Dear Elliot: I sat crying while reading your piece. You are the first person in 76 years that has ,to my knowledge, written something that makes sense.
I was raised Christian in Chile, by parents who barely escaped Hungary at the end of WW II. Before escaping, my father spent 33 months in a Hungarian forced labour camp. As you know, the Hungarians sided with Hitler. They spent a year working with a refugee camp in Vienna, HIAS, helping incoming refugees. They were able to work because they were both fluent in several foreign languages, which was needed. They ended up in Chile because my dad had a cousin there. Long and complicated stories....
I have friends and family in Israel. I was there in 2019.
The majority blame Netanyahu. Some say he knew about the upcoming attack and let it happen to have an excuse to do what he is doing. I remember when he first came on the political scene and was a decent man. Now, he and Trump, and unfortunately many other leaders in the world have gone over the edge.
Thank you for so eloquently putting into words many of the thoughts that, on an erratic form, have been swirling in my mind since I started to understand the conversations in our living room. All I knew as a child was that I didn't fit in this Catholic country because I was a "fake" Christian. My father had been raised Catholic but 'Hitler" told him otherwise. His great-grandfather was Jewish and converted to accept title and land for services to the Emperor. As a two years old toddler I was discovered hiding food in a drawer because of all I was hearing about the hunger.
Today I am a spiritual atheist.
I cannot begin to tell you all my thoughts on this, and you don't need to know other than I agree with you ONE THOUSAND percent. I share your angst and will share the piece to those that might have a miniscule opening in their mind. A two State Solution is the only solution.
You might live to see it. I am certain, unfortunately, I will not.
Veronica, thank you for sharing your very moving family experience. You were never a fake Christian, the fake Christians are the ones calling children “fake” Christian’s. You have a beautiful loving soul that needs no validation from any religious affiliation. And your heart makes the world brighter.
Yes, 2-state solution. But how would a Palestinian state developed when the Israeli government is utterly destroying Gaza and already populating the West Bank with Jewish settlers?
Tree, this is a thoughtful and poignant piece but it’s dwarfed by the power of Masha Gessen’s December 9th New Yorker essay, “In The Shadow of the Holocaust “. Her analysis is unsparing as will be the verdict of genocide given to Netanyahu and his willing executioners.
What a beautiful, moving, human consideration to this devastating tragedy…I haven’t been able to even approach it really, because it’s so overwhelmingly inhumane from every angle. This was so helpful to risk it thru your eyes and experience. Thank you. 🙏
“We all must confront the uncomfortable truth that we live in a world that is a byproduct of thousands of years of tragedies and injustices.”. I think we must also remember the truth that we live in a world that is a byproduct of many alliances which have worked for unity, solidarity, equality, good stewardship, honor, decency, tolerance, and the common good. I recently read a substack by Qasim Rashid Esq that gives me hope that the majority of our species can overcome the few.
There are many people who do not find polarization a useful way to understand Israel/Gaza. We find each other through the screaming rhetoric and usually get screamed at by people on both sides. It's so helpful to hear from someone who tries to hold all the threads of this terrible conflict at once and to somehow weave them into a pattern for peace. Peace is not some weak middle or moderate idea. Peace and justice for all is the most powerful, fierce and difficult goal. So many people have been killed. It's so frustrating to watch it happen and feel so helpless.
Follow the true path of your fellow journalists who were killed in Gaza. You know the reality of life in Gaza, what Israeli government has been doing. As long as there’s injustice and violence towards Palestinians, then Hamas will win.
Thank you Elliot for this heartfelt piece. You are correct , there are no simplistic solutions, There are no good guys and bad guys of our youthful games. There are more than enough bad guys: the Ayatollah Khomenei, Benjamin Netanyahu and his evil followers, all of Hamas, Hezbollah, and I'll throw in the Houthi's here too. And there are way too many victims: the Israeli and other nationals who were victims of the October 7, 2023 raid and the thousands of Gazan Palestiisans.
