jueves, 31 de julio de 2014

Una carta

Estas son las palabras que escribía una amiga hace unas horas, y las pongo aquí porque comparto sentimientos:

I'm sad, scared, and mad, and I am tired of being all of these things... I originally wrote this in response to an article a friend posted, a friend who I actually think is really smart and I respect but I don't think fully understands the situation here in Israel, like most of the world. I admit it may be a little ranty and also repetitive but so is Israel being in war and so are the deaths of innocent people on both sides, and the rockets being launched at Israel... so here is my rant.

I certainly hope the war ends soon and tomorrow morning I will be standing in solidarity with Arabs and Jews who also want an end to the violence and war. I am not a representative of Israel's far right that dominates the current Israeli government. However, I will say the following: This article just restates the obvious. The whole world is villainizing Israel and Jews in general. However, none of this is new for most Israeli's. Israel is clearly always held to a double standard. I mean look at the atrocities our neighbors commit (hundreds of thousands killed in Syria), yet Israel is who the world accuses of war crimes. You know I am progressive and I often disagree with much of what Israel does (in fact, this is what motivated my move to Israel) but living here through this time of war has changed my perspective on a few things. I am seeing the reality more clearly than ever before. And I really resent how Israel is being portrayed by the media and the rest of the anti-Semitic world. What is happening in Gaza is tragic, any innocent life lost is tragic and I will tell you it pains every Israeli I've met to watch, hear, or think about this. Our country is collectively sad and scared right now. Yet, what Hamas has chosen to do to its own people is far more tragic.
When it is said that, "Hamas uses the civilians of Gaza as 'human shields'" it is absolutely true in the sense that Hamas stores ROCKETS in SCHOOLS with children! They are currently firing rockets (with the goal of killing me) from HOSPITALS! This is not by accident and this is obscene and their goal is obvious. It's as obvious and stupid as putting a castle made of blocks next to a toddler and getting mad at the toddler for knocking it down. They don't care about human life at all. I get that the discrepancy in causalities is large, but that is their point. Hamas wants it this way so that if nothing else, Israel will continue to look like the villain and they the victim. Bill and Hillary Clinton have acknowledged this as well as many others who understand the situation on a deep and accurate level.
Frankly, Israel shouldn't be blamed for caring about its own people and protecting them. Israel should be praised for this. We are the only ones in the Middle East doing this. Hamas hasn't even built its own people a sewage system… but has built over 30 intricate, underground tunnels for the sole purpose of killing Israeli's. Why the people of Gaza are not outraged that the money and engineering skills of their government have not been spent on improving their lives and is an atrocity, is beyond me?! Or maybe they do but have no voice? Idk. Israel is not dealing with a rational actor here. I don't know if the rest of the world fully comprehends the predicament that Israel is in… but no matter what we do we are the criminals and they the victims. They are never expected to help themselves or say no to violence. We are expected to let ourselves perish. I'm convinced that's what the world has always wanted of the Jews. You think the majority of Israeli's want this war? No. But we are also sick of being woken up at 2:30 AM by rocket sirens which give me, in Tel-Aviv, 90 seconds to get to shelter. It only takes one lucky shot by them to do devastating damage. I have serious problems with the blockade on Gaza and the lack of freedom of movement that has incurred over the past years but in so many ways Hamas did that to itself by importing weapons and kidnapping Israeli soldiers. THIS IS ALL SO EXHAUSTING AND UNJUST.

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