STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN
Understand - You have become your own worst enemy.
STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN
Understand - You have become your own worst enemy.
STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN
STOP the killing and destruction of families.
LOOK at the people of Gaza - in the eyes,
see their pain and their suffering.
LISTEN to their stories, their needs, their desires -
actually listen to the words that come out of their own mouths,
about how they feel about having their lives destroyed
by your military,
by your nation's immoral blockade,
by the unacknowledged and unconscionable occupation,
by your government's propaganda against them,
and do not be surprised if they express anger.
STOP! Do not answer their anger with your own.
LOOK at Gaza,
look at the abject poverty there.
LISTEN some more
for what is behind their anger and frustration -
the deprivation,
the lack of basic human necessities,
the sadness.
STOP and take some deep breaths.
LOOK at your own nation,
your own government,
the propaganda of your own government,
the playing upon your historic victimization
by your own government,
the politics of the current situation
the politics of the current situation
for the sake of government power,
the colonialism for the sake of politics.
LISTEN to your neighbors,
and the voices coming from different perspectives,
the colonialism for the sake of politics.
LISTEN to your neighbors,
and the voices coming from different perspectives,
from others in the region,
from the international community.
STOP supporting state aggression.
LOOK at the reasons behind that aggression.
LISTEN to the voices coming from within the Jewish community,
voices that refuse to deal with the pain of aggression against Jews
by turning it on others.
STOP allowing your emotions of sadness and anger and fear
to consume you.
LOOK for ways to move beyond those emotions,
to express them in ways that are constructive,
that help you to grow,
to become better persons,
to move forward with your lives in peace.
LISTEN to your heart and its call for compassion and empathy.
LOOK for ways to move beyond those emotions,
to express them in ways that are constructive,
that help you to grow,
to become better persons,
to move forward with your lives in peace.
LISTEN to your heart and its call for compassion and empathy.
STOP the violence.
STOP the siege.
STOP the misery and death in Gaza.
ISRAEL must stop, not Hamas.
ISRAEL must accept the responsibilities
of being the strong and powerful state that it is.
ISRAEL must stop playing the victim when it is not,
ISRAEL must stop playing the victim when it is not,
and stop exaggerating its victimhood when it is.
ISRAEL wants to be perceived as strong,
so be strong, from the inside out.
ISRAEL wants to be safe,
so make yourself safe
by working with your neighbors to achieve peace.
ISRAEL wants to impose its own narrative
ISRAEL wants to impose its own narrative
on the history of the region,
but Israel is only a small country in that region,
a young country in a region with a long, long history,
a modern nation, with a modern military,
but Israel is only a small country in that region,
a young country in a region with a long, long history,
a modern nation, with a modern military,
and strong alliances with the modern world powers.
ISRAEL must consider the historical narratives
of all of its neighbors in the region.
ISRAEL must accept the reality
ISRAEL must accept the reality
that they have wronged the people of Palestine.
ISRAEL must apologize
ISRAEL must apologize
for what has happened to the Palestinian people
because of their actions.
ISRAEL must find a way to live in the Middle East
ISRAEL must find a way to live in the Middle East
that respects the other governments of the region
as legitimate governments,
as entities not to be ignored,
or punished,
at the cost of innocent people's lives,
but with which to negotiate peace.
Only then will Israel in turn gain the respect, the legitimacy,
and the security that it desires
The people of Israel cannot blame anyone but themselves,
cannot change anyone but themselves,
cannot expect anyone to react to them
in any way other than how they have,
until they prove themselves worthy of trust and respect.
until they prove themselves worthy of trust and respect.
PEOPLE OF ISRAEL -
Take the lead.
Do the right thing.
Show your strength and your leadership.
Begin with compassion.
Create the peace that everyone longs for.
Be the change.
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Love thy neighbor.
Love thyself.
other posts on the Israeli-Gaza conflict:
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