Several years ago an incident occurred at my home whilst I was three counties away on a sunny afternoon enjoying myself in the company of friends. Immediately on returning home I realized that all was not as I had left it.
For the back door was wide open, because robbers had forced their way into my home and every room had been disturbed, the bedroom was in complete and utter disarray.
I was numb with shock not really knowing what to do next, my first action was a 999 call to the Garda (Police) I then slowly took stock of the situation to see what was missing and what had been damaged.
The greatest loss/hurt was not monetary. It was the bald fact that my home and inner sanctum had been invaded by strangers, my privacy taken from me. My emotions were in turmoil as I went from anger to disappointment, to anger combined with sadness, to outrage. Finally I came through the storm to recover the status quo.
The experience enriched my senses for it gave me a small measure of what it must be like on a larger scale to have your home - country in a state of oppression and invaded by a foreign power.
Thus I have been feeling rather distraught and angry this week, after reading about the unnecessary deaths and injured activists that were on the Humanitarian Aid ship Mavi Marmara 130 miles off the coast Israel, in international waters.
This was an act of piracy and willful murder by Israel. The Somali fishermen are also conducting acts of piracy. To whit an international force is patrolling those waters in order to protect shipping. As I write this blog another humanitarian aid ship the Rachel Corrie is steaming towards Gaza with supplies - will it's activists too become victims ?
[Rachel Corrie you may recall was a 23 yr old American activist who was murdered by an Israeli Army bulldozer in 2003]
This madness, this sick disregard for human lives, the propaganda machine and aggressive military machinations of Israel have been continuously funded by the USA for dozens of years, costing them trillions of dollars.
All it takes is for one brave phone call from the President of the USA to put a Stop to this insanity!
I agree with everything you say, Mel, from the feelings of violation when your home has been burgled to the feelings of outrage at these murderous acts by a nation historically victimised but now perpetrating such unforgivable acts of violence on other people. The only part I don't agree with is the power of the US to stop it. I rather wonder who is pulling who's strings here. People say the US is the most powerful nation in the world, but I have to wonder....
ReplyDeleteThe USA is scared shitless of losing the Jewish vote - even Obama. There is nothing anti-semitic about despising Israeli 'foreign' policy. This little event could tip the balance, however...
ReplyDeleteI've just watched the available footage of the commando drop on the boat, and it seems like a simple cock-up by the Israelis, who were not expecting a hostile response. The question is, was the invasion legal, even if it was stupid. The legality of the Gaza blockade is something else. If someone had landed on my boat, they might have got a similar response, but this was the last of 6 ships. Hopefully, it will be a catalyst if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteHere, Here! Perhaps I should be the one to make the call.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many places where human life has no worth... I still hurt from knowing what China does even though they promised to alter their record of human rights violations when hosting the last olympics, and now there's S Africa... We can may be be like the person trying to save beached star fish, carrying one at a time back to the sea when there were millions washed up. One little step makes one little change. There will be ripples from blog posts like this.
ReplyDeleteI haven't much to add to what Mel already said, I know I doubt I will see change in my lifetime,these countries have been at each others throats for more yrs then I can count..bloodshed is all they know, they should be cut of from the rest of the world no trade nothing but then again if we are waiting for them to change I am afraid new brains would have to be inserted...I don't see a way to fix anything for those warring countries other then to cut them off from the rest of the world and let them duke it out..we are all tired of the mess...they want to fight,amongst themselves and surrounding territories the crazy bast--rds..let them,sorry about the rant, enough is enough, I have no sympathy for Isreal Iraq or any other country that knows nothing but bloodshed and violence..what a mess!
ReplyDeleteIt would take more than one phone call I think. This is just like apartheid to me and like apartheid it will take many small measures by ordinary people to stop it.
ReplyDeleteFair play to Obama tho' he seems like he's had enough of the Isreali's. Lets hope the American people get sick of it too.
If only wisdom was down to a phone call...
ReplyDeletePresidents and other heads of states are put, maintained and/or dislodged from power by the very same who really hold its helm. They [those put in place] topple like birds' eggs off a cliff ledge...
I've been immersed in my year end school work this week and have missed most of the international news, which is a big change from my usual routine. I hope that one of the changes that comes as a result of this dreadful happening is that people will be allowed to condemn the actions of a government without automatically being called anti-semites, which I have always found to be such a bogus reaction. All governments should be accountable.
ReplyDeletexx
AM
Thank you for your comments on this ignoble subject.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that often when one condemns Israel the cry of anti semitic is heard. So I took a look at who is a semitic and found the following information :-
That not all Semites are Jews, and not all Jews are Semites (will explain below.)
Semitic speakers are the bigger group, it constitutes of Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic and Ethiopic speakers.
Ethnic/genetic/biblical Semites is a smaller group, by biblical accounts and DNA it constitutes: The majority of the Bedouins and Yemenis are Semites, more than half of the Syrians and Iraqis are Semites. More than a third of the Israelis are Semites the rest are Jewish people.
My brother works for The London Jewish Cultural Centre.He teaches many camp survivers for whom he has great respect and affection.These people are all Jews but few are happy with what is happenning in Isreal.My brother also goes to Saudi every year to lecture on art history to womens groups there.So he has friends on sides.
ReplyDelete