This is wrenching to read Julie. Please know for every naive ideologue on streets there are thousand upon thousands of us who are with you, who will never forget.
Thank you Julie for this terrific article. Please keep writing!
Another bizarre aspect of all of this is that 120 nations at the UN recently voted for a "humanitarian truce" but none have taken a single Gazan child or pregnant woman. Egypt has a border with Gaza which it will not open to let anyone out. Egypt's role is conveniently ignored across the world, because only the Jews are to blame.Yet 6 million Ukrainians have self evacuated all over the world; and Kosovars and East Timorese were evacuated in the war, and the crisis, in their respective countries. A temporary evacuation is not ethnic cleansing or forced removal of populations. So there is massive world wide collusion at all levels with this.
Pia, there were many more refugees during what the Palestinians call the Nakba in 1948 who fled to Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria.... They fled thinking that after the war they would return but were refused re-entry. Theoretically, those displaced by war legally have the right to return, and the UN acknowledged the Palestinian right to return, but they were never allowed back by the Israeli government. Israel has also systematically taken over the majority of the land either by war or by illegal settlements to the point that a 2 state solution is now off the table, so not only do the Egyptians not want more refugees, just like Australia wouldn't want 2.2 million extra homeless people to deal with, the Palestinians assume, as in the past, once they leave they will not be allowed to return to what is their homeland, so leaving until the war is over is not an option for them either, unless they become so desperate without food, water, shelter, etc, that they have no choice, if they do decide to open the Rafah border crossing.
This about saving the lives of children and women in a raging war zone. It is not about politics or history .The Gazans are also living above Hamas' fuel storage of approximately 500,000 litre.If this is hit by a rocket or a misfired missile from , say Islamic Jihad, who recently blew up a hospital, the whole of Gaza will explode.
120 nations voted at the UN and none offered to take a single child. Many are incredibly wealthy....Qatar hosted the FIFA world cup and exports huge reserves of LNG. China can build a field hospital in a day: etc, etc, etc.
6 million Ukrainians have left the Ukraine, 3 times the number of civilians here.
Egypt will not even take its own citizens ,as there are Gazans who have dual nationality with Egypt. No one even talks about Egypt, or criticises Egypt.
Has anyone actually asked the Gazans if they want to be left to die in a war zone? I am speechless at what is happening.
Egypt doesn't want Hamas any more than Israel does. Do you think that they will open the border and only the innocent will flee? Why doesn't Israel open the borders and let the innocent people in then? Because they cannot tell who the hell would come in, that's why! But you expect every other country to do that? Reuters reported that "Egypt said on Monday that Israel was not cooperating with delivery of aid into Gaza and evacuations of foreign passport holders via the only entry it does not wholly control, leaving hundreds of tonnes of supplies stuck." Are they wrong? How are they going to get the Gazans out to farm them off to rich Arab nations, I wonder?
And the notion that Gazans are Arabs and therefore other Arabs should take responsibility for them is like saying that Indigenous Australians should move to PNG if they don't like what's happening to them in Australia because there are native black people in PNG so therefore they are the same people and they would all be happier living there. It's a racist, simplistic notion that all Arabs are the same people, have no ties to their homeland, and that they should just move so that everyone would be happy.
Wars (and people) do not exist without historical context and politics and if you think this situation is any different you are choosing to ignore it. Academics and reporters the world over have speculated that if the Gazans leave they won't be allowed back in, taking into account the history of the Israeli government - most people do consider historical record important - and the rhetoric coming from the government now. This is completely different from the Ukraines who have no Hamas or Islamist Jihad and will return to their country once the war is over, presumably.
The 120 nations I referred to are all very varied and certainly not all are Arab countries. And of course the Arab countries are all different, just as the so called Westernised countries.
I mentioned Qatar as it houses the Hamas leadership and might be more sympathetic to the people of Gaza. And it does have resources.
So what about the 5000 Gazan women about to give birth?
Apparently Egypt is letting in injured Gazans for hospital care; also there are hospital ships for them off the coast. I guess Egypt has been reading my posts.
Hamas can end this tomorrow: lay down its arms and surrender
For people who sympathise in some sense with "the Palestinian cause", facing up to the reality of the fascistic political character of Hamas, along with the current decrepitude of the Palestinian Authority, requires a reckoning with some difficult questions in relation to the future of the Israel/Palestine problem. My perception is that this is too hard for a lot of people.
Julie are you somehow unaware that Hamas has been funded and supported by the Israeli state since its inception? Secular organisations with sensible solutions were deemed too dangerous and might actually be seen as partners for a peaceful solution which Israel was not interested in. Better to have a bunch of crazies that can easily be demonised and give Israel an excuse for ethnic cleansing
I'm disgusted by the cowards who haven't spoken out, the apologists, the gas lighters. Lost for words for how such an appalling massacre of innocent people is being used as cudgel against them.
