I am writing to ask for your support in speaking up against the Israeli bombardment of innocent civilians in Gaza.
I am not Palestinian. I am a Muslim from Lebanon. For the past three and a half weeks, my heart has been bleeding from the images I have watched and the news I listened to on satellite tv, because it is not covered by mainstream news. While the loss of life is not acceptable, irrespective of the side, the world only paid attention when the casualties were on the Israeli side. However, Palestinians have been dealing with death and injustices for the past 75 years and it seems as though the world has gotten used to it. What has been happening in these past weeks is beyond imagination. The Israelis are applying collective punishment to the whole Gaza strip without any regard to the lives of the innocent people.
I have lived through the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982. My husband recalls the horror he saw on the faces of Palestinians running through his neighborhood, fleeing the massacre committed by Israel and its allies at the “Sabra and Shatila” Refugee Camp during that invasion. I have seen part of a building collapse in front of my eyes due to an Israeli bomb. The sound of jets still sends chills down my spine and brings back childhood memories of rushing down to basement shelters with my neighbors trying to stay safe while avoiding air strikes. The feeling that you never know whether the next air strike might crush your building and end your life is a feeling that Palestinian children are constantly living with today, if they survive.
As of Nov. 1, about 8800 Palestinians have been killed since the launch of this relentless undiscriminating attack against the Gaza strip, nearly 40% (almost 3600) of these are children, including infants and toddlers. 70% of people living in Gaza can no longer live in their homes, because they are either refugees or dead. Entire families have been wiped from existence. They no longer have descendants or relatives, because all of them have been killed. Friends in our community mourned the loss of 20 members of their family and the rest were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries, as their building collapsed from one of the air strikes. A few days ago, the number of dead family members reached 80.
Nowhere is safe or off limits. Israel claims that it is giving early notice to the residents to evacuate before it bombs hospitals and schools that are used to shelter hundreds of families. Why do they need to bomb these places? How can you evacuate debilitated patients and people who have nowhere to go? If you know the limited space in Gaza, which is literally a concentration camp, you know that Israel is really not giving the people a fair choice. And who can trust them when Israel told Palestinians to evacuate to South Gaza, then bombed that same region they instructed them to move to.
I have never been a fan of social media, but I can’t stay away from it these days. This is where I’m able to hear real stories firsthand from real people. And I cry. I cry seeing mothers and fathers frantically looking for their children, digging with their bare hands through the rubble. I cry seeing kids carried in the arms of strangers who rush them to the hospital trying to save them with what little tools they have. I cry seeing hopeless faces and a father carrying the remains of his children in garbage bags and roaming the streets of the city because he doesn’t understand the reasoning behind the viciousness of these airstrikes. Nowhere is safe. They are bombing hospitals, bakeries, mosques, churches, and indiscriminately wiping entire neighborhoods. Who can explain how this is justified?
One of the oldest churches in the world, which was founded in the 5th century, was struck by an Israeli air strike causing major damage and killing at least 16. Both Christian and Muslim Palestinians took shelter there thinking that churches were off limits. There is no justification for restricting water, food, fuel and basic needs. This only adds to the misery and suffering of Palestinians who are bundled in tents or apartments. Allowing 20 trucks a day through the border of Egypt with limited resources (and no fuel) does not even begin to meet the dire needs of the people. Already several hospitals have ceased to provide services and the situation is becoming catastrophic by the minute. The health care system is crumbling due to the lack of essential tools, personnel, and fuel. If Palestinians are not dying from bombs, they are dying from the lack of services and resources.
The general public all over the world are rallying against the Israeli genocide. Jewish activists in cities including New York, Washington D.C., and here in New Orleans protested against “Israel’s ongoing oppression of the Palestinians.” They want the U.S. government to know that what Israel is doing should not be done in their name. Protests erupted all over the world in large numbers. Over 100,000 protesters marched in the streets of London showing solidarity with Palestinians. Other protests took place in Malaysia, Poland, Germany, and other European countries. From Jakarta all the way to Tunisia, people are protesting the injustices and ruthless killing carried out by Israel.
The narrative is changing and the world is waking up. The root of the problem is that without justice there will never be peace. Hold Israel accountable for its crimes and make sure it abides by international law. Stop funding their crimes. Return the land that does not belong to them. Allow Palestinians their sovereignty. More celebrities like Macklemore should raise their voices against oppression. Please join me in raising your voices to stop this war against innocent civilians.
Sincerely,
Dr. Samar El-Rifai Sarmini
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