Let Gaza Live

What can I say that hasn’t already been said better by a thousand other voices? Still, I’ll add my voice to the chorus of millions calling for a #ceasefire. At this point, if you don’t know what’s going on in Gaza, you are guilty of deliberately sticking your head in the sand to avoid the news. What a privilege for you.

Last week my family attended the Idaho Women’s March in solidarity with Palestine. I read later that the leaders of the march made a point to tell their speakers, “it’s best not to mention Palestine.” I can’t confirm this actually happened, because I didn’t hear it with my own ears. However, I do know that for nearly two hours of people shouting from the capitol steps, I didn’t hear Palestine mentioned once. I am profoundly disappointed in what I see as selective white liberalism. Reproductive rights are a GLOBAL issue–fighting injustice everywhere is crucial for LIBERATION FOR ALL.

The rights of Palestinian women are being threatened as we speak. There are 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza who are being forced to give birth in horrific conditions–no electricity, medical supplies or even clean water. Miscarriage rates have increased 300% since the war began due to Israeli bombing. Women have been forced to undergo c-sections without anesthesia. Children, if they survive the bombings at all, are undergoing amputations without anesthesia.

STOP.

Read those last two sentences again. 

Women in Gaza are facing challenges to their dignity and their health. 700,000 menstruating girls and women are currently living in Gaza, and due to Israel’s blockade, they lack access to shelter, feminine hygiene products, soap, clean water and basic supplies. Out of desperation, they have taken to using strips of dirty tent material threatening them with chronic illness and disease.

As of this writing, the current official (and likely underreported) death toll in Gaza is 25,105. Of that number, 70% of those killed in Gaza have been women and children. This particular statistic keeps popping up among accounts and news organizations that I follow, and every time I see it, part of me wonders why we need to mention that at all. It implies that the deaths of the remaining 30% of the population are somehow not as tragic. For me, there’s not a single justifiable death among those tens of thousands of people. In the words of Adam Grant, “Throughout history, people committing atrocities have convinced themselves they’re a necessary evil. Evil is never necessary. Rationalizations perpetuate vicious cycles of violence. Noble ends don’t justify vile means. Violating human rights doesn’t serve a greater good.”

Although we should all be on strike permanently until this ends, this week is a global strike. I’m not going to explain how to strike here–you can look it up for yourself. But I’ll repeat my call for action, ANY action. Boycott, march, make posts, CALL. YOUR. REPRESENTATIVES. EVERY. DAY. DEMAND A CEASEFIRE. In the words of a remarkable person I just recently met, “I can’t believe every mother isn’t going absolutely feral right now.” Put yourself in the shoes of any Palestinian person and ask yourself, what would you do?

#freepalestine  #ceasefirenow  #endthegenocide