Statement on the Gaza War

I’ve been sitting on this post for almost two three months, debating whether I should post it or not. I try to avoid politics, not always perfectly, but I feel it’s important to speak out even if it’s far too late to make a difference.

The conflict in Gaza has been carrying on since October of 2023, and at first I was ambivalent. This is an area of the world I just don’t understand very well. But over time I have been increasingly concerned about the plight of the Gaza Palestinians, and the situation is just getting worse and worse.

Whatever justification Israel had at the outset, the response has been overwhelming and disproportionate. Whatever mandate Israel had at the time, it has long since lost sight of it.

Politics notwithstanding, Palestinians are people too. I have known a number of Palestinians in my lifetime and I am happy to have called them friends. I think about them

What finally pushed me to speak up was this article from the BBC, followed by this article. Regardless of what makes sense on a strategic or political level, it doesn’t justify such mass destruction, mass starvation, and mass civilian casualties. At the same time, I don’t want to detract from the Israeli hostages and lost lives that started this conflict, because they too are people and they deserve happiness and well-being. But this can’t come at the expense of so many Palestinians. One life isn’t worth countless others.

I know these things are much more complicated than one blogger can really hope to understand or explain, but I wanted to speak out in support of the Palestinians. That’s all I have to say.

P.S. Disabling comments on this post given the volatility of this topic.

P.P.S. Feature photo is Gaza City in 2007, courtesy of Wikipedia.