I lived in Israel from December 2008 to February 2011. I am not Jewish. I am not Muslim. I am human. I am devastated. Things are devastating.
The sister of a wife of someone I knew was kidnapped. I emailed friends, some I haven’t spoken to in years. Some simply said thank you. Some wrote how they aren’t sleeping but everyone is okay. Some asked me how my life is, what’s new. All of them, without fail, said some version of, “we’re strong, we’ll get through this, the future will be better.” I somehow knew they would. It’s in their blood, their DNA, their shared history.
What else do I know?
I know that this is a time of contradiction.
A time of knowing that Hamas is not Palestine, Hamas are terrorists, Hamas are not pro-Palestine they are just anti-Israel, and knowing that Hamas does not exist in a vacuum.
A time of believing in Israel’s right to defend itself and believing in the moral obligation to protect and aid the civilians of Gaza, even when Hamas doesn’t.
A time of knowing that no one deserves any of this and knowing that many are to blame.
A time of knowing that civilians elect their government and knowing that the government does things that civilians never would.
A time of believing in compassion and believing in rage.
A time of believing that Israel has the right to exist and believing that Palestine does, too.
A time of knowing I have no idea what it’s like to make decisions in a time of war and knowing how tempting it is to start sentences with, “why don’t they just…”
A time of feeling too shocked to think and feeling full of answers.
A time of believing there are two sides and believing that there is complexity beyond comprehension.
A time of knowing that no children should die. That doesn’t have an opposite.
Neither does knowing it’s possible to be horrified by the death of anyone, regardless of “side.” That it’s wrong to spew vitriol behind the mask of an avatar and computer screen. That it’s wrong to celebrate the deaths of innocent people.
That it is possible to stand with Israel even when their prime minister is an autocratic asshole and also want to free Palestine and also want Hamas to absolutely get their ass kicked.
For a more political and historical analysis of the crisis, please watch this interview with Ian Brenner, who deeply understands the complexity and contradiction and nuance.