@TheOtherMaven

of the probable impossibily of the changes required for justice. At some point though if there is to be any reconciliation possible, it would require a truth and reconciliation commisssion, similar to apartheid SA. Because that seems like such a remote possibility, considering the players, it is highly unlikely. Sad.

#2.1

a complete flush-out of all the current persons in power AND re-education of the population in general. So in short it isn't going to happen.

@snoopydawg

Thank you for linking this very informative article, and revealing viewpoint of the author.

I have read half of the long and thought provoking article, and will read the rest with as much interest.

There were many insightful comments made, and this is only one ...

Meeting my friends in Israel this time, I frequently felt that they were afraid that I might disrupt their grief, and that living out of the country I could not grasp their pain, anxiety, bewilderment and helplessness. Any suggestion that living in the country had numbed them to the pain of others – the pain that, after all, was being inflicted in their name – only produced a wall of silence, a retreat into themselves, or a quick change of subject. The impression that I got was consistent: we have no room in our hearts, we have no room in our thoughts, we do not want to speak about or to be shown what our own soldiers, our children or grandchildren, our brothers and sisters, are doing right now in Gaza. We must focus on ourselves, on our trauma, fear and anger.

I feel for the trauma they also experience, but for as long as each is rigidly fixed on being the victim, nothing will improve their individual situation or that of others. Hopefully, once they have some time to process the trauma and fear, they will come to a more mutually benefcial solution.

#2.1

I too am disturbed and struggle with trying to understand their support of genocide, especially in the context of their history.

This might help clarify things.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/13/israel-gaza-histor...

I listen to Maoz Inon, who lost both his parents [murdered by Hamas on 7 October] … and who speaks so beautifully and persuasively about the need to look forward, that we need to bring hope and to want peace, because wars won’t accomplish anything, and I agree with him. I agree with him, but I cannot find the strength in my heart, with all my leftist inclinations and love for humanity, I cannot … It is not just Hamas, it’s all Gazans who agree that it’s OK to kill Jewish children, that this is a worthy cause … With Germany there was reconciliation, but they apologised and paid reparations, and what [will happen] here? We too did terrible things, but nothing that comes close to what happened here on 7 October. It will be necessary to reconcile but we need some distance.

Seems like many Israelis think that Hamas just attacked them for no reason and they don’t give a damn what Israel was doing to Palestinians on October 6 and for decades before the fateful day. Or that Israel was arresting Palestinians and holding them in cruel conditions for years without charges or a chance of a trial. Bo ounce of sympathy for doing to others what was done to them. Why should they care about people they don’t see as human?

Israel was created by pushing 750,000 Palestinians out of their homes and creating its own state.

It’s the UN who says that Israel doesn’t have the right to self defense it’s using now to commit genocide because they are the oppressor and it’s the oppressed who has that right.