As the US sends more bombs to Israel for expansion into Lebanon under the guise of anti-terror, I urge you to reflect on who the real terrorists are. What makes an act terrorism? Defined as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims”[i] , it’s clear Israel and its US funders are, in fact, terrorists. Yet it seems in this country terrorists are identified by the color of their skin, rather than the ways in which they wield their violence.
To be clear, I say this as a white woman raised in a military family. Though he never saw war, my father was a Navy man, and great uncles on both sides fought in the Battle of the Bulge; the final battle in a war against genocide. I think my ancestors would be incensed to see what a lie this nation is, and always has been. That the war they waged in this crime against humanity was all in vain. And that in the war game of Axis and Allies, we’ve now become the Axis of genocide as we send endless funds to continue one.
I think Frida Khalo summarized it best upon her first visit to the US in 1933, “I am completely disappointed with the famous United States. Everything is about appearances, but deep down It’s a pile of shit. I’ve seen thousands of people in the most terrible conditions without anything to eat and nowhere to sleep.” Over 90 years later, Frida’s assessment still rings true, but keeping up appearances is no longer possible. In the wake of a Hurricane Helene, thousands are left abandoned without electricity, food, or access to resources of any kind, and yet we continue to fund Israel’s colonialism.
Israel, a nation that provides universal healthcare for its citizens, understands that the health of a land is fully connected to the health of the humans living within it. They certainly won’t stop using this money to fund their war, as they know those in power in the US will never prioritize their own people above their endless desire for world domination, a goal they can’t achieve without their foothold in the Middle East.
Who has something to gain? What are their motivations? Those in power don’t want us to see through the veil of their lies and manipulation of our values, to sink back into our humanity and deep knowing that no life is more valuable than another. They don’t want us to come to the collective realization that what Israel & the US are doing is undeniably wrong in countless ways.
So let’s stop pretending this is about anything other than power and control for the few, in a clever disguise to garner the support of the masses. Those in power know that when they pull on the heart strings and values tied to religion, or anti-terror, they can bring the people along with them and silence their questions about the ethical dilemma at hand. But it isn’t about religion, or anti-terror, and it never has been.
[i] Oxford Dictionary