Everybody who knows me well enough is aware I have strong ties with Palestine and the Arabic Middle East. And I also have several very good Jewish friends who are really peace-minded people.
I had been following very closely the departure of the Free Gaza boats. I knew they would not get to Gaza and deliver their goods. Goods I believe were totally humanitarian because being engaged in such a cause you cannot slip, not even once.
Those goods were intended for the people of Gaza, people like you and me. Except that they are not at all like us. Most of them are without food and medicine. They were cold this winter. Lots still don’t have any decent housing. No water, no electricity, most of the time.
Please let’s try to forget the endless battle fought for whatever extremists (from every side) call it: land, revenge, fight, politics, spilling blood for blood.
This is a time to remember that a handful of people were very wrongly killed and wounded. This is a time of mourning because it shows that there will never be peace in the Middle East.
I grew up reading incredible books about people who had been wilfully destroyed, unbelievable stories of men, women and children tortured, famished, murdered and ending in gas chambers because they were Jewish.
I read books written by survivors who still believed in peace and love of mankind, who believed we would walk towards better tomorrows.
In 1960, I cried watching the movie «Exodus» and I said ‘never more’, even though the movie’s plot was a little bit twisted. But I cried.
Then I started reading history books telling about the creation of the State of Israel and I felt very uncomfortable. It was hard to condemn a people after so many terrible hardships but it was hard not to think about the Arab refugees trying to survive in camps after loosing everything, their land and what was worse, their soul.
Then there were those times of blind terrorism which were unbelievable. Terrorism and wars. Deaths, lives broken and destroyed... On both sides.
And more refugees.
The State of Israel still existed and was turning prouder and prouder to the point of turning rogue. And we hid our questioning behind our guilt.
We were taught only to see our wounds and we refused to ask ourselves how such a deadly extremism had come to pass.
We kept meddling with lots of countries knowing very well that we were fueling resentment and hatred. But we needed their wealth or whatever seemed useful to us, be it just a matter of a sphere of influence.
I know that we’ll never learn from the past. I also admit I have no idea of the way I’d be feeling, were I from Gaza or from Israel.
All I know right now is that I cried a lot and anguished a lot during the codenamed «Operation Cast Lead» against Gaza, codenamed by the Israeli government. The Arab world calls it «The Gaza Massacre». The Israeli media called it «The War in the South» while Al Jazeera talked about «The War on Gaza». They can’t even get united on a name. This is so tragic.
For a handful of people like us, it’s «Ibrahim’s story» who died at 11, killed by an Israeli missile.
I feel so helpless tonight. The sun is still shining over a very peaceful sea where fishermen are at work. I will post what I have so emotionally written down. But my words are so inadequate... They are words written with pain, anger, and such a lack of understanding.
No peace on earth today.
Shall I keep on wishing «Good Luck, and Good Night»?
