We Cannot Look Away from the Suffering in Gaza
Image by Marek Studzinski/Unsplash
This is a hard post to write. I feel so heartbroken, so utterly overwhelmed by the terrible suffering in Gaza right now that a big part of me wants to avoid talking, thinking or writing about it. What’s happening there is just so unspeakably awful, I can’t bear it. But we can’t afford to look away. That’s what Netanyahu and others like him around the world would dearly love – that the barbarity they inflict on other humans is so great, we feel paralysed and allow it to keep happening.
As I have said before in these posts, I have skin in the game here. I am Jewish, the great-grandson of refugees who fled the pogroms in Russia at the turn of the 20th Century. I understand only too well how much the Jews have suffered throughout history, their deep yearning for a homeland, somewhere they would be safe and free from persecution. I also understand the intense backlash against the terrible events of October 7 2023, which were unspeakably evil.
But none of that justifies the systematic murder and starvation of the civilian population in Gaza and violent oppression of those in the West Bank. None of it justifies shooting people as they queue for desperately needed aid for themselves and their family. In some ways, this situation is complex, layered in history, claim and counter-claim to this land, tribal conflict dating back millennia. In other ways, it is very simple. This is genocide. Innocent people are being wiped out. It must stop.
Take compassionate action
When I feel so crushed and heartbroken by the news and images coming from Gaza every day, I know the only thing that will help is to take compassionate action. Please do the same – join a protest near you. Write to your elected leaders – it is incumbent on them to prevent war crimes and genocide, so the more people who call and write to them, the more pressure they will feel to act. Here is how to contact your MP, if you’re in the UK, and your representative if you’re in the US.
Despite the Israeli blockade of food and medical supplies, some humanitarian groups are still operating in Gaza. I am a strong supporter of World Central Kitchen, who are providing clean water and fresh food (when they are able) to the Palestinian people, as well as in Ukraine and to others around the world in need of help. You can make a much-needed donation here, or by clicking the button below.
Please don’t look away. You don’t need to watch every video and read every news story, especially if you find it too upsetting. I ration my news intake too, or I get too upset and overwhelmed – and that’s no use to anyone. But we can all still engage with the situation, take action and do everything in our power to end this terrible suffering.
Thank you for reading this – and sending love to you, as well as every man, woman and child in Gaza right now.
Dan ❤️