Genocide in Review

Sometimes, I'm told, it's good to look back, assess one's efforts, review.  The truth is, I don't know what else to say.  But then rather than say nothing, I thought I'd review what I have tried, evidently in vain, to communicate since October.

When the uprising from within the besieged ghetto walls began on October 7th, I was struck by the many parallels with the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which have only become far more numerous as this deadly march of time continues.

Given the long history of Israel destroying whole neighborhoods in Gaza by aerial bombardment and preventing Gaza from getting clean water or sufficient food and other necessities over the course of decades of siege and sanctions, it didn't take long to recognize the carpet-bombing for what it was.

Daily demonstrations began to take place right away, all over the world, denouncing the genocide.  The weekly demonstrations that have continued to take place globally have probably represented the biggest sustained global movement about anything ever.

Pro-Israel propagandists began to focus on what they labeled as the "genocidal" nature of the slogan, "from the river to the sea," and in so doing, attempting to flip the colonial history and current reality on its head.

As the slaughter of the people of Gaza continued unabated, the world began to learn of the acronym WCNSF that medical workers were writing in indelible ink on the bodies of many of their patients -- Wounded Child, No Surviving Family. 

There was a brief respite in the bombing during which some people called "hostages" were exchanged for other people called "prisoners," and a little food and medicine was allowed in to the destroyed neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip.  They called it a "humanitarian pause."

There is no way to tell where the line is between dark humor and the impossibly grim reality we're witnessing or living through, but many people began to talk about how after the genocide is complete, once the last Palestinian is killed, they'll have museums in Israel where remorse is expressed, with displays of Palestinian artifacts.

Dozens of UN agencies were trying to raise the alarm very early in the bombing campaign that soon famine and disease would be killing far greater numbers of Palestinians than the bombardment -- despite the massive scale of the bombing.

As the world watched the complete destruction of Gaza taking place, daily pogroms were being carried out against Palestinians all over the occupied West Bank.

This genocide, this apocalypse, has been streamed for us in real time, documented by its victims.  Journalists have been targeted systematically by the Israelis for bombings and assassinations while they've been documenting this.

The parallels between Israel's genocide in Gaza and Nazi policies during the holocaust in Europe have continued to grow.  These days, however, if you oppose Israeli fascism, you will be accused of antisemitism.

In case it wasn't already abundantly obvious that the Israeli occupation forces were operating under a "shoot anything that moves" directive, they shot and killed three of their own soldiers while they were shirtless, shouting in Hebrew, and holding white flags in their hands.

In addition to demonstrations and marches in solidarity with the Palestinian people, there has been armed resistance, most prominently from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi Army in Yemen.  These groups vilified as "terrorists" by the western press are attempting to uphold international law, while Israel flagrantly violates it by the second.

Israel is continually stealing more and more Palestinian land, and is now in the process of stealing Gaza.  As Palestinians have been saying for generations, this struggle for freedom is a struggle for the land.

As the bombardment continued it became increasingly clear that rather than being an entirely indiscriminate bombing campaign, aside from targeting journalists, the occupation forces have been targeting medical workers, women, and children.

As the highest Christian holy day approached and Christmas celebrations were canceled in the Occupied West Bank, the Christians in Gaza were being bombed.

Eventually the Jordanian Air Force and others began to do occasional airdrops.  During the Berlin Air Lift the amounts airdropped were almost incomparably higher.

As famine took hold, the Israeli occupation forces began using food deliveries as bait to lure starving Palestinians out of their bombed buildings into the open, so they could massacre them.  They then made this a daily tradition.

Increasing numbers of UN officials and world leaders made more unequivocally clear that countries arming Israel and vetoing ceasefire resolutions were facilitating genocide.  (I wrote an essay on this theme, too.)

Another person immolated himself in protest against the genocide of the Palestinians.  He filmed his own death and announced it in advance, so we know who he was -- Aaron Bushnell.

As the famine and disease took hold across the Gaza Strip I thought about the similarities with the Minnesota famine of 1862, following Little Crow's uprising.

The pro-Israel "Hasbara Trolls" have been extremely active since the genocide began, gracing my Facebook accounts most diligently -- increasing "engagement" by over 800% in one week.  A lot of other people are having the same experience.  (I wrote an essay about the Hasbara Trolls, as well.)

Coincidentally at the same time as the US began setting up a temporary port in Gaza, organizers of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced their plans to sail to Gaza from various ports around the world.

I still don't know what else to say.

---

This imminent family visit to the northeastern US is turning into a wee tour! In addition to the 4 confirmed gigs on the graphic, there are a couple other university appearances in Boston, and a possible additional event in NYC, TBC… Most current known info at davidrovics.com/tour.