Last night I sat through the UK’s Channel Four ‘Dispatches’ program, entitled “Kill Zone: Inside Gaza.” Could anyone sit through this hour long documentary and not be moved to tears by the horrors that unfolded?
Yes, we’ve seen and heard the news. We’ve watched some of the devastation of Gaza and the suffering and deaths of many Palestinians, but to illustrate the full macabre horror took the efforts of Palestinian journalists and camera people to capture it, in all it’s full blown revulsion and repugnance. Revulsion at the mass suffering taking place; repugnance at the Israeli government’s apparently cold-blooded attitude to the slaughter they’re inflicting.
The Guardian’s review of the program leaves little unsaid. I would entreat everyone to read it, and if possible to watch the documentary. Some of those who made it gave their lives to do so.
It begs the question as to why we human beings do this to each other? Out of eight billion souls on this planet, there are probably less than eight hundred with the real power to create chaos and death on a huge scale. That’s 0.000001 percent of 8 billion. The rest of us just want to live in peace with each other. Whether we are Israeli, Palestinian, Ukrainian, Russian, or from Timbuktu, we have no desire to kill each other or cause our fellow beings suffering.
It’s the remaining 0.000001 percent who create all the wars and chaos in the world. The ones who hold the power. The presidents, the dictators, the leaders of terrorist groups. It’s power that we, the people, have mostly handed to them. We vote them into office. History tells us clearly that those who hold the reins of power are incapable of controlling it. It corrupts them and causes a madness that eats away at their brains like some aggressive, parasitic worm. It causes mental sickness, deluding them into believing themselves as little gods.
But they are not gods. They are weak human beings who cannot handle the power we allow them in a way that reflects our wishes.
When are we, the other seven billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand and two hundred going to do something to stop them?
It would by unfair to end this post without mentioning the Israelis who had their lives torn asunder by the heinous crimes of Hamas last October 7th. The maimed, the kidnapped, the bereaved. It is to be hoped that the perpetrators, or at least those who planned the attack and gave the orders, can in time be held to account, along with Netanyahu and his cohorts. We need more power to the International Criminal Court, not less when it suits.
So well written RJA, can I copy and post with/without (?) attribution on line?
I have been met with such hostility when I say I can be pro Palestinian State and Pro Israel but repulsed and sickened by Bibi and his flagrant disregard for the innocent and vowing he would ‘annihilate” Gaza. It’s unconscionable. And repulsed also by the actions of Hamas of course. on October 7.
But his 40,000 dead and those little white body bags of the wee kids and babies JFC, And I will always believe the rumour that he was complicit in October 7 (he had the intelligence and did nothng to help himself stay in power). Much like Trump with Covid he has the blood of thousands on his hands including that of his own people.
I’m sorry Blogger put you in blogger jail on my blog. I hadn’t gone through comments in a while and found you
Stay well dear RJA in these “living on the edge” times of our planet. I don’t hold out much hope for the future.
XO
WWW
WWW ~ it never ceases to amaze me the venom of the pro-Israel brigade as they slather accusations of “antisemitism” at anyone daring to say anything less than wonderful about the Israeli government. There is nothing religious about Netanyahu and the right-wing nutcases he has allied with. They are purely political and engaged in furthering their own causes. If they did not know of the intentions of Hamas on October 7th, then there was a serious breach of security between the Israeli government and the IDF hierarchy. The IDF were informed by their own personnel that something was wrong and there were obvious signs of impending attack by Hamas (see my post January 16th: https://sparrowchat.com/eyes-on-the-border-but-deaf-to-the-message/ ) nothing was done and no action was taken despite repeated reports from observers in the watch towers.
One can only hope the ICC can manage to incarcerate Netanyahu and crew, and the leaders of Hamas responsible for October 7th, for their crimes. Sadly, it is forlorn.
Regarding your request I have dealt with it by private email which I trust you will have received by now. Please let me know if it does not arrive.