Thank you Julie for eloquently highlighting this almost immediate disappearing of the Hamas terrorists’ barbaric acts against innocent Jewish babies, young people, elderly, parents, grandparents and randomly selected others - buried beneath a tidal wave of celebratory glee at this carnage. That even the mildest expression of displeasure at this carnage is impossible for too many “leaders” is beyond shameful.
I have been searching for one similar to that promulgated in the UK but have not seen one yet. Hopefully someone with sense creates one, as I am sure there are many Australians who would indicate their support.
This must be so painful, I'm so very sorry. Not sure it's any comfort (probably the opposite) but I honestly think many, maybe most, Australians have hardly any clue of what's going on. To people who don't watch the news, don't care about politics, don't trust media, have no personal ties to Israel etc, it's shocking but bewildering, and they don't know which media to believe. In some ways I'm one of those people, trying too late to understand. Hope you are holding up OK.
Thank you for writing this, Julie. The world has turned upside down, or was I sleeping whilst its axis altered to the point it now feels totally unhinged?
I extend my sympathies again. Julie's words are very obviously from a personal perspective but there is a worthwhile companion article which describes the exact same phenomenon but from the top-down view. It summerises a book recently written by Prof Doug Stokes: https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/10/28/the-dangers-of-decolonisation/
This movement has slowly grown into a genuine threat to Western democracy and liberalism. But a growing critical mass of people are clearly perceiving it, hopefully not too late to turn back the tide. Because if the "rational left" doesn't wake up and wrest back the steering wheel there will be a backlash moment and the hard right will step in - their rollback will go far further than I assume most readers would want.
This is wrenching to read Julie. Please know for every naive ideologue on streets there are thousand upon thousands of us who are with you, who will never forget.
Natasha:❤️ 🙏
thank you Natasha
Thank you Julie for this terrific article. Please keep writing!
Another bizarre aspect of all of this is that 120 nations at the UN recently voted for a "humanitarian truce" but none have taken a single Gazan child or pregnant woman. Egypt has a border with Gaza which it will not open to let anyone out. Egypt's role is conveniently ignored across the world, because only the Jews are to blame.Yet 6 million Ukrainians have self evacuated all over the world; and Kosovars and East Timorese were evacuated in the war, and the crisis, in their respective countries. A temporary evacuation is not ethnic cleansing or forced removal of populations. So there is massive world wide collusion at all levels with this.
Pia, there were many more refugees during what the Palestinians call the Nakba in 1948 who fled to Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria.... They fled thinking that after the war they would return but were refused re-entry. Theoretically, those displaced by war legally have the right to return, and the UN acknowledged the Palestinian right to return, but they were never allowed back by the Israeli government. Israel has also systematically taken over the majority of the land either by war or by illegal settlements to the point that a 2 state solution is now off the table, so not only do the Egyptians not want more refugees, just like Australia wouldn't want 2.2 million extra homeless people to deal with, the Palestinians assume, as in the past, once they leave they will not be allowed to return to what is their homeland, so leaving until the war is over is not an option for them either, unless they become so desperate without food, water, shelter, etc, that they have no choice, if they do decide to open the Rafah border crossing.
This about saving the lives of children and women in a raging war zone. It is not about politics or history .The Gazans are also living above Hamas' fuel storage of approximately 500,000 litre.If this is hit by a rocket or a misfired missile from , say Islamic Jihad, who recently blew up a hospital, the whole of Gaza will explode.
120 nations voted at the UN and none offered to take a single child. Many are incredibly wealthy....Qatar hosted the FIFA world cup and exports huge reserves of LNG. China can build a field hospital in a day: etc, etc, etc.
6 million Ukrainians have left the Ukraine, 3 times the number of civilians here.
Egypt will not even take its own citizens ,as there are Gazans who have dual nationality with Egypt. No one even talks about Egypt, or criticises Egypt.
Has anyone actually asked the Gazans if they want to be left to die in a war zone? I am speechless at what is happening.
Egypt doesn't want Hamas any more than Israel does. Do you think that they will open the border and only the innocent will flee? Why doesn't Israel open the borders and let the innocent people in then? Because they cannot tell who the hell would come in, that's why! But you expect every other country to do that? Reuters reported that "Egypt said on Monday that Israel was not cooperating with delivery of aid into Gaza and evacuations of foreign passport holders via the only entry it does not wholly control, leaving hundreds of tonnes of supplies stuck." Are they wrong? How are they going to get the Gazans out to farm them off to rich Arab nations, I wonder?
