Blog #36.5: Epilogue (Free Palestine)

Preface

This is Part 2 of Blog #36: Un producto de colonización (A product of colonization).

If you do not know much about the Israel-Palestine Conflict that has been ongoing for the past 75 years, please watch this 15 minute explainer video to get up to speed. I do not claim to be anywhere near an “expert” on this issue, but I feel personally responsible to inform my blog audience on what is happening, as we collectively process the atrocities in the world.

I also want to clarify the difference between “Jews” with “Zionists” in this post. I appreciate the way this Vox article defined Zionism: “Zionism is Israel’s national ideology. Zionists believe Judaism is a nationality as well as a religion, and that Jews deserve their own state in their ancestral homeland, Israel…Arabs, then, often see Zionism as a species of colonialism and racism aimed at appropriating Palestinian land and systematically disenfranchising the Palestinians that remain” (Source). Many Jews around the world do not support Zionism, and are especially upset that a genocide is being carried out in their adjacent name.

Edits: This blog was edited at 9:47pm on 11/16/2023 to correct historical inaccuracies, and at 8:45am on 11/17/2023 to include the distinction between Zionism and Judaism. Credits to Maha Nassar and Jalyn Casey, respectively. Thank you for your contributions. This blog was edited again at 2:04pm on 2/29/2024 to update the death and wounded toll.

It’s Free Palestine until Palestine is free.

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I must admit that I write this blog with a heavy heart. As I reflect on the long term effects of colonization, we are seeing the horrific consequences in real time. A genocide of Palestinian people is happening as we speak, a devastation that has been decades in the making. Israelis have gradually claimed Palestinians’ homeland for themselves, ultimately relegating them to a small piece of land called the Gaza Strip, which Israel has significant control over. The conflict has reached its boiling point, as the Israeli army has inflicted stage 9 of genocide: extermination. This week, Gaza reported more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 70,000 wounded since October 7th.

I feel immeasurable pain when I think of the innocent lives that have been taken. My grief for the women, children and men of Gaza being stripped from the Earth feels like a blood curdling scream, bursting at the seams of my soul. I grieve too for the land, air, and water that have been saturated with deadly bombs and pollutants intended to kill. I worry every day about the long-term impacts of this devastation — on people and the planet. I hate that I can’t do anything to stop this living nightmare.

It’s sickening to believe that American leaders are financially and politically supporting Israeli leaders in this reality, but it’s not surprising. America has failed to be on the right side of history many times in the past. At this moment, American leaders are prioritizing their assets (namely OIL and GAS) in the Middle East by standing with Israel. There will be consequences for being on the wrong side of history. Just as we know the climate-related consequences of mining and burning every ounce of oil left on Earth.

We can grieve the deaths on both sides and condemn extremist groups who are targeting innocents, but we must also acknowledge that Palestinians have been oppressed for generations because of Israeli forces who deem them as sub-humans. We must be able to hold these thoughts at the same time. Jews have experienced oppression as well: they faced a genocide during the Holocaust, and anti-Semitism is still very prevalent in the world. For all intents and purposes, the tables have turned, and Zionists are holding the power now. Instead of rewriting the course of history, they are repeating the same crimes that were done to their Jewish elders and ancestors. A hypocrisy that has cost thousands of lives, and threatens freedom of the world. 

I know writing about global problems on this blog will not single-handedly change the current devastation, but I am hardly alone. Our power is in our collective voice, when we say: We do not stand for genocide under any circumstances, and demand an immediate ceasefire. Millions of people across the globe agree that this is not a “war” between two states. Israel has one of the most advanced militaries and the ability to shut off the power, water, and resources entering in and out of Gaza — this is the oppressor versus the oppressed. We must be loud and aggressive as we call out the blatant oppression, demand for change, and continue seeking justice for our fellow humans.

I wish I had the antidote to heal the world at this time, but all I have left are my prayers for a better reality, one that I will strive to uphold every day that I’m still on this Earth:

I pray for justice and peace to reach Palestine and every place that has ever been subject to colonization, apartheid, and genocide.

I pray that my grief, and the grief of the world, will be heard loudly and felt deeply for generations to come.

I pray that humanity may learn from our past mistakes.

I pray that oppressors may free themselves from their own suffering and desire to cause suffering in the world.

I pray for all humans to remember our deep sense of belonging to one another.

I pray for empathy to grow in people’s hearts.

I pray for us to truly resist and break free from this sick capitalist system that puts money and power over people.

I pray for true liberation.

I pray for decolonization of the world.

I pray for a Free Palestine.

If you wish to be part of the solution, please continue to educate yourself on the conflict. Challenge yourself to have ongoing conversations about your learnings with friends, family, co-workers, everyone. We cannot stand silent as fellow humans are swept from the Earth. So make your voice heard LOUDLY. Call and email your political representatives demanding for an immediate ceasefire. Boycott the companies who are funding genocide (stop going to McDonalds and Starbucks, and cancel your Disney+ subscription to start). Donate to organizations who are providing critical resources to Palestinian refugees, such as ANERA, Human Appeal, and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (due to Israel’s restrictions on what goes in and out of Gaza, recognize that your donation will make an impact as soon as a ceasefire is achieved). Uplift the stories of Palestinians who are being silenced. Check in on your friends who are directly impacted by this crisis. And be sure to share your love and gratitude with friends and family who are still here with you. We must hold each other through this time, so we have the strength to fight for necessary change. 

This is how we change the course of history. 

[If you have any additional resources, thoughts, or corrections to share, please drop them in the comments below. Thank you for your solidarity.]