It's been a long time since I last wrote on this blog... I moved to a website to create a space that shared multiple threads of what I am doing... I have spent endless hours curating my website...
Sadly wix has been making changes that has made it ever more expensive and no longer possible for me to reasonably maintain the website as I wish - because previously if you paid you got unlimited amount of images that could be shared... that is now limited and an extra fee is now required for that (despite what I pay already being more expensive than before) - so I have been considering another way to share my information.
The aim was to spend a year thinking about this and setting it up, before the next payment in October 2024.
BUT with the news that Wix, and Israeli company has fired people for supporting a ceasefire in their social media has resulted in me not wanting to use the site at all. A company should not have that kind of power over people's views outside of their work - and definitely not for something that is promoting to stop killing children... which as of date there are now at least 10,000 children killed.
Everything I do is about children's rights... their right to play, their right to express themselves, their right to participate - and most absolutely certainly their right to safe places, their right to life, their right to health, their right to a home... it is not just International Law that is being violated, it is also the UN rights of a child that is being violated (and human rights).
I have visited both Palestine (West Bank, not Gaza) and Israel and have good friends in both places... and feel so much empathy and sorrow that Israeli leaders have had a 75plus year policy of apartheid that places both Israeli and Palestinians in unsafe positions... because occupied people do not thrive when they are not treated or valued as equals and are being systematically belittled, oppressed and violently acted upon - resulting in freedom fighters using ever more violent ways to be heard and seen by the international community to help them address the situation. This puts Israeli citizens at risk.
There is SO MUCH propaganda that supports Israel's systematic treatment of Palestinians - both in Israel and Palestine. And it is important that every person does their own work to find out what is really happening and that the apartheid state is real.... I have seen it with my own eyes by being in both places, meeting the locals, listening to them.
I have heard hate from Israeli's and some US Jews (some threatening me for taking a pro-liberation of Palestine stance - which IS NOT the same as a Palestine only state, only the end of apartheid to be able to live as equals) - I have never personally heard an hate towards Israeli's or Jewish people by the Palestinians I met and interacted with. Of course there are going to be some Palestinians that express hate - just as there are Israeli and Jewish people that are against apartheid and Palestinians right to equity and a stop to settlers stealing Palestinian lands - which is against the original agreements and is further exacerbating the situation.
I am against all forms of violence... so to ask me "what about October 7th" suggests that you are deliberately not wanting to understand what I am trying to communicate and deflecting the focus off the 2 months of attacks and 20,000 children, women and men killed (apparently 1,000 Hamas - which I think 19,000 "collateral damage" is extreme and to me is beyond justification - as is 60% of Gazan buildings being destroyed, the displacement of millions, the thousands upon thousands of injuries and next to no medical services (I read today 40,000 injured people are seeking care at a facility that can care for a maximum of 400). I can't understand how world leaders can stand by and allow Israel to cut off water, electricity, food and fuel for 2 months despite knowing this is a war crime - despite being outraged at Russia for doing similar things on a MUCH lesser scale in Ukraine.
I can't understand why world leaders are not doing more to make it stop and to find better ways to create a safer Israel that doesn't involve the mas murder and maiming of civilians.
My work is about the children.
always about the children.
And I cannot accept the fact that Israel is being allowed to destroy the lives of a million children... those killed, those maimed (so many amputations) and all those children who will survive with life long trauma.
And in the West Bank children are being killed, taken "prisoner" (it's called prisoner, but they are not formally charged just detained for extended periods of time, often harmed, threatened and tortured and not allowed to see or contact family - so basically held hostage) roads, water, electricity and homes are being bulldozed - there is NO HAMAS THERE... it's just intensified daily abuse.
When I was staying in Jenin refugee camp there was the daily sound of guns and sound bombs.... sometimes the rhythmic sound celebrating the release of a "prisoner" - but often the randomness of conflict. Sometimes sound bombs, sometimes real..
Friends had their homes raided in the middle of the night - forced to get out of their beds, children and all, to stand in their living rooms while their home was turned upside down... there is plenty of ex-Israeli soldiers who can confirm that this was not done based on evidence of criminal activity but solely to keep Palestinians in a state of fear and subjugation - homes were chosen randomly. Palestinians simply had to accept that this is their reality.
I have friends that have had their homes taken over by IOF (Israeli Occupation Army - stating what it is... not a IDF - not defence... because most of the actions are about occupation) - they are held hostage for multiple days, only allowed to use their kitchen and bathroom, and no access to phones or computers. The IOF then make holes in the walls of their homes so that they can be used a sniper spots - these are put in place BEFORE the bulldozers come.
I have friends taking films of what is going on, and backing away quickly when a gun is pointed at them... because those filming are getting killed.
But this has been happening for decades upon decades... I visited the first time 10 years ago. And throughout that time, and multiple visits homes have been invaded, children killed and taken prisoner and the squashing the fight for freedom - even those that are simply reporting the truth, or through art, theatre and song - makes no difference if the fight is done non-violently and peacefully - they are arrested and killed - just research how many Palestinian journalists have been killed - not just in the last 2 months, but since 1948 when all of this started.
This is about the children - and their right to grow up as equals. To make choices as to whether they can travel to other lands. To be able to visit the sea whenever they want (because only in Gaza do they have access to the sea - and then only a small part of it... if they take a boat too far out they will be shot). To be able to return to their homes (as many Palestinians live abroad, and are not allowed to visit their home country)
Go find out more.
But also please demand a better solution - a ceasefire - that will allow the rest of the Israeli hostages to be released and a stop to the excessive collateral damage. And also demand that pro-Genocide music, talks, actions (that are circulating throughout social media) are being held accountable.
I write for PEACE. for Israelis and Palestinians through equity and an end to apartheid.