And the notion that Gazans are Arabs and therefore other Arabs should take responsibility for them is like saying that Indigenous Australians should move to PNG if they don't like what's happening to them in Australia because there are native black people in PNG so therefore they are the same people and they would all be happier living there. It's a racist, simplistic notion that all Arabs are the same people, have no ties to their homeland, and that they should just move so that everyone would be happy.
Wars (and people) do not exist without historical context and politics and if you think this situation is any different you are choosing to ignore it. Academics and reporters the world over have speculated that if the Gazans leave they won't be allowed back in, taking into account the history of the Israeli government - most people do consider historical record important - and the rhetoric coming from the government now. This is completely different from the Ukraines who have no Hamas or Islamist Jihad and will return to their country once the war is over, presumably.
The 120 nations I referred to are all very varied and certainly not all are Arab countries. And of course the Arab countries are all different, just as the so called Westernised countries.
I mentioned Qatar as it houses the Hamas leadership and might be more sympathetic to the people of Gaza. And it does have resources.
So what about the 5000 Gazan women about to give birth?
Could 40 go to each of these 120 countries?
Apparently Egypt is letting in injured Gazans for hospital care; also there are hospital ships for them off the coast. I guess Egypt has been reading my posts.
Hamas can end this tomorrow: lay down its arms and surrender
For people who sympathise in some sense with "the Palestinian cause", facing up to the reality of the fascistic political character of Hamas, along with the current decrepitude of the Palestinian Authority, requires a reckoning with some difficult questions in relation to the future of the Israel/Palestine problem. My perception is that this is too hard for a lot of people.
Yes I think the evidence for your conclusion is overwhelming, Paul.
Julie are you somehow unaware that Hamas has been funded and supported by the Israeli state since its inception? Secular organisations with sensible solutions were deemed too dangerous and might actually be seen as partners for a peaceful solution which Israel was not interested in. Better to have a bunch of crazies that can easily be demonised and give Israel an excuse for ethnic cleansing
From the Open Letter in Overla.nd:
"The armed attacks on October 7 by Palestinian people cannot be de-contextualised...".
This must be the most pathetic thing ever written about an act of fascist barbarism.
Thank you Julie for finding the words to eloquently express how we are feeling. The stages of grief ....so real.
Powerful piece with so many important points .
I'm disgusted by the cowards who haven't spoken out, the apologists, the gas lighters. Lost for words for how such an appalling massacre of innocent people is being used as cudgel against them.
Thank you Julie for eloquently highlighting this almost immediate disappearing of the Hamas terrorists’ barbaric acts against innocent Jewish babies, young people, elderly, parents, grandparents and randomly selected others - buried beneath a tidal wave of celebratory glee at this carnage. That even the mildest expression of displeasure at this carnage is impossible for too many “leaders” is beyond shameful.
Heartbreakingly powerful. ❤️❤️
This is so sad and so enraging. Do you know if there is a general letter in Australia that people can sign?
Not at this stage Cheryl. Not that I know of anyway.
I have been searching for one similar to that promulgated in the UK but have not seen one yet. Hopefully someone with sense creates one, as I am sure there are many Australians who would indicate their support.
Thank you for your eloquent and thoughtful writing Julie.
Thank you for your beautiful writing that so eloquently describes how I feel too
This must be so painful, I'm so very sorry. Not sure it's any comfort (probably the opposite) but I honestly think many, maybe most, Australians have hardly any clue of what's going on. To people who don't watch the news, don't care about politics, don't trust media, have no personal ties to Israel etc, it's shocking but bewildering, and they don't know which media to believe. In some ways I'm one of those people, trying too late to understand. Hope you are holding up OK.
Much appreciated Pat.
This is just so brilliant, eloquent and moving
Thank you for writing this, Julie. The world has turned upside down, or was I sleeping whilst its axis altered to the point it now feels totally unhinged?
I extend my sympathies again. Julie's words are very obviously from a personal perspective but there is a worthwhile companion article which describes the exact same phenomenon but from the top-down view. It summerises a book recently written by Prof Doug Stokes: https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/10/28/the-dangers-of-decolonisation/
A very similar piece was recently written by Simon Sebag Montefiore, with a much more precise focus on the dissembling regarding Israel's founding history: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/decolonization-narrative-dangerous-and-false/675799/
This movement has slowly grown into a genuine threat to Western democracy and liberalism. But a growing critical mass of people are clearly perceiving it, hopefully not too late to turn back the tide. Because if the "rational left" doesn't wake up and wrest back the steering wheel there will be a backlash moment and the hard right will step in - their rollback will go far further than I assume most readers would want.
Absolutely. Totally agree.
❤️💔
❤️