60 Palestinians killed are not just a “means” to topple Netanyahu, they are a tragedy that should have been prevented. Unity in protests is meaningless if the core of the issue is avoided. If we do not publicly demand an end to the massacre, we are complicit
By Haaretz
Photos of starving children from bombed Gaza are also making their way into Israeli media, breaking the wall of silence that until a few weeks ago kept these images away from the public. Every day, more and more Israelis are posting on social media: “I am Israeli. I am not my government.” This slogan, used for years to distance itself from Netanyahu’s policies, aims to “wash its hands” of the crimes committed against the LGBTQ community, minorities, or Palestinians. How many liberal, secular, and left-wing Israelis have served in Gaza themselves, implementing the government’s policies? How many of us have remained silent at family dinners while our relatives went on another offensive? How many “opposition” parties have stood by without saying a word against the way this war is being waged?
Blaming while sitting idly by is not enough. “This is an attempt to wipe out the Palestinians” We must face the truth: the war in Gaza is an attempt to wipe the Palestinians off the map, through starvation, forced displacement, or death. The ministers themselves have said it openly. Minister Amichay Eliyahu’s statement that “Gaza must be Jewish” leaves no room for doubt.
60 Palestinians killed are not just a “means” to topple Netanyahu, they are a tragedy that should have been prevented. Unity in protest is meaningless if it avoids the heart of the matter. If we do not publicly demand an end to the massacre, we are complicit. Last weekend, Israeli activists stormed the “Big Brother” stage during a live broadcast, calling for the IDF to withdraw. These actions must grow and become real obstacles to the functioning of the government, until the war stops. As long as we do not publicly call this a genocide, the government will continue to justify everything in the name of hostages or “national security”. Israeli democracy can wait, but the same does not apply to lives in Gaza…