Saturday, Mar. 09, 2024 - 12:20 p.m.

Thinking of Palestine today. I mean, in particular the vehemence with which Zionists will defend this ongoing situation. And the particular move that because *you* haven’t been to Israel, you can’t know. Or if you’re not Jewish, you just can’t understand how necessary it really all is. Virtue signaling, maybe. Jumping on a bandwagon while being ignorant of the reality. Because if you truly had the information, you’d agree that Israel is only doing what it must. Or if you’re Jewish but still oppose this, then you haven’t been there and you don’t know. And probably, to Israeli Jews who oppose it, there are other moves.

I see the generational trauma. I see the antisemitism rearing its head, I promise I do. I know that Hamas is far from innocent. Nevertheless.

When I was a kid, like 17 or 18, and the issue was apartheid in SA, I believed this. I believed I couldn’t really understand because I wasn’t there. And who was I to have an opinion on other country’s business? Who was I to join in any sort of activism, even at the level of saying to a friend, “Man, I think that’s pretty fucked up”? And now I understand. Some things are complicated, and others aren’t.

It’s true I don’t have the same point of view as a Jewish person. But maybe a little distance is required in some cases. Because on an individual level or group level, you simply cannot say, “I was wounded so terribly, and I live in such fear of it happening again that I will damage anyone who I even suspect would put me through that again. Even though I have PTSD.” You have ptsd, we can’t fault you for jumping at every noise. But you don’t get to firebomb every passing car that backfires.

It is hard to argue with Zionists, because yes, that shit *waves hands at history* happened. But still you can’t turn around and do it to someone else. And I’ve heard interviews with Palestinians now, many, laying out the situation growing up in Gaza, the rules on farming and land use, how the military treated them as children. It’s a toxic situation and I fully believe the average Israeli has been brainwashed to believe this is absolutely necessary. And that’s fucking sad.

I have leftist friends on my FB who are pro-Israel and accuse anyone expressing solidarity with Palestine of antisemitism. I want to say, look, I see you. I hear you. But step back and look at this. LOOK.

It’s all fucking sad.
I wanted to make another print, for patches and shirts, that just says “solidarity with Palestine.”. But I’m afraid to. I’m afraid I’m not armed with enough facts to defend myself. I’m afraid of violence and being yelled at. I’m afraid of being called ignorant or being told to mind my own business or antisemitic. So I can tell myself, “what I do doesn’t matter anyway, I have no real affect on anyone. So better not”. But do I actually feel it’s wrong, or don’t I? If I do, such petty fears are irrelevant. How easily intimidated am I really?

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