A Horrific Anniversary
And a narrative we must challenge
As Raveen reminds us in this post, we are about to be bombarded with the mythologizing of October 7th by mainstream media.
It will portray Israel as the perpetual victim, and will ignore the genocide it’s committing in Gaza, the out of control bombing of Israel’s neighbouring countries, and the support of western leaders, media and other powerful forces.
It frustrates and angers me that many people will lap this stuff up.
Still, there are things that bring me hope:
The people continuing to take to the streets in support of the resistance
The BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement. It’s something easy and effective we can all do to disempower Israel
People speaking out, wearing keffiyehs and bringing attention to these atrocities in creative ways
But how do we change the narrative that is affecting so many people? Our truth tellers are being censored, and people are being inundated with this stuff.
The latest is Rachel Blevins who has been censored by youtube.
How do we show people that every accusation Israel makes against another country is a distorted mirror of what they’re actually doing?
What will effectively demonstrate that this is just more colonialist killing that ignores international law, while people in Israel are boasting of their carnage.
Today is the Day of International Non-Compliance and I will take part. I don’t know how wide spread this is, but it’s something to consider.
We need solidarity on this terrible anniversary. Those of us who are aware of Israel’s continued genocide of Gaza and outrageous behaviour need to keep doing what we can.
I also want to share Caitlin Johnstone’s post about this anniversary, since I believe it expresses the sentiments of so many of us.
As much as these powerful forces are trying to suppress the world’s conscience, I think we will win this one. Because we have to. Giving in to genocide and barbarism is just not acceptable.
I will dedicate myself to this day, and to doing what I can to push this giant boulder up the hill, to rolling it down the other side and planting a garden where once there were battlefields.
I will reach for the moon.
Take care, all, and I’m honoured to be in solidarity with you.
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Here is an upcoming event that is specific to Canada but may be helpful to others called The Many Can Defeat the Money.
I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.
Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1
Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en
And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/
Before being sidelined with a neurological disorder, I worked for a couple of decades as a 'turn around' specialist. This means companies in trouble hired me to 'fix their trouble'. I took a different approach to Turing a company around. I found out what they did best and did more of it. Increase the sales. Never laid a single person off though there were some temporary pay cuts (I always led they way on that - got paid enough anyway). Out of four successful turn arounds, three of the companies were owned by Jewish folk. I found them fair, compassionate and certainly worth helping them out. Most have left the earth now, but they would be appalled at Israel's reaction. One of them taught me that the passage, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', has been widely misinterpreted over the millennia. What it really means is NOT that if someone takes out your eye, you take theirs. It means that if you take an eye, you deserve to have yours taken. Israel, like a huge portion of these once United States have lost their humanity. Everyone should cry and pray relentlessly!
Zionism, and more specifically, this genocidal manifestation, has made it more dangerous for jews everywhere. It's gutwrenching to observe this horror unfold in the name of security and Judaism. An abomination. As jews speak out against it, they are ostracized, silenced, removed from social media. How does AIPAC and Israel wield so much power in the US?? And knowing Biden could have stopped this escalating madness long ago by stopping the flow of weapons is infuriating. It breaks my elderly heart.