I would even go back to the beginning and heap part of the blame on the UN and the British for the utterly stupid way they created Israel. The Jewish people have been separated and abused for thousands of years - in my opinion, for no better reason than they had the audacity to be successful where other people failed (no, I am not Jewish - just an admirer) So after the Holocaust all of us normal people agreed the Jews needed a sovereign country of their own where they could live in peace and security.
But the way Israel was mapped was a guarantee to warfare. You don't make a new country by dropping it in the middle of a divided country - no matter how impoverished that country was. To leave a small strip for Palestinians on the Mediterranean Coast and the rest of the Palestinians clear across Israel on the West Bank was as dumb and idea as you could get.
Throw into that mess surrounding neighbors whose religious practices were diametrically opposed to Israel. Israel in the early days had to build their country and defend it simultaneously.
Then you get Iran sending Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi's trained, paid and supported by Iran to cause great harm to the Palestinians - but in the name of Allah - and give them their sole purpose to destroy Israel.
And of course, we don't have the reliable media we used to have, so the college students don't know the whole story. I don't blame them for their protests
Wonderful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Truly reflects much of how I have grappled with this situation. “I have no shortage of thoughts. Many are discordant with each other, or at least feel that way. As for my emotions, they range from sadness to anger, frustration to disbelief.”
Dear Elliot, I share your heartfelt yearning for answers that result in a lasting peace. This peace must first be felt in the hearts of all whose decisions are followed by action; unlikely given the mindset of Hamas and the present Israeli government. A power or coalition of powers, acting in cooperation with each other, able to exert power over both parties and committed to peace must act now, without delay.
In 2000, I spent time in Israel and in Palestine. I spent time in the old city. After many conversations with both Israelis and Palestinians, the thing that struck me most was the intransigent belief that each side was correct and the other side had abused them. No matter the discussion, they all held on their belief, and that historical context was more important than a future for themselves or their children. Flying back to the USA, I had a point of clarity. THE ONLY WAY THIS CONFLICT WILL BE RESOLVED, IS WHEN ISRAELI MOTHERS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN MORE THAN THEY HATE THE PALESTINIANS, AND IN TURN, WHEN PALESTINIAN MOTHERS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN MORE THAN THEY HATE THE ISRAELIS.... THAT IS WHEN THEY WILL BE ON A PERMANENT PATH TO A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION.
It would be helpful to know to what extent the weapons industry is promoting this or who is benefiting. I have had defenders of Israel actually list battle-testing of new weapons on the Palestinians as a legitimate reason for the slaughter to continue.
Further investigation into the details of what happened before and during 10/7 would be useful.
Also, it's a fact that Hamas was supported financially by Netanyahu.
Wow, Elliot. I feel as if I have glimpsed your soul in your words. Thank you for your honesty and insight. My heart is heavy about Israel and Gaza and the West Bank, but I have no solution for their deep-seated conflict and the misery it inflicts on them. When I taught in Gaza I made frequent trips to Israel. In conversation with a young Israeli woman I asked what the solution could be. She that no human being could solve it, only God. I hope that God will act and that humans will continue to seek peace, acknowledging that every human being deserves love and respect and the ability to determine how to grow to their full potential --- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness perhaps.
Thank you, Elliot. I usually find myself in alignment with your thoughts as it is yet again with this article. That beings a lot of peace to me as I sit in Arizona with only the reports and personal history to guide me and I think yours is a clear look at the situation and problems. I believe that peace is achievable only through some kind of middle ground. It’s just a kind of truth. The extremism we’re in is a problem within itself, a healing crisis that never finds a breaking point. Day at a time, I hope the thrust turns soon.
Dear Elliot: I sat crying while reading your piece. You are the first person in 76 years that has ,to my knowledge, written something that makes sense.
I was raised Christian in Chile, by parents who barely escaped Hungary at the end of WW II. Before escaping, my father spent 33 months in a Hungarian forced labour camp. As you know, the Hungarians sided with Hitler. They spent a year working with a refugee camp in Vienna, HIAS, helping incoming refugees. They were able to work because they were both fluent in several foreign languages, which was needed. They ended up in Chile because my dad had a cousin there. Long and complicated stories....
