We’re a group of activists in a Western country where most have been brought up with either “Israel = good, Hamas = bad” or “It’s a sad, but unsolvable conflict between two equal sides”. The media heavily skewed to the Israeli perspective, and our politicians want to condemn protests in support of Palestinians. Therefore, unless you purposefully seek out information on what’s going on in Palestine, you won’t really encounter information about the occupation, the apartheid or the human rights violations. There are a lot of gaps in people’s information and understanding of the situation.

Atm there’s a lot of dehumanization, a lot of “Well, what can you do? Hamas keeps attacking Israel, what are they supposed to do?”. I think the Israel=Good is deep-rooted in a lot of westerners. I know it was in me.

We’ve asked ourselves and each other what finally broke through our previous perception, so we could see the inequality and realize that what’s happening is not right

One mentioned seeing a journalist in the back of an ambulance being handed a one-year-old that had passed

One mentioned seeing a video of a caring father saying goodbye to his little girl, kissing her eyes before she was wrapped in the materiale they wrap their dead. The father clearly in denial, smiling and wishing for her to wake up.

A big one for me was being told that it’s not an equal fight. It’s not two equally strong countries. It’s one country with a huge military, and another with barely any. Another was hearing about the human rights violations that’s been going on for decades - the fabricated water shortage, the children in Israeli jails.

I believe these are the moments we need to collect and present to those who are still wary on where they stand.

What broke through to you?

  • MelllvarEnglish
    16•7 months ago

    The sheer number of people, organizations, and national institutions that fell over each other in scrambling to support Israel/condemn Hammas set off my bullshit detector.

    I’m still not taking sides, but the pro-Israel blitzkrieg is so over the top that I don’t accept it at face value. Someone’s trying to sell me something.

    • Black Charlie White
      0•7 months ago

      Sitting on the fence is siding with the oppressor; as the settlers taught me when I was little! Wonder why that’s suddenly not the case anymore when it’s Zionist colonizers getting pushed in.

      • MelllvarEnglish
        0•7 months ago

        This sort of empty, emotionally charged BS is exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a weak and childish form of rhetoric, and if that’s the best you’ve got then perhaps you should ask yourself why that is.

        • Black Charlie White
          0•7 months ago

          See, that was a crackerish statement; and I don’t ‘debate’ settlers-- I condemn them. You’re not welcome in my inbox in any way, shape, or form if this is your take; 'cause it sounds to me like you’re fence-sitting a genocide. Backing the colonizers. You done snitched on yourself and who you side with.