitudes and hypocrisy, to shame. They’ve ripped the mask off of Western imperialism and smashed it to dust. Their humanity is unmatched. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Kenn Orfanos, October 2025