"Duck Season! Rabbit Season!"

[eumelia]

Last night Israel declared a unilateral cease fire.
Today Hamas declared a unilateral cease fire (for a week so that the IDF can withdraw).
Which, I'm surprised to say, they are.

I doubt, though, that something will last more than a week.

The last three weeks have been hellish.

Understatement, I know.

As stated, I'm not optimistic.
This has happened before.
I don't think Israel or Hamas will be ceasing fire for long.

One thing that really hasn't been spoken about at all, either in the Israeli media or International is the actual political aspect of this all.
As I'm sure some of you are aware, Israel is entering general elections next month. Just so you know, Kadimah and Avodah, according to the poles, are doing very, very well.
Yeah.
Conclusion may be drawn without much trouble.
But let me not speak treason.

The Palestinian doctor who lost three of his daughters in the the fighting - video of the interview on Israeli television - has been just one of many such stories out of Gaza, only it is one of the few that has seen full coverage in Israeli media.

In Israel three civilians were killed and 10 soldiers died in combat.

All personal tragedies are terrible and unthinkable and traumatic.

But 1,300 dead people in Gaza, over 400 of them children, most of them civilians.
Even if more Hamas combatants died in the fighting, was it really worth it?

Are we even able to comprehend the fact that each and every one of dead has a name? A family that will miss them... maybe even an entire family that dies with them (in Gaza only at this point, seeing as no Israeli family has been wiped out by rockets)?

Hoy... I'm tired.
Tomorrow is another day.

That's all folks.
At least for now.

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Alll politics.

And the ceasefire seems to have more than a little bit to do with Obamas inauguration.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Of course! Israel had to get everything done before the new Prez gets sworn in!

[violachic.livejournal.com]

I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your honest, insightful, passionate writings on this the last couple weeks. I can only imagine how emotionally taxing it must have been for you. Thank you.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

It's really the very least I could do.
Just to show that there wasn't and isn't consensus about Gaza and the Occupation in general.

[violachic.livejournal.com]

I have been valiantly trying, as one of my friends/housemates puts it, to put some people through "internet re-ecucation camps" about the issue, but it is so frustrating.

http://xkcd.com/386/

That's me...

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

OMG! Me too!
the past month has been one frustration after the other.
Though I dunno how much you've had to deal with that IRL...

[violachic.livejournal.com]

Well, not much, mostly because I'm in the US, and therefore so separated from the conflict, but also because I tend to surround myself with people who think the way I do, so I'm not doing a lot of arguing with people face to face. I mean, I'm lucky, even my family agrees with me- my mom is also a Palestinian activist. So big kudos to you for your courage, because I am sure you are dealing with a lot of shit IRL right now.