This Must Stop

In my mind’s eye I sometimes see this picture, how once when we were young, we would read the horrible descriptions of distant wars, of what one group of people did to another, and we would shake our heads and be glad that this is so far away, in places like Sudan or Yemen or Serbia. I remember myself imagining the moment – for a split second – the terrible death, the blood spilling out, the body coming apart, the close person who is watching what was being done to his son, her mom, their grandparents – and right away I would shut off that image in horror, having a hard time containing it, not understanding how one human can do such things to another. There was not one reason I could think of, then or now, that could justify or even explain how one can kill another person, who has done absolutely nothing to them, just on a basis of some idea or thought or belief.

I can only assume that it happens to any reasonable person. War descriptions are always devastating, and no reasonable person would want to be a part of it. That’s why I cannot understand how, according to polls, 72% of the Jewish Israeli population support the continued warfare in the Gaza Strip. I say “warfare” because this is no “war”. Are we confronting an army? With ground and air and sea forces? An army with soldiers, abilities, gear, trained forces? Not exactly. Yes, there is Hamas. But it is no army, right? We can all recite that Hamas is a terror organization. And yes, Hamas is an organization, with soldiers and even warfare gear – and still, it is not an army. Namely, warfare in Gaza by definition is targeted against civilians.

Some will say that there are no innocents in Gaza. And I say – two million people lived in Gaza on October 8th. Is not one of them innocent? It’s ridiculous to even think that, right?

Some will say, “but they brought October 7th on us!” And I say – out of the two million people living in Gaza on October 8th, a group of 3,000-6,000 (depending on who you ask) entered Israel and perpetrated that horrific slaughter. Is this a reason to slaughter all the rest?

Some will say it’s Hamas’ fault, the flattening of Gaza is on them. If they had not done what they did on October 7th, Gaza would be fine. And I say – Really?! Need I list the “rounds”, as we all called them, all those attacks on Gaza in recent years, each time killing and destroying anew? And another “Really?!” about the fact that we have been wreaking havoc constantly there for about a year and a half now; And another one about the shocking fact that we have slaughtered over 50,000 people there, and even official Israeli sources are saying that less than a half of these were Hamas. And mind you, 50,000 is the official count, but in actual fact the number is probably double if one counts all those remaining under the rubble, and those who will die of their wounds (Israel is bombing hospitals), or because of nonexistent hygienic conditions (Israel is stopping electricity), or of starvation and thirst (Israel is stopping humanitarian aid), and whoever we are still killing in those daily bombings we keep conducting there. So, Really?!

Some will say they educate everyone to hate us. And I say – perhaps, that is what happens between countries in conflict, just as we are educated to hate them. But is this a reason to murder men, women and children whose sin is that they hate the enemy who slaughters them? Not to mention that anyone who thinks that this is ok, is basically saying that the other way around is also justified, right? Meaning, that the other side is allowed to murder those who have been educated to hate them, namely – us…

I look at this item about the loss of the Abu Naser family and I know it’s just one drop in the huge ocean of destruction and death carried out in my name, by the collective I am a part of, supported by most of my society, a majority that is educated to hate them from day one, who forgets to see them as humans, wanting them to simply disappear, not caring how and at what price – and I am deeply shocked.

I my mind’s eye, I imagine my young mirror image anywhere in the world – in London, or California, or Japan – sitting and reading this and being shocked, saying to herself that this is madness, this must stop. They cannot just kill people systematically like that. And I know she is right.

It has to stop. We cannot go on killing people systematically just like that. This madness must stop.

---

Ayala Shalev is deeply opposed to violence and is active for years in the fight for equality and dignity for all those who live here, between the River and the Sea.