Gaza: We Cannot Continue to Look Away

Programming Note: Please join me tonight for a very special Livestream with Ryan Grim, a journalist with expertise in the Middle East and is directly connected to actions on the ground in Palestine and Israel. Join us tonight at 7pm CDT on Substack Live: https://open.substack.com/live...

As background, I am a proud wife and mother of Jewish Americans. I am Catholic. I say with 100% confidence that criticizing a cruel and morally wrong government is not antisemitic. The actions of the government do not reflect on Israeli citizens or Jewish Americans. They are not at fault. The fault lies with the Israeli right-wing, authoritarian government.

It is important to note: this article and my Livestream will focus on the here and now, as well as the future, and are not a review or litigation of the last 2,000 years on any side in the Middle East. All the tragedy has already happened. We cannot change history.

I hardly know where to start this column. This should not be controversial, yet it is to some. It is time for people to understand and admit that the situation in Gaza involves people being deliberately starved. By definition, the excessive bombing of civilians, the blocking of food and medical supplies, and the Israeli government’s own admission that its intention is to clear out Gaza, make it genocide and ethnic cleansing. There is no longer any room for ambiguity. Moral clarity is needed in our own country on this issue. It is horrifying to watch people die slowly from starvation, and it has been horrifying to witness civilians being killed. As a nation, we cannot turn away. We must address it.
As a member of Congress, I received death threats and faced vicious name-calling in my pursuit of peace and justice on this matter and I still do. In fact, I was pushed out of Congress because of my support for peace and justice for both sides in the region. This is an international issue, and we can no longer ignore the moral and justice concerns involved.

It Has To Be Said...

First, both Palestine and Israel have the right to exist as self-determined, safe, and prosperous nations. All countries have the right to defend themselves. However, no country has the right to commit genocide.

To be clear, Hamas is an evil terrorist organization that committed a horrific atrocity on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis and abducting 251 innocent civilians. Devastating.
Also, to be clear, the Palestinian people are not Hamas, in any way. Israeli citizens are not Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu, is considered a war criminal by the International Criminal Court and is believed to be conducting a genocide—alongside numerous corruption charges levied against him by his own country.
As the vast majority of historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and world leaders attest, the situation in Gaza is a genocide.

• Recent estimates indicate that over 60,000 Palestinians have died in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This figure does not differentiate between civilians and militants, but women and children comprise about half of the dead. The UN and other independent organizations consider these numbers the most reliable. Some humanitarian groups suggest the toll may be closer to 100,000.
• The war, which began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has also resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis. Approximately 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is being starved due to Israeli blockades preventing aid.

Netanyahu and his right-wing government have openly stated their goals multiple times:

• His government, especially embraced by far-right allies, reportedly aims to establish settlements, carry out ethnic cleansing, and annex Gaza to Israel, according to EL PAÍS English.
• Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer stated, “There will be no humanitarian crisis in Gaza if there are no civilians,” according to Euronews.
• Human Rights Watch has documented how Israeli authorities intentionally caused the large-scale displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, demolishing homes and infrastructure in targeted areas for “buffer zones” and security “corridors,” potentially leading to ethnic cleansing. Numerous organizations, including UN agencies, have observed and condemned these actions.
• Additionally, many aid organizations and witnesses report that starving civilians and aid workers attempting to seek food or assistance are being shot and killed.

While this region has a long and painful history of conflict, I believe the international community of the mid-1940s bears significant responsibility. In 1947-48, they made Israel a sovereign state but failed to do so for Palestine. This negligence set the stage for decades of conflict, and the results were terrorist groups like Hamas rising up.
Obviously, the terrorist groups need to be addressed as well.
For seventy years, the incompetence of the 1947-48 community has fueled war and suffering on all sides. I am not diminishing anyone’s pain here, whether Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, or Palestinian. All have suffered, and none of this is their fault. It stems from the greed and hunger for power of authoritarian leaders and terrorist organizations.

Islamophobia and antisemitism are real and present everywhere. Hatred is rising once again. As a nation, we must condemn hate and work tirelessly to end it.

Seventy percent of Americans (Gallup, Pew, AP) want peace, the end of occupation, and sovereignty for both Israel and Palestine, along with safety and prosperity for all. However, and quite sadly, most of Congress does not. Why you might ask?These politicians who are unwilling to criticize or condemn the Israeli government, also bow down to foreign lobby organizations like AIPAC, Democratic Majority For Israel and other far right pro-Israel affiliate PACs because they fund their campaigns and consequently, hold massive control over them. Eighty percent of Congress takes their money and thus, these congress members refuse to speak out against the authoritarian government of Israel, even in the face of starvation and genocide. These PACs typically character assassinate candidates and members of congress who dare to oppose the Israeli government. And they are not subtle about it, believe me.

I suggest these politicians grow a spine, walk away from these PACs and regain their moral standing.
The killing must stop. Now is not the time to rehash the grievances of the past 2,000 years - all of it is tragic, but we must look forward. There is not time to continue finger pointing. We must act now.
It is important to note that Netanyahu’s ongoing rage and authoritarianism are deeply hurting Israeli citizens. His inability to commit to a peace agreement is preventing the hostages from returning home. Similarly, his ongoing extension and expansion of this war are damaging Israel’s reputation globally, and it has suffered dramatically. Most countries condemn Israel’s actions.

Evidence of this includes…

Canada, Ireland, Spain, and the UK have all recognized Palestine as a state and have condemned both the genocide and Netanyahu’s actions. Others are expected to follow. Currently, there is legislation circulating in the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.
Honestly, the solution is excruciatingly difficult, no matter what. Unfortunately, when faced with an impossible task, the only way forward is to go through it—even if it feels unsolvable. Terrorists and Authoritarians are both evil and impossible to manage.
But, we do impossible all the time.
Ending World War I and II was incredibly challenging, but the world figured it out. It was very difficult for North and South Korea to reach an agreement, as was the case for Vietnam. The Civil War.

The list is long.

We are where we are.

Let’s focus on the present and look toward the future. The people of Israel and Palestine should decide whether they want a two-state solution, a one-state solution, a Belgium-like federal model, or some other arrangement with outside international leadership to guide the process. The international community must lead efforts to stop the violence and help both sides find their way.
We have a moral obligation—to the world, to Palestine and Israel—to lead the international community in keeping both peoples safe and allowing them to determine their own futures and govern themselves.

We need to focus on the here and now, stop revisiting a horrifying past and demand peace.
Have a good week folks,
M