On the Human Tragedy in the Middle East
The news from the Middle East is a constant, painful reminder of relentless suffering. This week's horrific events in Israel are etched into my brain, much like the shocking cruelty of September 2001.
I think of the children and the lives not lived of innocent young people who were enjoying life. And I think of the scenes I saw on my screen that I wished nobody would ever have to see and that never should have been possible in our time.
As I write these words in the hours before what will likely be a devastating invasion of Gaza, I feel a pain deep in my chest. Again, I see the faces of innocent children, women, and men who will bear the brunt of a conflict they never asked for.
These people are on the other side of the fence and will suffer because of what terrorists have unleashed, who falsely claim to represent them. War is ugly and cruel; I think of the immeasurable large-scale grief among ordinary families on both sides of the fence.
And no, I don't know what I would do. How to fight this war is a devilish dilemma since the lives of so many innocent people who just want to enjoy life are at stake. Humanity and war have always been complex to integrate into one policy. But the principles of humanitarian law of armed conflict and fighting the sheer barbarism of these terrorists are even more challenging to balance.
Not responding is no option, but an overreaction is what the terrorists hope for. Since they don't care for their people, it's up to others to do so. The UN and others urgently call for access to provide humanitarian assistance and refer to the rules of war and basic humanity.
In the endless stream of information that bombards us, I stumbled upon something today that struck a chord with me. It was a mural depicting two children who should be playing together, one Jewish, the other Palestinian. Yet, they're cruelly separated by a barbed wire fence.
Only once I looked closer did I realize the Jewish boy uses wire clippers to cut away the barbed wire separating the boys. The sadness I felt as a first impression is now replaced by hope.
The image is searing in simplicity, encapsulating the tragedy unfolding on the world's stage, and yet, it is also a beacon of hope.
These moments make me yearn for a world we all wish for - a world where bridges are built, not walls. Where children can play together, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs, free from the shadows of conflict and violence.
That's all I wanted to share for now, late at night and on the other side of the ocean. There is nothing more I can do tonight than share these thoughts and my feelings of grief, anger, and worry. Perhaps through our words and actions, we can chip away tiny pieces of the fortress of hatred and strive for a world where children on all sides of the fence can play together in peace.
Update: in an earlier version, I referred to the mural as made by Banksy; I now learned that it is made by the artist AFK in Bergen, Norway.
A Call for Empathy and Compassion in Troubled Times
In a world where headlines compete for shock value, portraying scenes of unimaginable horror, and social media amplifies the divisions, it's easy to lose sight of humanity amid the turmoil. In the past two years, I have read stories of human suffering that I wished I had never read, and in the past days, I have seen videos I never wanted to see. In times of large-scale atrocity, I hope more people would stop for a moment and consider that you find many families who never wished for violence on all opposing sides in these conflicts.
The pain is palpable. And so the hope. Banksy. Of course Banksy. Hugs for you and for the world 😪
Palestine (Gaza), Israel, Yemen, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, United States, … So (Too) many current examples where innocent people are suffering as a result of the actions of patriarchal societies, governments, &/or terrorist groups. It always begs the question in my mind - what is wrong with the way men (obviously not all, but far too many compared to women and others who identify differently) develop in our species that leads to this seemingly never ending litany of destruction and cruelty? No solution here, just profound sadness that for all the benefits we have evolved as Homo sapiens, we can’t seem to get out of our own way when it comes to living together on this amazingly beautiful planet.