Palestine: One Year On

I'm prefacing this post with a celebrity-inspired neutral statement to make sure you, as the reader, understand that I mourn the lives lost a year ago at the music festival near Re'im, and wish for the safe return of the remaining hostages. I am a staunch believer in pacifism, I am against war, and all civilian deaths are saddening.

That being said. The illegal occupation of Palestine must come to an end. Not only is Gaza almost flattened, with Palestinians in the North and South living in tents and without adequate food supplies, but the West Bank - where Hamas does not operate - is also being attacked. With each day that passes the plight of Palestinians becomes worse; the images and videos coming out of Gaza are what used to be described as unimaginable but now feel disgustingly commonplace. Keep boycotting, keep asking representatives to call for a ceasefire, and don't accept anything but the safety of everyone, no matter their religion or the colour of their skin.

As with my previous post on this topic, I don't want to waste time with my own words when the words of those directly involved are so much more important to listen to.

We Are Not Numbers is always a brilliant place to find first-hand accounts in various forms including poetry, prose, and non-fiction. WANN also fundraise, if you can afford to donate then please look into it and do so here.

Evacuation is More Than Just a Word, Asmaa Rafiq Kuheil

If the war stops now, Ahmed Dremly

Don't ask me my age, Shahd Ahmad Alnaami

Al Jazeera is a good news source for everything happening in not just Palestine but the Middle East as a whole and even the rest of the world. Their offices in Ramallah in West Bank were recently raided and closed down by the Israeli army. This is a direct violation of the Geneva Convention and is an insult to journalists and truth-seekers everywhere. It is important, now more than ever, to support news outlets such as these.

As I finish this post, I want to also remind you to keep your eyes on Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Congo, Bangladesh, Brazil, and so, so many more. The world is turning away from its people. Don't be complicit.

~ C