I have friends and family in Israel. I was there in 2019.
The majority blame Netanyahu. Some say he knew about the upcoming attack and let it happen to have an excuse to do what he is doing. I remember when he first came on the political scene and was a decent man. Now, he and Trump, and unfortunately many other leaders in the world have gone over the edge.
Thank you for so eloquently putting into words many of the thoughts that, on an erratic form, have been swirling in my mind since I started to understand the conversations in our living room. All I knew as a child was that I didn't fit in this Catholic country because I was a "fake" Christian. My father had been raised Catholic but 'Hitler" told him otherwise. His great-grandfather was Jewish and converted to accept title and land for services to the Emperor. As a two years old toddler I was discovered hiding food in a drawer because of all I was hearing about the hunger.
Today I am a spiritual atheist.
I cannot begin to tell you all my thoughts on this, and you don't need to know other than I agree with you ONE THOUSAND percent. I share your angst and will share the piece to those that might have a miniscule opening in their mind. A two State Solution is the only solution.
You might live to see it. I am certain, unfortunately, I will not.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you.
Veronica, thank you for sharing your very moving family experience. You were never a fake Christian, the fake Christians are the ones calling children “fake” Christian’s. You have a beautiful loving soul that needs no validation from any religious affiliation. And your heart makes the world brighter.
Your comment is very touching. At a time when everything seems depressing, I thank you so much for the uplifting message of support!
Yes, 2-state solution. But how would a Palestinian state developed when the Israeli government is utterly destroying Gaza and already populating the West Bank with Jewish settlers?
Let's see if the International Court of Justice can put some pressure on israel!
This is the best analysis of this complex series of events that I've read so far. Thank you. I'll be sharing it with my family and friends.
Thank you for sharing.
Yes, sharing the stories of what he was witnessing on the ground is so illuminating
Tree, this is a thoughtful and poignant piece but it’s dwarfed by the power of Masha Gessen’s December 9th New Yorker essay, “In The Shadow of the Holocaust “. Her analysis is unsparing as will be the verdict of genocide given to Netanyahu and his willing executioners.
Thanks for letting me know about it. I'll have a look.
What a beautiful, moving, human consideration to this devastating tragedy…I haven’t been able to even approach it really, because it’s so overwhelmingly inhumane from every angle. This was so helpful to risk it thru your eyes and experience. Thank you. 🙏
Thank you.
“We all must confront the uncomfortable truth that we live in a world that is a byproduct of thousands of years of tragedies and injustices.”. I think we must also remember the truth that we live in a world that is a byproduct of many alliances which have worked for unity, solidarity, equality, good stewardship, honor, decency, tolerance, and the common good. I recently read a substack by Qasim Rashid Esq that gives me hope that the majority of our species can overcome the few.
https://qasimrashid.substack.com/p/debunking-hateful-propaganda-about?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2550223&post_id=144624531&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=f14pb&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Written in the vein of unbiased journalism. You have my respect.
There are many people who do not find polarization a useful way to understand Israel/Gaza. We find each other through the screaming rhetoric and usually get screamed at by people on both sides. It's so helpful to hear from someone who tries to hold all the threads of this terrible conflict at once and to somehow weave them into a pattern for peace. Peace is not some weak middle or moderate idea. Peace and justice for all is the most powerful, fierce and difficult goal. So many people have been killed. It's so frustrating to watch it happen and feel so helpless.
Follow the true path of your fellow journalists who were killed in Gaza. You know the reality of life in Gaza, what Israeli government has been doing. As long as there’s injustice and violence towards Palestinians, then Hamas will win.
Thank you.
Elliot this was wonderful and quite moving. You said it better than anyone else I have read so far. Thank you.
Thank you Elliot for this heartfelt piece. You are correct , there are no simplistic solutions, There are no good guys and bad guys of our youthful games. There are more than enough bad guys: the Ayatollah Khomenei, Benjamin Netanyahu and his evil followers, all of Hamas, Hezbollah, and I'll throw in the Houthi's here too. And there are way too many victims: the Israeli and other nationals who were victims of the October 7, 2023 raid and the thousands of Gazan Palestiisans.
