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The current situation in Gaza blatantly exposes the flaws of the global economic and political order where no entity has the power or political will to stop the genocide and starvation.
That a country such as Israel can continue to kill and maim children, women and men while starving an entire population should give us all some pause. And let me be clear, calling out these callous and morally reprehensible actions and being in solidarity with Palestinian children, women, and men does not equal condoning the actions by Hamas.
A viewpoint published on September 3 rejected the claim that genocide was taking place in Gaza. Genocide and starvation are currently happening in Gaza. And I'm not the only one to say this. The United Nations, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, other organizations and scholars have also said it.
As Judith Butler wrote in an article, "But what does it mean to speak up against genocide only to be censored? It means that only speech that defends injustice is defensible."
Palestinian people deserve more than this. It doesn't really matter whether hundreds are being killed (or starved) or thousands. One child killed is too many. One journalist killed is too many. One medical doctor killed is too many. One child dying from starvation is too many. And the reality is that thousands of children have been killed, more than 184 journalists have been killed and who really knows how many medical doctors have been killed --but far too many. And more will die.
There is also something deeply wrong when an ex-Israeli intelligence chief said that 50 Palestinians must die for every October 7 victim. The level of moral superiority and hubris among many Israeli politicians and military leaders is morally repugnant. It doesn't end there. One could say the same about many politicians in the United States. It is no secret that the United States is Israel's staunchest ally and has provided military and financial support unabatingly, for decades.
Resorting to one or two media reports that criticize other news reports does not really help in clarifying matters. Most mainstream media outlets and think tanks are biased making it very important to seek out other credible sources and not rely only on a single source.
For a more accurate version of how the Balfour Declaration came about I would encourage readers and critics to read Rashid Khalidi's "The Hundred Years' War on Palestine." In this book, he carefully explains how the Balfour Declaration came about and how Palestinian people were never consulted about the decision.
Khalidi writes that in a confidential note to the British cabinet Balfour said the following, "And Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-long traditions, in present needs, in future hopes, of far profounder import than the desires and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land." It is not a hidden fact that Arthur Balfour influenced by Zionist leaders also had British imperial interests in mind.
Interestingly enough, a current exhibition taking place in Paris explores the 5,000-year history of Gaza. The Gaza strip recognized as a Palestinian city has a long and culturally rich history living through several civilizations and influenced by Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, and other cultures. Palestinians have been living there for centuries.
Speaking for myself, but I know I am not alone; it is hard to read and witness what is currently going on without feeling a sense of frustration and powerlessness. Frustration due a to a weak international community that won't stand up to the U.S. or Israel as well as the absence of more stringent international laws that could overrule impunity of this degree, and powerlessness because although there is a growing pro-Palestinian movement political leaders have a stronghold on the situation.
In the face of such violence and death I turn to the other side of the coin: peace, compassion, and non-violence. There is an urgent need to uphold these as an antidote to the bloodshed and undeserved suffering. In Genuine Compassion, the Dalai Lama discusses how genuine compassion is a sense of responsibility towards the suffering of others but also entails "a real sense of responsibility, a commitment to relieve their suffering and remove them from their undesirable circumstances." Not an easy task but not an insurmountable one.
One final thing, the Dalai Lama also says that we should not feel anger towards those who do harm--rather we should feel compassionate towards them. Although they themselves might not realize it, but they are suffering too.