I would even go back to the beginning and heap part of the blame on the UN and the British for the utterly stupid way they created Israel. The Jewish people have been separated and abused for thousands of years - in my opinion, for no better reason than they had the audacity to be successful where other people failed (no, I am not Jewish - just an admirer) So after the Holocaust all of us normal people agreed the Jews needed a sovereign country of their own where they could live in peace and security.
But the way Israel was mapped was a guarantee to warfare. You don't make a new country by dropping it in the middle of a divided country - no matter how impoverished that country was. To leave a small strip for Palestinians on the Mediterranean Coast and the rest of the Palestinians clear across Israel on the West Bank was as dumb and idea as you could get.
Throw into that mess surrounding neighbors whose religious practices were diametrically opposed to Israel. Israel in the early days had to build their country and defend it simultaneously.
Then you get Iran sending Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi's trained, paid and supported by Iran to cause great harm to the Palestinians - but in the name of Allah - and give them their sole purpose to destroy Israel.
And of course, we don't have the reliable media we used to have, so the college students don't know the whole story. I don't blame them for their protests
Approximately 40,000 dead Palestinians.
I wish that many would escape from feeling that there is comfort and security in maintaining highly polarized positions.
Wonderful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Truly reflects much of how I have grappled with this situation. “I have no shortage of thoughts. Many are discordant with each other, or at least feel that way. As for my emotions, they range from sadness to anger, frustration to disbelief.”
Dear Elliot, I share your heartfelt yearning for answers that result in a lasting peace. This peace must first be felt in the hearts of all whose decisions are followed by action; unlikely given the mindset of Hamas and the present Israeli government. A power or coalition of powers, acting in cooperation with each other, able to exert power over both parties and committed to peace must act now, without delay.
In 2000, I spent time in Israel and in Palestine. I spent time in the old city. After many conversations with both Israelis and Palestinians, the thing that struck me most was the intransigent belief that each side was correct and the other side had abused them. No matter the discussion, they all held on their belief, and that historical context was more important than a future for themselves or their children. Flying back to the USA, I had a point of clarity. THE ONLY WAY THIS CONFLICT WILL BE RESOLVED, IS WHEN ISRAELI MOTHERS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN MORE THAN THEY HATE THE PALESTINIANS, AND IN TURN, WHEN PALESTINIAN MOTHERS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN MORE THAN THEY HATE THE ISRAELIS.... THAT IS WHEN THEY WILL BE ON A PERMANENT PATH TO A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION.
It would be helpful to know to what extent the weapons industry is promoting this or who is benefiting. I have had defenders of Israel actually list battle-testing of new weapons on the Palestinians as a legitimate reason for the slaughter to continue.
Further investigation into the details of what happened before and during 10/7 would be useful.
Also, it's a fact that Hamas was supported financially by Netanyahu.
Wow, Elliot. I feel as if I have glimpsed your soul in your words. Thank you for your honesty and insight. My heart is heavy about Israel and Gaza and the West Bank, but I have no solution for their deep-seated conflict and the misery it inflicts on them. When I taught in Gaza I made frequent trips to Israel. In conversation with a young Israeli woman I asked what the solution could be. She that no human being could solve it, only God. I hope that God will act and that humans will continue to seek peace, acknowledging that every human being deserves love and respect and the ability to determine how to grow to their full potential --- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness perhaps.
Thank you, Elliot. I usually find myself in alignment with your thoughts as it is yet again with this article. That beings a lot of peace to me as I sit in Arizona with only the reports and personal history to guide me and I think yours is a clear look at the situation and problems. I believe that peace is achievable only through some kind of middle ground. It’s just a kind of truth. The extremism we’re in is a problem within itself, a healing crisis that never finds a breaking point. Day at a time, I hope the thrust turns soon.
I agree with what you wrote.
Not sure why the comment appeared twice though.